Complete turmoil struck the streets of Baltimore after the funeral of Freddy Gray on Monday.  The 25-year-old’s service was attended by approximately 2,500 people, and when it was over, over 1,000 people gathered near city hall and began to riot. The city has declared a state of emergency.

Pictures surfaced of police cars, a local CVS, and a nursing home all burning after reportedly being set ablaze by locals.  Rioters were said to have looted local stores and were seen throwing rocks at vehicles and police.  Officers were lined up with shields and helmets ready to fend off aggravated protesters. They used pepper spray on – and hurled projectiles at – those who they felt were a threat.

Reportedly, 15 police officers have been injured with broken bones, gashes from being hit with rocks, and other damages. Two have apparently been hospitalized and in critical condition.  Over 200 people have been arrested thus far.

Captain Eric Kowalczyk of the Baltimore Police Department called the downtown area a “war zone” and said that tear gas and rubber bullets will be used on rioters.

“We have officers deployed throughout the city and will continue to keep the city safe,” said Kowalczyk. “Our officers our working appropriately to arrest those who without provocation attack out police officers.”

“I have seven injured officers, one is unresponsive and some have broken bones. This is not okay. We will find the people responsible and put them in jail,” he said, before adding, “This is a lawless group of individuals.”

Gray was arrested on April 12 by six officers after he saw police and began running, according to police reports. The officers were seen dragging him into a van while he screamed in agony. It was later found that Gray’s vertebrae had been broken, and the police failed to promptly call for medical assistance. It is believed that law enforcement officials brutalized him, but the root of his injury has not yet been confirmed.  He died a week after his arrest.

Gray’s family did not appreciate the rioters overshadowing their loved one’s day of remembrance. They even offered to help clean up the city after the riots cease.

“I think the violence is wrong,” Gray’s twin sister, Fredericka Gray, said later in the chaotic day. “I don’t like it at all.”

Meanwhile, the daughter of slain and unarmed victim of police brutality Eric Garner was empathetic toward the protesters.

“They don’t know what else to do. They don’t have no [sic] jobs, they don’t have proper schooling. These kids have no hope. I’m not condoning what they are doing but they think ‘eventually this is going to happen to me, I’m going to be killed by police’, so they’re making themselves heard,” she told CNN’s Don Lemon after attending Gray’s service.

She added, “Burning down the city is not right but what other choice do we have. We’re scared.”

Gray’s 11 a.m. service was held at New Shiloh Baptist Church. Rev. Jessie Jackson, Rep. Elijah Cummings, and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake were in attendance.

Rev. Jamal Bryant—who led the service and delivered the eulogy—had powerful and motivating words for listeners that day.

‘This is not the time for us as a people to be sitting on a corner drinking malt liquor. This is not the time for us to be playing lottery,” he said.

“Get your Black self up and change this city, I don’t know how you can be Black in America and be silent,” he proceeded. “With everything we’ve been through, ain’t no way in the world you can sit here and be silent in the face of injustice.”

Jackson also said a few words, citing that the root of rampant police brutality comes from a “sick society.”

Mayor Rawlings-Blake let it be known during a press conference that she completely condemned and was disappointed by the hostile actions of citizens.

“It is very clear there is a difference between what we saw with the peaceful protests, those who wish to seek justice and wants answers… and the thugs, who only want to incite violence and destroy our city,” she stated.

‘Too many people have spent generations building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs who, in a very senseless way, are trying to tear down what so many have fought for — things that you know will impact our community for years,” she added.

Some who found unity at the protest were rival gangs and the Nation of Islam. They were photographed locking arms. In fact, the Baltimore police are claiming that they have reason to believe that the Bloods, the Crips, and the Black Guerrilla Family gangs  “have entered into a partnership to take out law enforcement officers.”

NOI members happen to believe the gangs’ union is something to be happy about.

“I can say with honesty those brothers demonstrated they can be united for a common good,” NOI Minister Carlos Muhammad said to The Daily Beast. “At the rally, they made the call that they must be united on that day. It should be commended.”

President Barack Obama has reportedly been notified of the disaster in Baltimore.  The National Guard, 5,000 police officers from neighboring states, and 1,000 local police officers are all on standby.

“We’re deploying every resource possible to gain control of this situation,”  assured Mayor Rawlings-Black.

