Rising Star Tyler Mitchell Eyes Sabah Koj, Thais Borges + Ugbad Abdi In 'A Courtly Dance in 'Triple Metre' For AnOther Magazine

Rising Star Tyler Mitchell Eyes Sabah Koj, Thais Borges + Ugbad Abdi In 'A Courtly Dance in 'Triple Metre' For AnOther Magazine

Rising photographer Tyler Mitchell captures models Sabah Koj, Thais Borges, and Ugbad Abdi in ‘A Courtly Dance in Triple Metre, styled by Robbie Spencer for AnOther Magazine’s Spring/Summer 2019 issue.

The marvelously creative editorial — LOVE the veiled shot of Sabah and Ugbad! — brings to mind the art of Nigerian-born, Alabama-raised Toyin Ojih Odutola, who mounted a solo show 'To Wander Determined' at the Whitney Museum in New York in October 2017.

I was very involved as the ‘Yankee’ working to elect Doug Jones as Democratic Senator from Alabama in November 2017. Most Americans don’t know that Jones — who is white and stands for re-election in 2020 — won justice for four young girls who died in the famous Birmingham church bombing during America’s civil rights movements.

Having shared much enthusiasm around the epic proliferation of models of color in our industry, especially from (South) Sudan, where I have deep activist roots, AOC hasn’t done enough recently to highlight the enormous cultural forces at play in America.

Artists are in the vangaard of articulating this new vision for America — one under assault this very moment, with Trump grabbing authoritarian powers to build his wall in Mexico, citing an alleged national emergency, when there is NO national emergency!

The emergency order is headed immediately to the US court system, where it will most likely be overturned. After months of tears around Trump, I’ve actually reached a positive place of defiance against the raging culture war operating out in the open now in my country.

The highly imperfect, yet noble American experiment is at a true crossroads under Trump. The battle is fierce and bloody, but there is a potential for a huge new vision of the ultimate social experiment if we are smart and dedicated. I tire of America callings itself the greatest country on earth, when every great civilization or nation is always eclipsed by another.

Still, America has a chance to prove itself in an incredible new way as a vibrant, non-white majority country led by a rainbow coalition of politicos and citizens truly committed to proving that such an important coalition of citizens can live, breathe and succeed together. ~ Anne

Writer Nicole Dennis-Benn Shares Her Brooklyn-Based, Black Beauty Fashion Inspirations

Writer Nicole Dennis-Benn Shares Her Brooklyn-Based, Black Beauty Fashion Inspirations

Nicole Dennis-Benn Finds Her Voice Through Fashion ELLE US

Bern explains that given that “I’ll always be ‘alien’ as a black person in America’, originally from Jamaica, she wears clothes from people who have her back. Literally. Bern bagged dressing to assimilate for years, trading her lower style profile to dressing to be seen in clothes created by black designers.

I have found community in black-owned boutiques. Martine’s Dream, in the heart of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, brings to mind the Caribbean with its island-inspired, bohemian-chic airy cotton dresses and skirts, its kimonos and caftans. TracyChambers Vintage and Indigo Style Vintage, also both Brooklyn-based, sell timeless pieces— from sweaters reminiscent of Denise Huxtable’s wardrobe on The Cosby Show to pleated dresses with shoulder pads and gold buttons that are very Clair Huxtable.

Coachella Beyonce x Balmain Collection Launches July 2018 To Benefit United Negro College Fund

Coachella Beyonce x Balmain Collection Launches July 2018 To Benefit United Negro College Fund

Balmain announced Tuesday its Beyonce x Balmain collection inspired by the 22-time Grammy Award winning artist's April 2018 Coachella wardrobe. 

The new collection will launch at Balmain's Paris flagship store from 7pm to 9pm July 13, featuring monogrammed 'BK' hoodies and shirts in black, yellow and pink to match Queen Bey's costumes. The merchandise will roll into other Balmain boutiques as well as Harrods, Barneys New York, Net-a-Porter and more retailers the following day July 14.

