Posts made in June 2020

Amber Mark My People

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Today New York based singer, songwriter and producer Amber Mark releases ‘My People’, a cover of “My People…Hold On” by Eddie Kendricks, lead singer of The Temptations, via PMR/Interscope Records.

The poignant cover was recorded in reaction to the ongoing Black Lives Matter protests around the world, with the single artwork featuring the names of black Americans who have been killed either by police or racist acts of violence. The cover is accompanied by a stunning home-made video. All profits from ‘My People’ will be donated to organisations dedicated to the development of black agricultural land ownership.

“It’s so amazing to see the world learning, growing and most importantly helping one another. We cannot let go of this feeling or this moment. We should use this positive mentality as the everlasting force driving humankind as a whole to greatness not just for the future of yourself but for the future of everyone around you” says Amber.

“This cover and really any song I’ve made is dedicated to all of the people doing this. We have had enough, it’s time to bring more positive force into this world… To all the people speaking out on behalf of purely loving one another no matter the minuscule .1% differences in our DNA. Hold on to that love and know YOU, no matter where your homo sapiens ancestors migrated to, are and always will be MY people. 100% of profits made from ‘My People’ will go to organizations that develop black agricultural land ownership. In my opinion what we need as a human race to truly thrive is good quality education and good quality land & food. The only way we can accomplish such is by giving our black communities access to land and the tools to use it.”

‘My People’ is the fourth track from Amber’s ongoing series of fortnightly covers and originals titled ‘Covered-19’, which have now accumulated more than 3.5 million streams. The series has seen Amber regularly release new tracks entirely self-produced and recorded from her NYC flat during the lockdown alongside home-made visuals, and started with a cover of Nirvana’s ‘Heart-Shaped Box’. Other tracks from the series include originals ‘1894’ and ‘Waiting (Demo)’, as well as a short cover of The Who’s classic track ‘The Seeker’ which earned a nod of approval from none other than Pete Townshend, who commented “I’m in shock. So cool. Thank you. You made this your own.”.

The ‘Covered-19’ series follows recent single ‘Generous’; a woozy, bumping bedroom jam laced with strings sampled from Henry Mancini’s ‘Lujon’. The track has already been streamed more than 1 million times alongside support from BBC Radio 1 and playlisting at 1Xtra, while Amber is also a face of Calvin Klein’s new spring campaign. ‘Generous’ comes hot on the heels of a stellar 2019 for Amber that saw her rack up over 100 million combined streams, play Pitchfork Festival and Governor’s Ball and have singles ‘Mixer’ and ‘What If’ playlisted at BBC 1Xtra, while ‘Mixer’ was named one of NPR’s Best Songs of 2019.

Juneteenth Black Creation Initiatives

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Lately, significant venture funds and brands have made public statements signaling their support of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

This is a huge step forward, though it’s essential that our entire ecosystem of academics, researchers, technologists, professionals, executives, big tech CEO’s, founders, funds, philanthropists, and government back up their performative rhetoric with financial resources into the black tech, startup, and venture ecosystem to ensure scalable and sustainable racial equity.

Not diversity. Not inclusion. We’re striving for Equity. Racial equity.

Today, OHUB , ThePlug , Living Cities & Impact Networkare convening a Juneteenth 4.0 Celebration , 1 PM – 4 PM EDT. The online experience is a salute to Black America’s triumph over chattel slavery and a critical call to action.

The event is hosting 20+ thought-leaders like Techstars Cofounder Brad Feld, who will commemorate our huge announcements as detailed in the fact sheet here.

We invite you to attend our Juneteenth celebration and sincerely appreciate your consideration in covering our push for racial equity.

You can register to join us on Eventbrite here.

Event Key Takeaways + Announcements:

1. Techstars Co-Founder Brad Fled and Opportunity Hub’s Rodney Sampson are joining forces to create Equity. District, a racial equity-based ecosystem building initiative designed to create sustained diversity, equity & inclusion throughout startup communities everywhere. Brad is also joining the board of OHUB, making a starting six-figure donation to the OHUB Foundation and has committed to funding at least two more Black lead ecosystem building organizations recommended by OHUB.

