Daily Archives: February 1, 2022

This Black History Month, Apple is encouraging you to go for a walk with activist Ay Tometi, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter.

Tometi has recorded a new episode of audio experience "Time to Walk" on Apple Watch, which will be released on Fitness+ on Feb. 7.

For those unfamiliar with "Time to Walk," the series features episodes of influential people talking about their lives as you take your daily stroll around your local park. In Dec. 2021, Prince William lent his voice to an episode, reflecting on the importance of mental health. Previous speakers include Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda, Shawn Mendes, Uzo Aduba, Naomi Campbell, Randall Park, Draymond Green, Camila Cabello, and Min Jin Lee. Episodes are usually around 25 to 40 minutes long.

During Tometi's episode, she reflects on the murder of Trayvon Martin and how it impacted her activism, and how changing her name made her think differently about life.

You can listen to Tometi's "Time to Walk" episode using wireless headphones through Apple Watch's Workout app with a Fitness+ subscription.

If you're more into running, then there's another offering that might interest you. Also on Feb. 7, "Time to Run" (the running version) will launch a new episode featuring Fitness+ trainer Cory Wharton-Malcolm, as he coaches runners through the city of Atlanta, Georgia, passing the Birth Home of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame.

Apple is launching a number of other features and products in time for Black History Month, including a special edition AppleWatch Black Unity Braided Solo Loop and matching Unity Lights watch face inspired by Afrofuturism.

The App Store will also be shining a light on apps that promote Black people's wellbeing and health. And Apple Maps will enable users to learn more about Black history and Black-owned businesses through curated Guides.

While these features are great, it would be remiss not to mention that Apple employees have requested a re-investigation into past complaints of racism at the company. In an open letter, Apple employees stated they had raised complaints of discrimination only to be met with inaction from company's HR team.

"Apple prides itself on its commitment to diversity, equity, and an environment where every person is able to do their best work; however, in practice, this is far from the case," reads the letter. "Our experiences with the People team in dealing with harassment and discrimination have left many of us more vulnerable."

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Apple takes us for a walk with Ay Tometi, one of the founders of Black Lives Matter - Mashable

The horse is making a name for himself!

The first Black family in Texas to race quarter horses has named their newest steed Black Lives Matter.

The Hatley Bros. Racing Stables is a family-owned establishment, created six decades ago by James Hatley Sr. His granddaughterKeeundra Hatley-Smith told Because of Them, We Can that he"was the first African American to race quarter horses in the state of Texas from the 60's to the early 90's."

Hissons KeElronn and James Hatley Jr. have now taken over for him, owning and operating the business. Recently, the family bought a new steed for their stable, giving the horse a unique name, Black Lives Matter. The Hatleys say they put a lot of thought into the name, hoping to use it as a way to consistently bring awareness to the condition of Black people in America and leave its mark on race attendees whether the horse wins or not.

We named him Black Lives Matter because we knew he was special and want to bring our culture to the sport, Hatley-Smithsaid.

KeElronn took to social media to share a video of the new horse being registered by officials.

So far, the horse has competed in a number of races, KeElronn and his family taking to social media to share the most recent one at Louisiana Downs. Black Lives Matter began in last place, quickly beating out the other horses to prove himself victorious, winning as the family cheered him on and celebrated.

The legacy of Black cowboys is currently experiencing a resurgence in popular culture with more spotlight being placed on those keeping the history alive across the country like the Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club, various films paying homage to legendary Black cowboys, and the work of photographers like Ivan McClellan intent on documenting the stories of Black cowboys.

Here are a few photos thatKeeundra shared with Because of Them, We Can that show her family's rich history in racing horses.

The naming of the Hatley horse helps keep the necessary conversations going, even if it is a bit overt in messaging. Currently Black Lives Matter is resting and gearing up for his next race, which is scheduled for April 2022.

Photos Courtesy of Keeundra Hatley-Smith

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First Black Family In Texas To Race Quarter Horses Names Newest Steed 'Black Lives Matter' - Because of Them We Can

Ashley Burch with Trayvon Martin. Photo: Courtesy of Burch

When Ashley Burch remembers her friend Trayvon Martin, she thinks of him walking around Carol City, the neighborhood north of Miami where they were teenagers together. They werent old enough to drive, so Trayvon walked nearly everywhere when he couldnt catch the bus, sometimes so far that he would call Ashley to come and pick him up. With what? she would ask. He would joke his Cadillac was in the shop the nickname he had for his bicycle.