Beyonce released Coachella merchandise including windbreakers, crewnecks, tees and shorts with Greek letters in April to promote her HBCU (historically black colleges and universities) message. Now Balmain will bring her costume designs to life with a prominent Balmain logo with Greek Deltas replacing the As. 

Michelle Obama Says "Making Mistakes Was Not An Option For Us . . . We Had To Be Outstanding"

Michelle Obama Says "Making Mistakes Was Not An Option For Us . . . We Had To Be Outstanding"

Our beloved former First Lady Michelle Obama talked openly about race and the expectations and pressures that came with being "the first" black couple to occupy the White House. Michelle was speaking at the American Library Association's annual conference in New Orleans on Friday.

“Barack and I knew very early that we would be measured by a different yardstick,” Obama said of her husband’s tenure as the nation’s first black president during a conversation with Librarian of Congress Dr. Carla Hayden. “Making mistakes was not an option for us. Not that we didn’t make mistakes, but we had to be good — no, we had to be outstanding — at everything we did….When you’re the first, you’re the one that’s laying the red carpet down for others to follow.” 

Michelle's conversation came in advance of the November release of her upcoming memoir 'Becoming'. She spoke particularly on the subject of race, saying: "It's just a shame that sometimes people will see me, and they will only see my color, and then they'll make certain judgments about that," she said. "That's dangerous, for us to dehumanize each other in that way. We are all just people."

Indiana Students Demand Removal Of 'Offensive' Thomas Hart Benton Painting Honoring Triumph Over KKK

Indiana Students Demand Removal Of 'Offensive' Thomas Hart Benton Painting Honoring Triumph Over KKK

Should every historical reference that evokes negative emotions be removed from campus?

The Indiana mural by Thomas Hart Benton is an homage to the Indiana press for breaking the Klan's grip on power in the state, but critics say its depictions of the KKK aren't just historical.

Nearly 1,600 signatories are asking the school to take down or cover the offending panel from A Social History of Indiana (1933), also known as the Indiana murals. But others are speaking up in support of the artwork, contending that Benton was looking to draw attention to the evils of the Klan.

“It is past time that Indiana University take a stand and denounce hate and intolerance in Indiana and on IU’s campus,” reads the petition, which argues that exposing students and faculty of color to the image of the KKK stands in violation of the school’s diversity policy and the student Right to Freedom From Discrimination."

Waiting For A Perfect Protest? Op-Ed Argues I Am The Problem, Not Antifa

Waiting For A Perfect Protest? Op-Ed Argues I Am The Problem, Not Antifa

Anne's comment: "Your op-ed sanitizes the reality of the antifa protest in Berkeley, claiming that my white woman 'perfect march' moderation (I see myself as very progressive) is a greater problem for you than antifa's right to promote anarchy -- breaking windows, shutting down businesses, creating chaos and hurting people -- because a white nationalist wants to speak on campus.

Many antifa members are as committed to overturning our govt and creating anarchy to support their vision of justice as are the white nationalists, from all I've read. Your op-ed says clearly that I -- who sued the NYPD over events in Harlem and won -- am a greater problem for social justice -- than antifa.

Those claims are 1) absurd and 2) counter-productive to the cause of social justice. I am happy to stand (and have stood ALWAYS) for BLM, as an example.

But if you also demand that I agree to no free speech for the dreadful Ann Coulter, that Condoleezza Rice is not permitted to speak on any university campus, and that I speak proudly on behalf of black-shirt violence that breaks windows and clubs people for NO obvious reason but creating chaos and overturning our economic system, then you must explain to me 1) why this is necessary; 2) how it will succeed and 3) exactly what kind of America you imagine creating in your so-called just country. " {End comment}

