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Black Kos, Week In Review ~ How Rachel Maddow failed the allyship test [1]
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Date: 2025-03-14
Commentary by Black Kos editor JoanMar
Let me be clear: when it comes to what Rachel Maddow does best, she is simply the best at it.
I imagine it’s not easy for allies to get it right every time. Heck, as a Black woman, and despite my best intentions, I don’t always get it right as an ally to other marginalized communities. This shit is not easy. That’s why, when allies mess up, I tend to critique their actions or words while leaving room for some grace — provided they are genuine allies and not merely fellow travelers on the right side of the partisan divide, that is.
Which brings me to Rachel Maddow’s response to MSNBC firing Joy Reid.
But before I go there, let’s clarify something: for us in the Black community, it’s easy to be seduced into thinking that the terms “progressives,” “liberals,” and “allies” are synonymous and interchangeable. They are not. Liberals and progressives will fight and sacrifice for change even while resisting structural realignment. The women’s suffrage movement made that clear. Progressive white women back then were fighting for white women, not for any other shade on the continuum. Progressive Democrats even now will parrot hateful MAGA rhetoric about the danger of “being too woke.” Allies, on the other hand, are willing to sacrifice lives, limbs, freedom, privilege, status, and comfort in the fight for justice for others. See John Brown. See Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman. See our own Tortmaster.
MSNBC is seen as the liberal counter to the Republican propaganda arm Fox News. But liberal MSNBC has a long history of not valuing Black talent. And when they’re pressured into hiring one or two, it’s painfully obvious that they do not see them as individuals with unique talents, perspectives, and experiences. Some may have forgotten that Joy Reid was used as a replacement for Melissa Harris-Perry—because there wasn’t room at liberal MSNBC for two educated, opinionated, knowledgeable, badass Black women. Compared to other on-air talent (Katy Tur anyone?), both Melissa and Joy were/are more than qualified in every way to anchor their own shows.
Which brings us back to Rachel Maddow—the $25 million -a-year anchor with the power to demand a one-day workweek while maintaining her status as MSNBC’s chief on-air personality. Rachel was sad that Joy “was leaving.” Sad that she was being deprived of whatever it is Joy brought to her table. But Joy didn’t just get up and leave. She was fired. And if Rachel had been a true ally, she could have done something about it. After all, she had the power to block Keith Olbermann’s return to the network — and didn’t shy away from exercising it —despite the fact that he’s definitely the person most responsible for her current success. He built MSNBC into a viable network that she then inherited. He also fought like hell to get her on air. Remember that, Rachel?
“In all of the jobs I have had in all of the years I have been alive there is no colleague for whom I have had more affection and more respect than Joy Reid. I love everything about her. I have so much more to learn from her. I do not want to lose her as a colleague here at MSNBC, and personally, I think it is a bad mistake to let her walk out the door. It is not my call and I understand that, but that’s what I think.” (my bold)
Rachel minimizes the fact that Joy was fired and then managed to make it about her supposed loss. In stark contrast to how Rachel viewed her value to the network, here’s how Joy described her show and what she brought to the table:
“My show had value… what I was doing had value… And that it mattered…. I went hard on so many issues, whether it was the Black Lives Matter issues of a young baby or mom or a dad that was killed, or when we opened up people’s eyes to the fact that Asian Americans were being targeted and not just Black folks… or when we went hard for immigrants who’ve done nothing but come to this country like my parents did… I’m just proud of my show.”
Iyanla Vanzant to Oprah Winfrey: “I thought you wanted the work. I didn’t think you wanted me.”
MSNBC fired Joy—not Katy Tur, not Andrea Mitchell, not Ari Melber. I didn’t love that Joy allowed herself to be used as Melissa’s replacement, but at least that was a lateral move. Despite the racism underlying Melissa’s firing, MSNBC lucked out: both women are super intelligent and super capable presenters. But this latest move—plucking off the only Black prime-time anchor despite her increasing ratings—is different. MSNBC, in their infinite racist wisdom, is replacing one Joy with three people who I am sure may be talented in some areas, but first-class TV presenters they most definitely are not.
When it came down to brass tacks, as my grandmother was fond of saying, Rachel, even had she considered doing otherwise, ultimately chose not to alienate her powerful bosses or the institution that pays her $25 million annual salary. “It is not my call,” she said. She chose not even to threaten to sacrifice status or privilege for the greater good of Joy and the community she represents.
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News round up by dopper0189, Black Kos Managing Editor
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For decades, afro-textured hair animation has lagged behind illustrations of straight hairstyles. Renderings of Black characters do not typically represent the plethora of Black hair styles or specific attributes of Black hair: the kink in their strands, the spring in their curls. But now, for the first time ever, researchers have developed algorithms to depict coily, Black hair in computer graphics, a huge step for the portrayal of Black characters.
The findings have been published in a new study, which will be available to animators worldwide. The study is a collaboration between researchers at Yale University and the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Research papers are typically the first step for film studios to gain new techniques for animation, said Theodore Kim, a co-author on the study and a professor of computer science at Yale School of Engineering and Applied Science. “Almost every computer graphics technique that you see on the screen was first published as a research paper,” Kim said, adding that the papers allow scientists at film and game studios to sort through the available research and “[set] the agenda for what they do next year”.
