Herman Cain recently scoffed at the allegations accusing President Donald Trump of being racist.
“I don’t think Donald Trump has a racist bone in his body. And you can quote me on that,” Cain said in an interview with Yahoo News. “I have known him for many years. I have talked to people who work directly for him. The man is a businessman. How could he be a racist? His daughter married a person whose religious belief is Jewish. Good! He doesn’t go around making statements that are racist in nature. No, he says things where some people out there — especially people who don’t like him — try to spin it as being racist.”
On several occasions, Trump has referred to himself as "the least racist person." However, his statements on Charlottesville, Virginia, his history of running racially-charged attack ads and his recent "sh*thole countries" controversy have his critics unsure whether Trump is as tolerant as Cain claims.
According to Cain, critics need to put aside Trump’s language and personality. He instead urges them to focus on the results of Trump's policies in order to truly measure the success of his first-year in office.
Cain said he would give year one an "A" because Trump rolled back regulations and signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which he called “one of the biggest legislative achievements in 30 years.”
When it comes to Trump's campaign rhetoric (including when Trump said the following about Mexican immigrants: "They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."), Cain said that he never observed anything at Trump’s campaign events that would indicate he harbors any animus toward minorities.
Herman Cain recently scoffed at the allegations accusing President Donald Trump of being racist.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>“I don’t think Donald Trump has a racist bone in his body. And you can quote me on that,” Cain said in an interview with \u003Ca href=\"https://www.yahoo.com/news/herman-cain-says-trump-doesnt-racist-bone-body-180726069.html\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" target=\"_blank\">Yahoo News\u003C/a>. “I have known him for many years. I have talked to people who work directly for him. The man is a businessman. How could he be a racist? His daughter married a person whose religious belief is Jewish. Good! He doesn’t go around making statements that are racist in nature. No, he says things where some people out there — especially people who don’t like him — try to spin it as being racist.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>On several occasions, Trump has referred to himself as "the least racist person." However, his statements on \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/donald-trump-charlottesville-winery-both-sides-blame-violence\">Charlottesville\u003C/a>, Virginia, his history of running \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/ava-duvernay-calls-out-trump-for-his-hypocrisy-role-in-the-central-park-five-conviction\">racially-charged attack ads\u003C/a> and his recent \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/trump-reportedly-fussed-about-shthole-countries-like-haiti-and-other-african-nations-for-flocking-to-the-us\">"sh*thole countries" controversy\u003C/a> have his critics unsure whether Trump is as tolerant as Cain claims.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>According to Cain, critics need to put aside Trump’s language and personality. He instead urges them to focus on the results of Trump's policies in order to truly measure the success of his first-year in office.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>Cain said he would give year one an "A" because Trump rolled back regulations and signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which he called “one of the biggest legislative achievements in 30 years.”\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>When it comes to Trump's campaign rhetoric (including when Trump said the following about \u003Ca href=\"http://time.com/4473972/donald-trump-mexico-meeting-insult/\">Mexican immigrants\u003C/a>: "They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."), Cain said that he never observed anything at Trump’s campaign events that would indicate he harbors any animus toward minorities.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp content='“When he was campaigning, I spoke at three of his rallies. There were plenty of black people and Hispanic people there trying to help him get elected. I never saw him try to put anybody down. The people who don’t like him are trying to stick him with a racist label, which is not true,” Cain said. At a campaign rally in Atlanta, he vouched for Trump as a \u003Ca href=\"http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/19/us/politics/behind-herman-cains-humor-a-question-of-seriousness.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">“shucky ducky” kind of candidate.\u003C/a> Trump received \u003Ca href=\"http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/11/09/behind-trumps-victory-divisions-by-race-gender-education/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">8 percent\u003C/a> of votes by black people in 2016.’ data-reactid=”26″ type=”text”>“When he was campaigning, I spoke at three of his rallies. There were plenty of black people and Hispanic people there trying to help him get elected," Cain said. "I never saw him try to put anybody down. The people who don’t like him are trying to stick him with a racist label, which is not true."\u003C/p>\n",[23,27],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},"News","news",83,{"name":28,"slug":29,"id":30},"Politics","politics",120,[32,36],{"id":33,"name":34,"slug":35,"description":10,"image":10},37278,"Donald trump","donald-trump",{"id":37,"name":38,"slug":39,"description":10,"image":10},31431,"Herman Cain","herman-cain",{"url":41,"thumbnail":41,"credit":42,"title":10,"alt":10,"type":43},"https://res.cloudinary.com/blavity/image/upload/v1518555094/hlftrwf7fqctilz89h1b","Photo: Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons","image","2018-02-13T16:18:42-05:00","default",[],false,{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":49,"headScript":50},true,null,"https://storage.googleapis.com/blavitynews/images/fallback.jpg","article","2025-10-31T12:08:11.599Z",{"list":55,"total":178},[56,110,143],{"id":57,"author":58,"authors":65,"title":67,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":68,"body":69,"categories":70,"tags":79,"featuredMedia":100,"publishedAt":105,"updatedAt":106,"type":45,"listicle":107,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":108,"additional":109},72876871,{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":63,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},99591,"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/IMG_1020-2-compress.jpg","Aria Bell","aria.bell@blavity.com","ariabell","2022-08-29T17:13:08+00:00",[66],{"id":59,"avatar":60,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":61,"email":62,"username":63,"normalizedUsername":63,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":64},"Nikole Hannah-Jones To Open Bookstore/Bar In Historic Bed-Stuy Building","nikole-hannah-jones-to-open-bed-stuy-bookstore","\n\u003Cp>Bed-Stuy is getting a new home for \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/blavity-books-afrotech-kindred-stories\">books\u003C/a>, culture and conversation under the direction of Pulitzer Prize-winning \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/debbie-brockman-wgn-journalist-ice-detained\">journalist\u003C/a> Nikole Hannah-Jones.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hannah-Jones is teaming up with New York entrepreneurs Rotimi and Ayo Akinnuoye and Baldwin & Co. owner DJ Johnson to open The North Star Books + Bar, which wil lbe inside the former Macon Hardware storefront at Macon Street and Marcus Garvey Boulevard, as \u003Ca href=\"https://www.brownstoner.com/brooklyn-life/north-star-books-bar-339-macon-street-nikole-hannah-jones/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brownstoner\u003C/a> reported. The goal is simple: Create a gathering place where literature, community and nightlife meet.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-nikole-hannah-jones-is-keeping-bed-stuy-s-legacy-alive\">Nikole Hannah-Jones is keeping Bed-Stuy’s legacy alive\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The project is deeply tied to neighborhood history. Macon Hardware stood for generations as one of Bed-Stuy’s longest-running Black-owned businesses. Keeping the building in community hands mattered to Hannah-Jones, a Bed-Stuy resident for nearly 15 years who has hosted reading salons in her home and spent years scouting a public space. After a previous lease fell through, she set her sights on ownership. A “for sale” post led her to 339 Macon Street, where she made her case to owner Warren Hayes to pass the keys to someone rooted in the neighborhood. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Mr. Hayes was very happy to be able to sell it to someone who is in the community and cares about the community and will create a great community space,” she said in an interview with Brownstoner. “I’m very much aware of the history, and very much honored to keep the building Black owned, frankly.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Macon Hardware’s legacy remains central. Open since around 1930, the shop became a neighborhood anchor under the Hayes family after Peter and Clara Hayes purchased it in 1987. Clara ran the store after Peter’s passing. Following her death in 2022, there wasn’t a relative of the couple to keep the business operating. Their son decided to sell it, marking the end of an era for a place many considered an iconic community hub. The sale was completed in 2024 with financing from the Self-Help Venture Fund, and Hannah-Jones noted it served as a bridge loan with her as the building’s owner.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-will-the-north-star-books-bar-offer-bed-stuy\">What will the North Star Books + Bar offer Bed-Stuy?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The concept is part bookstore, part bar and cafe. Hannah-Jones, who is also a Howard University professor and co-founder of the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting, wants the venue to be a magnet for the creative world.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I’m very plugged into the writer community, I’m friends with a lot of great writers, and wanted to be able to bring those writers into our community,” Hannah-Jones explained. “Whenever you have big book events in the city, they’re not at Black bookstores and they’re not in Black neighborhoods, so I really wanted to bring that to Bed Stuy. People should expect all of their writing heroes.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Programming will stretch beyond author talks. Patrons can expect performances, book clubs and writing workshops designed to pull in both neighbors and visitors. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I really, really want it to be a space, especially in these times, where creative folks can come together and exchange knowledge, ideas, literature, art,” Hannah-Jones said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-plans-are-to-open-the-bookstore-in-early-2026\">Plans are to open the bookstore in early 2026\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The two-story brick corner building sits within the Bedford-Stuyvesant/Expanded Stuyvesant Heights Historic District. Apartments upstairs will host micro-residencies that give visiting writers a place to stay and a way to plug into community work. Inside, a gut renovation is underway to channel a Harlem Renaissance spirit with an Art Deco touch. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As Hannah-Jones put it, “The space will pay tribute to Black writers of all eras and of all forms.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Additionally, she and her team plan to operate the bar and cafe in-house. A full kitchen is being built now, with chefs consulting on the menu.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With The North Star Books + Bar, the partners are building on that legacy rather than replacing it. Hannah-Jones framed it as a place designed to be “a draw for great Black writers and creators from across the globe.” She hopes it will be ready for customers in early 2026.\u003C/p>\n",[71,75],{"name":72,"slug":73,"id":74},"Books","books",14,{"name":76,"slug":77,"id":78},"Culture","culture",118,[80,84,88,92,96],{"id":81,"name":82,"slug":83,"description":10,"image":10},23655,"Bed-Stuy","bed-stuy",{"id":85,"name":86,"slug":87,"description":10,"image":10},70910,"black-owned bookstore","black-owned-bookstore",{"id":89,"name":90,"slug":91,"description":10,"image":10},55266,"Nikole Hannah-Jones","nikole-hannah-jones-2",{"id":93,"name":94,"slug":95,"description":10,"image":10},75810,"Non-Newsletter","non-newsletter",{"id":97,"name":98,"slug":99,"description":10,"image":10},44529,"top stories","top-stories",{"url":101,"thumbnail":102,"credit":103,"title":90,"alt":104,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2223597800.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2223597800-150x100.jpg","Photo: Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for ESSENCE","Nikole Hannah-Jones speaks onstage during the 2025 ESSENCE Festival in New Orleans","2025-10-28T09:38:49-04:00","2025-10-28T11:23:45-04:00",[],"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/bed-stuy-macon-5-and-10-hardware-339-macon-street-012023-abs-1.webp",{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":111,"author":112,"authors":123,"title":125,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":126,"body":127,"categories":128,"tags":130,"featuredMedia":132,"publishedAt":138,"updatedAt":139,"type":45,"listicle":140,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":141,"additional":142},72877370,{"id":113,"avatar":114,"firstName":115,"lastName":116,"displayName":117,"email":118,"username":119,"normalizedUsername":120,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":121,"registeredAt":122},99834,"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/KyraAlessandrini-compress.jpeg","Kyra","Alessandrini","Kyra Alessandrini","Kyra.Alessandrini@blavity.com","KyraAlessandrini","kyraalessandrini","https://www.instagram.com/kyraless/","2023-04-03T03:46:17+00:00",[124],{"id":113,"avatar":114,"firstName":115,"lastName":116,"displayName":117,"email":118,"username":119,"normalizedUsername":120,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":121,"registeredAt":122},"Black Student Handcuffed After AI Software Mistakes Bag Of Chips For Gun","student-handcuffed-ai-system-mistook-bag-chips-gun","\n\u003Cp>A \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/baltimore-murder-rate-record-low-under-brandon-scott\">Baltimore\u003C/a> County high school student was handcuffed by law enforcement after his school’s \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/can-artificial-intelligence-frame-you-for-crimes-you-didnt-commit\">artificial intelligence\u003C/a> detector mistook his bag of chips for a gun. Police officers who responded to the scene rapidly canceled the alert while council members are now calling for a review of the AI system.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-student-was-handcuffed-and-searched-before-the-alert-was-lifted\">The student was handcuffed and searched before the alert was lifted\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Taki Allen, a student at Kenwood High School, was sitting with friends after football practice on the evening of Oct. 20. At around 7:20 p.m., police officers showed up with guns and walked up towards Allen.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe title=\"Teen handcuffed after AI system mistakes bag of chips for gun\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/7XCuHD-52xQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C/iframe>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“It was like eight cop cars that came pulling up for us. At first, I didn’t know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I was like, ‘What?’” the student said in an interview with \u003Ca href=\"https://www.wbaltv.com/article/student-handcuffed-ai-system-mistook-bag-chips-weapon/69114601\">WBAL-TV 11 News\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“They made me get on my knees, put my hands behind my back, and cuffed me. Then, they searched me and they figured out I had nothing,” Allen added. “Then, they went over to where I was standing and found a bag of chips on the floor.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>He was told the AI detector had mistaken his bag of chips for a gun after he had crumpled it and placed it in his pocket.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun,” Allen said.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>After the incident, the school’s principal notified parents and said counselors are available to support students involved or in need.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident,” the principal wrote in a letter. “Please know that ensuring the safety of our students and school community is one of our highest priorities. We work closely with Baltimore County police to ensure that we can promptly respond to any potential safety concerns, and it is essential that we all work together to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all Kenwood High School students and staff.