Students at an exclusive private school with campuses in the Bronx and Manhattan staged a lock-in lasting several days in response to a racist video surfacing online. A video of white students referring to Black people as "crack n****r" surfaced in February, according to The Riverdale Press. The video was reportedly made years ago. A coalition of students named Students of Color Matter spearheaded a sit-in in a building at Ethical Culture Fieldston School in the Bronx on Monday. According to local news source News 12, the lock-in ended Thursday when administrators agreed to reconcile racial tensions and adhere to a list of demands. One of the five students at the center of the controversy withdrew from school. The other four received three suspensions. Student protesters barricaded themselves in the building preventing administrators from entering Monday morning. Other administrators and board members were met with locked doors the following morning. They also were turned away. On Day 2, not only did they continue to hold fast, they acquired a new lock-in location, organized educational movie screenings for high school & middle school students with age-appropriate films, & have kept all the spaces they occupy spotless, including cleaning the bathrooms. https://t.co/riQnnEXJ0E— LemmeDriveDaBoat (@Sweetest_Taboo_) March 13, 2019“Derogatory language and intentionally harmful behavior are rampant within our community,” student organizers said to school officials via The Riverdale Press. “The absence of a system for reporting and recording these incidents means many of the students involved go unpunished.”Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Photos of young activists sleeping in the hallways and organizing their responses to the school administration circulated online. Students in the Bronx felt the school’s @ecfs1878 response to their demands to address racism on campus were inadequate.. So they locked them out. They are so organized and ready to win. @SOCmatter @dad_soc #studentsofcolormatter pic.twitter.com/kKexOfmAYL— zellie (@zellieimani) March 12, 2019This is how the administration has thus far responding to the student protestors’ demands to address the racist video and systemic racism on campus. Appalled. #StudentsofColorMatter @SOCmatter @dad_soc pic.twitter.com/l0kXTezpwf— zellie (@zellieimani) March 13, 2019Board is meeting with leaders now. Standing in solidarity. #studentsofcolormatter pic.twitter.com/HdcbX7no24— SOCDad (@dad_soc) March 13, 2019What ultimately came from the protests was a list of 20 demands, which included the implementation of a Black studies course.As part of the demands, protesters want the school to provide racial bias training for parents, end racial profiling on school grounds, protect faculty who choose to speak out against injustice and begin a new reporting system “for all incidents of bias, bigotry, and racism."Additionally, the protesters want written apologies from the students in the video. Lists of these demands were posted on campus buildings and online.  According to 17-year-old senior and student leader Isabella Ali, who served as one of the organizers of the demonstration, the school was believed to be a bastion of diversity, but the latest controversy proved otherwise. “I feel like our school can be a bit deceiving, because we do promote this mission of being dedicated to diversity, ethics, progressivism,” Isabella told The Philadelphia Tribune. “Clearly, that’s not a true reflection of who we are. If anything, these incidents are a true reflection of who we are.” Fieldston is one of the more diverse private schools in the state. Roughly 40 percent of the school's student body ---pre-K to 12th grade--- are people of color.   “The current situation arises out of multi-year-racial trauma our students have experienced while at school,” Head of School Jessica Bagby wrote in an email to protesters. “My colleagues and I could not be more profoundly sorry for this reality.”It has yet to be determined how these demands will be implemented. Students are currently on spring break according to the New York Daily News. Now, check these out: Houston Restaurant Owner Resigns After Calling A Former Employee 'N*****r' And 'B***h' Hair Brand Dragged By Its Bundles After Mocking Jordyn Woods’ ‘Bad Hair’ New Jersey High School Senior Who Survived Homelessness Accepted Into 17 Colleges ...

