Latest news with #Women'sHistoryMonth
Time of India
6 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Sam Ponder breaks silence on ESPN firing, claims transgender views and social media activity led to silent blacklisting
Sam Ponder claims her ESPN departure wasn't due to budget cuts, but rather her support for female athletes (Getty Images) More than a year after her unexpected exit from ESPN, former NFL Countdown host Sam Ponder is finally sharing the behind-the-scenes truth—and it's nothing like the 'budget cuts' explanation viewers were fed in 2023. In a candid appearance on The Sage Steele Show, Ponder claimed that her support for female athletes and her cautious views on transgender participation in women's sports led to internal pushback, quiet censorship, and ultimately, her departure. A retweet that triggered a warning and set the tone for her ESPN exit The tipping point came in July 2023, when Ponder retweeted a video of Paula Scanlan—a former teammate of transgender swimmer Lia Thomas—sharing her experience at UPenn. Ponder's comment was mild: she simply encouraged followers to 'listen.' But that act alone sparked a warning from a higher-up at ESPN. She recalled receiving a private email urging her not to 'misgender people,' which she interpreted as a veiled threat. 'I knew I was on the clock,' Ponder admitted. The network reportedly flagged more of her online activity, including a 'liked' tweet from Megyn Kelly joking that 'men don't need gynecologists.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Investigadora argentina revela hallazgos sobre el magnesio Salud Esencial Leer más Undo Ponder didn't think it was controversial. 'It was just a favorite,' she said. 'I didn't think that was a big deal.' ESPN listed it as budget cuts, but Sam Ponder says her schedule wasn't the problem While ESPN cited cost-cutting as the official reason behind her departure—lumping her in with figures like Robert Griffin III—Ponder believes her limited role on Sunday NFL Countdown wasn't actually draining company resources. Instead, she feels her open support for female athletes like Riley Gaines made her an internal liability. She even mentioned avoiding coverage of Gaines during Women's History Month out of fear of backlash. 'I knew I was supposed to talk about Riley,' Ponder confessed. 'But I didn't.' Sam Ponder has no regrets: 'I wasn't trying to be controversial' Samantha Ponder Breaks Her Silence Since ESPN Firing (FIRST Interview) | The Sage Steele Show Despite the fallout, Ponder doesn't feel bitter. She called her firing 'one of the best things that's ever happened' to her, saying, 'I was on the hamster wheel. I wasn't going to jump off on my own.' Her final message was clear: 'I wasn't trying to be controversial. I just wanted people to hear stories I wasn't seeing on SportsCenter.' Also Read: Joy Taylor's FOX Sports scandal: Everything about the backstage drama, show cancellations, and lawsuit that led to her exit With the debate around inclusion in women's sports only growing louder, Ponder's revelations have reignited a culture war ESPN may not be able to sidestep much longer. Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Black America Web
27-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Recap: adidas 2025 HBE Capstone Experience In ATL
Yvette Glasco At a time when DEI programs built to promote inclusivity have experienced government-issued shutdowns, it makes the Honoring Black Excellence campaign by adidas feel all the more important. With The Three Stripes in a financial situation that doesn't require federal funding for a program like HBE, the sportswear stalwart is simply committing to a $20 million promise made back in 2020 in support of Black communities. Five years later, we can attest to the fact that adidas is definitely putting money to mouth. Many mouths, in fact. On Tuesday (June 24), we braved the Atlanta heat for a special one-night-only event known as the HBE Capstone Experience, curated in collaboration with Paper Monday creative married duo Rog & Bee Walker. This year's honorees include Sekou Thornell of Kitboys Club, Jaycina Almond who we remember from The Tender Foundation and the soulfully Southern belles of Gee's Bend Quilters. RELATED: Women's History Month – Jaycina Almond & The Tender Foundation Utilizing a theme of 'Pathways & Pipelines,' Rog & Bee helped create an atmosphere that visually reflected the idea of Black creativity as a bridge to history and beyond. Whether it's the bridges of knowledge formed by quilt-making being passed down generation after generation, single mothers having bridges of access for support in any way needed or simply bridges of communication that develop when a friendship turns to family on the Kitboys-led soccer field, each honoree is creating both pathways and pipelines for success in our community. Speaking with Sekou, he told us, 'I had a unique experience where I got to play at an all-Black youth club in Stone Mountain, so from there you sort of form your relationship with a lot of people that maintain over a long time. I fell in love with it, my parents kept [soccer] with me and a lot of opportunities I got in life came out of the game. ' He went on to add of the city's ever-thriving cultural diversity, 'You would think for a Southern city that [Atlanta] wouldn't be so progressive in a game like soccer — most people think it's football or baseball dominant. There's always been that love for the game in those pockets of culture [throughout ATL], and because the city is shaped the way it is we found it easy getting people into the fold of it. I dedicate it all to this city and having the right ingredients to really have a platform like [Kitboys Club] grow.' Throughout the night, he made sure to always feel accessible to the many high school teenagers in the building who were given special access to the private event as a way to get inspired. Yvette Glasco — Sekou Thornell, Kitboys Club Yvette Glasco Similar sentiments were shared as we spoke with the ladies of Gee's Bend Quilters. Sitting together and representing all ages and shades of Black beauty, it was understood from jump that we were in the presence of a bonded sisterhood. 