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Boxer Imane Khelif advances to gold medal fight after another win amid gender controversy

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PARIS (AP) — Algerian Imane Khelif advanced Tuesday night to fight for the gold medal in the ladies’s welterweight division on the Paris Olympics, moving one win away from what she calls the most effective response to the worldwide criticism she has faced due to misconceptions about her gender.

Had she won another victory, Khelif would have won Algeria’s second boxing gold medal and first in women’s boxing.

Khelif beat Janjaem Suwannapheng of Thailand 5-0 within the semifinals of Roland Garros, with the gang roaring for her and chanting her name repeatedly throughout her three-round bout. Khelif has won three straight matches in Paris and can win a gold or silver medal when she finishes the tournament Friday against Yang Liu of China.

Khelif has flourished within the Paris ring amid criticism and stigmatization outside it. The problems stem from the choice by the International Boxing Federation, which has been banned from the Olympics, to disqualify her and fellow Paris medalist Lin Yu-ting of Chinese Taipei from last yr’s world championships for allegedly failing a qualifying test.

The controversy has turn into certainly one of the most important stories of the Paris Olympics, but it surely has not had a negative impact on her performance within the ring.

“I don’t care,” Khelif said through an interpreter. “I want to be ready and show a good level, show my talent, because I want to entertain everyone.”

Khelif had already won Algeria’s first medal in women’s boxing before she entered the ring, drawing a thunderous applause from Court Philippe Chatrier. She then controlled the fight against Suwannapheng, who took an eight-point lead by the top of the third round after absorbing a series of punches.

“I heard about the news about her, but I didn’t follow it closely,” Suwannapheng said. “She is a woman, but she is very strong.”

Khelif won every round on every judge’s card in her two fights, which went all the best way to the finish in Paris. She got here into a very powerful tournament of her international profession under probably the most pressure she has ever faced.

“I am very happy,” Khelif said. “I have worked eight years for these Olympic Games and I am very proud of this moment. I would like to thank the support of the people at home.”

The ending of Khelif’s first fight in Paris put her at the middle of a world divide over gender identity and safety regulations in sports. Her first opponent, Angela Carini of Italy, tearfully pulled out after just 46 seconds, saying she was in an excessive amount of pain from Khelif’s punches.

Carini’s abandonment of the fight led to comments from former US President Donald Trump, Harry Potter creator JK Rowling and others who falsely claimed Khelif was a person or transgender. Carini later apologized for her decision.

In an interview Sunday with SNTV, The Associated Press’ sports video partner, Khelif said the wave of hatred she faces “hurts human dignity” and called for an end to intimidation of athletes.

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Khelif also said she believes the “best response” to the commotion surrounding her can be to win a gold medal — and he or she is now one win away from doing so.

After embracing Suwannapheng and holding the ropes for her opponent in a conventional show of boxing sportsmanship, Khelif celebrated by running furiously in place and pumping her fists as the gang roared for her again. The celebration was more joyful than her cathartic ending to her quarterfinal victory over Hungary’s Anna Luca Hamori, when she slammed her hand down on the canvas and cried.

Khelif underwent a post-fight medical and was leaving the Roland Garros arena when she was surrounded by fans near the exit. They hugged Khelif, demanded selfies and waved Algerian flags as she walked backstage.

Khelif received cheers that echoed through the famous tennis arena from the moment she entered to face Suwannapheng. Roland Garros welcomed a big turnout of Algerian fans expressing their national pride in a boxer whose negative highlight has been taken very personally in her country.

Both fighters got here out aggressively, trading blows from distance, with Khelif more accurate, winning the primary round on all five cards, and repeating the feat within the second.

The fight became more physical within the third round, with Suwannapheng pushing forward to mount a comeback. The fight was stopped standing on the count of 8 late within the third round when Suwannapheng took several headbutts in a row, although Suwannapheng seemed to shrug it off as if it wasn’t essential — as is commonly the case in Olympic boxing, where referees can stop a fight for relatively minor reasons.

“I tried to use my speed, but my opponent was just too strong,” Suwannapheng said.

Khelif, 25, is in the most effective type of her amateur profession on the Olympics. She has had solid international showings and even won a couple of regional tournaments, but Khelif was never a dominant player on the world stage until her two strong performances — and 46 seconds of easy motion against a 3rd — that helped her reach the ultimate in Paris.

The IOC and its president Thomas Bach have repeatedly defended Khelifa and Lin’s qualifications for the Olympic Games while condemning the IBA as an incompetent and biased organization.

Khelif and Lin were disqualified by the IBA eventually yr’s world championships due to what it said were failed qualifying tests for the ladies’s event. The IBA was banned from the Olympics before the Tokyo Games, and the organization struggled to explain the explanations for its decisions within the Khelif and Lin cases at a news conference Monday.

Lin also won a medal and advanced to the Olympic semifinals. She will face Esra Yildiz Kahraman of Turkey on Wednesday evening.

The Algerian Olympic team has responded strongly to the criticism and negative attention surrounding Khelif, and the turnout at Roland Garros was evidence of the seriousness with which the accusations have been taken in her homeland and among the many French diaspora.