2. Brad and Rodney are asking the leaders of organizations throughout the ecosystem that are serious about learning and creating racial equity to sign their new #racialequityecosystempledge

3. Leif, the ISA Management Platform, is joining forces with OHUB’s Future School to launch the first racial equity-focused Income Share Agreement (“ISA”) financing vehicle. OHUB and a group of allies, investors, policymakers, philanthropists, and ecosystem builders will announce over $50 million in starting #racialequity pledges across its early exposure, skills, jobs, startups, and capital work.

4. Tim Draper’s LA-based blockchain venture studio, Draper Goren Holm, is creating the “Blacks On The Blockchain” Initiative with OHUB and allocating $1 million in Bitcoin and 10,000 free passes to its LA Blockchain Summit for members of the Black community to acquire their first digital currency and attend a top industry conference where they will learn from and interact with the industry’s top leaders.

5. OHUB is partnering with The Impact Network to repackage and syndicate its 7-year library of exclusive fireside chats & panels, large scale events and OHUB365 classes and webinars that feature leading subject matter experts in edge technology, skills of the future, in-demand career pathways, startup entrepreneurship, investment and wealth creation. Broadcasting in over 88 million homes,

Impact endeavors to be the foremost innovative, inspirational network both locally and abroad.

6. OHUB and Sherrell Dorsey’s The Plug are also joining forces to amplify discounted versions of their respective subscriptions and memberships to the Black community, allies, and beyond.

7. OHUB is partnering with HBCU Startups and Parkway Media Group to launch the #billiondollarwealthchallenge, a new ecosystem building initiative designed to create a community of 1 million Black people committed to generating billions in new income, shared prosperity and new multi-generational wealth by intentionally entering the technology, startup & venture ecosystem workforce, startup, and the investment community at all upwardly mobile levels and roles.

Paloma Ford Cover

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Paloma Ford covers the June Issue of Nude Magazine. She touches on music, motherhood, & the fight against injustice and inequality.

The Issue can be found HERE

About Paloma Ford:

Born in Los Angeles, Paloma Ford — singer, songwriter, designer, and mother exemplifies the feminine ideal from multiple angles. On the microphone, her sultry and soulful delivery consistently captivates listeners, while her relatable stories of love, passion, and heartbreak keep us coming back for more. It should be no surprise Palomacites her primary influences as Aaliyah, Sade and Janet Jackson, as she also bends R&B to fit and express her individual style.

Off the mic, Paloma describes herself as simply, “A mother and a girl from Los Angeles who has been through a lot of relatable experiences.” “I’m very optimistic, I try to see the good in others. I love being able to help and heal people. I’m a private person, so I don’t show everything on my social media. In my music, you can recognize moments of sensuality and strength. It’s all part of being a woman. That’s the message. It’s important for me to talk about other situations I’ve been in that other women can relate to.”

In 2006, she serendipitously met Macy Gray before a House of Blues gig. As it turned out, a background singer fell ill, so Macy asked Palomato to step in. Numerous live performances followed as Palomaalso contributed vocals to three tracks from the star’s 2007 release Big—joining an esteemed cast of collaborators such as Justin Timberlake and will.i.am. As she built a following on YouTube via independent tracks “Dollars,” “Ménage àTrois,” and “Hit of You,” Meek Mill enlisted her for his 2014 single “I Don’t Know,” which rose fast on the BillboardR&B/Hip-Hop and Rap Charts. During 2017, she unveiled her Nearly Civilized EP powered by a series of standout singles: “W.E.T.” [2.4 million Spotify streams], “Hit Of You” [1.6 million Spotify streams], and “Jada” [1.6 Million Spotify streams]. She appeared alongside Fabolousand Davoon “Connection” from Tory Lanez’s chart-topping Memories Don’t Die in 2018.

At the same time, she carefully assembled what would become her 2020 independent EP, X Tapes.

Companies Profiting from BLM

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By Eamonn Burke

As the nation grapples with the murders of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, and Breonna Taylor, among many others over many years, protests have called for massive police and corporate reform. Changes have already been made, as major companies and institutions have begun to exclude forms of racism and include new reforms and statements. However, as with many corporate sentiments, the genuine nature of these statements is being called into question and exposed as hollow.

It has become a trend for major companies to undertake policies and claim responsibility for social issues, in what is known as “Political Corporate Social Responsibility.” Media is flooded with brands preaching change and pledging to be a part of it. In today’s instant society, however, it is difficult to discern the true motives of these businesses in their support of the BLM movement.

