Latest news with #MayaAngelou
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jesse Watters Quotes Maya Angelou to Prove Democrats Should Go to the Gym to Get More Manly
Jesse Watters quoted Maya Angelou to support his theory that Democrats should go to the gym more to get manlier and feel better about themselves. On Monday's episode of 'The Five,' Watters talked about the difference in physique between senators John Thune and Chuck Schumer. He hypothesized that if more Democrats hit the gym they'd feel better about themselves and more people would want to follow them. 'I saw Senator Thune at the gym. The man is jacked, the guy is in great shape and he lifts hard,' Watters said. 'You look at Schumer, he's built like a woman. Men do not want to be led by the party of women. Men want to be led by other men so Democrats need to become men, and then they can persuade men. But they have to lift first.' He continued: 'There's a quote by Maya Angelou, 'People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.' People don't like the way they feel around Democrats because Democrats don't like the way they feel. If they lifted they'd feel better and then everyone around them would feel better.' The group on the show were also commenting on recent headlines that Minnesota governor Tim Walz urged Democrats to 'bully the s–t' out of President Donald Trump and how that may be the wrong tactic. 'Maybe it's time for us to be a little meaner,' the former vice presidential candidate said at the South Carolina Democrat Party's annual convention. 'Maybe it's time for us to be a little more fierce because we have to ferociously push back on this.' Walz added: 'When it's a bully like Donald Trump, you bully the s–t out of him.' The post Jesse Watters Quotes Maya Angelou to Prove Democrats Should Go to the Gym to Get More Manly | Video appeared first on TheWrap.
Black America Web
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Black America Web
Naval Academy Returns Over 300 Books to Libraries Initially Removed for DEI Concerns
Source: Lima / Getty Over the last four months, the Trump administration has launched an all-out assault on anything it believes promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the federal government. This makes it somewhat surprising that the U.S. Naval Academy announced that the majority of the books it pulled from the school's libraries under the new anti-DEI mandates have been returned to bookshelves. ABC News reports that of the 381 books that were initially pulled, only 20 have been held back for further review by a Department of Defense (DOD) panel. The return of the books came as a result of a May 9 memo from the Pentagon that listed May 21 as the date the military branches were to finalize and submit their list of books to align with the Trump administration's ongoing DEI purge within the federal government. It appears the primary reason so many books were pulled was that there wasn't a standardized criterion for what terms and content the DOD was searching for, so the Navy implemented its own criteria. Considering Maya Angelou's 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,' and Maia Kobabe's 'Gender Queer' were among the books pulled, that criteria seems to have boiled down to anything Black and/or queer. From ABC News: The 20 official search terms included in the May 9 memo included: affirmative action; allyship; anti-racism; critical race theory; discrimination; diversity in the workplace; diversity, equity, and inclusion; gender affirming care; gender dysphoria; gender expression; gender identity; gender nonconformity; gender transition; transgender military personnel; transgender people; transsexualism; transsexuals; and white privilege. 'The Navy has reviewed library collections at all Department of Navy educational institutions to ensure compliance with directives issued by the President and Department of Defense,' Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a Navy spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday. 'The Navy has identified and sequestered library materials potentially incompatible with the military's core mission, pending the Defense Department's formal review.' The Navy wasn't the only branch of the armed forces to remove books, as the Air Force reported removing about 20 books from their libraries, while the Army hasn't publicly reported how many books it removed from its libraries. The book removals were just one of the many regressive steps the armed forces have taken in recent months as a result of President Trump's executive order ending DEI initiatives within the military. In April, the DOD announced a task force designed to ensure military installations and academies are complying with the elimination of DEI initiatives. I'm generally anti-American imperialism, but I truly don't understand how alienating communities that have historically served their country, even when this country didn't serve them, makes our military stronger. While the books have been returned, the way the Navy has been moving in recent months leaves much to be desired. Earlier this week it was revealed that several Navy SEALs and platoon leaders are facing disciplinary actions for creating and distributing racist memes targeting a Black sailor in their platoon. In April, Ryan Holiday, an author who has spoken at the Naval Academy several times, had a speaking engagement with Naval students canceled an hour before he was set to appear when he refused to remove slides in his presentation that were critical of the book removals. It's kind of funny that the DEI Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is spearheading these changes to implement a 'warrior culture,' yet that culture seems to revolve entirely around erasing ideas that offend you, alienating non-white, non-heteronormative service members, and having the thinnest of skins when faced with mild criticism. But hey, at least the guy didn't leak classified operations planning to a journalist and then throw a tantrum when called on it. Oh wait. SEE ALSO: California Teen Spurs Outrage With Racist Promposal Louisiana Senate Vetoes Retrial Bill For Split Jury Convictions SEE ALSO Naval Academy Returns Over 300 Books to Libraries Initially Removed for DEI Concerns was originally published on Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Alan Yentob, BBC Presenter Who Chronicled David Bowie, Dies at 78