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-council-members-are-calling-for-a-review-of-the-ai-system-used-at-baltimore-county-high-schools-and-across-the-country\">Council members are calling for a review of the AI system used at Baltimore County high schools and across the country\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Omnilert AI Gun Detection System was installed at Baltimore County Public Schools in 2023. It helps detect potential weapons by using the school’s existing cameras. After a possible weapon is identified, the software alerts the school safety team and law enforcement.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>“The program did what it was supposed to do, which was to signal an alert and for humans to take a look to find out if there was cause for concern at that moment,” superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers said, according to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/false-alarm-gun-detection-kenwood-maryland-artificial-intelligence-review/\">CBS News\u003C/a>.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Rogers added that the system works as a multi-step process. It sends an alert after detection, which is reviewed by human staff. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>“This system is AI, and it’s looking for certain elements, and then humans have to verify them,” she added.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Several members of the community have expressed concerns regarding the technology following the incident.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>“Nobody wants this to happen to their child. No one wants this to happen,” Allen’s grandfather Lamont Davis said, according to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.wbaltv.com/article/student-handcuffed-ai-system-mistook-bag-chips-weapon/69114601\">WBAL-TV 11 News\u003C/a>.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>“AI is not the best,” one of the officers who responded to the scene was heard saying on bodycam footage, per \u003Ca href=\"https://www.cbsnews.com/baltimore/news/ai-gun-detection-system-kenwood-high-school-mistakes-a-bag-of-chips/\">CBS News\u003C/a>.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Baltimore County councilman Julian Jones highlighted that the incident could have escalated to a more serious situation. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>“Thank God it was not worse,” he said. “How did it come to be that we had police officers with guns drawn approaching a kid because of a bag of Doritos?”\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>Both Jones and his fellow council member, Izzy Patoka, are calling police to review Omnilert at schools that use the technology across the country. In January 2025, the AI software failed to detect a hidden gun before a mass shooting that occurred at Antioch High School in Nashville, Tennessee.\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>“Each situation is unique,” an Omnilert spokesperson said in a statement. “In the Nashville case, the gun was not visible to the camera and therefore not detectable by any vision-based system.”\u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>“Our technology can only identify what the camera sees, and we emphasize that AI gun detection is one layer of a comprehensive security strategy that always includes human oversight and other safeguards,” they added.\u003C/p>\n",[129],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},[131],{"id":97,"name":98,"slug":99,"description":10,"image":10},{"url":133,"thumbnail":134,"credit":135,"title":136,"alt":137,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-1297070538.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-1297070538-150x91.jpg","Photo: Getty Images","Simple Conceptual Image of Silver Handcuffs on Blue Surface","Shiny silver metal handcuffs on blue surface with space for copy.","2025-10-27T19:50:08-04:00","2025-10-28T10:51:51-04:00",[],"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/IMG_7854.jpeg",{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":144,"author":145,"authors":153,"title":155,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":156,"body":157,"categories":158,"tags":163,"featuredMedia":169,"publishedAt":174,"updatedAt":175,"type":45,"listicle":176,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":170,"additional":177},72876879,{"id":146,"avatar":147,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":148,"email":149,"username":150,"normalizedUsername":151,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":152},94449,"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/33shoot-1-compress.jpg","Kahlil Haywood","kahlil.haywood@blavity.com","Kahlil-haywood","kahlil-haywood","2021-10-11T00:00:00+00:00",[154],{"id":146,"avatar":147,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":148,"email":149,"username":150,"normalizedUsername":151,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":152},"Is Stephen A. Smith Using Black Podcasts To Pacify Backlash?","is-stephen-a-smith-using-black-podcasts-to-pacify-backlash","\n\u003Cp>It has been a whirlwind of a time in the sports world lately. Somehow, all of the energy that \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/stephen-a-smith-getting-wrong-about-politics\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Stephen A. Smith’s\u003C/a> commentary has conjured seems to be quieted briefly due to the FBI arrests of \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/chauncey-billups-terry-rozier-nba-arrested-fbi-gambling-probe\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">NBA\u003C/a> notables. However, that doesn’t mean I won’t speak on what I’ve been peeping on the Stephen A. Smith press run still. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The truth is, since I last wrote about Smith, much of the Black online world has shared my sentiment. That’s that the “Straight Shooter’s” legacy is on the line as it pertains to how Black people will remember him in this moment. Smith has caught on to this, and it’s interesting to see how he’s seeking to adjust.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-full-court-media-press\">A full court media press\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Last week, the face of ESPN’s \u003Cem>First Take\u003C/em> appeared on two prominent Black podcasts. Appearing on both \u003Cem>7PM in Brooklyn\u003C/em> and \u003Cem>The Pivot\u003C/em>, Smith tackled some of his most recent career headlines. This goes from his brief sideline altercation with LeBron James and a brief exchange with Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian. Both scenarios dealt with Smith speaking on issues involving those men’s families in one way or another. But Smith’s appearances on both of these shows were also in the wake of his criticisms of Black women like former Vice President Kamala Harris and Rep. Jasmine Crockett.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe title=\"Jasmine Crockett, I apologize\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/bZB4SQOXChQ?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C/iframe>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Now, there’s no way for me to prove when these appearances were scheduled. It is completely possible that his appearances were always scheduled as they were to be on these shows. However, it \u003Cem>feels\u003C/em> like those appearances were scheduled in fortuitous fashion. These are just my guesses. But with Smith launching his \u003Cem>Straight Shooter\u003C/em> radio show with SiriusXM recently, he knew what his positions were. And I believe that he sees value in not only patronizing young Black men getting their feet wet in the media game, but also having proximity to the cool.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-stephen-a-smith-s-identity-crisis\">Stephen A. Smith’s identity crisis\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>You see, Smith, all on his lonesome, is not really a cool guy. At one time, in a specific era? Sure. But contemporary cool? Not at all. But he sees value in the optics of having proximity to cool. So, when he receives backlash for taking positions on his politics show, much of which stems from criticism that his views don’t align with what’s good for Black people, these other Black pods serve as safe havens. That’s my opinion. Other Black shows or guests give the optics of “Nah, he can’t be against us, so-and-so messes with him.” Those are the optics.