Black women expose sexual harassment by Black Sports Online’s Robert Littal with #SurvivingBSO

Late Saturday night on Twitter, the hashtag #SurvivingBSO began, highlighting many allegations of sexual and verbal harassment by Black Sports Online (BSO) CEO Robert Littal.

Complete with screenshots of inappropriate comments and stories of sickening propositions to unpaid Black women writers for the outlet, accusers have boldly brought to light all the dirty secrets of the site’s lead executive.

READ MORE: Bill Cosby granted appeal in Pennsylvania sex assault case

TheGrio.com spoke exclusively with several of the accusers about the sexual harassment allegations, why they are speaking out now, and what they hope comes out of speaking up.

Sheena Quick, former BSO contributor who penned over 800 stories, and CEO and founder of Quick Out the Blocks, recalled on an incident where he harassed her.

It was a corporate training in May 2015 that the two attended. Littal suggested that she show him her breasts if she made a certain number of mistakes in her pieces. But the sexual harassment didn’t stop there.

“In February 2018, the week of the NFL Combine, he kept suggesting I needed to sleep with him,” Quick told theGrio.com. “It was the only NFL combine I have missed in the last five years because he made me feel uncomfortable.”

Quick posted a screenshot of the conversation.

I’ll preface this by saying that I went back and forth with myself on whether I was going to share my experience with @bso. I was afraid that it may jeopardize future opportunities and it’s sad that so many women are forced into silence because of this fear.

— Sheena Quick (@Sheena_Marie3) June 28, 2020

When people asked where she was, Quick kept the sexual harassment private. Instead, she chose to say that one of her three children was sick, using that as an excuse for her not attending the NFL Combine.

She was not the only person that took to social media with her #MeToo story.

Tamantha Gunn, who wrote over 1,000 pieces for BSO since 2015, and is currently a news editor for Revolt, shared troubling screenshots of unwanted conversations in the company’s group chat about her sex life. When a co-worker stood up for Gunn, that woman was removed from the group chat.

Receipt one: @bso called himself the “Overseer” and I immediately showed my discomfort with their comments pic.twitter.com/xdm6zXSxuo

— Tamantha (@Tamantha_5) June 28, 2020

This immediately impacted Gunn’s work at the outlet, and she reveals that she even questioned wanting to continue in the world of journalism.

The experience made her feel numb.

Gunn said, “Honestly, I didn’t know what to feel because I had never experienced anything like that before.”

After sharing what happened with her fiancé, who encouraged Gunn to speak out, she did. “I didn’t want Black women to keep writing for this man and keep getting violated,” she expressed.

Just like too many industries in this country, there are not a lot of opportunities for women in sports. There are even fewer breaks for Black women either in the industry or looking for their first opportunity.

blacksportsonline.com logo (site)

This creates a perfect storm for sexual harassment. When it happens, far too many don’t speak out for fear of retribution and being black-listed in the industry. There are also far too many examples of it happening in the past to mention.

“Unfortunately, there are so many women that are faced with the tough dilemma of having to choose between either their self-respect and their career,“ Quick said.

She then added that she was afraid, even shaking while tweeting about her experiences with Littal Saturday night.

Her fear was with good reason. Quick shared a screenshot that alleges Littal helped stop her three children from being removed from her home, something she vehemently denies.

“I contributed to BSO multiple times daily from 2012 until around 2015 and sporadically from 2015 to 2018,” said Vashti Hurt, former BSO contributor and Founder and Editor in Chief of Carolina Blitz.

“From day one, I went full throttle, writing regularly to help build the BSO brand,” Hurt shared. “Even using my investment banker background to create business and marketing plans for the website.”

Hurt contends that there was no compensation for her expertise.

Quick shared stories of struggling financially to cover events for BSO without compensation. Hurt shared similar stories.

“I would travel to cover events for the BSO brand without travel expenses, oftentimes struggling financially to pursue my passion,” Hurt remembers.

A detail shot of the game ball during the game between the Golden State Warriors and the Philadelphia 76ers  (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images)

What followed was simply exploitation.

“Rob knew how hungry we were to succeed in this industry as Black women, who are often overlooked and exploited,” said Hurt. “It was insulting to see him bragging about how much money he was making as the boss, while literally playing the role of the overseer behind the scenes I didn’t experience the professional growth he promised in exchange for free labor until I left the brand.”

Another troubling accusation came in the form of a Direct Message to Gunn from a woman who contributed to BSO who prefers to remain anonymous.

Just got this DM from a former worker of @bso who wanted to remain anonymous smfh. But he claims he’s putting on for minority writers/ reporters. BOY FUCK YOU! pic.twitter.com/ue5cSHn61O

— Tamantha (@Tamantha_5) June 28, 2020

The women continued to have people submit troubling screenshots.

He been a creep. pic.twitter.com/IGyqtBBivk

— Address me as Nat’l Champ T (@SportyByNature) June 28, 2020

Actress and comedian Amanda Seales, who has a history with Littal, joined the conversation, admitting that she regrets over not suing him, and encouraging his accusers to take him to court.