Boy, are we glad y'all didn’t give Twitter up for Lent .After Daniel Caesar found himself lecturing Black folks in the name of a culture vulture and a clip of Maya Angelou had the Twitterverse shook, the witticisms had no chill. Oh, he going to jail jail.This nigga wore this to court lol pic.twitter.com/jUXChKEBEa— Nann (@Nannmane1) March 17, 2019Damn Daniel... “I tell my mom, I’ll never be like any of those negroes.” pic.twitter.com/W5D0IitmJD— Mikey Targaryen. (@CatwalkDarling) March 20, 2019Goats brag different. This is what I mean when I say I enjoy long strolls on the beach 😂 lol pic.twitter.com/2sKsLxcdrc— NaomiOsaka大坂なおみ (@Naomi_Osaka_) March 16, 2019He's definitely not getting a tie and card on Father's Day.  That man thanos really chucked his daughter off a cliff to ice out his wrist— L.j. (@airdurante) March 20, 2019Someone finally solved one of the biggest mysteries in the Black community. Bobby Shmurda's hat https://t.co/QBCU5LwphX— Him K (@YouSoThotful) March 22, 2019It be like that sometimes. I swear to god jerry, same. https://t.co/qv7zOVWnNB— سيف (@SaiFalasi) March 19, 2019We stan a body positive queen. IF U CAN BE A SKINNY LEGEND WHILE LISTENING TO MARIAH YOU CAN BE A THICK BITCH WHILE LISTENING TO LIZZO LOVE TO ALL BODIES 🌈 https://t.co/JpuPCFlBiY— |L I Z Z O| (@lizzo) March 20, 2019We feel attacked. this is every journalist headshot pic.twitter.com/4SxZTgpn1k— Ruchira Sharma (@RuchoSharma) March 19, 2019 A bank account by any other name is just as empty. We not broke y’all, we just in financial transition. Reframe that shit. pic.twitter.com/SKZ2uNpYjG— Nona (@neauxna) March 17, 2019BLACK. WOMEN. GOT. THIS. Stop regulating how Black Women speak. Stop regulating how Black Women dress. Stop regulating how Black Women react. Stop regulating how Black Women wear hair. Stop regulating how Black Women love. Stop regulating how Black Women live. Stop regulating. We got it. Thanks.— ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ (@merelynora) March 18, 2019She told you, sis. My 13yr old sister wants to start ‘experimenting’ with makeup. My 21yr old sister tells her it’s too early to start doing that, she’s still a little too young. My 13yr old sister says to her “this is why you’re 21 and you can’t do your own makeup” 💀😭😭😭😭😭💔— Kamo (@KassAmoy) March 16, 2019That's Ms. Angelou to you. “I know how to make a bitch mad, don’t I?” pic.twitter.com/PDg0wVsAl3— 👽🛸 (@Ultra_Marx) March 16, 2019The Powerpuff Girls always had smoke and fire for Mojo.  Powerpuff girls BROKE INTO JAIL to clap mojo jojo. He ain’t even ask for smoke they just gave it https://t.co/Iw90CCTQJq— Donny (@DonovanAllen13) March 19, 2019May you never find your chill, Twitter. Now, check these out:Woman From Viral Maya Angelou Clip Says She 'Can See Both Sides' Now At 49 Years OldLet’s Address The Disrespectful Straight Men Acting Like Lesbians Just Need The Right D To Straighten Us Out11 Books By Phenomenal Black Women That Should Be Required Reading For...

