Concerned citizen Cardi B’s rant about the government shutdown is a mood.The rapper shared her fears with the ‘Gram on Thursday night. View this post on Instagram I know a lot of ya do r watch the news so I’m letting ya know shit getting real .....I ain’t going to say nothing much tho I don’t want mofos to off me.....ANYWAYS TWERK VIDEO OUT NOWA post shared by CARDIVENOM (@iamcardib) on Jan 16, 2019 at 2:41pm PST “Hey y’all, I just wanna remind y’all because it’s been a little bit over three weeks,” Cardi said. “Trump is now ordering — as in summonsing — federal government workers to go back to work without getting paid.”The “Be Careful” rapper knew there'd be a troll or two attempting to use former President Barack Obama to defend President Donald Trump and curbed any such response before cyber fingers could get to work. “Now I don’t wanna hear y’all mother***ers talking ’bout, ‘Oh, but Obama shut down the government for 17 days,'” she added. “Yeah, b***h, for healthcare so your grandma could check her blood pressure and you b****es can go check that p***y at the gynecologist with no motherf***ing problem.”The severity of the situation seemed to hit toward the end of the video. The 26-year-old expressed interest in social justice but admitted activism isn’t her thing.“Now I know a lot of y’all don’t care because y’all don’t work for the government or y’all probably don’t even have a job but this s**t is really f**king serious, bro. This s**t is crazy. Our country is in a hell hole right now all for a f**king wall and we really need to take this serious,” she continued.“I feel like we need to take some action. I don’t know what type of action, b—, cause this is not what I do, but b***h I’m scared. This is crazy and I really feel bad for these people who need to go to f***ing work to not get mother***ing paid.”Cardi has a point. The government has been partially shut down for 27 days, the longest in history, with no clear end in sight.After she posted her rant, she was shocked to see she was a trending topic.Why am I trending?— iamcardib (@iamcardib) January 17, 2019This isn’t the first time Bardi criticized the Trump administration.Last June, she blasted him for being divisive and causing racial tension.“Every artist has explained how harmful he is. He has made divisions in this country – he almost made a crazy civil war between the blacks and the whites. He has proven himself to be a madman so many times, and proven himself to be disrespectful to women, and that still hasn’t gotten him impeached,” she explained to Rolling Stone. “Clinton got impeached for cheating on his wife, and it’s so clear that this n***a has sex with so many porn stars, and he’s just been shown to be a d**khead, and it’s like, ‘Nope.’”CNN needs to hit her up because she’s the pundit we need.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now, check these out:All Of Twitter Is Roasting The Ghetto That Was The White House Dinner For Clemson Football ChampsThe Harlem Globetrotters Are Offering Free Tickets To Federal Workers Affected By The Government ShutdownCNN Contributor Calls Out FOX Host For 'White Privilege,' Then Discovers He's...

Travis Scott is set to perform alongside Maroon 5 during this year's Super Bowl half-time show, and despite reports suggesting otherwise, it appears he never received Colin Kaepernick's blessing.According to Variety, the "Sicko Mode" rapper had a phone conversation with the former 49ers players, which sources close to the rapper confirmed. The discussion supposedly concluded with both men coming to a mutual understanding about Scott's decision to perform amid the NFL controversy. The announcement was made in late-December with the 26-year-old rapper claiming he would do the set if the NFL donated to Dream Corps, the social justice nonprofit organization founded by news commentator Van Jones.Media outlets shared news of their conversation, but Kaepernick retweeted several posts from his girlfriend and friends which seemingly confirm he never approved of Scott's decision. Kaepernick's girlfriend, Hot 97 host Nessa Diab, posted on Twitter that there is no respect or understanding between