May lying ass SEXUALLY HARASSING PIECE OF SHIT @RobertLittal burn in hell. You tried to ruin my credibility and still I rise. You, however, will crumble. The truth always comes to light. @Tamantha_5 You r brave and courageous SHUT HIM DOWN. https://t.co/5BPULPnhN7

— Amanda Seales (@amandaseales) June 28, 2020

Without addressing the sexual harassment accusations or any of his accusers directly, Littal, clad is a Spider-Man t-shirt, apologized numerous times over nearly seven and a half minutes in a live video on Twitter.

I’m sorry…Let’s have an honest chat…. https://t.co/xnLmXZAGjZ

— Robert Littal (@BSO) June 28, 2020

After watching the video, Quick was not impressed.

“He brushed over the sexual harassment like it was no big deal,” she said. “I’d like for Rob to take accountability, and enroll in sensitivity training.”

“I’d like Rob to change the toxic culture around BSO and start paying for contributions or at minimum travel expenses,” Hurt said of what she hopes comes out of the allegations becoming public.

“I’d also like for there to be an overall culture change in sports journalism. I’d like to see the industry embrace women, Black women, and see value in our voices and experiences.”

Gunn had no plans to watch the apology, but shared what she wants to happen as a result of the allegations becoming public.

“I want him to step down, I want him to confirm what he has done, and I want him to start paying writers,” Gunn said.

TMZ Sports (Twitter)

She also wants TMZ Sports to fire him from his co-hosting position.

“I don’t want him being in a position of power to affect Black women,” Gunn exclaimed.

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Essence Magazine’s staffers anonymously call out toxic workplace culture

Essence Magazine is facing internal backlash from its predominantly Black female staff.

Accusations of pay inequity, sexual harassment, corporate bullying, intimidation, colorism, and classism are a few of the things the employees are complaining about. Their hope is that advertisers will pull campaigns from the female brand until they can treat their employees better.

READ MORE: ESSENCE CEO Michelle Ebanks unexpectedly steps down

A blog published on Sunday alleged that the Black women who are employed for Essence are unhappy working under the company’s chief officers, including Essence Ventures owner and CEO Richelieu Dennis.

According to the anonymous group of disgruntled employees, that now goes by the name Black Female Anonymous, the company’s leadership is making the magazine the “most deceptive Black media company in America,” by exploiting movements like the #BlackGirlMagic for monetary gain.

In addition to Dennis, Essence Ventures board member and former Essence Communications CEO Michelle Ebanks, COO Joy Collins Profet, and CCO Moana Luu are named as key actors in the workplace downfall of the trusted Black print.

BFA posted a Medium blog that further said that the company has a two-year history of wrongfully laying off or forcing Black women to resign.

Essence magazine Dec 2018/Jan 2019 cover

Essence has a workforce consisting of about 80% of Black women, according to the blog, and the magazine has been committed to serving the population since May 1970.

Since the acquisition of Essence in 2018 from Time Inc., Dennis allegedly preyed upon females who work for him.

This is not the first time these allegations have emerged.

According to BFA, he has allegedly slept with former employees, namely workers of the Sundial Brands. Sundial is the parent company that owned the SheaMoisture products before he sold the brand to Unilever in 2017.

Dennis is said to have pressed his luck with female employees, harassing those who do not consent to his advances at private company events.

At some point in 2019, it is alleged, that Dennis attempted to have certain females sign a non-disclosure agreement to protect his family business from facing “liability or disparagement after a string of wrongful layoffs and other potentially libelous business activity.”

Host Kelly Rowland speaks onstage during the 2019 Essence Black Women in Hollywood Awards Luncheon at Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel on February 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/Getty Images for Essence)

Martha Dennis, the company’s Head of Human Resources, is allegedly in a complicit conflict of interest and accused of ignoring reports against her husband.

When it came to Ebanks and Collins Profet, they are cited as the beginning of the toxic workplace culture and poor hiring practices, respectively.

Since her tenure as a president in 2005 when the company was owned by Time Inc., Ebanks allegedly sought power in the company by bullying others.

Although in 2019 she “resigned” as a CEO and now acts as a board member, she allegedly continues to give employees an ultimatum: either they accept their salaries without the expectations of pay raise or literally be shown the door.

Susan L. Taylor, Founder of the National CARES Mentoring Movement speaks onstage at the National CARES Mentoring Movement’s third annual For The Love Of Our Children Gala. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for National CARES Mentoring Movement))

Under her leadership, there were many public and private firings, forced layoffs, and resignations. The most shocking of these dismissals was the firing of the beloved Susan Taylor in 2008.

According to BFA, the company has not been the same since.

The group also believes that Collins Profet, a hire from Ebanks, added to the deterioration of the Essence legacy by employing terrible candidates. 

Collins Profet’s hired people like Darline Jean, who lasted one year as the company’s Chief Digital Officer. They allege that she subsequently hired a Black male and Asian male senior roles at the female-driven magazine.

February 2018 cover of Essence magazine

Another supposed bad hire was Kristen Elliot. A white transplant from Condé Nast, she was Collins Profet’s pick for SVP of Revenue. BFA contends that Elliot in turn hired a white woman as a sales leader.

Ebanks allegedly had a hand in blocking positions from qualified Black women seeking sales roles, the anonymous group said.

READ MORE: ESSENCE Festival 2020 is canceled over coronavirus pandemic

The third executive in the explosive exposé is Moana Luu. BFA submits that she is not qualified for her position and is a corporate bully who lacks leadership skills.