The country has been closely tuning in to watch the city of Baltimore head into a state of emergency, with the National Guard being brought in, as protests break out after the tragic killing of Freddie Gray by the city’s police. While many have spoken in favor of the anger expressed by the city’s youth, tons of others are wishing peace upon the city. Jada Pinkett Smith is one of them, as she wrote a lengthy Facebook post on the violence outbreak in the city, and how she hopes to see it end.

“Baltimore! I know we are angry, I know we want to be heard. We want answers, we want justice but most of all we want the corrupt systems of authority in our neighborhoods that continually steal the lives of people of color and the underprivileged to be revealed and rectified. But we must do our part. Today, I see that violence begets violence making it difficult to differentiate the victims from the perpetrators,” the Baltimore native wrote.

She also speculated about what will happen if unrest continues. “Violence creates a window to vilify the victims, even in the deepest recesses of the most condolent mind. Nonviolence creates a clear view to who the offenders of justice really are. Don’t give the very system that has been using violence to terrorize and exterminate us any justification to use that very violence upon us to keep us in order. This is a time of self-discipline so that the true offenders of justice can be revealed. Stand down so that justice and the preservation of our communities are the priority and have the opportunity to prevail.”

Read the full post from Jada here.

Kandi Burruss is ready to extend her blended family with her new husband.  She has disclosed that she is currently undergoing the in vitro fertilization process in hopes that she and Todd Tucker will soon have a little bundle of joy.

“We have started the process of in vitro,” she told E! News. “So just pray for us that everything is great and we get a healthy baby! My family definitely, they definitely want a baby for me and Todd.”

As excited as Kandi seems about her future baby, how does Todd feel?  If anyone watched Real Housewives of Atlanta two weeks ago, you might be scratching your head right now, because Todd specifically said that he was “hesitant” about having a child. Kandi had met with him at dinner to ask him flat-out, “Do you still want a baby?”

Todd paused, clearly showing doubts.  His reaction left Kandi a little confused herself. “How can he have doubts about having a baby?” she wondered.

Todd was finally upfront with Kandi and told her, “I’m definitely hesitant to bring a baby into this marriage.”  He cited his differences with Mama Joyce and his dream of building “his own empire” as reasons for why having a baby wasn’t the best idea.

Whether Todd likes it or not, Kandi, who has one daughter from a previous relationship, seems adamant about bringing another child into her life. She admitted that although she is still busy with her reality shows, work continues on what’s most important.

“So much to do, nonstop, and we’re trying to make a baby right now,” she said. “I’m off from the cameras, but not off.”

In a day and age where girls on Instagram seem to be receiving high numbers of “likes” for photos of their curvy figures or lack of clothing, it’s definitely frustrating for those who are posting about their lives and career accomplishments. David Banner recently tried to speak in favor of those frustrated women. In the process, he seemingly suggested that those often risqué images were the reason some men are savages, but it quickly backfired on him.

His tweets that sparked the controversy read, “If you want a man that respects the way you think then show more mind than ass. If you cater to the savage qualities of a man why are surprised that he continues to be savage. That is how you got him.” Many Twitter users responded to his statements calling the hip-hop hitmaker a hypocrite, mentioning his song titles and lyrics that have degraded women in the past.

After the backlash, Banner reasoned that only those who were guilty would likely be offended by his opinions. He also clarified that he was unfazed by the critics.

“Just like Malcolm [X] was a pimp. We grow. Either the information is or it is not. The messenger is only that. A messenger. By the way I said – if you want – that may not be what you want. It is your choice. Often times the way we perceive a statement is based on the condition of our heart. – M.L.F. The days of caring what people think about ‘me’ is far behind. Making people ‘think’ is paramount to me though.”

While many were blasting him for his statements, others were coming to his defense to praise him for his statements, reiterating that there was truth to it.

Hollywood veteran Viola Davis snagged another role to add to her impressive body of work. Cable network HBO announced on Monday the How to Get Away With Murder star will play the role of Harriet Tubman, based on the biography “Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman,” penned by historian Kate Clifford Larson.

The movie, currently in production, tells the story of American hero Tubman, who was born a slave but escaped, leading more 300 slaves to freedom in the North via the Underground Railroad, compiled of secret routes and safe havens. An air date or supporting cast has not been revealed.

Davis is executive producing with her partner and husband, Julius Tennon; Amblin’s Justin Falvey and Darryl Frank; Ellin; Jim Lefkowitz; and Cliff Dorfman.