Alan Yentob, a former BBC arts broadcaster and documentarian, died Saturday at age 78. News of Yentob's death was confirmed by the BBC and Yentob's family. Yentob's wife Philippa Walker said he was 'the kindest of men' and 'curious, funny, annoying, late and creative in every cell of his body.' Yentob spoke to cultural icons such as David Bowie and Maya Angelou throughout his career, and also served as the controller of BBC One and Two. 'To work with Alan was to be inspired and encouraged to think bigger. He had a rare gift for identifying talent and lifting others up – a mentor and champion to so many across the worlds of television, film and theatre,' said BBC director-general Tim Davie. 'Above all, Alan was a true original. His passion wasn't performative – it was personal. He believed in the power of culture to enrich, challenge and connect us.' Yentob was well-known for his 1975 feature about Bowie, 'Cracked Actor,' which documented the singer during an intense period of addiction. 'Everyone at Two Daughters Entertainment is devastated by the news of Alan's passing. We were incredibly fortunate to have had Alan work with us over the past few years as our Creative Director and Board Director,' said James Reatchlous, founder and executive director of Two Daughters Entertainment, in a statement shared with the TheWrap. 'Alan was a loyal friend, a passionate supporter of Two Daughters, and someone whose creativity, wisdom, and generosity of spirit had a profound influence on our company. His belief in our vision helped shape who we are today. Through his extraordinary career and deep relationships across the creative world, Alan brought remarkable talent into our orbit — including legends like Mel Brooks and Tim Rice, who joined recent projects thanks to his encouragement and belief in our work.' 'He will be deeply missed by everyone who knew and worked with him,' Reatchlous continued. 'Our thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Philippa, and their children, Jacob and Bella. We are thinking of them above all else at this very difficult time.' Alan Yentob is survived by his wife Philippa and their children. The post Alan Yentob, BBC Presenter Who Chronicled David Bowie, Dies at 78 appeared first on TheWrap.
22-05-2025
- Politics
Navy reverses course on DEI book ban after Pentagon review
In a major reversal, almost all the 381 books that the U.S. Naval Academy removed from the school's libraries have been returned to the bookshelves after a new review using the Pentagon's standardized search terms for diversity, equity and inclusion titles found about 20 books that need to be removed pending a future review by a Department of Defense panel, according to a defense official. The reversal comes after a May 9 Pentagon memo set Wednesday as the date by which the military services were to submit and remove book titles from the libraries of their military educational institutions that touch on diversity, race, and gender issues using the Pentagon's specific search terms. Prior to the Pentagon memo standardizing search terms, the Navy used its own terms that identified 381 titles, including titles like "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou, "How to Be an Antiracist" by Ibram X. Kendi, "Bodies in Doubt" by Elizabeth Reis, and "White Rage" by Carol Anderson. A defense official said that the new review using the DOD search terms found only two or three book titles included in the Navy's earlier search. The 20 official search terms included in the May 9 memo included: affirmative action; allyship; anti-racism; critical race theory; discrimination; diversity in the workplace; diversity, equity, and inclusion; gender affirming care; gender dysphoria; gender expression; gender identity; gender nonconformity; gender transition; transgender military personnel; transgender people; transsexualism; transsexuals; and white privilege. "The Navy has reviewed library collections at all Department of Navy educational institutions to ensure compliance with directives issued by the President and Department of Defense," Cmdr. Tim Hawkins, a Navy spokesman, said in a statement on Thursday. "The Navy has identified and sequestered library materials potentially incompatible with the military's core mission, pending the Defense Department's formal review." "Nearly all of the 381 books originally pulled from the shelves at Nimitz Library are back in circulation," he added. The Pentagon memo also applied to other academic institutions run by the military services aside from their military academies. For example, the new review identified less than 20 book titles at each of the Navy's three other academic institutions. Defense officials told The Associated Press that a few dozen books had been pulled out for review by the Air Force for its institutions including the Air Force Academy. It was unclear how many books might have been identified by the Army. The Pentagon memo was issued to bring the DOD into compliance with a Trump executive order to eliminate DEI programs.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Where does the censorship stop?