the two men followed by a hashtag which read "stop lying.""There is NO mutual respect and there is NO understanding for anyone working against @Kaepernick7 PERIOD. #stoplying," Diab tweeted.There is NO mutual respect and there is NO understanding for anyone working against @Kaepernick7 PERIOD. #stoplying https://t.co/0HB6kcWJRG— NESSA (@nessnitty) January 16, 2019Diab also posted the definition of a sellout on her page, which the former 49ers player also shared."If you’re with them, then you are definitely not with us," her post read. If you’re with them, then you are definitely not with us. pic.twitter.com/cILfbDRbwY— NESSA (@nessnitty) January 14, 2019Fellow Hot 97 host Ebro Darden tweeted the alleged approval never happened.  "Kap did not approve this bulls**t! Get the f**k outta here...." he wrote. Kap did not approve this bullshit! Get the fuck outta here.... https://t.co/yyMVAXQB3k— El Viejo Ebro (@oldmanebro) January 16, 2019The author who goes by @LeftSentThis on Twitter also questioned whether Kaepernick would ever co-sign anything related to the musician after he suggested Mike Brown was at fault for his death."So you’re trying to tell ME that Kaepernick, a man that has been Blackballed by the NFL, costing him his career, for protesting against police terrorism, gave the green light to. @TrvisXX, a man that insinuated that Mike Brown was at fault in his death, to partner with the NFL?" he captioned. So you’re trying to tell ME that Kaepernick, a man that has been Blackballed by the NFL, costing him his career, for protesting against police terrorism, gave the green light to .@TrvisXX, a man that insinuated that Mike Brown was at fault in his death, to partner with the NFL?👌🏾 https://t.co/FQG1q8J58Y— L E F T (@LeftSentThis) January 16, 2019Y'all tried it.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now, check these out:NFL Temporarily Suspends Anti-#TakeAKnee PolicyColin Kaepernick Starts Black History Month By Successfully Completing His #MillionDollarPledgeNFL's Colin Kaepernick is protesting national anthem, says country oppresses black...

Having fun is hard when you don’t know when you will get your next paycheck. Thousands of government workers are dealing with this sad reality, but the Harlem Globetrotters want to make their lives a little better.All 800,000 federal employees affected by the shutdown are eligible to receive two free tickets to a Globetrotters show if they show a valid government identification card, The Hill reports.“As the Ambassadors of Goodwill, we want to show our support to all those government workers whose paychecks, and by extension their families, are directly impacted,” team president Howard Smith said in a press release.Workers across the U.S. may have a chance to take the team up on their offer, as the Globetrotters' current tour includes 250 American cities and 30 international shows.The Globetrotters aren’t the only team looking out for the workers.The Howard University Bisons are offering free tickets to their basketball games, reports HBCU Sports.The Bisons have similar requirements to the Globetrotters: a federal ID gets the attendee two tickets. The promotion is for all regular season home women’s and men’s games until the shutdown is over. The tickets can be redeemed the day of the game at the box office.The government shutdown is in its 26th day, making it the longest in history. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has disinvited President Donald Trump from the State of the Union due to supposed security concerns caused by the shutdown, according to The New York Times.The Times also notes South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham (R) attempted to strike a deal to pause the shutdown for three weeks on Monday, but Trump rejected the offer.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now, check these out:Two Americans Captured In Syria Accused Of Fighting Alongside ISIS MembersHouse Passes Measure Condemning White Nationalism After Rep. Steve King Claimed It's Not ProblematicTSA Agents Have Been Playing Dirty Versions Of Rap Songs In JFK Airport Because That's Just Where They're At Right...