This is the third Underground Railroad-related project in the works this year. WGN launched Underground, a 10-episode production helmed by Akiva Goldsman. NBC is working on mini-series Freedom Run, produced by Stevie Wonder.

After a week of peaceful and not-so-peaceful protests and looting, the Baltimore police have admitted to the mistakes they made in the death of unarmed Black man, Freddie Gray.

In a Friday press conference, Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts said 25-year-old Gray should have received medical treatment at the scene of his arrest. A witness says Gray yelled about his difficulty breathing after a foot pursuit through housing complexes. Video of Gray’s arrest shows him screaming in pain as officers placed him under arrest. Several witnesses described police “folded his body like origami.” He went on to say there were no excuses for Gray not being properly buckled in while traveling to the police station.

Investigators are also trying to determine Gray’s condition at each of the three stops the police van made in route to the station. At the first stop, Gray was placed in leg irons. The second time the driver halted “to deal with Mr. Gray and the facts of that interaction are under investigation,” said Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Davis. The van stopped a third time to add a second prisoner.

Gray died Sunday, one week after Baltimore police arrested him. He suffered severe spinal cord injuries, and according to his family, his voice box was crushed and his neck snapped before he fell into a coma and died.

Batts insisted an investigation into Gray’s death is pending, as the six officers involved in his arrest have been suspended.

With her estrangement from her husband on everyone’s mind, Mariah Carey just released a song called “Infinity” that will be on her latest compilation album of her hits, #1 to Infinity. Many speculate that the single, the only new song on the album, is about Nick Cannon.

The song is accompanied by a lyric video that features Carey’s signature butterflies and shows glimpses of wedding rings. The tune fits with the diva’s current style of music. It’s more youthful, studded with pop culture jargon and full of hyper beats.

Carey tells the story of a man who is leaving his significant other, and the woman is basically telling him good riddance.

“Why you mad? Talkin’ ’bout you’re mad/Could it be that you just lost the best you’ve ever had?/That’s your bag, yup, that’s too bad/Show is over, you ain’t gotta act,” she sings.

Carey seems to slip in a few disses, which are directed at the song’s mystery man.

“Name hold weight like kilos/Boy, you actin’ so corny like Fritos/Wouldn’t have none of that without me though/Ain’t none of my business, it’s tea though/Outta ammo, gotta reload/If life was a game, you’re a free throw,” the song continues.

The chorus reminds the song’s subject that “there’s an end to infinity.”  She also lets him know that there is no chance for reconciliation, nor “being friends,” “false pretense,” or room to “make amends.”

If this song is about Cannon, who reportedly filed for divorce from the singer last December, then she is definitely shooting down the little bit of hope that fans had for her and her husband to get back together. That ray of hope began when Cannon was asked if he and his wife would ever reconcile, and he answered “Never say never.”

The video above has officially gone viral on social media. It shows what appears to be a mother publicly beating her teenage son for participating in the Baltimore riots. Although much is yet to be known about the pair in the video, their actions speak a thousand words. People have taken to social media to proclaim her “Mom of the Year” and that there needs to be way more Black mothers like her in the world. But while everyone else may applaud that clip, I not only see nothing funny about it, but it also pisses me off that it has now become a tool for the propagation of racist ideology. Unfortunately, just like many of the images that have emerged out of this social dissent, this interaction is being used to dehumanize Black folks and draw attention firmly away from why people are even in the streets in the first place: The state-sanctioned summary executions of Black men, women, and children in streets all over America.

To be clear, I don’t endorse rioting at all, but I understand how consistent and blatant disregard for Black lives can result in disenfranchised communities feeling like they have no other recourse than expressing their anger. I would never support the destruction of one’s own community, but I’m also media literate enough to understand that there are thousands of men and women peacefully protesting right now, even if mass media would have you believe that every activist pounding the pavement is nothing more than a destructive troglodyte. Just as there were in Ferguson, Missouri, there are currently some bad apples in the bunch who are making the majority look bad, but to refocus this issue away from police brutality to the destruction of replaceable property is simply unforgivable.

And that’s where my problem lies with this “Baltimore riot mother” video. Instead of symbolizing a generational disconnect, or the inner turmoil of the Black family facing systemic discrimination, or even representing a mother’s fear of her Black, hooded son squaring off against armed police in a chaotic disturbance, it is being used to propagate the worst of respectability politics: The idea that Black folks who respond ungraciously to racism are far worse than the racists who oppress and murder them. And it’s that mentality that has lead to this clip being shared over 10 million times on Facebook alone. But if you happen to click on the video if it comes floating down your timeline, I implore you to read the comments and you’ll see the appropriation I’m talking about.