Chinese Taipei responded with equal condemnation of the IBA’s claims and the worldwide scrutiny whirlwind. Sports officials said Tuesday they were considering legal motion against the IBA after sending a letter protesting the International Boxing Association’s “continuous publication of false information, obfuscation of facts and attempts to disrupt the normal course of the event without regard to the rights and interests of athletes.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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After second defeat for Model of the Year, Anok Yai tells British Fashion Council: ‘I don’t want it anymore’, sparking debate

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When Anok Yai was photographed in “The Yard” at Howard University’s 2017 homecoming ceremony, a fashion star was born. After agents began clamoring to find the identity of the then 19-year-old beauty and competing to sign her, Yai became a global sensation; inside the first six months of her profession, she became the first Sudanese model and the second black model, after Naomi Campbell, to open a Prada fashion show. In the seven years since then, covers and accolades have flown steadily, including her first American Vogue cover in 2020, which led to Yai being hailed as one of this generation’s “best.”New supers” — as in supermodels — via Models.com, who awarded her the title of “Model of the Year – Woman” in 2023.

Although Yai has enjoyed success on runways around the world, one accolade has eluded her, and now she says she now not wants it. On Monday as host of the British Fashion Council Fashion Awards 2024Yai was nominated again for the council’s Model of the Year award, her second nomination in as a few years. This is the second time Yai has been omitted from this honor, which recognizes “the global influence of a model who has dominated the industry over the past 12 months,” the organization explains. “With influence that extends beyond the runway, the Model of the Year has made an outstanding contribution to the industry, earning numerous editorial and advertising campaigns throughout the year.”

After losing in 2023 to Paloma Elsesser, the first full-size model to win the award, this 12 months the honor once more passed to Alex Consani, the first transgender winner in the award’s history. Heartily congratulating my friend and colleague from the industry on her groundbreaking achievement partially decided by audience votesYai didn’t hassle hiding her disappointment.

“Alex, I love you and I’m so proud of you,” she wrote X, early Tuesday morningadding: “British Fashion Council, thank you, but I don’t want it anymore.”

How Some she accused Yai of having sour grapes over her subsequent losses, others, etc Teen Vogue editor Aiyana Ishmael, they argue that the model’s disillusionment and self-defense should simply be considered a mirrored image of her humanity.

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“When we ask ourselves why we want Yai to accept her loss calmly, we must also ask ourselves if this is a response to society’s expectations for Black women,” Ishmael wrote, quoting writer and executive coach Janice Sutherland comment on stereotypes that deal with the “perceived strength and resilience” of Black women. “While these characteristics are undoubtedly empowering, they should not be used as a reason to deny Black women space to express vulnerability, pursue changing aspirations, or seek the support they need without judgment,” notes Sutherland.

“I remember in 2019 when a photographer called me a cockroach,” she said already deleted thread on X. Feeling unable to react while others on set treated the insult as a joke, Yai recalled feeling as if “I can not react the way I want because ultimately I’m young, I’m alone, I’m black… whatever I do , will impact me, my family and other black models.”

With this in mind, Yai’s disappointment at not being recognized for her achievements can simply be taken literally, relatively than interpreted as an try and undermine the achievements of Consani, the winner of Model of the Year. Yai said the same thing second postwriting: “If you saw the effort Alex put in; You’ll understand how proud I’m of her. But Alex may be proud and I may be exhausted at the same time. “It doesn’t diminish how much we love each other.”

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As a member of a marginalized community, Consani undoubtedly empathizes. Actually, she she used her acceptance speech on Monday night to thank “black trans women who have truly fought for the space I am in today” and to thank “Dominique Jackson, Connie Fleming, Aaron Rose Phillips and many others” for enabling her own rise in the industry.

“Now, more than ever, there needs to be an important conversation about how to truly support and uplift each other in this industry, especially those who have been treated as nonessential,” Consani continued. “Because change is more than possible, it is necessary.”

Change is slowly but surely happening, as evidenced by the strong black representation amongst this 12 months’s Fashion Award winners. Winning designers included Grace Wales Bonner (British menswear designer) and Priya Ahluwalia (New establishment menswear), while special awards went to A$AP Rocky (BFC cultural innovator) and Issa Rae (Pandora change leader). Photographer Tyler Mitchell also received recognition, winning the Isabella Blow Award for fashion creator.

As for Yai, she may now not seek approval from the British Fashion Council, but she need look no further than The Yard to search out it. The supermodel returned to the spot where she was found during Howard’s 2024 “Yardfest” Homecoming celebration, much to the delight of students in attendance.

“I’m a black trans woman and there’s not a lot of representation,” McKenzie Cooper-Moore, a junior marketing major and emerging model, told Howard’s newspaper: Hill. “She is one of the top models today, she is a black woman and she or he is uncompromisingly black. That’s really cool. I actually admire her.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Prince Harry downplays divorce rumors as he discusses the public’s fascination with his marriage to Meghan Markle

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Surprise – Meghan Markle and Prince Harry usually are not attached at the hip. Recently, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made separate public appearances.