Donald Trump has made America great again. It's a fact. Indisputable. Mission Accomplished. He even tweeted it.Wow! Big pushback on Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York for his really dumb statement about America’s lack of greatness. I have already MADE America Great Again, just look at the markets, jobs, military- setting records, and we will do even better. Andrew “choked” badly, mistake!— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 17, 2018Make America Great Again (MAGA): the campaign slogan, the promise, the hashtag, and those red hats are seared into the consciousness of Americans across the political spectrum. For some, #MAGA is the reason why they voted for a president whose statements are often anything but great. Making America great with better jobs, better schools, and yes - better border security is why their support persists. For others, #MAGA brings a visceral pang of bewildering disappointment and a reminder that elections have consequences, great consequences.Many in this latter group, their faces laden with incredulity, responded to #MAGA by asking: "When was America great?" Posed both genuinely and rhetorically, outlets from Time Magazine to the Daily Show set out to answer the question in 2016. Trump supporters, for their part, were often bedeviled by the inquiry. Activists in #TheResistance added an exclamation point to the question which became a rallying cry against taking America backward. Eventually, the question became a statement:"America was never great."After all, an America that stole land from indigenous people, built an economy by enslaving millions, denied rights to all but the whitest of white men, and - to add insult to injury - elected Donald Trump could never have been great, right?By August 2018, nearly two years into Trump’s chaotic presidency, “America was never great” had become an accepted mantra in progressive circles. There were signs at rallies, tweets, t-shirts, and – yes – hats. White hats, the kind that gladiators wear.It is with this backdrop that Governor Andrew Cuomo said: “we’re not going to make America great again, it was never that great.” Governor Cuomo became just the latest person to join the resistance in making the statement. He also became the latest person to draw the ire of President Trump’s Twitter fingers. He was the catalyst for Trump’s chest-beating, mission accomplished tweet declaring that he had “already Made America Great Again” and so he had.As is now customary in coverage of American politics, Governor Cuomo’s statement was – most often – not shared in its entirety. After making the statement that led some to call for an apology from the Governor, with his next breath, he said this:"We have not reached greatness. We will reach greatness when every American is fully engaged. We will reach greatness when discrimination and stereotyping of women, 51% of our population, is gone, and every woman's full potential is realized and unleashed and every woman is making her full contribution."This aspirational statement, pulling on the potential that systems of inequity and personal bigotry have robbed, makes the case that the nation is bereft of greatness. But, there’s another perspective.On April 3, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave what would become his final speech; “I’ve been to the mountaintop.” Dr. King, fighting a cold, initially planned to give very brief remarks. However, inspired by the moment, a final and familiar message poured out of him. That evening, as his remarks came to a close, he would declare that he had “been to mountaintop” and “seen the promised land” of freedom, justice, and equity.Earlier in this speech, he also said this:“…the greatness of America is the right to protest for right.”Dr. King had climbed the mountain with protest, advocacy and struggle, and caught a glimpse of the progress they bring. There could be no promised land without American greatness. This uniquely American attribute empowered Dr. King’s success from Montgomery to Memphis and is why President Trump has made America great again.Nearly thirteen years prior, in 1955, Dr. King gave a speech to the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA) mass meeting at Holt Street Baptist Church in Montgomery, AL. This meeting served as the kickoff to the Montgomery Bus Boycott.A twenty-six-year-old King said:“The only weapon that we have in our hands this evening is the weapon of protest. That’s all.”He would go on to say:“But the great glory of American democracy is the right to protest for right.”Dr. King would often refer to the freedoms of speech, assembly, the press, and redress in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution as a contract that America had with its citizens. A contract that made the Civil Rights Movement possible. A contract that was often broken.In speech after speech, Dr. King implored local, state, and federal government officials to “do what they said on paper” and uphold the rights of African Americans to assemble, protest and petition the government for change.Often, he contrasted this uniquely American agreement between citizens and government with totalitarian regimes in China, Russia, and elsewhere. Challenging America to be greater. Challenging America to fully become what Alexis de Tocqueville saw when he said: “The greatness of America lies not in being more enlightened than any other nation, but rather in her ability to repair her faults.Since the election of President Trump, a record number of Americans have employed the rights to assemble, protest, and petition the government to repair the nation’s faults. The 2017 Women’s March is the largest single-day protest in U.S. history and the 2018 Women’s March, 2018 March for our Lives, and 2017 March for Science all drew over 1 million people each.In the past two years, over 10 million Americans have displayed the unique greatness of the nation by marching and we have President Trump to thank for it. So, yes, Donald Trump has “already made America great again.” But, not simply through the levers of power mentioned in his tweet. The greatness of America is not gross domestic product. The greatness of America is not low unemployment. The greatness of America is not a strong military. These are effects, not the cause.The greatness of America is advocating for moral and practical immigration policy.     The greatness of America is stepping in the name of love -for Black women- by taking steps to #MuteRKelly.The greatness of America is advocating for access to capital for diverse entrepreneurs.  The greatness of America is you assembling, speaking, petitioning, and voting for the positive change you want to see.As our nation honors the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. let’s remember his uniquely American story, the greatness he exemplified, and the same American greatness we can use to move our nation...