Here are some actual comments I pulled directly from Facebook.

Translation: The reason Black folks are reacting with anger and rage has absolutely nothing to do with brutal executions of Black bodies, and everything to do with the fact that Black parents can’t keep their children in line and in the house with beatings.

This comment effectively erases the name Freddie Gray and all the unfortunately hashtagged names of brutally murdered Black men and women that came before him. And it downright sidesteps Baltimore’s specific history of police brutality.

Translation: Fellow WHITE Americans, we need to remind and encourage Black parents to raise their damn kids so they don’t get in trouble and end up in beef with the police!

This is the typical refrain from moderate whites and respectability politics-pushing Black folks. “If you raise your kids right, no harm from police will befall them.” That argument sounds intelligent until you mention people like Tamir Rice, the 12-year-old boy who was gunned down while holding a toy gun. Or how about 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones who police shot in the head while she slept in her bed during a no-knock raid. Or how about Akai Gurley who police shot to death “accidentally” simply for walking through a dimly-lit stairwell.

Translation: Cops don’t have ANY racial biases at all, they just shoot the people who deserve it — and since Black folks aren’t raising their kids right by going upside their heads, that’s why they are getting into trouble.

If I have to explain to you why this is factual, statistic, empirical, and logical bullshit, then this country has a lot bigger problems than broken windows and shattered storefronts. By every statistical measure, Blacks are targeted, convicted, and sentenced at a far higher and tougher rate than white folks. The DOJ released a report that proves, beyond any doubt, that racist policing occurs in Baltimore. Nationwide stats, available so far in 2015, already show a great racial disparity, with the largest being that Black people went from being killed every 28 hours to being executed every 21 hours. This comment even manages to ignore cases like Jason Harrisons‘ in which a mentally-challenged Black man was executed after his mother did the “right” thing and called the police to get her son the help he needed.

I can appreciate a mother caring so much for her child that she felt the need to pull him away from a situation where he could have gotten arrested, hurt, or killed. But if you feel more comfortable talking about how rioters should be disciplined for breaking windows, and you have no thoughts on how police officers should be disciplined for crushing a man’s spine resulting in his death, your opinions on what should occur in a respectable society are NULL and VOID.

LAB

Lincoln Anthony Blades blogs daily on his site ThisIsYourConscience.com, he’s an author of the book “You’re Not A Victim, You’re A Volunteer” and a weekly contributor for UPTOWN Magazine. He can be reached via Twitter @lincolnablades and on Facebook at This Is Your Conscience.

Two short weeks of an improved diet can impact your risk for colon cancer according to a recent study. Americans who switched to a traditional South African diet for two weeks saw significant changes in their digestive tract. The South Africans who ate an American diet also exhibited digestive changes that could, in theory, lead to colon cancer. Although the study was small and short, the findings are striking in the seemingly swift turnaround of colon health.

“It will be important to know whether these types of dietary changes will have a meaningful effect not just on biomarkers but on actual rates of colon cancer over time,” said Dr. Andrew Chan, a gastroenterologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School, who was not part of the study.

Stephen O’Keefe of the University of Pittsburgh conducted the study. Colon cancer affects 5 of every 100,000 rural South Africans as compared to 136,000 new cases of colon cancer in the U.S. each year. O’Keefe chose African American participants to represent the American diet, likely due to the prevalence of colon cancer in the Black community.

The study first examined the diets of 20 Pittsburgh-area African Americans and 20 rural South Africans. They wrote, “Animal protein and fat intake was two to three times higher in Americans, whereas carbohydrate and fiber, chiefly in the form of resistant starch, were higher in Africans.” They also performed colonoscopies and found that the American participants had more polyps that can contribute to cancer.

From there, the researchers conducted a two-week diet swap in which the Americans were fed an African-style, high-fiber, low-fat diet and vice versa.

The American diet:

• Beef sausage, pancakes, breakfast steak, hash brown and Rice Krispies for breakfast.
• Hamburgers, French fries, spaghetti and meatballs, hot dogs and chili for lunch
• Meatloaf, Salisbury steak, noodles, mashed potatoes, roast beef, rice, macaroni and cheese for dinner.

