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As Londoners gathered in their thousands yesterday to protest the killing of George Floyd, British actor John Boyega delivered an extremely emotional and powerful speech to the crowd. Speaking to fellow protesters, Boyega detailed his experience of racism in the UK, and doubled-down on the importance of community love, power, and togetherness. After stating that he “may not have a career after this,” Boyega acknowledged that speaking up is more important; that the days of protesting are dedicated to the “innocent people who were halfway through that [career] process” — we’ll never know what George Floyd and Sandra Bland could have achieved. (Star Wars and Lucasfilm Entertainment have since tweeted a pledge of full support for Boyega writing “we will commit to being part of the change that is long overdue in the world” and labeling Boyega as a “hero.” However, it has been noted that Disney and the entailing production companies were mute when Boyega encountered racism during his time ..

Yesterday, LeBron James called out Drew Brees on Twitter for comments the New Orleans Saints quarterback made about players kneeling during the national anthem. During a video interview with Yahoo, Brees was asked what he thought about players kneeling during the national anthem when the NFL season starts. He responded: “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country.” Not only did his response come across as incredibly tone-deaf considering the current climate, it caught the attention of James, who has been a leading voice among athletes in the struggle for equality and the fight to end police brutality in the United States. LeBron retweeted the clip, adding: “WOW MAN!! 🤦🏾‍♂️. Is it still surprising at this point. Sure isn’t! You literally still don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee?? Has absolute nothing to do with the disrespect of 🇺🇸 and our soldiers (men and women) who keep our land free. My father-in-law was one..

Na-Kel Smith has opened up about his personal experiences of racism within the — predominantly white — professional skateboarding industry. During a recent Instagram Live session with Kevin White and Mikey Alfred, Smith detailed instances in which his white colleagues have taken advantage of their privilege. While refusing to provide a list of names, he did call out one individual — industry veteran and former Thrasher editor-in-chief, Jake Phelps, who he says used the N-word in his presence on numerous occasions. The 25-year-old skater also touched on other instances when white skaters would either ask for approval to use the term or just verbalize it regardless and pass it off as banter. Smith points out that many of those within the sport show no hesitation in treating minorities as if they are lucky to be a part of it. He mentions how black skaters are often highlighted in videos backed by hip-hop music and talks of times he was asked to engage in racially insensitive acts for sp..

Former President Barack Obama voiced his support for the rising demands for police reform during his first on-camera remarks since the killing of George Floyd ignited a wave of protests across the US. Obama gave a virtual speech from his home in Washington DC yesterday, in an online round-table event with his former Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. and activists from Minneapolis, and his nonprofit group My Brother’s Keeper Alliance. In his statement, Obama reiterated the premise of his Medium post, How to Make this Moment the Turning Point for Real Change, arguing that despite ongoing civil unrest he is optimistic about the nation’s future. “For those who have been talking about protest, just remember that this country was founded on protest — it is called the American Revolution […] Every step of progress in this country, every expansion of freedom, every expression of our deepest ideals have been won through efforts that made the status quo uncomfortable.” Speaking to young men..

Following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police on May 25, several of the city’s major institutions are cutting ties with law enforcement. Notably, the local school district has given in to community demands to get police out of its schools. CNN reports that on Tuesday, the Minneapolis Board of Education voted unanimously to terminate its decades-long contract with the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD), which provided school resource officers at school buildings. The decision is a direct response to George Floyd’s horrific death. “George Floyd died on the street slowly and deliberately strangled and our children watched,” Jenny Arenson, vice chair of the board said in a virtual statement. “Minneapolis police, individual officers and the city have work to do. And until they demonstrate they have done that work, we need to separate our relationship.” Another chairwoman, Kim Ellison, told the Minneapolis Star Tribune: “I value people and education and life. Now I’m convinc..

After suspending its season on March 11 due to coronavirus, the NBA’s board of governors is expected to approve a league proposal to restart the season today. ESPN sources say that 22 teams will be invited to Disney’s sports complex in Orlando, Florida. A conference call and vote is set for today, at 12:30pm ET. The plan reportedly includes 13 teams from the Western Conference and nine from the Eastern Conference, as well as eight regular season games and a possible play-in for the eight seed in addition to the playoffs. The top 16 teams are joined by teams within six games of eighth place, meaning New Orleans, Portland, San Antonio, Sacramento, Phoenix, and Washington will still have a chance to qualify for the playoffs. All other teams will see their seasons come to an end. Teams are expected to start training at team sites in July, before starting full training camps in Orlando later that month. ESPN reports that the NBA plans to have uniform, daily testing for coronavirus within..

