News
Many Black Kids Cannot Swim. Really. And Here Is Why… (Video)
September 13, 2018
Wow, that’s a real thing. All my family can swim. My Dad learned as a kid, self-taught, playing in the ‘crick’ (creek) down the road. My baby brother was swimming by the time he could walk. So, I just kinda dismissed such talk as broad generalization; no real fact-finding driving the claim. Well…
In 2014, the CDC found that an 11-year-old Black child is 10 times more likely to drown than a White child the same age. The notion that “Black people can’t swim†may sound like a stereotype, but it’s a real disparity and it’s rooted in a history of discriminatory access to swimming pools.
– VICE News Tonight
Again, wow. And damn.
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, History, Investigation, News, Series, Television, Videos, Youth | 
Tags: Black people can't swim, CDC, Centers for Disease Control, discriminatory access, HBO, history of discriminatory access, history of discriminatory access to swimming pools, Most Black Kids Can't Swim, Racism, segregation, Segregation Is To Blame, VICE, VICE News, VICE News Tonight, VICE on HBO | 
No Comments »
Dear #BurnYourNikes Movement, Nike Doesn’t Mind At All (Video)
September 6, 2018
If you feel like wasting some keystrokes, comment on the next vid you see posted by a ‘Nike burner’ that Nike doesn’t give not one aglet about #BurnYourNikes
(Oh, and an ‘aglet’ is that sheath or tip at the end of your shoelace. You knew that? Okay cool.)
See, this whole ‘we stand by Kaep‘ stance Nike is putting forth is still a BUSINESS move at its core. We know that, right? Right?? It’s a business move that folks (read: the majority of people that Nike wants to buy its products) who are cool with #TakeAKnee will vote in favor of… with their purchasing power.
This is why Nike doesn’t care if you set your shoes on fire.
– VICE News Tonight
Just like choosing to ‘vote’ for (buy from) Burger King because you like your burgers flame-broiled, or your way, or whatever the other fast food joints ain’t doing. Or vice versa.
And for folks who decide to NOT buy from them anymore, Nike is wagering (i.e. taking a strategic business risk) there will be few enough of them to not matter (to its BUSINESS). Buuuut… all this could make for some cool counter-hashtaggery to make the new ‘Nike haters’ hot though…
#KaepHatersDontMatter
Nah…
#GoOnAndBurnYourGear #NikeAlreadyHasYourMoney
Better…
#KaepGotPaid #NikeUsedMoneyYouPaid #MoneyYouJustSetAblaze
BARZ!
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Business, Celebrity, Fashion, History, News, Politics, Videos | Tags: Believe In Something, BurnYourNikes, Colin Kaepernick, HBO, Just Do It, Nike, shoes on fire, VICE, VICE News, VICE News Tonight, viral video | No Comments »
History/Activism: James Baldwin Called It Long Ago. But America Has Still Not Learned (Video)
September 4, 2018
Those who do not remember their history are doomed to repeat it. Only thing is, for minorities (read: Black people) in America, there is WAY more ‘doom’ at stake.
…what America still refuses to learn from history. Here are the lessons still unlearned from James Baldwin.
– Francis Maxwell
We keep thinking that this Administration, this social reality, this America, is something ‘new’… but nah… Baldwin saw this in his day, over and over, and would have probably seen it all coming.
– @ojones1
A Michael Jackson Birthday Tribute A La Atlanta’s Action 2 Morning News (Video)
August 30, 2018
Maaaan! Shout to the homie BigDee @65phenom for sharing this epic MJJ tribute compilation post. These ATL newscasters go in, esp. Fred Blankenship, when it comes to giving on-air winks and nods to the music & culture. This clip is all about Michael Joseph Jackson, the King Of Pop, who would have turned 60 years young yesterday #RIPMJJ
Happy Wednesday!! We had some fun this morning paying tribute to Michael Jackson on what would have been his 60th birthday. Let me know how many MJ references you catch! 🙂 Have a great day and as Mark and I say every morning before the news starts–Mama Se Mama Sa Mama Coosa! Let’s get it!!
