Herman Cain recently scoffed at the allegations accusing President Donald Trump of being racist.
“I don’t think Donald Trump has a racist bone in his body. And you can quote me on that,” Cain said in an interview with Yahoo News. “I have known him for many years. I have talked to people who work directly for him. The man is a businessman. How could he be a racist? His daughter married a person whose religious belief is Jewish. Good! He doesn’t go around making statements that are racist in nature. No, he says things where some people out there — especially people who don’t like him — try to spin it as being racist.”
On several occasions, Trump has referred to himself as "the least racist person." However, his statements on Charlottesville, Virginia, his history of running racially-charged attack ads and his recent "sh*thole countries" controversy have his critics unsure whether Trump is as tolerant as Cain claims.
According to Cain, critics need to put aside Trump’s language and personality. He instead urges them to focus on the results of Trump's policies in order to truly measure the success of his first-year in office.
Cain said he would give year one an "A" because Trump rolled back regulations and signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which he called “one of the biggest legislative achievements in 30 years.”
When it comes to Trump's campaign rhetoric (including when Trump said the following about Mexican immigrants: "They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."), Cain said that he never observed anything at Trump’s campaign events that would indicate he harbors any animus toward minorities.
Herman Cain recently scoffed at the allegations accusing President Donald Trump of being racist.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think Donald Trump has a racist bone in his body. And you can quote me on that,” Cain said in an interview with \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/news/herman-cain-says-trump-doesnt-racist-bone-body-180726069.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Yahoo News\u003C/a>. “I have known him for many years. I have talked to people who work directly for him. The man is a businessman. How could he be a racist? His daughter married a person whose religious belief is Jewish. Good! He doesn’t go around making statements that are racist in nature. No, he says things where some people out there — especially people who don’t like him — try to spin it as being racist.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>On several occasions, Trump has referred to himself as "the least racist person." However, his statements on \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/donald-trump-charlottesville-winery-both-sides-blame-violence\">Charlottesville\u003C/a>, Virginia, his history of running \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/ava-duvernay-calls-out-trump-for-his-hypocrisy-role-in-the-central-park-five-conviction\">racially-charged attack ads\u003C/a> and his recent \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/trump-reportedly-fussed-about-shthole-countries-like-haiti-and-other-african-nations-for-flocking-to-the-us\">"sh*thole countries" controversy\u003C/a> have his critics unsure whether Trump is as tolerant as Cain claims.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>According to Cain, critics need to put aside Trump’s language and personality. He instead urges them to focus on the results of Trump's policies in order to truly measure the success of his first-year in office.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Cain said he would give year one an "A" because Trump rolled back regulations and signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which he called “one of the biggest legislative achievements in 30 years.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>When it comes to Trump's campaign rhetoric (including when Trump said the following about \u003Ca href=\"http://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/\">Mexican immigrants\u003C/a>: "They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."), Cain said that he never observed anything at Trump’s campaign events that would indicate he harbors any animus toward minorities.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='“When he was campaigning, I spoke at three of his rallies. There were plenty of black people and Hispanic people there trying to help him get elected. I never saw him try to put anybody down. The people who don’t like him are trying to stick him with a racist label, which is not true,” Cain said. At a campaign rally in Atlanta, he vouched for Trump as a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/us/politics/behind-herman-cains-humor-a-question-of-seriousness.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">“shucky ducky” kind of candidate.\u003C/a> Trump received \u003Ca href=\"http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/behind-trumps-victory-divisions-by-race-gender-education/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">8 percent\u003C/a> of votes by black people in 2016.’ data-reactid=”26″ type=”text”>“When he was campaigning, I spoke at three of his rallies. There were plenty of black people and Hispanic people there trying to help him get elected," Cain said. "I never saw him try to put anybody down. The people who don’t like him are trying to stick him with a racist label, which is not true."\u003C/p>\n",[23,27],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},"News","news",83,{"name":28,"slug":29,"id":30},"Politics","politics",120,[32,36],{"id":33,"name":34,"slug":35,"description":10,"image":10},37278,"Donald trump","donald-trump",{"id":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"description":10,"image":10},31431,"Herman Cain","herman-cain",{"url":41,"thumbnail":41,"credit":42,"title":10,"alt":10,"type":43},"https://res.cloudinary.com/blavity/image/upload/v1518555094/hlftrwf7fqctilz89h1b","Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons","image","2018-02-13T16:18:42-05:00","default",[],false,{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":49,"headScript":50},true,null,"https://storage.googleapis.com/blavitynews/images/fallback.jpg","article","2025-12-07T02:34:07.375Z",{"list":55,"total":181},[56,91,139],{"id":57,"author":58,"authors":65,"title":67,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":68,"body":69,"categories":70,"tags":72,"featuredMedia":81,"publishedAt":87,"updatedAt":88,"type":45,"listicle":89,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":90},72884520,{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},96045,"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/DSC09602-2-compress.jpg","Tomas Kassahun","[email protected]","tomas-kassahun","2019-09-06T00:00:00+00:00",[66],{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},"Social Security Payments In December Expected To Follow Alternative Schedule: Find Out Dates Here","social-security-payments-december-2025-schedule","\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/some-social-security-recipients-wont-get-checks-in-november-2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Social security\u003C/a> payments will follow an alternative schedule in \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/saweetie-detty-december\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">December\u003C/a>. Although all recipients will still get their checks, the U.S. Social Security Administration announced that the schedule will be a bit different for the month of December due to the holidays.