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The 1962 riot over a Black man attending Ole Miss is an overlooked but vital piece of history

In our history classes, pretty much every American learns about segregation in the American South and the civil rights movement it spawned, but much of that education is lacking in detail. When we teach the history of racial segregation broadly and dispassionately, as if it were merely a thing that existed and then ended, we underplay the unbridled, unapologetic white supremacy that lay at the heart of that history. It’s uncomfortable to look our nation’s ongoing relationship with racism square in the face, but we can’t repair wounds we don’t acknowledge.

To understand the absolutely bonkers levels of racism that enabled and perpetuated racial segregation, it’s helpful to look at the details of specific historical events. If we dive into individual stories, such as the experiences of Ruby Bridges, Claudette Colvin, Elizabeth Eckford, Medgar Evers and many others, the truth of how racism has repeatedly cut America to its core becomes clear.

On September 30, 1962, a Black Air Force veteran named James Meredith did something seemingly unremarkable—he showed up to register for classes and move into his dorm at the University of Mississippi, where he had been admitted three weeks prior.


It actually was remarkable, though. No Black person had ever attended “Ole Miss” before and Meredith’s admission was viewed as a travesty by the white supremacists in power. State officials, including Mississippi Gov. Ross Barnett, who declared “I’m a Mississippi segregationist and I am proud of it,” did everything they could to prevent it. The court battle began in 1961 and went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court before Meredith’s admission to the school was finalized on September 10, 1962.

Meredith showed up on campus on September 30 escorted by federal marshals for his own safety. Sadly, that wasn’t enough to quell the racist rage that necessitated the escort in the first place. Hundreds of angry white students and locals marched toward the building where Meredith was to register.

Federal marshals deployed tear gas as the mob erupted into violence, throwing rocks and bottles before bringing out the guns as night fell. As the mob grew in size, so did the chaos. Reporters covering the riot were beaten and their equipment was burned. A French journalist was shot and killed, and a bystander who had come to campus to see what was happening was murdered as well.

The federal government sent thousands of army soldiers to campus in the middle of the night to quash the rioting, which went on until the early hours of the morning. Ultimately, 30,000 troops were called upon to quell the violence that left two dead and at least 300 wounded.

United Press International reported the day after the riot: “More violence was unleashed in less than four hours than in the six-month period when U.S. paratroopers forced integration of Central High School in Little Rock five years ago.”

To make matters worse, the racist mob immediately tried to blame Meredith for the violence. As three deputy marshals and a representative from the U.S. Department of Education walked Meredith to his first history class the following day, white protesters shouted the N-word at him repeatedly and asked him, “Was it worth two deaths?”

Imagine the rage and frustration Meredith must have felt at such a series of injustices. One of the most striking things about these kinds of stories is the contrast between the rage being acted out by white supremacists (who had no legitimate reason to be violently angry) and the rage Black people were 100% justified in feeling but weren’t allowed to express.

The fact that these people were willing to burn down the school that they supposedly cared so much about, simply because one Black person dared to set foot on campus as an admitted student, is a testament to how deeply white supremacy can be ingrained. We’ve seen such insanely illogical events play out over and over again in our history. While we’ve made many forward strides in the past 60 years, the racist beliefs that led to those events are still around and far too easy to fuel and inflame.

Yet, 1962 simply wasn’t that long ago. James Meredith is still alive, and chances are good that some of the students who lost their minds over his admission to their university are still kicking, too. Have they changed? Have they done the hard work of rooting out that racism from their minds and hearts? Did they teach their own children differently? Do their grandchildren know the part they played in our collective history?

The more acquainted we are with our past, the more equipped we are to create a better future. As hard as it is to read these stories, they are vital for us to learn about so that we don’t repeat the same heinous history over and over again.

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Kanye West Plans To Leave Adidas And Gap Once Their Contracts Expire: ‘No More Companies Standing In Between’

Kanye West’s grievances with Adidas and Gap have been made readily apparent on social media by Kanye himself, and now he wants to “go it alone,” according to a new interview with Bloomberg. After accusing both companies of falling short in their obligations and stealing designs while making odd demands and stonewalling on product approvals, Kanye now apparently believes that he can fund his Yeezy apparel and footwear design, manufacture, and marketing himself.

Among his demands to his business partners are opening brick-and-mortar Yeezy stores (at a time when retail is moving more and more online), a 20% royalty from all the shoes bearing his name from Adidas (he already receives around $200 million in annual royalties and does not front the cost of research, development, or manufacture of the shoes), and chairs on both companies’ boards of directors.

While he acknowledges that both deals have been quite lucrative for him — his “billionaire” status is based largely on the long-term health of those deals and the royalties he receives from them — he is adamant that he can do just as well on his own. He also recognizes that these contracts both have long remaining terms; his Adidas deal expires in 2026, while his Gap one will remain in effect until 2030.

