Van Jones and will.i.am Host Summit in L.A. to Boost Black and Brown Representation in Tech

Van Jones and will.i.am Host Summit in L.A. to Boost Black and Brown Representation in Tech

Van Jones and will.i.am orchestrated an exclusive summit in Los Angeles over the weekend, aiming to elevate Black and Brown leaders in the technology sector and empower them to shape the future of innovation. The invite-only event attracted diverse influential figures, including Tiffany Haddish, Ashton Kutcher, Quincy Jones III, Lawrence “Rance” Dopson, Kelly Burton, Samantha Tweedy, Aloe Blacc, and more.

Panels, keynotes, and brainstorming sessions explored topics like the impact of AI on the music industry, leveraging technology for economic equality, and investment opportunities. The summit featured video contributions from Reid Hoffman, Boris Kodjoe, Mustafa Suleyman, Sinead Bovell, Felecia Hatcher, and others, encouraging the pursuit of AI knowledge to empower marginalized communities. Attendees witnessed will.i.am engaging with an AI, emphasizing the importance of protecting identity, while Kutcher highlighted AI’s potential as an equalizer for underserved communities. Segall shared her work on a documentary using AI to bring back a departed friend.

The post Van Jones and will.i.am Host Summit in L.A. to Boost Black and Brown Representation in Tech first appeared on The Source.

The post Van Jones and will.i.am Host Summit in L.A. to Boost Black and Brown Representation in Tech appeared first on The Source.

Van Jones Feels Bad For “Granddad” Donald Trump

Donald Trump became the first president to ever get indicted by a grand jury. Though it’s not necessarily shocking, the former president’s alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels came back to bite him in the ass. Trump faces accusations of paying Daniels hush money to keep their entanglement under wraps ahead of his presidential campaign. However, it feels like his supporters wouldn’t have necessarily held it against him if they were aware of the scandal.

Today, Trump turned himself in to authorities and appeared in front of a judge where he pleaded not guilty to all 34 counts. After his court appearance, the indictment was unsealed, revealing that he’s facing felony charges related to business fraud. Trump allegedly falsified cheque records and ledger entries in 2017 to make supposed payments to Daniels seem as though they were “legal fees.” This is because prosecutors believe Trump compensated his attorney, Michael Cohen, for the amount paid to Stormy Daniels.

Van Jones Feels Bad For Trump

Van Jones has faced backlash time and time again for his praise of Trump. At a time when the former president created even more divisiveness among Americans, Jones praised some of the work he did with Trump’s administration. As recently as last week, Van Jones described Trump as the “uniter-in-chief” due to his support for prison reform and the First Step Act. Even though many people dislike Trump, Van Jones clearly has a soft spot for the guy.

So, it should come as no surprise that the political commentator wasn’t necessarily happy about Trump’s indictment. During a recent interview with CNN, Jones said that he didn’t take joy in seeing Trump turning himself in. “He looks sad,” he explained. “I don’t like the prison system, so I don’t like this process … doesn’t mean that accountability is not owed. We don’t know what he’s going to be charged with but with that moment, that is not a conqueror. That is a granddad having a very bad day.” That’s certainly one way to put it. Check out Van Jones’ comments above and let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

Reporter Falsely Claims Van Jones Apologized For Black Community’s Reaction To Ye

People of all backgrounds have come to defend the Jewish community against Kanye West’s antics, but Van Jones was accused of saying Black people weren’t doing enough. West has been on a controversial press run as he openly praises Adolf Hitler and Nazis. The rapper claims Jewish people need to forgive the genocidal dictator as Ye travels with white supremacist Nick Fuentes.

The internet reacted swiftly, with several Black leaders, influencers, and entertainers standing in solidarity with the Jewish community. They have denounced Ye’s rhetoric and deemed it inexcusable, but political reporter Jacob Kornbluh tweeted Van Jones suggested they have been “silent.”

Read More: Kanye West Tells Jewish People To Forgive Hitler

While giving a speech at the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York event this week, it was reported that Jones apologized “for the silence of my community.” He allegedly said his “community” somehow permitted “an African American icon praising Hitler and Nazis” while acting “like we don’t know where that hatred came from.”

He was also reported as saying the “silence is over.” Adding, “You’re going to see a change going forward.”

After the news of Jones’s speech made its way to social media, people had questions for the political commentator. Some took issue with Jones suggesting that the Black community hasn’t abhorred West’s anti-Semitism. Others weren’t happy with him apologizing for Black people as a whole when it was Ye who offended the masses. Elsewhere, some people believed this created more division than unification. However, all was not how it seemed.

Read More: Ice Cube On Kanye’s Anti-Semitism: “Don’t Blame Me For Sh*t”

Kornbluh later returned to Twitter to clarify a few things. He stated that Jones didn’t apologize on behalf of the Black community as first said. “To the contrary: he stressed that many in his community are speaking out forcefully,” political reporter Kornbluh wrote. “In speech, he said he was sorry that he + others didn’t do more before Kanye. Apologies for any confusion.”

After the follow-up, people were angered that such a mistake was shared publicly to create a viral moment. Check out a few reactions below.

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Van Jones Apologizes To Jewish Community For Ye’s Anti-Semitism

Van Jones is speaking up against Ye’s recent antics and anti-semitic comments. The political commentator has publicly apologized to Jewish people on behalf of the Black community.

Jones opened up about his thoughts on the hateful language being used by Ye, “an African American icon.” The comments were made during his appearance as a keynote speaker at the United Jewish Appeal Federation of New York.

Van Jones Makes His Apology

“You’re going to see a change going forward,” Jones promised to the crowd after apologizing “for the silence of my community.”

The CNN host ultimately called for unison. “The reason this country is a democracy at all is because Black and Jewish people have loved each other, and helped each other, and supported each other, and stood up for each other,” he continued.

Twitter Reacts

The comments have surprisingly caused some division on social media. Some Twitter users have chimed in to express their disapproval of the author’s comments. The majority of these users seem to disagree with Jones’ implication that black people have been otherwise silent on the topic.

“Van Jones really stood up there and blamed the whole black community for Kanye,” another user tweeted.

In the meantime, Ye has continued to dangerously defend Nazis. Rather than apologizing for his dangerous comments, he has decided to double down. In his latest interview with Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes, the disgraced rapper continued to praise Hitler. “Jewish people can’t tell me who I can love and who I can’t love,” he spewed.

Van Jones attends the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures 2nd Annual Gala presented by Rolex at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on October 15, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Academy Museum of Motion Pictures)

The Chicago native continues to be banned from social media platforms like Twitter for his unpredictable and hurtful behavior. As a result, mainstream platforms are being careful as to not allow this hate speech to continue on their outlets. The interview aired on Censored.TV, an alt-right streaming platform. White supremacist Nick Fuentes, who has been spotted out with Ye a lot lately, appeared beside him for the interview.

What are your thoughts on Jones’ comments? Chime in below.

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