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Lizzie Kommes’ DIYs inspire incarcerated women to hold on to a sense of self

In the world of DIYs, Lizzie Kommes stands out with unexpected limitations that she takes into account to create her tutorials. Kommes does DIYs for incarcerated women.

We’ve heard time and again about the rampant stories of rape, assault, and humiliation that incarcerated women endure at the hands of authorities.

Additionally, we are well aware of the pseudo prostitution that occurs within the prison walls between inmates and guards. It’s crazy that inmates feel compelled to barter for sanitary products and other necessities by offering sexual favors to those in power.

This includes wearing DIY makeup in order to have access to that interaction. But besides a preparatory aspect for effective sexual bartering, what role does makeup play in the lives of incarcerated women?

Makeup gives women a sense of control over their bodies in an environment where most of their daily activities are under the jurisdiction of the state, the authorities, or the guards.

Incarceration can strip away women’s sense of femininity and their confidence. Society ingrains the idea that beauty is an inherent part of a woman’s worth. Thus, making cosmetics a valuable thing in prison.

Although some prisons allow women to buy makeup from the commissary, many women are unable to afford the luxury. Which is where Lizzie Kommes’ DIY tutorials come in.

Kommes, who is also a favorite on the reality show Love After Lockup, teaches you how to use magazines and deodorant to get colorful eyeshadow.

She even uses pencils, vaseline, and coffee grounds for eyeliner and mascara. On her YouTube channel, Kommes regularly posts videos that are based on how to make food in jail and general prison stories.

Her cats often bomb her videos and try to get involved too.

These creative ways to bring incarcerated women a sense of normalcy and control are needed for better mental and emotional health.

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics and Court Services 66 percent of incarcerated women suffer from mental health issues and 82 percent are survivors of sexual abuse.

The National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence also found that 75 percent of incarcerated women are survivors of domestic violence. These issues are seldom paid attention to, and the focus on punishment without rehabilitation hurts both inmates and the general populace.

Additionally, stats from the Prison Policy Initiative showed that the number of incarcerated women in the U.S. has grown 700 percent since the 80s.

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Some female prisons have introduced cosmetology programs in order to give women skills they can use in the beauty industry after they are released. Recidivism rates of inmates who are enrolled in any program are very high.

Just having access to makeup in prison is probably pretty low on the list of products that inmates need. Still, something as simple as a new haircut, or some eyeshadow can really lift women’s spirits in a dark environment.

With over 40,380 subscribers on YouTube, for sure, Lizzie Kommes’ DIY makeup tutorials have an impact on women’s mental health.

‘On My Block’ is the Netflix series where diversity is done right

On My Block season 2 was released for binging pleasure on Mar. 29. For those of us who have been down since season 1, it’s safe to assume we’ve already finished season 2 and are itching for more.

But why is a show about teens growing up so good? It’s because it’s not just another coming of age story.

On My Block takes place in a fictional inner-city L.A. neighborhood called Freeridge. In the neighborhood, a Black and Latinx cast must survive their dangerous gang based community.

The main characters are young, high school freshmen young. Although the actors are in their early 20s and late teens, the authenticity shines through their acting.

The show is labeled a comedy, but the very real drama is what hits the hardest. The show’s first season deals with one of the main characters, Cesar Diaz’s introduction into the Santos’ Gang.

Cesar’s brother Oscar ‘Spooky’ Diaz, is one of the leaders of the Santos so naturally, his little bro is expected to join once he’s of age. And of age means right before high school.

The show follows his group of friends, Monse, Ruby, and Jamal who are helping Cesar find a way out. They all know becoming an official Santo is detrimental to almost all other possible paths of life.

Through the lens of the teens, we get to see complex characters. Spooky for example may seem like the hard gang leader he wants you to think he is, but he’s also a talented cook.

Additionally,  he’s a loving brother plagued by the consequences from the choices he made to survive. After a few episodes, Julio Macias’ character Spooky shows a softer side, breaking away from his hard exterior.

But it’s the writing of the show that makes On My Block feel so real. Hint: The writers’ room is made up of POCs.