Major companies like Microsoft and Amazon have been actively projecting support for the BLM movement, yet both corporations have shockingly low involvement of black people within their company structure. Intel joined in the trend with a cringey tweet as well.

Fast food companies like Wendy’s and Burger King, and Popeyes have also seemingly been using the movement to boost their reputation using tweets and ads, despite the fact that they thrive on minimum wage workers who are often people of color. The stark insensitivity is reminiscent of Pepsi’s distasteful ad that was pulled amidst the movement in 2017. Some companies, however, didn’t even try to voice support. One such company was Starbucks, who announced that employees were forbidden from wearing BLM merchandise, a policy that has since been reversed. Other food brands such as Quaker Oats are making real changes – the Aunt Jemima brand will be dropped because of it’s racial stereotyping, as well as Uncle Ben’s.

Following a petition signed by more than 5,000 people, Trader Joe’s announced in July that they would be changing the names of their “racist packaging” such as “Trader Ming’s” and “Trader José.” San Francisco High School student Briones Bedell, who started the petition, claimed that “The Trader Joe’s branding is racist because it exoticizes other cultures — it presents ‘Joe’ as the default ‘normal’ and the other characters falling outside of it.”

The company is now going back on that promise, and have says in a new statement that “We disagree that any of these labels are racist,” arguing that they are meant to show appreciation for these cultures. Company spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel originally had accepted the petition, acknowledging that it may have the opposite effect of its intended inclusiveness. Now, however, she says that they will only look into these types of changes from employees, not from petitions online.

The racial revolution in the wake of George Floyd’s death has seen the downfall of other brands and images such as Aunt Jemima and the Washington Redskins, but Trader Joe’s is the first prominent one to resist the “cancel culture.”

What consumers really want, however, is not posts on social media. They want real action and real change. This means companies should “Open Their Purse” and donate to anti-racism organizations. Many companies have, but many have also donated to campaigns for Congress people that are rejected by the NAACP.

The public is skeptical of these statements and promises, and not without reason. The history of major businesses like Bank of America and Goldman Sachs have in the past had to cover up allegations of discrimation, and others fail to include minority members in their top ranks. Other major institutions like the NFL condemned the kneeling for the National Anthem just a few years ago, but is now apologizing and admitting the players were right. The question remains: have sentiments truly changed?

Brands and institutions are recognizing that being anti-racist and pro-BLM is selling more than ever. “Costs Signals,” which are the cost that companies pay to undertake these policy changes, are what should be used for judgement, says UPenn Marketing Professor Cait Lamberton to ABC News. Andre Perry, another ABC correspondent from Brookings Institution, warns that “These statements are a sign of defensiveness more so than an indication that they are proactively working to deconstruct racism in this country.”

For a list of donations made by major companies click here.

Minority Report

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A comprehensive report of the continuation and influx of unjustified treatment towards minorities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 23: 25-year-old Georgia resident Ahmaud Arbery was fatally shot while running unarmed. No arrests were made immediately, but Gregory and Travis McMichael, who claim to have been making a citizen’s arrest, have since been apprehended more than 2 months after the shooting and charged with murder and aggravated assault. The murder and its delayed action have sparked nationwide protests and calls for justice. The lawyer, hired by Ahmaud’s family, was also hired by another African American victim – Breonna Taylor.

March 13: Breonna Taylor was shot and killed in her Louisville home after police entered the house on a search warrant. Taylor and her boyfriend believed they were burglars and began firing at the police. The shootout left 26-year-old Taylor dead and her boyfriend, 27, arrested and charged with assault and attempted murder of a police officer. Neither Taylor nor her boyfriend Walker had a criminal record, but Walker had a firearm license.

March 23: A newly released video shows a 68-year-old black Missouri woman by the name of Marvia Gray and her son Derek being forcefully arrested on the floor of a department store on March 23rd. The two were accused falsely of trying to steal a television and were injured when thrown on the floor by police, according to Gray. They were however, arrested for assault on a police officer and resisting arrest.

April 11: Daunte Wright, a 20-year-old Black man, was fatally shot on Sunday afternoon during a traffic stop. When Wright was pulled over, officers were attempting to handcuff him when the subject broke free and jumped into the driver’s seat. Officer Kim Potter threatened to tase him, yelling “Taser!” three times before shooting Wright. Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon said, “It is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their Taser but instead shot Mr. Wright with a single bullet.” On Monday evening, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner reported that Wright died due to a gunshot wound to his chest. Potter resigned from the police department on Tuesday, and has now been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter.

