Civil Rights attorney Ben Crump will sue Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his ruling over the Advanced Placement African American Studies pilot program.
Crump will be flanked by leaders like the American Federation of Teachers and politicians to announce a lawsuit.
MEDIA ALERT: @AttorneyCrump & co-counsel will join students & elected officials to announce their intent to file a lawsuit against FL. Gov. DeSantis & the state of Florida for rejecting the AP African American Studies course from being taught in Florida high schools. pic.twitter.com/FIBHDrDtWI
Meanwhile, DeSantis is standing firm in his decision, stating the course is a piece of a political agenda and as representatives of the state, they “want education, not indoctrination.”
According to NBC Miami, Gov. DeSantis sites the college course violates the Stop WOKE Act, which he signed last year. It forbids education that characterizes people as privileged or underprivileged depending on their race. At least some authors cited in the course believe that contemporary American society supports white supremacy while repressing racial minorities, homosexual people, and women.
Join us TOMORROW (1/25) in Tallahassee, FL, to support the fight to make sure OUR story is not erased from history! Black history is America’s history — and Florida state legislators must understand that our kids deserve to learn about it! pic.twitter.com/mHF4eztLJB
“This course on Black history, what’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda,” said DeSantis.
The African American Studies course is being tested by the College Board at 60 high schools across the country following a decade of development. Once it has begun to roll out, neither a state nor a school would be obligated to offer it.
A United States Senate Judiciary Subcommittee convened on Tuesday to discuss Ticketmaster and its hold over the ticket sales industry. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Mike Lee took lead on the investigation which asked questions about ticket sales, monopolization, resale markets, and more.
“To have a strong capitalist system, you have to have competition,” Sen. Amy Klobuchar said. “You can’t have too much consolidation — something that, unfortunately for this country, as an ode to Taylor Swift, I will say, we know ‘all too well.’”
WASHINGTON, DC – JANUARY 27: Senator Amy Klobuchar, a Democrat from Minnesota, speaks during a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee confirmation hearing for Denis McDonough, U.S. secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) nominee for U.S. President Joe Biden, on January 27, 2021 in Washington, D.C. As Barack Obama’s chief of staff, McDonough oversaw the VAs overhaul in response to its 2014 wait-time scandal and previously served as a deputy national security adviser. (Photo Sarah Silbiger-Pool/Getty Images)
Sen. Richard Blumenthal told Live Nation’s CFO, “Ticketmaster ought to look in the mirror, and say, ‘I’m the problem, it’s me’”
Criticism of Ticketmaster and Live Nation came from both sides of the aisle.
“I am not against big, per say. I am against dumb,” Republican Sen. John Kennedy told a Live Nation executive. “The way your company handled ticket sales for Ms. Swift was a debacle.”
Senators have mentioned a number of ticket sales for high-profile musicians during the hearing. Among them are Bruce Springsteen, Bruno Mars, Prince, Bad Bunny, Madonna, and more.
Perhaps the most important name mentioned was Taylor Swift. It was the complete failure of Ticketmaster to handle the sales of her Eras Tour that inspired the Senate investigation.
“The solutions are there for the taking,” Klobuchar said near the end of the hearing.
In the Senate today, Clyde Lawrence (@lawrencetheband) explained how artists get nickel-and-dimed by Live Nation/Ticketmaster through its role as ticketer, venue operator & promoter.
The Memphis Police Department has released a statement addressing the death of Tyre Nichols. The department has already fired five police officers involved in the traffic stop that led to his death.
In their new statement, the department says that they have reviewed footage of the incident. Additionally, they claim to be fully cooperating with US Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Shelby County District Attorney’s Office in the investigation into the matter.
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE – SEPTEMBER 7: Police investigate the scene of a reported carjacking reportedly connected to a series of shootings on September 7, 2022 in Memphis, Tennessee. Memphis police arrested a 19-year-old man in connection with the shootings of multiple people across the city while allegedly livestreaming the crimes on Facebook, according to published reports. (Photo by Brad Vest/Getty Images)
The Memphis PD has argued that a “confrontation” occurred during the traffic stop, resulting in Nichols fleeing. They say “another confrontation” occurred after they caught up to him, resulting in the incident.
Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, told reporters that his son had good reason to flee from the police.
“Our son ran because he was scared for his life,” Wells said, before adding, “And when you see the video you’ll see why he was scared for his life.”
Attorney Ben Crump said during a news conference that the footage of Tyre Nichols’ Jan. 7 arrest “is appalling. It is deplorable. It is heinous.”
Crump further expanded on the situation in a statement released with fellow attorney, Antonio Romanucci.
“We join Tyre’s family in supporting the Department’s decision to terminate the five officers who brutalized him, ultimately causing his death,” they wrote. “This is the first step towards achieving justice for Tyre and his family. They must also be held accountable for robbing this man of his life and his son of a father.”
Check out the Memphis Police Department’s statement below.
Atlanta police arrested six individuals on Saturday (January 21) after peaceful protests against an activist’s death turned to riots. Moreover, the protests occurred near the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, which many citizens wish to see removed. After the peaceful demonstrations evolved into violent responses, protestors smashed windows, caused chaos, and lit a police vehicle on fire.
ATLANTA, USA – JANUARY 21: Firefighters work to extinguish a fire after an Atlanta police vehicle was set on fire during a “Stop cop city” protest in Atlanta, Georgia, United States on January 21, 2023. Multiple buildings were vandalized and an Atlanta police vehicle was set on fire as multiple arrests were made. (Photo by Benjamin Hendren/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
“Atlanta Police officers have responded to a group damaging property at several locations along Peachtree [Street],” Atlanta PD stated on Saturday, according to Fox 5. “Several arrests have been made at this time and order has been restored to the downtown space. This is still an active and ongoing investigation and we will not be able to provide specifics on arrests numbers or property damaged, at this time.”
I can’t stop thinking about this.
On Dec 14, Marlon—a spokesperson for @ATLSolFund—warned that continued police escalation in the Weelaunee Forest (SE Atlanta) would lead to cops murdering a protester.
“Atlanta is safe and our police officers have resolved the disruptions downtown from earlier in the evening,” City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said on Saturday evening.
“The City of Atlanta and the Atlanta Police Department will continue to protect the right to peaceful protest,” he added. “We will not tolerate violence or property destruction.”
According to FOX 5 Atlanta, rioters set off fireworks and threw rocks at the Atlanta Police Foundation as well. Furthermore, protestors spoke out against the death of Manuel Esteban Páez Terán at the hands of police. Allegedly, they refused demands from authorities to leave an encampment of protestors against the new facility. Moreover, its detractors nicknamed it “Cop City.” Additionally, authorities announced this new training facility to boost morale and recruitment.
I’m not sure people know just how bad the “cop city” project in Atlanta would be. They want a whole mock city to practice police repression. pic.twitter.com/dWTPtO7VIb
— Read Jackson Rising by @CooperationJXN (@JoshuaPHilll) January 21, 2023
Furthermore, Terán identified as non-binary and went by “Tortuguita,” according to fellow protestors. When police searched encampments near the facility to halt their trespassing, they reportedly shot at police. Later, they died in the ensuing gunfight.
BREAKING: Activists in Atlanta say that police are lying about what happened when a protester was shot and killed Wednesday.
The activists say police were hit with friendly fire when raiding their encampment, and that the activist killed, Tort, did not shoot them. pic.twitter.com/7U5JrkTj8k
Meanwhile, Georgia governor Brian Kemp expressed that violence in peaceful are unacceptable.
“While the state continues to respect peaceful protest,” they will not tolerate riots of this magnitude. Moreover, he ordered authorities to arrest and prosecute lawbreakers.
However, what do you think of the riots near the Atlanta police training facility? Whatever the case let us know in the comments down below. Also, come back to HNHH for more updates on this story.