– Fred Blankenship
– @ojones1
Posted in Celebrity, Human Interest, News, Television, Videos | Tags: Action 2 News, Action News, Atlanta, Channel 2, Fred Blankenship, Karen Minton, Linda Stouffer, Mark Arum, Mark McKay, Michael Jackson, Michael Jackson Tribute, Michael Joseph Jackson, MJ, MJ Tribute, MJJ, morning traffic, Triple Team Traffic, WSB | No Comments »
See How Replica Sneakers Made In China Make It Into The Hands Of U.S. Buyers (HBO)
August 29, 2018
Wow! The fiends NEED the latest Yeezys and Jordans like this bad? The fake kick market is kicking this hard. Gotta be if there is a black market with movers in it like Chan, right? Let VICE News tell it…
After the sun sets in Putian, thousands of bikes carrying fake sneakers hit the streets.
The lace-up black market is no secret in Putian, and it’s where you can find Chan, a vendor with a knack for getting high-quality pairs off the streets and into the hands of hypebeasts on the other side of the globe.
– VICE News
Posted in Business, Cover Story, Fashion, Film, Investigation, News, Product, Series, Television, Travel, Videos | Tags: Chan, China, Fake Sneaker Capital, HBO, Made In China, Putian, Replica Sneakers, VICE, VICE News, We Went To The Fake Sneaker Capital Of China | No Comments »
Art In Real Life: Enjoy This Amazing 25-Year-Old Carving Exhibit (Video)
August 28, 2018
Thinking about hidden treasure in a cave, I guess I really hadn’t thought of the treasure being the cave. Dope!
For 25 years this man kept a secret in a cave – it’s hard not to be amazed when you take a look inside.
– Appreciate
– @ojones1
Posted in Art, Craft, Human Interest, News, Videos | Tags: Appreciate, carvings, cave art, CBS Sunday Morning, New Mexico, Ru Paulette, wilderness shrines | No Comments »
Comedian Chelsea Handler Focuses On Political Activism (Video)
August 28, 2018
Interesting. Comedians, esp. when there’s an “easy target” in the White House, usually make fun of political folly. And Chelsea did that. But she is really moving into the ‘woke’ lane to ride that for a long while… at least until President Trump and his ilk are out.
Comedian-turned-activist Chelsea Handler shares the moment she recognized her White privilege and dishes on exactly how she wants to see Donald J. Trump humiliated.
– PROFILE by BuzzFeed News
– @ojones1
Roc-A-Fella Records Co-Founder Kareem “Biggs” Burke Is Still Doing Big Business (Video)
August 27, 2018
Interesting! Now everyone knows Jigga, and many know Dame Dash. But what about the third side of the triangle. Those who know, know why this is extra good to see… “Biggs†still doing it big!
Without Kareem “Biggs†Burke, you may never have heard the name Jay-Z. That’s because Biggs was the quiet partner in the three-man team that founded Roc-A-Fella Records, which launched Jay-Z’s career. Today, Biggs is running his own show by building a portfolio of companies focused on lifestyle.
“A self-made millionaire, many times over…” That’s what’s up #Salute
Posted in Business, Fashion, Hip-Hop, Interview, News, Television, Videos | Tags: A Biggs deal, Biggs, Kareem Biggs Burke, Kareem Burke, MS NBC, MSNBC, The life of a mogul, Your Business | No Comments »
Black Man Falsely Convicted Now Helps Others Wrongfully Convicted (Video)
August 20, 2018
Jarrett Adams could have gone home and gone quiet after his exoneration, but he chose to turn that page of his life in a different way… going to work for The Innocence Project to get other wrongful convictions overturned. Incredible NBC Nightly News story on Attorney Adams. Salute to the brother!
Lester Holt interviews Jarrett Adams, who was wrongfully convicted of sexual assault when he was just 17 and — as an attorney — is now helping others who are in similar positions as he used to be.
– NBC News
Science: Elon Musk’s Plans For Humans Moving From Earth To Mars Have Likely Been Thwarted (Video)
August 9, 2018
Dang it.
Musk put the numbers, plans, presentations, and MONEY on it. I was thinking futuristic ‘Martians’ would be humans – ‘terrans’ if you want to speak ‘Star Trek’ about it – in the not-so-distant future. But now we have proof of water on Mars, meaning the possibility of LIFE. And it turns out that we already have a ‘flavor’ of Trek’s prime directive (e.g. planetary protection rules) already in place… and blocking any Space X effort to terraform the Red Planet for human inhabitance. That, and the realization that what it’d take to give Mars an atmosphere is all but impossible.
Watch the vid above and follow the link below to read up.
