Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and Alpha Phi sorority decided to welcome Black students to UCLA during Black Bruins Welcome Week by donning blackface for a “Kanye Western“-themed frat party Oct. 6th.

Black Bruins Welcome Week features panels, workshops, and events is supposed to make Black students feel welcomed to the university. However, once images of the party began to hit social media, students were outraged by their classmates’ actions, pointing out the racist and demeaning nature of the images.

Student Hanan Worku described the party scene and outrage in a Facebook post:

“Yes that’s right, a frat decided it would be okay to have their members repeat a part of history that demoralized, mocked and dehumanized African Americans/ And celebrate while doing it. They showed up with their chains and braids with stuffed butts for God knows what reason. True Bruin values amiright????!!!!! Not to mention all of this happened last night which happened to be a part of Black Bruin Welcome Week! Coincidence right??????”

The university said they are investigating the incident in a statement to NBC Los Angeles:

“We are concerned about these allegations and earnestly working to gather information about what occurred, talking to all those involved. While we do not yet have all the facts, the alleged behavior is inconsistent with good judgment as well as our principles of community. We remind students that while they are free to celebrate in ways that draw on popular culture, their specific choices can cause harm and pain to fellow members of their community. Put simply: Just because you can do something does not mean you should.”

The racist incident also reached the Sigma Phi Epsilon national office, which says it has temporarily disabled the fraternities activities at UCLA and is committed to diversity.

“Building diverse and inclusive communities is core to our identity as an organization, and we have zero tolerance for racist behavior,” said Beaux Carriere, Sigma Phi Epsilon spokesperson, in a statement. “Sigma Phi Epsilon will continue to work with the university and UCLA community to investigate these claims and hold students accountable for any inappropriate behavior.”

Cosby Show actor Malcolm Jamal Warner spoke to AP about the ongoing allegations surrounding Bill Cosby and what it means for the legend’s legacy.  Warner is specifically saddened by the negative impact it will ultimately have on collective memory of the beloved sitcom.

“My biggest concern is when it comes to images of people of color on television and film, no matter what … negative stereotypes of people of color, we’ve always had ‘The Cosby Show’ to hold up against that. And the fact that we no longer have that, that’s the thing that saddens me the most because in a few generations the Huxtables will have been just a fairy tale,” Warner told AP in an interview published today.

Warner, who played Bill Cosby’s son Theo for the eight seasons the popular series was on air, has spoken to his TV dad since news of the alleged sexual assaults have been in the news on near constant basis.

“I think the things that we discussed really have to stay private between us,” he said of their conversations.

“But it’s just a bad situation all around — for him, for his family, the women, their families, the legacy of the show,” Warner adds.

Warner’s legacy has extended beyond the Cosby Show to include music (he is currently promoting his new album “Selfless”) and other film and tv projects (he’s playing OJ Simpson’s friend Al Cowlings in “American Crime Story: The People vs. O.J. Simpson.”)

“I feel very blessed to be able to have all of these avenues of expression … to be where I am now and finally at a place where I can let go of that worry about having a life after ‘Cosby,’ ” he says.

Cosby has denied wrongdoing in all of the sexual assault allegations made by more than 50 women in the past year. He is in court today to testify about an alleged assault on a 15-year-old Judith Huth at the Playboy Mansion in 1974.

Colby C.

For a black med school student celebrating an academic success with fellow classmates at a New York bar last week, the festivities took an ugly, racist turn.  Kim Ohaegbulam, a student in the M.D. and Ph.D. program at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, claims he was a victim of racial discrimination from employees at New York’s Landmark Tavern.

After drinking with friends at the bar for almost an hour on September 27, Ohaegbulam was barred from the same restroom his classmates had just used by a night manager who claimed the facilities were only for “paying customers.”  The manager refused to let him pass even after his friends and the bar’s security guard corroborated that he was a customer at the bar.  When Ohaegbulam tried to complain to the restaurant’s owner, the police were called and he was handcuffed and taken to a nearby precinct.

From NY Daily News:

Ohaegbulam was celebrating the completion of a school project with two friends, a fellow medical student who is from India and a law student who is Asian, who were buying the drinks.

