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K-pop fans have shown an impressive amount of support for the protests that have popped up across the country in the wake of George Floyd’s death. A few days ago, they crashed a police department’s tips app by overloading it with videos. Since then, they have also flooded anti-protest hashtags with K-pop posts to drown those voices out. Now, a prominent K-pop artist has explained just how much the genre owes to Black artists.

As Pop Crave notes, CL, formerly a member of the group 2NE1 who has collaborated with artists like Lil Yachty and Diplo, penned a lengthy post that begins by noting some of the Black artists and works by Black artists that have influenced her and other K-pop musicians.

She goes on to conclude, “I would like to encourage all the K-Pop fans to give back and show their love and support for all that we have received from Black artists. I want to explain to all the K-Pop fans, fellow Asians, and non-Americans who feel like they have little or no connection to what’s happening that we all are connected at the end of the day. And don’t we, Asians living abroad, also face enough racism to the point where we are numb and sick of it? We must stand up together as one helping them fight for justice. It’s never too late. Let’s send them love and support by caring, elevating Black voices, educating ourselves, and bringing awareness to people around you.”

Read CL’s full post below.

“‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ was the first album my dad bought me.

Beyonce’s ‘DANGEROUSLY IN LOVE’ was the first CD I bought for myself.

Janet Jackson taught me the power of movement of dance and expression.

Missy Elliott is why I am so obsessed with my video visuals.

Lil Kim was one of Fashion’s pioneers that taught me how to be fearless in how I tell stories through clothes…
Aaliyah is the reason why I still wear baggy pants and combat boots on stage.

During the rare moments of being at […], my friends saw me sing (but actually screaming) nonononoWAY by Whitney Houston.
It ends with no mo drama by MJB.

Some of the biggest inspirations for 2ne1 were DESTINY’S CHILD and TLC.

These are just some of the examples of the core women who have inspired me over the years.

Artists, directors, writers, dancers, designers, producers, stylists in the K-POP industry are all inspired by black culture whether they acknowledge it or not.

I would like to encourage all the K-Pop fans to give back and show their love and support for all that we have received from Black artists.

I want to explain to all the K-Pop fans, fellow Asians, and non-Americans who feel like they have little or no connection to what’s happening that we all are connected at the end of the day.

And don’t we, Asians living abroad, also face enough racism to the point where we are numb and sick of it?
We must stand up together as one helping them fight for justice.

It’s never too late. Let’s send them love and support by caring, elevating black voices, educating ourselves, and bringing awareness to people around you.”

NJPW‘s Toru Yano is a man of many talents, an undisputed master of the title belt and trophy theft, speedy turnbuckle pad removal, and DVD production. In a new YouTube video called “YTR Family Presents Yano Training Program First Public Release!”, Yano shows he still thinks outside the box while staying at home, and reveals he’s a dad as he uses his children as exercise equipment.

With his two kids as weights, Yano demonstrates exercises including arm curls, leg raises, and something where he clenches his abs and his daughter has a great time stomping on his stomach. The kids seem really enthusiastic about being part of the video and the whole thing is heart-meltingly adorable.

Since New Japan went on hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yano has shown more of what could be called his “normal” side, directing Chaos talk show programs on NJPW World and cooking, and cutting his own hair on his new YouTube channel. Like most NJPW wrestlers, Yano doesn’t post much about his personal life on social media, and the two main things fans know about him as a real person is that he was an accomplished amateur wrestler at Nihon University and that he owns a bar. Even as he gets his kids involved in his public life, their privacy is maintained – both wear masks and are identified only as “YTR Junior.”

As citizens in all 50 states come together to protest police brutality and the murder of George Floyd, many musicians have offered their financial support. Sleater-Kinney is raising money through merch sales, Noname urged her celebrity followers to match a $1,000 donation, and Kanye West just announced he’s offering $2 million to charity. Now, Blood Orange’s Dev Hynes shares the success of his own fundraiser.

Thanking his fans on social media for their donations, Dev Hynes said he was able to help raise half a million dollars over the course of just two days: “I’m emotional writing this, by pulling together we just raised half a million dollars in two days to go directly to The Movement For Black Lives @mvmnt4blklives & The LGBTQ Freedom Fund. Never doubt your self worth, let it be known what can be done by a community that truly deeply cares, it infuriates me seeing large companies (yes your favourite brands that throw an image from black culture on a tee and charge you an arm and a leg to fund moral questioning defense contractors) and artists that have mined and pulled from black culture idly letting time go by and quite literally doing the bare minimum just to save face. They should be embarrassed and ashamed. We are all smarter than this and we see right through it, and I refuse to tolerate this anymore.”

