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Showing posts with label theGrio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label theGrio. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 20, 2020

Elections, are we there yet?

This week’s episode of the ‘Dear Culture Podcast’ Dr. Christina Greer and Dr. Jason Johnson ask the question, “can the president still win this thing?”

In prep for Election Day as well as the aftermath, over the next few weeks theGrio political contributors Dr. Christina Greer and Dr. Jason Johnson will be steering The Dear Culture Podcast ship with their political expertise. 

From Ice Cube, herd immunity, to the polls, unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. The global health pandemic combined with many folks reaching their wits end with voter disenfranchisement, there has been record amounts of early voter turnout and registration. And it’s got a lot of us and The Dear Culture Podcast wondering, “Dear Culture, can the president still win this thing?”

Read More: Yes, Joe Biden can still lose the presidential election

The answer is neither a full yes or no. Though many folks are mobilizing to usher back a Democratic presidency, something Black people know all too well, is that “these polls cannot be trusted,” says Greer. As the polls say multiple things throughout the week, there are more horses in the proverbial game. Dr. Johnson reminds us that it is possible for Trump to win and “all he has to use is the courts” in his favor. 

“These polls ain’t loyal.” Jokes Dr. Johnson to Dr. Greer


As the nation watches swing states, recently in Pennsylvania, Republicans sued to say that any vote that wasn’t received on Election Day cannot be counted, and that goes for mail too. It took a 4 to 4 tie ruling from TheSupremeCourt to say that states have to at least accept votes received by November 6th. The tie came from Justice John Roberts siding with the liberals. Mind you, there’s another right wing Justice on the way.

Not only can legal challenges potentially still allow Trump to win the election, the rhetoric of white American and Black celebrities very much adds to the noise. Recently many Black celebrities have come out of the woodwork stating that “they love the tax breaks” regardless of the xenophobia, anti-semitism, anti-Muslim sentiment, and so forth. From 50 Cent to Ice Cube, Greer and Johnson do not support the concept of Black capitalism. Which is the same as capitalism, but just exploiting your own people. Regardless if it’s right or left winged, Black capitalism does not help the conditions of our peoples, rather, it divides our communities. Which is the antithesis to Blackness.

Read More: 50 Cent doubles down on Trump endorsement: ‘Don’t want to be 20 Cent’

“If the Republican party is poop, then the Democractic party is asparagus. Both of them smell bad, but only one of them I’d want to eat.” Jokes Dr. Greer. 

As Greer effortlessly stated in her metaphor, voting for the Democratic Party is not the lesser of two evils. Our current elections have shown us that sometimes it’s about voting for who you think will do the work for your communities. The difference falls between which presidential candidate is more accessible to the demands, concerns, and desires of the Black community at large. And such a difference is key to the election. 

Tune in Dear Culture, the smart, reliable Black news podcast. Now streaming on Apple Podcast, Spotify, and Stitcher.

TheGrio is now on Apple TV, Amazon Fire, and Roku. Download theGrio today!

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Kelly Rowland shows off baby bump during babymoon: ‘6 months already’

The singer said she and her husband of six years had been talking about having another child.

Kelly Rowland is expecting her second child, and she shared a video on Instagram Tuesday of her showing off her baby bump.

“6 MONTHS ALREADY!! This time passed SO FAST!!! I’m enjoying every moment! #2021,” she captioned the clip of her glowing in a black bikini and fedora. 

“Here we are at six months. This is another angle at six months. This is another angle at six months,” Rowland shared. “I see you baby,” she said. Check out the post below.

Read More: Kelly Rowland announces she’s pregnant with second child

Rowland, 39, and her husband of six years, Tim Weatherspoon, have a five-year-old son, Titan. In a recent interview with Women’s Health, she announced that she is expecting her second child. 

The pop star said she was nervous about making her joyous announcement amid the pandemic, economic downturn and months of racial reckoning in the wake of police slayings, theGRIO previously reported. However, she said she wanted to “remind people that life is important.”

“I’m knocking at 40’s door in February,” she said. “Taking care of myself means a lot to me .”

“In the interview with Women’s Health, the former Destiny’s Child member said she drinks four liters of water a day, and has smaller and more frequent meals now that she’s pregnant. 

