Updated on Thursday, May 7
‘The Latest News’ is a weekly thread where we update our readers on events that affect our communities.
Grimes will not gender X Æ A-12 Musk, her child
That sentence is not only fun to read, but it also shows the singer’s commitment to promoting gender inclusivity by example. Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Grimes have agreed to raise their newborn baby in a gender neutral way, a parenting style whereby the traditional notions of “masculine” and “feminine” activities are not adhered to.
Gender neutral parenting encourages a child to develop their own interests and aesthetic tastes without the imposition of gender norms and has become increasingly popular among young parents.
Lady Gaga’s ‘Chromatica’ album has a new release date
The journey continues. You can officially join me on #Chromatica on May 29. ⚔️ https://t.co/GjJUC3PRWz pic.twitter.com/VFIcMw2JE4
— Lady Gaga (@ladygaga) May 6, 2020
Alas, girls and gays, no need to despair: Queen Gaga announced the release of her previously delayed album, Chromatica, via Twitter. The official release date has been set for Friday, May 29, just in time for Pride month. We may not be marching in any parades this year, but at least we’ll have some brand-new Gaga to help the time pass by.
Video of Ahmaud Arbery being gunned down while jogging causes outcry
NEWS: Graphic video appears to show Ahmaud Arbery, 25 of GA., whose family says he was out for a run, confronted by 2 men who shot him dead saying they thought he was a burglar. A prosecutor wants a grand jury to decide whether the men should be charged. pic.twitter.com/kEYYJW7UlM
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) May 5, 2020
In February, Ahmaud Arbery, an African-American man, was jogging in his Brunswick, Georgia neighborhood when he was shot and killed by his neighbors. On Tuesday, a video of the murder emerged that showed Arbery being killed in broad daylight by Gregory McMichael and his son, Travis. According to a report obtained by the New York Times, McMichael thought Arbery was responsible for a series of neighborhood burglaries and chased him on a truck, along with his son. The men chased Arbery, who began to fight back before the men shot him dead.
The prosecutor in Brunswick argued that the McMichaels should not be arrested because they had a legal right to gun ownership and to “pursue a burglary suspect,” according to the same report by the TImes. Arbrey was 25.
There has been a widespread social media uproar over disparities in how social distancing and face mask policies are disproportionately enforced in New York City
As the weather in New York City, the epicenter for the Covid-19 outbreak, gets warmer, more people are beginning to take to the city’s parks and public spaces. Recent pictures show some of Brooklyn and Manhattan’s most popular parks packed with sunbathers and large groups picnicking together.
Many noted that the majority-white sunbathers in the city’s major parks are getting a pass. A viral post showed a picture of an NYPD officer handing out face mask to white sunbathers.
Same city. Same police force.
Passing out masks to white folks not social distancing, while literally having their foots on our necks.
This is beyond ridiculous at this point. pic.twitter.com/pY6kSGVEaZ
— zellie (@zellieimani) May 3, 2020
No mask? No problem.
This park-goer in Domino Park didn’t have a mask, no problem, our task force officers were more than happy to provide her with one. pic.twitter.com/qgSo1li2VH
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) May 2, 2020
Meanwhile on Saturday, a video emerged of two Black men being pinned to the ground and arrested for violating social distancing rules.
She is lucky she got a mask. NYPD does not single out Hassids or Jews. I see @NYPDPSA4 officers in here, what is going on?! Punching, tasers, no face mask. This IS NOT okay! Cc: @CarlinaRivera @HarveyforNY @bradhoylman pic.twitter.com/iIUXa9JtDC
— Alsace (@AlsaceDoyle) May 3, 2020
Ida B. Wells received a posthumous Pulitzer
Ida B. Wells, a black female journalist who was born a slave in a Mississippi plantation in 1862, was awarded a posthumous Pulitzer Prize citation on Monday afternoon. Wells received prominence as a reporter when she travelled around the South and documented the lynchings of black men. She eventually became the editor of The Memphis Free Speech and published pamphlets about lynching that became the book “Southern Horrors.”
Throughout her career, Wells was ridiculed and not taken seriously by the journalistic establishment. Rachel Swarns, a former New York Times reporter, noted that the Times once referred to Wells as a “slanderous and nasty minded mulatress.”
In 1894, the New York Times — which I love and where I’ve spent most of my career — described Ida B. Wells as a “slanderous and nasty minded mulatress.” Why? For daring to say that white women who accused black men of rape were often involved in consensual relationships.
— Rachel Swarns (@rachelswarns) May 4, 2020
The citation will come with a $50,000 donation to organizations that have yet to be announced but which will align with the late journalists’ mission.
Don Lemon went off on Donald Trump for his ‘obsession’ with Obama
CNN anchor Don Lemon ranted on Sunday night about President Trump attacking political opponents, including former president Obama, instead of focusing on uniting the country during the pandemic.
“What is it about President Obama that really gets under your skin?” he asked rhetorically. “Is it because he’s smarter than you? Better educated?”
Don Lemon with zero fucks left.pic.twitter.com/kbC0zghhzB
— Brian Tyler Cohen (@briantylercohen) May 4, 2020
But of course, not everyone was excited about Lemon’s rant.
I saw #DonLemon trending. I thought he finally mentioned the crime, violence, lack of opportunities & coruption in urban America, nope, just showing his a$$ for pats on the head from white liberals again. Shootings hit record numbers in Baltimore this weekend.
One day, Don.
— Kimberly Klacik (@kimKBaltimore) May 4, 2020
Two homeless men were found dead on the New York subway
Over the weekend, two homeless men were found dead in the New York subway in two separate instances, according to the New York Times. One of the men tested negative for Covid-19, while the other’s test results are still pending.
The recent outbreak has disproportionately exposed homeless New Yorkers to getting sick. Worried of catching the virus in the city’s crowded shelters, some are refusing help and not getting the resources they need as a result.
The 57 and 61 year old died of “natural causes” the article reports, regarding two homeless men found dead on the subway in one day. It is not “natural” to die from systemic, structural disinvestment in housing and adequate health care. RIP. https://t.co/c50t0KOVa7
— Kelly Doran (@KellyMDoran) May 3, 2020
