Terrell Owens was always an outspoken player during his days in the NFL and sometimes, it got him into trouble. Regardless, he is widely considered to be one of the greatest receivers ever and he certainly has the stats to back it up. Unfortunately, his abilities on the field didn’t always allow him to move freely when it came to the various teams he played for.

During an interview with TMZ, Owens made the revelation that he faced systemic racism while playing in the league, specifically with the San Francisco 49ers. More specifically, Owens said head coach Steve Mariucci was a culprit.

“I could’ve still continued to play but because I was outspoken, because of who I was, I wasn’t allowed the opportunity,” Owens said. “Because I was outspoken. Because of who I was and because of some of the coaches that said things behind closed doors and got in the ears of these owners, that’s why I wasn’t able to really continue on with my career. To me, that was systemic racism. I experienced it when I was in San Francisco under coach Mariucci. I experienced it. Trust me, I experienced it.”

These are pretty hefty accusations although, considering the NFL’s history, it’s not all that surprising. Owens was always seen as misunderstood and there were times when he wasn’t allowed to express himself. If he feels this way, there has to be some credence to it.

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Adidas came under fire last week after one of their employees, Julia Bond, came out with a letter addressed to the company noting that there was a problem with racism in the workplace. Bond noted that there have been numerous instances of racism during her time with the company and that she and her colleagues planned to stage protests outside of the company campus. Adidas eventually replied to these allegations and pledged $20 million to the black community. After receiving backlash for donating so little, Adidas upped their contribution to $120 million.

Despite these attempts to make things right, Bond recently told Highsnobiety that she plans to continue her protests and that she still wants a real apology from the company. She also spoke about some specific incidents in which she encountered racism. She alleged that some white employees would say things like “moving at a coon’s pace” whenever a black colleague would show up late to a meeting. Bond also said one employee used an image of a white skateboarder with a Confederate flag during a meeting with her.

“Money is a very empty thing, and these are all symptomatic promises, but they are not addressing the systemic changes that need to happen within the brand,” Bond said. 

Adidas’ employees have every intention of continuing this fight and it will be interesting to see how the brand responds in the future.

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Last Saturday, Elmo provided some insight on the Black Lives Matter movement with the Sesame Streeteducational special titled Coming Together: Standing Up to Racism. “Racism is when people treat other people unfairly because of the way they look or the color of their skin. Not all streets are like Sesame Street. On Sesame Street, we all love and respect one another. Across the country, people of color, especially in the black community, are being treated unfairly because of how they look, their culture, race and who they are,” explained Elmo’s father, Louie. “They are sad and upset, and they have every right to be, Elmo. People are upset because racism is a huge problem in our country,” he continued.

Tucker Carlson played the skit and expressed his outrage at the fictional character on Fox News. “It’s a children’s show,” said Tucker. “Got that, Bobby? America is a very bad place and it’s your fault, so no matter what happens, no matter what they do to you when you grow up, you have no right to complain. That’s the message and it starts very young.”

“Everyone in the streets combating racism has Tucker “Chicken Heir” Carlson so mad he’s accusing Elmo of being Antifa ,” said U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez in response to Carlson’s Fox News rant.

Carlson voiced his opposition to the Black Lives Matter movement during his news segment the day before as well: “This may be a lot of things, this moment we are living through, but it is definitely not about black lives and remember that when they come for you, and at this rate, they will.”

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As communities around the world gather together to protest police brutality, another story has emerged with an ending that is all too familiar. Tacoma, WA police officers tried to arrest Manuel Ellis on March 3rd when they claimed to have seen him "trying to open car doors of occupied vehicles." From there, the police said that Ellis was "combative" which is why they took aggressive measures to physically restrain him.