April 18: Steven Taylor, 33, was shot to death by police in a California Walmart while attempting to steal from the store and threatening violent acts with a baseball bat. Taylor was fatally shot, however, after becoming a non-threat, it prompted the family to call for charges against the officers. Taylor was also allegedly in a mental health crisis and has a history of disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Taylor leaves behind three children and three siblings.

April 21: A 42-year-old Black man, Andrew Brown Jr., was shot by North Carolina sheriff’s deputies in Elizabethtown just before 8:30 am. A private autopsy conducted by Brown’s family has revealed that he was shot five times, and was killed by a bullet blow to his head. The Pasquotank County sheriff claims that the deputies were conducting an arrest warrant on drug charges when Brown was shot. A local prosecutor claims Brown was trying to escape and had hit deputies with his car. The Brown family lawyer claims that Brown’s hands were on the wheel when he was shot, and says that Brown had no drugs or weapons in his vehicle. The family has not yet seen a search warrant from the Department, and the F.B.I. is opening a civil rights investigation into the case.

A clergy march in Elizabeth honoring Brown will take place on Saturday, May 8 at 11am. The march will be led by Bishop William J. Barber (President of Repairers of the Breach, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival former moderator with the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)) II and Rev. Dr. T. Anthony Spearman (an elder with the AME Zion Church and former president of the N.C. Council of Churches), both of whom will lead a march of interfaith and interdenominational clergy. A public rally and news conference will follow the clergy march and begin at 11:30am. Clergy members are to meet at 10:30 am at 299 US Highway 158 N., in front of the old Elizabeth City Middle School. The clergy march is set to lead to the Pasquotank County Courthouse, where the public rally will be held. For more info, please visit this website.

April 24: Austin Police murdered 42-year old Michael Ramos after a nearby 911 call about a possible drug deal. The police shot Ramos when he was out of his car, with his hands above his head. When Ramos re-entered his vehicle and began driving away, he was shot again and soon after, died. A later investigation found no sign of a firearm in the car.

April 28: A shootout with police in Florida killed 26-year-old Jonas Joseph after his car was pulled over. Joseph began firing at police, who returned fire and killed the young man.

May 6: 21-year-old Sean Reed was killed by police following a vehicle pursuit on the evening of May 6, 2020. The police pursued Reed after being seen driving erratically on the highway. The pursuit terminated, but when Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Assistant Chief Chris Bailey spotted the car parked, he approached. Reed tried to flee, but the confrontation left the young man dead. A crowd of protestors at the scene demanded the reasoning for the officer’s use of force.

May 8: The four officers involved with George Floyd’s shooting have been indicted by a federal grand jury. The four officers–Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng, and Thomas Lane– all faces charges for failure to administer aid to Floyd. Tou and Kueng were also charged for their failure to intervene in Chuavin’s unreasonable use of force on Floyd. Chauvin, who was found guilty of murder last month, is also cited to have used “unreasonable seizure, which includes the right to be free from unreasonable force by a police officer,” as stated in the indictment. In addition to these new federal charges, there is also an ongoing civil investigation into Minneapolis policing practices currently underway.

May 9: 48-year-old Adrian Medearis was killed after being pulled over under suspicion of driving while intoxicated in Houston. The officer conducted a sobriety test, and attempted to arrest Medearis, a well-known local Gospel singer and choir director, but he resisted arrest and was fatally shot in the ensuing altercation. His family and community are demanding the release of the video.

May 18: A Sarasota police officer was filmed using excessive force and kneeling on Patrick Carroll’s neck during an arrest. The video was put on social media and the officer in question has been put on administrative leave weeks after the event.

May 25: A woman named Amy Cooper called the cops on Christian Cooper, a Harvard alumnus and former Marvel Comics editor. The 57-year-old man was bird watching in Central Park when she approached him without her dog on the leash. After he asked her to put the dog on a leash, she called the police and claimed to be threatened. The altercation went viral after Christian Cooper posted a video of the event on social media, recording the woman aggressively restraining her dog and her saying, “I’m going to tell them [the police] there’s an African American man threatening my life.” Amy Cooper has since publicly apologized. But, Cooper has faced repercussions beyond negative comments on Twitter. She has been fired from her job at Franklin Templeton Investments, where she was vice president, and her dog has been rescued by a pet shelter.