The slang isn’t cheezy and the experiences of the teens don’t feel overdramatized. The handling of the PTSD the kids feel is also on par with reality.

Simply put, it goes to show that having a diverse writers’ room goes hand in hand with diversity on screen.

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As a comedy, one would expect the show to gloss over tragedy or use it for comedic effect. Yet, the negative experiences that the teens go through spare no pain.

The comedy shines through the hope that the teens revive time and again in order to stay sane. Humor is used as a coping mechanism instead of an escape or exaggeration of a problem.

The show explores gang life, poverty, teen homelessness, immigration, and gun violence all with respect to the very real communities that experience these issues.

Except for in season 1 where they had a white Trump supporter play a Latina who is dealing with her parents being deported, but season 2 makes up for that.

Season 2 also comments on gender politics, consent and sexuality, and disability. Still,  other issues carry more weight.

Ruby is often the voice of reason. He’ll protest gender reveals and advocate for males being in touch with their femininity. He also expresses his more difficult feelings without shame.

Ruby really serves as a good role model for his younger siblings, his friends, and viewers.

A master dancer, Ruby is possibly the strongest and well rounded young adult in the show despite the amount of tragedy he experiences.

The real tragedy is that we’ll have to wait another year for 10 more 30-minute episodes.

Megan Thee Stallion

Megan Thee Stallion embodies the feminism we need today

It’s been said time and again that the rap and hip hop community has struggled with misogyny for decades. Women’s roles within rap are normally limited to “fuck objects,” drama to avoid, or mothers to beg forgiveness from.

This hostility has made it difficult for female rappers to make their unwavering mark in the industry. Take Lil Kim and her immediate self-sexualization in order to make it big.

Similarly, there’s the case of Nikki Minaj and the never-ending talk of her bodily alterations in order to be more sexually marketable.

Despite both women being able to spit fire, their successes are often attributed to their sexual rhetoric and personas. What’s more, the rise of feminism was slow to include these women as powerful icons.

This has changed in the last few years. Megan Thee Stallion’s rise is the response to decades of misogyny and the result of a thriving intersectional feminist culture.

Flipping Thee Game

With unwavering sexual lyrics often bordering on misandry, Megan Thee Stallion, also known as her recent character Tina Snow, has continued the legacy of self-sexualization but with a twist.

For her men are continuously and by default presented as disposable and usable in the same way that women have been presented in rap.

 

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I DONT EVEN CHASE LIQUOR WHY WOULD I CHASE A NIGGA 🥵

A post shared by Hot Girl Meg (@theestallion) on

In aligning herself with the culture of gratuitous sex and a hustler’s mindset Megan Thee Stallion has created a path of displaying female sexuality without centering men.

This kind of feminist approach has only been possible with the rise of mainstream intersectional feminism…

Intersectional feminism is feminism (the promotion of the equality of genders). It focuses on how other parts of a person’s identity connect with gender.

For example, a Black Queer woman’s experience and needs will not be the same as a heterosexual white woman’s. Therefore, the feministic movement needs to adapt and take into consideration these accompanying identities to better serve “the people” as a whole.


Thee intersections and influences of success

Megan’s rise as a Black female rapper from Houston, TX is due to a mix of her talent, hustle, confidence in her sexuality, and her devotion to completing her college education.

Furthermore, Megan Thee Stallion promotes body positivity and calls out the mainstream’s idea of one acceptable body type.

Megan’s past with rap and hip-hop plays a part in her rise as well.

Megan’s mother and momager, Holly Thomas died late March due to a brain tumor. Holly was an emcee who went by the name Holly-Wood and was active in the 80s, working on mixtapes in the Houston area.

As Megan’s role model and manager, Holly Thomas’ history as a rapper surely shaped Megan’s confidence in her craft.

 

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On the left is my nanny ( my grandma) then in middle is my Bigmamma (my great grandma) on the right is mama holly 😍 then lil megs lol I’ve always had all 3 of these very incredible hardworking women in my life cheering me on and keeping me strong. I was so spoiled 😭 my grandma use to tell me “these niggas can’t buy you nothing you ain’t already got and if you don’t have ima buy it for you “😂 I just lost Bigmamma yesterday but she lived such a full beautiful life and taught so many lessons and touched so many people that we are going to celebrate her home going instead of dwelling in the pain of loosing her 💙 thank you to all of these women for making me who I am today

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Thee Stallion is not alone

Megan Thee Stallion is among other artists that have been fearlessly taking up space within the community.

