Latest news with #RosaParks
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Mail
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar takes aim at Trump's 'tyrannical administration' during Harvard speech
NBA icon Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has praised Harvard University amid its ongoing battle with Donald Trump. The six-time NBA champion hit out at the president and his administration as he addressed the elite university's graduating seniors during Wednesday's Class Day celebration. Speaking at Harvard's Tercentenary Theatre during the annual ceremony, the 78-year-old branded Trump's White House 'tyrannical' as he reflected on his own social activism. Abdul-Jabbar went on to recall Martin Luther King Jr.'s claim that 'if anything happens to me there will be others to take my place.' 'One of the reasons I'm so pleased to be here today is because I view Harvard University as being among the "others" willing to take Dr. King's place,' Abdul-Jabbar said, via the Boston Globe. 'When a tyrannical administration tried to bully and threaten Harvard to give up their academic freedom and destroy free speech, [Harvard President] Dr. Alan Garber rejected the illegal and immoral pressures the way Rosa Parks declined...' he continued to riotous applause. The Los Angeles Lakers legend's remarks come amid Harvard's feud with Trump's administration after the president has cut billions in federal funding from the institution. Trump additionally vowed to make Harvard 'great again' by capping the number of foreign students who can attend the elite university. The president further accused the university of accepting students who come from radical countries. Trump has railed against Harvard and other schools for not stopping pro-Palestine protests that popped up in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel in October. He has also demanded Harvard eliminate its diversity, equity, and inclusion program; cut the power of its professors; refuse foreign students; and ban masks at campus protests. Harvard has fought back just as hard, filing a lawsuit last month that seeks the restoration of more than $3 billion in federal funding. Another filed last week asked a federal court to reinstate its right to enroll international students. Last week a federal judge temporarily reinstated Harvard's right to enroll international students. There will be a hearing on Thursday to determine whether that order should be extended. And Abdul-Jabbar said Wednesday that Harvard president Garber's 'defiant refusal to succumb to fear' gave him hope that 'there are still people willing to take Dr. King's place.' The Lakers legend delivered the address at Harvard's Class Day on Wednesday 'After seeing so many cowering billionaires, media moguls, law firms, politicians, and other universities bend their knee to an administration that is systematically strip-mining the US Constitution, it is inspiring to me to see Harvard take a stand for freedom,' he said. Class Day is an annual celebration ahead of the school's commencement exercises, which will be held Thursday morning. Abdul-Jabbar, who spent 20 seasons in the NBA with the Milwaukee Bucks and Lakers, joined the likes of former vice president Al Gore and comedian Amy Poehler among the Class Day speaker ranks. While most famous for his career on the court, which included a record six MVP nods, the Harlem native is also an award-winning author and a former Time magazine, who has written on a wide range of topics, including race, religion, sports and black history. In 2019, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former president Barack Obama for his social justice work.
CBS News
15-05-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revisits his long history of activism and using his voice: "Certain things needed to be said"
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shares how activism shaped his legacy on and off the court Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a basketball legend with six NBA championships over his 20-year career. But the six-time MVP has bigger concerns than basketball. Off the court, Abdul-Jabbar's spent his life advocating for social justice. "Freedom, justice and equality are for all of us – not just for some. So we can't give up," Abdul-Jabbar told "CBS Mornings." A passion for activism In his new book, "We All Want to Change the World," Abdul-Jabbar delves into decades of fighting for racial equality in the U.S. and explains how protest movements shaped him. He describes how civil rights icons and prominent symbols of the civil rights movement – like Rosa Parks, Emmett Till and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – ignited his passion for activism. "When the switch was thrown and the lightning coursed through me, it not only fused all those parts in one walking giant representation of Black history, but it also energized me to continue the fight," Abdul-Jabbar read from his book. He's been pushing for social justice for the past six decades, starting during his collegiate years at UCLA while leading the Bruins to three straight NCAA championships. "I remember after Dr. King was assassinated, I was demonstrating on a campus and, more than one person stopped to say, 'What are you demonstrating about? You're gonna be playing in the NBA, what's the issue?' I was just appalled at his ignorance," Abdul-Jabbar recalled. Abdul-Jabbar wasn't concerned about any consequences of using his voice. "Certain things needed to be said, and I decided that I would say them," Abdul-Jabbar said. Taking action He followed up his words with actions. In 1968, Abdul-Jabbar made headlines for boycotting the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City. His decision was influenced by the Cleveland Summit, known as the "Ali Summit," where he and other prominent Black athletes supported heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali's refusal to fight in the Vietnam war. He was stripped of his heavyweight title and convicted of draft evasion, which was later overturned. "Muhammad Ali was a friend of mine, somebody I had a lot of respect for, for his courage and his talent as an athlete," Abdul-Jabbar said. He saw what happened when Ali returned from Rome to his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky, with an Olympic gold medal in 1960. Instead of getting praise, he was met with racial discrimination – and denied service at a segregated restaurant. "He goes and represents the U.S. in Rome and is outstanding, but he can't buy a sandwich. They said it wasn't anything personal but he couldn't get served," Abdul-Jabbar recalled. That indignity inspired him to become an activist, pushing for equal opportunities. But it also put a target on his back. Abdul-Jabbar says he's been getting threatening messages – even death threats – since he was 17 years old. "It's like I'm a lightning rod, at times," Abdul-Jabbar said. These days, he's an outspoken critic of President Trump and the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. "We're going to have a lot of work to do whenever the nation comes to its senses. I'm sure of that," Abdul-Jabbar said. Abdul-Jabbar's 20th book, "We All Want to Change the World," is on sale now.