Having codified formulas designed to create coily hair textures is thus historic, with the potential to improve inclusivity in animation. “There’s all these papers on computer graphics algorithms that have been published in the last 50 years, especially on hair,” Kim said. “Nothing has ever tried to get this type of hair before”.
In recent years, the number of Black characters featured in animation has increased: Tiana Rogers in the Disney picture The Princess and the Frog and Joe Gardner in the Pixar movie Soul are some examples of growing diversity. But despite the increase in representation, illustrations of Black hair have remained relatively stagnant. Kim said that animators have failed to capture textures such as type 4C hair, which features tightly wound curls, because they lacked the formulas to do so, and instead replicated a limited range of styles that have been done before. “There’s only one or two hairstyles that people gravitate towards because they find that it’s culturally approved,” he said. “The vast diversity of type four hair is then lost.”
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Racist, Sexist, Homophobic Los Angeles Police Recordings Just Went Public...They’re Worse Than You Can Imagine. LA Times: Secret recordings LAPD racist, sexist and homophobic comments
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For the better part of a year, a Los Angeles police officer working in the department’s recruitment office secretly recorded dozens of conversations in which fellow cops hurled racist, sexist and homophobic comments, complaint alleges racist and derogatory comments against Black police applicants, female colleagues, and lesbian and gay co-workers, according to a complaint filed with the LAPD.
In one conversation, a Latina LAPD officer offered this advice on how to fight African Americans: “You hit black people in the liver; I heard they got weak livers,” according to the complaint filed Jan. 5 with the Los Angeles Police Department’s Professional Standards Bureau and the inspector general’s office. The same officer allegedly described a Latina janitor to her colleagues as a “wetback” after the janitor complained about the officer.
Little, it seems, was out of bounds for the accused officers, who referred to a female supervisor as a “gay ass bitch,” according to the complaint. After one female officer suggested “black people enjoy grape soda,” another Latino officer chimed in, “black people enjoy watermelon in between basketball,” according to the complaint.
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Robert F. Smith and other leaders are finding ways to diversify the workforce despite federal mandates. The Root:2nd Richest Black Man On Why Folks Shouldn't Be Scared Of Trump's Banning of DEI
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The founder, chairman, and CEO of Vista Equity Partners has a net worth of $10.8 billion, and recently, he sat down for an interview at the 788th Meeting of the Economic Club of New York to talk about why diversity is key to America’s success. To him, the diverse nature of the U.S. population is what makes us so great.
“Diversity in America is absolutely our unfair advantage in the world,” he began. “And we need to lean into that unfair advantage.” Although DEI was the government’s latest attempt to address the clear need for variety across the workforce, Smith, who was named the country’s second richest Black man, said Trump’s decision to roll back DEI doesn’t necessarily mean the end of diversity like so many fear.
“We need to engage all of our citizenry,” the billionaire continued. “You’re not going to get that if you don’t have a broad coalition of people at the table.” Smith continued clarifying this doesn’t mean picking folks just because of their race. That’s literally not what DEI is all about. “America should be a place of meritocracy, but not just meritocracy in race, but meritocracy in an opportunity set,” he said.
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The franchisee and sports-team owner made a fortune by successfully investing in various entities and interests. The Grio: 5 things to know about Junior Bridgeman—the former NBA player turned billionaire businessman—who died at age 71
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On March 11, 2025, while at an event in downtown Louisville, Ky., billionaire businessman and philanthropist Ulysses L. “Junior” Bridgemen suffered a medical emergency; he later died. He was 71. While Junior Bridgeman is probably well known to the University of Louisville community and to the fans of the NBA’s Milwaukee Bucks franchise, where he played for 10 seasons, others might not be as aware of the many facets of his life and career that have impacted various communities in Louisville and Milwaukee, but also worldwide. 1. At the time of his death, Bridgeman’s net worth was reportedly $1.4 billion. In September 2024, Bridgeman purchased a 10% minority stake in the Milwaukee Bucks, the franchise he played for from 1975 to 1984. His jersey number—No. 2—has been retired by the franchise since 1988. That stake in the franchise pushed his net worth into billionaire status. 2. Post-NBA playing days, Bridgeman became a very, very successful fast-food franchisee. At one point, Bridgeman reportedly owned nearly 500 Wendy’s, Chili’s and Pizza Hut locations around the country. 3. He was the owner of legacy publications, “Ebony” and “Jet.” In 2020, Bridgeman purchased “Ebony” and “Jet” magazines from previous owner, Clear View Group. He was the owner of both publications at the time of his death.
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Trump continues to create chaos around the world JAMAICAN OBSERVER: Mottley prepared to have US visa revoked over Cuba health programme
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Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley says she is prepared to have her United States (US) visa revoked as she urged Caribbean Community (Caricom) countries to ensure they are able to explain “what the Cubans have been able to do for us” as they seek to defend the Cuban health brigade programme.
“This matter, with the Cubans and the nurses, should tell us everything that we need to know. Barbados does not currently have Cuban medical staff or Cuban nurses, but I will be the first to go to the line and to tell you that we could not get through the (COVID-19) pandemic without the Cuban nurses and the Cuban doctors,” Mottley said in a statement in Parliament.
The United States has raised questions about the programme that Caricom countries have insisted has benefitted the region significantly.
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio announced recently that Washington would be expanding an existing Cuba-related visa restriction policy that targets forced labour linked to the Cuban labour export programme.
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