When a staffer anonymously emailed a complaint to both Dennis and Ebanks about Luu’s poor performance, the two were more interested in finding out the identity of “the mole.”

The group hopes its blog will reach to Essence leadership and investors and that its demands will be met in the next 5 business days. If not, they are calling “AT&T, Coca Cola, Chase Bank, Ford, McDonald’s, Procter & Gamble, Walmart, and Warner Media to immediately eliminate all active or future sponsorships and media buys” with the company.

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Mississippi lawmakers vote to remove Confederate emblem from flag

Mississippi lawmakers voted Sunday to surrender the Confederate battle emblem from their state flag, triggering raucous applause and cheers more than a century after white supremacist legislators adopted the design a generation after the South lost the Civil War.

Mississippi’s House and Senate voted in succession Sunday afternoon to retire the flag, each chamber drawing broad bipartisan support for the historic decision. Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has said he will sign the bill, and the state flag would lose its official status as soon as he signs the measure. He did not immediately signal when the signing would take place.

READ MORE: Mayor of Mississippi town cries while signing order to take down state flag

Mississippi Lieutenant Governor and Republican Gubernatorial candidate Tate Reeves speaks to reporters before appearing with President Donald Trump at a “Keep America Great” campaign rally at BancorpSouth Arena on November 1, 2019 in Tupelo, Mississippi. (Photo by Brandon Dill/Getty Images)

The state had faced mounting pressure to change its flag during the past month amid international protests against racial injustice in the United States. Cheering and applause erupted as lawmakers hugged each other in the Senate with final passage. Even those on the opposite side of the issue also hugged as an emotional day of debate drew to a close. Bells also could be heard ringing in the state capital city as passage of the measure was announced.

A commission would design a new flag that cannot include the Confederate symbol and that must have the words “In God We Trust.” Voters will be asked to approve the new design in the Nov. 3 election. If they reject it, the commission will set a different design using the same guidelines, and that would be sent to voters later.

Mississippi has a 38% Black population — and the last state flag that incorporates the emblem that’s widely seen as racist.

Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn, who is white, has pushed for five years to change the flag, saying that the Confederate symbol is offensive. The House passed the bill 91-23 Sunday afternoon, and the Senate passed it 37-14 later.

“How sweet it is to celebrate this on the Lord’s day,” Gunn said. “Many prayed to Him to bring us to this day. He has answered.”

Debate over changing the flag has arisen before, and in recent years an increasing number of cities and all the state’s public universities have taken it down on their own. But the issue has never garnered enough support in the conservative Republican-dominated Legislature or with recent governors.

In this April 25, 2020 photograph, a small Mississippi state flag is held by a participant during a drive-by “re-open Mississippi” protest past the Governor’s Mansion, in the background, in Jackson, Miss. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis)

That dynamic changed in a matter of weeks as an extraordinary and diverse coalition of political, business, religious groups and sports leaders pushed to change the flag.

At a Black Lives Matter protest outside the Mississippi Governor’s Mansion in early June, thousands cheered as an organizer said the state needs to divorce itself from all Confederate symbols.

Religious groups — including the large and influential Mississippi Baptist Convention — said erasing the rebel emblem from the state flag is a moral imperative.

Business groups said the banner hinders economic development in one of the poorest states in the nation.

READ MORE: D.C. protesters try to tear down Andrew Jackson statue in Lafayette Park

In a sports-crazy culture, the biggest blow might have happened when college sports leagues said Mississippi could lose postseason events if it continued flying the Confederate-themed flag. Nearly four dozen of Mississippi’s university athletic directors and coaches came to the Capitol to lobby for change.

“We need something that fulfills the purpose of being a state flag and that everybody in the state has a reason to be proud of,” said Mike Leach, football coach at Mississippi State University.

Many people who wanted to keep the emblem on the Mississippi flag said they see it as a symbol of heritage.

Legislators put the Confederate emblem on the upper left corner of Mississippi flag in 1894, as whites were squelching political power that African Americans gained after the Civil War.

The battle emblem is a red field topped by a blue X with 13 white stars. The Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups have waved the rebel flag for decades. Georgia put the battle emblem prominently on its state flag in 1956, during a backlash to the civil rights movement. That state removed the symbol from its banner in 2001.

The Mississippi Supreme Court found in 2000 that when the state updated its laws in 1906, portions dealing with the flag were not included. That meant the banner lacked official status. The Democratic governor in 2000, Ronnie Musgrove, appointed a commission to decide the flag’s future. It held hearings across the state that grew ugly as people shouted at each other about the flag.

After that, legislators opted not to set a flag design themselves. They put the issue on a 2001 statewide ballot, and people voted to keep the flag. An alternate proposal would have replaced the Confederate corner with a blue field topped by a cluster of white stars representing Mississippi as the 20th state.

Democratic state Sen. Derrick Simmons of Greenville, who is African American, said the state deserves a flag that will make all people proud. “Today is a history-making day in the state of Mississippi,” Simmons told colleagues before the Senate voted for passage. “Let’s vote today for the Mississippi of tomorrow.”

