Numerous news reports have confirmed that seven people were shot, including a graduate and his father who succumbed to their injuries after a suspected lone gunman opened fire at a high school graduation in Richmond, Virginia.
It was reported that an 18-year-old graduate and his 36-year-old father were killed in the shooting at the Altria Theater, while the other victims of the shooting were also all Black males.
Six other people were injured unrelated to the gunfire, including a 9-year-old, who was hit by a car during the riotous confusion.
Police have arrested a 19-year-old man who they say was involved in the shooting. Acting Police Chief Rick Edwards says that he is expected to be charged with two counts of second-degree murder and numerous other charges.
Several reports have confirmed that a Black mother of four children, all under the age of 12, was shot and killed by white woman over a verbal dispute. The alleged shooter has yet to be identified, charged or arrested.
Ajike “AJ” Owens, 35, was approached by the unidentified white woman, who began hurling racial slurs at Owens and her children as they played in a field near their home in Ocala, Florida. According to reports, the children realized that they left an iPad near the field, which the white woman stole from the field. When the children went back to retrieve the iPad, the woman threw the iPad, breaking the screen. When Owens went to the home of the woman to talk to her to get her children’s iPad back, she was shot and killed through her neighbor’s door.
Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods refused to give the same account of what happened between the neighbors, saying that the shooting appeared to be the culmination of a feud between the neighbors. He also stated that sheriff’s deputies had to be called to the address six to eight times in less than three years.
“Somebody threw something at my child, I’d be pissed off,” he said. “What parent wouldn’t be? Who wouldn’t be upset at that, regardless of whether they intentionally threw it at them or not? I wish our shooter would have called us instead of taking actions into our own hands. I wish Mrs Owens had called us in the hopes we could have never got to the point in which we are here today.”
Sheriff Woods did not identify the shooter’s name, age or race, but added she was being “cooperative”.
Woods said the investigation, when complete, would be presented to the Marion County State Attorney’s office, which would decide if charges will be filed.
Several reports have confirmed that Black Lives Matter’s investment accounts lost over $10 million in value, forcing them to report a very significant loss. BLM, a non-profit organization, had a 88% drop in public donations and experienced an $11.75 million drop in net assets.
The nonprofit’s latest Form 990 shows that a loss of just over $961,000 was logged on a securities sale of $172,000. The disclosures suggest a year of missteps for the foundation, as well as a dramatic drop in donations
In 2021, Patrisse Cullors resigned from her position as executive director due to allegations that her and her team were pocketing donations. Now, the organization’s executive board is being head by Cicley Gay, a philanthropic strategist who has filed for bankruptcy seven times since 2005.
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation (BLMGNF) was started by organizers of the Black Lives Matter movement, which first emerged in 2013 following the acquittal of George Zimmerman in the killing of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin.
Actor Isaiah Washington shocked social media in a recent Instagram post where he shared he grew up in Texas around Klu Klux Klan members who were some of the best teachers and neighbors. He revealed that while his mother allowed their children in her home to eat, Washington wasn’t allowed to drink from their outside hose or allowed in their much smaller homes.
He wrote:
REPOST AFTER AN INSTAGRAM REMOVAL: I had some of the best elementary school teachers and even some neighbors that I knew were Klan Members back in Texas while growing up. I knew where They stood with me and They also knew where I stood with Them. The boundaries were verv, very clear and I still played with Their kids, I just couldn’t drink from Their outside water hose or come inside Their house to eat and Their houses were usually much smaller than what I grew up in. My mother never refused to let Their kids into her house to eat a summer lunch and drink from our vintage JFK water glasses. I can’t help but wonder today, if Their kids are vigorously supporting me as an actor today, simply because I showed Them love and respect as a true Texan and a true American. even when Their parents and grandparents forbid Them to reciprocate love and respect for me publicly to me back then, but I’m infamous now, I wonder… Thoughts?
“Adidas will withdraw its opposition to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation’s (“BLMGNF”) trademark application as soon as possible,” the company said in a statement to Reuters.
Adidas recently filed a request to have the Black Lives Matter filing trademark a three-striped logo. However, the sneakers company has just rescinded their request. Adidas has been known for its three-striped logo for over 70 years. In their initial request to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, they claimed that the BLMGNF’s attempt to trademark a three-striped logo would cause customer confusion. They go on to say that BLMGNF’s application incorporates three stripes in a manner that is confusingly similar” to the company’s familiar three-stripe logo “in appearance and overall commercial impression.”