That Trayvon liked walking was among her first thoughts a decade ago when Ashley heard how and where he had been killed. George Zimmerman, the man who shot Trayvon, had told the police that he looked real suspicious in his dark-gray hoodie on the night of February 26, 2012, idly walking around the housing development where he was in fact staying with his father and his fathers fiance. To Ashley and the rest of his friends, that was just Trayvon. It was unthinkable that normal things about her friend were now being used to characterize him as some kind of menace. We knew Trayvon liked to walk, Burch, now 27, says from Jacksonville, Florida. And he always had a hoodie on. Of course he did it was raining that night.

Burch would spend the next few days, months, and years getting angry about those kinds of details, the ones that people on TV, in the news, and in public would get wrong or twist about Trayvon Martin, as his story ballooned from community tragedy into a national conversation on anti-Black racism. They used to say Trayvon was bigger than Zimmerman and he used to play football, and I was like, No, he played ball as a child. He wasnt even built like a football player. He was actually tall and really skinny. The Trayvon that Burch knew was relatively quiet with a goofy streak. He was often scheming planning an elaborate seafood party at a friends house with no budget or permission or teasing her about being a flagette in the school marching band. They would head to the Galaxy skate rink every Saturday to cruise around to hip-hop and R&B. Burch spoke to the press about Martin at a march the family held for their son a few weeks after his death. That was one of my best friends, somebody I talked to every day, he was very nice, she said. She was immediately flooded with Facebook messages from Zimmerman supporters, who told her that her best friend was a thug.

In 2013, Burch watched Zimmermans trial from home every day. When he was acquitted, and the movement around Trayvons murder grew bigger still, with protests taking place throughout the country, she found herself angry even with Trayvons supporters. A picture went around social media of a baby-faced Trayvon in an aviation uniform at space camp. He never went to space camp, Burch would hotly comment whenever she saw it. (The photo was actually from a seven-week aviation course Trayvon attended in 2009. He had been interested in a career as a pilot.) There was a girl at Carol City who would wear a Trayvon T-shirt for months, and it made Burch and her friend Aiyanna seethe. You dont even know him, they would whisper to each other.

After graduation, Burch left Carol City for Jacksonville, where she eventually attended Edward Waters University, an HBCU. She graduated with a criminal-justice degree, concentrating in forensic science. Now she is a probation officer. It sometimes surprises people that she works in law enforcement, if they know about her friendship with Trayvon. It makes me feel bad sometimes, you know? she says. Cause I know at the end of the day I have a job to do. As part of her position, Burch works with offenders to find drug-addiction treatment, employment, and housing. But for me to have to make the arrest I dont like that. Or when Im in court, seeing people getting sentenced to 25 years in prison. Her experience hasnt turned into political activism, however. When Black Lives Matter protests engulfed the country again in 2020, sparked by the murder of yet another unarmed Black man, Burch stayed home. She finds demonstrations overwhelming ever since attending one in Sanford held a month after Trayvons death. Everybody there had on a Trayvon shirt; he was on signs and everything. I think it was just too much too soon.

Burch rarely talks openly about Trayvon. She has tried to move on and into her adult life. But she has never changed the background of her Facebook profile: a now-infamous black-and-white photo of Trayvon in his hoodie, looking straight on, taken by his computer camera. I dont want anybody to forget about him, she says. Every year, she and friends text each other on his birthday. She wishes she could introduce him to her daughter, Skylar, now 3 years old, and imagines that he might have had his own children. He would have certainly had his own career, his own accomplishments to share. Burch says she is just now finally starting to discuss him in therapy. For this tenth anniversary of Trayvons death, she will likely head back to Miami to attend the annual peace march held by his family. It may be the first time that Burch actually visits Trayvons grave site, which she has avoided ever since his funeral. Ive been scared of how I will feel when I actually get there, Burch says. I miss everything about him. I miss his laugh. I miss talking to him all the time, just miss him being around. There are songs she cant listen to, like Tupacs Changes, where the chorus goes, Id love to go back to when we played as kids / But things change, and thats the way it is.

