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☆ The director of Will Smith's new movie about slavery hopes audiences can look beyond the infamous #OscarsSlap
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-15 | by ( Dan Heching | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —After the Academy Awards earlier this year, movie watchers and industry insiders alike have wondered what Will Smith’s now-infamous, on-air slapping of Chris Rock will mean for the “King Richard” actor’s career, as well as his future Oscars chances. Now, ahead of the release of Smith’s new film “Emancipation,” director Antoine Fuqua is opening up about all that speculation, and his wish that audiences will instead focus on the searing narrative at the heart of the movie, namely the historic struggle against slavery in America. Four hundred years of slavery is bigger than one moment,” Fuqua told Vanity Fair in an interview published on Tuesday about the film, in which Smith plays a character named Peter, a man who escapes from slavery. The character was inspired by a historical figure commonly referred to as “Whipped Peter,” who was featured in graphic 1863 photos that depicted the brutality of slavery. Director Antoine Fuqua, seen here posing during a photocall on the set of the film "Equalizer 3" on October 19, 2022, directed Will Smith in the soon-to-be-released film "Emancipation."

☆ Noose found at Obama Presidential Center construction site in Chicago
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Daniel Trotta | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - Chicago police are investigating a noose that was found at the construction site of the Obama Presidential Center on Thursday, an act the Illinois governor condemned as a symbol of racist hatred. The incident led to a temporary halt in construction, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing the construction consortium that is building the center. The noose was reported to police by the Lakeside Alliance, a construction team of Black-owned companies that is building the Obama Presidential Center, which will be a museum and public gathering space commemorating Barack and Michelle Obama, the first African-American president and first lady. The Lakeside Alliance is offering a $100,000 reward to help find those responsible, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing an alliance statement. Construction on the site began in 2021 and the center is due to open in 2025.

☆ KFC Germany apologizes for advertising a Kristallnacht promotion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —KFC Germany apologized for an “unacceptable” message sent to customers on Wednesday, which appeared to tie a sales promotion to the annual commemoration of Kristallnacht. KFC app users in the country received a message encouraging them to mark the day with crispy chicken and cheese from KFC, according to Twitter users who shared screengrabs of the message in German. “Earlier today an automated push notification was accidently [SIC] issued to KFC app users in Germany that contained an obviously unplanned, insensitive and unacceptable message,” KFC Germany said in a statement emailed to CNN Business. KFC Germany didn’t confirm the language used in the alert. KFC’s message resulted in similar outrage among some German customers and has been widely criticized on social media.

Paris, France CNN —A subsidiary of French construction firm Vinci was placed under formal investigation Wednesday over allegations of abusive working conditions on building sites in Qatar linked to the 2022 FIFA World Cup, a spokeswoman with the Nanterre prosecutor’s office told CNN Thursday. “There are a lot more elements, so the judge decided there’s now enough for an investigation into Vinci,” Sherpa’s lawyer, Ingrid Metton, told CNN Thursday. “I am thrilled with this decision … it would have been very wrong for this World Cup to go ahead without pushing this investigation forward,” Metton added. Sherpa said it collected testimonies in 2014 about the working conditions on some of the construction sites linked to the World Cup and operated by Vinci’s Qatari subsidiary. Qatar will host the World Cup from November 20 until December 18.

The former English teacher was charged with assault last year for attacking her partner with a knife during a domestic dispute in which he received light facial injuries. A human rights activist involved with the case said she acted in self-defence. At Thursday's hearing she said it "shocked my world" when she was placed in a penal colony where she was put to work making artificial flowers for cemeteries and mortuaries. It was forced labour," she said, complaining no medical treatment was available except for headache tablets. Writing by Mark Trevelyan Editing by Raissa KasolowskyOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The first was Democrat Wes Moore, who beat Republican Dan Cox, becoming Maryland’s first Black governor, and only the third Black governor in the country. Black female candidates hoped to make history across gender and racial lines in several states, from Rep. Val Demings and Aramis Ayala in Florida to Chelsea Clark in Ohio and several women bidding to be the country’s first Black female governor. Although many of these key races ended in upsets for the Black female Democratic candidates, some states have ushered in new progressive representation. And in Massachusetts, Democrat Andrea Campbell beat out Republican Jay McMahon to become the state’s first Black female attorney general. “What we just saw in the midterms is that these Black women were able to inspire multiracial coalitions that enabled their wins.