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>So, I wish some of these other shows could see how that can be construed. But the other element at play is that people will more than likely check out the episode of Smith that is on. It makes for interesting content, but on the issues that really can impact our people, they won’t really be hashed out on those shows. They shouldn’t necessarily have to be either. But I would love for Smith to be in environments where his political ideals were challenged more often.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Journalist Roland Martin recently put out a video where he debunks many of the false claims that Smith has made recently in his criticisms of the Democratic Party. He has even been a guest on Smith’s show in the past. I wish he was able to be on there more or vice versa.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe title=\"Get ya facts straight! Roland rips Stephen A. Smith over his Jasmine Crockett take\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/DbInluO7IgM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C/iframe>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-it-too-little-too-late-for-stephen-a-smith\">Is it too little too late for Stephen A. Smith?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Although I can respect Smith’s own recognition that he was wilding, it just isn’t enough. He’s still very likely to say more troubling things. That stems from not having beyond surface-level knowledge of the issues at hand. It’s your duty to have that knowledge if you’re disseminating information to the masses, especially our people.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Smith will certainly move on and try to make the most of this endeavor, but the masses will no longer be fooled by his pseudo-proximity to contemporary culture. It won’t nullify how he has decided to approach this era of his media career. But the people will also decide how esteemed he is remembered during a time where we need to demand better from our own with substantial platforms. Shoot wisely.\u003C/p>\n",[159],{"name":160,"slug":161,"id":162},"Opinion","opinion",114,[164,168],{"id":165,"name":166,"slug":167,"description":10,"image":10},31800,"Stephen A. Smith","stephen-a-smith-2",{"id":97,"name":98,"slug":99,"description":10,"image":10},{"url":170,"thumbnail":171,"credit":172,"title":166,"alt":173,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2240218925-Cropped.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2240218925-Cropped-150x94.jpg","Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images","Stephen A. Smith attends 2025 ForbesBLK Summit at Morehouse College in 2025 in Atlanta.","2025-10-26T19:55:25-04:00","2025-10-26T19:55:30-04:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},210,{"list":180,"total":378},[181,219,252,289,328],{"id":182,"author":183,"authors":190,"title":192,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":193,"body":194,"categories":195,"tags":204,"featuredMedia":209,"publishedAt":215,"updatedAt":216,"type":45,"listicle":217,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":218},72876310,{"id":184,"avatar":185,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":186,"email":187,"username":188,"normalizedUsername":188,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":189},100546,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/c4e90cc9cf822800c1c22b1f413b7e7ed59a875a8199b35962d01293e7b1df00?s=1024&r=g","Precious Gibson","precious.gibson@blavity.com","precious-gibson","2024-08-27T17:01:10+00:00",[191],{"id":184,"avatar":185,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":186,"email":187,"username":188,"normalizedUsername":188,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":189},"Is 'Taken in Plain Sight' Based on a True Story? Learn About the Kidnapping Drama That’ll Keep You on Edge","is-taken-in-plain-sight-based-on-a-true-story","\n\u003Cp>When viewers sit down to \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/toni-braxton-to-star-in-lifetime-films-he-wasnt-man-enough-and-breathe-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">watch Lifetime\u003C/a>’s \u003Cem>Taken in Plain Sight,\u003C/em> they’re immediately pulled into a mother’s worst nightmare. The film opens with a seemingly ordinary road trip that quickly turns tragic. A brief moment of distraction leads to a vanished daughter and a desperate mission to bring her back home.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As the mystery of her disappearance deepens, her determination to find her child takes her on a journey filled with twists and turns. As the plot thickens, she crosses paths with suspicious figures in sketchy places in hopes of bringing her child home. This September 2024 release found its way to \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/25-netflix-movies-with-black-leads-you-need-to-see\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Netflix\u003C/a> and landed in the streamer’s top 10. As it continues to reach a new audience, some viewers may be wondering if \u003Cem>Taken In Plain Sight\u003C/em> is based on a true story. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-happens-in-the-movie-taken-in-plain-sight\">What happens in the movie ‘Taken in Plain Sight’?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cfigure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\u003Cdiv class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n\u003Ciframe title=\"Taken in Plain Sight\" width=\"750\" height=\"422\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/6kHnkSmcICo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen>\u003C/iframe>\n\u003C/div>\u003C/figure>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Taking place in Michigan, the movie centers on Tennille Read’s Abby. She’s a mother who’s traveling with her young daughter, KJ Romani’s Zooey, on a road trip. As the two are headed back home, they stop at scenic spots to take photos before making their final detour at the isolated Pine Lake Rest Area. After using the restroom, Abby realizes she left her purse in there. She allows Zooey to choose a snack from the vending machine while she runs to retrieve it. However, in this brief moment, the child is snatched from the rest area. From here, the frantic search begins to locate her child. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While law enforcement initially downplayed the situation, the case quickly attracts media attention. Abby and Mitch appear on the evening news, pleading for Zooey’s safe return. However, the days soon turn to months without any movement on the case. This leads Abby to launch her own investigation. She uses maps to locate other rest areas, which she scopes out, looking for adults speaking with unattended children. When another young girl named Emma Gibbons also vanishes from a rest area, Abby becomes even more intrigued. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-is-dolores\">Who is Dolores?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Mitch is focused on a more therapeutic approach. He pushes his spouse to seek help as they reach the six-month mark without Zooey. Together, they attend a group support session for parents of missing children. There, they meet an woman named Dolores, whose daughter vanished twenty years prior from a gas station. After this session, Abby’s rest area search turns violent when she is stalked and chased down by an unknown driver. Still, she is not swayed, despite her new friend Dolores’ warning her to approach the situation cautiously. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>She spots a man seemingly watching a family at the Pine Lake Rest Area, leading Abby to follow him and break into his home. There, she finds a room filled with dolls. Later, the mystery man, who’s identified as Douglas Leto (Steven Yaffee), spots Abby at a local gas station. He confronts her about snooping around on his property. Upon returning home, Mitch tries to reason with Abby about her risky behavior, though she is much more concerned about Douglas and his doll collection, which she reports to the lead detective on the case. They visit Douglas’ home, but while this investigation unfolds, Douglas arrives at the couple’s home with a knife, promising to share Zooey’s location, but only if Abby refrains from calling the police or taking her phone. He gives her a map, which she cleverly captures on her doorbell camera before leaving to find her daughter. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-is-taken-in-plain-sight-based-on-a-true-story\">Is ‘Taken in Plain Sight’ based on a true story?