Read More: Kelly Rowland, Lena Waithe and more talk ‘Bad Hair’ film at Urbanworld Film Festival

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She said her fitness schedule has been different during her second pregnancy, telling the magazine that with her new baby, she’s mostly sticking to yoga, walks and stretches aided by a physical therapist. 

Rowland said she and the hubby had been talking about having another child, and then the COVID crisis hit, now she has a quarantine baby on the way.

“We had been talking about it loosely, and then COVID happened, and we were just like….let’s see what happens,” she said. Rowland admits she got pregnant “right away.”

She has not yet revealed her due date or if she knows the sex of her baby.

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Chicago teen arrested for sexual assaulting girl, 7, during virtual class

The victim’s laptop microphone was muted but the camera was on.

An 18-year-old Chicago man was caught sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl during a remote learning session that was livestreamed to her first-grade class.

Catrell Walls has been charged with predatory criminal sexual assault over the incident that occurred Thursday at relative’s home on the city’s south side.

Police say the child was attending a virtual Google Meets session when that assault unfolded, New York Post reports. The girl’s laptop microphone was muted but the camera was on. Her teacher was working on another computer when she heard students say: “What’s going on? What’s happening?,” according to prosecutors. 

Read More: Chicago man dangles off of Trump Tower, ‘demands to speak to president’

When the teacher looked at the computer with Google Meets running, she saw the victim performing a sex act on Walls. The teacher told the other students to “Log off, log off,” before she saw Walls pick up the victim’s laptop and close it, prosecutors said.

The teacher reported the incident to the school’s principal, who notified the child’s family, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and the police. 

The girl initially denied the assault, telling investigators that Walls “just hit her.” She ultimately admitting to being sexually abused by him for over a year.

Read More: Chicago mother denied bond after allegedly killing daughter, 5

“The victim disclosed, ‘He made me put my lips on (him) and this has happened before, and I don’t want my daddy to know, it’s a secret,’’’ Cook County Assistant State’s Attorney Andreana Turano told the court.

Walls was arrested a day after the assault and admitted to the history of abuse. 

“I don’t know why, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Walls tearfully told officers. It’s unclear how he and the victim are related.

Walls was already facing a felony gun charge on an unrelated incident. He is being held without bail, the report said.

“This ongoing history of assault, for approximately a year, according to the victim, leads me to believe this is not something that will just stop because I have ordered it to,” said Judge Charles Beach in denying his bail. This history and his actions from this case lead me to believe that he is a threat to an individual and the community as a whole.”

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Dave Chappelle shuts down call for celebrity activism

‘There’s no pension plan for leaders,’ said Chappelle

My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, is returning to Netflix and Dave Chappelle will be one of Letterman’s guests.

The show is on its third season and will return this week. In a three-minute clip provided by Netflix, the two gentlemen discuss activism today, George Floyd and the late John Lewis. The clip opens up and Chappelle is heard discussing past political legends.

Read More: Dave Chappelle says Prince ‘only person’ who cared after show departure

“There is no pension plan for leaders,” said Chappelle. “Martin Luther King died penniless, Malcolm X died penniless, I don’t want to do that.”

The men go on to discuss George Floyd, with Chapelle exclaiming, “The commentary after it was very heavy and intellectual and I was shocked that nobody ever talked about what it feels like to watch a man get murdered that way by a man in a police uniform.”

Letterman begins to draw comparisons between Lewis and Floyd. Lewis sprung to action after a police officer struck him in the head and nearly killed him in 1965. He passed away almost two months after Floyd was killed by police officer, Derek Chauvin who was seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck.

“What a tragic footnote to a tragic culture,” says Chappelle, “it’s a lot to unpack.” But Chapelle believes that what he and Letterman are doing matters.

“Nights like this are important, just talking about it, we are countrymen, all of us we live in America, we all got our problems.”

Read More: Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs asks what 4th of July means to Black people

The clip ends with Chappelle saying he is hopeful.