South China Morning Post
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Rapper Azealia Banks sparks fury in Thailand over transphobic rant about Blackpink's Lisa
A social media firestorm has erupted in Thailand after American rapper Azealia Banks directed transphobic slurs at K-pop sensation Lalisa Manobal – better known as Lisa of Blackpink – triggering a fierce backlash from her Thai fans that spiralled into a racially charged online battle. Advertisement The controversy began on Tuesday, the day after Lisa's appearance at the Met Gala in New York, where she walked the blue carpet in a Louis Vuitton lingerie-inspired bodysuit. Banks responded to a photo of the Thai-born singer with a post on X, formerly Twitter, calling Lisa a 'ladyboy' – a slur often directed at transgender women in Southeast Asia – and declaring: 'Lisa is a man. I'm not walking that comment back.' A tweet on X by US rapper Azealia Banks on Lalisa Manobal, better known as Lisa of Blackpink. Photo: X/@azealiaslacewig She followed up with a series of similarly transphobic posts, including references to a separate controversy over Lisa's outfit, which some speculated featured the face of US civil rights icon Rosa Parks. Although the outfit's designer later clarified that the portraits depicted people from his personal life, not historical figures, Banks claimed the image had been strategically placed to provoke liberal outrage – describing it in a lengthy post as part of a media 'psyop'. Her remarks, widely condemned as transphobic and racially inflammatory, added fuel to the backlash. Banks, a hitmaker with a string of major rap awards to her name, is known as much for her musical output as for her history of provocative and often offensive social media posts – including those targeting the transgender community. US rapper Azealia Banks performs during her concert in Paris on April 12. Photo: AFP But this time, her remarks struck a nerve with Thailand's online K-pop fandom, known for swiftly rallying to the defence of their idols.
Scoop
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scoop
Lisa's Underwear & Rosa Parks? Mystery Solved
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Some people imagine seeing a famous person's face on a burnt piece of toast. Online viewers and international media however were wondering if the embroidered crotch and rear of a sexy bodysuit branded by Louis Vuitton (LV) intentionally portrayed the late Black civil rights leader Rosa Parks' face. And, if so, why did one of Thailand's most cherished celebrities, Lisa, wear and display the dazzling, no-pants outfit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Gala on May 5 in New York? "People think the Louis Vuitton panties Lisa wore to the 2025 Met Gala have Rosa Parks' face on them," People magazine headlined its report. "According to Vogue, artist Henry Taylor embroidered portraits into her [Lisa's] ensemble. "Taylor was previously commissioned by Pharrell Williams -- Louis Vuitton's men's creative director and 2025 Met Gala co-chair -- to embroider the same design for the brand's Men's Spring-Summer 2024 show," People reported. After photos and questions about Lisa's outfit went viral online, Louis Vuitton said in a statement to The New York Times: "The lace replicates elements of an artwork by the American artist Henry Taylor, depicting portraits of figures who have been a part of the artist's life." LV "did not clarify if any famous faces were included," People magazine noted. E! Entertainment Television, Buzzfeed, and other media published similar reports. The Cut, based in New York, asked in its headline: 'Is That Really Rosa Parks on Lisa's Crotch?' "It appears to be a collage of faces of different women, including at least one that looks more than a little bit like Rosa Parks,' The Cut reported. "Never in our wildest dreams did we expect to zoom in on Lisa's crotch and wonder, 'Is that Rosa Parks?'" Even Hanoi-based Vietnam Express chimed in, headlining its story: "BlackPink's Lisa slammed as Met Gala bodysuit appears to show face of U.S. activist Rosa Parks." Shocked viewers from around the world posted their dismay and anger about the controversy on X, Instagram, Facebook and other sites. Lalisa Manobal, who goes by the name Lisa, has enjoyed skyrocketing fame as a pop singer during the past decade and appeared as a main actor in the latest White Lotus series set here in Thailand. Lisa, 28, is also the pride and joy of Thailand, her home country, attracting millions of fans and the support of the Thai government. She first achieved international fame several years ago as the only Thai singer alongside South Koreans in an all-girls' K-Pop singing group known as BlackPink. BlackPink's catchy first hit was a mostly Korean-language song and video titled, "DDU-DU DDU-DU." It successfully melded American hip-hop hand gestures, strutting, attitude and other stereotype dancing and singing, alternating with saccharine-sweet pouting, innocent poses, and coy crooning. Lisa became so famous that the Thai government promoted her in 2023 in its official international "soft power" campaign to convince the world this Southeast Asian nation's modern culture, tourist sites, cuisine and other lures are dynamic and thrilling. Several months ago, after Lisa appeared in a video while singing in Bangkok's bustling Chinatown, the Thai government and local media praised her for highlighting the neighborhood which is a main tourist attraction. Fans rushed to photograph selfies posing like her in the same street. Lisa also became a brand ambassador for Céline, Bvlgari, and other products. "Her solo track 'Lalisa', further etched her name in history by becoming the first K-pop number to surpass one billion streams on Spotify," Thailand's Nation news reported. "Lisa