City Girls, Cardi B, Rico Nasty, Coi Leray and Young M.A. are all women with talent that display and represent different types of real sexualities within the culture.

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The community continues to try and pit female rappers against each other – like the “beef” between Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion.

This idea that there can only be one female rapper at a time has been largely unsuccessful with Megan Thee Stallion, something we look forward to in the world of female artists.


Thee Feminist Icon

Megan Thee Stallion dishes out the female equivalent of the long-standing misogyny in the rap community. Yet, she does so by continuing to promote healthy competition among women and overall support.

Megan Thee Stallion embodies the feminism we need today.

https://twitter.com/DaLyahJ/status/1108421590075748352

X on Demand is the Black streaming service we’ve been waiting for

When faced with a wall of rejection, some of us move on to easier paths, but some, like Rashidah De Vore, founder of X on Demand have forged a new one through that wall.

If Killer Mike needed a streaming service to watch during his “Living Black” episode on Trigger Warning, this would’ve been it.

What is X on Demand?

X on Demand is a fresh Black made streaming service founded by creative and entrepreneur Rashidah De Vore. De Vore was tired of executives rejecting Black productions because it couldn’t be sold to a white audience.

De Vore said,

“XOD was born out of my desire as a writer and creator to have a platform where like-minded creators would have a home and an audience.”

But XOD is not just another streaming service with a specific audience in mind, it has a unique way of attracting participation. De Vore envisioned a place where Black discourse could thrive and integrated a Black Twitter-like forum into the streaming experience.

“As a site with a focus on connecting and entertaining the global Black audience, incorporating social aspects into the site with real-time commenting, video chatting and more – became a no-brainer to me.”

What’s in the Name?

A problem XOD may face during its growth is its name. The X in the title of the streaming service refers to the signatures of newly freed slaves, but the title “X On Demand” can have other connotations.

We asked Rashidah De Vore how she intends to navigate people away and prevent a mix up with porn sites that largely use the keyword ‘x on demand.’ But like the self-assured entrepreneur she is, De Vore believes that by controlling the narrative this will not be an issue.

“I’m very much of the mindset that this is a brand that will reach a point of holding its own and being recognized at face value with no connotations attached. Dick’s Sporting Goods seems to have weathered just fine.”

What kind of series’ does De Vore hope to stream?

Before the birth of the site, De Vore has worked on getting every Black-centric show from the 70s to the aughts.

One she has had her sights on may be a controversial pick. In the grand scheme of things, The Cosby Show, despite Bill Cosby’s recent scandals and convictions, is still worth preserving according to De Vore.

The Cosby Show is arguably one of (if not the) greatest representations of a positive Black family unit to ever grace the airwaves, and I think it’s more detrimental to our community to be without that representation for future generations – who didn’t grow up with it – than it is to keep it hidden because of Cosby’s actions.”

How can you get your film/series on XOD?

X on Demand currently has over 30,000 subscribers and the platform is looking for content.

Much like the Bechdel test for bare minimum gender representation, the streaming service’s criteria for submissions is simple: “All films and series submitted are directed, written and/or produced by a person of Black/African descent and have at least one lead character that is Black.”

This could be the birth of another “race-based representation test” similar to a recent call for a “DuVernay Test.” For a much-needed quality marker with more specific rules than the tests that came before it, say hello to the De Vore test.

What’s next for the platform?

De Vore told us,

“Growth. Plain and simple. We want to grow our library of content, our subscriber base, our advertising partners (Black-owned businesses contact us!) – just grow. After that, our next phase would be to venture into the original content realm.”

XOD believes in the power of Black artists. Also, filmmakers to make content that is well-constructed and produced despite the lack of a Hollywood budget.