'I encourage [my granddaughter] by telling her how to sew and stuff, just different quilts and stuff, so she can teach her children when she have kids and it keeps going,' said Sharon Williams, who enthusiastically went on to describe their ever-growing legacy by busting out into song with the tune 'Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now' by McFadden & Whitehead. Hearing from a younger voice on the team, twenty-something sew pro Francesca Charley told us, 'Everything I learned from quilting came from my grandma, great-aunt and my mother. It's because of their words of encouragement that I am where I am today. There were so many times where I wanted to give up or I thought what I was doing wasn't good enough, or I simply could never make what they make, but to be here now with adidas is a lot to think about.' Her mom, Claudia Pettway Charley, followed suit with beautiful insight by adding, 'Honoring Black Excellence is to honor your own legacy. Your honoring others who present excellence, but it really doesn't matter what the category or field is. It could just be that you live your life on a daily basis in your own excellence, especially if you're Black. It's a privilege just to be here being honored by a company such as adidas. Even being recognized by Rog & Bee, who take your stories and turn them into movies right in front of your face, is all the definition of excellence and honor. Doing it in ways that only Black people can feels exciting to me.' Yvette Glasco — Claudia Pettway Charley, Gee's Bend Quilters Yvette Glasco Good southern eats, drinks aplenty for those old enough to indulge responsibly, a live jazz performance that fit the mood of the party perfectly and studio-style portrait sessions being snapped by Rog & Bee themselves all came together to cap off a night we won't soon forget. When it comes to honoring our heritage and literally everything that make it so beautiful to be Black, we give props to The Three Stripes for pulling off a night worth coming outside on during one of the most humid days in Hotlanta! 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Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Retired FBI Agent Supports End to Official Pride Celebrations at Agency
Retired FBI agent Jennifer Coffindaffer is all for the FBI telling their agents to lay off the Pride Month celebrations this year ... but she says it's not about the LGBTQ+ community. Catch the clip ... Jennifer tells us the reasoning behind the email sent out by a rep for the Federal Bureau of Investigations to all employees -- coming after the transition from the Biden to the Trump administrations -- was to put a stop to gathering during company hours and using FBI time and resources. Coffindaffer claims that so much money and energy go into banquets thrown for monthly events -- such as Pride Month, Women's History Month, and Black History Month -- putting an end to these events will allow FBI agents to focus on their core mission ... putting bad people in prison!!! Fox News Digital obtained the email that says FBI Assistant Director for Public Affairs Ben Williamson wrote, "I want to take the opportunity to make FBI leadership's expectations clear: There should be no official FBI actions, events, or messaging regarding Pride Month." June is officially recognized in the U.S. as LGBTQ+ Pride Month. President Trump nominated Kash Patel as his director of the FBI, but Thursday's email came from Williamson, who reportedly wrote employees can do whatever they want in a personal capacity on their own time ... but, they shouldn't be using Bureau resources to promote their events. Jennifer assures the LGBTQ+ community that this is not a targeted ban, and is intended to continue for all other monthly heritage celebrations.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
US Navy to rename ship honouring gay rights leader and veteran Harvey Milk