“I’m very hopeful that there will be real change, and that traditionally from my experience, change is never a comfortable proposition, it’s uncomfortable before its comfortable again.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

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Bill Cosby seen looking disheveled in new mugshot

The prison says it is normal for them to update an inmate’s photo

Bill Cosby’s newest mugshot was released and despite all of the accusations thrown his way, he managed to crack a smile.

According to TMZ, the prison says it is normal for them to update an inmate’s photo if their appearance has changed. Cosby was sentenced in September 2018 and is set to serve three to 10 years in prison.

Read More: Bill Cosby granted appeal in Pennsylvania sex assault case

The disgraced 83-year-old entertainer is being held at the State Correctional Institution – Phoenix in Pennsylvania for aggravated indecent assault against former basketball player Andrea Constand in his home in 2004.

via social media

Constand says she saw Cosby as a mentor. She is the former Director of Operations of the women’s basketball team at Temple University, where Cosby received an Honorary Doctorate. But the night she entered his home in 2004 changed both of their lives.

Constand said she had no qualms about trusting the actor because of his status, but when she entered the room she says he offered her three blue bills to help her relax. After she took them she says she fell in and out of consciousness as he molested her.

“My thoughts were that he was a well-respected Temple advocate and trustee,” she said in court per the Miami Herald. “He was also a community leader … and that made him a very well-respected person at Temple, and I was grateful for (him) helping me in any way that he did.”

Read More: Camille Cosby slams #MeToo in new interview: ‘They need to clean up their acts’

Back in November of 2019, Cosby did his first prison interview and at the time he had no remorse.

“I have eight years and nine months left,” said Cosby in an exclusive interview with Black Press USA . “When I come up for parole, they’re not going to hear me say that I have remorse. I was there. I don’t care what group of people come along and talk about this when they weren’t there. They don’t know.”

He also told the outlet, “I am a privileged man in prison.”

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Dallas police investigating murder of U.S. Air Force senior airman

Texas police opened an investigation into the death of NIck Slaughter after he came to a local emergency room with a gunshot wound.

Police in Dallas, Texas have launched an investigation after a U.S. Air Force Reserves senior airman died of a gunshot wound in a local emergency room.

Read More: Murdered 2-year-old inspires new Florida law

WFAA reports that on Oct. 19, employees at a local hospital informed the police department that 29-year-old Nicholas “Nick” Slaughter entered their emergency room shortly after midnight suffering from a single gunshot wound. According to the report, investigators later learned his injuries were related to an earlier alert about an active shooter on foot in a local lounge parking lot.

”He was just a good guy, a good kid. Loved life,” Marlo Obera, Slaughter’s brother-in-law, told the news outlet.

As the investigation continues, Obera said the family is unaware of many details around the circumstances of their loved one’s death.

The owner of The Chocolate Lounge nightclub says there was an altercation between a group of women outside of the venue, however, it is still not yet known whether the two incidents were related, according to the report. The Chocolate Lounge released an official statement reported by WFAA:

“On the behalf of Chocolate Lounge, we are deeply saddened by the recent events that took place after closing on this past Sunday evening. We at the moment want to be respectful to the family and friends of Nick Slaughter and allow the investigation by DPD to be fully conducted. Our CLX family is and will be in FULL cooperation.”

Obera, who described Slaughter to the news outlet as an “ambitious young man,” pleaded for a witness to come forward.

”Just please say something. I don’t care if it’s anonymous. Just say something so we can find out who would come and just shoot a gun in the middle of a crowd,” he said to WFAA.

Read More: Boy, 13, dies after falling from NYC high rise building

The Dallas Police Department has issued a call for information about the shooter or the incident. They have opened a Crime Stoppers tip line at 214-373-TIPS and offered a $5K reward for information that leads to an arrest and indictment in the murder.

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

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NASCAR driver Kyle Larson reinstated after suspension for using N-word

NASCAR driver Kyle Larson is reinstated after a suspension was issued this spring when he used a racial slur during a virtual race.

In April, NASCAR driver Kyle Larson was suspended after using the N-word during a virtual race. Now, the association has decided to reinstate his driver privileges.

Read More: Michael Jordan becomes a NASCAR team owner with Bubba Wallace driving

theGrio reported the 27-year-old professional driver was fired by Chip Ganassi Racing and suspended indefinitely from NASCAR after saying the N-word while competing in an eNASCAR iRacing Pro.