Rashidah De Vore said,

“We want to let the world know what Black creators are capable of producing, against all odds. If you’ve got the goods, send them to us at xod.tv/submit

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If you just want to stream the fire content, there are three sign up prices. The first is the ‘Silver’ subscription, it’s free.99 and includes movies and shows with commercials.

The second is the ‘Gold’ subscription for $4.99/month. It includes some commercial-free movies and shows as well as video chatting (up to 3 users at once).

The last is the ‘Black’ subscription for $9.99/month. It includes commercial-free movies and shows and video chatting (up to eight users at once).

Go submit your work to support XOD or watch some Black-made films and shows!

Fashion

Poverty as Fashion: Are expensive brands obsessed with the bummy look?

If you thought Gucci would watch their backs for a while since their last scandal you’re buggin’. The designer brand made another dumb decision with their latest release.

The high-end designer featured a pair of old-looking sneakers that retail at $870. The new shoes are referred to as “vintage” and look worn in and old.

Complete with dirty detailing, the “screener leather sneaker” has taken the fun out of dirtying your beloved converse and vans, and provided you with an expensive pre-prepared bummy look.

Gucci is not the first brand to push the look. Since Yeezy decided to create his own clothing line of ripped sweaters and t-shirts, the rest of the elite fashion industry followed. Find affordable sweaters on this website.

What is it about rich people that make them want to look poor?

Is it an attempt at feeling more authentic? Do the wealthy see value in a sort of anti-materialism sense? But why put on the costume of being poor? Does this count as appropriation?

Nothing will ever top the Homeless Inspired Fashion Collection by Japanese brand N. Hollywood. Designer Daisuke Obana created an entire line based on the homeless he saw on his trip to the U.S.

https://twitter.com/GOBabcock/status/826873492331253764

That’s extreme, but what Gucci is doing is still disrespectful. They expect to sell USED looking sneakers for over $800. The glorification of poverty is not classy and the bum aesthetic is getting old.

Gucci claims the sneakers are inspired by the 70s but they look more like they were worn by a dude in the 70s.

Of course, people took to Twitter to express their disbelief and flame the designer.

https://twitter.com/CHI2COL/status/1108453371109888001

This isn’t the first time a pair of dusty shoes caught criticism. Golden Goose came out with “duct tape sneaker” a while back and people weren’t cool with it then either.

Broke life isn’t something you can appropriate. You’re either in it or you’re not.

Jordan Peele’s cinematic universe of American fears expands with ‘US’

Jordan Peele’s new horror film US, hit theaters on Mar. 22. The film centers on a family who is terrorized by their doppelgängers.

Playing up imposter syndrome, there’s a lot to unpack while watching the film. Much like Get Out, there is a mystery to solve. A mystery that Americans are afraid of.

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Peele says in multiple interviews that there’s a connection between the two films, but that could mean anything. They’re in the same universe and they share Peele’s love for horror, but could Peele be warping the truth.

Or perhaps they’re both about privilege.  And both about very distinctly American social fears.

Get Out is about the fear of powerful white people controlling black bodies. US is about “privileged” Americans worried about a hidden underground “other” that will be coming to take over.

That “other” could be anything from immigrants and the lower class to a forgotten past. Any combination of these groups could be represented by the red suits. What we do know is that they are us, they are Americans. It’s even indicated in the title—US, as in the United States.

Overall, US seeks to make you question the intention of the story, the message, and underlying themes. In time, Get Out reveals its meaning and if you pay attention enough you’ll see the layered clues in the film.

US decides that you need to do the work to figure out the themes of the story. While you watch you’ll be building your theories only to have them thrown out at every twist of the story.

The craziest twist comes at the very end giving you little time to adjust. But there are more hidden gems. Just like Get Out was made to be rewatched, you should definitely rewatch US in order to pick up on more clues.

Also unlike Get Out, the protagonists in the film just happen to be Black and there is no apparent racial commentary based on this. Perhaps the commentary is just that Black people can be in horror films without there being a racial theme or reason. The film seems to be more about class and fate.

This “underclass” is part of America, they’re not necessarily pretty and they’re here to bring about the end of American life as we know it. Sound familiar?