A Fox News contributor suggested on-air that America should get more credit for ending slavery, and Dr. Bernice King had time to set her — and those who agree with her — straight. HuffPost reports Katie Pavlich of Fox News' Outnumbered delivered the ignorant opinion live on Tuesday, saying, "They keep blaming America for the sin of slavery, but the truth is that throughout human history slavery has existed."Pavlich added, "America came along as the first country to end it within 150 years. And we get no credit for that."Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.After making the factually incorrect statement (which erased more than 250 years of free, gruesome labor and ignored countries like Britain, which outlawed slavery before the U.S.), Pavlich doubled down as she pushed back against her cohost, who noted slavery led to the "very bloody, violent and deadly" Civil War."My point is that we were the country that decided to end it and we're still dealing with it," Pavlich said. "But if you want to start a problem and enflame racial tensions even more, start blaming people who having nothing to do with slavery for the sin of slavery.""That is not fair, and that is not the American way," she added.Fox's Pavlich complains that America gets no credit for ending slavery. "They keep blaming America for slavery, but the truth is that throughout human history slavery has existed. America came along as the first country to end it within 150 years. And we get no credit for that." pic.twitter.com/d4deB0lrbB— Lis Power (@LisPower1) March 19, 2019Dr. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, took to Twitter to give Pavlich some free education.“America doesn’t deserve credit for ‘ending slavery,’” King wrote. “What America ended (on paper) reflects an ideology and a quest for power at the expense of humanity that are still prevalent in the policies, spirit and mores of this nation.”America doesn’t deserve credit for “ending slavery.” What America ended (on paper) reflects an ideology and a quest for power at the expense of humanity that are still prevalent in the policies, spirit and mores of this nation.— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 19, 2019Also, a nation gets no credit for “ending” a violent atrocity that it allowed and cultivated on its soil and in other nations.— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 19, 2019“Also, a nation gets no credit for ‘ending’ a violent atrocity that it allowed and cultivated on its soil and in other nations," the doctor added.A swarm of Beckys attempted to come for the great King, surprising no one. One of her detractors wrote, "If you truly believe this, you will never help bring our country together.”King answered these critics with a few more words of enlightened shade."Lying about and denying the history of this nation and the influence slavery still has on us today won’t bring us together," she wrote with the strength of all of her ancestors. "Truth must precede and accompany reconciliation. Truth: People who point out racism and its dangers aren’t dividing us. Racism is. It’s killing people, too."Lying about and denying the history of this nation and the influence slavery still has on us today won’t bring us together. Truth must precede and accompany reconciliation. Truth: People who point out racism and its dangers aren’t dividing us. Racism is. It’s killing people, too. https://t.co/qDVFcJ27rK— Be A King (@BerniceKing) March 20, 2019Pavlich and crew, please grab your bucket of white tears and proceed to the left. Everyone else, let's carry on. Now, check these out:Detroit Pastor Accused Of Killing Trans Woman Kelly Stough Was Allegedly 'Intimidating' Towards Sex Workers He HiredTamera Mowry Shared An Innocent Story About Crushing On Jay-Z And The BeyHive Lit Her UpA New Jersey Town Spent $89,000 On Overtime For Officers Patrolling Peaceful Jameek Lowery...

A Texas man is now unemployed and facing charges after he assaulted a woman over a parking spot.Austin Shuffield was charged with assault causing bodily injury, interference with an emergency call and public intoxication, The Dallas Morning News reports. Shuffield reportedly attacked L'Daijohnique Lee on Wednesday morning during a traffic dispute in a Dallas, Texas, parking lot.Lee admitted she was driving the wrong way down a one-way street and said she was trying to correct her error when she encountered Shuffield. He allegedly got out of his pickup truck and demanded Lee move her vehicle because she was blocking a parking lot exit. When he walked to her car and tried to take pictures of her license plate, an argument ensued.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.Lee told Shuffield "to get back or else she would Mace him," and when he pulled out a handgun, the 24-year-old woman attempted to call 911. Shuffield reportedly slapped the phone from her hand, and Lee slapped him. What she said happened next is horrifying."He charged at me, and he just kept hitting me, and I was like, 'Okay, okay, okay,'" Lee told WFAA.In a video taken by witness Ricky Tan, Shuffield can be seen punching Lee several times in her head and upper body. Tan said he didn’t intervene because Shuffield was armed.Police officers eventually arrived and arrested Shuffield. Officers said they smelled alcohol when they spoke to the 30-year-old. A handgun and knife were recovered from his vehicle.Shuffield, who worked as a bartender at High and Tight Barbershop, also lost his job."We have finally [spoken] with police representatives and have terminated this employee," the business said on Facebook. "We do not stand behind the actions that took place and hope that the full weight of the law comes down on this incident."The video went viral, and Lee said she'd been left traumatized by the beating."Watching that video literally makes me cry. All I could do was try and protect myself," she said. "He literally sat there and beat me like a man."Despite the horror, Lee is glad the assault was caught on tape."In reality, that recording really helped me because when the police showed up, it would have been my word against his," she said.Lee has retained civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt, who is calling for hate crime charges. Lee reportedly suffered several injuries including a post-concussion syndrome and cranial swelling.Now, check these out:Detroit Pastor Accused Of Killing Trans Woman Kelly Stough Was Allegedly 'Intimidating' Towards Sex Workers He HiredFlorida White Supremacist Allegedly Kidnapped, Drugged And Repeatedly Raped A Black WomanACLU Sues FBI For Records On Black Activists The Bureau Says Are A Domestic Terror...