On AOC yesterday, I did discuss this issue and also posted the polls referenced in this op-ed. I posted a link to the clergy group that organized the counter-protests in Charlottesville and have absolutely no issue with them. But if they are arguing -- as they seem to be -- that I must support a host of other actions, like antifa in Berkeley, I cannot support that violence. I do not support anarchy and the total overturning of capitalism in America, as antifa seeks (not that I think it's even possible). ~ Anne

Ivanka's Silence Is Deafening; Jared's Too, As The Fires Of White Nationalism Burn Around Them

Ivanka's Silence Is Deafening; Jared's Too, As The Fires Of White Nationalism Burn Around Them

Writing for the Miami Herald today, Ana Veciana-Suarez's comments deserve direct quotation:

Oh where, oh where has Ivanka Trump gone?

Oh where, oh where can she be?

This parody of that kids’ song has been looping around my head for days, a refrain that echoes my horror at the violence in Charlottesville and the disgust over President Trump’s inexcusable defense of the neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

Of all the Trumps, of all the White House aides, of all Jews associated with this presidency, I remained convinced that it would be the first daughter who would be vehemently vocal in her condemnation. She needed to do this for her country, yes, but also for her family.

Ivanka's NYC Rabbi Condemns Trump's Lack Of Moral Clarity As James Murdoch & Apple's Tim Cook Pledge $1 Million Each To Anti-Defamation League

Ivanka's NYC Rabbi Condemns Trump's Lack of Moral Clarity On Charlottesville As Richard Spencer Tells Israelis To Trust Him

Rabbi Emeritus Haskel Lookstein and his successors Rabbi Chaim Steinmetz and Rabbi Elie Weinstock,sent a letter Wednesday night to members of New York's Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun In New York. Rabbi Lookstein oversaw Ivanka's conversion to Judaism in 2010. 

The rabbis said: "We are appalled by this resurgence of bigotry and antisemitism, and the renewed vigor of the neo-Nazis, KKK, and alt-right." The letter continued: "While we avoid politics, we are deeply troubled by the moral equivalency and equivocation President Trump has offered in his response to this act of violence."

Other Jewish leaders spoke out on Wednesday. the Republican Jewish Coalition is calling on the president to “provide greater moral clarity in rejecting racism, bigotry, and anti-Semitism.”

In another bold stance registered against Trump's embrace of white nationalism, 

James Murdoch, the chief executive of 21 Century Fox and the son of Trump ally Rupert Murdoch, donated $1 million to the ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and asked his friends and colleagues to consider supporting the organization as well.

Apple CEO Tim Cook pledged that his company will donate $1 million each to ADL and the SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center). Apple also will match employee donations to the two groups and others two for one through September, according to a memo Cook wrote Wednesday night obtained by BuzzFeed News.

Cook said he strongly disagrees with US President Donald Trump’s comparison between the neo-Nazi and white supremacist protesters and those who opposed their rally in Charlottesville.

“Hate is a cancer,” Cook wrote. “This is not about the left or the right, conservative or liberal. It is about human decency and morality.”

Text Of James Murdoch Email Seeking Support For ADL & His $1 Million Donation | Apple Commits $1 Million Each To ADL & SPLC

Charlottesville's Susan Bro Says She Will Not Talk To Trump. Her Advice To Him: "Think Before You Speak"

Charlottesville's Susan Bro Says She Will Not Talk To Trump. Her Advice To Him: "Think Before You Speak"

Until Thursday, when she spoke to MSNBC's Katy Tur, Bro acknowledged that the White House was trying to reach her but she was overwhelmed. Having watched no coverage of her daughter's death, this eloquent Virginia woman, who shared her daughter's commitment to social justice, didn't know until Thursday that the President of the United States had said on Tuesday at a rogue press conference that there were "very fine people" in the crowd of Nazis, KKK members, and white nationalists whose presence in Thomas Jefferson's home unleashed hatred, bigotry, violence and death.  

Speaking with Tur, Bro pushed back on President Trump's insistence that there is blame "on both sides", saying that her daughter was a peaceful protester. After having more time to reflect and probably reading about the avalanche of criticism hitting Trump from every corner over his rogue comments that supported white nationalism, Bro was clear about what she wanted to say when hooked up to ABC's Good Morning America and co-host Robin Roberts.