Burch has just a few low-quality photos of Trayvon saved from those days before everything was documented on social media, a sweet, mundane time capsule of their teenageness. One is a screenshot of the two of them chatting on ooVoo, a video-chat gamelike app they would play on forever when they werent texting or calling. Just a few hours before he headed out to a 7-Eleven on the highway for snacks, Ashley had called Trayvon, annoyed that he wasnt being responsive while they were messaging. He told her he was watching a movie and that he would call her back.

Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism. If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the January 31, 2022, issue of New YorkMagazine.

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Ashley Burch Remembers Her Friend Trayvon Martin - The Cut

Ramsey Orta was a friend of Eric Garners for five years. He watched as police officers Justin DAmico and Daniel Pantaleo stopped Garner and attempted to arrest him on July 17, 2014. He was recording as Pantaleo held Garner in a choke hold that was banned by the NYPD and as his friend uttered his final words: I cant breathe.

Orta has since had a series of run-ins with the judicial system, facing numerous arrests and serving prison time on drug and gun charges. Orta alleges that police have been trying to get revenge on him. In 2021, Orta published a book, A Shot in History: the Poisoned System.

Ramsey Orta filmed the killing of his friend Eric Garner outside a Staten Island beauty store at 3:30 p.m. on July 17, 2014.

Here, the same location at 3:30 p.m. on January 22, 2022.

Photographs by Joshua Rashaad McFadden

I had just gotten home from work, and from picking up my daughter, and was on my way to get something to eat when I ran into Eric at a KFC. I got my food and walked outside to where he was, and stopped to ask him for a pack of cigarettes. We started talking. In the midst of that conversation, a fight breaks out between two people. He jumps up and separates them and, as hes doing that, two police ride over and immediately jump out and go straight to Eric while the other two people walk off like nothing happened.

Eric asked Officer Justin DAmico, What happened? Why did you stop me? DAmico said he just saw him sell cigarettes. Then Eric just started screaming, saying he was crazy, he was lying, and telling him to get out of here.

Pantaleo just kept saying, We saw you selling cigarettes. There were games being played. Thats when I pulled my camera and started recording, because a week earlier, I actually recorded an incident on that same spot, where police beat somebody else up too.

Eventually Pantaleo grabbed Eric and started choking him, wrestling with him. Eric was standing his ground for a little while, trying to stand up. Hes a big guy. But he eventually got tired. When they finally fell on the floor, and he was trying to get Erics hands cuffed behind his back, Pantaleo didnt let him go. Im just standing there recording, watching, watching my surroundings. And then I see Eric stop breathing. His eyes just rolled back.

Eric was lying there for a good ten minutes. And the police officers were acting like he was alive, bullshitting for the crowd, talking to him like, Oh, Mr. Garner, come on. You got to get up. And Im standing there, screaming, Yall n- - - - - killed him. Yall know hes dead.

Paramedics ended up walking Eric to the ambulance. Its a crowd circling around us. As soon as they close his door, one of the officers tells another officer, Grab him, hes threatening me. Lock his ass up. The crowd heard it. And as soon as the cop grabbed one of my arms, the whole crowd grabbed the other arm and sucked me into the crowd, like, Yo, yall not doing nothing to him. He aint do nothing. He was sitting on his fucking bike the whole time, recording yall.

When they realized the crowd was not going to budge, they was like, All right. Well, then, go home.

I go to my house and get in the shower. The next thing I know, Ive got a thousand text messages and missed calls from everybody. One of my good friends at the time calls me and says, Bro, I got somebody down here thats offering $250 for pictures. I show the guy my video, and he asks, How much you want for it? Im like, I dont want nothing for this, man. This is Eric for me. Just put it up on the news.

He said, Do you wanna put your name on it? I say yeah. He says, Are you sure? You know, whats gonna happen to you, right? I didnt care. They already know who I am anyway.