CNN reports that new audio and video footage has emerged revealing that Ellis was yelling, "I can't breathe" as police officers asked for hobbles. Minutes after he's heard screaming this, the police said they demanded for an ambulance to arrive. Ellis' family lawyer said that the family is positive that it's him on the recording. Police have also confirmed this, though they said that there is additional video footage. When he said he couldn't breathe they rolled him on the side and he was breathing and he was talking," Ed Troyer, spokesman for the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, claimed.

Regardless of what the police say might have happened, Ellis was unarmed and the autopsy revealed that his murder was the caused by respiratory arrest due to hypoxia caused by physical restraint, a condition where not enough oxygen is flowing through the body. 

After the four officers involved in Ellis' death were placed on leave, Tacoma Mayor Victoria Woodards demanded that they are arrested and prosecuted to the fullest degree. "In this moment, at this time, based on the information I know today, the officers' actions we saw on this video tonight only confirmed that Manuel Ellis' death was a homicide," Woodards said Thursday in a news conference. "I am asking -- no, I am telling you that I am going to call for several things, and the officers who committed this crime should be fired and prosecuted to the full extent of the law."

Oprah Winfrey will be conducting a two-night virtual town hall with Black thought leaders, activists, and artists to discuss systemic racism in America, a topic that has been the focus of the mainstream dialogue more than ever following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis a few weeks ago. 

“I’ve been having private conversations with friends and thought leaders about what’s next and where we go from here,” Oprah said. “I thought it would be both of interest and service to bring their ideas, concerns and comments into a national spotlight.” The special, titled OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here?, will be broadcasted on OWN as well as all of the networks attached to its parent company, Discovery 18.

Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Statue Of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation

“As a network dedicated to supporting and uplifting Black lives, OWN is committed to providing our community with important dialogue and helpful resources in this challenging time as we mourn the murder of George Floyd and ask ourselves how can we come together to create meaningful change,” OWN president, Tina Perry, said. “I am proud that our Discovery family has joined us to amplify this message in solidarity.”

“There is no one like Oprah to bring us all together at this critical moment in our history to offer insights, perspective and action,” president and CEO of Discovery, Inc., David Zaslav, said. “We are honoured to partner with OWN and use our global reach to amplify this important discussion about the global issues of economic and social justice and equality to a potential audience of one billion people across more than 200 markets in a way that only Discovery can.”

Guest speakers include: filmmaker Ava DuVernay,actor David Oyelowo, politician Stacey Abrams, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, journalist Charles M. Blow, professor and author Jennifer Eberhardt, journalist and founder of the “1619 Project” Nikole Hannah-Jones, historian and author Ibram Kendi, Color of Change founder Rashad Robinson, and NAACP national board member Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. Part 1 of Where Do We Go From Here?will air on Tuesday, June 9th, and Part 2 on Wednesday, June 10th.

This week, while I was discussing different Black revolutionary texts with a friend in the midst of socio-political upheaval, she referenced an incredibly powerful Audre Lorde essay: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” (which you can read here). In the essay, Lorde explains that to bring about real, systemic change, we cannot work within the same racist institutions and systems built on these principals. As protests erupted in all 50 states this past weekend, and as celebrities chimed in on the dialogue, I think the Black community needs to be reminded of something. 

With the amount of resistance being faced by Black Americans as they attempt to disrupt oppressive systems in the country, one would wonder what makes dismantling white supremacy so controversial. In this piece, I will explain why the Black community needs to let go of respectability politics to usher in a new era of Black liberation. 

Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy has long been misappropriated as a tool for respectability politics: the idea that marginalized groups need to behave in a ‘respectable way’ in order to receive better treatment from the group in power. This means that Black people need to talk right, act right, and dress right in order to avoid maltreatment from the white ruling class– ‘right’ meaning as closely aligned to whiteness as possible. Respectability politics are best illustrated when Black boys, or men, get murdered by law enforcement and people attempt to justify the killing by bringing up the way they dress, or maybe a history of smoking weed. The justification is that because this Black boy had on a hoodie and sagging pants, and because this Black boy smelled like weed, he therefore deserved it. Not all Black boys wear hoodies and sag their pants, and not all Black boys smoke weed, however, the point is, Black boys are policed as if these things equate to them being a criminal. George Zimmerman described Trayvon Martin as wearing a hoodie the night he killed the unarmed teenager, and claimed self-defense in fear for his life. The judge in the case also allowed evidence of Martin’s marijuana use to be used in the case, although this had absolutely nothing to do with Martin’s murder. 