According to reports, the sneaker company’s decision to request the dismissal of the trademark was based on fear of public misinterpretation that the company’s opposition would be confused for not supporting BLMGNF’s mission.
This came shortly after a failed attempt by Adidas to challenge fashion designer Thom Browne, who was accused of using stripes in his designs in a way that was “too similar “ to the Adidas stripes. A Manhattan Federal Jury ruled against the sneaker company.
Adidas is one of the biggest sportswear companies in the entire world. Overall, they have sold billions of dollars worth of sneakers over the years. Moreover, they have set various trends throughout each decade that they have been in existence. They are a brand with a very distinct look, which is certainly all thanks to its three-stripes logo. This is a staple of the Adidas aesthetic, and as you can imagine, they are very protective of their child. Sometimes to a detrimental degree.
According to Complex, earlier this week, Adidas tried to block the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation from trademarking a logo with three stripes in it. After careful consideration, however, they decided to go back on their original decision. In a statement to the news outlet Reuters, Adidas said: “Adidas will withdraw its opposition to the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation’s trademark application as soon as possible.” It seems as though the company was a bit worried about how this request would come across. As Complex reported, some within the brand thought that their effort could be misinterpreted as a critique of BLM as a whole.
Adidas Realizes Their Mistake
Image via Black Lives Matter
The Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation was simply trying to trademark the logo above. This logo would then appear on all sorts of apparel, as well as items such as mugs. Although the BLMGNF was almost subjected to sabotage from Adidas, it seems like they will be able to move forward with their original trademark request. Clearly, the three-stripes brand has come to the realization that BLM’s logo could not be mistaken for their own. After all, we don’t see Adidas when we see the shirt above.
The German sportswear brand is already having a bad year. They are expected to see record losses in the wake of their failed partnership with Kanye West. That said, they have to be careful about Public Relations disasters. Having said that, it is a good thing they rescinded Monday’s filing. Let us know what you think about all this, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news and updates from the sportswear world.
Hulu has released a series, Tone Death: Loss & Hip-Hop recanting the recent slew of murders in hip hop. I remember the pain I felt when my mom woke me up to tell me Biggie Smalls had passed away. I was 17-years old and felt like my world came crashing down. Hip hop raised me. I deemed the Notorious B.I.G. the greatest by my standards. He was capable of steering the hip hop community with his flow, style and presence. I rode the train for hours that day with Gimme The Loot and Everyday Struggle blasting through my headphones. This monumental tragedy in hip hop forever changed how I judged hip hop, and I was never the same again. Fast forward to today and not much has changed. It seems like rappers are still being murdered at a rapid rate.
In the new Hulu series, the mothers of slain rappers and rapper G Herbo talk about grief, trauma and why gun violence deaths are so prevalent in the rap community.
Since Tupac Shakur and Notorious B.I.G.’s death, more than 90 rappers have been murdered. Rapper Pop Smoke’s mother revealed she’s never been angry at the teens who took her son’s life.
“I was never angry at the 14-year old or the 17 and 16-year old , I was never angry at them….I don’t hate them. I can’t hate that little boy. Because his mom didn’t raise him to go kill Pop Smoke. She was probably a mother having issues trying to raise a 14 year old boy.” Watch the clip below.
According to several confirmed reports, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have been sifting through over 100 recommendations for slavery reparations for its Black residents. Some of the suggestions include the elimination of personal debt and tax burdens, guaranteed annual incomes of at least $97,000 for 250 years, homes in San Francisco for just $1 a family and even $5 million per eligible Black person.
On Tuesday, the Board accepted these suggestions from the reparations committee, however, the board received a slew of criticism from “liberal” San Franciscans that didn’t know about the traumatic impact of slavery in the U.S. as well as the new perceived form of slavery, mass incarceration.
“Those of my constituents who lost their minds about this proposal, it’s not something we’re doing or we would do for other people. It’s something we would do for our future, for everybody’s collective future,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.
Idris Elba is clapping back at critics who claim he denied his Blackness when he denounced the label, “Black actor.” The British actor explained to Esquire UK that referring to yourself as a Black actor can limit role opportunities and growth in Hollywood.