But Peele isn’t here to tell us these red revolutionaries are evil, or even good. We’re made to understand that they are us and we are them after all. And that perhaps we should look in the mirror and find ourselves in them.

Whatever theories begin to surface about the mythology of US, we can’t wait for the next American fear to come up from the tunnels.

An incomplete guide to animated shows you can binge right now

With the huge buffet of shows and movies we can watch at any moment on any screen we usually forget about the really good animated shows there are.

Maybe it’s because they remind you of cartoons so you misjudge them to be too childish but the animation is where it’s at.

Whatever your tastes are there’s probably an animated show for you. And if you’re just looking to break the drama binge cycle of Grey’s Anatomy or Mad Men, animated shows can not only give you some lighthearted laughs but also deal with some pretty deep stuff.

Looking for the next adult animated show to binge? This is an incomplete guide to animated shows you can watch on streaming websites right now.

Bob’s Burgers – For when you want a Wholesome laugh

Adult content rating: 2/5

Where to watch: Hulu

Seasons available to stream: 9

Bob’s Burgers is a staple tv show that you can put on at any time when you’re trying to relax.

The show follows a Jersey family “The Belchers” that run a Burger place. The show is clever af, with Bob the father of the family regularly coming up with different lame/genius puns for the burgers he makes.

The intro itself, in each episode, has an Easter egg. But what really makes the show is the characters. Linda Belcher is the wine mom that has several singing and dancing passions, as well as inappropriate quirkiness.

Tina, the eldest is the socially awkward boy obsessed nerdy girl, who follows the rules and is just trying to get through puberty being herself. Gene is the middle child, constantly making beats with weird noises, like farts and recorded quotes out of context.

Louise is the evil mastermind that is constantly looking to make money and play pranks. And Bob, the father that is trying to keep it all together.

Rick and Morty – For the sci-fi geek

Adult content rating: 5/5

Where to watch: Hulu

Seasons available to stream: 3

Rick and Morty is what happened when Adult Swim decided to make a show loosely based on the relationship between Marty McFly and Doc from the Back to the Future films and the Doctor Who series.

Rick Sanchez is the crazy alcoholic chaos-loving genius mad scientist, and Morty is his anxious, kid grandson who wants to go on adventures but is also afraid of nearly everything.

The show is kind of like going on an acid trip and tripping about traveling through time and space. Watch any part of the Interdimensional Cable episode and you’ll understand what it’s all about.

Basically, watch this if you want an R rated version of The Magic School Bus.

Gravity Falls — If you like Mysticism

Adult content rating: 1/5

Where to watch: Hulu or DisneyNow

Seasons available to stream: 2

Super popular on Tumblr back in 2012 when the world was gonna end, Gravity Falls is about twins who spend the summer with their great-uncle, Grunkle Stan.

The two learn that the town Gravity Falls is pretty mysterious as towns usually are on TV.

The two encounter evil and attempt to vanquish it. If you ever watched Twin Peaks or even the twisty mythology of Harry Potter, you’ll like this/

The Jellies — If you want more Loiter Squad genius

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Adult content rating: it’s on adult swim so what do you think?

Where to watch: Hulu LIVE TV or Amazon Prime video

Seasons available to stream: 1

Cornell, a human who was raised by jellyfish, just found out that he’s adopted. He goes out on a mission to find his biological parents. He’s as oblivious as you think he is and he gets into weird situations because of it.

With plenty of parodies like one of the Jerry Springer Show on the very first episode, where there’s an actual Timb boot with a Yankees cap as a character.

If you loved Loiter Squad, The Jellies will be able to do even more random and insane stuff because that’s the beauty of animation.

The Boondocks — For when you want a woke classic

Adult Content Rating: 5/5

Where to watch: Hulu

Seasons available to stream: 4

The Boondocks, if you haven’t watched it already, is a classic adult animated series. A forever favorite, The Boondocks speaks the truth on the big themes we deal with, from entertainment to the hustle to coming together as a community.

The show even dealt with the problematic support for R. Kelly way back. Woke and brave the show gets to the point and can still make you laugh. Oh and there’s random martial arts fight scenes.