The police targeting me started ASAP. That very same night they started with their bullshit, everything that transpired from the night they killed him up until I got sentenced. The first case came about when they finally figured out that I wasnt going to give them the original video. Childrens Affairs kept coming to my house. And I kept telling them, No. They went to my childs mothers job, asking her for the video. Shes telling them, No. She lost her job. Eventually, the night that they ruled it a homicide, it was a couple days after I ended up getting locked up for gun possession. It was never found on me. No fingerprints on the gun. Nothing. And then when I got sentenced and sent to prison, that was a whole other story.

Its never ending. Sometimes I dont even like doing these interviews because I get backlash. Every time I talk, they start to put pressure on me. I cant even pay attention to the Black Lives Matter movement, or with Erics situation, because Im personally dealing with a battle with the NYPD.

When I bailed out for the gun case, the drug case came about. They said I was selling drugs to an undercover, and that I was a kingpin of a drug organization. They had me, my moms, and my so-called brother and 20 other people. It was a big indictment, and they had me at the head. This time, locked up on Rikers Island, I find rat poison in my food. That felt pretty much targeted for me.

I ended up exposing that. That got me home. I raised enough money to bail out on the drug case, so now Im out on two bails. I leave Staten Island, and I go back to the Lower East Side, where Im from, and no less than a week later, they target me again, said that I sold drugs to an undercover in my neighborhood. I go to court and find out that the drugs were fake anyways, so they couldnt charge me. But then, they try to switch it up and said that I robbed her for the mark money. They tried to hit me with a robbery charge on police. Obviously, it was bullshit. Even the judge was like, How the fuck does he rob police? I bailed out on that case before they even dropped it completely.

I just hired a civil-rights lawyer because I got concrete proof of nonstop fucking harassment. I got voice recordings, I got text messages from parole, I got everything. They stopped me from leaving this state. I just got off parole, but Im still on federal bail. And its still hard to get out of this state, even though I just finished state parole.

But I dont want my story to discourage anyone from filming police. Just get legal representatives before you expose that video, because if it just so happens to become a situation that sparks a situation, you will become a situation. They cant lock us all up or set us all up when everybodys pulling out their cameras. Whether you like it or not, you have to have an opinion about it or you have to be doing something about it. Keep exposing them.

Feidin Santana witnessed Walter Scott get shot in the back by Officer Michael Slager in North Charleston, South Carolina, on April 4, 2015. The police officer had pulled Scott over for a faulty brake light. Scott then fled on foot, and Slager pursued him, shooting him first with a taser, then firing eight rounds at him with a gun.

Santana, an immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was on his way to work at a barbershop when he saw the scene unfold and decided to record it. In the days leading up to the shooting, he had been preparing to move back to the DR.

Feidin Santana filmed the killing of Walter Scott, whom he didnt know, at 9:30 a.m. on April 4, 2015, in North Charleston, SC.

Here, the same location at 9:30 a.m. on January 14, 2022.

Photographs by Joshua Rashaad McFadden

I was running late to my job when I saw a chase between an officer and a man. They had a little bit of a struggle, and I saw Walter Scott screaming. I decided to pull my phone out and just record, to prevent some bad outcome from happening. To intimidate the officer with my camera, I got closer; that way, he could be aware that someone was there.

But it didnt happen the way that I thought it would. Walter Scott got up, and the officer deployed his weapon on him, shooting him eight times while he was running away.

Had I been in my right mind, I would not have stayed to stand behind a shooting. But I was really frozen; I never put down my phone. I never got on the ground afraid that I might get shot.

It was very difficult for me to process it. As an immigrant, I always believed that officers are living up to their values of protecting and serving citizens. It was really shocking to see the exact opposite.

I was very nervous. I spoke with several witnesses around the area about recording the video. As soon as they saw it, they all backed away from me, like, Listen, man, like you are in problems.

That was the dilemma. Morally I want to do the right thing, but at the same time I need to go back to my country, my roots, and my family. And I knew that if I gave up the video, I would be involved in the legal process.

So a few hours later, Im cutting hair in the shop and I see the story on the news. And they say there was a shooting with a Black man and an officer involved, and the victim died. But according to police, the officer acted in self-defense.

That was really the trigger. I had to forget about my personal dreams and stand up for justice. I understood that my only decision should be to give the video to Walter Scotts family so they can know the truth of what happened.