The African diet:

• Corn fritters, salmon croquettes, cheese grits, bananas, biscuits for breakfast
• Catfish, mango, tater tots, kale salad, hush puppies for lunch
• Okra, grits, lentils, pineapple, fish taco for dinner.

 

“In comparison with their usual diets, the food changes resulted in remarkable reciprocal changes,” researchers said. “This suggests that a move to a fiber rich, low-fat diet may impact the high levels of colon cancer in the African American population,” they concluded.

Although Chan doesn’t see their conclusion as groundbreaking, he acknowledges the merit of the study. “There is a lot of biological plausibility to what they found,” he said.

Both Chan and the study author say that the study needs to be expanded to truly determine the implications.

Nick Gordon has officially been released from rehab, his rep confirmed on Tuesday. Bobbi Kristina Brown’s boyfriend is staying with family as he tries to focus on his sobriety. “He’s doing great,” rep Josey Crews told the Daily News. “He’s a completely different person. His outlook on life is completely different.”

Gordon checked into rehab in March after his mother staged a surprise intervention with Dr. Phil.  A source said, “It was life or death. He was drinking so much Jack Daniels. This was about saving his life.” His mother said in the taped interview he was distraught over Bobbi Kristina’s hospitalization and she feared that he would wind up dead.

Despite the heartache that nearly killed him, Gordon is still determined to see his girlfriend. “That’s always been a priority for him,” Crews said Tuesday. Bobbi Kristina’s father, Bobby Brown, has forbidden Gordon from seeing her after he allegedly argued with relatives.

Bobby Brown’s lawyer, Christopher Brown, said in a previous statement that Gordon would be allowed to see Bobbi Kristina if he agreed to certain terms. “Obviously Mr. Gordon is not as desperate to visit Bobbi Kristina as he wants the world to believe. At least not desperate enough to inform Bobby Brown, in writing, what happened to Bobbi Kristina,” he said.

Gordon tweeted on Monday, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change The courage to change the things I can And the wisdom to know the difference.”

Bobbi Kristina is currently in a rehabilitation hospital. Her grandmother, Cissy Houston, said in a statement this week that she is suffering from “global and irreversible brain damage.”

Bobbi Kristina was found face down in her home bathtub on Jan 31. She has been in an induced coma ever since.

On Tuesday morning, in the aftermath of the revolt in Baltimore, many residents took to the streets to help clean up the mess left behind. Nineteen buildings and 144 vehicles were set on fire.

Locals brought brooms, garbage bags, gloves and more as they cleaned up the debris of looted stores and fires. A Facebook page helped to organize the unofficial event, which brought out even the youngest of residents.

Let’s get together and help affected communities/businesses remove debris. Bring heavy duty trash bags, gloves, brooms, dust pans, trash cans, containers, and anything else that would help. We’ll have a van ready to take trash to the drop-off center in Remington.

**We were hoping for this event page to become a means of posting live updates about various clean up activities – this is by no means an official event. We wanted to update people about where clean ups are happening across the city and where people can be of most help and are most wanted/ welcomed.**

With broom in hand, 7 year old Naloni, is helping in the clean up of Penn North. @cbsbaltimore pic.twitter.com/ocZqgGZ9SF

— Ron Matz WJZ (@RonMatzWJZ) April 28, 2015

People in #Baltimore come out to help clean up community…latest in minutes on Ch 11 Morning News pic.twitter.com/pX1maXwb1c — WPXI (@WPXI) April 28, 2015

Large group of volunteers cleaning up that burnt out CVS in Baltimore pic.twitter.com/84BVzu7SWS

— justin jouvenal (@jjouvenal) April 28, 2015

People are loading collected trash, debris into dumpster just brought in by city. #Baltimore @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/QkgaPxHPc3 — Aaron Gilchrist (@nbcaaron) April 28, 2015

More cleanup pics on West North Ave. in Baltimore Maryland #CleanUpBaltimore pic.twitter.com/wmMgsK0OoX

— Dave Rysak (@DaveFox5DC) April 28, 2015

Milan, 8, and Zamarai, 9, are classmates and live nearby the CVS. “We wanted to help the community out.” pic.twitter.com/mEbawmQ9qW — Nicolás Medina Mora (@MedinaMora) April 28, 2015

Love this. Citizens cleaning up their city. #Baltimoreprotests pic.twitter.com/vw8WsTt1Hj

— Aaron Gilchrist (@nbcaaron) April 28, 2015

Actor Jesse Williams is never one to hold his tongue during times of civil unrest and racial tension. The hunky Grey’s Anatomy star has been vocal in the media on hot-button issues such as the shootings of Trayvon Martin and Mike Brown, consistently schooling conservative media on the history of systematic oppression and violence Blacks have suffered at the hands of police.