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-when-will-social-security-beneficiaries-get-their-payments-in-december\">When will social security beneficiaries get their payments in December?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits, given to families with limited income or people with disabilities, will start going out on the first of the month as expected, according to \u003Ca href=\"https://thehill.com/business/personal-finance/5622687-social-security-payments-wont-happen-as-usual-this-december-heres-why/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Hill\u003C/a>. However, there’s another check that will be distributed on Dec. 31. That payment, which is actually for January, is paid early because of New Year’s Day. Beneficiaries will then get February’s payment on Jan. 30 because Feb. 1 falls on a Sunday.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-normal-schedule-for-social-security-payments\">What is the normal schedule for social security payments?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Social Security Administration normally schedules payments according to birthdates. People born between the 1st and 10th get their payment on the second Wednesday of the month. Recipients born between the 11th and the 20th get their benefits on the third Wednesday. Those born between the 21st and the 31st get their benefits on the final Wednesday of the month. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Hill reported that about 71 million recipients will see an increase of 2.8% in January due to the cost-of-living adjustment. That equals to an increase of about $56 per month. The Social Security Administration announced that the COLA will take effect in January. Per the announcement, the COLA, which was 2.5 percent in 2025, has averaged about 3.1 percent in the last decade.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Social Security is a promise kept, and the annual cost-of-living adjustment is one way we are working to make sure benefits reflect today’s economic realities and continue to provide a foundation of security,” Social Security Administration Commissioner Frank J. Bisignano said in a \u003Ca href=\"https://blog.ssa.gov/social-security-announces-benefit-increase-for-2026/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement\u003C/a>. “The cost-of-living adjustment is a vital part of how Social Security delivers on its mission.” \u003C/p>\n",[71],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},[73,77],{"id":74,"name":75,"slug":76,"description":10,"image":10},25257,"social security","social-security",{"id":78,"name":79,"slug":80,"description":10,"image":10},44529,"top stories","top-stories",{"url":82,"thumbnail":83,"credit":84,"title":85,"alt":86,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-184358375.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/GettyImages-184358375-150x100.jpg","Photo: Getty Images","Social security application","Close up of social security application with calculator and pen","2025-12-04T20:51:29-05:00","2025-12-04T22:17:20-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":92,"author":93,"authors":104,"title":106,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":107,"body":108,"categories":109,"tags":111,"featuredMedia":129,"publishedAt":135,"updatedAt":136,"type":45,"listicle":137,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":130,"additional":138},72884965,{"id":94,"avatar":95,"firstName":96,"lastName":97,"displayName":98,"email":99,"username":100,"normalizedUsername":101,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":102,"registeredAt":103},99834,"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/KyraAlessandrini-compress.jpeg","Kyra","Alessandrini","Kyra Alessandrini","[email protected]","KyraAlessandrini","kyraalessandrini","https://www.instagram.com/kyraless/","2023-04-03T03:46:17+00:00",[105],{"id":94,"avatar":95,"firstName":96,"lastName":97,"displayName":98,"email":99,"username":100,"normalizedUsername":101,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":102,"registeredAt":103},"Costco Is Suing The Trump Administration: Here's Why","costco-sues-trump-tariff-refunds","\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/costco-recalls-prosecco-kirkland-brand\">Costco\u003C/a> has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government in order to get refunds if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that President Donald Trump illegally imposed \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/2000-checks-promised-from-tariffs-truth\">tariffs\u003C/a>. The retailer filed a complaint on Friday with the U.S. Court of International Trade. The news comes after two lower courts ruled that Trump exceeded his authority by using emergency powers to impose tariffs.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-is-costco-suing-the-trump-administration\">Why is Costco suing the Trump administration?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The corporation is seeking a refund of sums it deems it should not have had to pay and that were caused by Trump’s tariffs on imports. Costco said U.S. Customs and Border Protection denied its request for additional time in order to make final calculations of tariffs owed, according to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/costco-sues-us-preserve-tariff-refunds-if-trump-loses-appeal-2025-12-01/\">Reuters\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://www.cnn.com/2025/12/02/business/costco-sues-us-tariff-refunds-intl\">CNN\u003C/a> reported that Costco is the third-largest retailer in the world and obtained a revenue of $275.2 billion in its fiscal year ending August 31. Although it did not share how much it is seeking in refunds, the corporation is estimated to have paid about $90 billion as of late September 2025, according to the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r78peyzzlo\">BBC\u003C/a>. Costco reportedly took actions to address tariffs such as reducing the number of suppliers and relying on additional local sourcing, as well as its in-house Kirkland brand.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In its lawsuit, Costco said it was concerned it wouldn’t get refunded if the U.S. Supreme Court upholds rulings that Trump’s tariffs are illegal. Other companies have sued for the same reason, including Bumble Bee Foods, Ray-Ban eyeglass maker EssilorLuxottica, Kawasaki Motors, Revlon and Yokohama Tire, according to CNN.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-did-the-case-on-trump-s-tariffs-reach-the-u-s-supreme-court\">Why did the case on Trump’s tariffs reach the U.S. Supreme Court?