We all have been on an extended mind f**k after the Surviving R. Kelly special. I certainly was among the women who tuned in to the docu-series on Lifetime which highlighted the numerous sexual allegations toward him from women of color and underage girls.I have been in my own head about the situation while experiencing numerous emotions. I indeed am a woman of color who believes R. Kelly is a sexual predator and I do not support him. I am on board with whatever happens to him in the midst of this scandal because I believe all human beings who violate children and women should be held accountable.On one end I am speaking in the name of feminism, but on the other end, I am skeptical about what this situation might bring. I support my brothers and what I am witnessing is an agenda that could also affect innocent Black men.Since the airing of this special on Lifetime, I have seen talks of a special on Michael Jackson and the sexual allegations against him being shown at the Sundance Film Festival.My initial reaction was confusion because the last time I checked, Michael Jackson is deceased and his accusers admitted to lying. So now white people are producing series about false allegations toward a dead man? I know a lot of Black men are concerned about the fact that men of color seem to be getting all the media attention lately when it comes to sexual crimes and white men's misdeeds are somewhat forgotten on a large scale. Whether that is the case or not, I have to ask: Is this causing a rippling effect? Is this putting all men of color on trial?These are questions we need to think about and seriously take into consideration. We have to be very cautious in how we approach these issues and make sure that every case is handled separately. In our dialogue, we have to remain cognizant of our words and how they might affect our brothers.I am not telling sisters to tip-toe around the issue or refrain from engaging in conversation about R. Kelly or speaking out on sexual violence, because we need to. There needs to be more of a discussion in the Black community about sexual abuse and the silence among women of color. But there also needs to be a discussion on how we can engage proactively and have healthy dialogue that doesn't get all our brothers caught in the crossfire.As a woman who stands against sexual abuse toward any woman, I also stand with my brothers. I have not forgotten you. What many of your sisters are asking from you is to stand with us. We need to support each other. Think of us as victims, not opponents and hear our stories. We are not all out to get you.When we speak out and you refuse to believe us we become divided. And I believe there are a lot of Black women who somewhat feel neglected by our men. We are the least protected species on the planet and we desperately need you to be our soldiers.Underground rapper Freddie Gibbs recently spoke on his own allegations of sexual abuse. Falsely accused, he was acquitted of charges in a sexual abuse case in Vienna, Austria in 2016. It kept him detained in the country for four months. He spoke on how the allegations negatively impacted his career and to this day have continued to follow him."When somebody accuses somebody of that, it's just like 'whoa, sh*t, well did he do it?' So even though I was acquitted of all charges, I found myself having to explain myself since I got out. I have to tell people, I have to explain the story. I wish I could just give it to you on DVD. But I gotta tell everybody look, this shit did not happen this way, I didn't buy my way out of this, I didn't pay to get acquitted. Man, I got acquitted because I actually did not do this," said Gibbs.Gibbs continued: "I just gotta get my name back. I feel like a lot of people backed off of me because of this sh*t and that was kind of f**ked up. Luckily, by the grace of God and my fans they still support me and they still love me because they know my character"Freddie Gibbs has also gone on to become an example of a Black man who supports women in spite of his situation. Just this week after the airing of the R. Kelly documentary, he went on record to say that false allegations should not lead to silencing women. He says that he understands that the majority of accusations of abuse against men are valid and that his own situation is rare.On Van Lathan's podcast "The Red Pill" Gibbs gave an interview and highlighted his personal feelings on the matter.“We a minority,” he says, referring to men who find themselves falsely accused of abuse. “That’s why I don’t downplay victims. I didn’t come out when that shit happened to me like, ‘oh, these b*tches lying.’ No n—-, that’s not the case. This is an individual situation. I can’t relate my situation to everybody else’s… Because some people would be like, ‘Look at him. He was freed.’ Like, nah, my n—-. Y’all n—-s really be doing some inappropriate shit.”He also points out that inappropriate or abusive behavior doesn’t necessarily have to lead up to “rape or any intercourse,” explaining that there are other forms of abuse. “Just the way you handle a woman, you doing it in the wrong fashion. If you stalkin’ her, beatin’ on the door, harassing her, all of that sh*t. No means no, just let it go,” he said.I believe Gibbs is an excellent example of how when we have dialogue that seeks to understand one another as men and women, we leave more room for change. As women rather than attacking or morally convicting all Black men, perhaps we should practice a little more caution.We don’t want the #MeToo movement or R. Kelly situation to become distorted. It's a slippery slope, I just happen to be a sister who sees both sides. I have remained consistent in calling out all instances of sexual abuse whether it is from whites or blacks, and I do not wish to see this R. Kelly situation become a lynch mob toward Black men. As Black women, we have witnessed how the white liberal agenda has impacted women of color and forgotten us. So in turn, I don't want to see us do that to our men. Because when causes are distorted or agendas are misused it counteracts what we are fighting...