As protests and rioting ensued following the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year old Baltimore man who suffered a fatal injury while in police custody, Williams had a whole mouthful about how irresponsibly mainstream media has been covering the events and how double standards apply when compared to riots that break out after sporting events. He wrote:

If you don’t actually care about Black people having equal protection under the law, why are you making suggestions to those who do?

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

What are the critical elements that constitute a “riot” and when do riots offend you? — jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

1 group can burn & loot when a team scores less points than another but when paid public servants kill citizens, we gotta be BaggerVance?

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

Where are all the think pieces & coverage of the pathology of white culture every time white frustration vents violence & destruction? — jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

There is nothing “black” about rioting. How do you think we got all this land?

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

Williams then walked readers through the historical context of rioting against Blacks in earlier centuries, as well as perpetual police brutality:  

Historically riots have been tools for intimidation; destroying populations, taking land & valuables. #BlowingOffSteam #BoysWillBeBoys — jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

Whites rioted throughout the early 1900s, slaughtering, burning & looting entire thriving black townships, just because of the adjective.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

You’ve watched hulking bullies w/ badges, robes & money brutalize, kill & cage human beings every yr of your entire lives & said nothing. — jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

So Exactly What Kind Of Violence Don’t You Like?

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

Police & policies have been rioting on our bodies; destroying people & property every single day of your lives. But here you come… — jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

…When the beaten, marinated in centuries of trauma, pain & distress, manage to muster a response, here you come, squealing; revealing.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

The reaction to oppression has always been spun & marketed as validation for the status quo. — jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

He ended his Twitter rant by throwing a heap of shade towards The Republican Party:

Notice how the party slogan, no matter the font or cleche, always boils down to #NeverChange.

— jesseWilliams. (@iJesseWilliams) April 28, 2015

Former The View co-host Sherri Shepherd was in good spirits recently as she dished on her controversial custody battle with ex-husband Lamar Sally and how she’s been holding up. “Under the circumstances I’m doing really, really extremely well,” Sherri told Entertainment Tonight exclsuively. “I don’t care what I go through, nothing gets me down. You know me. I will smile my way through anything. I believe smiling and laughter is the best medicine.”

Sherri and Sally divorced in May 2014, after arranging to have a baby via surrogate. Now that the baby has been born, the couple has been involved in a peculiar custody battle over the 8-month-old. Just last week, a judge ruled that Sherri, who is not a biological parent, is the legal mother of the baby, as the surrogate did not want to claim parental rights and Sherri legally signed on to assume the role of mom.

“Life is difficult. So you just hang tough and you keep going. People who know me, my character, my integrity — I feel it speaks for itself,” Sherri said.

Though she is unsure of how the messy court battles with Sally will pan out, she’s remaining optimistic.

“I feel like everything always works out in the end,” she said. “I’m a big believer that everything always works out in the end. Everybody has their challenges. So right now, it’s my challenge.”

Baltimore mom, Toya Graham, showed her 16-year-old son some tough love after spotting him in a crowd of teens vandalizing and looting during the Baltimore riots on Monday. Cameras captured the moment she confronted and struck the teen, and the video has gone viral. Graham, a single mother of six, spoke to “CBS This Morning” exclusively, explaining, “I just lost it.

“He gave me eye contact, and at that point, you know, not even thinking about cameras or anything like that… That’s my only son and at the end of the day, I don’t want him to be a Freddie Gray,” Graham said, referencing the 25-year-old man whose death sparked mass protests in Baltimore and national outrage. “I was shocked; I was angry because you never want to see your child out there doing that.”

Graham also explained that she doesn’t believe that the unrest in Baltimore will bring justice for Freddie Gray and that she doesn’t want that life for her son.

The show is called “Housewives” for a reason, according to NeNe Leakes. The only remaining original member of Bravo’s Atlanta franchise, which is also the highest rated by a landslide, said her unmarried co-stars need to get the boot.