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In May, the US Court of International Trade ruled that Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in order to impose tariffs was illegal. The decision was then affirmed by the US Court of Appeals.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The case was then brought up to the U.S. Supreme Court for a final ruling on the matter. On Nov. 5, justices questioned whether Trump legally used his emergency powers and imposed tariffs without the approval of Congress. The Supreme Court justices took the case on an accelerated basis but did not disclose when they would rule.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Trump administration has argued that a ruling against tariffs would affect international trade negotiations. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“The economic consequences of the failure to uphold President Trump’s lawful tariffs are enormous and this suit highlights that fact,” White House spokesperson Kush Desai said in a statement to the press, per the \u003Ca href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3r78peyzzlo\">BBC\u003C/a>. “The White House looks forward to the Supreme Court’s speedy and proper resolution of this matter.”\u003C/p>\n",[110],{"name":28,"slug":29,"id":30},[112,116,120,124,125],{"id":113,"name":114,"slug":115,"description":10,"image":10},5844,"Costco","costco",{"id":117,"name":118,"slug":119,"description":10,"image":10},32623,"Lawsuit","lawsuit",{"id":121,"name":122,"slug":123,"description":10,"image":10},11005,"Tariffs","tariffs",{"id":78,"name":79,"slug":80,"description":10,"image":10},{"id":126,"name":127,"slug":128,"description":10,"image":10},31974,"Trump adminstration","trump-adminstration",{"url":130,"thumbnail":131,"credit":132,"title":133,"alt":134,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GettyImages-1580864811.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/GettyImages-1580864811-150x100.jpg","Photo: MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images","COSTCO","COSTCO buiding","2025-12-03T15:02:14-05:00","2025-12-04T22:20:40-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":140,"author":141,"authors":149,"title":151,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":152,"body":153,"categories":154,"tags":163,"featuredMedia":173,"publishedAt":177,"updatedAt":178,"type":45,"listicle":179,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":174,"additional":180},72884356,{"id":142,"avatar":143,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":144,"email":145,"username":146,"normalizedUsername":147,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":148},94449,"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/33shoot-1-compress.jpg","Kahlil Haywood","[email protected]","Kahlil-haywood","kahlil-haywood","2021-10-11T00:00:00+00:00",[150],{"id":142,"avatar":143,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":144,"email":145,"username":146,"normalizedUsername":147,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":148},"Here's Why Klay Thompson Has Earned Our Respect","klay-thompson-has-earned-our-respect","\n\u003Cp>It has been a different type of season for \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/kendrick-perkins-ja-morant-criticism\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NBA\u003C/a> Champion guard \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/blavity-original/klay-thompson-nba-season\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Klay Thompson\u003C/a>. Off the court, he made waves this past summer when we found out about him and \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/megan-thee-stallion-in-her-words-process\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Megan Thee Stallion\u003C/a> dating. There’s already some silly animus that men have about that. On top of that, Thompson has had a challenging start to the season on the court. He is playing in his third season since returning from a two-year stint where he was recovering from two catastrophic lower leg injuries. These included a ruptured Achilles tendon and a torn ACL from the 2019 NBA Finals. Thompson’s return to the NBA and a subsequent fourth NBA championship win have already punctuated his Hall of Fame status.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>But this season, it seems with Thompson’s slow start, it’s been made easier for some players to clown him for it. The most noted of these names is Ja Morant. Yes, that Ja, the only Ja, the one who rides the pine, even though his talent doesn’t warrant it. He made news recently from the bench, calling Thompson a bum. Rightfully, Thompson, a four-time champion, took exception and gave him a piece of his mind. Now, if you’ve been following my work, you know that I haven’t bit my lip in my criticism of Morant. As much as I didn’t think I would have to write about him again this season, he has conducted himself in a way that I do.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe title=\"Ja Morant Chirping at Klay After Grizzlies Win vs Mavs 😂\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/O80zLUX79WA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C/iframe>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The two biggest knocks on Morant’s career have been his availability and his maturity. In this instance, both were on display for the world to see. He is in street clothe,s arrogantly accosting Thompson. The irony in all of this is that Thompson has \u003Ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/100087591671945/posts/-ja-morants-team-vs-klay-thompson-is-wild-/820711094191939/#:~:text=Tony%20T%20Hill%20showing%20up,know%20who%20the%20bum%20is.&text=Kcp%20on%20their%20roster%20don't%20disrespect%20that%20man.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">played\u003C/a> 218 games across the last three seasons compared to Morant’s 120. Even with Thompson’s injuries, he’s been more available for his teams than Morant. Hell, Thompson has already won a whole championship since his return to play. So, what would possess someone like Morant to poke the bear? Well, he was bigging up Cam Spencer, a second-year player on the Grizzlies. But he did so at the expense of belittling one of the most respected players in the league.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-rarified-air\">Rarified air\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As one half of the “Splash Brothers,” Thompson’s star rose not only because of his prolific prowess from the three-point line, but also because he played lock-down perimeter defense. Two-way players don’t just grow on trees. Thompson could put the ball on the floor when he had to, could pull up from three, or could stay in the space and hit an open look. He would guard the opposing team’s best offensive player night in and night out. He could do all of this while still maintaining the ability to score 37 points in a quarter. Yes, that really happened. So, seeing all of this in motion elicited respect from players and fans alike.