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Black America Web
12 hours ago
- Black America Web
Texas Man Sues Former Employer Over Alleged Racist Prank On Juneteenth
Source: Christopher Murray / EyeEm / Getty A man in Arlington, Texas, filed a lawsuit this week alleging the manager at the hardware store where he formerly worked hung up a racist display on Juneteenth. According to CBS News, when Devondrick Hartsfield arrived at work at Van Marcke's Ace Hardware on Juneteenth in 2023, he was told to follow a manager into the back. When they got to the back area, the manager allegedly told Hartsfield to look up. When he did, he saw a black backpack hanging from a noose. 'I took it as a Black man being hung, dismembered. The bag to me looked to me like a Black man who was hung and dismembered,' Hartsfield told CBS. The manager's explanation was that it wasn't a racist prank, but one targeted at the employee who left their backpack at work, but Hartsfield wasn't buying it. 'I think it was a message,' he told CBS. 'I don't think it was a misunderstanding. It was a message. It happened on Juneteenth, and it was a black monster backpack at that. So I feel like it was a message.' Hartsfield said he was the only Black employee at the hardware store and had only been working there for four months as a delivery driver. He told the company that he would refuse to return to work unless an investigation was launched and someone was held accountable for the racist prank. Hartsfield's lawsuit states that an investigation was never launched and that he was fired two weeks after filing a complaint with human resources. This allegedly occurred despite a statement released by the hardware store in 2023 saying an investigation would be launched. 'Van Marcke's Ace Hardware would like to assure you and the entire community that any allegations of racism; or any discrimination is being thoroughly investigated and addressed with the utmost urgency. We take such incidents seriously and are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for both our employees and customers,' the statement read. Hartsfield has said Juneteenth has become 'a painful reminder' of the incident. 'Instead of a celebration, it's actually a reminder of someone traumatizing me for the rest of my life.' Hartsfield's lawsuit is seeking at least $1 million in damages for the alleged mental anguish and loss of earnings. The noose has long been a symbol of America's sordid history of lynching and has become racists' favorite way to showcase that they don't get down with Black people. In 2019, charges were filed against four Florida firefighters after a hangman's noose was placed in the workspace of a Black firefighter. In 2020, a white man in Michigan went on a tirade and threatened to kill several Black people with a noose. Even more concerningly, there's been an uptick in incidents involving Black people being hanged from trees. Javion Magee was found hanging from a tree in North Carolina last year. Investigators said that he bought the rope himself and committed suicide, though his family is doubtful that was the case. Trevonte Jamal Shubert-Helton was found hanging from a tree in Georgia last year, and once more, investigators were quick to label it a suicide despite Georgia having a sordid history of lynching. Only a couple of weeks ago, a Black man was found hanging from a tree in Albany, N.Y. While the official line on all these cases was that they were suicides, America's history of lynching Black bodies makes it hard to take them at face value. What makes Hartsfield's case more disheartening is that Juneteenth specifically marks the day when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to Galveston, Texas. In a state where Juneteenth holds such a special significance, the employees should've known better than to even consider putting up a noose given what it historically represents. 'Cause at the end of the day, if the prank was really about the backpack, they could've hidden it, not hung it. SEE ALSO: Racist Imprisoned For Noose Threats Lawyers Compare Javion Magee Hanging To Emmett Till SEE ALSO Texas Man Sues Former Employer Over Alleged Racist Prank On Juneteenth was originally published on
Newsweek
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Internet Stunned by Fiance's Last-Minute Question on Morning of Wedding
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A groom's hilariously ill-timed question on the morning of his wedding has left internet viewers in stitches—and plenty of brides nodding in solidarity. In a viral TikTok video, a bride sitting in the car on what appears to be the morning of her big day is on the phone with her groom. While chatting, he posed a seemingly innocent, but totally unexpected, question: Does he need to buy candles for the wedding cake? Since the clip was posted, it has received over 329,000 views. "Do we need, like, candles … Not like the numbers, but just like, birthday candles for our wedding cake?" he asked. "Um, no. We don't," the bride replied. File photo: A bride uses her phone while in her wedding dress. File photo: A bride uses her phone while in her wedding dress. EyeEm"That's going on TikTok," she concluded after hanging up the phone. The exchange, both baffling and charming, had viewers weighing in on the groom's timing, logic, and confusingly casual tone. "What is killing me is that you seem to be on the way to the wedding and he is calling thinking he has thought of the most overlooked and important detail," one TikTok user wrote. Another added: "This is 100 percent what it's like when planning a wedding with your husband." Many in the comments shared their own pre-wedding partner moments, proving this particular brand of last-minute thinking isn't uncommon. "When shopping for my wedding band, I asked what my budget was," one person shared. "My husband said, 'I didn't know there was an engagement ring and a wedding band.'" Another wrote: "Mine