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Tamron Hall shuffles staff, hires former ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ producers for daytime show

Tamron Hall‘s daily talk show brought on a new executive producer earlier this year and the showrunner has reportedly landed a veteran group of staff from the former leading talk show on television.

Candi Carter, who joined ABC‘s “The Tamron Hall Show” in March, hired several new team members who all worked on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ which was the No. 1 talk show for 24 consecutive seasons, Page Six reports.

Sources and insiders have confirmed that the new regime has been a result of the arrival of Carter, who was previously the executive producer of ABC’s “The View.”

“They’ve hired several Oprah alum to build her second season,” one source told the entertainment news outlet.

READ MORE: Tamron Hall opens up on her responsibilities as a Black reporter

Hall, a former fixture on NBC and MSNBC until her departure in 2017, launched “The Tamron Hall Show” in September.

Candi Carter (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for Dress for Success Worldwide)

An additional insider implicated that former Tamron Hall executive producer, Bill Geddie, didn’t have the connections to make such hires.

“Their initial executive producer didn’t have the Rolodex to assemble a ‘dream team,’ and that’s what Candi is doing,” the insider said. “She quietly brought on Kristin Graham, a former producer on ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show.’ Three other producers also joined, and two more will be hired.”

In conjunction with the new hires, 18 staffers on “The Tamron Hall Show” were let go on Thursday, June 25, many of whom were hired by Geddie. A third source called the firings “a blood bath.”

“Everybody on the staff knew that when the season wrapped, there would be conversations [about next season],” the second insider said, Page Six reports. “They looked at their staff and there were people who were hired by Bill who weren’t cutting it, and weren’t doing the work or had the skills.”

READ MORE: Tamron Hall loses executive producer after allegedly not seeing eye to eye

Carter brings over 25 years of production experience to Hall’s morning show. Prior to her time as the first Black executive producer of “The View,” she produced “The Oprah Winfrey Show” on ABC for its final 15 years and won Emmy awards along the way to its final airing in 2011.

Carter has also served as executive producer and developer of several shows and pilots for OWN, Fox, BET, PBS and Tyler Perry Studios.

“Candi put out the ‘O’ signal,” stated the first insider. “She reached out to the cavalry. Tamron is not trying to be the next Oprah, but why ignore the most successful show in daytime [when] members of that team are available?”

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Trump campaign removed social distancing signs prior to Tulsa rally, footage shows

President Donald Trump received a lot of criticism for holding a large campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma in the middle of a deadly health pandemic.

Fallout from the event is continuing to mount one week after the event on reports that the Trump campaign removed social distancing reminders from the stadium. Video footage shows campaign staffers removing thousands of stickers placed on venue seats that called for safe distancing for guests, according to The Washington Post.

In the video, two men are seen removing stickers from seats at Tulsa’s BOK Center. The stickers said, “Do Not Sit Here, Please!” and was placed on several seats. The stickers were a part of a new safety strategy at the 19,000-seat arena known as VenueShield, Billboard reports.

READ MORE: K-pop fans, TikTok users claim credit for low turnout at Trump Tulsa Rally

Doug Thornton, executive vice president for venue management company ASM Global, stated that venue staff had placed the stickers on the seats in the hours prior to the start of the rally. The president’s reelection team later radioed an ASM executive instructing the company to cease placing the stickers on seats, according to Billboard.

“The campaign went through and removed the stickers,” Thornton told the music news outlet. He went on to say “they also told us that they didn’t want any signs posted saying we should social distance in the venue.”

The event was open to the general public and many arrived without masks. The Oklahoma Supreme Court had rejected a lawsuit file by Tulsa business owners and residents against ASM Global, asking organizers to require attendees to wear masks at the rally.

READ MORE: Trump reportedly angered by low Tulsa rally turnout

Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign, told The Post in an email that precautions were taken to ensure audience safety, but did not address the removal of the stickers.

“The rally was in full compliance with local requirements,” Murtaugh wrote. “In addition, every rally attendee received a temperature check prior to admission, was given a face mask, and provided ample access to hand sanitizer.”

While only 6,200 people attended the rally, according to Tulsa Fire Department, many in the audience were seen on the telecast sitting or standing in close proximity.

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A Guide To Black-Owned Wine and Spirits Companies For Your Summer Activities

With the start of summer comes seasonal drinks for kickbacks with friends and family while enjoying the weather. While COVID-19 restrictions may still be in effect as states ease to reopen, its still a time where you can enjoy your favorite summer drink either by yourself or with a companion. As you prepare your bar with your favorite wine and spirits, add a few Black-owned brands to your top shelf.

For Outdoor Dining And Picnic–Le Fête Du Rose

As the first Black-owned rose based out of St. Tropez, France, founder and CEO, Donae Burston wanted to created a wine that was more multicultural focus in its marketing materials. The fruity, eco-friendly rose wine is ideal for outdoor outings like picnics and festivals with friends on a beautiful day.

For People Dreaming Of Their Next Vacation–Cremas Absalon 

Cremas is a Haitian rum similar to coquito in Puerto Rico. Cremas Absalon brings the traditional drink to a larger audience with a twist: a cream liqueur with a taste that reminds you of an island vacation. The company also produces an ice cream made from the rum to enjoy during the summer.