May 25th: a Minneapolis man named George Floyd was murdered by police after an officer knelt on his neck despite his cries for help. Floyd was taken to a hospital where he died, and four officers were fired soon after the incident. A police statement says that Floyd was being investigated for a “forgery in progress” and resisted arrest. But, surveillance video of the arrest shows Floyd complying with the officers. On May 29th, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged with murder and manslaughter, four days after George Floyd’s death. On June 3rd, the other three officers involved in George Floyd’s murder, J.A. Keung, Thomas Lane, and Tou Thao, were arrested and charged with Aiding and Abetting Second Degree Murder and Aiding and Abetting Second Degree Manslaughter. Floyd’s murder sparked protests around the country with citizens looting and setting fire to buildings. The protestors have been met with tear gas and rubber bullets from police officers.

May 28: At a protest in Minneapolis, 43-year-old Calvin L. Horton Jr. was fatally shot and a suspect is in custody.

A Mississippi cop is on leave after a video is released of him choking a young suspect.

May 29: CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his crew were arrested while reporting on the protest in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, another CNN reporter, Josh Campbell, says he was treated very differently by police and allowed to stay and report. Jimenez is black and Latino whereas Campbell is white. All three CNN workers were released from custody an hour later.

21-year-old Javar Harrell was not protesting but was fatally shot near protests in Detroit. It is unclear if his death is tied to protests.

May 30: The “Rally To End Modern Day Lynching” took place in Harlem in honor of George Floyd. The rally emphasizes that participants should still practice social distancing and wear a mask. Also on May 30th, participants will honor Floyd at the site of Eric Garner‘s murder in 2014. These New York protests became progressively more violent into the evening. Governor Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency and curfew for Atlanta in preparation for planned protests on May 31st. After four days of protests, Governor Newsom declares a state of emergency in Los Angeles. The courthouse and city hall were set on fire in Nashville.

A 21-year old unnamed man was fatally shot at a protest in Detroit.

In Dallas, a machete-yielding storeowner confronted protesters and was then violently beaten by the crowd; the man is now in stable condition.

Chris Beaty, 38, was killed from multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene in Indianapolis.

May 31: After setting fires and looting in Santa Monica, the city declared a curfew. Curfews have since been set all around the country.

Italia Kelly, 22, and another victim were fatally shot while leaving a protest in Davenport, Iowa.

In Victorville, CA, Malcolm Harsch, 38, was found hanging from a tree and authorities are investigating the event as a potential homicide. Harsch’s family says they are very skeptical of his death being by suicide.

June 1: In Minneapolis, a group of men attacked Iyanna Dior, a black transgender woman; Dior is okay and in stable condition now.

53-year-old David McAtee was shot as national Guard troops and Louisville police broke up a protest; some footage shows McAtee shooting at police but it is unclear who fired their guns first because the officers involved did not activate their body cameras. The Louisville Metro Police Chief, Steve Conrad, was immediately fired because of the officers’ unactivated cameras.

16-year-old Jahmel Leach was tased in the face by NYPD and could be permanently disfigured from the attack. It is unclear why the police officers used force to arrest Leach.

June 2: Six Atlanta police officers have been fired and arrested for using excessive force towards Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim, two young black people leaving the protests.

77-year-old David Dorn, a retired St. Louis police captain, was fatally shot by looters of a pawnshop after responding to an alarm.

June 4: At 3:45pm, NAACP holds a moment of silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds in honor of George Floyd live on their Twitter.

June 5: All 57 members of the Buffalo Police Department’s emergency response team resigned in protest for police brutality – particularly seen in a video of Buffalo police pushing an unarmed man.

Reddit Co-founder Alexis Ohanian resigns from the company’s board and urges the company to replace his spot with a black candidate.

In a YouTube video, Robert L. Johnson, the first black American billionaire and co-founder of BET, talks to The Breakfast Club about racism and reparations.

20-year-old Dounya Zayer was violently shoved by a police officer at a protest in Brooklyn, NY.

June 6: Michael Jordan and Jordan Brand pledge $100 million donation over the next 10 years to organizations promoting social justice and racial equality.

A video shows protestors creating a human shield to protect NYPD officers fro rioters throwing objects at the policemen.