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>There are countless \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/black-children-make-up-more-than-half-of-missing-cases-in-ohio\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">missing children cases\u003C/a> in the United States with similar circumstances to those seen in the film. Despite parallels to many real-life \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/the-crime-noir-podcast-is-putting-an-overdue-limelight-on-the-unsolved-cases-of-missing-black-people\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">unsolved missing persons cases\u003C/a>, \u003Cem>Taken in Plain Sight\u003C/em> is not based on a true story. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Lifetime is known for producing such dramas, many of which have been centered on true events. \u003Cem>Abducted: The Carlina White Story, \u003C/em>for instance,\u003Cem> \u003C/em>is a modern-day look into the 1987 kidnapping of an infant who was raised by her kidnapper. While the network has perfected such storytelling, \u003Cem>Taken in Plain Sigh\u003C/em>t is by all accounts a fictional depiction of how fast tragedy can strike. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-who-took-zooey\">Who took Zooey?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>At the heart of \u003Cem>Taken in Plain Sight\u003C/em> lies the haunting question: who took Zooey? As the drama unfolds, it is revealed that her disappearance wasn’t a random abduction. Douglas initially appears as the suspected kidnapper, though when Abby follows his map, it leads her straight to a cabin, where she locates the other local missing girl, Emma, who tells her that a woman named “Auntie” has been looking after her. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Shortly after, Zooey runs out, hugging her mother in an emotional reunion. Within moments, we learn that “Auntie” is actually Dolores. She is the mastermind of the kidnappings, which are a twisted coping mechanism for her own lost daughter. Douglas is her accomplice in the scheme, with Dolores having also kidnapped him as a child. The dolls found in his home were not directly linked to the missing girls, but rather his desire to protect small children, which he was brainwashed to believe Dolores was doing. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As the sinister plot unfolds, Detective Doyle and team arrive at the cabin. Mitch also finds the location, where he sees Abby and Zooey, becoming overwhelmed that she is okay. As the two girls are saved, Douglas and Dolores are arrested, ending the cycle of abductions. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-frequently-asked-questions\">Frequently Asked Questions\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>Is \u003Cem>Taken in Plain Sight\u003C/em> streaming anywhere?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cem>Taken in Plain Sight\u003C/em> is streaming on Lifetime’s on-demand service. Additionally, it can also be viewed on Netflix, Google Play, and Apple TV. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>\u003Cstrong>What is considered the best Lifetime movie?\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>While opinions vary, considering the hundreds of Lifetime movies available since the network’s launch in 1984, \u003Cem>Prayers for Bobby\u003C/em> (2009) is widely regarded as one of Lifetime’s most powerful films. Other highly regarded picks include \u003Cem>Gracie’s Choice \u003C/em>(2004), \u003Cem>The Bad Seed\u003C/em> (2018) and \u003Cem>Homeless to Harvard: The Liz Murray Story \u003C/em>(2003). \u003C/p>\n",[196,200],{"name":197,"slug":198,"id":199},"Entertainment","entertainment",3,{"name":201,"slug":202,"id":203},"Film","film",56942,[205],{"id":206,"name":207,"slug":208,"description":10,"image":10},65297,"True Story SEO - Cluster","true-story",{"url":210,"thumbnail":211,"credit":212,"title":213,"alt":214,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AAAABeo2cpqlejDqCXcUtoEkXv9w8bMSvLkiZ7moVRNoKIlGvry-RBu8qC_Hogn1z_2sw31Ho0sDeL8nKIHbcj8xSe35BP9IGBVh64iH.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/AAAABeo2cpqlejDqCXcUtoEkXv9w8bMSvLkiZ7moVRNoKIlGvry-RBu8qC_Hogn1z_2sw31Ho0sDeL8nKIHbcj8xSe35BP9IGBVh64iH-150x84.jpg","Lifetime","“Taken in Plain Sight”","Is 'Taken in Plain Sight' Based on a True Story? The Kidnapping Drama That’ll Keep You on Edge","2025-10-31T01:04:54-04:00","2025-10-31T01:05:01-04:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":220,"author":221,"authors":228,"title":230,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":231,"body":232,"categories":233,"tags":235,"featuredMedia":244,"publishedAt":248,"updatedAt":249,"type":45,"listicle":250,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":251},72878357,{"id":222,"avatar":223,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":224,"email":225,"username":224,"normalizedUsername":226,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":227},95243,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/16fdff8cddc7bd4702273ce7e1677d1d0021c4b55e83ca690c8b22edc3cbfdf4?s=1024&r=g","Christopher Rhodes","christopheredward.rhodes@gmail.com","christopher-rhodes","2020-09-14T00:00:00+00:00",[229],{"id":222,"avatar":223,"firstName":10,"lastName":10,"displayName":224,"email":225,"username":224,"normalizedUsername":226,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":227},"Trump's DHS Ends Automatic Extensions Of Work Authorization For Hundreds Of Thousands Of Documented Immigrants","dhs-ends-automatic-extensions-work-authorization-immigrants","\n\u003Cp>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/jamal-whitehead-blocks-trump-admin-subpoena-for-trans-healthcare-records\">The Trump administration\u003C/a> has implemented a significant change to the rules allowing authorized immigrants to work within the United States. The change will impact hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers and other immigrants, and could cause significant numbers of documented immigrants to lose their ability to legally work within the U.S.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-a-sudden-rule-change-may-leave-thousands-out-of-work\">A sudden rule change may leave thousands out of work\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Department of Homeland Security recently announced that it was ending a rule that granted automatic extensions to various categories of non-citizens applying to renew their ability to work in the United States. Beginning Thursday, Oct. 30, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services will no longer extend a 540-day grace period for applicants filing to renew their Employment Authorization Document, which grants the ability to legally work in the U.S. Instead, these individuals will lose their ability to legally work in the United States once their existing EADs expire, even if they filed their renewal request on time. They will remain without work authorization until USCIS evaluates and approves their renewal request, a process that has been plagued by delays in recent years.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The change, publicized Wednesday in the \u003Ca href=\"https://public-inspection.federalregister.gov/2025-19702.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Federal Register\u003C/a>, reverses a Biden-era policy put in place to ease the backlog of applicants. Under the Biden-imposed rule, applicants for EAD renewal were granted an automatic extension of up to 540 days, allowing them to continue working while their applications were being processed. The change will impact the approximately 293,000 to 450,000 people who file EAD extensions each year. The categories of people covered under the new EAD rules include green card applicants and asylum seekers, as well as some individuals with Temporary Protected Status, and spouses and relatives of various categories of immigrants.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-administration-national-security-justifications-questioned-by-critics\">Administration national security justifications questioned by critics\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Trump administration has framed the sudden change as an issue of \u003Ca href=\"https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/immigration/article312710245.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">national security\u003C/a>. USCIS Director Joseph Edlow said in a statement that “USCIS is placing a renewed emphasis on robust alien screening and vetting, eliminating policies the former administration implemented that prioritized aliens’ convenience ahead of Americans’ safety and security.” Edlow also said, “It’s a commonsense measure to ensure appropriate vetting and screening has been completed before an alien’s employment authorization or documentation is extended. All aliens must remember that working in the United States is a privilege, not a right.