Colin Kaepernick is known for using his platform and voice to speak up for others, but with his latest venture, he's giving fans a glimpse of his road to stardom. On Tuesday (Jun 30), Netflix announced the partnership with Colin Kaepernick and Academy Award Nominee and Emmy Award Winner, Ava DuVernay, to produce a limited scripted series focus on Kaepernick’s formative high school years, lending meaningful insight into the acts and experiences that led him to become the activist he is today.
It has been more than a decade since Shyne was signed to Bad Boy, but that's not stopping Diddy from showing his support. On Sunday (Jun 28) Diddy took to Instagram, to offer his support for his former artist, by announcing that Shyne was running for the Belize House of Representatives. “BELIZE I’m so proud of my brother @shyne_bz and the journey he is on,” Diddy wrote on Instagram. “He is running for the House of Representatives and needs your support. #BadBoy4Life”
Former CEO and Publisher of OkayPlayer and OkayAfrica and Founder of OkayMedia, Abiola Oke, has responded to the allegations of discrimination and sexual misconduct. On Thursday (Jun 26), Abiola Oke took to social media to respond to allegations that he subjected Black women employees to a hostile working environment. As previously reported, the news of the ill-treatment was exposed after former staff writer Antionette Isama took to social media to air out grievances for the Black women who worked for the organization and were subjected to lower pay, inappropriate behavior, gaslighting, and sabotage among other grievances.
While Black people are fighting for equality all over the globe, reports of hate crimes and suspicious murders of young Black people are on the rise. The latest incident has left a Wisconsin community saying enough is enough. On Wednesday (Jun 24), Althea Bernstein, a Black woman in Madison, Wisconsin, sustained second- and third-degree burns after she was allegedly set on fire by white men yelling racial slurs while at a stoplight.
As the reckoning for businesses across the country continues to happen, some actors in Hollywood are jumping ahead of the curve by playing their part in ensuring that roles and characters based on people of color are actually played by people of color. On Tuesday (Jun 24), voice actress Jenny Slate took to Instagram to announce that she would no longer be the voice of "Missy" the Black character on Netflix's animated series Big Mouth, before adding that her decision was based on the fact that the role should be voiced by a Black person.
NASA engineer and mathematician Mary W. Jackson is finally getting her just due. On Wednesday (Jun 24) NASA announced plans to rename their headquarters located in Washington DC after the first Black female aerospace engineer Mary W. Jackson. Jackson, who was the agency's first American American female engineer in 1958, opened up opportunities for countless women of color in STEM who followed in her footsteps.
At a time when companies across the company are reckoning with their toxic work cultures, media companies are now on the chopping block for their role in treating employees of color and women unfairly and subjecting them to abuse. According to published reports, Complex is now under scrutiny by former staffers for perpetuating what they describe as a racist and sexist workplace, with many speaking out despite their nondisclosure agreements. In an open letter posted to Twitter, former employee Tiffany Wines wrote about the “daily microaggressions Complex culture is notorious for,” and specifically called for the resignation of Jay Salim and Arman Walia, both senior employees at Complex.
A detective involved in the murder of Breonna Taylor has been fired. On Tuesday (Jun 23), the Louisville Chief of Police announced the firing of one of the three officers involved in the murder of EMT Breonna Taylor in her home back in March. According to NBC, to Louisville Metro Police Department detective Brett Hankison, chief Robert J. Schroeder said that the detective violated department rules, procedures, and deadly force standards when Taylor was killed.
Issa Rae stays getting those checks. On Monday (Jun 22), HBO announced that Issa Rae and Bette Midler will be starring in the new series, Coastal Elites, a series that will explore the deeply divided politics and the universal pursuit of human connection during the pandemic through a series of confessionals.
Lil Baby doesn't play about his squad so when he saw that the mega-chain Walmart was selling knock-off versions of his 4PF chain, he had plenty to say. On Monday (Jun 22), Lil Baby took to Twitter to call out the retail conglomerate for selling fake 4 Pockets Full jewelry. In a single tweet, "The Bigger Picture" rapper acknowledged the fake chains by letting fans and the retailer know the approach they took was all wrong.
Tahiry and Vado are officially a couple. According to the recent trailer for the upcoming season of WeTV's relationship series Marriage Boot Camp hit the internet, the couple and their "situationship" will be making its debut on the popular show's Hip-Hop edition.
While the nation is currently fighting against social injustice, the threat of another wave of COVID-19 still imminently looms in the background --a fact that DJ Khaled takes very seriously. On Saturday (Jun 20), DJ Khaled took to Instagram to share a picture of himself wearing a full hazmat suit while having to make an emergency appointment with his dentist after having oral problems. Although he was stepping out, he made sure to let fans know that he's very aware of the recently reported influx in COVID-19 cases in multiple states including Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, and Florida.