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-line-in-the-sand\">The line in the sand\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Why are players like Morant or the Heat’s Myron Gardner talking smack from the sidelines? For reference, Gardner was seen calling Thompson trash during a game against the Mavericks. At the end of the game, Heat assistant coach Caron Butler made it a point to make sure Gardner apologized. The rookie forward is currently averaging two points per game on the season. Way to stuff the stat sheet, right?\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Back to the lecture at hand, I believe Thompson gets insulted on several levels. For one, unfortunately, because he doesn’t come off as physically imposing, people think that they can test him. It stems, in my opinion, from his disposition — he’s well-mannered, comes from a good home, treats his woman right, and is light-skinned. Yes, ignorant people will give you a demerit for honoring your woman. They’ll test you if you aren’t flashy either. You can be damned if you do and damned if you don’t in this world. Plus, it just hasn’t been the usual efficient season for Thompson, so all of these microaggressions are now at play.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The issue is this: Throughout Thompson’s career, the one thing we never had to question was his character and his love of the game. Has he had a moment or two of indiscretion? Sure. Did he suppose that LeBron James had his “feelings hurt” while in the battle that was the 2016 NBA Finals? Yes. Did James spank the Warriors in part in response to that? Yes again. But we never had to question the person Thompson has been in totality. He has been nothing short of dedicated to the game and his organizations. As for who he has been off the court, he certainly doesn’t try to be something that he isn’t. He likes to fish. We’ve seen how Morant enjoys filling his time. Between the two, we see why Thompson has been available for more games.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe title=\"Klay Thompson On Ja Morant ALTERCATION, DIRTY Plays, & More After Mavs LOSS vs Grizzlies\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/fZ3IK84k_3o?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C/iframe>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-showing-up-matters\">Showing up matters\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>What Thompson has built with the NBA fanbase, especially those in the Bay Area is equity. Even for myself, who was always team James during their Warriors battles, he has always had my respect. It’s sort of like heels in pro-wrestling. If you’re a great heel, the fans have no choice but to love and appreciate you after you’ve given so many years of service.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You saw Kobe Bryant’s retirement tour right? Well, as fans, especially in this current climate, we love the players who play. We love players who don’t have us questioning their nightly efforts. Thompson is one of those who epitomize love for the game. It’s for that reason why, as great a player as Morant is, his star is fading, and Thompson’s shine remains effervescent.\u003C/p>\n",[155,159],{"name":156,"slug":157,"id":158},"Opinion","opinion",114,{"name":160,"slug":161,"id":162},"Sports","sports",93,[164,168,172],{"id":165,"name":166,"slug":167,"description":10,"image":10},41752,"Klay Thompson","klay-thompson",{"id":169,"name":170,"slug":171,"description":10,"image":10},38996,"NBA","nba",{"id":78,"name":79,"slug":80,"description":10,"image":10},{"url":174,"thumbnail":175,"credit":176,"title":166,"alt":166,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2247990094-Cropped.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/GettyImages-2247990094-Cropped-150x94.jpg","Photo: Gunnar Word/Getty Images","2025-12-03T11:18:42-05:00","2025-12-04T22:18:11-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},230,{"list":183,"total":364},[184,210,239,269,322],{"id":185,"author":186,"authors":187,"title":189,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":190,"body":191,"categories":192,"tags":194,"featuredMedia":202,"publishedAt":206,"updatedAt":207,"type":45,"listicle":208,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":209},72886128,{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},[188],{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},"Trump Admin Removes MLK Day, Juneteenth As Holidays With Free Entry To National Parks, But Adds Trump's Birthday","trump-removes-mlk-juneteenth-as-holidays-free-national-parks-entry","\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/trump-health-bruised-hand-speculation\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Donald Trump\u003C/a>‘s administration is blocking national parks from offering free entrance to the public on \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/till-star-jalyn-hall-to-play-young-martin-luther-king-jr-in-disneys-genius-mlk-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Martin Luther King Jr.\u003C/a> Day or on Juneteenth. MLK Day, celebrated annually on the third Monday of January to honor Dr. King’s birthday, has been recognized at national parks for decades. Now, however, there is no more free entrance on MLK Day or Juneteenth, the holiday that honors the end of slavery in the U.S. Instead, Trump has decided that free entrance should be given on his own birthday on June 14, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/national-parks/article/national-parks-change-prioritizes-trump-birthday-21219336.php?utm_campaign=CMS%20Sharing%20Tools%20(Premium)&utm_source=t.co&utm_medium=referral\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SFGate\u003C/a> reported. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Tyrhee Moore, the executive director of a nonprofit outdoor advocacy group known as Soul Trak Outdoors, said Trump’s policy “is deeply concerning.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Removing free-entry days on MLK Day and Juneteenth sends a troubling message about who our national parks are for,” Moore said, per SFGate. “These holidays hold profound cultural and historical significance for Black communities, and eliminating them as access points feels like a direct targeting of the very groups who already face systemic barriers to the outdoors.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Moore said his organization’s mission is to resist “these kinds of systemic attempts that disguise exclusion as administrative or political decisions.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Policies like this reinforce inequalities around access and visibly show how systems can create obstacles that keep communities of color from feeling welcomed in public spaces,” Moore said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-some-of-the-various-activities-that-take-place-at-national-parks-to-honor-mlk-day\">What are some of the various activities that take place at national parks to honor MLK Day?