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>However, \u003Ca href=\"https://www.forbes.com/sites/stuartanderson/2025/10/30/immigration-rule-on-work-authorization-expected-to-disrupt-businesses/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">critics\u003C/a> are questioning the rationale and impact of the policy change, as well as its legality. Lynden Melmed of the immigration law firm BAL warned that individuals who follow the rules may still end up out of work. “Often these individuals have been in the U.S. for over a decade and have repeatedly renewed their employment documents. Even if they file on the first day of eligibility, government processing times are often more than six months long and so they will lose work authorization,” Melmed said, per Forbes. Doug Rand, a USCIS adviser under the Biden administration, called the alleged extra vetting justification of the Trump administration “chest-puffing nonsense,” and an attempt to “dress up inefficiency as national security,” Forbes reported. Attorney Jon Wasden, who sued the first Trump administration over delays in USCIS processing, said the new regulation change is likely illegal. “Supreme Court precedent is pretty clear here, and the agency has to show new facts and provide a cogent rationale for the about-face,” Wasden said, according to Forbes. “From what I have read, they don’t have it.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The sudden change in work authorization policy may lead to new lawsuits against the Trump administration. For now, however, the changes are poised to create disruptions for hundreds of thousands of people residing in the United States, as well as their employers and families, as following the rules may no longer be enough to maintain the ability to work in the U.S.\u003C/p>\n",[234],{"name":28,"slug":29,"id":30},[236,240],{"id":237,"name":238,"slug":239,"description":10,"image":10},33728,"Department of Homeland Security","department-of-homeland-security-2",{"id":241,"name":242,"slug":243,"description":10,"image":10},32262,"Trump administration","trump-administration",{"url":245,"thumbnail":246,"credit":135,"title":247,"alt":247,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2233404414.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2233404414-150x113.jpg","DHS.Homeland Security headquarters in the suburbs of DC.","2025-10-30T22:52:43-04:00","2025-10-30T23:04:44-04:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":253,"author":254,"authors":264,"title":266,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":267,"body":268,"categories":269,"tags":274,"featuredMedia":279,"publishedAt":285,"updatedAt":286,"type":45,"listicle":287,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":288},72877908,{"id":255,"avatar":256,"firstName":257,"lastName":258,"displayName":259,"email":260,"username":261,"normalizedUsername":262,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":263},100233,"https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/72f914bd1af7a8b8565f0bd4e863560ddbb3f74da3e30d69c4a7ee2e71847a08?s=1024&r=g","Shanique","Yates","Shanique Yates","shanique.yates@blavity.com","ShaniqueYates","shaniqueyates","2023-09-15T16:06:13+00:00",[265],{"id":255,"avatar":256,"firstName":257,"lastName":258,"displayName":259,"email":260,"username":261,"normalizedUsername":262,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":10,"registeredAt":263},"Algee Smith Reflects On First Festival Performance At ONE Musicfest 2025: 'My Heart Is Full'","algee-smith-one-music-fest","\n\u003Cp>You may have seen \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/sanaa-lathan-algee-smith-sierra-capri-young-wild-free-cast\">Algee Smith\u003C/a> on screen, but he’s showcasing his versatility on stage, giving fans a taste of his innermost emotions through song.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Blavity caught up with the crooner just as he fulfilled a dream of performing during a festival as an act that graced Toyota’s Music Den during the \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/one-musicfest-2025-lineup\">2025 ONE Musicfest\u003C/a> in Atlanta.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“My heart is full today,” Smith told us backstage. “I just performed at OMF. It was a great turnout. I love doing music. I love getting energy from the crowd, so my heart is full right now.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This is my first festival I’ve performed at, ever. So just the feeling leading up to it was crazy. I was a little nervous. We always gotta have those good nerves, but it was good; I can’t wait to do my next one. I had so much fun. I enjoyed it. The crowd was great.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>During his set, he performed songs from his latest EP, \u003Cem>Love Lost, \u003C/em>released in July, including “Spiraling” and “Magic City.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>When asked if there’s a track that gives fans an inside peek into who he is, Smith admitted he doesn’t know if it’s been made yet.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Every song has a piece of me, for sure, but fully encompassed? I’m gonna get back to you when I make that one,” he said. “My favorite song, the one that describes where I’m most at now, is probably the song called ‘The Way It Goes,’ off of my latest EP.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-how-he-caught-the-singing-bug\">How he caught the singing bug\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As someone who grew up in the church, Smith was first influenced by gospel music, which he notes has always been a significant part of R&B’s DNA.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Growing up in that type of setting and hearing that music, and feeling those feelings that I had, that’s what kind of led me into getting deeper into the Stevie Wonders, and then, obviously, the New Editions, like all the core R&B,” he said. “So, I think it started in church, where I caught the bug.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Narrowing it down to albums, Smith acknowledges Usher’s \u003Cem>Confessions\u003C/em> and Stevie Wonder’s \u003Cem>As \u003C/em>for being the projects that defined who he is today.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Stevie is so layered, just musically ahead of his time, and I think that one really kind of shifted something in my brain as far as, like, even the way I listen to music,” Smith recalled. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-balancing-two-mediums\">Balancing two mediums\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>In 2017, Smith’s role as Ralph Tresvant, lead singer of the aforementioned iconic R&B group New Edition, which he grew up listening to, helped to usher him into fame. The BET miniseries \u003Cem>The New Edition Story\u003C/em> is still widely praised today.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Beyond that, Smith also starred in the film \u003Cem>Detroit,\u003C/em> where he delivered a critically acclaimed performance as The Dramatics’ singer Larry Reed, and appeared in movies like \u003Cem>The Hate U Give\u003C/em> and \u003Cem>Judas and the Black Messiah,\u003C/em> as well as a stint on the HBO series \u003Cem>Euphoria\u003C/em> as character Chris McKay.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“There’s obviously sometimes where I can’t do both at the same time, and so sometimes I gotta choose to do a film over doing a show, and sometimes I gotta choose a show over doing a film. I think what I try to do is just find a healthy balance for myself, Smith said. “So if I give music a lot of attention one day or one week, then I gotta make up for that and give acting a lot of attention the next day or the next week.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-next-for-algee-smith\">What’s next for Algee Smith?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>With no plans of letting up anytime soon, the actor/singer said he’ll continue to bear it all through his art.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“This last EP I put out was called\u003Cem> Love Lost,\u003C/em> and it’s pretty much documenting the phases that I went through after a breakup,” he shared. “The next project I’m doing, I’m thinking about gearing more towards after that breakup happened, where I was at in that space in my mind, so kind of toxic, kind of vulnerable, but y’all will see.”\u003C/p>\n",[270],{"name":271,"slug":272,"id":273},"Music","music",95,[275],{"id":276,"name":277,"slug":278,"description":10,"image":10},37039,"Algee Smith","algee-smith",{"url":280,"thumbnail":281,"credit":282,"title":283,"alt":284,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2243522747.