Michelle Obama remembers her final minutes as the country's first Black FLOTUS like it was yesterday. Now, almost two years since leaving the post, she is revealing the hilarious last words she uttered after Donald Trump's presidential inauguration in 2017.Obama, who's on a highly successful book tour to promote her new memoir Becoming, was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Tuesday night.Fallon held up an image of the former lawyer with her husband and former President Barack Obama smiling and waving before boarding Special Air Mission 28000 -- what would have previously been Air Force One -- following Trump's inauguration. The late-night host asked Obama to share what was going through her head following the end of a hectic day."Bye Felicia!" Our forever FLOTUS emphatically said.The audience and Fallon erupted in laughter.The Chicago-bred Ivy League graduate also touched on the topic of marriage counseling, revealing her hope that her admission of her and Barack's decision to seek help in their relationship, will inspire other couples to follow suit."There are a lot of young people who look at me and Barack, and you and your wife and people they see, and they think, 'Oh, I want those #RelationshipGoals,'" she said to Fallon."But, I want young people to know that marriage is work. Even the best marriages require work," she added.Since its release on November 13, Becoming has sold 3 million copies in all formats in the United States and Canada, according to Crown Publishing. Due to popular demand, Obama recently announced she is extending her book tour into the new year. The second leg of the Becoming tour will hit 11 cities in the United States, including four stops in Canada and six in Europe, kicking off with a February 8 event in Tacoma, Washington, at the Tacoma Dome. A complete list of cities and ticket prices are available on the official Becoming website.Watch more of Obama and Fallon's conversation below.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Liking this content? Check these out:Michelle Obama And Meghan Markle Had A 'Power Meeting' After The London Stop Of The 'Becoming' TourMichelle Obama Proves She's Amazing At 'Becoming' Barack Obama With This Hilarious ImpressionMichelle Obama Says She Developed 'A Whole Strategy For Hair' During Her White House Years That Would Shock 'A Lot Of White...