“As we’ve said before, the comments that Kyle made were both offensive and unacceptable especially given the values of our organization. As we continued to evaluate the situation with all the relevant parties, it became obvious that this was the only appropriate course of action to take,” Ganassi said, according to the report.

Larson issued an apology from his now-deleted Twitter account.

“I made a mistake and said the word that should never, ever be said and there’s no excuse for that.”

In a big step for the predominantly white organization, NASCAR banned Confederate flags from any venue there is a sanctioned race this summer. Driver Bubba Wallace, who is biracial, openly supported Black Lives Matter after the killing of George Floyd. For his efforts, a noose was then found hanging in his garage stall before a race. Though some fans at first doubted his story, saying it was a rope pull used to open garage doors, a photo circulated by NASCAR showed it appeared to be a newly hung noose.

NASCAR Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500
Bubba Wallace, driver of the #43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet, wears a “I Can’t Breathee – Black Lives Matter” t-shirt under his fire suit in solidarity with protesters around the world taking to the streets after the death of George Floyd on May 25, speaks to the media prior to the NASCAR Cup Series Blue-Emu Maximum Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway on June 10, 2020 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Larson’s suspension highlighted the seriousness of NASCAR’s newfound racial sensitivity and its expectation that its drivers follow along.

Larson can begin racing again early next year.

“NASCAR continues to prioritize diversity and inclusion across our sport,” the sanctioning body said in an official statement.

“Kyle Larson has fulfilled the requirements set by NASCAR, and has taken several voluntary measures, to better educate himself so that he can use his platform to help bridge the divide in our country. Larson’s indefinite suspension has been lifted. Under the terms of his reinstatement, he will be cleared to return to all NASCAR racing activities effective January 1, 2021.”

Before his reinstatement was made official, Larson gave an interview with CBS This Morning where he expressed his desire for a second chance.

“What I said was extremely hurtful and I would fully understand if I was never allowed to race another NASCAR race again, but I hope will get the opportunity to race with them, and with that platform. I think i could do some good things.”

He also released a personal essay titled My Lessons Learned in an effort to again apologize and take accountability for his behavior.

“The first lesson: The N-word is not mine to use. It cannot be part of my vocabulary. The history of the word is connected to slavery, injustice and trauma that is deep and has gone on for far too long. I truly didn’t say the word with the intention of degrading or demeaning another person, but my ignorance ended up insulting an entire community of people who, in the year 2020, still have to fight for justice and equality. When I look back at these last few months and see all the protests and unrest in our country, and the pain Black people are going through, it hurts to know that what I said contributed to that pain,” he wrote.

Read More: NASCAR taps Erik Moses for president of Nashville Superspeedway

The essay detailed his hiring of a diversity coach, Doug Harris, his volunteer work, a visit to the Floyd memorial in Minneapolis, and connecting with Black athletes about the Black experience.

“I spoke with Olympic legend Jackie Joyner-Kersee and toured her community center in St. Louis. I’ve had conversations with Black athletes like Harold Varner III, race car drivers like Bubba Wallace, J.R. Todd, and Willy T. Ribbs, and corporate executives like Kevin Liles (formerly of Def Jam) and Perry Stuckey (of Eastman). We didn’t just talk about the Black experience – we discussed the importance of having empathy and considering the struggles of people who don’t look like me.”

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Ex-RNC chair Michael Steele endorses Biden: ‘We are blinded by our partisanship’

Despite being a leading Republican, Michael Steele has been open about his feelings about the Trump presidency.

The support for Joe Biden is pouring in on both sides of the aisle.

The former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has decided to vote for Biden. On Tuesday, Steele told CNN why Biden is getting his vote over Donald Trump.

Steele said one major characteristic he is looking for in a Presidential candidate is character.

Read More: Nurse who spoke at RNC arrested for shooting woman in the stomach

“The country right now is evaluating what kind of leadership it needs right now to move into the future,” Steele said, adding, “the individual who brings the character to the table and is willing to take a risk on behalf of the American people.”

Steele was the first African American elected as the chair of the RNC and the first African American to hold a statewide office as lieutenant governor in Maryland in 2003.