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-2243522747-150x100.jpg","Photo by Aaron J. Thornton/WireImage","ONE Musicfest 2025","ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 26: Algee Smith performs onstage during ONE Musicfest 2025 at Piedmont Park on October 26, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.","2025-10-30T22:50:09-04:00","2025-10-30T22:50:15-04:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":290,"author":291,"authors":292,"title":294,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":295,"body":296,"categories":297,"tags":306,"featuredMedia":319,"publishedAt":324,"updatedAt":325,"type":45,"listicle":326,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":320,"additional":327},72878307,{"id":113,"avatar":114,"firstName":115,"lastName":116,"displayName":117,"email":118,"username":119,"normalizedUsername":120,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":121,"registeredAt":122},[293],{"id":113,"avatar":114,"firstName":115,"lastName":116,"displayName":117,"email":118,"username":119,"normalizedUsername":120,"description":10,"twitter":10,"facebook":10,"instagram":121,"registeredAt":122},"Hampton University Escorts Candace Owens-Founded Group Off Campus For Unauthorized Homecoming Event","hampton-university-escorts-candace-owens-founded-group-off-campus","\n\u003Cp>Hampton University said members of the far right group Blexit were escorted off campus after they tried to host an unauthorized homecoming \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/maga-group-removed-from-hbcu-tsu\">event\u003C/a>. The group, which was founded by Candace Owens and is affiliated with the late \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/oklahoma-lawmakers-propose-charlie-kirk-memorial-statue\">Charlie Kirk\u003C/a>’s Turning Point USA, is hosting a tour across several HBCU campuses during homecoming. It previously said Hampton “silenced” them for political reasons, which the university has formally denied.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-was-blexit-on-hampton-university-s-campus\">Why was Blexit on Hampton University’s campus?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The group has been hosting the “Educate to Liberate” tour at 10 HBCUs across the country. It is about “bringing conservative values to life, fostering critical thinking, and sparking powerful conversations on HBCU campuses,” according to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.blexit.com/events/educatetoliberate2025\">Blexit’s website\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Timed during the excitement of homecoming season—when school spirit is at its peak—we’re stepping onto campuses to challenge the status quo and champion empowerment, personal responsibility, and the American Dream,” it added. “This is more than a tour; it’s a mission.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Blexit made a previous stop at Howard University and canceled its visit to Florida A&M University while promising a new date, according to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.insidehighered.com/news/quick-takes/2025/10/30/blexit-escorted-hampton-university-campus\">Inside Higher Ed\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The news comes a month after a group of MAGA supporters were escorted off Tennessee State University’s campus after it similarly hosted an unauthorized event and discussion with students.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>As \u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/maga-group-removed-from-hbcu-tsu\">Blavity\u003C/a> reported at the time, the Nashville chapter of the NAACP called out the event at the time as an “intentional effort to antagonize, disrupt, and instill fear in a space created to be safe, affirming and supportive of Black students.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The NAACP added, “While we recognize and respect that free speech is a constitutional right, there is a clear and urgent distinction between constructive dialogue and rhetoric deliberately designed to provoke, demean, and endanger the psychological safety of students at HBCUs.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-why-was-blexit-escorted-off-hampton-university-s-campus\">Why was Blexit escorted off Hampton University’s campus?\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Blexit member Craig Long claimed that Hampton shut down the event because of its conservative position. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“Instead of celebrating that spirit of open discussion, the university shut it down — claiming we ‘didn’t go through the proper channels,’” he wrote on \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DQP-6Jjj3ee/\">Instagram\u003C/a>. “Let’s be honest: this wasn’t about paperwork. It was about politics. We were silenced because we are Blexit — because we stand for Christian values, conservative principles, and independent thought that challenge the mainstream narrative.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hampton firmly denied these claims as being the reason for the event being shut down. It said that the event did not receive authorization from the university, failed to complete the required homecoming vendor application and pay the associated fees.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“While the organization has suggested that their filming activity was ‘shut down,’ that narrative is inaccurate. This was not a matter of suppression; it was a matter of safety, procedure, and fairness. Hampton University is a private institution with clearly established processes for campus access, vendor participation, and media activity,” the Hampton wrote in a \u003Ca href=\"https://home.hamptonu.edu/blog/2025/10/27/official-statement-hampton-university-prioritizes-safety-fairness-protocol-compliance-during-homecoming-weekend/\">statement\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Hampton shared that it received 36 vendor applications and that it approved 18 of them. Those who did not receive authorization were notified the week prior to the event and were told they would be escorted off campus if they walked onto campus.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The university added that approving vendors is essential in regards to safety on campus, as it hosts a crowd of nearly 15,000 people during homecoming.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“As a matter of public safety, Hampton must know who is on campus, why they are here, and how to contact them in case of an emergency. Vendors and guests following established procedures allow us to coordinate access and ensure that all participants are properly credentialed and protected,” the statement read. “Hampton University welcomes organizations and speakers representing a variety of perspectives, provided they follow established protocols. BLEXIT failed to meet those standards.”\u003C/p>\n",[298,302],{"name":299,"slug":300,"id":301},"Blavity-U","blavity-u",70685,{"name":303,"slug":304,"id":305},"HBCU","hbcu",70684,[307,311,315],{"id":308,"name":309,"slug":310,"description":10,"image":10},19785,"Blexit","blexit",{"id":312,"name":313,"slug":314,"description":10,"image":10},25145,"Candace Owens","candace-owens-2",{"id":316,"name":317,"slug":318,"description":10,"image":10},18641,"hampton university","hampton-university",{"url":320,"thumbnail":321,"credit":322,"title":323,"alt":323,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-1389773976.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/GettyImages-1389773976-150x100.jpg","Photo: Jason Davis/Getty Images","candace owens","2025-10-30T20:47:39-04:00","2025-10-30T20:47:44-04:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},{"id":329,"author":330,"authors":341,"title":343,"subTitle":10,"excerpt":10,"slug":344,"body":345,"categories":346,"tags":348,"featuredMedia":369,"publishedAt":374,"updatedAt":375,"type":45,"listicle":376,"disableContentGate":47,"isDisabledListicleNumbers":47,"canonicalUrl":10,"socialThumbnail":10,"additional":377},72878278,{"id":331,"avatar":332,"firstName":333,"lastName":334,"displayName":335,"email":336,"username":337,"normalizedUsername":337,"description":10,"twitter":338,"facebook":10,"instagram":339,"registeredAt":340},98966,"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/WhatsApp-Image-2022-02-07-at-19.31.50-2-compress.jpeg","Kui","Mwai","Kui Mwai","kuikmwai@gmail.com","kuimwai","https://twitter.com/kuiwrites_","https://www.instagram.com/kuiwrites_/","2019-11-07T00:00:00+00:00",[342],{"id":331,"avatar":332,"firstName":333,"lastName":334,"displayName":335,"email":336,"username":337,"normalizedUsername":337,"description":10,"twitter":338,"facebook":10,"instagram":339,"registeredAt":340},"'The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air' And 'The Jacksons' Actor Floyd Roger Myers Jr. Dies At 42","the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-the-jacksons-actor-floyd-roger-myers-jr-dies","\n\u003Cp>Former child star Floyd Roger Myers Jr., who appeared on shows like \u003Cem>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/entertainment/the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air-cast-where-are-they-now\">The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\u003C/a>\u003C/em> and the TV movie \u003Cem>\u003Ca href=\"https://blavity.com/angela-bassett-agents-tried-to-stop-her-from-playing-katherine-jackson-in-the-jacksons-an-american-dream\">The Jacksons: An American Dream\u003C/a>\u003C/em>, has died. He was 42.