His friends used the bathroom, but when Ohaegbulam got on the line, he said he was stopped by the night manager who told him it was only for paying customers.

Ohaegbulam insisted that he had been drinking there for 45 minutes, and was backed up by his friends and even the bar’s security guard, but the manager refused to budge.

“I told Don (the manager) that I had checked his ID on the way in,” the security guard, who requested anonymity, told The News. “Don has the type of personality, what he says goes.

Ohaegbulam demanded to speak to the owner, Michael Young, and waited outside. When five cops arrived, a sergeant told him he could make a complaint “to the Better Business Bureau,” but he had to leave the area.

After Ohaegbulam persisted in stating his complaint, he was handcuffed and taken to the precinct stationhouse, where he received the summons.

“It’s very unfortunate but not surprising that persons of color, particularly black and Hispanic males, endure this sort of unlawful conduct on a regular basis,” said Ohaebulam’s lawyer, Eric Sanders.

A lawyer for the bar insisted there was never an issue of Ohaegbulam using the bathroom, claiming the manager called police because Ohaegbulam was “inebriated” and “menacing.”

The lawyer, Robert Ferrari, said the manager told him the bar “has many black customers” and was sticking by his claim that Ohaegbulam was “hanging out” at the bar but was not a customer.

Ferrari said the Landmark Tavern has a surveillance camera, but every two weeks it tapes over the previous recording, so he didn’t think there was a record to prove or disprove anymore whether Ohaegbulam was a customer.

But Ohaegbulam said his witnesses, and the bar receipts, will prove he is telling the truth.

“This was blatant discrimination and it’s just wrong,” he said.

Ohaegbulam plans on suing the restaurant for racial discrimination and the city of New York for false arrest.

Colby C.

Playboy recently announced it will stop publishing photos of nude women in the magazine from March 2016, and 12-year-old boys everywhere have the internet to thank for that.

“You’re now one click away from every sex act imaginable for free. And so it’s just passé at this juncture,” said CEO Scott Flanders to the New York Times.

Hugh Hefner, who launched the men’s magazine 62 years ago, has agreed to the proposal to eliminate photographs of naked women from the magazine, as the U.S. version is no longer profitable and is used as a marketing tool for the international Playboy editions and the Playboy licensing business.

The redesigned magazine will feature a Playmate of the Month and provocative yet PG-13-rated pictures of women. Playboy will also target young employed men. The sex columnist will be a “sex-positive” woman, according to the Times‘ interview with Flanders.

The Playboy website has already undergone a makeover that made it safe to read at work, which is attracting a younger audience and has increased traffic.

“The difference between us and Vice,” Flanders said to the Times, “is that we’re going after the guy with a job.”

Source

A New York woman should receive a lump of coal from her nephew this Christmas, after she sued him for a hug that resulted in a broken wrist.

Human resources manager Jennifer Connell claims her nephew acted unreasonably when he exuberantly greeted her to his eighth birthday party in 2011, according to reports. She says the hug caused her to fall and break her wrist.

“I remember him shouting, ‘Auntie Jen, I love you,’ and there he was flying at me,” Connell reportedly testified Monday.

She testified that she loves her nephew, who appeared confused as he sat with his father in the courtroom. She described him as always being “very loving, sensitive” toward her.

Connell is seeking $127,000 in damages from the boy, whose mother died last year. She says she didn’t complain initially, but claims her life has been greatly impacted by the injury because of “how crowded it is in Manhattan.”

“I was at a party recently, and it was difficult to hold my hors d’oeuvre plate,” Connell reportedly explained.

Source

[Image: Shutterstock]

A Douglas County, Georgia grand jury indicted 15 members of Respect the Flag, a pro-Confederate flag group, who crashed a Black child’s birthday party and terrorized partygoers in July.

According to Douglas County District Attorney Brian Fortner, the domestic terrorists outfitted their trucks with oversize Confederate flags. While driving around a predominantly Black neighborhood, they happened upon the child’s party. The men threatened and harassed the attendees by shouting that they were going to “kill y’all n—ers.”