Nearly a year after Papa John's founder criticized NFL protests and used the word "n****r" on a conference call, Shaquille O'Neal is gearing up to help the pizza franchise flourish again.HuffPost reports the retired NBA legend will join the company's board of directors, becoming the first Black person to serve on the board. O'Neal intends to purchase nine locations of the Papa John's pizza franchise around Atlanta, Georgia, as part of the deal.O'Neal has been a highly reputed investor for decades, owning major franchises such as Krispy Kreme Doughnuts, fast food joints and Shaquille's restaurants in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Atlanta.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.The C-suite at Papa John's believes having O'Neal as an ambassador will help ignite a shift in the company's relationship with the general public and will pay the former basketball star $8.25 million for a three-year endorsement deal, reports CNN."Shaquille has an excellent entrepreneurial background, including as a restaurant franchise owner, and is a natural creative marketer," said Jeff Smith, the company's chairman of the board of directors.Since the announcement was made, Papa John's stock has already risen nearly 5 percent.The pizza franchise has suffered from slow sales and declining revenues following two scandals that rattled the entire establishment in early 2018.On January 1, founder John Schnatter stepped down from his position as CEO following comments he made about NFL protesters, blaming the nonviolent Take a Knee movement on his company's lack of customers. He also stated that the sports organization lacked leadership and insisted something should be done about the men exercising their freedom to protest, reported Blavity.Following these statements, Papa John's received an onslaught of support from white supremacists, who felt the corporation's values aligned with the white power agenda.This view gained more traction after an audio recording of Schnatter referring to Black people as "n*****s" was released this past summer, as Blavity reported. That recording ultimately led to Schnatter being forced out of his company.Since the founder's departure, the company has unsuccessfully tried to improve its financial outlook through a diversity campaign, CNN reports. O'Neal said he's proud to be a part of the chain's efforts to rebrand itself."Papa John's is building a better culture, and I want to be a part of improving the [company] from the inside," O'Neal said.Now, check these out:Papa John's Founder Resigns Amid Reports He Said ‘N****rs’ During Conference CallWeeks After Criticizing NFL Protests, Papa John's Founder Will Step Down As CEOWaka Flocka Has A Pressing Inquiry For Daniel Caesar Following His Instagram...

Update (March 22, 2019):  A friend of Kelly Stough, a woman killed in Detroit in December, told a prosecutor Stough's alleged murderer was a frequent customer for transgender sex workers.Pride Source reports Kyra Butts made the revelation during an interview with special prosecutor Jaimie Powell Horowitz.Butts admitted she went on “dates” with Detroit pastor Albert Weathers but said she stopped once he began to exhibit “intimidating” and “aggressive” behavior toward her. She claimed the pastor also had a history of disputing the rates Butts charged for their encounters.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.“He was one of the guys that I hooked up with,” she said. “He would drive around a lot before he would pick someone up.”Butts claimed she saw Weathers in the area about a week before he allegedly shot and killed Stough. He reportedly killed her December 7 after a conflict over money.Eddie Neal-Price, another witness in the case, told the prosecution he saw Weathers push a woman, believed to be Stough, from a car on the day of her death. He called 911 and left. Neal-Price's testimony was presented during a February 24 preliminary hearing.The Associated Press reports Weathers was charged with open murder and use of a firearm in the commission of a felony on March 11.Original: Detroit pastor Albert Weathers has been charged in the murder of 36-year-old Kelly Stough.  