☆ Slavery rejected in some, not all, states where on ballot
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Voters in three states approved ballot measures that will change their state constitutions to prohibit slavery and involuntary servitude as punishment for crime, while those in a fourth state rejected the move. The measures approved Tuesday curtail the use of prison labor in Alabama, Tennessee and Vermont. In Louisiana, a former slave-holding state, voters rejected a ballot question known as Amendment 7 that asked whether they supported a constitutional amendment to prohibit the use of involuntary servitude in the criminal justice system. After Tuesday’s vote, more than a dozen states still have constitutions that include language permitting slavery and involuntary servitude for prisoners. Several other states have no constitutional language for or against the use of forced prison labor.

Share this -Link copiedWisconsin Senate race too close to call Wisconsin's Senate race between GOP Sen. Ron Johnson and Democrat Mandela Barnes is too close to call, NBC News says. Vance wins Ohio Senate race, defeating Democrat Tim Ryan, NBC News projects COLUMBUS, Ohio — J.D. Ohio Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance is leading The Senate race in Ohio is too early to call, NBC News says, but Republican candidate J.D. Share this -Link copiedGeorgia Senate race too close to call Georgia's Senate race is too close to call about three hours after polls closed at 7 p.m.

☆ French judge to probe Vinci unit over Qatar labour rights, group says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

PARIS, Nov 9 (Reuters) - A French judge has placed Vinci Construction Grands Projets, a unit of French construction group Vinci (SGEF.PA), under formal investigation over allegations it violated the rights of migrant workers in Qatar, human rights group Sherpa said on Wednesday. Vinci said through its lawyer Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi that it would immediately appeal the judge's decision. Reuters sought comment from the court where the judge is based but was told it was not immediately able to comment. The French judicial move follows an initial 2015 complaint by Sherpa, which was dismissed in January 2018. Sherpa said the Vinci unit faces charges of "keeping people in servitude", "work and housing incompatible with human dignity", and "forced labour".

☆ Kanye West's Turbulent 9-Year History With Adidas
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Matthew Kish | Danni Santana | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Adidas announced an endorsement deal with Kanye West in November 2013. By 2019, Adidas sales of his Yeezy brand eclipsed $1 billion annually. In November 2013, Adidas sales in North America, the most critical territory for sportswear sales, were down 1% for the year. But that same month, Adidas announced a partnership with Kanye West, the polarizing musician and fashion designer, now known as Ye. Despite the turbulence, Adidas Yeezy sales continued to grow.

☆ Live Results: Tennessee votes in congressional and state elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Walt Hickey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Explore more race results below. Polls close in Tennessee at 7 p.m. in the eastern time zone and 8 p.m. in the central time zone. It symobilizes the 2022 Election. Another, Amendment 3, would remove language in the state constitution that allows the use of slavery and involuntary servitude as criminal punishments. Polls close in the state at 7 p.m. in the eastern time zone and 8 p.m. in the central time zone.

☆ Live Results: Vermont votes in congressional and state elections
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Walt Hickey | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Explore more race results below. Polls close in the state at 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. It symobilizes the 2022 Election. Proposal 2 would add language to the state constitution explicitly prohibiting slavery and indentured servitude. Another, Proposal 5, would add the right to abortion directly into the state constitution.

