HuffPost: Philadelphia’s First Openly Gay Deputy Sheriff Found Dead Ahead Of Pride Parade
Philadelphia’s first openly gay deputy sheriff apparently died by suicide just before the city’s annual Pride parade and festival, authorities said. Dante Austin, 27, was found dead from what authorities said appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound at his desk inside the Philadelphia Sheriff’s Office early Friday.
theGrio: Woman pleads with police not to shoot unarmed Black man kneeling in viral video
In an intense exchange, a woman can be heard pleading with police to put down their guns aimed squarely at an unarmed Black man who was on his knees.
She cries while begging officers from the Hawthorne Police Department not to shoot the man in front of her as she records.
The Root: 5 Black Men React to Netflix’s When They See Us, Ava DuVernay’s Series About the Central Park Five
On May 31, Netflix released the Ava DuVernay-helmed miniseries, When They See Us, which delves into the case of the Central Park Five, the five black and brown boys who were convicted in 1990 in both the media and the courtroom for a crime they didn’t commit. In 2002, they were exonerated after the actual perpetrator of the crime came forward. The series tells the story through the eyes of the boys as they grew into men and emerge back into a society that attempted to throw them away.
NBCBLK: Valedictorian says her microphone was cut after she mentioned Trayvon Martin, Tamir Rice
A high school valedictorian in Dallas said her principal intentionally had her microphone cut off during her graduation speech Saturday because she mentioned the names of two young African Americans whose deaths sparked national outrage.
HuffPost Black Voices: Taraji P. Henson Opens Up About Mental Health At Congressional Hearing
Award-winning actress Taraji P. Henson spoke candidly about mental health issues affecting youth in the African American community at a congressional hearing on Friday. “I’m here to appeal to you because this is a national crisis,” she said. “I am here using my celebrity, using my voice, to put a face to this, because I also suffer from depression and anxiety,” she continued. “If you’re a human living in today’s world, I don’t know how you’re not suffering in any way.”
The Crisis: Women of Color Are Clear: They Want to Hear Policies and Plans from Presidential Candidates
It’s no secret that women of color, Black women specifically, have been the key voting bloc in recent elections. Black women had the biggest turnout in the 2008 and 2012 presidential elections, catapulting President Barack Obama into the White House. And in Alabama, Black women delivered a victory for Sen. Doug Jones (D-Ala.), helping him get a congressional seat.
Blackpress USA: IN MEMORIAM: John Gary Williams maintained music in his heart, despite tragedy, trials
In an alternate reality, one where John Gary Williams wasn’t called up to go to Vietnam, he might have become a soul music icon, a household name mentioned alongside Marvin Gaye, Al Green or Otis Redding. But as news spread of Williams’ death at his Memphis home at the age of 73, friends and loved ones spoke of how he persevered through trials and tribulations – with a song forever in his heart.
Blavity: NBA Teams On Verge Of Ditching The Racially Insensitive Title Of ‘Owner’
According to TMZ, the rest of the league will join the Los Angeles Clippers and the Philadelphia 76ers who have already abandoned the distinction. An owner holds a 50% or more stake in the team. Chicago rap icon Common praised Commissioner Adam Silver for his leadership on the issue. “I’m so pleased,” Common told TMZ. “The term owner — it didn’t sit right with me. Nobody owns us.”