I received a lot of harassment for that. I received death threats, messages telling me that I shouldnt be involved in the case, that I should have stayed quiet. I just thought that everybody would understand that it doesnt matter if theyre Black, white, Hispanic, even police. I thought they would go against this guy for committing a homicide. But when I saw so many people defending the officer and, even in the trial, being denigrated by the defense attorney which I know is his job I was like, Wow, hes defending the indefensible.

This individualistic mentality is not going to take us anywhere; in order to change things, we have to work collectively. And we cannot be hiding against injustice. I think being silent on these issues is just as criminal as being the person who pulled the trigger. Thats why I decided to stand up and believe in this. And it didnt matter that my life was in danger. It didnt matter if I was going to face any retaliation. I understood that that was the right thing to do till this day.

Abdullah Muflahi is owner of the Triple S Food Mart in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. There, on July 5, 2016, two police officers Blane Salamoni and Howie Lake tackled Alton Sterling to the ground and later shot him. The scene was captured by Muflahi on his cell phone and also on his stores security cameras.

The police took Muflahi into custody for several hours; he alleges they confiscated the surveillance video without a warrant. Muflahi has sued the City of Baton Rouge; officers Salamoni and Lake; two other officers, who later arrived on the scene; and the thenpolice chief for false imprisonment, illegal taking of his property, and the illegal seizure of his business establishment. The case is ongoing.

Abdullah Muflahi filmed the killing of Alton Sterling outside the Triple S Food Mart at 12:30 a.m., July 5, 2016, in Baton Rouge, LA.

Here, the same location at 12:30 a.m. on January 18, 2022.

Photographs by Joshua Rashaad McFadden

I had never seen a man get shot to death. It wasnt easy observing all that and taking it all in. It made me feel numb for a long time, and Im just finally getting out of it and kind of opening back up. It changed my life dramatically.

Right after I recorded the shooting, they locked me in the police car. It was hot, there was no AC coming to the back; I was in there for five or six hours I was afraid. I didnt know what was going to happen. It was very hard to all take in. I didnt do nothing. I was just there to witness it, there at the wrong time, wrong place. They didnt let me use the bathroom; they didnt let me have a bottle of water, even when I was in the hot car sweating. After that, they took me to a police station somewhere, and they locked me in a room for maybe another two hours. They treated me as if I was the bad guy. It was wrong. There was no professionalism at all. They just said that Iwas a witness and they needed me away from everybody. Finally, someone came to take my statement and drove me back to the store.

They told me that they had a search warrant to take the surveillance-camera system in the store, but I found out later that they had already unplugged and taken it hours beforehand. I didnt share the cell-phone video publicly until I went to my lawyer for advice. I was scared to do anything with it. But my heart wouldnt let me just stay quiet and let it go. I had to let it out. People needed to see the video. His family needed to see the truth.

Seeing other police shootings brings back a lot of flashbacks to the point where I cant sleep at night. But it just shows that the officers in this country need more training and more patience when theyre dealing with people on the street. They should learn how to de-escalate problems rather than escalate. I understand that its a very tough job. But this is what they chose to do, and they should do it correctly.

Diamond Reynolds was the girlfriend of Philando Castile when he was killed by police near Minneapolis on July 6, 2016. She and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car with him that night when they were pulled over ostensibly for having a broken taillight. (It was revealed later that the police thought Castile might resemble a robbery suspect.) Moments later, Officer Jeronimo Yanez shot and killed Castile as he reached for his wallet. Reynolds livestreamed the immediate aftermath on Facebook; the footage quickly went viral.

The Castile family eventually reached a $3 million settlement with the City of St. Anthony, Minnesota. Yanez was charged with second-degree manslaughter but ultimately acquitted. Afterward, Reynolds felt her community shunned her.

Diamond Reynolds filmed the aftermath of the killing of her boyfriend, Philando Castile, from the passenger seat of his car at 9 p.m. on July 6, 2016, in Falcon Heights, MN.

Here, the same location at 9 p.m. on January 16, 2022.

Photographs by Joshua Rashaad McFadden

We were leaving the grocery store, and Philando noticed we were being followed. We end up getting pulled over. The officer asked Phil, Do you know why youre being pulled over? Phil said he didnt know. I didnt know why either. The police officer asked for Philandos registration and license and he was a little nervous, so he told the officer, I have to look for it.