Stough, a transgender woman, was found shot to death on the morning of December 7. Officials haven’t yet released a possible motive for the slaying. A source told 7 Action News that after the shooting, the pastor fled the scene, went to work and then called the police to say he shot someone who attempted to rob him. He is currently in jail on a $1 million bond for first-degree murder.Stough was well-known in the local LGBTQ community and aspired to be a designer and fashion buyer.“She was loved,” said her mother, Jessica Williams-Stough. "She had a lot of people who loved her.”An attorney of the Fair Michigan Justice Project (FMJP), special prosecutor Jaimie Powell Horowitz, is handling the case. The FMJP, a collaboration between the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office and Fair Michigan Foundation, focuses on crimes which target individuals in the LGBTQ community.“This case reflects the excessive brutality that members of Detroit’s transgender community constantly face.  We thank the Detroit Police Department for their efforts to investigate the facts of this tragic crime,” said Dana Nessel, president of Fair Michigan.Stough’s death is a microcosm of the violence transgender people, particularly Black trans women, are subjected to across the country. According to a recent report by the Human Rights Coalition and Trans People of Color Coalition, of the 102 transgender people killed between 2013 and 2017, 75 were Black, and at least 88 were trans women. Additionally, the Report on the Experiences of Black Respondents study states the Black trans community experiences higher levels of unemployment (quadruple the rate of the general U.S. population), extreme discomfort with the police and high instances of poverty and homelessness.Jessica relayed a message to families and friends of trans individuals who have to endure transphobia.“Be there for them, that's the most important part. If it's OK at home, it's easier for them to cope outside of home."A GoFundMe campaign has been created to help cover funeral expenses. You can donate here.Now, check these out: Why Are We More Interested In Transphobia Than We Are In Transpeople?Diamond Stephens Is The 16th Known Transgender Person To Be Killed In 2018The Deaths Of These Three Women Have Jacksonville's Trans Women Afraid They're Being Targeted By A Serial...

A teenager has been arrested in connection with threats made against Charlottesville, Virginia's Charlottesville High School.The unidentified 17-year-old was arrested on Friday, reports NBC News. The suspect allegedly logged into 4chan on Wednesday and instructed white students to stay home because he planned to harm people of color at Charlottesville High School. Investigators refused to share the details of the threat.The threats caused officials to cancel classes on Thursday and Friday for every school in the Charlottesville City School District, according to Reuters.Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.“We would like to acknowledge and condemn the fact that this threat was racially charged,” Charlottesville City Schools said in a letter on Thursday. “The entire staff and school board stand in solidarity with our students of color.”Charlottesville, Virginia, received international attention after neo-Nazis clashed with counter-protesters at the Unite the Right rally in August 2017. One woman was killed, and several others were injured when white supremacist James Alex Fields Jr. drove his car through a crowd, as Blavity reported.The teen who is believed to have issued the threats could be charged with felony threats to commit serious bodily harm to persons on school property and misdemeanor harassment by computer.WTVR reports another boy was arrested on Friday for threatening to commit a school shooting at Albemarle High, a school about two miles away from Charlottesville High School. He was charged with threats of death or bodily injury to a person or member of his family and threats to commit serious bodily harm to persons on school property.NBC29 reports Albemarle County Public Schools remained open on Friday, but the district boosted police presence on campus as a precaution.Investigators say the two incidents were unrelated.Now, check these out:A Defendant Was Sentenced To Six Extra Years In Prison On Top Of A 22-Year Sentence After Calling A Judge 'Racist As F**K'Atlanta Police Department Reopens 22 Child Murder Cases Ahead Of The Release Of Documentary On The KillingsACLU Sues FBI For Records On Black Activists The Bureau Says Are A Domestic Terror...