Social media and activism have become synonymous in the 21st century; from organizing events to hashtagging awareness. Millennials live stream and post pictures of marches for our friends and family to “like” in solidarity with us. Activists of all ages use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat to encourage one another to fight the good fight and “stay woke.”But what happens when encouragement and agreeance transform into judgment and shaming? We see it all the time with celebrities. In 2014, Nelly was called out for not actively protesting immediately following the death of unarmed black teen Michael Brown. More recently, T.I. used YouTube to call out Steve Harvey and Kanye West for their interactions with then President-Elect Trump, and Black Twitter demanded they both turn in their black cards at the next family reunion. Many women wondered if Taylor Swift’s absence at the post-inaugural women’s march was cause enough for her reign as feminist supreme to end. And we all witnessed Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi fiasco…The vast majority of social media users are likely not mind-readers nor clairvoyants. No one knows exactly why Harvey and West met with Mr. Trump. No one knows what Jenner was thinking as she shot the misguided advertisement. Furthermore, no one truly cares. We don’t know these people. We do, however, know our super woke friends and family members whose timelines are flooded with wordy criticisms of their associates’ activism.Though those closest to us know our hearts, our fairweather Facebook friends may question why we’ve not had more to say about everything from the slaying of unarmed black boys and men, to global warming, to every instance of cultural appropriation ever. So, in haste, we rush to our devices and pound out some militant sounding declaration that begins with “Dear White People” or some other equally shocking opener. We follow that up with ill-conceived complaints and disorganized efforts to avoid being the town Tom or Tomasina, or just another one of "those people".The next thing you know, we’re all engaged in the Woke Wars- a series of flagrant arguments born not of legitimacy, but fear. Fear that we will be outcast and ostracized by the good guys. The wars seep seamlessly from the Internet into the real world as battles pop up in progressive workplaces and across academia.A dear friend of mine and I discuss the Woke Wars on a regular basis. She is a petite, preppy, pretty blond white Southerner, Ph.D. candidate and committed ally to the black community. Her scholarship examines and scrutinizes privilege and she hopes to make a difference by teaching nontraditional and low-income students. Despite her best efforts, she admits “sometimes I feel like my activism isn’t good enough or isn’t acceptable to other activists...I feel the most discouraged on social media or around other academics. I feel the most crippling inadequacy.”Movements meant to bring people together are repeatedly splintered and well-meaning people are forced to act beyond what is wholly beneficial. Your brand of activism may involve traveling to Standing Rock to stand with our Native American brothers and sisters. Perhaps you are a startup founder who addresses the negative effects of gentrification. Or maybe you commit to praying daily for those standing on the front lines of social change.Whatever we decide to do, when we do the most within our personal capacity with pure intentions, how dare we shame someone for not fighting the same way that we fight? Isn’t the point to do good whenever and wherever possible? If so, let’s stop calling each other out by comparing the ways in which we care. Let’s put an end to the Woke Wars and form a truly united front to affect positive and lasting...

Following the release of the Surviving R. Kelly docu-series, Dave Chappelle’s infamous R. Kelly sketch has obtained renewed interest. The skit is a mock music video entitled “Piss on You.” While many are guilty of laughing at the crude video in the past, the sketch greatly trivialized Kelly's child pornography case, and the rounds the video is making now are much more critical.In an interview with The Breakfast Club radio show on Tuesday, Chappelle’s Show co-creator Neal Brennan commented on the criticisms, claiming people don’t understand comedy.“I don’t think people understand what comedy is supposed to do,” Brennan said about the skit. “We will observe things, we will make fun of things. Did people want us to round up a posse and go arrest R. Kelly? Like, what were we supposed to do?” Funnily enough, the video also includes an interesting backstory. According to Brennan, Kelly attempted to fight Dave after the skit was released.“R. Kelly wanted to fight Dave,” Brennan alleged on The Breakfast Club. “His goons stepped to Dave in Chicago and Dave’s goons intervened. The goons negotiated.”But in 2016, the 52-year-old artist told GQ he hadn’t seen the skit.With Surviving R. Kelly, the disgraced singer has dealt with much-deserved backlash.He’s currently under criminal investigation, and protestors are imploring Sony to officially #MuteRKelly. Blavity recently reported that on Wednesday, members of #MuteRKelly, Black Women's Blueprint, Care2, Color of Change, CREDO, Girls for Gender Equity, NOW-NYC and UltraViolet all teamed up to host a rally demanding Kelly be removed from his label.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now check this out:6 Ways To Separate The Artist From The Music As A SurvivorJournalist Touré, Who Appeared In 'Surviving R. Kelly,' Admits To Sexually Harassing Make-Up ArtistWhy Defending R.Kelly Is Anti...