Philando was trying to ask him, Is it okay if I go and reach for my ID and my license and things that are in my pocket? But before I can reach, I have to tell you that I am concealed and licensed to carry. And before he can finish his statement, next thing you know, shots went into the car with me and my daughter, DaeAnna.

I couldnt believe it was happening. I was in disbelief. I thought he was still alive. I thought it was a dream. I thought it was a nightmare.

I whipped out my phone in the heat of the moment and started recording. Even though my phone only had like 5 percent battery life left, something took over my body, mind, soul that said, Record this, because if you dont, theres no telling where the story could end up, what they can make of this, what lies they can tell. And I didnt want to get blamed for Philandos murder.

That was when I decided to stream it to Facebook Live.

My daughter was 4 at the time. Philando was a father figure in her life and a very good role model to her. Seeing him get killed was such a shock. She now has nightmares and a hard time trusting authority. She still faces trauma every day. And shes in therapy, but therapy can only help her so much. I think seeing Phil not get any justice made her feel like the system failed us tremendously.

I have really bad anxiety and PTSD now. I dont drive my car at night because Im so fearful of what will happen to me and my daughter. Its been very hard to make relationships. After the shooting, the community separated themselves away from me. Me and my daughter began to get death threats. Philandos mother began stating that if her son was never with me, he would still be alive. Ive basically been blackballed. Anything that Minnesota has done on the behalf of Philando, I havent been invited to.

My daughter and I were both in that car. Why werent our lives taken more seriously? Why werent people checking to see if we were okay? What happens once all the cameras go away? What happens once its been years since loved ones have been deceased? What is the outcome? What is the change? What is different?

His mother, his family, probably felt like I was never good enough for him anyway. Im low-class. Im in poverty. Even though I worked a full-time and a part-time job at the time, and I have my own house, I was still struggling and I didnt have a lot of support with family. Philando was there for me every step of the way. I feel like his family hasnt supported me since his death because they never wanted me with him in the first place. To this day, Im like the most hated person in Minnesota. People are speculating that I received a million dollars in settlement. I never once received an increment of a million dollars. I have to pay all five of my lawyers. I have to pay restitution and fees. The amount that was posted in the media was not even close to what I received.

After that, in fact, I was still struggling. I was homeless. I went into a downward spiral; I was very depressed and didnt come out of my house for six months. No one would provide me moral support; everyone would basically solicit my story and make money off of it or use me.

My daughter has dreams and goals of traveling around the world, of telling her story to kids that have also been affected by not just gun violence but police brutality, on how to heal and overcome. About the challenges that shes faced from 4 to 10 years old. And the platform that we have is not for us here in Minnesota, because no one supports our movement.

On the anniversary of Philandos death, me and my daughter will go to the place over on Larpenteur where it actually happened, and well lay flowers down, because thats the only thing that we have. And even that little place, they made that into a peace garden. They have done so many things with that section of land where Philando was killed, and they have not once included me and DaeAnna. It doesnt even feel like the same place.

Sometimes I regret even being where I was at that point in time, because I recorded the immediate aftermath of him being killed. If none of that helped him after he was gone, then why did I do it? My videos were spot on. How is it that Darnella Fraziers videos were able to get justice for George Floyd but my video wasnt enough to get Philando Castile justice? And now I have to live with this for the rest of my life. Im living with the hurt in my heart and nightmares every night of seeing my beloved being killed in the seat next to me with blood all over his shirt. Im the one that can still smell the gunpowder. Im the one that has to constantly explain to my daughter that not all cops are bad, even though she doesnt believe me. Im the one that has to go above and beyond my call of duty to even let my story be heard, because no one feels Philando Castile got any justice at all.

Thanks, America.

Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism. If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the January 31, 2022, issue of New YorkMagazine.

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What Happened to the Witnesses - New York Magazine

The hoodie Trayvon Martin was wearing when he was killed. Photo: State of Florida

The history of the hoodie aligns with Americas divisions of class, race, and identity. It has served as a vehicle for both this countrys dreams (athleticism, higher education, luxury) and denials (counterculture, anti-Establishment, racial injustice). It was born in the 1930s at Champion when the clothing company that made sweatshirts attached a hood. It soon became popular with athletes and laborers in the Northeast because the added fabric served as a form of protection against the elements and later with high-school athletes, who would wear their schools logos and crests on their chests.