Elba shared, “I stopped describing myself as a Black actor when I realized it put me in a box. As humans, we are obsessed with race. And that obsession can really hinder people’s aspirations, hinder people’s growth. Racism should be a topic for discussion, sure. Racism is very real. But from my perspective, it’s only as powerful as you allow it to be, We’ve got to grow. We’ve got to. Our skin is no more than that: It’s just skin. As you get up the ladder, you get asked what it’s like to be the first Black to do this or that,” Elba continued. “Well, it’s the same as it would be if I were white. It’s the first time for me. I don’t want to be the first Black. I’m the first Idris.”
During a new interview with The Guardian, Elba added that he purposely lives a “sheltered life” because social media often chooses to contort the words of celebrities.
“It’s really difficult to have an opinion if you’re in the public eye because it gets overly scrutinized, taken out of context, and thrown into some sort of bullshit, zeitgeisty social media argument.”
The 50-year-old described social media as a “conflict incubator” and noted that his anti-Black actor label is his choice, and he’s sticking to it because it’s his prerogative.
“Me saying I don’t like to call myself a Black actor is my prerogative. That’s me, not you. So for you to turn around and say to me, I’m ‘denying my Blackness’. On what grounds? Did you hear that? Where am I denying it? And what for? It’s just stupid. Whatever,” he told The Guardian.
“There isn’t a soul on this earth that can question whether I consider myself a BLACK MAN or not. Being an ‘actor’ is a profession, like being an ‘architect,’ they are not defined by race. However, If YOU define your work by your race, that is your Prerogative [sic]. Ah, lie?” Thoughts?
Luther star Idris Elba responds to online criticism over his recent declaration to stop labeling himself a black actor. “That’s me, not you. So, for you to turn around and say to me, I’m ‘denying my Blackness.’ On what grounds?”https://t.co/yZQBIewqlzpic.twitter.com/2BHDPVqUaa
#IdrisElba is totally right in not wanting to describe himself as a Black Actir. He’s an Actor. White actors don’t get called white actors. Why all the labels, which perpetuate divisions & tensions? Its 2023 & nobody should be in a category.
Sauce Walka has landed himself in trouble. According to Daily Loud, the Houston rapper was allegedly caught carrying 66 grams of marijuana inside his backpack. He is also said to have had a bench warrant for not possessing a driver’s license.
No Jumper reported that Sauce (real name Albert Mondane) has been charged with intent to sell, manufacture, and deliver cannabis. He just posted bail that was set at $5,000.
Law enforcement believe the Pompano Beach native failed a drug test on February 8. The results showed traces of fentanyl, the highly potent synthetic opioid that has claimed the lives of fellow rappers Mac Miller, Juice WRLD and Lil Peep.
Sauce Walka’s recent arrest comes after several members of The Sauce Factory (TSF) were arrested on racketeering charges back in December.
According to FOX 26 Houston, a number of alleged members of TSF — founded by Walka — were taken into custody just before Christmas for various crimes following an investigation conducted by the FBI and Houston Police Department.
Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani said the crimes included drug trafficking, possessing a “Glock switch” and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A total of 14 people were arrested as part of the investigation, including Anthony Ketchum (35), Anthony Yezeno-Hopkins (38), Brandon Milson (32), Hassani Mills (34), Jaylyn Pinson (29), Josue Rodriguez (32), Keith Moore (34), Michael Henry (32), Myles Smith (23), Robert Thomas (29), Sterling Brumant (26), Titus Baisey (35) and Toree White (27) and Julian Herrera (26). Sauce Walka was not among those arrested.
Each of the men (apart from Thomas and Rodriguez) have been charged with possession with intent to deliver meth, and face up to life in prison and fines of up to $10 million.
Thomas was allegedly taken into custody for unlawfully possessing a Glock auto switch, while Rodriguez is accused of possessing a Ruger 5.7 mm firearm.
Watch the video below.
Who remembers when he said dating a ‘Becky’ was better for him financially? Sauce once revealed that he only dates white woman because it’s good for business. In a candid interview about his personal life he shared, “I’m rich for real,” so he claims. “I got White b***hes who wash my dishes and clean my clothes, and dry my body off when I get out the shower.”
(@LemonTrifle) 
(@nojumper)