A New Jersey police department spent $89,000 in overtime expenditures to pay officers patrolling Jameek Lowery protests earlier this year.Lowrey died mysteriously in January after pleading for his life on Facebook Live while at a police station, Blavity reported. The father of two told his Facebook followers he feared police were trying to harm him; he got into an ambulance after his broadcast, and when it arrived at a local hospital, he was no longer responsive. Some believe the police are responsible for the 27-year-old's death, and friends, family and supporters took to the streets of downtown Paterson, New Jersey, to demand answers on four separate occasions in January, North Jersey News reports. Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.On January 8, the first night of the protests, authorities claim protesters used rocks and debris against officers. The city reportedly spent $22,600 for overtime pay for 37 officers that night alone. Additionally, $9,425 was spent for 26 officers on January 9; $21,300 was paid out for 46 police on January 11; $21,500 for 52 officers on January 12 and $13,125 for 24 police officers on January 15.  Leaders of the protest, such as Corey Teague, are calling the overtime costs “a waste of money.” “We weren’t out there to wreak havoc,” Teague said. “But the police used this as an opportunity to cash in. This money would have been better spent investigating what happened to Jameek.”Jerry Speziale, Paterson's public safety director, disagrees. He called the costs a necessary expense to ensure no one got hurt during the protests.“The first night could have been a volatile situation,” Speziale said. “After that, when things became more peaceful, we didn’t ramp it up as much.”Some officials, like Councilman Michael Jackson, don't see Speziale's rationale as valid. They argue the protests were peaceful, and there was never any sign demonstrators planned to riot.“The family never showed any sign of being disorderly or disrespectful,” said Jackson. “Are we afraid of our own people?”City records show the Paterson Police Department regularly brought in officers for extra shifts; the documents show the department spent approximately $1.29 million in overtime from July 2018 to January 11, 2019.An investigation into Lowery's death is still ongoing. The police officers who interacted with him at the station have been placed on administrative leave until the inquiry is complete.Now, check these out:Cops Seen Refusing To Help Man Who Died Days LaterTamera Mowry Shared An Innocent Story About Crushing On Jay-Z And The BeyHive Lit Her UpWoman From Viral Maya Angelou Clip Says She 'Can See Both Sides' Now At 49 Years...

Verda Byrd was adopted by a black family, and grew up thinking she was a light-skinned black woman until 2014, when she found out her biological parents were both white, KEN 5 reports.Byrd who published a book, "Seventy Years of Blackness," in December 2017 says she never questioned her race until she began researching her biological family in 2013. "I didn't know what I was," she said. "It was never told to me that I was white."Byrd is the biological daughter of Daisy and Earl Beagle, a poor white couple with four other children at the time of her birth.Her father abandoned the family in 1943 and her mother sustained a traumatic injury after falling from a trolley when Byrd was five months old. The children were later taken by the state. Daisy regained custody of all of Byrd’s siblings, except for Byrd, who was adopted by Ray and Edwinna Wagner, a black couple, and renamed Verda Ann. She was raised as an only child.Byrd’s biological parents were dead by time she made the discovery, but she doesn’t feel like she missed out.“No, I don't regret,” she said. “Because the way I understand it now is they probably wouldn't have been able to provide the good life that I've had.”She eventually visited Daisy’s grave and had a reunion with three of her biological sisters, Sybil Panko, Debbie Romero and Kathyrn Gutierrez, but the happy reunion was short-lived when Panko used the n-word.Panko died in 2016 and Byrd was barred from the funeral; Panko made the request in writing. Byrd's remaining blood sister stopped speaking to her after the death, and left her dismayed by the rejection."What did I do? I found you," she said of the incident. "You are my...