Noname recently made a powerful statement on Instagram, as she urged Black artists to gatekeep their art. Moreover, she shared some statements on Thursday (January 19) about how Black art is exploited by white audiences or white-owned mediums. While the Chicago native paused her music career, she continues to engage in important and impactful activism, action, and dialogue.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 21: Singer Noname performs onstage during the ‘Room 25’ tour at The Wiltern on February 21, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Scott Dudelson/Getty Images)
“One of the biggest mistakes i believe we’ve made in our struggle towards liberation in this country is allowing white america unfiltered access to our entire culture,” she wrote. “White america has created an institution of violent policing and medical neglect that is killing us EVERY F***ING DAY. and every day we get on their platforms (tik tok, twitter etc.) and we create trends, music, art and language that they turn into billions.
“Twitter admits in their guidelines that they disclose account information to law enforcement,” she continued. “They literally are the police. We do not own Black culture. We create it.”
great, now we’ll have more money for police and military. taxing the rich fixes everything https://t.co/auj13KDy9Z
Moreover, she connected the exploitation of hip-hop today to the evolution of blues and jazz music in U.S. history.
“Do yall never think, maybe white people don’t organize to end economic/racist exploitation that black people face simply because they love consuming the art we make out of survival,” the Room 25 rapper stated. However, her statement was more nuanced than skeptics likely assume.
“As black artists making black art, we have a responsibility to our community and to our culture,” she expressed. “I understand needing to survive under capitalism but there is power in collective action! what would it look like if we all said, unless festivals, streaming, social media puts 10% of their profits into a black community fund we use to house and feed people, we will no longer contribute our content.
“I’m about to play coachella because i need the bread,” she went on. “Trust, i’m not above anybody but if there was a collective boycott where ALL black artists refuse to share our work unless we see radical change in our conditions, i would immediately do that s**t.”
Furthermore, she engaged in a respectful back-and forth in the comments, even if they weren’t returning respect in kind. For example, for those quick to judge her Coachella appearance, she revealed some hardened circumstances.
“I stopped playing shows for yearsss! for the exact reason i’m talking about and nothing happened,” the 31-year-old responded to one user. “I’m not a big enough artist for them to care. Sorry but i’m not about to have my mom on the street unless EVERY artists willing to make that sacrifice. I almost [did] that shit and never again.”
Regardless, what do you think of Noname’s call to Black artists to gatekeep their work? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest from your favorite artists.
Numerous Texas prisoners are taking on the second week of a hunger strike in protest of indefinite solitary confinement– a form of incarceration in the US that is largely frowned upon by human rights activists.
Across the Texas prison system, inmates have been refusing food since January 10 to form an organized objection against being held in isolation for up to a decade. The exact number of prisoners involved remains unknown, but an estimate from the Texas department of criminal justice (TDCJ) puts it at 72. Yet, outside advocates communicating with strikers say there are more than 138.
In the state of Texas, solitary confinement is used as a means of control designed largely to prevent violence between prisoners. The practice itself has origins that trace back to the 19th century when Quakers in Pennsylvania used this method as a substitution for public punishments. The goal is to segregate prisoners involved in gangs, known as “security threat groups.” Amongst these groups are the white supremacist Aryan Brotherhood and the Mexican mafia.
The state currently has more than 3,000 inmates in “restrictive housing”, as solitary is known. Of those, more than 500 have been isolated for at least 10 years and 138 for at least 20 years.
The process of identifying “gang status” inmates includes an assessment for tattoos and other gang activity indicators. Once labeled with gang status, inmates are placed alone in a cell indefinitely, regardless of any behavioral violations or wrongdoing.
Due to the indeterminate length of a solitary term in Texas, the state is a national leader in the use of this extreme form of lock-up over prolonged periods.
Brittany Robertson, an outside representative for the hunger strikers, told the Guardian that, “Most units don’t allow calls, no contact visits, no oversight or effective grievance process. Mail is delayed up to a month, there are staffing shortages and with no security checks there are a lot of suicides.” She added that the prisoners who had joined the protest “truly feel this is in the best interest of all, including the prison employees who are suffering appalling conditions as well.”
Robertson has assembled a set of official complaints from solitary prisoners. One inmate reported that he had an infected abscess on his back that was going untreated; a Black prisoner complained that African American in solitary were being singled out for “physical and psychological abuse”; and a third offender requested being transferred out of the solitary unit because “my life is in danger here.”