For Drinks After Dark With Friends–HH Bespoke Spirits

Gin is another popular spirit that shows a lack of diversity in its field. The owners behind HH Bespoke Spirits used the inspiration of the Harlem Renaissance to bring their traditional London Dry style gin to a modern American audience.

For Weekend Self-Care–Bass Sangria 

Sangria is a staple at many brunches around the country, and California-based Bass Sangria is now bringing consumers and a new assortment of flavors for the summer. The brand is known for its fruit and herb combinations, including raspberry hibiscus.

For Someone Who Enjoys A Solo Drink–Uncle Nearest

Uncle Nearest is named after the country’s first Black master distiller, Nathan “Nearest” Green, who was believed to perfect the Lincoln Country Process that created Tennessee Whiskey. He is also the one who taught Jack Daniels how to distill his whiskey. The brand opened in 2019 in Tennessee to honor the African American whiskey maker.

For Drinks At Sunset–FLO Wine

Created by jazz pianist, Marcus Johnson, the founder’s love of music and wine find their way into a Sonoma wine that is the perfect red blend of merlot, zinfandel, and cabernet.

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Thomas Blanton, 1963 KKK bomber of 16th St Baptist Church in Birmingham, dies

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., the last of three one-time Ku Klux Klansmen convicted in a 1963 Alabama church bombing that killed four Black girls and was the deadliest single attack of the civil rights movement, died Friday in prison, officials said. He was 82.

Gov. Kay Ivey’s office said Blanton died of natural causes. He was being held at Donaldson prison near Birmingham, prison officials said.

In May 2001, Blanton was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Ivey, in a statement, called the bombing “a dark day that will never be forgotten in both Alabama’s history and that of our nation.”

This undated file photo shows Alabama inmate Thomas Edwin Blanton Jr., a one-time Ku Klux Klansman convicted in the 1963 church bombing that killed four black girls in Birmingham, Ala. (Alabama Department of Corrections via AP, File)

When asked by the judge during sentencing if he had any comment, Blanton said: “I guess the good Lord will settle it on judgment day.”

Sen. Doug Jones, who prosecuted Blanton, said the fact that Blanton remained free for almost 40 years after the bombing “speaks to a broader systemic failure to hold him and his accomplices accountable.”

READ MORE: ‘4 Little Girls’ remembered: The price of freedom after 50 years

“That he died at this moment, when the country is trying to reconcile the multi-generational failure to end systemic racism, seems fitting,” Jones said in a statement.

The church bombing, exposing the depths of hatred by white supremacists as Birmingham integrated its public schools, was a tipping point of the civil rights movement. Moderates could no longer remain silent and the fight to topple segregation laws gained new momentum.

The investigation into the bombing was stalled early and left dormant for long stretches, but two other ex-Klansmen, Robert Chambliss and Bobby Frank Cherry, also were convicted in the bombing in separate trials. Chambliss was convicted in 1977 and died in prison in 1985. Cherry was convicted in 2002 and died in prison in 2004.

On Sept. 15, 1963, a bomb ripped through an exterior wall of the brick church, killing four girls who were inside preparing for a youth program. The bodies of Denise McNair, 11, and Addie Mae Collins, Cynthia Wesley and Carole Robertson, all 14, were found in the downstairs lounge.

Visitors look at 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday, July 29, 2016. The church was the scene of a Ku Klux Klan bombing that killed four black girls in 1963. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

Collins’ sister, Sarah Collins Rudolph, survived the blast but lost her right eye and is known as the “fifth little girl.” Glass fragments remained in her chest, left eye and abdomen for decades after the explosion.

A parole hearing was scheduled next year for Blanton, and Rudolph and her husband planned to attend in opposition to his release, which was denied during a previous hearing.

“She hopes that he found Jesus Christ and repented,” George Rudolph said on behalf of his wife.

Lisa McNair, the sister of Denise McNair, said she also hoped Blanton had repented and added: “I wish I could have sat down with him to find out if he had had a change of heart.”

Blanton never admitted any role in the blast, but evidence showed he was part of a group of hard-core Klansmen who made a bomb and planted it on a Sunday morning.

READ MORE: Tennessee Republicans vote to keep KKK leader bust in Capitol

During the trial, then-U.S. Attorney Jones, appointed as a special state prosecutor, said Blanton acted in response to months of civil rights demonstrations. The targeted church was a rallying point for protesters.

“Tom Blanton saw change and didn’t like it,” Jones said in the trial.

Sarah Collins Rudolph, who survived a racist church bombing that killed sister Addie Mae Collins and three other girls in 1963, stands with husband George Rudolph at the remains of a Confederate memorial that was removed in Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

Blanton proclaimed his innocence years after being sent to prison. In a 2006 interview with Birmingham station WBRC-TV, he claimed the government used trumped-up evidence and lies to gain his conviction.

“I think I was cleverly set up by the government … and that’s why I’m here,” Blanton told the television station from prison. “I’m sorry it happened. Deeply sorry. But I’m not responsible for it.”

A 1993 meeting in Birmingham between FBI officials and Black ministers led to the reopening of the bombing case against Blanton and Cherry. The investigation remained quiet until 1997 when agents went to Texas to talk to Cherry.

A decade earlier, the U.S. Justice Department concluded that former FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover had blocked prosecution of Klansmen in the bombing.