Photographer Antonio Johnson, 30, is on a mission to capture the essence of one of America's oldest African American cultural institutes — the barbershop.Johnson launched the "You Next" project, which serves a photogenic journey of Black barbershops across the country including cities such as New York, Philly, D.C., Detroit, New Orleans, Atlanta and Chicago."When we hear those magic words 'you next' from the barber, it means we are about to be transformed," Johnson said in a video for the project.From a young age, Johnson understood the pivotal role that barbershops played in the Black community. His work reflects the generational impact that barbershops can have in the lives of Black men and women."The biggest inspiration for this project would be my [late] uncle," he told Blavity. "He was a barber when I was a kid. It was a very special relationship. He was my reference point for what I thought was cool, fashionable, dope and unique."For Johnson, whose dad owns a barbershop, the place was also experienced as a safe haven."I would go with him on the weekends," he said. "It's a very special place too, because I would get this unique perspective of who my dad was outside of just being my father. There was this huge community component that the shop had — it inspired me to think a lot about what community means and what it really looks like."Johnson explained the significances of barbershops, and noted that the history of barbershops goes back to slavery."There is no place like it," he said. "It's one of the oldest cultures institutes we have in this country besides HBCUs and the church. The barbershops are a site of uplift.""It was an underground railroad stop for some people," he went on to explain. "Earning money from barbering allowed some to send their families to different cities and help family members buy freedom."This project for Johnson has been a journey in his personal life, as well. After resigning from his corporate job in New York to pursue photography full time, he successfully exceeded a $10,000 goal on Kickstarter to help fund the project. He was able to fundraise $11,699 for the "You Next" project."This project came together through the help of my own community. This project is intimate, honest and timeless," he said.Johnson's passion for this project goes beyond capturing cool haircuts. One of his goals is to showcase all of the "infinite possibilities " that barbershops have. Barbershops are not only a place for grooming, but in most communities serve as a place where men can learn about health, wellness and participate in the democratic process."Barbershops are now helping guys detect early signs of high blood pressure and hypertension. There are also places where polling centers have closed, but the barbershop remains [open], so people can go to the barbershop to vote. That's a huge significance," he told Blavity.In addition, Johnson did not shy away from critiquing barbershops and was aware of the multiple experiences that Black men can have when navigating a barbershop."While the barbershop is great for all of those things, for some people, it can be scary," he said. "It can be a difficult place to navigate, because some people are homophobic. A lot of gay men may not have an opportunity to feel like their authentic selves at a barbershop. There is a lot of respectability politics.""We really have to find ways to combat that, and I hope that with this project that people can find that possibility," he said.Through traveling to the different barber shops, Johnson has had defining experiences. Such as meeting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's barber in Montgomery, Alabama, to sitting down with former president Barack Obama's barber in Chicago."We chatted about the importance of Black men investing in each other. It was a special moment," Johnson said.He also stressed that the project's focal point is telling the stories of Black men in America."I talked to fathers, husbands and brothers about what it means to be a Black man in America, and about what the barber shop did for them," he said. "The reaction has been great, because they've been really interested in sharing their stories."Johnson did a lot of research before the project, and said the barbershop community on Instagram is massive. He added that he would travel and explore towns and stumble upon barbershops. Additionally, he found many barbershops by word-of-mouth and recommendations from friends.Now on view via his online gallery, the “You Next” photo project is just the beginning. He plans to have pop up shows across America at the different barbershops he initially photographed. Furthermore, he plans of extending the project into a photo book that will feature Black writers covering topics that range from fatherhood to navigating America as a Black man.However, Johnson claimed that no matter where he goes, all of these barbershops have one thing in common. "They are all full of potential,” he said. “They all have the opportunity to impact lives."Like this content? Now check these out:Black Women's Safety At The Barbershop: Why Accountability Is Pro-BlackA Black Barber Shop Was Shook When A White Man Made A Mic Drop-Worthy Point About Kanye WestBarbershop Billionaires: How Three Guys Are Shaping Up An Old...