Adventure Time – For when you’re high and wanna feel like a kid again

Adult content rating: 1/5

Where to watch: Hulu

Seasons available to stream: 10

Adventure Time was one of the first successful millennial era adult animated series. With weird looking characters in a wacky, oddly low populated land, the show follows its two main characters, Finn and Jake.

Finn is a human with sword skills and Jake a talking dog that can stretch and change his body into almost anything. The two fight monsters, but the really cool thing about the show is the psychedelic imagery.

Perfect for when you’re blazed, the show has a simple plot with plenty of amazing artwork.

Big Mouth –If you want to relive puberty but in a funny way

Adult content rating: 5/5

Where to watch: Netflix

Seasons available to stream: 2 seasons and 1 Valentine’s special

This animated show was the no-nonsense discussion about puberty and sex ed that you needed in middle school. Sex topics always get a laugh, but with Big Mouth it feels like you’re learning something.

The show is pretty good with making sure misconceptions are addressed and the characters are good examples of what it’s like to be going through puberty as a pre-teen.

The Hormone Monster and Monstress are some of the best characters who try to embody what it’s like to suddenly hit puberty. The show deals with much more than just sex but figuring out relationships and dealing with emotions like shame and embarrassment.

BoJack Horseman — For when you wanna deal with depression and anxiety

Adult content rating: 4/5

Where to watch: Netflix

Seasons available to stream: 5

BoJack Horseman is a washed-up TV star dealing with his failure to become a respected actor. He’s kind of a terrible person, horse, horseperson? Oh and he’s got chronic depression.

After season 1 is when things get pretty experimental. If you want to watch something both absurd and accurate about how hilariously terrible life can be this would be for you.

 

Where’s the funding fam? Public schools aren’t created equal

Recently the college admissions scandal shook mainstream media and college students felt the despair of money making the admissions process unfair.

The scandal centered around a crime, but there is an entirely legal and systemic way that keeps educational opportunities away from communities that need them. There is a problem with how money is distributed to public schools based on the property tax of the neighborhoods around them.

Basically, if the school you go to is zoned in a wealthy neighborhood, you’ll get more resources and your school will have a larger budget. If the school you’re zoned to serves a poor neighborhood where the property value is low, your school’s budget will reflect that.

Why does this happen?

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If we consider the history of property value in communities of color, banks and government housing agencies have consistently undervalued these neighborhoods.

Investments never reached these communities in the way they were encouraged in white communities. Neighborhoods with non-white residents were considered bad investments by banks and backed up by government agencies that oversaw the banks.

Using a tactic called “Red-Lining” on maps, home owner’s associations could rate the value of Black-owned homes as less valuable than white-owned homes.

Richard Rothstein author of “The Color of Law:A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America”, explains how mortgage discrimination exacerbated dwindling property values, with banks putting high interest rates on mortgages to non-whites, considering lending to people of color too risky, and cementing those communities’ inability to own and invest in property.

Fast forward to the internet age, data about you is sold to advertising companies and those same demographics are not showing the same search results as white people.

What are the consequences?

This all feeds into the growing economic disparity in the public education system.

If a kid grows up in a low-income neighborhood, with limited resources, to begin with, it’s insane to think that the school that kid goes to will be unable to provide the same resources to them as other schools provide to kids that live in higher income neighborhoods.

Wealthy white neighborhoods enjoy public schools that are well funded, while schools that serve people of color are severely underfunded and often prone to become charter schools. Charter schools are schools that receive public funding but are largely independent, like subsidized small businesses.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, “More than 40% of low-income schools don’t get a fair share of state and local Funds.” So, the government is distributing funds unfairly.

With fewer resources available for low-income schools, education disparities between white and non-white students grow. A research article on segregation between school districts, noted, “Large achievement gaps exist between high- and low-income students and between black and white students.”

What should we do about it?

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The U.S. is in need of a lot of things, but the way we fund our schools is hurting the community. There needs to be a more equal distribution in funds to public schools.

Call your local representatives and pay attention when candidates that want your support talk about education. You would’ve thought we were legally done with separate and equal, but the effects of segregation are still very well alive.

Remind them.