He says he and Biden disagree on a lot but when it comes to values, they are on the same page,

Michael Steele (Getty Images)

“Although vice president Biden and I disagree on some policy points, I believe he will earnestly pursue options that work towards healing the divide exacerbated by Trump and his administration,” said Steele. “My support for Biden is because we share an everlasting loyalty to what is ultimately best for our nation.”

In August, Steele joined the Lincoln Project, a group of Republicans and like-minded individuals working to remove Trump from office.

Steele addressed his alliance with the group in a statement that read:

“Many of Donald Trump’s supporters bring legitimate concerns to the table. During my time leading the GOP, I endeavored to address these and other grievances through the lens of unity and growth. But Trump has energized the party through the exact opposite means — by focusing on stoking division and eroding our core principles.”

Read More: RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tests positive for COVID-19

Steele left his position at the RNC in 2011 and since then, he’s been vocal about his disdain for Trump. In April, per the The Washington Post he said, “America, in some respects, has been abused by this president.”

Have you subscribed to theGrio’s podcast “Dear Culture”? Download our newest episodes now!

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Monday, October 19, 2020

Naomi Campbell lands Vogue cover, talks Black model mentorship

‘I never used to say the word racism; I just used to say, it’s territorialism.’

Naomi Campbell stuns in a white dress by Dior Haute Couture for the cover of Vogue’s November 2020 issue.

The supermodel opens up to the publication about using her platform to tackle racial disparities in the fashion industry and advocating for Black models.

“I never used to say the word racism; I just used to say, it’s territorialism,” she tells Vouge. “I never wanted people to say that I used that as an excuse, that I was throwing that word out. Now I’m happy that everyone’s all on the same page, that everyone feels comfortable to come out about their experiences without feeling some stigma. But for me, nothing’s changed. I’m going to speak the same way.”

Read More: Naomi Campbell’s ex-boyfriend files lawsuit claiming she owes him $3M

As a fashion icon, Campbell is still dealing with the challenges of being misunderstood. When it comes to the “angry Black woman” label, Campbell says “I am quite over it.” Adding, “Is it now that we have permission to speak? Well, I have always spoken.”

Continuing, “There were a few things that I would do when I was younger that I was told were bad for my race… Now the things I do are not just for me anymore. I think more of my culture and my race, as opposed to thinking about just me.”

Read More: Naomi Campbell reveals she eats only one meal a day

For her Vogue feature, she also makes time to condemn the British media and calls out her country for not addressing its racism problem. 

“They haven’t learned how to be not-racist, period!” Campbell tells Vogue. “I’d rather have racism be right in front of my face and know what I’m dealing with, than to have it suppressed. No disrespect to the country I was born in, but we need to dig it up and bring it up and deal with it. No more chucking it down the sides.”

As for her hope for the future… “I think as a generation, as a whole, can we get reparations for our culture, for what we’ve been through? I absolutely believe we are going to get the positive outcome we deserve,” Campbell said. 

“But we have to do our work in making sure we get it. I think reparations are important for the people to really see that this is something that’s been taken seriously,” she added.

Vogue’s November issue is available on newsstands on Oct. 27.

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Taraji P. Henson, former NFL star Kelvin Hayden call off engagement

Earlier this year, the actress put the wedding planning on hold amid the coronavirus crisis.

*Taraji P. Henson and her fiancé Kelvin Hayden have called it quits nearly two years after the former NFL star proposed.

The actress confirmed their break up during an appearance on The Breakfast Club, noting that they just couldn’t bounce back after hitting a rough patch, PEOPLE reports.

“I haven’t said it yet but it didn’t work out,” said Henson, 50, of her romance with Hayden, 37. “I tried, I said, ‘let’s do the therapy thing’ but if you’re both not on the same page with that, then you feel like you’re taking it on yourself and that’s not a fair position for anybody to play in a relationship.”

Read More: Taraji P. Henson to host and produce ‘Jacked: Rise of the New Jack Swing’ podcast series

Taraji P. Henson
Kelvin Hayden (L) and Taraji P. Henson attend as Grey Goose toasts to the 2019 US Open at Arthur Ashe Stadium on September 07, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for Grey Goose)

Henson did not go into details about the reason behind the breakup, she simply stressed the importance of self-care. 