AUGUST 1963 – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a crowd at the March On Washington D.C – CNP/Getty Images

The idea of respectability politics is that, if Black people act and conduct themselves in a “proper manner,” they can avoid being subjected to white violence. They can avoid being lynched, they can avoid being murdered by law enforcement, and black women, specifically, can avoid disproportionately dying in childbirth due to medical racism. 

The appeal of respectability politics is understandable. There’s a desire to disarm and dismantle harmful stereotypes by instead exposing people to counter-stereotypic examples. If Black people are stereotyped as “poor,” “lazy,” and “thugs,” then exposing people to college-educated Black scholars or the Black elite who are actively disproving these stereotypes is rational. However, we need to finally recognize that respectability politics is nothing more than a coping mechanism that places the burden of change on marginalized communities. It also is not the answer in the fight for equality, systemic racism cannot be combated with “proper” behavior. Dr. King was still assassinated, regardless of how “respectable” he was. 

1963: civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King, Jr., protest with signs as they march on D.C. – Buyenlarge/Getty Images 

Respectability politics has become so deeply internalized in the Black community that we’ve convinced ourselves we can avoid white hate by simply not acting in a way they would deem deplorable. As rapper Noname said, white supremacy is masterful because of the number of tools it employs for different oppressive systems. Respectability politics is no different. Our celebrities and Black elite are often agents of white supremacy by pushing the narrative of respectability politics, believing that members of the community can earn respect from white America by simply “acting right.”

Last week, Shameik Moore offered a thread to the black community on how to best “avoid” being killed by the police. Somehow, Shameik rationalized that we must work within our community to get the white ruling class to stop killing our people. “I refuse to have a slave mentality,” He said. “I don’t not fear for my life because I know how to carry myself in tuff situations.” Last Saturday, two Atlanta college students, Messiah Young and Taniyah Pilgrim, were surrounded by six officers who tased them and dragged them out of their car as they attempted to leave a protest after curfew. Young sustained a fractured arm and 24 stitches when he was pulled from the car. Excessive force was still used against Young and Pilgrim by law enforcement, despite their status as being college-educated. With the power of education, these students certainly do not have a “slave mentality,” yet were still brutalized by law enforcement.

MAY 1963 – A water cannon is used on Black children and teens, during a protest against segregation, organized by Martin Luther King Jr. and Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, in Birmingham, Alabama – Frank Rockstroh/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Lil Wayne argued that when speaking about police brutality, you need to get specific. You can’t blame all white people or all cops. Wayne said, “And if we want to place the blame on anybody, it should be ourselves for not doing more than what we think we’re doing.” To Wayne, it’s solely the black community’s responsibility to do more, in order to avoid potential violent run-ins with law enforcement. Wayne does not believe there is a systemic problem in the criminal justice system, despite UN Human Rights appointed experts calling for the U.S. to reform their criminal justice system which has roots in slavery. 

MAY 1963 – A Black woman fights with policemen during a protest against segregation in Birmingham, Alabama – Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Killer Mike who comes from a family of police officers, pleaded with Atlanta citizens at a recent press conference, as they ravaged through their city to “stop burning down their own homes.” He said that now is not the time to riot, but instead to plan and organize, to vote for new officials, and to ensure the police officers involved in George Floyd’s murder are prosecuted. Prosecuting the officers involved will do little for systemic change in an institution founded on racism. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) has recently been granted permission to investigate people protesting George Floyd’s death. Now, what does the DEA have to do with socio-political upheaval? Absolutely nothing.