(But hey, upside: Life on Mars already! Maybe…)
READ: COLONIZING MARS IS UNLIKELY (SPACE.COM)
– @ojones1
Posted in Environment, News, Science, Videos | Tags: colonizing Mars, Colonizing Mars Is Unlikely, Elon Musk, Sorry Elon Musk, Space X, terraforming mars | No Comments »
Why “40 Acres And A Mule” Is No Longer Enough Reparations For Black Americans (Video)
July 30, 2018
Word on the street, dirt road… hell, everywhere… is that that 40 acres and a mule promised to Black folks in the United States… IS. NOT. COMING. And even if it was, it would NOT be enough to ‘catch us up’ and make things fair & square for how far slavery, Jim Crow, and follow-on disenfranchisement has set people of color (esp. Black people in America) back. The ‘why’ behind this is skillfully “Decoded” above in this throwback episode.
Out of 536 billionaires in the USA, only 3 are Black. Why the stark racial divide? Well, it’s complicated, but it turns out our history of racism has a lot to do with it. From segregated schools that receive less funding in property taxes, to the history of redlining Black homeowners, to the long history of slavery, oppression, and segregation, White families were accumulating wealth. That “old money” has provided the capital for the modern-day billionaires, and even average-income white families, to stay significantly ahead of Black Americans. So how can we fix the wealth divide in America?
– MTV Decoded
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Education, History, Lecture, News, Series, Television, Throwback, Videos | Tags: Chescaleigh, Decoded, economic disparity, economic inequality, Franchesca Ramsey, MTV, MTV Decoded, MTV News, The 1%, the one percent, Why is the 1% So White | No Comments »
Nashville’s Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria Doing Good, Serving Good Pies, In The Hood (Video)
July 23, 2018
Hey, this is dope. A Black-owned pizza chain. Here’s the website’s promo piece. Maybe it’ll make you hungry for a piece of pizza pie if you’re nearby a location in the future.
Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria is Nashville’s hottest new pizza joint. Our aim is to bring a fun atmosphere to the neighborhood pizza scene using locally sourced ingredients. Located in historic North Nashville, Slim & Husky’s offers hot, fresh specialty pizzas and locally brewed craft beer.
Check out the human interest clip from CBS Evening News about the brothers doing business and bringing hope to impoverished North Nashville area.
Boots Riley Speaks On His Movie “Sorry To Bother You” As A Commentary On The Evils Inherent In Corporate America (Video)
July 18, 2018
You might remember rapper Ice Cube saying that John Singleton encouraged him to pen his first movie script, “Friday,” telling him that if he could write rhymes he could write for movies. Well, Boots Riley – poet, songwriter, and rapper (best known as the lead vocalist of The Coup) throws his hat in the ring with the already critically -acclaimed film “Sorry To Bother You.”
See Boots talk about his movie that has Lakeith Stanfield code-switching and climbing the corporate ladder at an evil telemarketing company, ultimately discovering a secret that threatens all of humankind.
Two-parter. Start up top. Continue after the jump.
Posted in Activism, Craft, Film, Interview, News, Podcast, Politics, Series, Videos | Tags: Amy Goodman, Boots Riley, Capitalism, Corporate Greed, Corporate Power, Democracy Now, DemocracyNow, JUAN GONZÃLEZ, Sorry To Bother You | No Comments »
Why Flint Still Doesn’t Have Clean Water (Video)
July 12, 2018
Do you think the Flint [Michigan, US] water crisis has been fixed? C’mon. Poorest city of its size in the nation… take a guess.
It’s been over four years and Flint still doesn’t have clean water.
You know, President Trump could really have scored some points by getting the water cleaned up here. Waaaay cheaper than that wall that will NOT get built anyway. Plus, the returns in goodwill and political capital would be very helpful in his run for a second term.
Am I actually giving Donald Trump a tip for Campaign 2020? No. Didn’t need my advice before. Just hoping and daring him to actually do something he could really spin as something he did that President Obama did not do. To help Americans heal AND tell the truth while doing it.
C’mon, Mr. President. This is not rocket science. But speaking of rocket science (Space Force!), there is talk of Elon Musk aka Mr. Put-Men-On-Mars-ASAP stepping in. Really? Is this Administration going to let an actual ‘Rocket Man’ punk them; to let the Space X founder be a bigger force for good in our universe than the Space Force? Yeah, Trump Administration… gauntlet thrown #WaterForFlint
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Cover Story, Environment, Film, Investigation, News, Politics, Videos | Tags: AJ+, Dena Takruri, Direct From, environmental injustice, Flint, Michigan, Water Crisis | No Comments »
Eleven-Year-Old Artist Waris Kareem Draws On His Everyday Experiences To Produce Masterpieces (Video)
July 5, 2018
This kid is 11 years old. At 11, I was almost literally still trying to figure out the walk-and-chew-gum “art”… no way I could do amazing stuff like this back then or even now. Learn about Waris Kareem and his artwork above.