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After Congress established MLK Day as a National Day of Service in 1994, various acts of caring have been taking place at national parks every year during the holiday. At the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park, for example, volunteers come together on MLK Day to take care of the various plants. Similar activities take place at Big Thicket National Preserve in Texas as people plant native plants. Volunteers at Hot Springs National Park in Arkansas also remove graffiti, while people at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah pick up litter. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-other-holidays-that-are-celebrated-with-free-entrance-at-national-parks\">What are other holidays that are celebrated with free entrance at national parks?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While Trump is removing free entrance to the public on MLK Day and Juneteenth, national parks are still offering the deal on several other holidays. Some of the other holidays that allow free entrance are Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday), Memorial Day and Independence Day weekend. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Free entrance is also given on the 110th birthday of the National Park Service in 2026, as well as Constitution Day, Theodore Roosevelt’s birthday and Veterans Day. \u003C/p>\n",[193],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},[195,198],{"id":196,"name":197,"slug":197,"description":10,"image":10},12999,"juneteenth",{"id":199,"name":200,"slug":201,"description":10,"image":10},37494,"MLK Day","mlk-day",{"url":203,"thumbnail":204,"credit":132,"title":205,"alt":10,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GettyImages-1131586404.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GettyImages-1131586404-150x100.jpg","TOPSHOT-US-MEMORIAL-HISTORY-ARCHITECTURE","2025-12-06T21:08:55-05:00","2025-12-06T21:09:01-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":211,"author":212,"authors":213,"title":215,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":216,"body":217,"categories":218,"tags":220,"featuredMedia":229,"publishedAt":235,"updatedAt":236,"type":45,"listicle":237,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":238},72886063,{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},[214],{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},"Crayola Product Recalled Due To 'Risk Of Serious Injury Or Death' At Michaels, Amazon","crayola-product-recall-michaels-amazon","\n\u003Cp>The Consumer Product Safety Commission (\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/amazon-recalls-popular-playpen\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CPSC\u003C/a>) has announced a recall for a popular \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/twitter-is-pushing-crayola-to-find-a-way-to-honor-nipsey-hussle\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Crayola\u003C/a> product, saying the product may have loose parts that children may swallow. In a \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2026/CreateOn-Recalls-Pip-Cubes-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Magnet-Ingestion-Hazard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement\u003C/a> issued on Thursday, the CPSC said CreateOn’s Crayola-branded pip-cubes are being recalled “due to risk of serious injury or death from magnet ingestion hazard.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-are-the-possible-health-risks-caused-by-the-recalled-crayola-products\">What are the possible health risks caused by the recalled Crayola products?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>More than 9,000 units of the product have magnetic building cubes “that can become loose if the seams separate,” the recall stated, per \u003Ca href=\"https://people.com/recall-issued-for-thousands-of-crayola-toys-due-to-risk-of-death-injury-to-children-11863557\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">People\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“When high-powered magnets are swallowed, the ingested magnets can attract to each other, or other metal objects, and become lodged in the digestive system,” the CPSC said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp id=\"mntl-sc-block_11-0\">The product may cause issues for the intestines or lead to blood poisoning and death, the recall statement adds.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-can-customers-identify-the-recalled-crayola-products\">How can customers identify the recalled Crayola products?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\">The recalled pip-cube sets were sold from May to July at Michaels Stores in multiple states. They were also sold online at Michaels.com and Amazon.com during that same time period.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp id=\"mntl-sc-block_19-0\">The products were sold in “Bold Colors” packs, which come with red, green, blue and yellow cubes. Additionally, the recall includes “Glitter” packs containing purple, pink, blue and green cubes.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Each cube is labeled “Crayola” on the left side. Customers can also find the model/UPC numbers on the bottom of the packaging. The recalled toys were sold for about $20 to $35. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Customers are advised to stop using the recalled pip-Cubes and take them away from children. People who bought the product can contact CreateOn to get a new set of pip-Cubes.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>A spokesperson who spoke to \u003Ca href=\"https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Living/crayola-magnetic-cube-toys-sold-michaels-amazon-voluntarily/story?id=128138384#:~:text=CreateOn%2C%20LLC.%20is%20recalling%20about,of%20potential%20ingestion%20for%20children.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ABC News \u003C/a>confirmed that the recalled toys are Crayola-licensed products made by CreateOn.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“CreateOn takes product safety very seriously, and we are fully cooperating with the CPSC on this voluntary recall,” the spokesperson told ABC News. “We have implemented all required actions, including notifying consumers, updating our website with recall instructions, and working with our retail partners to remove affected product from shelves.”\u003C/p>\n",[219],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},[221,225],{"id":222,"name":223,"slug":224,"description":10,"image":10},76926,"CPSC","cpsc",{"id":226,"name":227,"slug":228,"description":10,"image":10},14636,"Crayola","crayola",{"url":230,"thumbnail":231,"credit":232,"title":233,"alt":234,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GettyImages-151420735.