Then, in 1973, the beat dropped in the Bronx, and the hoodie became the uniform of MCs, stickup kids, graffiti artists, and b-boys. A staple of hip-hop culture, the hoodie represented defiance, the down low, discretion, and dignity. When skateboard kids in L.A. and punk-rockers in NYC adopted it, the sweatshirt with a hood became a symbol of disruption. Suddenly, the counterculture found itself with a new street-style standard that could be idiosyncratic by way of color, size, patches, shredding, band logos, safety pins, skulls and crossbones, bleaching, or whatever you wanted to add to say Fuck you!

In the golden era of hip-hop, the hoodie went global. Tupac Shakur wears the hoodie in the movie poster for Juice, as do the Wu-Tang Clan on the cover of their debut album, Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers), in 1993. This is when the fashion industry began appropriating the urban look, creating the luxury versions of the hoodie worn on the runways of Gucci, Prada, Versace, Ralph Lauren, Isaac Mizrahi, Chanel, and Giorgio Armani. Like hip-hop, the hoodie had crossed over again.

But its association with Black culture raised the hackles of the white Establishment. In 2005, the NBA (under thenCommissioner David Stern) announced its controversial dress code aimed at clothing associated with hip-hop culture, banning players from wearing jerseys, shorts, hats, durags, T-shirts, large jewelry, sneakers, boots (especially Timberlands), and hoodies.

Then Trayvon Martin was fatally shot, and his killing made the hoodie a symbol of Black life, internalized anger, and social justice globally. On March 21, 2012, activists in New York staged the Million Hoodie march from Union Square to the U.N. That day, I wore my hoodie on the subway, walking through the streets of midtown, and at work in the offices of Time Inc. along with my colleagues, instead of our usual blazers and slacks, jeans and button-downs.

Today, for Black public figures, the hoodie thanks in large part to Trayvons death has become a superhero cape, the uniform for those who want to make a statement about social and racial justice. The hoodie has become a fundamental piece of my wardrobe since the killing of Trayvon, even more during the COVID-19 pandemic, and most definitely since the murder of George Floyd. What the hoodie has come to represent for me is a sense of comfort, of safety, and a pointed message to the world that as a Black gay man living with HIV in this country, my life and the lives of my community matter no matter how uncomfortable it makes white America feel.

Thank you for subscribing and supporting our journalism. If you prefer to read in print, you can also find this article in the January 31, 2022, issue of New YorkMagazine.

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The History of the Hoodie Aligns With America's Divisions - The Cut

For the past decade, Tallahassee attorney Ben Crump has been on the front line of the Black Lives Matter movement, representing families of African Americans killed by police. He is a constant presence in courtrooms and protests around the country.

Crump will be in Tampa next week, for a Black History Month celebration at the Tampa Bay History Center.

He spoke with WUSF's Bradley George. Below is an edited transcript of their conversation.

What's a case that you've been involved with that people may not be as aware of that you think they should know about?

I think Corey Jones is one that often gets overlooked. Corey Jones was killed in West Palm Beach by an undercover police officer. He was parked on side of the road at about 3 in the morning, waiting for a tow truck. It's just heartbreaking because, but for the recording from the tow truck driver, the police officer told lies and would have got away with it. The other, I would say, would be Markeis McGlockton right there in Clearwater, Florida. This young man who was killed by this white man who for whatever reason, thought he had a right to impose his will on this Black family. And when Markeis McGlockton sought to defend his Black family, the white man shot him. And I think these cases are significant because you see us making progress where people are now starting to, in some instances, to be held accountable for killing unarmed Black people especially Black men which was something so rare, something so remote, a decade ago.

I think about all the times I've seen you in the media at press conferences and rallies. You're with these families who are just broken. They're going through the worst possible thing to go through the loss of a loved one. What do you say to a family in that moment?