☆ Oregon Measure 112: Voters will decide on removing the state constitution's language addressing slavery in prisons
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Oregon Measure 112 would change language in the state constitution that addresses slavery and involuntary servitude in prisons. Supporters argue that the slavery language has heavily affected marginalized communities. A Secretary of State's analysis of the measure states: "The measure does not require additional state government revenues or expenditures; however the impact of the measure will depend on potential legal action or changes to inmate work programs." Support and oppositionOregonians Against Slavery & Involuntary Servitude is leading the campaign in support of the measure. Supporters argue that the slavery exception has heavily affected marginalized communities.

☆ Louisiana Amendment 7: Voters will decide on a confusing change to the state's constitution over slavery and indentured servitude
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Louisiana Amendment 7 would ban slavery in the state's constitution, but confusion abounds. The amendment would allow involuntary servitude in the "lawful administration of criminal justice." Ballot measure detailsKnown as the Remove Involuntary Servitude as Punishment for a Crime from Constitution Measure, Louisiana Amendment 7 would eliminate the language in the state constitution that establishes involuntary servitude as punishment. It would, in turn, include language that bars slavery and involuntary servitude except in the case of "lawful administration of criminal justice." The Council for a Better Louisiana opposes the measure, according to the New Orleans outlet.

☆ Tennessee Amendment 3: Voters will decide on expressly banning slavery, including inside of prisons
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Tennessee Amendment 3 would change language in the state constitution to expressly ban slavery. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyA "yes" on Tennessee Amendment 3 would expressly ban slavery in Tennessee — including in prisons. The amendment would replace the previous language with: "Slavery and involuntary servitude are forever prohibited. "Our constitution should reflect our values, and it's important that we not have any loopholes that will say in any circumstance slavery is permissible. "Tennessee's Constitution has expressly prohibited slavery since it was first adopted in 1870, so it's unnecessary to add this amendment to the state constitution.

☆ Vermont Proposal 2: Voters will decide on removing antiquated slavery language from the state's constitution
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( Taiyler Simone Mitchell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Vermont Proposal 2 would remove antiquated slavery-related language from the state constitution. There is no organized campaign against the proposal, according to Ballotpedia. "Vermont is proud to have been the first state in the Union to outlaw slavery in its constitution, but this proposal to clarify the antiquated language is meaningful as well. There is no organized campaign against the proposal, according to Ballotpedia. The money raceThe proposal has seen no organized fundraising either for or against the measure, according to Ballotpedia.

☆ A former student of Ron DeSantis' says he was 'hostile' to her because she was Black and would play 'devil's advocate' about the Civil War: NYT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-05 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Ron DeSantis spent a year at a private school in Georgia teaching history and government, per The New York Times. A former student said DeSantis would "play devil's advocate" over controversial subjects like the Civil War. While teaching history and government, DeSantis liked to debate controversial subjects, including the Civil War, former Darlington student and 2003 graduate Danielle Pompey recalled to the Times. "Mr. Ron, Mr. DeSantis, was mean to me and hostile toward me," Pompey told the Times. In the video seen by the Times, a student pretending to be DeSantis said, "The Civil War was not about slavery!

☆ Dolly Chugh Q&A: How to love a country with a complicated history
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-03 | by ( Angela Duckworth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

This tradition of loving one’s country, but not always liking what is done in its name, is not new. In this conversation, she offers seven tools grounded in psychological research that can help you learn — and unlearn — American history. The newly released book "A More Just Future: Psychological Tools for Reckoning With Our Past and Driving Social Change" is written by social psychologist Dolly Chugh. Dolly Chugh: The interview opened with him spontaneously singing “Hello, Dolly!” to me, so he definitely had me at hello! Dolly Chugh of the NYU Stern School of Business offers seven tools that can help you learn — and unlearn — American history.

☆ Top Adidas execs took only 2 minutes to make their final decision to cut ties with Kanye West, a report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Adidas execs held an "undramatic" two-minute call where they decided to cut ties with Ye, per Bloomberg. Ye's antisemitic comments were the final straw in a profitable but stormy relationship. Many fans and Adidas workers began to turn against the rapper when he wore a "Make America Great Again" hat in 2018. According to Bloomberg, Ye had accused Adidas of copying his ideas and demanding a seat on the supervisory board. Adidas declined to comment beyond its initial statement on terminating the partnership with Ye.