“They need to get rid of some folk: Everybody that ain’t married. I mean, the show is called ‘The Housewives,’ isn’t it? So, you need to be married to be on the show…” she told the Live With Kelly and Michael audience.

However, NeNe didn’t exactly stand by her premise when elaborating on her anti-single sentiments. Instead, she said it’s the number of unmarried women on the show that’s the problem.

“Over the years, the show has become very negative and there have been some people that have been thrown in the mix that have been negative … so re-cast. I don’t mind if it’s one girl, maybe two girls that aren’t married, because it’s always great to see a single girl dating and all that kind of stuff. But, to have as many girls as we have on our show that’s not married … we need to get rid of a couple of them, don’t you think?” she asked.

NeNe was once an unwed cast member on the show, when she and husband Gregg Leakes divorced in a nasty, back-and-forth split a few seasons back. Should she have been ousted during her divorce? Moving on.

There are currently two single women on the cast, Kenya Moore and Claudia Jordan, neither of whom NeNe considers a friend. Porsha Williams, who divorced following her first season on the show, was demoted for season 7.

NeNe, 47, was tight-lipped on whether she will return for season 8, saying she couldn’t speak on it, yet. However, she’s seemingly enjoying her status as the last remaining original cast member on the show.

“Everybody wants to knock the queen off her throne, but she’s not going anywhere,” she said.

Nigerian troops stormed the camps of terrorist group Boko Haram in Sambisa Forest, a wide array of forest land just northeast of Nigeria, rescuing 200 girls and 93 women scattered in different camps.

While confirming the operation of Tuesday’s rescue, the Director Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said he could not immediately confirm the identity of the freed victims or their origin. The women are currently being screened and profiled to confirm whether they were the abducted girls from Chibok or Borno State. They have not spoken to their families yet.

According to CNN, the rescued girls from Boko Haram terror camps in Sambisa Forest on Tuesday are “not the Chibok girls,” Nigerian Army spokesman Sani Usman said. However, one official didn’t rule out that captives from other raided Boko Haram camps may include some of the 200 girls abducted last year.

Last April, over 200 girls were kidnapped from the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok, were abducted by men suspected to be members of the Boko Haram Islamic terrorist group.

Now this is how you move on. I bet, which is also the name of Ciara‘s first single off her latest album Jackie, her ex-fiancé Future is regretting breaking her heart after her stunning appearance with new rumored boo Russell Wilson.

After being spotted low-key at a Seattle Mariners game last week and rumors the Seattle Seahawks quarterback would bring the Atlanta songbird to the White House Correspondents Dinner, the two put all speculations to rest.

Walking arm and arm, blushing and smiling while posing for the cameras at Tuesday’s White House State Dinner, it seems the 29-year-old singer has completely moved on. Wearing a gorgeous Walter Mendez dress, the Atlanta native shined.

Wilson, 26, was married to Ashton Meem between 2012-2014.

Congratulations to the happy couple.

Conservative actress-turned-Fox commentator Stacey Dash was left muffled after speaking about gender equality of The Meredith Vieira Show. Dash was asked about her thoughts on women getting less pay in the workforce, and as usual, she leaned toward the right in her argument, while Vieira took a more liberal approach.

Vieira mentions actress Rita Wilson‘s recent statements about gender inequality within Hollywood and Fortune 500 companies. After asking Dash why she had an issue with Wilson’s comments, she replies, “I feel like it’s an excuse. It’s the same thing as race.”

“If there are opportunities, seize them. And be prepared for them. And be the best, if that’s what it takes. If you have to be extraordinary, be extraordinary,” Dash adds.

Vieira contends that the issue may be a little deeper than what Dash was making it out to be.  She begins to throw out statistics that supported the argument that women get paid less, such as the study finding that women are paid 78 cents to every dollar a man makes.

“I know that the numbers are true, but I feel like your daughter will be able to make as much money as she wants in her life, just like you are,” Dash says, referring to the host. “I mean, look at you, you’re successful.”

“I am successful, but it took me a long time … For many years, I was not getting paid the same as the guys,” Vieira responds.

Dash questions, “And you think it’s because you’re a woman?”

“I think that’s a lot to do with it,” Vieira says.

Dash continues to attest that taking her “destiny” into her own hands was all that was needed to be a success, and that gender equality was only a reality if one allowed it to be.

Dash ends by saying, “There is a law that we get paid equal pay.”