“Drug enforcement” has long been used as a euphemism for racial profiling. The fact that the DEA is involved at all–the same government body that waged the War on Drugs which has had devastating long term impacts on the Black community– illustrates America’s institutional racism perfectly. Even with reform within the local criminal justice systems, there’s still a larger change within federal law enforcement that needs to happen in order to fully eradicate systemic oppression.

What all of these prominent figures in Black culture fail to realize is that white supremacy will not and cannot be dismantled with respectability politics. This narrative of respectability politics is dangerous. It does nothing to tackle the actual issue of white supremacy. Black people should not have to earn respect to be treated humanely. Black people should not have to conduct themselves in a specific manner to avoid being murdered at the hands of law enforcement. Respectability politics will not dismantle 200-year-old systems of white supremacy deeply entrenched in the very institution that is meant to protect us. If we attempt to use the same systems created to oppress us to achieve change, none of our efforts will be longstanding. 

The blueprint for law enforcement in the United States originated from slave patrols in the nineteenth century. These slave patrols had three main priorities: “(1) to chase down, apprehend, and return to their owners, runaway slaves; (2) to provide a form of organized terror to deter slave revolts; and, (3) to maintain a form of discipline for slave-workers who were subject to summary justice, outside the law.” This organized terror was considered a civic duty, to subdue and oppress African Americans in the South as much as possible. Slave patrols also enforced curfews and worked to prevent any sort of organized resistance. Now, 200 years later, as American law enforcement patrol through American cities aggressively attempting to subdue protestors and enforce curfews, one would wonder what has truly changed since the era of slave patrols. The whole system of American policing was built on principles of white supremacy and it is past the point of reforming, simply prosecuting officers involved in George Floyd and Breonna Taylor’s murder is not enough. The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.

1831: Slaves rebelling in Virginia during the revolt led by Nat Turner – MPI/Getty Images

Even now, as protests across the country turn into riots, respectability politics still echoes in many criticisms of protestors. A particular comment I came across regarding the rioting and looting in Minneapolis that ensued last week really struck me with the level of naivety and flawed thinking: “They were taking us serious before y’all started robbing Target.” Not only is this untrue, but it also places unrealistic expectations on Black rage. White people can trash a city and riot for no reason other than their sports team losing a game, which is precisely what happened in 2018 when the Philadelphia Eagles defeated the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl LII. Patriots fans in Philadelphia began to flip cars and light trash cans on fire in the streets. This happened again after the 2016 World Series, and again after the 2014 World Series. Yet, somehow, Black anger from centuries of systemic racism is inappropriate. 

To the Black community, it is time to let go of respectability politics. As long as white supremacy persists, we will never completely earn that “respect,” no matter how close we assimilate to whiteness. The media paints protestors as violent and senseless rioters and looters with no purpose, but the truth is, Black people are fed up. As Malcolm X once said, “If you’re not careful the newspapers will have you hating the oppressed and loving the people who are doing the oppressing.” Black people have tried peaceful protesting. We have tried kneeling. We have tried raising awareness. We have tried respectability politics. And yet, they still keep killing us. 

MAY 2020 – Police remove people from a vehicle during the George Floyd protest in Minneapolis, Minnesota – Scott Olson/Getty Images

Unfortunately, you can’t fight tear gas with roses and eucalyptus. You can’t and shouldn’t have to be peaceful in reaction to 200 years of white violence. As the president hides away in a bunker ready to wage war against his citizens, even he cannot deny that the revolution is upon us. And it is not meant to be pretty. It is time to dismantle the system.

I leave you with some Black liberation texts to explore if you want to understand how to achieve full liberation. New Reader has provided a collection of texts completely free of charge by prominent race scholars like Audre Lorde, bell hooks, James Baldwin, and Huey P. Newton. Here is the link. The answers are in the text.