“My happiness is not his responsibility and his is not mine. We have to first learn how to make ourselves happy, to make each other happy. So when one person is taking on the weight of the entire relationship, it’s never going to work,” she added. “You have to show up, yes you want to be understanding but you can’t lose yourself in that understanding. You have to still stand up for yourself and be there for yourself but it’s hard to do if the other person isn’t doing that either.”

Earlier this year, Henson put the wedding planning on the backburner amid the coronavirus crisis, theGRIO previously reported.

Read More: Taraji P. Henson nabs talk show focused on mental wellness on Facebook Watch

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🙏🏾💋💋💋

A post shared by taraji p henson (@tarajiphenson) on

The actress also revealed at the time that she was mourning the death of her uncle whom she suspected suffered from coronavirus complications. 

“I’m pausing because there’s so much to take into consideration now. We’ve all been changed after this. There’s so much to consider — my grandmother who is 96, his grandmother who is 86, my mother he’s now 70, my aunts and uncles who are up there,” she told Access Hollywood.

“I just lost an uncle who we think may have had complications of corona. It’s a lot to think about, and I just think we should pause, stop, and just think this thing through. Humanity will be forever changed after this!”

Henson and Hayden’s nuptials were originally set for April, but had to be rescheduled due to personal and professional commitments.

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Niecy Nash on possibly losing fans due to marriage: ‘I’m happy’

‘I didn’t stop being great at my craft because of where I lay my head.’

Niecy Nash is not losing any sleep over fans feeling bitter about her marriage to soul singer Jessica Betts

The actress and comedian surprised fans with her secret wedding to Betts in late August, months after her divorce was final from her second husband Jay Tucker. The former couple wed in 2011 and announced their divorce in October 2019.

“I was asked, ‘Is this your official coming out?’ and I was like, ‘Coming out from where?’ I wasn’t anywhere to come out of,” Nash explained in a recent interview with Good Morning America. “I never lived a sexually repressed life. I just love who I love when I love them.”

Read More: Niecy Nash addresses misconceptions about her sexuality since marriage to Jessica Betts

On Instagram, the star of Claws and Reno 911 posted an intimate photo of her and her wife, under which a fan commented, “Just wondering have you noticed you have lost a lot of fans that was loyal to you before you came out?”

Nash fired back with, “If I lost a fan because of who I love then that wasn’t a real fan. Who/how I love has nothing to do with my art. I’m still a skilled, Emmy nominated, award-winning actress. I didn’t stop being great at my craft because of where I lay my head.”

Read More: Niecy Nash announces marriage to Jessica Betts: ‘Love wins’

Nash went on to say that she’s “happy” and all her current Hollywood projects are lit.

She shared with People in September that her marriage to Betts has “nothing to do with gender.”

“It has everything to do with being an amazing person and she is the most beautiful soul I have ever met in my life,” she said. “I love who I love. At one point in my life, I married twice and I love those people. And today I love this person,” she explained.

“I’ve done everything I wanted to do on my own terms and my own way. So my choice now in a partner has nothing to do with who I’ve always been. It’s a matter of who I am in this moment,” Nash added.

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50 Cent says ‘vote for Trump,’ slams Biden’s plan to tax the rich

The rapper has rejected supporting the president in the past.

Rapper 50 Cent took to social media on Monday to endorse Donald Trump after Joe Biden unveiled his proposed tax plan for the rich. 

The rapper, real name is Curtis James Jackson III, shared a post on Instagram showing Biden’s tax rates by state for Americans earning more than $400,000 a year. In New York, the tax rate would be 58 % while Biden would tax residents in New York City 62 %, Daily Mail reports. 

50 captioned the post, “WHAT THE F*CK! (VOTE ForTRUMP) IM OUT, Man — F*CK NEW YORK The KNICKS never win anyway. I don’t care Trump doesn’t like black people 62% are you out of ya [f***ing] mind,” he wrote.