The Texas strike is modeled on California’s example where prisoners staged a hunger strike in 2013. Two years later the California inmates successfully litigated a federal settlement that ended the use of solitary in the state based on gang status alone.
Texas hunger strikers prepared written demands which they presented to the prison authorities three months before they started the current action. Their main demand is that Texas refines the current system of putting prisoners indefinitely into solitary based on their gang status to a “behavioral based system to address the behavior of individuals – only those who engage in serious rule violations should be placed in restrictive housing”.
The CLA-Liman report states that Texas had the largest number of prisoners who had been held in solitary for more than 10 years. Only Alabama and the federal Bureau of Prisons comes anywhere close. Data accumulated by the Correctional Leaders Association (CLA) and the Arthur Liman Center at Yale law school estimates that there were between 41,000 and 48,000 in isolation in US prison cells in July 2021.
In a statement, the TDCJ said that “if known prison gang members in state custody do not like their current confinement conditions, they are free to renounce their gang and we will offer them a pathway back into the general population. We will not, however, give them free rein to recruit new members and try to continue their criminal enterprises.”
Meek Mill shared photos from a recent star-studded meet-up with Jay-Z, Robert Kraft, Michael Rubin, and more on Instagram, Tuesday. The group appeared to be celebrating Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro while representing their non-profit, REFORM Alliance.
“Started reform in nyc with @reform ended the home in PA to welcome @joshshapiropa as governor!” Meek captioned the post. “Today was incredible sometimes too much to process.”
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 09: Jay-Z and Meek Mill attend 2019 Roc Nation THE BRUNCH on February 9, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation)
2 Chainz praised Meek for his efforts in the comments section of the post. He wrote: “You be in the right rooms Killa.”
The REFORM Alliance page also replied: “You’ll always win when you move with love and genuine intentions. With @meekmill’s leadership we’ve passed 16 bills in 10 states.”
Meek Mill founded the organization in partnership with Michael Rubin, Jay-Z, Michael Novogratz, Clara Wu Tsai, and Daniel Loeb in January 2019. The organization “aims to transform probation and parole by changing laws, systems and culture to create real pathways to work and wellbeing.”
Michael Rubin also shared a collection of photos from the event congratulating Shapiro on his victory.
The post comes a day after Shapiro was sworn in as the new Governor of Pennsylvania. The ceremony was held outside the state Capitol, months after his victory over Doug Mastriano.
“Now is the time to join together behind the unifying strength of three simple truths that have sustained our nation over the past two-and-a-half centuries: that above all else, beyond any momentary political differences, we value our freedom, we cherish our democracy and we love this country,” Shapiro told the crowd.
Check out Meek’s post featuring pictures from the recent event below.
Jordan Coleman, son of New York Mayor Eric Adams, will be releasing a new single, later this month under his rap moniker, “Jayoo.” Coleman discussed his music career and the song, titled “Go Get It,” with the New York Post.
“I want to be a rapper, I want to be an international filmmaker, I want to be an artist. I’m trying to figure a way to merge them together in a creative and smart way,’ he told the outlet.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 28: Mayor Eric Adams speaks at the Billie Holiday Theatre in Restoration Plaza on July 28, 2022 in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn borough in New York City. (Photo by Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Coleman also addressed his parents’ views on rap music. Adams has previously criticized the drill scene in New York, calling for a ban on the genre from social media. At the time, Coleman publicly disagreed with his father.
“Of course, parents look at rap a little differently than how a kid would look at it,” Coleman admitted. “Music and hip-hop has always been a part of what I wanted to do. But when I went off to school, my parents were like, ‘We’re not sending you to school to be a rapper, we’re sending you to school to be a filmmaker.’”
Eric Adams spoke about his son’s aspirations in a statement to The Post.
“When he was a child, my job as his father was to give him instructions, educate him, and prepare him for the future,” Adams said. “He is now a man and being that man means not speaking in my voice but finding his own. Jordan is drawing on the lessons he’s learned and is making the best decisions for himself. I’m extremely proud of the person he’s grown up to be.”
Coleman previously worked under Jay-Z at Roc Nation. He also traveled to Albania for a competition similar to American Idol in November.