The Douglasville Police Department and the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office jointly investigated the ensuing melee, which was partly recorded on video and posted to Facebook by a partygoer.

Prosecutors maintain the members of Respect the Flag violated Georgia’s Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act. The men were not only indicted for their harassment at the birthday party, but also acts of physical harassment in other parts of Douglas County on the same day.

Members of the gang claim partygoers became violent and threw items at the trucks. The party hosts, the Alford family, say that the pro-Confederates resorted to violence first.

Douglasville Police say there isn’t enough evidence to support either claims.

Head over to RawStory to watch the partygoer’s video of the altercation below.

Source

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen shared some exciting news on the family front yesterday. They are expecting their first child.

The baby news was particularly significant since Teigen has been very open about their difficulties conceiving. The announcement was made via Instagram.

Legend made a much shorter, sweeter announcement on Instagram as well, captioning the same photo with, “We’re pregnant!”

The couple married in 2013.  This will be their first child as neither has kids from previous relationships.

Colby C.

Raven-Symone, the former Cosby Show and That’s So Raven star turned talk show host sent Black Twitter into a rage spiral yet again last week with another of her infamous Don Lemon-like commentaries. On Friday, the View co-host showed an impressive command of tommyrot during a segment about ‘ghetto’ names.

The backlash was swift and intense, with even her dad, Christopher B. Pearman, sharing his disapproval (in a loving way).

“Children grow up and become influenced by many things, situations and people. I certainly don’t agree with what she said….but she is damn near thirty years old. She’s a grown ass woman making grown ass mistakes. We all have been guilty of this.

I did my best as her father, mentor and career manager. I believe I did a Wonderful job. Aside from this inexcusable gaffe, her 29 years in the entertainment industry has been quite successful, for there have been only an Elite Few Child Stars to last this long and have little to no controversy. For this, I am Very Proud!

Raven is a really Beautiful, Sweethearted, Human Being.I should know. Her Mother and I Love her Very much and will always support her and have her back. Even if sometimes……….she says some dumb S#%T!”

Others were less understanding, namely YouTube personality Watermelondrea Jones, whose moniker Raven-Symone used as an example of someone with such a ‘ghetto’ name that she’d never hire them.  Now Watermelondrea (a character played by Tre Melvin), is giving it back to Raven straight, with no chaser. All tea, all shade. No mercy.

For instance, Watermelondrea is not hiring anyone who dresses “like the mascot for Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles” (a reference to Raven-Symone’s glam choices the day of said ghetto names rant).  And she questions the moral compass of anyone who would really deny another gainful employment because of a name. And there’s so much more.

Watch the epic read, “Dear Raven-Symoné, Sincerely Watermelondrea,” here.

Do you think this comeback ultimately inspired Raven-Symone’s apology?

– Colby C.

NBC has given the 1970s costumes of The Wiz a high-fashion update for the its upcoming The Wiz Live! broadcast.

Dorothy (Shanice Williams) sports a plaid miniskirt, instead of Diana Ross‘s memorable ruffled, ’70-glam dress from the original Broadway production. David Alan Grier, Elijah Kelley, and Ne-Yo have a ton of more swag as the Cowardly Lion, the Scarecrow, and the Tin-Man, respectively, than the original cast based on the newly released images.

Although NBC is showing off the The Wiz foursome, it’s keeping some costumes a secret. The network has yet to reveal the costumes of Queen Latifah as the Wiz, Mary J. Blige as Evillene aka the Wicked Witch of the West, Stephanie Mills as Auntie Em, Uzo Aduba as Glinda aka the Good Witch of the South, and Amber Riley as Addaperle, the Good Witch of the North. Mills played Dorothy in the original Broadway production.

Keep clicking to check out more images. Will you watch The Wiz Live! when it airs on NBC?

[Image: Paul Gilmore/NBC]

Shanice Williams as Dorothy in The Wiz Live!

[Image: Paul Gilmore/NBC]

David Alan Grier as the Cowardly Lion in The Wiz Live!

[Image: Paul Gilmore/NBC]

Ne-Yo as the Scarecrow in The Wiz Live!