I tell them that we're going to work as hard as any law firm on the planet to try to get to the truth of what happened to your loved one. Oftentimes, in their heart, they already know the truth because they know the personality of their loved ones. But I tell them we have to come up with objective evidence to demonstrate the truth. And in a police shooting most of the times I tell them we have to come up with irrefutable evidence to overcome this presumption of the police narrative that whatever the police say, it's going to be taken as the gospel by American society.

You're speaking at this event that's honoring Dr. Bernard Lafayette, who was born in Tampa. A legendary figure in his own right. I wonder, have you two crossed paths in your work?

I don't. But I know Delano Stewart and Carolyn House Stewart, who are mentors of mine. In fact, Delano Stewart is the father of Black lawyers in the state of Florida, and definitely the godfather of Black lawyers. And I know when we talk about this history museum in Tampa, Tampa has such a rich history to offer as a blueprint for our young people to say, this is how you stand up for the rights the civil rights and human rights of people who have been historically and traditionally denied equal opportunity and access to the American dream.

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'You see us making progress.' Attorney Ben Crump on the fight for Black lives - WUSF News

Missouris first Black congresswomans car was littered with bullets last weekend while it was parked in St. Louis. Despite sources believing she was not the intended target of the gunplay, the politician continues to receive a great outpouring of support from the community.

NBC News states while U.S. House Rep. Cori Bush was not in the car when it was shot up, nor was she injured, but she is still shaken.

Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., attends a news conference on the FIX Clemency Act outside the U.S. Capitol on Friday, December 10, 2021. (Photo By Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Like far too many of us in St. Louis, experiencing gun violence is all too familiar, Bush said in a statement released on Twitter. Thankfully no one was harmed. But any act of gun violence shakes your soul.

The progressive steered the conversation from herself and drew attention to a much larger issue.

No one should have to fear for their safety here in St. Louis, and that is exactly why our movement is working every day to invest in our communities, eradicate the root causes of gun violence, and keep every neighborhood safe, she continued.

A source close to her says that it is believed the shooting, allegedly on the morning of Jan. 22, was not intended for the congresswoman but the incident is disturbing. The representative also says that there was evidence that other vehicles were tampered with over the weekend in the same area of the shooting.

One guest on Fox News described the incident as what he claimed is natural consequence of the defund the police position he claims is held by Democrats. New York Police Sgt. Joseph Imperatrice, founder of Blue Lives Matter NYC, told the anchor last week, The harsh truth is we need the lawmakers to be victims.

During a segment called Americans Crime Crisis, another comment made on air was, Of course, we would never wish any harm whatsoever on any American, let alone a politician we disagreed with. BUT

Congressman Jamal Bowman, the representative from the Bronx, stood up for his colleague and blasted the right-leaning Fox mouthers, saying, This is vile and disgusting.

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We are thankful that Cori is safe and unharmed. Thats the only thing that needs to be said. You all can sit there and continue to be mad and hateful. Shell keep doing the peoples work with love and conviction, he tweeted.

He was not the only one grateful that she was safe.

Former Ohio State Sen. Nina Turner also used her social media platform to support Bush, writing, I love you and I am so sorry you, your family and team have to endure this just because you speak for justice. It is unclear if Turner believes the gunshots were meant for the congresswoman or if she was providing sisterly support after various right-wingers and white supremacists as well as other groups attacked her.

Comedian Kathy Griffin tweeted in response to the shooting, Oh my God, Congresswoman! Glad to hear you are unharmed, but so sorry you had to go through this traumatic experience.

This is not the first time that Bush has had her car violated. In 2020, her car was shot up. She shared the story on Twitter.

She tweeted on Jun. 10, 2020, My car took the bullets. I am safe. When I say that I am the people I serve, its not a slogan! A bullet went through my door handle on one side of the car, another went through my tire on the other side. Im committed to taking us from surviving St. Louis to living it.

After becoming a leader for prison reform and police violence eradication in 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, the minister and nurse was so moved by the Michael Brown slaying that she could not sit still, shortly afterward became a political voice. The activist then lived just six minutes from where Brown, an 18-year-old Black teen, was killed.

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Congresswoman Cori Bushs Car Shot Up In St. Louis, Blue Lives Matter Spokesman Has Vile Response: We Need the Lawmakers to be Victims - Yahoo News