Why it’s highly problematic to call Beto O’Rourke the white Obama

Beto O’Rourke, born Robert Francis O’Rourke, just raised $6.1 million in 24 hours after announcing his candidacy for president. And this was after people started calling him “Barack Obama, but white.”

The group of Democratic candidates that have added their names to the list is more diverse than ever and here comes a white guy with no political platform except “If you have all the answers why show up?”

What does he stand for? What does he believe in? In an interview with WaPo Beto was asked about his political views and plans. His answers contained a whole lot of nothing.

Image result for nothing gif

He’s supposedly energizing the Democratic base but who is being energized?

So far all we know is that he’s well liked in Iowa, because he’s the “nice guy candidate.” Chuck Todd from Meet The Press, described Obama as also the “nice guy” candidate which is what made him likable in Iowa during his campaign back in 2008.

Besides the “nice guy” claim and his youth, Beto and Obama do not have any other similarities.

During his campaign, President Obama talked about health care reform, energy consumption, protecting the environment, and increasing taxes on the wealthy.

These were just some of his campaign promises and although campaign promises can be vague they should not be flip-floppy. Beto has already gone back on his support of the Affordable Care Act calling it “just one of the ways that we get to ensure high-quality health care.”

Calling Beto the white Obama is disrespectful. It does a disservice to the actual campaign that President Obama ran as well as Barack’s accomplishments before running for president.

As Senator, Barack Obama sponsored bills that would go after lobby corruption and reduce greenhouse gases. He was also a champion for children’s access to healthcare.

Beto got his political start in the spotlight when he lost the Texas Senatorial race to incumbent Ted Cruz with a slim margin. Texas is usually a red state which is why this narrow loss is considered such an achievement.

A Vanity Fair cover of O’Rourke with the quote “I want to be in it. Man, I’m just born to be in it” says it all.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu-MWBiAKfD/

 

Beto is running in part because he feels it’s his birthright, and so far the only thing that he stands for is the fact that he is a privileged white male candidate.

White Privilege GIF

Obama was our first Black president, Beto would be our first white male president to acknowledge his privilege.

Regardless, Beto is just another white guy that does the bare minimum and is celebrated for being halfway decent.

So how is he like President Obama again?

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Who is A.CHAL? Why you should be smoking to EXOTIGAZ

EXOTIGAZ is the latest EP from artist A.CHAL. A chill EP overall, it combines some reggaetón with R&B and lo-fi beats on most of the tracks. With the rise of Latin music on the Billboard 100, A. CHAL is definitely making the right decision to mix Latin music with more mainstream genres like trap and R&B.

Peruvian singer-songwriter, Alejandro Chal, creates a cross-cultural sound on all his releases, seeing success with “Love N Hennessey,” originally released on ON GAZ in 2017.

The R&B/Soul song was later remixed featuring 2 Chainz and Nicky Jam.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BW0v69oBRE6/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

A.CHAL’s EXOTIGAZ starts with the perfect start to a chill night that’s upbeat but with a hazy overlay.

“DÉJALO” stays smokey but somehow feels darker and almost psychedelic with some definite R&B vibes which are the perfect time to light a joint if you haven’t already.

“INDIGO GIRL” might be on your studying playlist with equal parts lo-fi and R&B. But don’t expect the same from the fan favorite “000000,” which should be your next Spanglish obsession.

Swizz Beatz was recently tagged in IG post with the Latin singer bumping the track. It seems as if for A.CHAL’s next project we might see a collaboration between the producer and the serene artist.

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EXOTICA gives you some classic Latin rock feels with its addition of the guitar track that stays throughout the song even as it dips back into a familiar beat.

“PUMP FAKE” leans into more classic hip-hop style beats and snares to close the EP out and throwing some auto-tune for the R&B seal.

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EXOTIGAZ gives you Spanglish Latin hits with a chill-wave twist and indigenous music inspired melodies. And It doesn’t hurt that the dark bops are smokey enough to spark up to.

Whether you’re looking for Spanglish tracks, something to begin or end the night with, or just something to smoke to, EXOTIGAZ should be on your rotation for any chill situation.

While we wait for A. CHAL’s next project, that should drop soon, take a listen to EXOTIGAZ below.