and her BlackPink band also attended a state banquet at Buckingham, hosted by the king and queen of Britain." Damage to Lisa's image began on Monday (May 5) when questions about who is portrayed in viral close-up photos of her black lace bodysuit's crotch and rear, shot when she professionally modelled the LV outfit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's gala. The celebration showcased the Met's "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" exhibit. It "explores the importance of style to the formation of Black identities in the Atlantic diaspora, particularly in the United States and Europe," the museum said. The gala's theme "drew inspiration from Barnard [College] professor and author Monica L. Miller's 2009 book, 'Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity'," NBC's Today website reported. "There is a face of what appears to be a woman with glasses, but nothing else to indicate it is Parks," Today said. The black bodysuit Lisa wore was embroidered with several different, tiny, unidentified single-line faces which appeared generic. Her accessories included a single-breasted blazer and sheer LV monogrammed tights. Hours before the gala, Vogue released a video titled, "Inside Lisa's First Met Gala Look," in which she receives advice from Mr. Williams during the final fitting. "Today I'm wearing Louis Vuitton by Pharrell. It recreates an artwork by Henry Taylor," Lisa says in a fitting room while the camera shows close-ups of the small embroidered faces. "You have to see all the details. Like, can you zoom in? Like you can see, like, the LV logo. Also his [Taylor's] art. I fall in love with this right away." She wondered however "if this look is a little too feminine, too girly." Her black blazer's lace also displayed the pattern of small faces. Some viewers however went online claiming one repeatedly patterned face, wearing glasses, was Ms. Parks. In 1955 Ms. Parks, a seamstress, refused a bus driver's demand that Blacks must sit in the back of all public buses in Montgomery, Alabama. She went on to help lead a lengthy Montgomery Bus Boycott, during which she was jailed and lost her job. The boycott ended segregated seating and she became an icon of the civil rights movement. Ms. Parks died in 2005 aged 92. Belatedly, two days after the mystery went viral online and in the media, New York Magazine's Vulture news scooped the answer to the mystery and reported: 'The figure featured in Lisa's Louis Vuitton look is not Rosa Parks, but one of Henry's neighbors,' a representative for artist Henry Taylor said in a statement to Vulture. 'The faces seen on this look, as well as on previous LV garments featuring Taylor's artwork, are all drawn from his personal life — family members, friends, and neighbors. These figures come directly from Henry's existing artworks, which he provided to LVMH for Pharrell's debut collection with Louis Vuitton in 2023. "None of the individuals depicted in any of the garments are Rosa Parks or other well-known figures from Black cultural history. They are all people from Henry's own life," the statement to Vulture said. Richard S. Ehrlich is a Bangkok-based American foreign correspondent reporting from Asia since 1978, and winner of Columbia University's Foreign Correspondents' Award. Excerpts from his two new nonfiction books, "Rituals. Killers. Wars. & Sex. -- Tibet, India, Nepal, Laos, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Sri Lanka & New York" and "Apocalyptic Tribes, Smugglers & Freaks" are available at
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Trial date set for TN man accused of arson at historic Highlander Center
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Tennessee man charged with setting fire to an education center that trained civil rights leaders like Rosa Parks and John Lewis in 2019 was indicted on Wednesday. The 27-year-old pleaded not guilty in federal court on Thursday and a trial date has been set for later this year. Regan Prater faces one count of arson and one count of carrying an explosive device during the commission of the arson in connection to the fire that destroyed the Highlander Research and Education Center in Jefferson County. He remains in federal custody pending trial, which has been scheduled for July 15 in United States District Court in Knoxville. Car burglaries strike fear into Sevier County neighborhood If convicted, he faces a maximum of 20 years in prison on the arson charge and an additional 10 years for the explosive charge. Investigators say Prater used an homemade explosive to firebomb the center's administrative building on March 29, 2019. Officials said the fire destroyed decades of historic documents, speeches, artifacts, and memorabilia from the Civil Rights Era and other social movements. An affidavit filed in federal court says posts made by Prater in several group chats affiliated with white supremacist groups link him to the Highlander Center fire. Court documents also allege he was inspired by the March 2019 mass shooting in Christchurch, New Zealand. A white-power symbol was found spray-painted on the pavement of a parking lot at the site of the fire, the same symbol that appeared on the Christchurch gunman's rifle. Prater was previously sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting fire to an adult video store in Manchester, Tennessee in June 2019. ▶ See more top stories on The Highlander Center was founded in Monteagle in 1932 before moving to New Market in 1971. The nonprofit organization educated many of the Civil Rights Movement's most important figures, including John Lewis and Rosa Parks. Martin Luther King Jr. gave a keynote address for the school's 25th anniversary celebration in 1957. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