Agnes Gund Launches $100 Million Art For Justice Fund: A Movement To End Mass Incarceration

Agnes Gund Launches $100 Million Art For Justice Fund: A Movement To End Mass Incarceration

The new Art for Justice Fund — to be announced Monday at the Museum of Modern Art, where Ms. Gund is president emerita — will start with $100 million of the proceeds from the Lichtenstein (which was sold to the collector Steven A. Cohen through Acquavella Gallery).

Ms. Gund, together with the Ford Foundation as administrator of the fund, hopes that other collectors will also support the Art for Justice Fund, with a collective goal of raising another $100 million over the next five years. 

'Influencer' Amy Sall Sees No Place For Silent Mouths On Politics & The American Experience

Unlike many fashion 'infuencers', Amy Sall who has appeared in fashion campaigns for J Crew and Kenzo x H&M, uses her social media cache to promote social justice issues like advocating for African youth and the African diaspora. Sall is also the editor and founder of a journal of African Affairs, SUNU.

"I just think that we are in a time where you cannot be idle," Sall tells Christene Barberich, global editor-in-chief and cofounder of Refinery 29, in the latest episode of UnStyled. "You can't be a bystander. You can't be passive. What I noticed on certain social media accounts is that people tried to address some of the issues that we've been facing, but in a way that was almost performative. That, to me, is almost worse than just not saying anything at all. And you continue to post your vacation... People are being shot and killed in the streets. And to respond in a way that just seems like, I don't know, packaged, it doesn't feel right. It doesn't sit well with me."

Sall's Instagram feed is divine. Rich in beauty and intelligent thinking. One of the best I've seen. ~ Anne

Trump Tweets Insults As Hate Crimes Mount In New York City; NYPD Sets Up New Unit

Trump Tweets Insults As Hate Crimes Mount In New York City; NYPD Sets Up New Unit

A park dedicated to the Beastie Boys’ late member Adam "MCA" Yauch was vandalized with graffiti of swastikas and a pro-Donald Trump slogan on Friday. New York City Councilman Brad Lander tweeted a photo of the graffiti that included the words “Go Trump!” at the park in Brooklyn Heights. “Yet more hatred & anti-Semitism from Trump supporters,” Lander wrote on Twitter. All three members of the Beastie Boys were Jewish.

As president-elect Trump lashes out against Alex Baldwin's portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live, A Tribe Called Quest launches 'We The People' on SNL. 

Is Baltimore Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby In Trouble?

Is Baltimore Prosecutor Marilyn Mosby In Trouble? AOC Front Page

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Black Lives Matter: Nina Simone, Beyoncé and The Black Panthers Intersect

Black Lives Matter: Nina Simone, Beyoncé and The Black Panthers Intersect

Talking about Nina Simone in her 2013 self-produced HBO documentary 'Life Is But A Dream', Beyoncé drew contrast between her public life and the fact that Simone's lived with her demons out of the public space.

“People are brainwashed… When Nina Simone put out music, you loved her voice. That’s what she wanted you to love,” Beyoncé reminds us, while lamenting the ridiculous things people write about her. “You didn’t get brainwashed by her day-to-day life. That’s not your business. It shouldn’t influence the way you listen to the voice and the art, but it does.” Remember the rumor that she used a surrogate mother to carry her daughter, Blue Ivy Carter? Bey called it “stupid.” She explained: “To think that I would be that vain. I respect mothers and women so much. To be able to experience bringing a child into this world, if you’re lucky and fortunate enough to experience that, I would never ever take that for granted.”

It was last week that music lovers were able to draw a new contrast between Beyoncé and Nina Simone, when the superstar took to the stage at Superbowl halftime to perform 'Formation'. I'm sparing the visuals and let you read the lyrics in Bey's sing-along.