June 7: Virginia governor plans to remove Robert E. Lee statue later this week.

CEO of CrossFit Greg Glassman’s insensitive tweet about George Floyd has caused Glassman to face serious backlash. Partners of CrossFit, like Reebok or Rogue Fitness, and athletes, including Brooke Wells and Richard Froning, released statements that they will cut ties with CrossFit.

BLM protestors in Bristol pull down statue of Edward Colton, a slave trader who transported nearly 100,000 slaves in the 17th century.

Harry H. Rogers drove into a group of protestors near Richmond, Virginia. Rogers identifies as the leader of the Ku Klux Klan and prosecutors are investigating the assault as a potential hate crime.

June 8: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announces police reform legislation called The Justice in Policing Act of 2020 which would ban chokeholds, establish a national database to track police misconduct, and more.

Minneapolis City Council announce plans to defund the Minneapolis police department.

GoFundMe suspends Candace Owens’ account saying that Owens, “spread hate, discrimination, intolerance and falsehoods against the black community.”

June 9: Greg Glassman, the CEO and founder of CrossFit, retires after his inappropriate tweet about George Floyd’s murder.

New York Police Chief Mike O’Meara shames the press for vilifying police officers in a video here.

June 10: In Palmdale, CA, 24-year-old black man named Robert Fuller, was found hanging from a tree in what was originally described as an apparent suicide. Citizens are demanding that Fuller’s death is investigated as a homicide.

June 11: After Trump’s comments about Seattle protestors being “domestic terrorists” and that law enforcement must “dominate the streets” to “take back Seattle,” Seattle mayor Jenny Durkan clarifies that the protestors are not threatening and that the president’s claims are unconstitutional.

June 12: Atlanta police fatally shot Rayshard Brooks, 27, at a Wendy’s drive-thru. Brooks’ murder caused Atlanta police chief Erika Shields to resign.

The officer who shot Brooks was Garrett Rolfe. Rolfe was terminated from his job one day after the shooting, but as of Wednesday, he was reinstated to his position. Atlanta’s Civil Service Board reinstated the officer because they found that Rolfe’s firing violated his due process rights. It is not being argued whether the shooting was justified, but rather if the proper firing procedures had been followed regarding the officer’s dismissal. At a board hearing on April 22, lawyer Allegra Lawrence-Hardy argues that “immediate dismal” of an employee “impairs the effectiveness of others.” However, despite being reinstated, Rolfe will remain on administrative leave until his murder and aggravated assault charges regarding the June 12 shooting are resolved.

June 13: Patrick Hutchinson, a black personal trainer from London, rescued ‘far-right’ protester who was badly beaten during protest clashes in London.

A young, black FedEx driver named Brandon Brackins turned to social media to tell his followers how he was called racial slurs while working.

June 16: A story resurfaces from 2006 when black, Buffalo, NY cop Cariol Horne was fired for stopping her white colleague from choking a handcuffed suspect.

Philadelphia court supervisor Michael Henkel is fired after video shows him tearing down BLM signs.

June 17: Quaker Oats plans to retire their Aunt Jemima branding and logo after acknowledging the racial stereotyping.

June 18: A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputy fatally shot 18-year-old Andres Guardado.

June 20: Rioters storm the streets of Tulsa, Oklahoma during President Trump’s rally.

June 21: A NYPD officer is on unpaid suspension after a chokehold incident in Queens.

June 22: Department of Justice is investigating a noose found in Bubba Wallace‘s NASCAR garage. Wallace is the only black driver in NASCAR’s top circuit. On June 23, the FBI determines that Wallace was not the target of a hate crime.

August 23: Jacob Blake is shot by Kenosha police officers after breaking up a nearby fight that two other women were having. Blake was unarmed and shot seven times in the back. He is currently hospitalized for his injuries.

December 5: Lt. Caron Nazario, a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army, is suing two of the Town of Windsor police officers who conducted his traffic stop. Nazario is a Black and Latino man who was pulled over whilst wearing his uniform. He is requesting at least $1 million in damage costs and is looking for the court to rule that the officers violated his human rights, especially regarding the Fourth Amendment. He was pulled over by Officer Daniel Crocker and Joe Gutierrez, who exercised knee-strikes, deployed OC spray, and took the Nazario’s gun in what his attorney, Jonathan Arthur, classifies as an illegal search. In body camera footage, Gutierrez can be overheard telling Nazario that if he had just complied, he would have “been gone by now” and threatened that the charges against Nazario could impact his career in the army, if Nazario complained about the incident. By threatening Nazario’s career, his attorney says that Crocker and Gutierrez violated the subject’s First Amendment Rights.

