Minnesota Lynx star and four-time WNBA champion Maya Moore is widely considered one of the most elite players in the game. Which makes her decision to sit out for a second season all the more noteworthy.
LGBTQ “panic” defenses have long been a controversial part of the legal system. It effectively absolves blame from the perpetrator of a crime and places it on the victim instead. Luckily, these kinds of defenses are slowly but surely being banned across the country.
Activists, celebrities, and everyday folks have been speaking out on social media about the five inmates recently killed in prisons across the state of Mississippi.
Rapper Yo Gotti is among the voices speaking out against the injustice. Yo Gotti is teaming up with Jay-Z to file a lawsuit against the Mississippi Department of Corrections Committee and has even written to the former Governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant regarding the gravity of the situation.
In an exclusive sit-down with theGrio, Yo Gotti discusses his position on the recent incidents in Mississippi and his plans to make an impact.
“These facilities are supposed to be for rehabilitation. Those people are supposed to come home, better, not die while they’re in jail. So, you know, I just think we have to do what we can do from the outside that can help the people, ” Yo Gotti tells theGrio.
The Tennessee native shares that one of the reasons he was inspired to speak out is the fact that Mississippi is close to home for him. “If you cross over one street in Memphis, you technically in Mississippi,” he tells TheGrio. Yo Gotti also details his initial reaction when he saw the graphic images and heard the tragic stories of the inmates in the prisons. The “Rake it Up” rapper states that jail is more complex than just a consequence of punishment, because there are people wrongfully in jail, awaiting trial, and people who can’t afford to make bond.
“All of them are in the same facility, so how you distinguish who’s who? And even if you’re a criminal, you still don’t deserve to live like that,” he tells theGrio
Yo Gotti emphasizes that regardless if you are an artist or someone who clocks into a 9 to 5 everyday, if something is important to you, touches you, or bothers you, then you should speak up and take action.
“If I feel like it’s something to speak about or it’s an issue to me. I speak about it,” Yo Gotti tells theGrio
Yo Gotti’s message to inmates is that “we just hope that they can be as strong as they could be. And that we will try to help them from the outside as much as we can, you know, to just hold on.”
Check out the full interview above.
The post Yo Gotti Speaks out Against the Inhumane Treatment in Mississippi Prisons appeared first on TheGrio.
Longtime public defender and former Fox News pundit Eboni K. Williams is no stranger to facing off with fiery personalities. But she has her work cut out for her when it comes to debating the hot topics with her State of the Culture co-host Remy Ma.
In a September clip that has since gone viral, the duo faced off over rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine’s courtroom confessions and things got ugly.
“Can I get off of this couch while she’s giving people advice and tips on how to f—king snitch?” a visibly annoyed Remy deadpanned at the camera while shading Williams for her legal advice.
So how are things between Williams and Remy today?
“We have created space to co-exist,” Williams, 36, tells theGrio.
No shade?
READ MORE: Remy Ma on the Cardi B and Nicki Beef
“Like, we’re good, really. There are moments of real contention and I don’t want to minimize that. But again, I think that’s an opportunity for growth.”
Williams, who spent much of her career as a criminal defense attorney, hints that there will likely be more conflicts with Remy as they each bring their unique perspectives on pop culture, politics, and social justice to the table.
“The Queen Remy Ma comes from a background, [as] an expert in hip-hop, an expert in culture, an expert in motherhood, an expert, not because she’s perfect, right. But because she’s experienced in that. She’s been a wife for upwards of 10 years,” Williams said. “So, Remy brings a unique experience of vantage point. I proudly bring a unique experience and vantage point–my expertise in law, my expertise in media and journalism. You put that together, and what it creates is a beautiful dynamic for young girls and women of all ages to look at and be able to appreciate.
“It’s not about agreeing all the time. I always say agreement to me is actually grossly overrated. I don’t think our moments of growth come from just being in lockstep alignment on every issue, on every point. It’s all good. We have a beautiful and growing relationship.”
READ MORE: Rihanna’s reps deny asking Shaggy to audition for her upcoming album
Plus, the Pretty Powerful author adds that she’s determined not to fall into a tired narrative of catfights with Remy, 39, her only female co-host.
“Women, are, historically, a marginalized group of folk. We’ve been sold a lie that says only one or maybe two of us at a time can succeed in a space. And that’s a false narrative. To be simply put, the truth is we actually thrive as women. We thrive as black people. We thrive as any marginalized group in this country…the truth is, is that as women and especially as Black women, we are each other’s protection.”
Check out the full video about for more on Eboni K Williams !
The post State of the Culture’s Eboni K. Williams: Remy Ma and I ‘Co-Exist’ appeared first on TheGrio.
The folks over at Esquire UK recently decreed 2020 the year of the “shipster,” a terrible personal style portmanteau combining fisherman with hipster.