[Image: Paul Gilmore/NBC]

Elijah Kelley as the Tin-Man in The Wiz Live!

[Image: Paul Gilmore/NBC]

Sources claim an episode of Keeping Up with the Kardashians triggered Lamar Odom‘s irate behavior that culminated in him passing out at Dennis Hof’s Love Ranch South, a Nevada brothel, Sunday.

Odom seemed normal during the day until he received phone calls about an episode of the E! reality show that stars his ex-wife Khloe Kardashian and her family, according to TMZ’s sources. The 35 year old reportedly became infuriated and complained about how he was portrayed on the show.

So what exactly happened on KUWTK to trigger such an episode? TMZ reports:

As for what was on the show … Khloe got 2 calls from Lamar. When she got off the phone Kim criticized Khloe for being flirty with Lamar. In another clip, Lamar called Khloe to tell her that his good friend Jamie had died. When she got off the phone she worried Lamar might spin out of control. And in another scene Khloe fled a club after she heard Lamar was trying to get in.

Odom reportedly remained upset until he was found unconscious.

However, there could be another reason Odom passed out. Staff at the brothel say he was taking an herbal substitute for Viagra, which cause dangerously low blood pressure and restrict blood flow to vital organs. A source told TMZ he was popping eight to 10 herbal Viagras at a time. Another source claims Odom was using pharmaceutical Viagra that was contained in prescription bottle.

When Odom arrived at the brothel on Saturday, he ordered a bottle of cognac, and at the time he was found unconscious, a third of the liquor remained.

A graphic video obtained by NBC News shows Georgia sheriff’s deputies tasing Matthew Ajibade, 22, in the groin while he was restrained.

Ajibade had been arrested for allegedly hitting his girlfriend and breaking a deputy’s nose, but his family says he was suffering a bipolar episode.

The two deputies and the health care worker involved are being tried for involuntary manslaughter in the Jan. 2, 2015 death of Ajibade. As a result of shooting the taser, Jason Kenny has also been charged with aggravated assault and cruelty to an inmate. The remaining defendants, Cpl. Maxine Evans and Gregory Brown, a nurse at the Chatham County jail, are also charged with reckless conduct for not monitoring Ajibade while he was experiencing a mental crisis.

Ajibade can been seen in the video, which was recorded via a camera attached to the taser, restrained to a chair with handcuffs and wearing a spit mask over his mouth. In the early morning of Jan 2nd, he was found dead in the same chair, still wearing the spit mask.

The Root describes the rest of the footage:

In the video, a red dot could be seen on Ajibade’s thigh and groin, where the Taser is pointed. The dot pauses in the groin region and the camera comes closer, after which the Taser is discharged and Ajibade is heard screaming. Prosecutors have cited the video as proof that Ajibade was not resisting when he was tased. Kenny claimed that the young man was struggling, prompting the use of the stun gun.

Ajibade’s family has hired Mark O’Mara, whose name should ring a bell as he infamously defended George Zimmerman in the Trayvon Martin murder trial. O’Mara called the video, which can be viewed on NBC News, “digusting and vile,” “torture,” and “sadism.”

Dole has issued a recall related to bagged spinach due to salmonella concerns.   A sample of spinach was found to contain the bacteria so the company is voluntarily recalling batches of product that could potentially be contaminated.  The bagged spinach salads were distributed in 13 states.

From Dole:

Dole Fresh Vegetables is voluntarily recalling a limited number of cases of bagged salad. The product being recalled is Dole Spinach coded A27409B & A27409A, with an Enjoy By date of October 15 and UPC 7143000976 due to a possible health risk from Salmonella.

Dole Fresh Vegetables is coordinating closely with regulatory officials.  No illnesses have been reported in association with the recall.

The product code and Enjoy By date are in the upper right-hand corner of the package; the UPC code is on the back of the package, below the barcode.

The salads were distributed in 13 U.S. states (Connecticut, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin).

Consumers with question can call the Dole Food Company Consumer Response Center at (800) 356-3111, open 8:00 am to 3:00 pm (PT) Monday – Friday.

Colby C.