Louisville, Kentucky, is renaming its airport after Muhammad Ali.Ali, the original GOAT, was a boxing champion and master humanitarian. He was also the great-great-great grandson of the heroic Archer Alexander, a Black man who escaped slavery in the 19th century and warned Union troops about a Confederate trap. The famed boxer was born and raised in a one-story home in western Louisville. He even once said his “greatness came and started in Louisville.”Now, the Louisville Courier-Journal reports the Kentucky city is honoring him by changing the name of its airport from Louisville International Airport to Louisville Muhammad Ali International Airport.The airport is being renamed, not only because of Ali’s role as the “greatest of all time,” but also to increase tourism. Many don’t know he was from Louisville. “Muhammad Ali belonged to the world, but he only had one hometown, and fortunately, that is our great city of Louisville,” said Mayor Greg Fischer, a board member of the Louisville Regional Airport Authority (LRAA). “It is important that we, as a city, further champion The Champ's legacy.”It was Fischer who motioned for the name to be changed.Dale Boden, another LRAA board member, also added that the city would be improved by changing the name.“We felt a clear takeaway was that the profile of our city could be greatly enhanced by associating Ali's name with our airport," Boden said. He also added that officials hope the name change will eventually result in greater numbers at the airport "as the city increases the promotion of tourism related to Muhammad Ali."Officials hope the marketing changes will be finalized in time for the “I Am Ali” festival, a festival that marks the second anniversary of Ali’s 2016 death due to septic shock.  Ali is remembered as a champion, a man who fought injustice and as a person who rejected his slave name. "Muhammad faced discrimination and the impact of inequality, and he wasn't shy about sharing his views on those challenges," Mayor Fischer said. "There's just nobody else in recorded history other than folks that we deify that's had this type of impact on so many people."Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now check this out:Young Black Boys Pay Homage To Muhammad Ali In This Video From Because Of Them, We CanMuhammad Ali's Response To 'Not All White People Are Racists' In This 1971 Interview Is A Must-SeeThe story of how Muhammad Ali and my grandad fought in the same...

A basketball referee has been banned from officiating games in Chesapeake, Virginia, after commenting on a 10-year-old girl’s hairstyle. The young girl wore her hair in braids with blue weave woven in it. According to her mother, Erica Guerrier, the referee said it was against the rules, WAVY reports.“The Chesapeake official came, and they had my daughter come over and he pointed to…the point where her natural hair meets the hair that was braided in and said he didn’t know what that was, and I said that’s her natural hair,” Guerrier, who also coaches the team, told WAVY.“There is no such rule, so why are you bringing this up in front of this girl that her only love is just to play basketball?” she continued.The referee did not stop there, pointing out that the player would have to change her hair as she moves up in the league. Executive Director Billy Haun agreed that the situation was handled inappropriately.“If there were concerns about that young lady’s hair, that is a conversation you have with a coach and with a player, and in this case as young as this player was, you have the conversation with the parent before the game starts, but not during the game. Somewhere private. That’s not something you do on the floor during the game, before the game, or after the game,” he said of the incident to WAVY.This is not the first time Black athletes, or Black people in general, have dealt with the policing of their hair.Recently, teenager Andrew Johnson was forced to cut his dreads off before competing in a wrestling match. Blavity reported he is still being harassed over his hair. Additionally, in New Orleans, a sixth-grader was left in tears after being forced to leave her school because of her braids. Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now check this out:Why black hair will always be personal, political and culturalDon't get it twisted, when it comes to black hair, it's not 'just hair'Can I really wear my natural hair at...