Read More: Biden campaign warns Trump ‘can still win this race’

Fans were quick to slam the rapper turned media mogul for riding the MAGA wave, with one Twitter user writing: “50 Cent is a member of the 1% elite that earns over $400,000.00/year and thinks the general population should be overburdened so he can save a few dollars. Don’t stream @50cent’s music, pirate it.” 

Influencer Ricky Davilia tweeted, “50 Cent literally just declared himself a MAGA lunatic because he doesn’t want to pay more in taxes than impoverished Americans. How nice of him to show he’s part of the same redhat wearing money grifting group as Ice Cube and Kanye West. Makes me physically ill.”

CNN’s Keith Boykin noted, “50 Cent ain’t worth two quarters.”

Author Clay Cane wrote “50 Cent doesnt care that “Trump doesnt like Black people.” Folks making over $400k paying fair taxes is too much for him.Think of the folks who made under $100k who made him millions,” he wrote. Adding, “Greed over community. Black folks exploiting Black folks. Black capitalism won’t save us.”

Read More: 50 Cent gives away $30K in cash to Burger King employees in Queens

YouTuber Pardes Seleh defended the hip-hop star, tweeting, “I’m with 50 cent. I DGAF what your social politics are, your personal life, who you’re “associated” with. If you can’t keep your hands out of my pocket I’m gonna kick you to the curb.” 

Some social media users mocked 50’s bankruptcy controvery from a few years ago, claiming he’s only down with the Trump administration so he can receive a financial bailout. 50 responded by joking, “I just remembered i’m bankrupt, so i’m looking for a gracious loan can anyone help a brother out.”

His endorsement for Trump comes days after he shared an Instagram video of the president dancing on stage at a rally. 50 Cent captioned the clip, “Still no f**** given. The BOTS support Trump.”

50 Cent previously revealed that he turned down Trump’s $500,000 offer to come to his 2016 inauguration, saying, “All money’s not good money.”

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Eboni K. Williams launches new podcast ‘Holding Court’

Television host and attorney Eboni K. Williams announced the launch of her new podcast ‘Holding Court’ available soon on iHeartMedia.

Eboni K. Williams has announced a brand new podcast Holding Court on The Black Effect podcast network featured on iHeartMedia.

Read More: Eboni K. Williams to host, executive produce ‘Revolt Black News’

The podcast network is a new partnership between iHeartMedia and Charlamagne Tha God dedicated to bringing the most influential and trusted voices in Black culture to the podcasting space, according to a press release. Williams, along with co-host Dustin Ross, will use their airtime to cross-examine cases trending in news and provide teachable moments to navigate the criminal justice system.

“There’s no way around it, the legal cases we hear about in the news are shaping social justice and popular culture. We need to dissect them from a Black perspective in a way that doesn’t hold back. Dustin and I will give you the facts straight and our takes will be highly unfiltered,” said Williams in a provided statement.

Williams earned her J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. As a practicing lawyer, she specializes in family law and civil litigation, providing legal advice on high-profile divorce, spousal support, and custody cases. The host also worked as a public defender and a private defense attorney representing criminal matters including murders, rapes, high volume drug cases, sex crimes, and federal offenses.

“I’ve been waiting two years to deliver this love child…⁣” she wrote in an announcement on Instagram.

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Williams has another high-profile gig on the way. The attorney was recently announced as the newest member of The Real Housewives of New York City, making her the first Black castmember, theGrio reported.

“[I] can’t wait to share a slice of life in this city that hasn’t been seen before,” she shared. “Anyone who’s aware of my work knows I don’t hold back. I’m going to keep it just as real here as I do everywhere else,” she said.

Williams believes her background as a lawyer prepared her for a career in television. During an interview with theGrio, she revealed that both professionally and personally, she operates freely and with intent.

Read More: How Eboni K Williams’ law background prepared her for a career in television

“I’ll speak for me. One thing I’m able to do because of the sacrifices of my lineage is I’m able to be way more intentional about romantic partnership, for instance. Right? I’m able to be way more intentional. My mother raised me as a very confident, very business savvy, brilliant, single Black mother. It’s a beautiful thing, but I am in a position now where I can choose to do that, or I can choose to do it a different way. So that’s an opportunity there for me.”

Williams is also currently the host & executive producer of Revolt Black News.

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