Just two days prior, Hynes had taken to social media to express his exhaustion. The singer said he was trying to brainstorm ways he could offer more support, so he teamed up with the clothing brand Brain Dead to donate proceeds from their sales. “I’ve been angry and distraught about the world,” Hynes said. “Thinking about what more I can do, I have donated as much as I can to organizations, I’ve protested with friends, I’ve tried to take in as much information as I can, then share it with as many people as I can. I want to do more, responses have to be in real-time.”

Read Dev Hynes’ full statements above and find more information about the singer’s collaboration with Brain Dead here.

After Zack Snyder made the surprise announcement that HBO Max will officially Release the Snyder Cut in 2021, there has been an intense debate on whether the decision to satisfy fan requests will set a precedent moving forward.

For context, the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign is comprised of genuinely passionate comic book lovers who simply want to see what Snyder’s original vision looked like before a family tragedy made him leave production, but it also has its share of individuals who have engaged in online harassment whenever the quality or existence of the Snyder Cut has been questioned. So naturally, people are wondering whether fans will be emboldened, both positively and otherwise, to campaign for other “cuts” in the future. Tony Goncalves, the head of HBO Max, tackled the subject in a recent interview with The Verge:

“Consumers guide, and we absolutely have to listen as industry. I had a boss that once said, ‘Industry and consumers aren’t always aligned, but consumers do tend to win.’ It’s a fine balance. And I think when it comes to video, when it comes to entertainment, when it comes to content, consumers have never had more choice, and they’ve never had more of a voice. But that doesn’t mean that we will go and invest our dollars in every single fandom that exists.”

While Goncalves says that the Snyder Cut is “definitely not a precedent,” director David Ayer is currently fanning the flames of an online campaign to release the “Ayer Cut” of Suicide Squad. Whether or not that will ever become a reality, only the future knows. Golcalves’ position is that HBO Max, in the case of the Snyder Cut, is simply listening to what consumers are saying, but it definitely doesn’t mean that “we’re going to go redo every movie ever made.”

(Via The Verge)

With protests happening in all 50 states that aim to condemn police brutality and the murder of George Floyd, many musicians have vocalized their support for the Black Lives Matter movement. Halsey detailed being shot by rubber bullets at a protest, Bon Iver offered audio equipment to aid demonstrators, and Kanye West gave an impressive $2 million donation. Now, Sleater-Kinney is doing what they can to raise money for the Black Lives Matter organization.

Sleater-Kinney, the now-duo consisting of Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker, is raising money through merch sales. The band is donating all proceeds from the sales of their tour T-shirts and a rare “Animal” 7-inch, which was only available at a handful of shows.

Announcing their fundraiser on social media, the band wrote that they are committed to fighting injustice: “Like many of you, we are outraged, and we stand in solidarity with the fight against police brutality, systemic racism and white supremacy. We must not only show up for racial justice but also hold ourselves accountable, and engage in the work of being anti-racist.”

Along with offering financial donations to Black Lives Matter, Sleater-Kinney has compiled a list of other organizations to support, as well as ways to learn about and engage in fighting against white supremacy. The lengthy list includes national organizations as well as non-profit groups in Sleater-Kinney’s Portland hometown.

Check out Sleater-Kinney’s merch on their website here.

People cope with stress and tragedy in different ways. For Alicia Keys, one of the tools she has used lately is poetry, as she has shared a pair of poems related to the ongoing protests over the past few days.

Today, she posted photos of her son and wrote a poem about him, which reads:

“My beautiful baby boy ⁣
So curious and pure ⁣
Yet SO clear about what you don’t want ⁣
“NO!” you say with vigor ⁣
When you don’t like something going on in your small but powerful 5-year-old-world⁣
I hope that never changes⁣
I hope that inner strength and fire ⁣
Never extinguishes⁣
And you never feel the sway to fit in⁣
Or be silenced⁣
I have a STRONG feeling you won’t ⁣
That’s just not the fabric from which u came⁣
Look at you:⁣
Future architect, Builder, Mastermind, Wisdom keeper, Re-shaper, Change maker… ⁣
My Beautiful Baby Boy⁣
You are unstoppable!!!⁣”

A few days ago, she shared another poem on Instagram, and it reads, “Please place the light in the hearts that feel darkness. Place the wings on the back of those that feel hopeless. Place love in the souls of the ones that are heartless. There’s no stopping us. Ain’t no stopping us!” she captioned that post, “We need more than poems. We need deep systemic change. ⁣But when I wrote these words it was a little prayer that I personally needed. Maybe u do too.”