Joining Kid Rock, Piers Morgan and a host of other celebrities, actress and talk show host Tamera Mowry is the latest person to be swarmed by Beyoncé's devoted fan base.The 40-year-old was recounting a story on her daytime programThe Real, describing the first time she met Bey's rapper husband Jay-Z when she was 23 years old. Smitten by his charm, Mowry admitted her then-attraction to the 25-time Grammy winner."I actually met Jay-Z in person," the Sister, Sister star revealed. "He wasn't with Beyoncé at the time, and I wasn't dating anybody. When I met him, you do get, like, hit with the charm."She continued: "It was his charm. I was 23, I hadn't even met Adam." Mowry and her husband, television correspondent Adam Housley, tied the knot in 2011 while Jay and Bey morphed into the Carters in 2008. Despite that pertinent piece of information, this didn't stop the BeyHive from coming after the mother of two on her Instagram page with enough bee emojis to make an entire pot of honey."sorry @tameramowrytwo we still love you but the hive has spoken 😩🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝," one user said in her comments."Have to protect the Queen, Jay-Z name should never be taken out of context ever 🐝🐝🐝,"another fan wrote.One more person dropped a "sorry not sorry" under her recent post and claimed they're just protective of their favorite couple (who probably doesn't even know they exist)."I'm sorry sus 🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️🤦🏽‍♂️ we jus real protective over our Queen and her King 🤴🏾🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝."Other stans quickly came to her defense and insisted she said nothing wrong while recounting her decades-old story."I will say that I am a member of the beyhive but I would never ever disrespect you......love you TamTam 💕💕💕," one commenter said.Another chimed in and called the entire controversy nonsense and added the three will continue to get paid while none of them will receive any profit from their assets."Yall really at home pressing bee emojis? Wow. Meanwhile, B, J and T, cashing big checks... any of yall get residuals?"Watch Tam Tam recount the story below. <;<span class="fr-video fr-draggable" contenteditable="false"><br></span></span> </div> Now, check these out:Tarana Burke Announces 'Me Too' HBCU Tour For Sexual Assault Awareness MonthBeyoncé Is Collabing With UNICEF To Bring Clean Water To This East African NationJay-Z's Iconic 'The Blueprint' Album Will Be Preserved In The Library Of...

A Cleveland judge added six more years to a man's 22-year sentence after taking offense to his outburst. Cleveland 19 WOIO reported a jury found Manson Bryant guilty of aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, kidnapping and abduction.The 32-year-old was initially sentenced to nearly 30 years in prison. Judge Eugene Lucci of the Lake County Court of Common Pleas changed his verdict during the March 1 hearing. The defendant initially told the judge he respected him after stating he had made a "lifetime of bad decisions." Lucci, who had presided over eight of the felon's cases in the past decade, reduced Bryant's initial sentence to 22 years. Defendant sentenced to 22 years in prison for aggravated burglary, aggravated robbery & carrying a concealed weaponThen he stood up & began screaming obscenities at the judge.....so the judge added six more years#WhenKeepingItRealGoesWrong pic.twitter.com/04RJWpZW01— B Wood (@BeastOfWood) March 19, 2019“Twenty-two years? Man, f**k your courtroom, you racist a** b****h," Bryant shouted. "F**k your courtroom, man. You racist as f**k. Twenty-two f*****g years? Racist a** b***h. You ain’t s**t.”Lucci quickly reneged on his judgment following Bryant's words. He tacked on six more years to his sentence which totaled to 28 years. Bryant interrupted the statement by telling Lucci "f**k your courtroom" and "suck my d**k."“The court determines that maximum imprisonment is needed," Lucci continued before Bryant was forcibly removed by Lake County Sheriff’s Office deputies. “So that’s 28 years.”Blavitize your inbox! Join our daily newsletter for fresh stories and breaking news.“The defendant has shown me that he has no remorse whatsoever, and therefore the court determines that maximum imprisonment is needed," Lucci added. “He poses the greatest likelihood of recidivism. I apparently thought that he was more remorseful than what he was. He was just feeding me a line of bull.”A report by the U.S. Sentencing Commission shows Black men receive 19.1 percent longer sentences than white men in the case of federal crimes. Although both races are committing the same crimes, the gap between time served is widening. Bryant's criminal history dates back to 1999 when he was a juvenile.His attorney, Daniel Williams, plans to appeal the decision.“Mr. Bryant received a significant sentence and had an emotional and regrettable reaction to it. He was otherwise very composed throughout the course of his trial, even when the verdict was rendered. He intends to appeal the verdict and sentence, and continues to remain hopeful," Williams told the news publication.Now, check these out:This Man Went To Prison For 21 Years And Was Free For 2. Now, He’s Going Back Because Of A System Error.Remy Ma sheds light on forgotten incarcerated black womenStudy Shows When Republican-Appointed Judges Occupy The Bench, Black People Get Longer...