“Except that we don’t,” Vieira concludes.

After throwing out one logical example that was shut down by the host, Dash was mum when she was visibly out of additional examples.

It’s not easy to see an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend move on to someone new, but Future seems to think it’s no sweat to him. The rapper’s ex-fiancée, Ciara, broke things off with him last year just after she gave birth to their son Future Jr., when it was allegedly discovered that he had been cheating on her. While they tried to work on their relationship, their attempt at reconciliation failed, and she’s apparently got a new boo. Just this week, CiCi was sp0tted with NFL quarterback Russell Wilson, who took her to the White House State Dinner.

Tons of CiCi’s loyal fans went on Future’s Instagram page, where they bombarded his most recent photos with football emojis in his comments section. Many thought that he would be upset with the news, but he took to his Instagram to seemingly share his thoughts on the matter.

“I wish I cared,” he tweeted, followed by, “Y’all mad as sh*t,” containing a crying laughing emoji. Many fans have been responding to the tweets suggesting that by simply responding at all, Future is showing he cares about the news.

Meanwhile, Future might have moved on to an ex-girlfriend, as he was spotted with Brittni Mealy, who is one of the mothers of his children. She also happened to be the least supportive of Ciara and his relationship in the past.

Source

In the midst of nation-wide tension between the police and Black communities, another young Black man has been gunned down by an officer. Terrance Kellom, a 20-year-old Detroit resident, was shot and killed in his family’s home after the officer claimed the suspect was armed with a hammer.

The incident began on Monday at around 1 p.m., police have reported. According to an official privy to the case, an officer was called to the Kellom family home on the west side of the city after a woman reported a domestic dispute involving Kellom. She informed officers of Kellom’s whereabouts.

Kellom was on probation from a four-count robbery charge from mugging a pizza driver. A U.S. Immigration Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officer set out to find Kellom and execute a warrant.  The anonymous official said that when the ICE officer arrived, he was greeted by Kellom’s father.  The ICE officer said he had a search warrant that permitted him to enter the house, so he went inside. Kellom was reportedly hiding in the basement at the time.  When the officer stepped into the home, Kellom reportedly jumped out at him with a hammer in his hand. The ICE worker then shot at Kellom, killing him.

The officer, who was previously working in the Detroit Police Department for 12 years before working for the ICE, has been sequestered under federal guidelines, and therefore will not be able to make any statements about the case until Friday.

But Kellom’s father has been talking, and he says that the police department’s version of events is untrue.

“My son died with clenched fists. He didn’t have a hammer. … They assassinated my son,” Kellom’s father said during a peace rally held in Detroit Tuesday. “I don’t understand why my son was killed .. My son did not deserve this.”

The mourning dad also mentioned that the search warrant the official claimed he had was not made until after his son was already dead.

A number of people were outside protesting the young man’s death Tuesday and Wednesday nearby where he was shot. On Tuesday, one person held a sign that read, “10x = Excessive force,” referring to the number of gunshots neighbors said they heard go off while Kellom was being shot.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig decided to clarify why the officer chose to shoot Kellom. “The agent felt that he was in imminent danger because the suspect was advancing on him in possession of this hammer,” Craig said. “He responded to overcome the suspect’s actions and used deadly force.”

U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade said she backs her office as they investigate the shooting.

“Yesterday’s shooting was a tragedy and we offer our deep condolences to the family,” McQuade said in her statement. “Police work sometimes requires use of deadly force, but officers may use only as much force as is reasonable under the circumstances. In a situation like this, it is important to protect the rights of both the deceased and the officer. Therefore, we are closely monitoring the investigation.”

Kellom’s family said they are devastated because they have lost several family members within the past two years, including Kellom’s grandmother, grandfather, uncle, and cousin.

“This family has been hit with loss after loss,” said Nikki Horton, Kellom’s sister-in-law.

Horton said that it does not sound probable that Kellom was defending himself with a hammer.

“There is no way that he would have threatened an officer, especially physically,” she said. “He was smarter than that. He would never do that, especially in front of his family.”

Horton also stated that Kellom was “in the process of turning his life around,” especially since he had a baby and found out he has another on the way.

“We all got saved recently,” Horton said. “And we were encouraging (Kellom) to do the same.”

Kellom received several charges thorough his life, dating as far back as to when he was 14. The charges mainly stemmed from alleged robbery or drugs.