The US Navy plans to remove the name of gay rights leader and Navy veteran Harvey Milk from one of its ships, and may change the titles of other vessels honouring civil rights leaders. The plans were outlined in documents obtained by BBC's US partner CBS News that show a timeline for when the renaming of USNS Harvey Milk would be shared with the public. It comes during Pride Month in June, an annual commemoration of the LGBT community that coincides with the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969. The directive also comes amid a broader movement by the Trump administration to curb programmes that promote diversity and inclusion across federal departments. Sean Parnell, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told CBS on Tuesday that the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk is to realign the US military with the Trump administration's goal of "re-establishing the warrior culture" in the armed forces. The memo calls for Navy Secretary John Phelan to select a new name for the fleet oiler. That name change would then be communicated to other senior US Navy officials after a legal review. It also outlines other vessels recommended for renaming, including the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, named after the late liberal Supreme Court justice, and the USNS Harriet Tubman, named after the American slavery abolitionist. Harvey Milk is known for being the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was assassinated 10 months after he was sworn in. The push to rename the USNS Harvey Milk comes after a directive issued by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year instructing US military personnel to stop hosting events tied to heritage or awareness months. This directive banned resources and manpower from being used on events like Pride Month, Black History Month and Women's History Month, citing concerns that they would undermine unity in the military. US President Donald Trump also issued executive orders earlier this year that banned diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the government, and that made it official US policy to recognise two sexes, male and female. Supporters of DEI programmes say they address historical underrepresentation and discrimination against certain groups, including racial minorities, but critics say such initiatives are themselves discriminatory. The move to rename the Harvey Milk and other ships has been criticised by prominent Democrats, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. In a statement to CBS, Pelosi called the move a "vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American dream". Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X on Tuesday that Hegseth "should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately." US federal websites scrub vaccine data and LGBT references Trump signs order restricting gender care for young people Transgender references removed from Stonewall monument website
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
US Navy to rename ship honouring gay rights leader and veteran Harvey Milk
The US Navy plans to remove the name of gay rights leader and Navy veteran Harvey Milk from one of its ships, and may change the titles of other vessels honouring civil rights leaders. The plans were outlined in documents obtained by BBC's US partner CBS News that show a timeline for when the renaming of USNS Harvey Milk would be shared with the public. It comes during Pride Month in June, an annual commemoration of the LGBT community that coincides with the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969. The directive also comes amid a broader movement by the Trump administration to curb programmes that promote diversity and inclusion across federal departments. Sean Parnell, a spokesman for the Pentagon, told CBS on Tuesday that the renaming of the USNS Harvey Milk is to realign the US military with the Trump administration's goal of "re-establishing the warrior culture" in the armed forces. The memo calls for Navy Secretary John Phelan to select a new name for the fleet oiler. That name change would then be communicated to other senior US Navy officials after a legal review. It also outlines other vessels recommended for renaming, including the USNS Ruth Bader Ginsburg, named after the late liberal Supreme Court justice, and the USNS Harriet Tubman, named after the American slavery abolitionist. Harvey Milk is known for being the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, winning a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. He was assassinated 10 months after he was sworn in. The push to rename the USNS Harvey Milk comes after a directive issued by Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth earlier this year instructing US military personnel to stop hosting events tied to heritage or awareness months. This directive banned resources and manpower from being used on events like Pride Month, Black History Month and Women's History Month, citing concerns that they would undermine unity in the military. US President Donald Trump also issued executive orders earlier this year that banned diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the government, and that made it official US policy to recognise two sexes, male and female. Supporters of DEI programmes say they address historical underrepresentation and discrimination against certain groups, including racial minorities, but critics say such initiatives are themselves discriminatory. The move to rename the Harvey Milk and other ships has been criticised by prominent Democrats, including former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. In a statement to CBS, Pelosi called the move a "vindictive erasure of those who fought to break down barriers for all to chase the American dream". Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wrote on X on Tuesday that Hegseth "should be ashamed of himself and reverse this immediately." US federal websites scrub vaccine data and LGBT references Trump signs order restricting gender care for young people Transgender references removed from Stonewall monument website