Check out Keys’ posts below.

The Portland Trail Blazers were the single NBA franchise to vote against the league’s 22-team proposal to resume play in Orlando this summer, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The vote needed three-fourths of NBA owners to support the plan in order for it to pass, and was widely expected to pass over the past several days. What came as more of a surprise is that the plan had just one detractor, and that it was Portland, a team that is actually included in the 22-team format.

This structure would include 13 teams from the Western Conference and nine from the Eastern Conference, all of whom are within six games of the playoffs. Portland is currently the ninth seed out west, 3.5 games behind Memphis. Under the proposed rules, if the Trail Blazers remained in the nine-spot within four games of the Grizzlies, they would be in position to compete in a play-in series to get into the playoffs.

However, Damian Lillard infamously said in recent weeks that he would not be interested in traveling to Orlando for the bubble if it were not worth the risk and energy on Portland’s part. Perhaps Lillard and his teammates are not satisfied with the league’s plan, or maybe it’s something entirely separate that the organization takes issue with.

Portland was fifth in attendance this year and an annual playoff mainstay, so it doesn’t seem like this vote would be financially motivated. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the issue Portland had was that they felt there were better formats out there that addressed other issues better, including using record in Orlando to impact lottery odds.

Yahoo’s Chris Haynes reports they wanted the 20-team format, not 22 teams, as it would’ve given them a better chance of making it back into the playoffs.

Sometimes a random encounter turns out to be not so random at all.

JacqueRae Hill, a flight attendant for Southwest Airlines, shared one such encounter on Facebook. She said that her heart has been heavy with everything going on, which is especially hard hard when your job is to put a smile on people’s face. But something happened on a recent flight that lifted her spirits.

She wrote:

“As we are boarding my first flight of the day I smile and I greet people when they come on and a man was holding a book that has been on my to read list. The book is entitled White Fragility. I was so happy to see that book in his grasp that I knew after I finished my duties I was going to make a point to ask him about it. I go sit next to him as he was sitting in a row all by himself (That was God). I said Hey How are you? I see you are reading that book .. So how is it? He replies oh I’m half way through it’s really good. It really points out how important these conversations on race are. As I began to respond the tears just start falling . I have been so sad every day and I just want to understand and be understood so we can began to fix it.

I’m pretty sure I startled him by seemingly dumping all my emotions on him but his reply was “I’m so sorry. And it’s our fault that this is like this. We continued to talk and when I tell you it was everything I needed. I was happy ( even tho I was crying ). I went on to tell him about my prayer on my way to work today and that he Answered that prayer for me with this conversation. As our conversation came to an end he asks me my name I told him JacqueRae and then he said well I’m Doug Parker the CEO of American Airlines. I told him my mother works for him in DC and then I reached over and gave him a BIG HUG ! I HAD TO!! (yes we were both masked) I thanked him for being open and allowing this conversation to happen because I just needed to hear it and I walked off. I thanked God for his LOVE AND FAITHFULNESS the rest of the Flight. On his way off the plane he hands me a handwritten note and I thank him again and ask for this pic. This encounter is Only A Holy Spirit thing!!!!

There are so many different ways to affect change in the world. I stand with anyone who wants to make a difference no matter if it is how I would do it or not. I believe that God answered my prayer so perfectly that I want to be apart of an answered prayer for someone else. I’m following behind my sister Audresha Lynn by saying LETS TALK !! Doug Parker said that the premise of the book is that we need to have these conversations so here I am. My heart is open and my ears are open as well. BLESSED TO BE A BLESSING.”

The note Parker wrote to her said:

“Thank you so much for coming back to speak with me. It was a gift from God and an inspiration to me. I am saddened that we as a society have progressed so slowly on an issue that has such a clear right v.s wrong. Much of the problem is we don’t talk about it enough. Thank you for talking to me and sharing your emotion. That took courage. The book, White Fragility, is great. But it’s more for people like me than you (a black friend recommended it to me). I really appreciate you. If you’d like to continue the conversation, my email is [blacked out]. Thank you! Doug

P.S. Say hello to your mother for me.”