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/GettyImages-151420735-150x100.jpg","Photo by Arun Nevader/Getty Images for Saks Fifth Avenue","Fashion’s Night Out At SAKS Fifth Avenue","NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 06: Guests draw on the crayon wall at Saks Fifth Avenue on September 6, 2012 in New York City.","2025-12-06T20:51:57-05:00","2025-12-06T20:52:02-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":240,"author":241,"authors":242,"title":244,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":245,"body":246,"categories":247,"tags":249,"featuredMedia":261,"publishedAt":265,"updatedAt":266,"type":45,"listicle":267,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":268},72886039,{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},[243],{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":61,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},"Jo Ann Boyce, Civil Rights Groundbreaker And Cameron Boyce's Grandmother, Dies At 84","jo-ann-boyce-civil-rights-groundbreaker-cameron-boyces-grandmother-dies","\n\u003Cp>Jo Ann Boyce, the \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/social-justice-now-film-festival-announces-2024-lineup\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">social justice\u003C/a> champion who was among the first students to desegregate a public high school in the South, has died at age 84. The Green McAdoo Cultural Center announced the news of Boyce’s death on Thursday, saying she was an inspiring woman who uplifted everybody she met.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We’ve lost such a caring and humble soul. Jo Ann was someone who was so generous with her own story and shared it with people across the country. I spent some time with her a few years back in Wisconsin, where she told her story to student bodies and every day citizens,” the center wrote, per \u003Ca href=\"https://www.wate.com/news/top-stories/jo-ann-allen-boyce-member-of-the-clinton-12-dies-at-age-84/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">WATE\u003C/a>. “The people who met her were in awe and entirely grateful for her kindness. A student was so inspired by her story that they wept when they met her, and Jo Ann was quick to offer them a warm hug.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-happened-at-clinton-high-school-in-tennessee-in-the-1950s\">What happened at Clinton High School in Tennessee in the 1950s? \u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Boyce and 11 of her classmates made history after the landmark Supreme Court decision, Brown v. Board of Education, forced the desegregation of public high schools in the South, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-12-06/jo-ann-boyce-clinton-12-member-civil-rights-trailblazer-dies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Los Angeles Times\u003C/a> reported. The historic moment happened on Aug. 27, 1956, as Boyce and her peers, who became known as the Clinton 12, walked into Clinton High School in Clinton, Tennessee, becoming the first Black students to attend an all-white school in the South.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When she later told her story, however, Boyce said she had to leave the school after five months because of all the hate she and her friends were facing. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“For me, it would become an unfinished journey. After five months of attending a school that was reasonably calm on the inside but a sea of turmoil and bigotry on the outside and unlike anything any of us had ever experienced, I left the school and Clinton,” Boyce said when she wrote about her story, per WATE. “The hate we, as a group, faced daily when walking to school, while climbing the stairs to enter and on a too frequent basis in the school’s hallways, is much to much to address in this document. I will only say that it was the first most excruciatingly painful event ever to happen to me.” \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-happened-to-jo-ann-boyce-after-she-left-clinton-high-school\">What happened to Jo Ann Boyce after she left Clinton High School?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Boyce moved to California after she left Clinton High School. That’s where she attended Dorsey High School and went to study nursing in college. In 1959, she married her husband Victor E. Boyce and became a mother of three. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Boyce returned to Clinton in 2019 and attended a special ceremony with her Clinton 12 members on the 63rd anniversary of the day they integrated Clinton High School. The group walked into Clinton High School as part of a ceremonial walk and shared their story with the young generation. Boyce encouraged students to make friends at the school and follow their dreams. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Her grandson \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/cameron-boyce-remembered-on-25th-birthday\">is the late actor Cameron Boyce\u003C/a>, known for his work on Disney Channel. Cameron died in 2019 after a seizure due to epilepsy. \u003C/p>\n",[248],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},[250,253,257],{"id":251,"name":252,"slug":252,"description":10,"image":10},76924,"desegregate",{"id":254,"name":255,"slug":256,"description":10,"image":10},76923,"Jo Ann Boyce","jo-ann-boyce-2",{"id":258,"name":259,"slug":260,"description":10,"image":10},37548,"Tennessee","tennessee",{"url":262,"thumbnail":263,"credit":84,"title":264,"alt":255,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/design-2025-12-06T201518.616.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/design-2025-12-06T201518.616-150x84.jpg","design – 2025-12-06T201518.616","2025-12-06T20:50:53-05:00","2025-12-06T20:51:04-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":270,"author":271,"authors":281,"title":283,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":284,"body":285,"categories":286,"tags":299,"featuredMedia":312,"publishedAt":318,"updatedAt":319,"type":45,"listicle":320,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":321},72885742,{"id":272,"avatar":273,"firstName":274,"lastName":275,"displayName":276,"email":277,"username":278,"normalizedUsername":279,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":280},100233,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/72f914bd1af7a8b8565f0bd4e863560ddbb3f74da3e30d69c4a7ee2e71847a08?s=1024&r=g","Shanique","Yates","Shanique Yates","[email protected]","ShaniqueYates","shaniqueyates","2023-09-15T16:06:13+00:00",[282],{"id":272,"avatar":273,"firstName":274,"lastName":275,"displayName":276,"email":277,"username":278,"normalizedUsername":279,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":280},"'The Abandons' Star Lamar Johnson On Playing A Free, Educated Black Man In 1854 In Netflix Western Series","the-abandons-lamar-johnson-netflix-series","\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/brother-film-preview-clip-lamar-johnson-aaron-pierre\">Lamar Johnson\u003C/a> is shedding light on the Black experience during the Western expansion through his role in \u003Cem>The Abandons\u003C/em>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/masaka-kids-a-rhythm-within-trailer-prince-harry-and-meghan-produced\">Netflix’s\u003C/a> new series, which is set in the Washington Territory in 1854, follows the matriarchs of two very different families — the Van Nesses, who come from a dynasty of wealth and privilege, led by Constance Van Ness (Gillian Anderson), and the Abandons, a found family of orphans and outcasts fiercely protected by Fiona Nolan (Lena Headey).