– @ojones1
Posted in Art, Human Interest, News, Travel, Videos, Youth | Tags: hyperrealism, Lagos, Nigeria, Waris Kareem | No Comments »
You Must Learn: What Is Democratic Socialism? (Video)
July 3, 2018
KRS said it: YOU MUST LEARN. At least for yourself, and not fall victim to others’ spin on taboo words like ‘socialism’ (because propaganda). ‘To stay on course means to ROLL WITH FORCE!’ So. Don’t come for Ana. At least not on Democratic Socialism. You will get schooled, which is good; but that slick dissing they try will fail.
Ana went on HLN and schooled a Conservative pundit on what Democratic Socialism really is.
– The Young Turks
Ana Kasparian is DONE with being Ms. Nice Woman #MicDrop
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Interview, News, Panel, Politics, Progressive, Videos | Tags: Ana Kasparian, Ana Kasparian Drops Mic On Right-Wing Pundit, Cenk Uygur, crony capitalism, Democratic Socialism, The Young Turks, TYT | 1 Comment »
Activism: Matthew Charles Does Decades Of Fed Time, Turns His Life Around, And Now Has Return To Prison. Meanwhile… (Video)
June 8, 2018
Damn. America’s justice system is broken. You may not need more proof, but maybe someone around you does. Press play and walk away. Get coffee or something. But stay mad, stay woke, stay engaged and stay ready.
Black Man Who Spent 20 Years In Jail & Turned His Life Around, Is Being Sent Back. Meanwhile A Child Rapist Get’s House Arrest. This Really Is America.
– Francis Maxwell
– @ojones1
Speak English For What? ‘Real’ Americans Should Be Speaking Natives’ Tongues, Or Spanish (Video)
June 6, 2018
So the cops can harass you for NOT bothering anyone, just because you (NOT speaking to them) are conversing in a language they do not understand? I’m asking… And above, someone answers.
Agree or agree to disagree, no motherf**king body can motherf**king tell you what language you must use to speak to each other; or use speaking an ‘unacceptable’ language to profile you. Plus, English does not have a strong an argument for being the ‘rightful’ language of ‘real’ Americans. Watch.
I gotta admit: I am down with ‘The Breakdown’ that Francis Maxwell delivers above and how he delivered that sh!t. Straight RAW! And I think I heard some ‘French’ in his rant, too (hahaa).
– @ojones1
Jalen Rose Vs. Jay Williams Debating Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James (Video)
June 5, 2018
C’mon! Are you kidding me?? It’s not even close! We know who’d win, head-up, one-on-one, right? Yeah, you already know… Alright then. That’s all I gotta say.
You cannot tell me in a one-on-one game though that LeBron James wouldn’t dominate Mike.
– Jay Williams
Okay. And that’s all that Jay is gonna say. Hahaaa!
– @ojones1
Posted in News, Opinion, Series, Sports, Television, Videos | Tags: ESPN, Get Up, Jalen Rose, Jay Williams, Michelle Beadle, Mike Greenberg | No Comments »
TYT’s Francis Maxwell Speaks On The NFL’s Disgraceful Ban On Kneeling (Video)
May 29, 2018
… regardless, let’s just cut through the sh!te, shall we?
We got a whiff and posted on the NFL’s kneel ban days ago. Now NFL Commish Roger Goodell puts it all the way out there… No longer speculation, the ban is out there. Watch TYT’s Francis Maxwell speak on it, and make a helluva good point: The League is FULL of Black players whose interests are repped by this LAWFUL, PEACEFUL protest. Goodell and the NFL owner cadre are essentially telling them to bow down, by insisting that they either stand for the anthem or stay off the playing field until they learn to ‘act right’… or get hit in the pockets.
NFL Bans Kneeling. So Much For Free Speech, Right?
– The Young Turks
Keeping some pay to keep the ‘workers’ in check. Talk about a payCHECK… Wowwwww!
– @ojones1
Posted in Activism, Cover Story, News, Politics, Progressive, Videos | Tags: Francis Maxwell, Free Speech, Kneeling Ban, National Football League, NFL, NFL Bans Kneeling, Now This, NowThis, Roger Goodell, take a knee, TakeAKnee, The Young Turks, TYT | No Comments »