“It’s time for me to go it alone,” he told Bloomberg. “It’s fine. I made the companies money. The companies made me money. We created ideas that will change apparel forever. Like the round jacket, the foam runner, the slides that have changed the shoe industry. Now it’s time for Ye to make the new industry. No more companies standing in between me and the audience… They my new baby mamas. I guess we’re just going to have to co-parent those 350s.”

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Cardi B Shows Off Her New Face Tattoo For The First Time

For a good chunk of 2022, it has been Cardi B’s mission to get a face tattoo. Back in January, she tweeted, “Random but ….I’m 1% close too tatting my sons name on my face….I really really wanna do it!” She then added, “I want mine on my jaw.” That wasn’t just a fleeting thought that quickly faded away: Last month, photos and video surfaced of the new ink, which sure enough was on her jaw and appeared to be text of her son’s name, Wave. Now, Cardi herself has shown it off for the first time.

In an Instagram Live broadcast on Saturday (September 10), she pulls the hair on the side of her face aside and shows off the red ink on her jaw, which does indeed say “Wave.” Cardi said, “I tatted my son’s name because I love him. And I tatted my daughter’s name.” As for that second tattoo, Cardi showed it off on her arm.

Also over the weekend, Cardi took the time to empathize with people struggling as inflation continues to increase, saying, “The way that the prices soared up… how are people surviving? I wanna know!”

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

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Queen Elizabeth II Turned Down A Performance From Paul McCartney To Stay Home And Watch ‘Twin Peaks’

Paul McCartney met Queen Elizabeth II multiple times before her death at 96 years old last week, including in 1997 when he was knighted for his services to music. “It was one of the best days ever,” the Beatles legend wrote on Facebook as a tribute to the British monarch. “I felt very honored to be offered a Knighthood and of course, it would have been rude to turn it down!” Unlike the time when the corgi-loving queen turned down Macca because she needed to know what happened to Laura Palmer.

As noted by Indiewire, an amusing story from a 2011 NME interview with Twin Peaks composer Angelo Badalamenti has resurfaced following Paddington Bear getting sad.

“Back when Twin Peaks was kicking off around the world, I flew by Concorde to London, to work with Paul McCartney at Abbey Road. He said, ‘Let me tell you a story’. Not long before we met, he’d been asked to perform for the Queen for her birthday celebrations. And when he met her, he started to say, ‘I’m honored to be here tonight your Majesty, and I’m going to play some music for you.’ And the Queen says, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t stay, it’s five to eight and I have to go and watch Twin Peaks!’”

Getting out of a work obligation to stay home and watch TV? The queen was never more relatable.

(Via Indiewire)

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Donald Trump Has Not Been Invited To The Queen’s Funeral Despite Writing Her A Nice Post On Truth Social (Crazy, Right?)

Despite (somebody on his team) writing a jarringly polite tribute to Queen Elizabeth II following the news of her death, former president Donald Trump is not invited to her majesty’s funeral service. Trump published the tribute on Truth Social, so there’s a good chance the Royal Family never saw it unless they’re secretly huge QAnon buffs and/or January 6 rioters.

“Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor,” Trump said in the surprisingly eloquent statement that contained no all-caps proclamations or mentions of election fraud. However, the flowery prose was not enough to secure him a spot at the Queen’s funeral. Via The Times of London:

Questions have been asked in the US over whether Donald Trump will be invited but British sources have scotched the idea that he could accompany the US delegation and said there would not be space for Biden’s predecessors.

According to Politico, only current head of states will be extended the honor of being at the service. Considering Trump still thinks he should be president that has to sting. But he can take solace in knowing that Joe Biden will have to ride a bus at the event. “World leaders have also been told they cannot use their own state cars to attend the funeral at Westminster Abbey on September 19 — and will instead be bussed in en masse from a site in west London,” Politico reports.

You can read Trump’s full statement on the Queen’s death below, and there’s no way in hell he wrote any of this. Just none. C’mon.

Melania and I are deeply saddened to learn of the loss of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Together with our family and fellow Americans, we send our sincere condolences to the Royal Family and the people of the United Kingdom during this time of great sorrow and grief. Queen Elizabeth’s historic and remarkable reign left a tremendous legacy of peace and prosperity for Great Britain. Her leadership and enduring diplomacy secured and advanced alliances with the United States and countries around the world. However, she will always be remembered for her faithfulness to her country and her unwavering devotion to her fellow countrymen and women. Melania and I will always cherish our time together with the Queen, and never forget Her Majesty’s generous friendship, great wisdom, and wonderful sense of humor. What a grand and beautiful lady she was—there was nobody like her! Our thoughts and prayers will remain with the great people of the United Kingdom as you honor her most meaningful life and exceptional service to the people. May God bless the Queen, may she reign forever in our hearts, and may God hold her and Prince Philip in abiding care.