\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-seeing-a-black-character-in-a-different-light-within-a-western-setting\">Seeing a Black character in a different light within a Western setting\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>For Johnson, his character Albert Mason is a rarity in this time period, as he is not only a free Black man, but also educated.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I think grounding him is knowing that he comes from a lineage of educated Black men and knowing, sort of, what his father is, and what that means to him, and what it is to be free, Black and educated,” Johnson told Blavity’s Shadow and Act. “I think Albert is probably one of the most educated ones in the town, so there is a pride that comes with that. I didn’t want to root him in having to try and fight and prove himself because he doesn’t need to, right? I think where Albert gets his strength from is knowing who he is as a human being, and also just in the support of his family, and knowing that your chosen family sometimes could mean more than blood.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\">\u003Cimg decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"466\" src=\"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-1024x466.jpg\" alt=\"'The Abandons'\" class=\"wp-image-72886104\" srcset=\"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-1024x466.jpg 1024w, https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-300x136.jpg 300w, https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-150x68.jpg 150w, https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-768x349.jpg 768w, https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-1536x698.jpg 1536w, https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-2048x931.jpg 2048w, https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/The_Abandons_n_S1_E4_00_20_07_11r-1568x713.jpg 1568w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" />\u003Cfigcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Photo: Netflix\u003C/figcaption>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-navigating-a-world-where-belonging-is-a-lifeline-and-a-luxury\">Navigating a world where belonging is a lifeline and a luxury\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With so much of \u003Cem>The Abandons \u003C/em>being about found family and people who build love out of necessity, Johnson’s approach to Albert is always centered on him being a character who isn’t in the pursuit to fit in — his existence is more than enough.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“He’s not loud about it,” Johnson said. “He kind of is very silent and sort of holds this kind of quiet power that I think is really beautiful, especially within the dynamic of the family, and sort of the role that he plays, not only in the family, but also even in the town. He’s one of the only Black people that is in this town. We don’t really get to see a lot of Black people outside of, you know, obviously the other Black characters that he interacts with in the show, but he doesn’t need validation from the outside.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Johnson added, “Even when Constance gives him the job being a teacher, I think he kind of takes that and receives it and steps into it, because his father was a professor, his father was an educator. So I think it was also an opportunity for him to step into his father’s shoes, to step into a world that his father occupied, and what does that feel like? Obviously, it was overwhelming for him at the beginning, but, as you can see, he kind of takes a liking to it, and the kids take a liking to him. He has this natural ability to lead and to be a leader. It was really beautiful to explore that.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-parallels-between-then-and-now\">The parallels between then and now\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>The Abandons\u003C/em> is set in 1854 during a time when themes of racism and prejudice were a bit more overt; however, Johnson recalled a scene in which the situation at hand felt eerily similar to the current woes of today.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Specifically, that scene with the father and the child, and the father coming into the classroom and sort of being super defiant, because a person of color is teaching his child,” the\u003Cem> \u003C/em>actor said. “It’s about his color and not necessarily what the child is actually learning, how well-suited [Albert] is for the job, and how he can actually provide value to his child. It wasn’t about that. It was more so about the color of his skin.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He added, “Obviously, there is still racism and things that exist, but I think, now, in this moment in time, it’s definitely a lot more subtle than it is or was in that time. It was a great teaching, especially, you know, to exist as one of the only Black characters in the show — and obviously understanding the weight of that, and the responsibility of that, and what that means, at least specifically to me. Also, another reason I took the role is because of him existing in this world and even the backstory with him being educated. We don’t really get to see a lot of stories, especially in this time period, about these Black characters that existed. That was a really big part of why I took the show, and, creatively, I think there’s so much more to explore about Albert or sort of who he is, his backstory, his relationship to his family, the relationship he has with other characters in the family. It’s just very rich, and there’s so much to explore.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>The Abandons\u003C/em> is now streaming on Netflix.\u003C/p>\n",[287,291,295],{"name":288,"slug":289,"id":290},"Entertainment","entertainment",3,{"name":292,"slug":293,"id":294},"Interviews","interviews-sa-originals",56956,{"name":296,"slug":297,"id":298},"Television","television",100,[300,304,308],{"id":301,"name":302,"slug":303,"description":10,"image":10},812,"Lamar Johnson","lamar-johnson",{"id":305,"name":306,"slug":307,"description":10,"image":10},37487,"Netflix","netflix",{"id":309,"name":310,"slug":311,"description":10,"image":10},76675,"The Abandons","the-abandons",{"url":313,"thumbnail":314,"credit":315,"title":316,"alt":317,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ABANDONS_101_240527_MF_06022r-scaled.