When 76-year-old Donald Trump was caught keeping classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago residence, President Joe Biden was quick to condemn him. Naturally, when the shoe was on the other foot, the former POTUS came at his successor with the same energy.
As the NY Post post reports, the reality TV star has been sticking to his Truth Social platform lately. His loyalty remains strong, even with the green light from Elon Musk to return to Twitter. In one of his latest posts, the Florida-born entertainer wrote, “The White House just announced that there are no LOGS or information of any kind of visitors to the Wilmington house.”
Former U.S. President Donald Trump watches a video of President Joe Biden playing during a rally for Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) at the Miami-Dade Country Fair and Exposition on November 6, 2022 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Additionally, Trump made note of the “flimsy, unlocked, and unsecured, but now very famous garage.” From the sounds of things, the controversial figure wants to prove how much more secure his residence is than Biden. This could potentially help his image now that they’re both soaking in the same pot of hot water.
“Maybe they are smarter than we think! This is one of the seemingly many places where HIGHLY CLASSIFIED documents are stored (in a big pile on the damp floor),” the businessman continued to troll.
Trump’s post ends with, “Mar-a-Lago is a highly secured facility, with Security Cameras all over the place. [It’s] watched over by staff & our great Secret Service. I have INFO on everyone!”
Donald Trump claims that Joe Biden was keeping classified documents “in a big pile on a damp floor” at his Wilmington home pic.twitter.com/raxc1APdHR
The NY Post notes that the entire incident is an “embarrassment” amongst Democrats. House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer said his panel is seeking information on who had access to the files.
As for Trump, Jack Smith is working as a second special counsel for the feds to investigate the documents hidden at his Florida resort. This is one of many federal inquiries that The Apprentice alum is facing at this time.
Elsewhere in the news, Joe Rogan addressed all the political drama on a recent episode of his podcast. While chatting with his two guests, the Fear Factor alum speculated that the entire thing could be an inside job to get rid of Biden.
“I don’t know jack shit about politics. But if I had to guess – they’re trying to get rid of him,” the media personality speculated. Read what else The Joe Rogan Experience said here, and check back later for more news updates.
The state of Alabama released an official statement that they celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr. Day alongside Confederate leader Robert E. Lee’s birthday on January 16th. Moreover, the statement comes as millions honor MLK’s legacy today, which fights against racial injustice. As such, many online reacted with criticism, outrage, and unfortunately, no surprises.
MIAMI, FLORIDA – JANUARY 16: An image of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. hangs on the back of a sanitation department truck during the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade in the Liberty City neighborhood on January 16, 2023 in Miami, Florida. The annual event honors the late civil rights leader. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
“Alabama. Still racist to the core,” wrote one Twitter user. Furthermore, Robert E. Lee was one of, if not the lead general for the Confederacy during the U.S.’s Civil War. As such, to match the celebration of his birthday with that of an icon in the civil rights movement is insensitive to many.
While many commenters on social media called out the state of Alabama’s racist tendencies, some were defensive. “Went to Alabama for the first time in 2022. To say the entire state is racist is just wrong,” someone tweeted. “Sure, they have a lot of history to deal with, but to paint everyone with that brush is unfair and counter productive.”
However, said history is still in contention to this day. As the South reckons with its Confederate past, everyone from regular citizens to state governments took various statues commemorating the Virginia general down. While many progressive steps helped the conversation around these topics gear towards justice, some jurisdictions are still behind.
Meanwhile, this revelation comes in the midst of other MLK Day-related criticisms. Moreover, Coretta Scott King’s cousin recently criticized Boston’s MLK statue.
“For my family, it’s rather insulting,” Seneca Scott wrote in an essay. “[The] sculpture is an especially egregious example of the woke machine’s callousness and vanity.
“Ten million dollars were wasted to create a masturbatory metal homage to my legendary family members — one of the all-time greatest American families,” he added. “How could anyone fail to see that this … brings very few, if any, tangible benefits to struggling black families?”
What do you think of MLK Day celebrated alongside Robert E. Lee’s birthday in Alabama? Whatever the case, let us know in the comments down below. Also, as always, come back to HNHH for more big news stories about the nation’s history.
(@Josh_Moon)