Pretty much the whole universe is excited to see Tracy Morgan return to Saturday Night Live this weekend.  It marks his second television appearance since the 2014 car accident that left him in a two week coma and resulted in a year long recovery.

A just-released promotional trailer features the comedian talking to Bobby Moynihan about his upcoming SNL hosting duties for the October 17 show.  Watch – and laugh – here:

–Colby C.

After suffering kidney failure, troubled former NBA star Lamar Odom underwent dialysis Wednesday at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas.

Although, doctors believe the treatment was successful, Odom remains in critical condition and a medically-induced coma, after being found unconscious at a Nevada brothel on Sunday. Physicians will conduct medical tests, including MRIs, over the next several days to determine whether Odom’s 50-50 chance of survival can be upgraded.

Doctors believe the kidney failure is the result of Odom’s drug use, not high blood pressure or diabetes, according to a source speaking with the New York Daily News. Other sources claim he was under the influence of herbal Viagra, cocaine, crack-cocaine, and alcohol. Authorities have confirmed that Odom had cocaine in his system when he checked into the brothel. It is possible for the kidneys to improve after being damaged or losing function due to drug use or trauma, but it could be weeks or months before the extent of kidney damage can be assessed, explained the news outlet’s source.

Odom’s estranged wife Khloe Kardashian is reportedly by his side, and she and Joe Odom, Odom’s father, are making medical decisions on his behalf. Her sister Kim Kardashian-West and mother Kris Jenner have visited Odom. Former L.A. Lakers teammate Kobe Bryant has also come to the hospital.

Lil Wayne and NBA player J.R. Smith sent premature RIP social media posts while Odom continues to fight for his life.

Smith wrote on Instagram:

“RIP LO damn man I can’t believe this … If this isn’t a sign I don’t know what is!!! This life is so much bigger then basketball an any other sport! I can’t imagine what he was going through but I know he could have had some better people in his corner! Life doesn’t care how much money you made or how man championships you have when its time to go it’s time to go! Some people say ‘it’s easy to be happy you have millions!’ With all the money that comes trust an believe it comes with just as much heartache! Learning a balance is key never get to high on the highs an never get to low on the lows! #RIPLO”

On Oct. 5th, Tony Harris posted a photo of his wife, Amber Crane, holding stacks of money. “I misplaced $60,000. I hope my wife didn’t go shopping with it,” wrote Harris to caption the photo.

Fast forward to Monday, Oct. 12th, and three masked males burst into Harris’ home around 11:30 p.m. and held him and Crane at gunpoint. The couple’s two young children were in the living room, say Philadelphia police. Harris lived in home for decades and reportedly kept his door unlocked.

The men demanded money as they held the gun to Crane’s head. Harris said he didn’t have any money.

One of the men shot Harris in the head and fled the home. Harris was rushed to a hospital and died eight hours later, early Tuesday morning.

Police are searching for the three suspects, who are believed to be between the ages of 17 and 19.

As for the stacks of cash in the photo?

Harris’ nephew told Philly.com they were just bundles of one dollar bills with $20s placed on top.

Source

Ever notice how travel seems much more frenzied around the holidays? The jovial mood everyone should be experiencing is replaced with a lack of patience and a hurried pace, and there’s no place like an airport to get you riled up. So in advance of the holiday travel season, we spoke with Microsoft about ways technology can make your journeys less hectic.

Adopt a Virtual Travel Agent
If you’re not down with Cortana, you need to be! This digital personal assistant can help you plan your holiday destination, among other tasks. She’ll track hotel and car reservations, help remind you of flight changes, and recommend fun things to do at your destination.

Plan Your Airport Route
There is always a debate on how much traffic time you should account for so you don’t miss your flight. Cortana can provide accurate timing and will even proactively remind you when you should leave if you want to get to the airport and make your flight on time. Cortana is such a good team player she should get a raise.

Be Prepared
If you are going on a trip with friends or taking a last minute business trip and you need to book places to meet or eat, you are in luck and can search that quickly with the new browser, Microsoft Edge. By simply searching in Bing, it will immediately share restaurant hours of operation, an OpenTable link, directions, and Yelp reviews in one quick click on the side of your browser. No more getting overwhelmed with five tabs open in your browser, while sitting at the airport waiting for your flight.