____

Associated Press writer Daniel Yee in Atlanta contributed to this report.

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This Pride Month, let us not forget about our Black liberation pioneers

In the last few weeks, we’ve witnessed and for some of us, participated in the fight against police brutality with the murders of Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, Eric Garner, Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, Tanisha Anderson, Sandra Bland and countless others. 

The Black Lives Matter movement has been re-energized and has taken collective action through protest and demands for policy changes related to police reform and accountability.

READ MORE: Robert Johnson calls for an official Black Lives Matter political party

The changes that have taken place in the last month has been nothing short of extraordinary. We’ve witnessed symbolic shifts in almost every social institutional setting imaginable: sports (i.e. Bubba Smith and the removal of the confederate flag in any affiliation with NASCAR), politically (the removal of Confederate Generals) from the halls of Congress, business implementing policies supporting Black commemorative holidays such as Juneteenth with the denouncing of egregious long-existing policies such as racial comments in the work i.e. LinkedIn and racist comments made during an internal corporate Zoom call. 

Black Lives Matter protesters rally at Westlake Park before marching through the downtown area on June 14, 2020 in Seattle, United States. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)

June is LGBTQ Pride Month. While we don’t want to overshadow the issues this country is facing regarding systematic racism and white supremacy, police brutality, and a slow erosion of our democracy itself by the nation’s leader, we should be reminded that the fight against police brutality and toward Black liberation must include Black LGBTQ persons of color. 

I’m not suggesting that our Black LGBTQ family is excluded from the fight or cause. We should fully embrace the struggles of the Black LGBTQ movement as an arm of the Black Lives Matter Movement. Your liberation as Black people relies on the liberation of people, including our gay, lesbian and transgender brothers and sisters.  

Black Lives Matter and Gay Liberation flags are waved at the annual Pride Parade on Sunday, June 29, 2019 in New York, NY. (Photo by Erin Lefevre/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Black LGBT people have been engaged and integral to every struggle for Black liberation through American history. However, in moments like these, our voices are often muted or ignored, both as champions of freedom and as victims of oppression by both the larger dominant culture and the Black community itself. 

Black LGBTQ leaders have led the charge in some of the most powerful social movements for liberation that has taken place in our nation. The Stonewall Riots was sparked as a result of the fiery rebellion of Black Trans persons who were fed up with being harassed by police officers but goes largely unrecognized when the story of the uprising is told. A movie was released a few years ago that bombed due to its lack of a true depiction of the events that occurred (thanks Black Twitter!). 

Bayard Rustin was one of the chief architects of the March on Washington in 1963.  His efforts, however, were overshadowed by Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who Rustin advised should be the face of the March.  Not because he was more talented (Rustin was known as brilliant and an extraordinary community organizer), yet the specter of heteronormativity and homophobia placed Rustin in the background of the movement.

(Getty Images)

James Baldwin was instrumental in educating Americans about the immutable position white supremacy placed on Blacks and Whites. Additionally, Baldwin was integral to the civil rights movement, participating in protests in the South and using his pen as a weapon for liberation against White supremacy and homophobia.

He served as an intellectual emissary to the literary, intellectual, and social movement leaders of his time including Medgar Evers, Malcolm X (they often had spirited debates), Dr. King and author Lorraine Hansberry. His groundbreaking “Giovanni’s Room” was revolutionary at the time because of its sheer raw prose regarding homosexuality and living as a gay man in the closet.  

American author James Baldwin (1924 – 1987) during an interview at the Whitehall Hotel in Bloomsbury Square, London. (Photo by Jenkins/Getty Images)

Audre Lorde was an intellectual pioneer in the third wave of feminism with her literary works greatly contributing to the growth of Black feminist thought and queer theory. She set the stage for contemporary leaders such as Laverne Cox and Janet Mock. And let’s not forget local leaders, such as Dr. Ron Simmons, a former Howard Professor, and founding member of Us Helping Us, a DC-based HIV prevention organization serving the Black community for over 30 years. 

READ MORE: Remembering my mentor, Black gay activist and community pillar Dr. Ron Simmons

Ron Simmons (Photo: Todd Franson / Courtesy Metro Weekly)

Dr. Simmons passed away this year, but how many of us are aware of the quiet, important work that he’s done in Washington and the country toward the goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the Black community?

These were some of the greatest Black minds of the Twentieth Century and their work paved the way for leadership today and the Black Lives Matter Movement. Just imagine how many others that we’ve left out of the movements because of homophobia and transphobia.  

As we protest in the street over the lives lost and affected by police brutality, let us not forget our Trans brothers and sisters. For far too long trans men and women have been brutalized in the hands of police officers and (and citizens) with little or no recourse to address violence towards them. 

According to the Human Rights Campaign, 2020 has already seen 14 transgender and non-conforming people murdered, the majority of whom were Black trans women. Two recent deaths because of violence toward Trans people include Riah Milton and Dominique Fells, both Black Trans women and Tony McDade, a Black Trans man, who was brutally shot and killed by police officers in Tallahassee, Florida.  

Last Sunday, thousands protested outside of the Brooklyn Museum, in New York to express solidarity with the Black Trans community — our community! In 2013, James Dixon murdered Islan Nettles, a young Black Trans woman, in my own neighborhood of Harlem. 