Looking for ways to help? Here are some places to donate to:

George Floyd Memorial Fund

Minnesota Freedom Fund

Louisville Community Bail Fund

National Bail Out

Transgender Law Center In Memory of Tony McDade

Brooklyn Community Bail Fund

Dream Defenders

North Star Health Collective

The Louisville Community Bail Fund

The Freedom Fund

Northwest Community Bail Fund

Fashinnovation 2

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On June 5th & June 8th, Fashinnovation hosted their second virtual Worldwide Talks 2020, in honor of World Environment Day and World Oceans Day while standing in solidarity for social justice and equality, partnering with Oceana and the Conscious Fashion Campaign, along with advisory support by the United Nations Office for Partnerships.

Global citizens of the world along with Jordana and Marcelo Guimarães (Founders of Fashinnovation) virtually holding hands with Farai Simoyi (Founder of The Narativ) paid a 30 second moment of silence in respect for all the lives lost due to injustice.

“The industry needs to care more by spreading the word and creating awareness.” — Sara Sozzani Maino, Deputy Editor in Chief of Vogue Italia

100+ speakers from round the world such as the USA, Kenya, India, Mexico, Brazil, Sweden, Australia, UK and Italy, brought diversity to the event while sharing their opinions, thoughts, and suggestions on topics such as Environmental Preservation, Ocean-Pollution, Sustainability & Artisanal Brands via Ethical Practices, Climate Change & Circular Economy and the Brazilian Rainforest

Panelists included: DJ Steve Aoki, Rebecca Minkoff, Larry Namer: Co-Founder of E! Entertainment Television, Susan Rockefeller, Supermodel Coco Rocha, Fern Mallis, Mr. Sunil Sethi: Chairman of FDCI, Andrew Sharpless: CEO of Oceana, Pandora Amoratis: US Style Director at Daily Mail, Oskar Metsavaht: Founder of Osklen & UNESCO Ambassador, Melanie Travis: Founder at Andie Swim, Karla Martínez de Salas: Editor in Chief of Vogue Mexico & Latin America, Fiona Sinclair Scott: Global Editor, CNN Style and many more.

2 key highlights emerged in the summit.

Innovation: Artificial Intelligence fashion startup Bigthinx backed by Prada, in partnership with Fashinnovation, showcased ten fashion brands around the world. Live streaming a fully digital 3D Virtual Runway Show (including digitized human models). The show is viewable HERE.

Social Responsibility: Partnership announcement between Loocid Global X Fashinnovation was made – live from Nairobi, Kenya – of masks being made to give back to those in need and create jobs for artisans.

“Be a student, go with no ego. Learn and collaborate outside your space with different fields and culture.” — Steve Aoki, Two-Time Grammy-Nominated Producer & DJ.

Institutional and industry partners included: UPS, Boxed Water, Parsons School of Design, LIM College, FIT, Instituto E, Rio Ethical Fashion, Swedish Fashion Council, Feeric Fashion Week, Asian Couture Federation, Australian Fashion Council, Techstyler, Monte Carlo Fashion Week, IED Spain and Apples and Oranges Public Relations. To learn more about Fashinnovation, visit their website HERE.

ALEX SAMPSON – Take Me Upstairs

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Click HERE to watch.

Canadian based singer/songwriter Alex Sampson releases single and lyric video titled “Take Me Upstairs”. The Upbeat and groovy song is the second release off of forthcoming EP, Let There Be Light, coming fall 2020.

“When I heard it I loved the beat and the lyrics. The vibe of the song is great, and it makes me want to dance whenever I hear it! I hope people feel the same way!” – Alex Sampson.

Following the release of the EP, Alex plans to embark on a nationwide tour, when safety permits, to perform his music live – alongside some of music’s biggest acts.

Up next for Alex, he plans to collaborate with acts such as Owl City, Jeremy Zucker, and TateMcrae. His end goal is to have a number one album – which if he continues on the path he is on – will certainly happen.

When Alex isn’t busy going to school, writing music, or traveling LA to curate his career – he spends his time hanging out with family and friends.