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ABANDONS_101_240527_MF_06022r-150x100.jpg","Photo: Netflix","ABANDONS_101_240527_MF_06022r","'The Abandons'","2025-12-06T20:07:48-05:00","2025-12-06T20:07:54-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":323,"author":324,"authors":334,"title":336,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":337,"body":338,"categories":339,"tags":346,"featuredMedia":355,"publishedAt":360,"updatedAt":361,"type":45,"listicle":362,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":363},72886100,{"id":325,"avatar":326,"firstName":327,"lastName":328,"displayName":329,"email":330,"username":331,"normalizedUsername":331,"description":332,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":333},98848,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/2da4e4032b5f8358dd429b2129677ea08cd82811258070074b014cd6424c975c?s=1024&r=g","Trey","Mangum","Trey Mangum","[email protected]","tmangum","Trey Mangum is the Managing Editor of Blavity and Shadow & Act. Email him at [email protected]","2015-09-15T00:00:00+00:00",[335],{"id":325,"avatar":326,"firstName":327,"lastName":328,"displayName":329,"email":330,"username":331,"normalizedUsername":331,"description":332,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":333},"Michelle Pfeiffer, Felicity Jones, Jason Schwartzman And Denis Leary On 'Oh. What. Fun.' Reflecting Their Holiday Experiences","oh-what-fun-michelle-pfeiffer-felicy-jones-jason-schwartzman-denis-leary-film","\n\u003Cp>In Prime Video’s new holiday film, \u003Cem>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/oh-what-fun-trailer-prime-video\">Oh. What. Fun.\u003C/a>\u003C/em>, which is directed by Michael Showalter, \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/1923-season-2-finale-family-tree-the-madison-spinoff-theory\">Michelle Pfeiffer\u003C/a> stars as Claire Clauster, a mother and holiday planner whose family accidentally leaves her behind — and in doing so, sets off a much different kind of Christmas story.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Oh, it’s very indicative of what it’s like to be a mom during [the holidays] and you know, it’s not always the mom who’s behind putting this all together, but typically it is,” Pfeiffer said. “And there’s just so much work that goes in. I mean, it’s not just holidays. It’s just making life work with a family on every level. And you know, they really are just underappreciated, and everybody’s just running around with their busy lives.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>She added, “So I think this is really a love letter to all the moms out there who just feel like all of their efforts go unappreciated.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/no-good-deed-ending-explained-netflix\">Denis Leary\u003C/a>, who plays Claire’s husband Nick, described his character’s realization across the film. “We’re watching it dawn on him in the course of this movie that he doesn’t do anything,” Leary said. “He’s got one assignment — to build that dollhouse — which he completely fails at. But that’s it. Right? He’s supposed to build this toy. She’s been planning for months. Months and months and months. The what we’re going to eat. The tickets to the show. Everything.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He also connected the role to his own experience. “That really reflects my experience with Christmas. My wife has been planning already for all the arrangements and the food and everything. I haven’t done a thing. I haven’t thought about it at all. I’m actually living, in my real life, I’m living Nick’s experience right now.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Leary added, “That’s why my wife loved watching the movie so much — because she related to Claire’s situation. But there aren’t enough movies about moms at Christmastime. It’s always about the guy playing Santa Claus, right? It’s always men. So I think we really resonate with families and with women.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-changing-roles-and-real-conversations\">Changing roles and real conversations\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Felicity Jones, who plays Claire’s daughter, spoke about the way the film captures how family dynamics evolve. “There can be a lot of tension when families come together,” Jones said. “Somehow, I think everyone gets to a place where they have to be really honest with each other.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I think they’re all perhaps a little bit pretending to be something that they’re not,” she added. “So they’re all kind of being overly polite maybe to each other. And they’re just working out, okay, what is the dynamic?”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jones continued, “They all have grown up — the three children and the parents — and they all have had one way of being. And then, obviously, Jason is there, and our children. And so then there’s the extended family. And it’s so true to life how the dynamic has to shift. And in many ways, you can’t carry on with how you used to do it. That you do have to change, and everyone adapts, and hopefully gets to a more truthful place where people can feel like they can actually be themselves.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Jason Schwartzman, who plays Doug, described how returning to a childhood home affects his character. “When you go back to the house that you basically grew up in, let’s say — now, you’re back in your bed that you were a kid. You know? And it’s sort of a preserved room,” he said. “But I think it’s highlighted who you are now being put back into the puzzle piece that was your life even in that physical space.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>On shaping Doug, he explained, “My main thing was just that I wanted it to be someone that Felicity would’ve married and loved. And then take it from there. You know what I mean? I’m just thinking like, ‘Who’s the guy that she would’ve liked and loved and is going to bring back, and where are they?’ And then from there… we just fit into the family.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He added, “Doug is… he’s trying. Oh yeah. He’s trying.” Felicity Jones chimed in: “Trying his best.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I love also that they’re just so comfortable with each other that they treat him like however they would treat him,” Schwartzman said. “He’s not like some new… He’s been around this family now for a little while.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Oh. What. Fun. \u003C/em>is now streaming on Prime Video. \u003C/p>\n",[340,341,345],{"name":288,"slug":289,"id":290},{"name":342,"slug":343,"id":344},"Film","film",56942,{"name":292,"slug":293,"id":294},[347,351],{"id":348,"name":349,"slug":350,"description":10,"image":10},76686,"Oh. What. Fun.","oh-what-fun",{"id":352,"name":353,"slug":354,"description":10,"image":10},66117,"Prime Video","prime-video",{"url":356,"thumbnail":357,"credit":358,"title":359,"alt":349,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-7.56.37-PM.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Screenshot-2025-12-06-at-7.56.37-PM-150x99.jpg","Photo: Prime Video ","Screenshot 2025-12-06 at 7.56.37 PM","2025-12-06T20:01:03-05:00","2025-12-06T20:06:50-05:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},75116,["Reactive",366],{},["Set"],["ShallowReactive",369],{"page-herman-cain-says-trump-doesnt-have-a-racist-bone-in-his-body":50,"L5mKWLzO22":50,"7VUhfdt1ev":50},"/herman-cain-says-trump-doesnt-have-a-racist-bone-in-his-body",["Reactive",372],{}]