The amount of talent and lives we’ve lost from the Black LGBTQ community does not escape me in our efforts to end police brutality and reform policing. As we combat brutality and celebrate Pride month, let’s commemorate the lives of those we’ve lost due to police brutality and the lives that we may potentially lose or throw away because of ignorance.  

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Dr. Sheldon Applewhite is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the Borough of Manhattan Community College. His work focuses on Black same-gender-loving couples and resilience and his recent research on COVID-19 and Culture in the Black community.  He can be reached on Twitter at @DrSApplewhite

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Black ex-cop charged in Floyd’s death sought to ‘change the narrative’ in policing, mother says

The mother of J. Alexander Kueng wants the public to know that her son, who was charged for his role in the death of George Floyd while in police custody, joined the police force to address the tension between police and Black communities.

Joni Kueng, who raised J. Alexander as a single mother, told The New York Times that J. Alexander, 26, was inspired to diversify the Minneapolis police ranks to root out racial disparities and brutality in policing that he has witnessed in his lifetime.

He sought to change the flawed system from the inside.

“He said, ‘Don’t you think that that needs to be done from the inside?'” Joni Kueng said detailing her son’s motive to become an officer in the wake of past high-profile incidents of police violence against Black people.

READ MORE: Woman confronts ex-cop charged in George Floyd’s killing in Cub Foods: ‘You’re not sorry’

“That’s part of the reason why he wanted to become a police officer — and a
Black police officer on top of it — is to bridge that gap in the community, change the narrative between the officers and the black community.”

J. Alexander Kueng, who is half-white and half-Nigerian, was a rookie on his third shift when that fateful interaction between Floyd and four officers took place about a month ago.

Joni Kueng, who is White, also adopted four Black children. Her adoptive daughter, Radiance Kueng, 21, told The Times that her mother never discussed race with her kids and that it was a detriment to their lives.

A man holds a picture of George Floyd during a Black Lives Matter protest on June 18, 2020 in New York City. (Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)

“Race was not really a topic in our household, unfortunately,” she said. “For her adopting as many Black kids as she did — I didn’t get that conversation from her. I feel like that should have been a conversation that was had.”

READ MORE: House Democrats pass sweeping ‘George Floyd’ policing act

Two of J. Alexander Kueng’s siblings, Radiance Kueng and Taylor Kueng, 21, both called for the arrests of all the officers involved in Floyd’s killing. The two also went out to protest in Minneapolis.

Radiance Kueng said that her brother should have intervened as Floyd screamed multiple times that he could not breathe, The Times reports. She is also considering changing her last name.

“I don’t care if it was his third day at work or not,” she said in a Facebook post. “He knows right from wrong.”

J. Alexander Kueng is currently charged with aiding and abetting in murder for his part in Floyd’s death. He and another officer held a handcuffed Floyd to the ground a third officer, Derek Chauvin, put his knee on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds until his death.

All four cops involved have been fired and charged. Chauvin faces the most serious charges, including for second-degree murder and manslaughter.

Kueng was released on $750,000 bail last week and his relationships have suffered.

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Trump approvingly tweets video showing ‘white power’ chant

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted approvingly of a video showing one of his supporters chanting “white power,” a racist slogan associated with white supremacists.

The video appeared to have been taken at The Villages, a Florida retirement community, and showed dueling demonstrations between Trump supporters and opponents.

READ MORE: Stevie Wonder on Trump: ‘It’s a bad day when I can see better than your 2020 vision’

“Thank you to the great people of The Villages,” Trump tweeted. Moments into the video clip he shared, a man driving a golf cart displaying pro-Trump signs and flags shouts ’white power.” The video also shows anti-Trump protesters shouting “Nazi,” “racist,” and profanities at the Trump backers.

Trump tweeted a video of a supporter chanting “white power.”

Donald Trump is a flat out racist. His campaigns have been racist. His presidency has been racist.

Any person of any race who supports Trump’s white supremacy should be ashamed of themselves. pic.twitter.com/jn154U83is

— Keith Boykin (@keithboykin) June 28, 2020

Seniors from The Villages in Florida protesting against each other: pic.twitter.com/Q3GRJCTjEW

— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) June 27, 2020

“There’s no question″ that Trump should not have retweeted the video and “he should just take it down,” Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., told CNN’s “State of the Union.” Scott is the only Black Republican in the Senate.

The president’s decision to highlight a video featuring a racist slogan comes amid a national reckoning over race following the deaths of George Floyd and other Black Americans. Floyd, a Black Minneapolis man, died after a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for several minutes.

READ MORE: House Democrats pass sweeping ‘George Floyd’ policing act

Protests against police brutality and bias in law enforcement have occurred across the country following Floyd’s death and there has also been a push to remove Confederate monuments, an effort Trump has opposed.

Trump’s tenure in office has appeared to have emboldened white supremacist and nationalist groups, some of whom have embraced his presidency. In 2017, Trump responded to clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white nationalists and counter-protesters by saying there were “very fine people on both sides.”

The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Trump’s decision to share the video.

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Hulu pulls ‘The Golden Girls’ episode depicting blackface

Another day, another hit television show takes down an episode featuring blackface in its compendium.