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>According to \u003Ca href=\"https://www.tmz.com/2025/10/29/floyd-roger-myers-jr-dead\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TMZ\u003C/a>, the actor’s mother, Renee Trice, said he died in his Maryland home on Wednesday morning of a heart attack after experiencing three in the last three years. Trice added that she spoke to her son hours before his passing.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Read on for more about his life and legacy. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-myers-made-his-onscreen-acting-debut-on-the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air\">Myers made his onscreen acting debut on ‘The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>According to \u003Ca href=\"https://deadline.com/2025/10/floyd-roger-myers-jr-dies-42-1236602502/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Deadline\u003C/a>, Myers made his onscreen acting debut as a Young Will in a 1992 episode of \u003Cem>The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air\u003C/em>. He went on to play Marlon Jackson later that year in \u003Cem>The Jacksons: An American Dream\u003C/em>. Myers also appeared in an episode of The WB’s \u003Cem>Young Americans\u003C/em> in 2000.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Myers was a father of four, according to a GoFundMe \u003Ca href=\"https://www.gofundme.com/f/in-loving-memory-of-roger-supporting-his-family?fbclid=IwY2xjawNvrwtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqqQr6kUiOfXNjDruUfQitIT-rOt6BdRY7H_0vhj25UaXPTv_prhDYJf7tHN_aem_AInPQhohYeCv9Hf4ejxSVg\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">page\u003C/a> started by the actor’s sister, Tyree Trice, to cover funeral costs, \u003Ca href=\"https://people.com/fresh-prince-of-bel-air-actor-floyd-roger-myers-dead-at-42-11840069\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">People\u003C/a> reported. He also co-founded The Fellaship Mens Group that, according to its \u003Ca href=\"https://www.fellashipinc.com/about?fbclid=PAZnRzaANwg81leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp5KiM_HfDpmdcbvbSYefpqwB-uDSgjBxkuX-J-ghqLkv-IAdihvgQhVbNfob_aem_vw239GIQABEU5RptbnPbcQ\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">website\u003C/a>, “creates safe, judgment-free spaces for men to be seen, heard, and supported.” The group offers “wellness programs, healing circles, workshops, and service opportunities.”\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Ch2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-myers-funeral-is-scheduled-for-nov-2\">Myers’ funeral is scheduled for Nov. 2\u003C/h2>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>The Fellaship Mens Group shared a \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DQak9ogjP8F/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">tribute\u003C/a> to its co-founder on Instagram.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“RIP to our good brother @rocwonder one of our co founders. Gone but never will be forgotten. The mission will continue in your honor. Next mens meeting will be one for the books like we talked about! Love you bro, rest easy, big bro will take it from here💪🏾 🙏🏾,” it wrote alongside a photo of Myers and his children.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cblockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DQak9ogjP8F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\" style=\" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);\">\u003Cdiv style=\"padding:16px;\"> \u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DQak9ogjP8F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;\" target=\"_blank\"> \u003Cdiv style=\" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;\"> \u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;\"> \u003Cdiv style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;\">\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv style=\"padding: 19% 0;\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\"display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;\">\u003Csvg width=\"50px\" height=\"50px\" viewBox=\"0 0 60 60\" version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"https://www.w3.org/2000/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink\">\u003Cg stroke=\"none\" stroke-width=\"1\" fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\">\u003Cg transform=\"translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)\" fill=\"#000000\">\u003Cg>\u003Cpath d=\"M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631\">\u003C/path>\u003C/g>\u003C/g>\u003C/g>\u003C/svg>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv style=\"padding-top: 8px;\"> \u003Cdiv style=\" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;\">View this post on Instagram\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv style=\"padding: 12.5% 0;\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;\">\u003Cdiv> \u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\"background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);\">\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv style=\"margin-left: 8px;\"> \u003Cdiv style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)\">\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003Cdiv style=\"margin-left: auto;\"> \u003Cdiv style=\" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);\">\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\"display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;\"> \u003Cdiv style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;\">\u003C/div> \u003Cdiv style=\" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;\">\u003C/div>\u003C/div>\u003C/a>\u003Cp style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;\">\u003Ca href=\"https://www.instagram.com/p/DQak9ogjP8F/?utm_source=ig_embed&utm_campaign=loading\" style=\" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;\" target=\"_blank\">A post shared by The Fellaship Mens Group ⚔️🧠💰💬 (@fellashipmensgroup)\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\u003C/div>\u003C/blockquote>\n\u003Cscript async src=\"//www.instagram.com/embed.js\">\u003C/script>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>Renee also took to social media to remember her son, sharing the same picture of him and his family on \u003Ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=25411541971771625&id=100000275147359\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Facebook\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>“THIS NOT SUPPOSE TO BE SO,” she wrote. \u003C/p>\n\n\n\n\u003Cp>According to the GoFundMe page, Myers’ funeral is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 2. \u003Cbr>\u003Cbr>\u003C/p>\n",[347],{"name":24,"slug":25,"id":26},[349,353,357,361,365],{"id":350,"name":351,"slug":352,"description":10,"image":10},19529,"celebrity death","celebrity-death",{"id":354,"name":355,"slug":356,"description":10,"image":10},63076,"child actors","child-actors",{"id":358,"name":359,"slug":360,"description":10,"image":10},26493,"heart attack","heart-attack",{"id":362,"name":363,"slug":364,"description":10,"image":10},36509,"The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air","the-fresh-prince-of-bel-air",{"id":366,"name":367,"slug":368,"description":10,"image":10},29256,"The Jackson 5","the-jackson-5",{"url":370,"thumbnail":371,"credit":372,"title":373,"alt":373,"type":43},"https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/GettyImages-1401400479-compress.jpg","https://cms.blavity.com/cdn-cgi/image/format=auto,slow-connection-quality=30,onerror=redirect/https://cms.blavity.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/GettyImages-1401400479-150x100.jpg","Photo: Kouji Okafuji via Getty Images\n","Lit candle","2025-10-30T20:42:17-04:00","2025-10-30T20:42:23-04:00",[],{"disableAd":47,"disableConnatixPlayer":47,"enabledComments":47,"headScript":10},74655,["Reactive",380],{},["Set"],["ShallowReactive",383],{"page-herman-cain-says-trump-doesnt-have-a-racist-bone-in-his-body":50,"L5mKWLzO22":50,"7VUhfdt1ev":50},"/herman-cain-says-trump-doesnt-have-a-racist-bone-in-his-body",["Reactive",386],{}]