☆ 46 landmark Supreme Court cases that changed American life as we knew it
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( James Pasley | Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

The US Supreme Court was formed in 1789. It makes fewer than 100 decisions every year, but its choices have had a huge impact on the country. The US Supreme Court, the court of last resort, has undeniably changed the country. It makes fewer than 100 decisions every year that have sweeping effects on American life. Here are 45 of the most important cases the Supreme Court has ever decided.

☆ College use of race in admissions challenged at Supreme Court in arguments
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Dan Mangan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

"Racial classifications are wrong," the attorney Patrick Strawbridge said in his opening argument on behalf of the group Students for Fair Admissions. The Supreme Court began hearing arguments Monday in two cases that challenge the use of race-based considerations to determine who gets admitted to American colleges. Conservatives hold a 6-3 super-majority on the Supreme Court and are expected to be open to the arguments for ending affirmative action. The cases being argued are Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard, case No. 20-1199, and Students for Fair Admissions v. the University of North Carolina, case No.

☆ Brooklyn Nets denounce Kyrie Irving for promoting antisemitic film known for extremist content that refers to European Jews as the 'synagogue of Satan'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Bethany Biron | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The Brooklyn Nets are condemning Kyrie Irving for promoting antisemitic content on Twitter. He shared a link to a film called "Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America," known for extremism. "I'm disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation," Joe Tsai said. "I'm disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of antisemitic disinformation," Tsai wrote. "The Brooklyn Nets strongly condemn and have no tolerance for the promotion of any form of hate speech," the statement reads.

☆ Kanye West’s antisemitism did what his anti-Blackness did not. And some people have a problem with that
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Lisa Respers France | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —On the surface, the case of Kanye West seems pretty cut and dry. But the million-dollar question is why this didn’t happen a long time ago, given West’s history of making anti-Black statements. Journalist Ernest Owens recently tweeted, “FACT: Before Kanye West was ‘the face of Anti-Semitism,’ he was one of the hip-hop faces of misogynoir, anti-Blackness, Trumpism, and slavery-denial.”FACT: Before Kanye West was "the face of Anti-Semitism," he was one of the hip-hop faces of misogynoir, anti-Blackness, Trumpism, and slavery-denial. “Shame.”Author and Washington Post Magazine contributing writer Damon Young told CNN the situation is a more nuanced discussion than it sometimes appears to be on social media. “The reason we never really completely shut Kanye down is because we are hanging on to this essence of what he used to be,” Baptist told CNN.

☆ Louisiana native, author Ernest Gaines to appear on US stamp
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Gaines’ stamp offers an impressive representation of the man I knew and admired, and it reminds me of the immeasurable grace, strength and character he displayed throughout his life and through his words,” said Dr. Joseph Savoie, UL-Lafayette president. The book that earned widespread notice for Gaines, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,” is a first-person narrative of a fictional 110-year-old woman born into slavery. Published in 1971, the novel’s inspiration was Augusteen Jefferson, Gaines’ disabled aunt who helped raise him. “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman” and “A Gathering of Old Men” (1984) became honored television movies. Gaines’ novels, which have drawn comparisons to the writings of William Faulkner and Charles Dickens, have been published in at least 17 languages.

NBC News, in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, The Washington Post, and Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, interviewed more than 40 current and former employees of contractors at military bases. According to an NBC News analysis, at least 10 companies with substantiated trafficking violations since 2007 have received billions in new government contracts. ‘Mad scramble’Foreign workers are crucial for the more than 700 military bases with U.S. service members around the world. One company that continues to get work at Middle East bases despite past violations documented in an Army compliance agreement is Tamimi, Abdulla’s employer. Lusambu Karim, a 50-year-old Ugandan, told NBC News about trafficking violations he said he encountered working for Aegis in Afghanistan from 2018 to 2020.

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