(Via Politico)

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Welcome Back, Dorks: The ‘Abbott Elementary’ Season Two Trailer Is Here

Summer break is over, pumpkins are now available at Whole Foods, and school is (almost) back in session at Abbott Elementary. It’s going to be a great year! Hopefully.

The lovable Emmy-nominated faculty of Abbott Elementary will embark on various shenanigans in season two, which premieres next Wednesday, September 21st. The latest trailer shows the crew prepping their classrooms, gearing up to teach, and hula-hooping while wearing Eagles merch. It is Philly, after all. There is precedent here.

ABBOTT BIRDS
ABC

Abbott Elementary’s first season became a breakout hit after gaining traction on social media. The series revolves around an eclectic group of public school teachers trying to make it through the day while also dealing with the scariest coworkers of all time: 10-year-old kids with a lot of energy.

The show received seven Emmy nominations, including Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Lead Actress for series creator and producer Quinta Brunson, Outstanding Supporting Actor for Tyler James Willians, and Outstanding Supporting Actress for acting veteran Sheryl Lee Ralph and Janelle James.

If you need to catch up, the first season of the series is now streaming on HBO Max thanks to a deal between HBO and ABC. Season two premieres on September 21st on ABC, then streaming the next day on Hulu. Check out the trailer above.

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Weyes Blood Announces The New Album ‘And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow,’ Along With 2023 Tour Dates

When Weyes Blood’s Natalie Mering released her breakthrough 2019 album, Titanic Rising, it was meant to be the first in a three-part trilogy of albums. Now the trilogy will have it’s second installment, with the announcement of the next Weyes Blood album, And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow.

Due out on November 18th, the new album was produced by Mering along with Jonathan Rado of Foxygen and Rodaidh McDonald. It will feature appearances from Hand Habits’ Meg Duffy, Oneohtrix Point Never’s Daniel Lopatin, and harpist Mary Lattimore. Where Titanic Rising was about “impending doom,” And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is about finding a way out of a world that has become increasingly dictated by technological whim. Mering explained in a letter to fans, that the gorgeously flowing lead single, “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody,” is a, “Buddhist anthem, ensconced in the interconnectivity of all beings, and the fraying of our social fabric.”

Weyes Blood Letter
Weyes Blood

Along with the single. Weyes Blood has also announced the In Holy Flux Tour for 2023, as well as an additional LA stop in 2022.

Listen to “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody” above and check out the album artwork and tracklist for And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow below, as well as Weyes Blood’s 2023 In Holy Flux Tour dates.

Weyes Blood
Weyes Blood

1. “It’s Not Just Me, It’s Everybody”
2. “Children Of The Empire”
3. “Grapevine”
4. “God Turn Me Into A Flower”
5. “Hearts Aglow”
6. “And In The Darkness”
7. “Twin Flame”
8. “In Holy Flux”
9. “The Worst Is Done”
10. “A Given Thing”

12/08/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
12/09/2022 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Theatre at Ace Hotel
01/28/2023 — Berlin, DE @ Festsaal Kreuzberg
01/30/2023 — Stockholm, SE @ Berns
01/31/2023– Oslo, NO @ Rockefeller
02/01/2023 — Copenhagen, DK @ VEGA
02/03/2023 — Cologne, DE @ Kulturkirche
02/04/2023 — Paris, FR @ Le Trianon
02/05/2023 — Brussels, BE @ Botanique Orangerie
02/06/2023 — Amsterdam, NL @ Paradiso
02/08/2023 — London, UK @ Roundhouse
02/09/2023 — Bristol, UK @ SWX
02/10/2023 — Glasgow, UK @ QMU
02/12/2023– Dublin, IE @ Vicar Street
02/13/2023 — Manchester, UK @ O2 Ritz
02/14/2023 — Brighton, UK @ CHALK
02/22/2023 — Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
02/23/2023 — Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playhouse
02/24/2023 — Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
02/25/2023 — Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle
02/27/2023 — Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
02/28/2023 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
03/03/2023 — Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel
03/05/2023 — Boston, MA @ Royale
03/07/2023 — Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre
03/08/2023 — Toronto, ON @ The Danforth Music Hall
03/10/2023 — Detroit, MI @ El Club
03/11/2023 — Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre
03/13/2023 — Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater
03/14/2023 — Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
03/15/2023 — Des Moines, IA @ Wooly’s
03/17/2023 — Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
03/18/2023 — Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
03/19/2023 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House
03/21/2023 — Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
03/22/2023 — Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
03/23/2023 — Portland, OR @ McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
03/25/2023 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom
03/28/2023 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Van Buren
03/29/2023 — Santa Fe, NM @ Meow Wolf
03/31/2023 — Austin, TX @ Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
04/01/2023 — Dallas, TX @ Studio at The Factory
04/02/2023 — Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom

And In The Darkness, Hearts Aglow is out 11/18 via Sub Pop Records. Pre-order it here.

