Source: Jon Cherry / Getty As if things couldn’t get any worse for Breonna Taylor’s case, Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron is doing everything in his power to block a juror’s request to release files detailing what happened during the grand jury proceedings that allowed her killers to avoid charges. Blavity reports that Cameron broke protocol last week by releasing grand jury recordings in Taylor’s case after an anonymous juror filed a legal motion demanding the information be open to the public and to speak out about what was said during the proceeding. The request includes “discussion of charges that were NOT presented to the grand jury, explanations of the law that were NOT provided to the grand jury, defenses or justifications that were NOT detailed during the proceedings...
German indie outfit People Club have shared the stunning new song “Lay Down Your Weapons”. The Berlin quintet first began to attract international attention last year with the soul-inflected EP Kil Scott. But “Lay Down Your Weapons” finds the band exploring a more muscular rock and roll sound. That may have to do with the subject matter; as People Club explained in a statement, the new track is inspired by police brutality towards marginalized groups. They wrote, ”Lay Down Your Weapons’ is about issues that weigh heavy on our hearts. It was originally written in 2017 about issues of police brutality and the police militarization that black and brown folks have disproportionately faced, and unfortunately we are still fighting these issues today. We are so proud of all the people on the...
Source: Boston Globe / Getty The Georgia police officer captured on video physically assaulting a Black passenger has been fired. According to published reports, the former unnamed officer has been fired from the Clayton County Sheriff’s Office following the incident of excessive force. The termination comes after a video of the severe attack went viral, showing the victim, Roderick Walker, pleading with law enforcement to leave him alone, before getting smacked in the face by the unnamed officer who was in full uniform. The video later displays the officer putting his knee on the neck of Walker who was facedown on the pavement with his hands behind his back. The attack, which began as a traffic stop for a broken tail-light in which Walker and his cousin were passengers, left him with a sw...
Source: Anadolu Agency / Getty We can’t even protest without having to worry about losing our lives. During a protest against police brutality, a black Ford Taurus was recorded ramming into a crowd of protestors in Times Square Thursday night (Sept.3). The disturbing video, which is continuing to make its rounds on social media after it was dropped last night, shows the vehicle purposely ramming into protesters near Times Square pedestrian plaza. The clip shows the driver accelerating smashing into cyclists who attempted to block the road. In the aftermath, a trail of bikes and injured protesters can be seen on the floor as the car sped east on 46th Street. One of the victims of the ramming, Lora Gettelfinger, a 33-year-old protester, said she was hit on the leg and said, “I’m in shock. I’...
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz Megan Thee Stallion made sure we continue to say the names of those who have been victims of police brutality. Before the highly-anticipated twerking and pearl-clutching bars were dropped, Megan Thee Stallion opened up her virtual and socially distanced concert by honoring the victims of police brutality. While Megan and her dancers stood on stage with their fists raised, the names of Tamir Rice, Freddie Gray, Eric Garner, Michael Brown, George Floyd, Elijah McClain, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Jacob Blake flashed across a giant screen behind them. How and when each of them was killed or injured by law enforcement was also shared. After all of the names came across the screen, the critical and painful question was asked, “Why is it so har...
Dolly Parton has once again reminded us why we should all aspire to be more like Dolly Parton. In a new Billboard cover story, the country legend shared her support for Black Lives Matter and the recent uprisings against police brutality and white supremacy. She also spoke candidly about her own mortality and the importance of drawing up a will. On the topic of BLM, the 74-year-old proved that she’s definitely aligned with the times and fully onboard with the protests that have carried on since George Floyd’s murder at the hands of Minneapolis police. “I understand people having to make themselves known and felt and seen,” said Parton. “And of course, Black lives matter. Do we think our little white asses are the only ones that matter? No!” The Queen of Nashville has officially spoken...
Source: Twitter / Twiiter Everyone should give a slow-clap for police finally finding the man who started the riot in Minneapolis months back. When protests erupted in May over the senseless death of George Floyd, the city erupted into an emotionally charged protest heard all around the world. On-the-ground footage flooding social media timelines showed angry protestors crowding the streets while demanding justice for another life lost due to police brutality. One video, in particular, recorded an intimidatingly tall, white male dressed in all black defacing a local AutoZone store. While holding an umbrella, the individual, aptly nicknamed “Umbrella Man,” is seen taking a sledgehammer and breaking the store windows. Protesters confronted him before he eventually walked away.&nb...
Source: Ira L. Black – Corbis / Getty Even though relations between the law and the community continue to be tense, a squad from The Big Apple has figured out how to drop the ball big time. A set of badges were caught on tape doing the most. As spotted on Raw Story, NYPD’s finest were spotted using some very questionable and downright authoritarian tactics on Tuesday, July 28. In the brief clip four plain-clothed officers are seen trying to restrain an 18-year protester in lower Manhattan and then proceed to throw her in an unmarked KIA model van. The captive has been identified as a transgender woman named Nicki Stone. Luckily there were others on the scene that captured the footage. “Suddenly there was an unmarked grey van that moved out in front of us that had been waiting for us,”...
Source: Rolling Stone / Rolling Stone Lil Baby’s music is reigniting a firestorm of sociopolitical awareness in trap music lovers during an era where half of the country is struggling to understand why Black Lives Matter. His single “The Bigger Picture” amassed over 100 million streams since debuting on the charts, a clear indication that the world is paying attention to what the superstar has to say. Source: Rolling Stone / Rolling Stone If you ask him, though, he’s not protesting. He’s just keeping it real with us. In the latest issue of Rolling Stone, Lil Baby details the creative process behind the chart-topping single. “I just rap about my life — all my songs are basically about me,” he explains. “It was at a point where I felt I needed to say something.” When it comes to his vi...
With all that’s going on in the world, there’s no better time for the return of Jon Stewart. The former Daily Show host is back making the media rounds for his new movie, Irresistible, coming to PVOD on June 26th. Given the political nature of the film and the socio-political landscape it’s being released into, it’s no surprise Stewart has a lot to say about the current state of things. In a new interview with The New York Times, he touched on everything from Trump to police brutality to FOX News, all with his usual intelligence and nuance. Some might wish Stewart would return to the televised political comedy and commentary scene, but even if he were to return (he’s certainly not eager to) it wouldn’t be like The Daily Show. He praised the show’s current host, Trevor Noah, ...