Hill’s also shared a message from her mother, Patti Anderson, to Doug Anderson, and the beautiful exchanges just keep on going.

JacqueRae S. Hill/Facebook

Hill shared that CNN Travel picked up her story and interviewed her via video call, so we can hear some of the story in her own voice.

[facebook https://www.facebook.com/jacquerae.hill/videos/10156166752157706/?__xts__[0]=68.ARAzZqYx6Xi3WGu5xbAv8eyAnfPyap4JRvzfD5Ic0o4OWoEtB-Pd4mCBkEvFoZ3x66R59k9G81HP4OJ_U8m-zhV0Pd8irEaPMSFbymaqeAgr8c6pbudv5cCIbjgy2LC2BEUiZOAmJWzoAxW1aeN-vTKR2BedUJD9aE1FuhuJ6i7alKHMXmC1YXIPIY9QQDDHSt01jJN_axJXjpPCdOrJJ6IAyfUMMw&__tn__=-R expand=1]

You never know when a seemingly small action—like reading a book to better understand the realities of race and racism in our society—might made a big difference to someone who sees it. Knowing that someone in charge of an enormous company is doing that personal work—and not just for a photo op or PR display—is heartening to see, as the lessons learned will hopefully trickle down through that business and beyond.

Thank you for sharing, Ms. Hill. Seeing this kind of encounter play out offers us all a taste of hope in a time of difficult, but necessary, upheaval and change.

More than 1200 public health experts, infectious disease professionals, and community stakeholders have signed onto an open letter explaining why they support anti-racism protests happening across the country despite the potential risk of coronavirus spread.

According to Slate, the letter, written by infectious disease experts at University of Washington with input from other colleagues, comes after an avalanche of media requests asking them to comment on the COVID-19 risks associated with public gatherings.

The letter opens with describing the differences between the largely white anti-stay-at-home-order protests we saw last month and the protests against racial injustice and police brutality we are seeing now, stating that the response “must be wholly different” and that “infectious disease experts must be clear and consistent in prioritizing an anti-racist message.”

The letter is clear on why these protests must be supported. “White supremacy is a lethal public health issue that predates and contributes to COVID-19,” it states. “In addressing demonstrations against white supremacy, our first statement must be one of unwavering support for those who would dismantle, uproot, or reform racist institutions.”

But what about social distancing? The letter addresses that question too:

“Staying at home, social distancing, and public masking are effective at minimizing the spread of COVID-19. To the extent possible, we support the application of these public health best practices during demonstrations that call attention to the pervasive lethal force of white supremacy. However, as public health advocates, we do not condemn these gatherings as risky for COVID-19 transmission. We support them as vital to the national public health and to the threatened health specifically of Black people in the United States. We can show that support by facilitating safest protesting practices without detracting from demonstrators’ ability to gather and demand change. This should not be confused with a permissive stance on all gatherings, particularly protests against stay-home orders. Those actions not only oppose public health interventions, but are also rooted in white nationalism and run contrary to respect for Black lives. Protests against systemic racism, which fosters the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 on Black communities and also perpetuates police violence, must be supported.”

After listing public health recommendations for police handling of protesters—which includes opposing the arrest of peaceful protester, the use of “tear gas, smoke, or other respiratory irritants” and disbanding protests under the guise of protecting people from COVID-19—the letter offers “harm reduction strategies” for keeping protests as safe as possible. These suggestions include using face coverings, keeping six feet between protesters where possible, moving in groups you are already in close contact with, and staying home if sick.

Further, guidelines were given for allies to help facilitate safe protests, including providing masks and hand-washing stations, providing eye protection or face shields, offering single-serving food or beverages, offering ways to mark 6-foot distancing, and donating bail money for protesters.

And then the final suggestion: “Listen, and prioritize the needs of Black people as expressed by Black voices.”

The letter acknowledges that ideal social distancing measure may not be possible in all circumstances, but that these public health professionals would advocate for the protesters anyway. “We express solidarity and gratitude toward demonstrators who have already taken on enormous personal risk to advocate for their own health, the health of their communities, and the public health of the United States. We pledge our services as allies who share this goal.”

Racism is a public health issue, period. And considering that the current prevailing public health issue—the coronavirus pandemic—is disproportionately impacting Black Americans, the two cannot be treated and addressed separately. How heartening to see public health officials speaking directly to the connection between them and advocating for a remedy for the root cause of racial health disparities.