Disney-ABC Domestic Television was the latest company to do so after the distribution company asked Hulu to pull an episode of The Golden Girls from the streaming platform that featured a scene of two White characters in blackface. The show, which aired between 1985 and 1992 on NBC, is centered on four older women who live together in Miami and relive their golden years.

Hulu, which is majority-owned by Disney, cut the episode titled “Mixed Feelings.” The scene in question, which aired in 1988, comes from episode 23 of The Golden Girls‘ third season, according to Deadline.

The storyline found the families of Michael (Scott Jacoby) and Lorraine (Rosalind Cash), an older Black woman, trying to break up a wedding that the couple was planning. Dorothy (Beatrice Arthur), Michael’s mother, objects to the marriage because of the age gap and Lorraine’s mother objects because she wants her daughter to marry a White man.

READ MORE: Jamie Foxx defends Jimmy Fallon after ‘SNL’ blackface sketch resurfaces

In one scene of the episode, there’s a bit in which Rose (Betty White) and Blanche (Rue McClanahan) appear in front of Lorraine and her family in blackface after they both applied mud facials.

“This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black,” they said.

This episode removal is the latest of what seems to be a mass scramble to purge images of blackface and limit the depiction of racial tropes on video streaming services. Four episodes of NBC’s 30 Rock containing scenes of White actors in blackface were be pulled by NBCUniversal, at the request of show actress and writer Tiny Fey and co-showrunner Robert Carlock.

Greg Daniels, creator of The Office that aired on NBC, had a scene from a 2012 episode of the mockumentary sitcom cut for depicting a character in blackface. He said he is “sorry for the pain that [he has] caused.” In addition, an episode of Community, which also aired on NBC, that featured actor Ken Jeong wearing blackface was removed from both Hulu and Netflix.

READ MORE: Princeton University to remove Woodrow Wilson’s name over his racist record

The issue of White actors and public figures wearing blackface has been particularly contentious as of late. Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon came under fire when a 20-year-old Saturday Night Live sketch of him wearing blackface during a Chris Rock impersonation resurfaced on social media.

Fallon would later apologize for the incident via his Twitter page, saying “I’m very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.”

In 2000, while on SNL, I made a terrible decision to do an impersonation of Chris Rock while in blackface.  There is no excuse for this.

I am very sorry for making this unquestionably offensive decision and thank all of you for holding me accountable.

— jimmy fallon (@jimmyfallon) May 26, 2020

Fellow late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, of ABC‘s Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel, also apologized for an old skit of him wearing blackface while doing a Karl Malone impression on Comedy Central‘s The Man Show.

“There is nothing more important to me than your respect, and I apologize to those who were genuinely hurt or offended by the makeup I wore or the words I spoke,” Kimmel said in a statement obtained by CNN.

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TikTok Is Helping Diverse Students Break Into Songwriting With a New Summer Songwriting Academy

TikTok announced earlier this week that it is launching the Summer Songwriting Academy, a program to help students with less access to resources find the words and the platform to express the experiences and the inequalities of their communities.

Talented musicians have organically been using the social platform to share songs that have a positive impact on people in their community. TikTok states that it is committed to amplifying that impact and has made an agreement to partner with the nonprofit After-School All-Stars, as well as with music publisher Sony/ATV and Syracuse University’s Bandier Program to launch the inaugural Songwriting Academy. 

According to the press release, “The Songwriting Academy allows All-Stars students the chance to showcase their unique voice and perspective through the creation of original lyrics honed with the mentoring and coaching of industry experts. Students will work through a curriculum designed by The Bandier Program that will cover music theory, use of technology, and the business of the music industry.”

“To celebrate the Songwriting Academy, we’ve invited notable friends from our music community to share their personal success stories: Timbaland, Jozzy, Tiagz, Jack Harlow, JetsonMade, DJ Dahi, Ilsey Juber, Tainy, Anitta, Melanie Martinez and Mikey Keenan.”

According to Rolling Stone, Danny Gillick, TikTok’s senior manager of music content and label partnerships, came up with the idea after working with After-School All-Stars on COVID emergency food programs. 

“We set out to build a program to give students from underrepresented communities the opportunity to be heard and to connect with like-minded individuals in the creative community,” Gillick said in a statement. 

The program, which started on June 24, will allow artists to go LIVE each week for the next four weeks to share their content based on stories and their creative processes around some of their biggest recordings. In-app, TikTok will feature the hashtag #BehindTheSong on its Discover page for the music community to share their talent and creativity. 

“Music has a rich history in speaking out against injustice and speaking up for the rights and freedoms of all people,” said After-School All-Stars Executive Vice President of Programs Carlos Santini in a statement.

“Our after-school programs sit in the very cities that have experienced the inequities brought by COVID-19 and the ongoing racism that has yet again been exposed through police brutality and the death of George Floyd and many others in the Black community. Our collective voice will be heard in a bigger way because of this amazing collaboration.”

To view and experience the live streams, viewers can tap the TikTok Summer Songwriting Academy banner in TikTok’s Discover page or go to @afterschoolallstars on TikTok. 

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An Ohio City's Campaign Got More People to Buy Electric Cars

In just three years, Columbus managed to exceed its goal of more than 3,200 new BEVs and plug-in hybrids .

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