asked me what color my dress was gonna be so he could get an outfit that matches." Some viewers couldn't believe just how close to the ceremony the question came: "What kills me most is this thought wasn't months before the wedding. Judging by the bride's look, I'd say this is morning of. Not a priority, bud!" And just when it seemed it couldn't get more absurd, one bride posted: "My husband asked if we could have a basketball hoop at our reception because it was in a big courtyard. He followed with 'You know, in case people get bored.'" While the stories flooded in, one user had what seemed like the perfect solution to give their fiance due credit for a funny and harmless question. "It would've been cute to blow a candle out and every year on your anniversary you add more candles," they wrote. "A cute new fun tradition to start with the two of you." Newsweek reached out to @bishopbrooklyn for comment via TikTok.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Arizona's clean energy boom: 18,700 new jobs at risk if incentives are cut
Photo by Tvn Phph Prung Sakdi | EyeEm/Getty Images Clean energy is creating jobs and cost savings for Arizonans and Americans across the country. As the business manager of IBEW Local 570, I know firsthand how important clean energy is to making our economy work for all Americans. If we want to build back American manufacturing and keep our competitive edge over China, we need to invest in the energy of the future. That's clean energy. And it's not just about jobs. Too many Americans are struggling under the weight of high energy costs, with more than a quarter of U.S. households unable to afford their energy bills. More than 75% of households say they're stressed about their energy payments. Clean energy investments are already saving Americans make-or-break money on their electricity bills. By 2030, these investments will save the average American taxpayer an estimated $1,000 annually in energy costs. Something has to change, which is why I've been so supportive of investments in clean energy at the federal level and in the private sector over the past few years. This money is fueling a clean energy economic boom — a boom that will be jeopardized if President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans repeal these investments and tax credits this year. Clean energy like solar and electric vehicles are now a critical part of Arizona's economy, creating jobs that don't often require a four-year degree. Because of the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, which created a roadmap for a clean energy future, companies have announced or advanced 751 new clean energy projects, creating 406,007 new jobs nationwide — including 18,700 in Arizona — and driving $422 billion in new investments across 48 states and Puerto Rico. From the installation of electrical vehicle charging stations to solar panels, these projects provide clean energy to people in Arizona. They also provide an opportunity for skilled workers to earn middle-class wages. Americans everywhere are benefitting: These jobs and investment dollars are split almost evenly between Republican and Democratic districts. Since the passage of the clean energy plan, private companies have announced 405 projects (53.9%) totaling $204.69 billion in investment (48.5%) and 216,322 new jobs (53.3%) in 152 districts represented by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives. Both Democrats and Republicans acknowledge the importance of these investments. In August 2024, 18 Republican members of Congress wrote a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson in support of the clean energy tax credits that have brought direct benefits to many of their districts. 'Energy tax credits have spurred innovation, incentivized investment, and created good jobs in many parts of the country — including many districts represented by members of our conference,' they wrote. Repealing, gutting, or even freezing the federal investments that are propelling the U.S. to the forefront of clean energy innovation would set our country back and threaten the livelihoods of the millions of Americans who work in clean energy. Clean energy incentives in the clean energy plan will lower energy costs, according to utility CEOs. Tax advantages make it affordable for utilities to directly own and operate solar power facilities, passing savings onto customers. Clean energy plan tax credits also allow utilities to lower costs for consumers. For example, Duke Energy will cut residential energy rates in Florida because of retroactive tax credits from the clean energy plan. If investments in clean energy are repealed, consumers could see monthly household energy bills rise by an average of 10%, with states like Texas facing an increase of up to 22%. The 2022 clean energy plan supports unions like mine, making sure that American workers don't get left behind. Projects that pay prevailing wages and hire registered apprentices to work on clean energy projects will receive a fivefold increase in clean energy deployment tax credits. An August 2024 report from the Climate Jobs National Resource Center identified more than 6,000 utility-scale clean energy projects planned, under construction or already operating that could be eligible for the clean energy plan's labor standards tax credits. Combined, these projects represent a potential 3.9 million jobs, more than $2 trillion in investments and over 1 million megawatts of clean power. Investing in clean energy isn't about getting rid of manufacturing or construction jobs — in fact, it's about creating more of them. Clean energy is a cost-of-living and economic issue. Repealing the Inflation Reduction Act would be bad for American business and bad for American workers, but great for China. Preserving America's competitive edge in clean energy is essential for ensuring an economically prosperous future. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