Joe Rogan often has guests he doesn’t necessarily agree with, simply to engage in a debate where he can learn more. It’s one of the biggest issues with social media algorithms, in the sense that, whatever you engage with you will receive more of– thus forcing you deeper into one side of an issue, without any information on the opposing view. This allows for extreme views on either side of spectrum.

As the world is still grappling with the protests and riots, Rogan hosted two guests who run an opinion-based news commentary show for The Hill, called Rising. Krystal and Saagar bring to light certain political issues or views you might not even be aware– it’s actually a pretty interesting episode.

Stuart Franklin/Getty Images

Among the discussion points, they discuss the protests and riots and how to quell them, as well as where we go from here. Interestingly enough, Rogan advocates that chokeholds shouldn’t necessarily be banned from the police force– although Minneapolis has announced exactly such a ban today.

As Rogan explains, the chokehold is an effective way of putting someone unconscious if you’re trained in martial arts. Which, let’s face it, most cops are clearly not.

“I don’t think you should make chokeholds illegal. If you’re a cop and you’re in a fight for your life against someone whose done something horrible, you should be able to use ji jitsu and one of the best techniques in ji jitsu is choking people unconscious. And it’s not that dangerous– it’s not as dangerous as beating someone, it’s not as dangerous as head trauma.”

As far as what Derek Chauvin to George Floyd, Rogan continues: “What that guy did, was just torture. It has nothing to do with utilizing a good martial art technique to subdue a perpetrator.”

After the death of George Floyd at the hands of police, numerous brands came out with statements in support of the black community and even sought to educate people of systemically racist power structures. Nike launched a ‘Don’t Do It” ad campaign which spoke out against racism but now they are making a statement in an even bigger way.

It is being reported that Nike will now pledge $40 million to the black community over the next four years. This $40 million will be split amongst Nike, Jordan Brand, and even Converse. President and CEO of Nike John Donahoe came out with a powerful statement as to why this contribution is so necessary.

Christian Petersen/Getty Images 

“Systemic racism and the events that have unfolded across America over the past few weeks serve as an urgent reminder of the continued change needed in our society,” said Donahoe. “We know Black Lives Matter. We must educate ourselves more deeply on the issues faced by Black communities and understand the enormous suffering and senseless tragedy racial bigotry creates. The Nike Inc. family can always do more but will never stop striving to role model how a diverse company acts. We will continue our focus on being more representative of our consumers while doing our part in the communities we serve.”

With this latest donation in mind, we will surely be seeing even more pledges over the next few weeks. Hopefully, this all leads to real change.

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Theo Von has a pretty eclectic array of guests on his podcast, This Past Weekend. As Boosie Badazz touches down in L.A., the rapper made a surprise appearance on Theo’s podcast, for a candid conversation mainly about race, and issues therein.

In light of protests championing George Floyd’s brutal death at the hands of police, the conversation is very relevant. Boosie shares his take on the protests and riots, as well as the Black experience in America, questioning why no President has ever tried to give Black people reparations, and speaking on just how common police brutality is.

“I think it’s all well-deserved,” Boosie said soberly, in response to whether he sees a difference between the protestors and the looters.

“It been going on,” Boosie said of police killing Black man, citing his own neighborhood hero who he says was “smashed” by a cop, resulting in his death. “It’s just now we got ’em. As soon as something happened it get out. If they didn’t have those cameras– those phones– it blessed us — now they see what they’ve been doing for twenty five years.”

As far as the protests, Boosie elaborates on the elements coming together to create a perfect storm: “People tired of being at home, our President’s crazy, it wasn’t the time for this. Especially for Black people,” Boosie says, before questioning: “Black people should be paid, like the Indians, our race been through more shit than anybody. Why hasn’t any President said why aren’t the Black Americans compensated? We was hanged, our wealth was stolen from us– millions, kids are dying today. Black families should be compensated, why no motherfucking President said it, not even Obama.”

As the conversation continues, Boosie speaks on how the Black story and experience is shared rap music, and how that allows for Black families to be taken care of.