The National Human Rights Commission has called for an end to slavery which it says still thrives in modern forms in Nigeria despite the official abolition of the scourge many decades ago. NHRC Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, was quoted as saying this in the commission’s statement marking this year’s International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade which is observed on August 23 annually. The statement signed by the commission’s Assistant Director Corporate Affairs and External Linkages Department, Fatimah Mohammed was titled, ‘International Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slave Trade: NHRC Seeks End to All Forms of Modern Slavery’. It read in part, “As Nigeria joins the rest of the world to commemorate the 2020 International Day of Remembrance of...
Last month, The Office actor Leslie David Baker launched a Kickstarter to produce Uncle Stan: Coming out of Retirement, a spin-off series about his character Stanley Hudson. The announcement was met with excitement and praise, but Baker has revealed that it’s not all sunshine and pretzels. In an Instagram post, he revealed some racist messages he’s received since announcing the planned show. “For those of you who don’t believe racism is still alive in the world… here’s the proof,” he wrote. The screenshots Baker shared are Instagram DMs and Reddit comments by various strangers. They use racial slurs, feature lynching photos, and accuse Baker of stealing the Kickstarter money for personal profit. “Our goal has simply been to entertain and give the fans a quality series,” wrote Baker in his ...
HBO Max created a stir when it pulled Gone with the Wind from its platform in order to add a historical disclaimer. Still, the burgeoning service expressed commitment to contextualizing such potentially problematic films rather than completely removing them, and it looks like they’re following through. The streamer has now added another disclaimer ahead of Mel Brooks’ comedy classic Blazing Saddles. The 1974 Western satire centers on a Black man (Cleavon Little) who is made sheriff of a small town in a political ploy to sow chaos. With the help of an alcoholic but affable gunslinger (Gene Wilder), he ends up winning the townspeople’s respect and thwarting the crooked politicians’ plans. In a three-minute, 12-second introductory video, TCM host and University of Chicago cinema and medi...
Kyle Meredith With… Jon Baptiste and Nabil Ayers Listen via Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Play | Stitcher | Radio Public | RSS Jon Batiste, band leader of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and Nabil Ayers, the US general manager for 4AD, both join Kyle Meredith to discuss how Black Lives Matter has affected their work and the entire music industry. Batiste talks about leading protests on the streets of New York and the importance of voting in the upcoming election. While Ayers discusses his recent New York Times article about Ed Eckstine, the first black person appointed president of a major U.S. record label, the industry’s approach to Blackout Tuesday, and the autobiography he’s working on about his own history in the bus...
WarnerMedia has launched an investigation into allegations of misconduct and an environment of fear on the set of The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Via The Hollywood Reporter, the news comes 11 days after a Buzzfeed report in which ten former and one current employee described a “toxic work environment.” Rumors of verbal abuse, retribution, and racism have dogged Ellen for years. But the stories reported by Buzzfeed are still disquieting, involving little tolerance for family emergencies, inconsistently enforced rules, and attempts to silence workers who expressed concerns. One woman took medical leave after a suicide attempt, and when she returned, her position was eliminated. A Black woman who objected to the term “spirit animal” was labeled “the PC police,” and later re...
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...
Source: Paras Griffin / Getty Georgia’s Governor Kemp is suing Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms because she’s trying to keep her city safe. The man who cheated, allegedly, in his race with Stacey Abrams has an issue with the ATL’s mayor’s mandate that residents wear masks to help flatten the coronavirus curve. Yes, Georgia is a COVID-19 hotspot with cases and deaths on the rise. Nevertheless, Kemp, who is a Trump boot shiner, issued an executive order banning counties from mandating its residents to wear masks. Reports the New York Times: On Friday, a day after suing the mayor of Atlanta for mandating virus-fighting rules that were stricter than his own, Gov. Brian Kemp said he would not stand down as the mayor’s “disastrous policies threaten the lives and livelihood of our citizens.” Mr...
Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen is ready to join Serie A club Napoli. The 21-year-old visited Napoli’s training facilities, plus head coach Gennaro Gatusso and president Aurelio De Laurentiis two weeks ago. Osimhen was however not too keen on linking up with the Partenopei due to racism issue in Italy. The former VFL Wolfsburg striker spoke with Senegal forward Kalidou Koulibaly who reassured him there is no racism issue in Italy. According to multiple reports, Napoli director Cristiano Guintoli met Lille president Gerard Lopez and Osimhen’s intermediaries for more face-to-face negotiations on Monday. He hopes to sweep aside the remaining doubts and convince Osimhen that this is the best step in his career. The cost of the transfer will be in the region of €50m plus Adam Ounas, which will b...