For more information, follow Alex here:

IG: @itsalexsampson
TikTok:  @alexsampson
Twitter: @alexsampson
Spotify:  Alex Sampson

TEYANA TAYLOR × JUNETEENTH

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For Teyana Taylor, not only will she be rejoicing the liberation of her race, but also the deliverance of her elusive project, The Album. A follow-up to her 2018 mini-opus KTSE, Taylor’s fourth album is a fountain of different emotions: across a 23-track effort, the Def Jam singer looks to galvanize the Black community with her candor, lucid vision and unapologetic love for her race — all while being six months pregnant. Rather than disarm her brazen attitude for change, Taylor stays faithful to her core beliefs and delivers a powerful message amidst dark times.

TEYANA TAYLOR TAPS ERYKAH BADU, MISSY ELLIOTT FOR JUNETEENTH ALBUM RELEASE

Cruel Santino New Single

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Nigerian musician and creative auteur Cruel Santino has released a new single titled “End of The Wicked” (Monster Boy/Interscope Records). The song featuring French rapper Octavian is sombre in tone, fluttering across a shimmering production of piano keys and 808s. In the track, Cruel doubles down on his ‘Santinese’ — “those whole time kini hickidy wickidy wickidy end of the wicked” — a method first created to put melody on paper but evolved into a language that fans embraced. The track will appear on Cruel Santino’s upcoming sophomore album, in the meantime stream/save “End of The Wicked” via: Alongside the new single release, Cruel Santino also announced his new joint venture deal with Interscope Records called Monster Boy. Cruel is one of very few Nigerian artists to strike a JV with a major record label. The singer, formerly known as Santi, first burst on the scene with his own brand of alternative music rooted in pop-indie, dancehall, and hip hop. He quickly rose in ranks thanks to his stunning debut in Mandy & The Jungle (2019) which birthed hits like “Rapid Fire” and “Freaky.” The creative took to his “Monster Boy” channel recently to discuss the name change, parodying a late-night television show. Watch the video and get familiar with the many facets of Cruel Santino below:

Past Praise for Cruel Santino:

“The omnivorous Nigerian rapper-singer makes smoothly effortless genre hybrids that feel like everywhere and nowhere all at once.” – Pitchfork

“This mastermind’s music hits all the right spots” – NME

“Santi’s versatility will keep him reigning” — Clash Magazine

About Cruel Santino

Nigerian musician and auteur Cruel Santino (fka Santi) burst on the music scene with critically acclaimed debut album, Mandy & The Jungle (2019) dazzling fans with tracks like “Sparky”, “Freaky”, and “Rapid Fire” — molding a genre unto himself fed by his love for pop-indie, alternative, rap, dancehall and more. The definitive album was an ode to all the things that built the foundation of who Cruel Santino is — a genre-agnostic creative force to be reckoned with. Alongside the fresh sounds, Cruel Santino also directed the visuals tied to the project honing in on his craft with creative collective Monster Boy. Inspired by the occult and Nollywood films, his eye for mise-en-scene and visual narration caught the eye of collaborator Goldlink who tapped Cruel for the rapper’s “U Say” video featuring Tyler, The Creator, and Jay Prince. Not long after, the Dubai, UAE based artist signed with management company Love Renaissance. In 2020, Cruel Santino announced his very own label, Monster Boy — an Interscope Records joint venture. This Summer, Cruel Santino will release new single “End of The Wicked” which comes off his upcoming sophomore album. Not afraid to always evolve and create, we’re learning that this is Cruel Santino’s extravagant universe and we’re lucky to be co-existing in it.

DJ Clark Kent Juneteenth Livestream

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CELEBRATE BLACK MUSIC MONTH AND JUNETEENTH WITH A SPECIAL DJ SET FROM THE LEGENDARY DJ/PRODUCER CLARK KENT TODAY, JUNE 19TH @ 4PM PT/7PM ET

Stream the set on YouTube here or on Instagram here.

Credited for discovering Jay-Z, DJ Clark Kent has produced for some of the biggest names in Hip-Hop and R&B including Mariah Carey, 50 Cent and The Notorious B.I.G.

The livestream also kicks off the launch of the video series Through The Lens focusing on the iconic Hip-Hop photography of Janette Beckman, Ricky Powell and Jonathan Mannion.

Watch Through The Lens here.