A poverty-stricken neighborhood in Haiti's capital is reeling from a deadly ambush that killed at least 21 citizens.The Independent writes that an army of gentlemen posing as police officers entered a destitute precinct of Port-au-Prince hauling machetes and firearms. The assailants marched into several homes in the La Saline neighborhood, took residents hostage and led them to a back street before assassinating them either by gunfire or machete jabs. A 55-year-old resident who fled from the violence told The Associated Press she thought their long-awaited nightmare was over, and authorities were arriving to mediate conflicts between gang members and the neighborhood's inhabitants."When I saw them I thought they were providing security but then I realized they were shooting at the population," Marie-Lourdes Corestan recalled. "They were shooting, and I was running to save my life."Following the invasion, individuals from human rights nonprofit Witnesses were on site to help tally the deceased. At least 21 people lost their lives in the attack, and Corestan's 24-year-old son was one of the 21 victims of the senseless bloodshed.What's even more devastating about the attack is there are two police stations within miles of the La Saline neighborhood. On that deadly afternoon, neither of the stations bothered to dispatch authorities, leading many to believe they conspired with the criminals to orchestrate the brutality. A police chief later spoke with The Associated Press and said when deputies finally arrived at the crime scene, it was too dark to take further action. Since the attack, one person has been taken into custody. Representatives of the United Nations say the probe into the attack is ongoing and expected to be completed within the next few weeks. Blavity reported two months ago that at least six people lost their lives when an anti-government protest following celebrations commemorating the 215th anniversary of Haiti's victory against France turned deadly. Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now, check these out:Major Earthquake In Haiti Kills At Least 12 PeopleEverything You Need To Know About The Ongoing Protests In HaitiNew York Trial Begins To Challenge Trump Administration's Plan To Remove Protection For Haitian...

Ballet pioneer Misty Copeland is shattering another ceiling.The esteemed American Ballet Theatre (ABT) dancer will team up with Calvin Royal III to perform in Harlequinade as a couple, reports the Los Angeles Times. The pairing is monumental because it is very rare to see two Black dancers perform as leads. It’s even rarer to see them do it as a couple. They will portray secondary leads Pirrette and Pierrot, and will become ABT's first ever Black couple dancing in lead roles. The significance of this accomplishment isn’t lost on Royal, who joined ABT in 2010 and didn’t become a soloist until 2017.“I remember being that person looking to ABT and hoping that I could see myself there. By us being in that position, we’ll do that for somebody else,” he said. “To finally be able to take the stage, two leading dancers in a production with ABT, I see it as such a huge step forward in terms of visibility.”Copeland is used to paving the way for future dancers. Her brown skin, socioeconomic background and nontraditional body make her stand out, and she embraces her differences.“I don’t have to follow in anyone else’s path. I don’t have to look like the person next to me,” she told Forbes in November. “I didn't have a typical path or journey of what people expect from a classical dancer, not growing up in a family that's supportive or that has money, not being white,” she said.She became the troupe’s first Black female principal dancer almost four years ago.“Beyond my personal goals as a ballerina, I want to celebrate, elevate and give opportunities to talented Black and brown dancers to share the stage with me while I have the power and presence that I do. And to build a structure which can continue to exist beyond me,” Copeland said.This will not be the first time the couple has worked together. Copeland personally chose Royal as her partner for a charity dance. She also brought him in for her shoot for the famed Pirelli tire company calendar. Their shoot was a departure for Copeland, who portrays an exotic dancer with dreams of going to Paris.“My character is in a relationship with a dancer, and he actually is a coworker of mine, Calvin Royal, who plays my boyfriend within this story that Albert created. I just think it was captured so beautifully, and just to see all of the struggles, and things that dancers face. You know, we’re often struggling to financially survive and get to where we want to get to, and my dream was getting to Paris to dance as a classical dancer,” she told People Magazine last month.Royal and Copeland are the only Black dancers in ABT history to dance as principals and soloists.She believes Royal’s “exquisite talent” speaks for itself. Seeing them together is magic and much-needed representation.“When two talented dancers can come together, it’s ideal and exciting. But when two of those dancers are Black, it’s explosive. At least for me!” she said. “I’ve always put Calvin at the forefront of my mind to bring with me as a partner whenever I’m doing gigs outside of ABT. It’s because of his talent first and foremost, but also the significance and importance to our communities for two Black dancers to dance together. It’s rare. Like REALLY rare.”Harlequinade will premiere at Segerstrom Hall in California on Friday.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Now, check these out:Black Businesses Are On The Come Up, But Here’s Why We Need to Seriously Commit To Supporting ThemKhari, Malia And Nia Are The New Dolls Determined To Make A Lasting Positive Impact On Our Black GirlsRepudiating Farrakhan: The Delusional Notion Of White Supremacy That Black People Are The Ones Who Need To Denounce...