Stay Secure
Encrypt your cloud storage/OneDrive, and update your password regularly. Also, if you have a rather new PC, Windows Hello provides a state-of-the-art password using the retina of your eye. No more getting locked out of your computer on-the-go, and now travelers can have a hands-free experience.

For more ways technology can improve your life, click here.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Grey’s Anatomy star and activist Jesse Williams and his wife Aryn Drake-Lee have added a fourth member to their family.  The couple welcomed baby Maceo two months ago, according to Us Weekly.

Speaking about fatherhood in an interview with the magazine on October 12, Williams said, “I try to raise them with the greatest [values] from my life, but times are completely different now.”

He continues, “We were at an age where we didn’t have [Internet] or email addresses — it’s both exciting and terrifying.”

Williams and Drake-Lee have been married for three years and welcomed their first child, Sadie, in December of 2013.

–Colby C.

Image: Getty

Lamar Odom is responding positively to treatment, a welcoming development in the series of events that put him in the hospital. Doctors at Sunrise Hospital in Las Vegas have reportedly told the former Laker’s family that his heart function has improved.

This is a promising step forward in light of previous reports of him having a 50/50 chance of survival and failing organs.  TMZ reports that testing on the beloved basketball star this morning indicated that his heart function is much better. He’s been in the hospital since Tuesday, after he was found foaming at the mouth and unresponsive after taking up to 10 herbal viagra pills at Nevada’s Love Ranch brothel.

Odom’s estranged wife Khloe Kardashian remains at his bedside and has been making medical decisions on his behalf.  The Kardashian family released a statement today signaling their focus on the tragedy. “As a family, we have decided to hold off on publishing content across our apps while we continue to support and pray for Lamar. Thank you for your kindness and understanding during this difficult time,” read a statement posted to their recently released apps.

Doctors have warned that because Odom suffered multiple strokes and possibly was deprived oxygen between the time of his collapse and when assistance arrived, any level of recovery could still result in brain damage and other impairments.

–Colby C.

London-based photographer Emily Stein is hoping to eliminate the judgment and scrutiny Black children feel as a result of wearing their natural hair texture.

Stein was inspired by hairstyles and decided to take a closer look at the hairstyles of kids of Caribbean- and African-descent in her neighborhood, reports the New York Daily News. She features the intricate and often technical hairstyles worn by the children in her photo series Hairdo.

“The purpose of the project was to celebrate charismatic kids with equally charismatic hairstyles,” Stein told the Daily News. “Children are bombarded by images on social media and this syncs into their psyche.”

Some of the hairstyles Stein snapped and included in the photo project are cornrows, Bantu knots, box braids, and buns, which were oftentimes adorned with plastic beads, barrettes, and bows.

After asking parents’ permission, Stein would photograph the children right on the street, with a piece of colored paper serving as backdrop. Since she wanted the children, ages 3 to 8, to be, well, natural, she would instruct them to move as they wished.

“I wanted the children to be in charge, so I asked them to move as they wanted, which resulted in them yawning, hiding, or lavishing in the moment,” Stein said to the Daily News.

The photographer has plans to use the images in a limited-edition photo magazine of 200 copies.

Check out all the Hairdo images on Stein’s website.

[Images: Emily Stein]

Glory Johnson, the ex-wife of Brittney Griner who was kicked out of their Arizona home in September, announced yesterday that she’d given birth to premature twins.  The girls, Ava Simone and Solei Diem, were born on October 12.  Johnson shared pics of the twins on Instagram.

The girls weighed in at a little over a pound each.  Though twins are typically born a bit early (babies born before the 37 week mark are considered premature), these two fighters were extra early, making their entrance into the world at just 24 weeks.

Johnson is very optimistic, saying, “Born a little earlier than expected, I have no worries because these babies are fighters just like I am,” which could be a reference to the tumultuous breakup (cheating rumors, domestic violence, messy divorce and all) she and estranged ex Brittney Griner went through this year.

Images: Instagram/Glory Johnson

–Colby C.