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Justin Bieber Was Reportedly Considered To Play Elvis Presley In Yet Another New Biopic

Following the announcement of director Sofia Coppola’s next film Priscilla, a biopic about the famous Presleys, Deadline senior film reporter Justin Kroll shared that Justin Bieber was allegedly considered to play Elvis. According to Kroll’s post, however, the singer reportedly passed on the part. Euphoria star Jacob Elordi has since been cast, alongside The Craft: Legacy‘s Cailee Spaeny playing Priscilla Presley.

While Bieber’s reason for seemingly declining the part is still unknown, the pop star previously postponed his remaining Justice tour dates earlier this month. The world tour had 70 more dates and would continue into 2023. Bieber cited health concerns, as he has been vocal about his experience with Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome, which has caused paralysis in his face.

“As the result of this illness, I was not able to complete the North America leg of the Justice Tour. After resting end consulting with doctors, family and team, I went to Europe in an effort to continue with the tour,” Bieber wrote. “After getting off stage, the exhaustion overtook me and I realized that I needed to make my health a priority right now. So I’m going to take a break from touring for the time being.”

Bieber has also documented the affects of his Ramsay-Hunt Syndrome throughout this year. In June, prior to the tour’s full postponement, he took to Instagram to explain why he was only moving a few North American dates at the time. “As you can see, this eye is not blinking,” he shared. “I can’t smile on this side of my face. This nostril will not move. So there’s full paralysis on the side of my face.”

Still, by July, he had hopes that he would be able to resume the rest of the tour. While fans might not be able to see him in their city (or on the silver screen), that hasn’t stopped Bieber from still trying to bring the music to them. He has released singles throughout 2022, including “Honest” featuring Don Toliver and collaborating with Kehlani on “Up At Night.”

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KCON 2022 Brings The K-Pop Festivities To Saudi Arabia

Celebrating its 10th year anniversary since its founding in 2012, CJ ENM’s global “All Things Hallyu” festival, KCON, is making its way to the Middle East for the first time ever.

Taking place at Boulevard Riyadh City in Saudi Arabia on September 30 and October 1, the two-day event will mirror past KCONs where the convention consisting of panels, dance workshops, merchandise, and artist engagements will be held during the day, with star-studded K-pop performances ending the night.

KCON 2022 in Saudi Arabia will showcase performances from artists like P1Harmony, PENTAGON, Rain, Secret Number, Sunmi, and The Boyz on the first night and ATEEZ, Hyolyn, NewJeans, ONEUS, STAYC, and TO1 the second night.

Just last month, KCON held its weekend-long 10th anniversary event at the Los Angeles Convention Center and Crypto.com Arena in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, California, generating record-breaking 90,000 in-person attendance and 7.17 million virtually. Artists such as Stray Kids, ATEEZ, ITZY, STAYC, P1Harmony, The Boyz, NCT Dream, and more took part of the K-Culture celebrations.

Following Saudi Arabia, KCON will make its way to Japan for a three-day event at Tokyo’s Ariake Arena on October 14 to 16. Compared to KCON LA and Saudi Arabia, Japan’s lineup brings in more acts with artists like Le Sserafim, VIVIZ, IVE, TOMORROW X TOGETHER (TXT) and more.

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Leonard Fournette Hit Micah Parsons With A Crying Jordan Meme For Being Mad About His Chip Block

Despite the Dallas Cowboys‘ lackluster Sunday Night Football showing, a 19-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Micah Parsons opened the 2022 season looking as dominant and explosive as last year, when he won Defensive Rookie of the Year and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He record a pair of sacks, both of which came on third downs in the redzone against Tom Brady, marking the first time since Antwan Barnes in 2010 that someone has recorded multiple sacks on Brady in the redzone in the same game.

On one play, however, Bucs running back Leonard Fournette, who impressed in his own right with 23 touches for 137 yards, bested Parsons while helping out in pass protection.

Parsons deserves credit for overwhelming the lineman to the point of Fournette’s services being required. He clearly took objection to the tweet and play itself going firal, venturing to Twitter to vocalize his malcontent.

Fournette’s retort to Parson’s gripes was simple and effective. Not a single word was typed.

Basketball will always be my favorite sport to watch and cover, but this sort of banter is one advantage entertainment-wise the NFL probably holds over the NBA, for instance. You’re rarely going to see posting like this derived from a singular NBA game because they occur almost daily. There’s not enough time for this stuff to remain relevant over a prolonged period, whereas the NFL’s weekly schedule gives everyone lots of time to stew over the previous game’s occurrences.

Fournette’s dominated on the ground and online over the past 18 hours.