This week, Markle made a rare solo appearance at the Paley Honors fall gala in Los Angeles to support the godfather of the couple’s daughter, Princess Lilibet, Tyler Perry, who was honored that evening. Meanwhile, on the East Coast, Prince Harry appeared at the New York Times’ DealBook Summit 2024, where he spoke about his fascination with the society surrounding his relationship.

During the conversation, moderator Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Prince Harry how he deals with the constant attention on every thing he and his wife do, noting that articles about the couple’s separate appearances on each coasts have been circulating throughout the Internet.

“Is this normal for you? When the article comes out – she’s in California, you’re in New York – they say, “Well, what’s going on with these two, right?” In a way, is it good that he is so interested in you?” – Sorkin asked.

“No, this is certainly not a great thing. Apparently we now have bought or moved home 10 (or) 12 times. Apparently we have been divorced perhaps 10 (or) 12 times. So it’s just an issue of, “What?” – Prince Harry replied, laughing.

As the youngest child of Princess Diana and King Charles, the Duke of Sussex is not any stranger to life in the highlight. Having seen how the excessive media attention directly affected his mother and even played a task in her death in 1997, Prince Harry noticed how life in the public eye modified his relationship with the press.

“I have been experiencing something of life since I was a child. I have seen stories written about me that were not entirely based on reality. I saw stories about my family members, friends, strangers and all sorts of people,” he explained. “And I think when you grow up in that environment, you start to question the validity of the information, but also what other people think about it and how dangerous it can be over time.”

Ultimately, Prince Harry said he ignores false narratives online because he expects the media and social media trolls to twist and twist his words at any time.

I feel sorry for the trolls the most,” he continued. “Their hopes just get built and built they usually say, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ after which it doesn’t occur. That’s why I feel sorry for them. Really.

“The Duke and Duchess have now developed as individuals – not just as a couple,” a royal source explained. according to People magazine. “The Duke seems focused on his patronage work and the Duchess seems focused on her entrepreneurship.”

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry help Tyler Perry celebrate his birthday

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Nia Long and Larenz Tate Have the ‘Love Jones’ Reunion We’ve Been Waiting For, But There’s an Elephant in the Room

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Those of us who’ve been waiting to seek out out whether Nina Mosley and Darius Lovehall, the black and sexy leads of the 1997 cult romantic comedy “Love Jones,” ended up together will finally get our wish this holiday season. Leading actors Nia Long and Larenz Tate – still black and still hot, we’d add – teamed up for Walmart’s “Love Jones”-themed holiday ad, featuring variations Dionne Farris’ now iconic song “Hopeless” as the opening soundtrack.

In the Walmart Holiday x Love Jones spot titled “Give a Gift That Shows You Get It,” the gift-giving begins early when Nina (Nia) finds a Walmart box on the steps of her house and unwraps it to seek out a record player. Confirming that the gift is indeed from him, Darius (Larenz) repeats certainly one of his lines from the hit movie in which he asks, “Do you mind if I play something for you?”

Whether the poet Darius (Larenz) remains to be attempting to be “the blue in (Nina’s) left thigh… trying to become the funk in (her) right” stays unknown, but nostalgia hits when the two start dancing to the Isley Brothers classic: ” Stay in the groove with you, part 1.” To ensure this moment doesn’t go undocumented, a young woman, presumably the daughter of the fictional couple, appears at the door to capture the moment on camera, clearly taking a cue from her photographer mother, Nina. It’s an uplifting return to a black cinema classic that a lot of us would love to revisit in the era of sequels.

That said, the elephant in the otherwise romantic room is Walmart. The big-box retailer dampened a number of holiday spirit this yr with its post-election announcement that it was “phasing out” most of its DEI initiatives, which is essentially being interpreted as a preview of comparable industry policies to return under the incoming Trump administration. Among the now abandoned initiatives are a $100 million racial equity center launched in 2020 in response to the police killing of George Floyd, in addition to prioritizing 51% of BIPOC, LGBTQ, veterans and women products. – reported the Houston Herald..

“It’s after the DEI programs end that the marketing department will definitely (know) how to change the narrative,” commented one YouTube viewer. “This ad won’t let me forget that Walmart discontinued all DEI efforts,” one other commenter said.

Walmart clearly still sees value in attracting black consumers, as evidenced by the Gen X-friendly spot starring Tate and Long (notably, the spot was produced likely months before the election and subsequent DEI rollback). The company was sensible to think about our annual purchasing power it’s estimated to eclipse $1 trillion by 2030, in response to McKinsey & Co.

“Serving Black consumers can help brands better serve customers, especially as the country’s increasingly diverse demographics continue to grow,” said Shelley Stewart III, McKinsey senior partner and global leader for repute and engagement.

To that end, while many viewers welcome the return of Darius and Nina (some have even called for an official, if long overdue, sequel), the dichotomy between promotion and Walmart practice has not gone unnoticed.

“Walmart needs to rethink its DEI policies,” a YouTube commentator said. “We play it in our faces, using characters and actors we love!”

Kerry Washington is celebrating a

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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