Protests around the unjust killing of George Floyd by the Minneapolis Police Department reached a fever pitch this weekend. Tensions mounted between protesters demonstrating peacefully and armored cops looking for an excuse to engage them (and in many cases, seemingly manufacturing those excuses). While righteously indignant activists clashed with militarized law enforcement, rage turned into an inferno across the country. Like any fire, collateral damage was to be expected. But in cities like Chicago, Richmond, Virginia, and Los Angeles, an unexpected group of small business owners were left asking “why us?” As the dust settled after an evening of fierce confrontations, burnt police vehicles, and looted stores: owners of streetwear and sneaker boutiques. Round Two, Flight Club, Undefeated, UNION, RSVP Gallery, The Hundreds, Fat Tiger Workshop, Rif, and several other shops around the country were hit, sometimes completely cleaned out. View this post on Instagram For the past 14 ye..

Though there are many facets to the centuries-long hold of white privilege and systemic racism, education has a huge role play in both the longevity and dismantling of these issues. In the UK, we studied kings and queens while the parts about Britain’s appalling role in the slave trade and countless other acts in colonialism were conveniently skipped. And while school curriculums have to change, in the age of information, we have the ability to self-educate when it comes to social justice and deep-rooted racism. There are no excuses. To get started, we’ve put together an anti-racism reading list comprising books, poems, essays, and more. This list is by no means comprehensive, so if you have any recommendations or advice, please let us know in the comments section. You’ll find a list of black-owned book stores to buy from in the US here. Wesley Lowery, They Can’t Kill Us All: Ferguson, Baltimore, And A New Era In America’s Racial Justice Movement With police killings and frontline ..

JAY-Z and Roc Nation’s philanthropic arm Team Roc have filed their third lawsuit in the fight to improve healthcare for inmates in Mississippi. Team Roc has been fighting for inmates at Parchman Prison since December. The six-month campaign has been helmed by JAY-Z and Yo Gotti. On Wednesday, it filed a new lawsuit against Centene Corporation – which is responsible for healthcare at Parchman –, seeking “basic answers to basic questions about grave injustices perpetrated behind prison walls.” The lawsuit is asking for a court order to “inspect Centene’s books and records in an effort to investigate potential wrongdoing.” The suit also outlines misconduct allegations Centurion has faced in the past. Notably, 30 detainees have died while in custody at Mississippi prisons since late last year. At least one Parchman inmate died from Covid-19.

Lil Wayne has dropped off the deluxe version of his latest album Funeral, boasting eight new tracks with features from Lil Uzi Vert, Jessie Reyez, Benny the Butcher, and more. Weezy surprised fans when he dropped the extended album last night after his latest episode of Young Money Radio. The new tracks feature guest appearances from Lil Uzi Vert on “Multiple Flows,” Doja Cat on “Shimmy,” Jessie Reyez on “Love You F*ck You,” and, notably, “Russian Roulette” features Benny the Butcher and Conway the Machine. The new tracks have been added to the beginning of the record, with “Shimmy” opening disk one of the LP and original opener “Funeral” acting as track one of the second disk. This is the first new solo material we’ve heard from Wayne since Funeral originally dropped in February. You can stream the deluxe version of Lil Wayne’s Funeral down below. Want to catch up on new music? Or fancy spending those extra free hours on old favorites? TIDAL is offering its premium and HiFi servic..

In an unexpected act of solidarity, adidas has reshared Nike‘s #UntilWeAllWin campaign on its social platforms, suggesting that the sportswear rivals share a united position on the issue of institutionalized racism in the United States. View this post on Instagram ⁣Earlier today, @adidas reshared @nike’s #UntilWeAllWin campaign on its social platforms as an act of solidarity towards the ongoing issues of racial injustice. ⠀ ⠀ Although a simple gesture, it sends an important message for everyone to set their differences aside and to unite for collective progress. A post shared by HIGHSNOBIETY (@highsnobiety) on May 30, 2020 at 9:30am PDT Nike had subverted its iconic “Just Do It” slogan in response to the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis on Monday. The sneaker giant shared the anti-racist message with its 112 million followers, with a clip, titled “For Once, Don’t Do It.” The video deliver’s the company’s position on the issue of institutionalized racism in a simple..

We at Highsnobiety have to stand as allies in the struggle against systematic racism taking place in the Twin Cities and beyond, and to the families and communities who have been affected by police brutality. Our publication is dedicated to celebrating a culture that has been created by black artists, designers, and athletes. We understand that it is our duty to use the full force of our words, means, and actions to effect change. Now is not a time to be complacent or silent. Another day has gone by, and we remain in a reality where black people in America are murdered by the police with little or no recourse — a reality that sparked the protests in Minnesota this week, and one that is echoed in racial injustices that occur constantly throughout the world. This state of affairs will not change tomorrow. It will not change with the news cycle. And it will not change ever without collective action on the part of likeminded individuals and institutions. We’ve compiled a list of resour..