() If you remember visiting the local library as a child, you likely went with your mom or dad, a teacher or with nothing more than your bike and a backpack. Chances are state lawmakers or religious zealots did not escort you inside, and you didn't have to wonder whose stories were hidden behind locked doors or inside a vault because nothing was locked up. By 'whose stories,' I refer to those books that reflect the lives of readers who may not often be depicted in literature, much less in a positive manner. So, a Black child who can't read about racial prejudice in Maya Angelou's I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings might blame himself for his own race-based struggles in a white-dominated society. The child who was molested might blame himself until he reads another book often targeted by censors, Toni Morrison's The Bluest Eye. Or teenagers questioning their own sexual identity might fear they're the only ones with such a quandary until they read Maia Kobabe's Gender Queer. Kobabe's book was one of numerous books targeted by former state senator Jason Rapert of Conway during his tumultuous time on the Arkansas State Library Board. Recently, the Arkansas Legislature chose to abolish that board, which wasn't as censorship-prone as many lawmakers apparently wanted, and to have the governor appoint a new panel. As if that weren't bad enough, the legislature later approved a bill requiring librarians in schools with kindergarten through fifth-grade students to 'store non-age-appropriate sexual content … in a locked compartment within a designated area.' The bill defines 'non-age-appropriate sexual content' as 'any materials that include explicit instruction, promotion, or advocacy of sexual ideology, behaviors, or orientations that are not developmentally appropriate for kindergarten through grade five … students.' The law does not specify who decides what is age-appropriate. Arkansas' escalating campaign of censorship represents yet another vague, punitive, and politically motivated attempt to chill free expression and intimidate public servants. – Megan Bailey, communications director, ACLU of Arkansas, referring to Act 917 of 2025 This escalation in the war against libraries and public school teachers came after a federal judge in December struck down challenged provisions of Act 372 of 2023 which sought to criminalize librarians who provided minors with access to inappropriate books. Part of Act 372 that went unchallenged in court and that became law 'already requires school libraries to place books deemed to be inappropriate in an area inaccessible to students under 18,' said Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom. So, why was the lock-'em-up measure, Act 917 of 2025, even needed? Perhaps, for show, for politicians to look tough when it comes to already-denigrated librarians and teachers. I asked Megan Bailey, communications director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Arkansas, about the possibility of the ACLU's suing over Act 917. 'We are currently reviewing all options and are continuing to monitor how this and related laws are enforced,' Bailey replied. Referring to 'Arkansas' escalating campaign of censorship,' Bailey said Act 917 'represents yet another vague, punitive, and politically motivated attempt to chill free expression and intimidate public servants.' 'While it may appear narrower than Act 372 on its face, the lack of clarity around what constitutes 'developmentally appropriate' content — and the threat of civil lawsuits against libraries and librarians — creates a chilling effect that will likely lead to over-removal of lawful, constitutionally protected materials out of fear of retribution,' Bailey said in an email. Caldwell-Stone said in an email that, nationally, Act 917 'is unique in that it requires books that are deemed to include 'advocacy of sexual ideology, behaviors, or orientations' not developmentally appropriate for K-5 students to be kept under lock and key, requires parental permission to access such books, and includes provisions for punishing schools and educators who do not comply.' 'In targeting books that address or include themes about gender and sexual orientation, the law may be engaging in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment. Additionally, the parental permission requirement could also be found unconstitutional and a violation of students' rights to access books in the school library,' Caldwell-Stone said. She noted that in 2003, a federal court ruled against the Cedarville, Arkansas, School Board when the court 'set aside a school board's requirement that students submit a written parental permission slip to access the Harry Potter series.' 'It held having to obtain parental permission to check out the books from the school library constituted a restriction on access that violated the students' First Amendment rights, given that the books had been restricted because school board members 'dislike[d] the ideas contained in those books,'' Caldwell-Stone said. 'Laws that impose ambiguous standards and threaten punishment for subjective violations raise serious First Amendment concerns. Librarians should not have to face punishment for failing to implement vague, content-based restrictions,' she added. Despite court rulings and astute cautions, books and intellectual freedom have long been targets of the morality police, though I can't remember a time when the far right targeted libraries in Arkansas as much as it has recently. Censorship was, of course, a hallmark of the late 1940s-50s McCarthy era, and I trust — no, I only hope — that few politicians today yearn to be identified with an era that blacklisted artists and censored books. (Case in point: Ray Bradbury's dystopian 1953 novel Fahrenheit 451, in which firefighters burn down any houses that contain outlawed books, was published 'for many years' only in a censored version, according to PEN America, a free-expression advocacy nonprofit.) Lest you think the ACLU, the ALA and I are overreacting, note that in 1965 the novel Black Beauty was banned in South Africa during that country's apartheid era because of the word 'Black' in the title, according to PEN America. In the United States, the first book in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series became the most often challenged book in libraries from 2000-2009, according to the American Library Association. And the U.S. Naval Academy, responding to President Donald Trump's anti-diversity orders, removed nearly 400 volumes from its library this year. Where does the censorship stop? Should the Bible be banned because it features stories of polygamy, incest and horrific death? I say no. But if the censors are consistent, they will say yes.
