It seems that the more things change, the more they stay the identical. Vice President Kamala Harris’ loss to Donald Trump sent waves of shock and consternation across Hollywood as Black stars expressed their deep frustration, concern and sadness with the country’s decision. Reactions poured in late Tuesday and early Wednesday, and the collective tone was certainly one of regret at what many see as a troubling turn for America.

Cardi B, a staunch Harris supporter who showed up at certainly one of her rallies, shared her disbelief on Instagram. In a video of her observing the outcomes, she bluntly expressed her anger with the caption: “I hate you all.” Later, during an Instagram Live session, she responded to a fan’s query about attending Trump’s inauguration: “I’m sick of you! Burn your fucking hats, motherfucker. I’m really sad. I swear to God, I’m really sad.” Her words echoed as a harsh response, underscoring the depth of disappointment felt by many.

Kerry Washington, who spoke on the Democratic National Convention on Harris’ behalf, he replied to the message, encouraging resilience and self-care. “It wasn’t a mirage. Swipe. Thank you @blackliturgies and @wetheurban for these pearls of love, truth, wisdom and humanity,” she wrote. “Be good to yourself today. There is more work to be done.” Washington’s post was a call for reflection and perseverance, and a reminder that the fight for progress must proceed.

He , Whoopi Goldberg, a longtime Trump critic, didn’t hold back. “He is the president. I still won’t reveal his name. This won’t change,” she said. Her co-host Sunny Hostin echoed the gloomy sentiment, describing herself as “deeply concerned” in regards to the consequence.

Other stars shared equally honest responses. LeBron James posted a photograph along with her daughter, with the caption: “My heart is heavy and remember this time, my princess. I promise to protect you with everything I have and more!! We don’t need their help!” The emotional message highlighted the protectiveness many Black parents feel in the face of political uncertainty.

Actor Wendell Pierce, known for his influential roles in and , shared: harsh assessment election consequences. “For those who have wondered how American society has allowed the sins of our past, know that tonight Trump won the majority despite his lack of character and integrity,” he wrote. “He has demonstrated his racism, misogyny, xenophobia and attempted to overthrow the government through insurrection… He is known for his court attack strategy that will ultimately grant him immunity and repeal his beliefs. His accusations will disappear. This says everything about our society. We absolved this behavior by electing him. A celebration of crime.”

For many black stars, the consequence was not unexpected, however it was painful nonetheless. “It’s an everyday Wednesday for us,” said star Yvette Nicole Brown. “Black people are used to this. The rest of you will be shocked at how America treats you when it doesn’t care about you.”

Former co-host Desus Nice summed up the moment with biting humor: “America having one of these genders reveals that it starts a fire that lasts for about 30 days.” This satirical metaphor speaks volumes in regards to the chaos many imagine awaits the country.

Franklin Leonard, the founding father of the Black List, was energetic on social media throughout election night, capturing the emotions of those that remember the turbulent years of Trump’s previous term. “Too many of you seem to have forgotten how crazy the Trump years were,” he said wrote on X. Early Wednesday morning, he shared his disbelief, adding: “I’m not sure about what just happened, and I’m pretty sure no one else is either.” His posts reflected a broader sense of confusion and frustration over the consequence.

Each response reflects a shared feeling that America’s alternative has once more left many individuals grappling with a reality that they feel feels heavy and all too familiar.

Houston native and longtime sneakerhead Jennifer Ford tapped into that very same dedication and pride when she created Premium Goods, the nation’s first Black woman-owned sneaker boutique, which was handed right down to her by her brother while he spent hours working on his car within the driveway.

While her brother tinkered around their house, Ford got a glimpse of Houston’s car culture. In the remaining of her neighborhood, she discovered car club meetings organized by different generations. Unbeknownst to Ford, she had built considered one of the primary independent sneaker boutiques in Texas in 2004 and had recently created the PG x Adidas Campus ’00 sneaker as an ode to Houston’s car culture and car clubs.

“It’s a group of people with a common love who can come together in a safe space and talk about things they enjoy, while also gaining guidance and helping others. We feel like this happens a lot in our store,” Ford said. “Our team is really informed about previous and new products, so they advise people. I feel like car clubs do the same thing.”

This edition of the Campus ’00 silhouette includes a hidden pocket that mimics a glove compartment and a cracked leather upper that reflects the imperfections of life and cars.

The Premium Goods team also desired to be sure that the colour red was the most important theme of this collaboration. According to the brand’s creative director, Joseph Kare, red is a central element of the Premium Goods brand resulting from its ability to precise boldness and power, and is associated with all of Houston’s major sports teams.

The car culture that is “rooted in the Houston nature,” as Ford likes to say, has followed her from her childhood driveway, to attending car meets in highschool, and now into her home as an adult. Once a month, car enthusiasts gather near Ford’s home for the group’s self-titled event Coffee and cars. The meetings spread throughout Texas and started to be organized commercially in 2004, the identical yr that Ford founded Premium Goods in Houston.

“This shoe represents all of them as a collective and even those who aspire to the automotive world,” Ford said.

For Ford, a very powerful a part of the campaign is its collaboration with the Adidas Cornerstone Community. This initiative helps BIPOC-focused retailers by offering resources for ongoing support, hosting community events, and providing training from industry leaders. In partnership with Cornerstone Community, Premium Goods will donate a percentage of shoe sales to Dekaney High School’s automotive technology program, whose curriculum exposes students to the automotive industry through car care clinics, safety workshops and driver teaching programs.

“These programs aren’t as common in schools these days as they used to be, assuming funding has been removed from them, but this is a great opportunity for youth who don’t necessarily want to go to college but can still find something they really like.” Ford said. “There are many individuals on this country whose careers and lives depend upon the automotive industry, and plenty of of them, unfortunately, cannot go to school, but they create these careers and make a living from them. It’s similar to in America.”

Given Houston’s wealthy history and culture, Ford and Kare’s goal was to not overwhelm themselves by making a shoe that represents every aspect of town; as a substitute, the creative duo desired to pay tribute to the community living within the noisy city.

“Our goal was to create a well-balanced design,” Kare said. “There is a whole lot of intersection between our customers who’re occupied with cars and likewise sneakers. We feel that communities ultimately mirror one another. In a dream world, we might have had many more opportunities to create designs that showcased all the good things about Houston, but we only had one model and we wanted to point out off something that is somewhat underrated.

Ford associates cars with various core memories from adolescence to maturity. She remembers being with her older sister and seeing transport trucks in her neighborhood and MOMO wheels with shiny, colourful lights under the car.

“It was almost like a rite of passage,” Ford said. “I could not wait to be 16 and be cool, but then you definately realize how much money you’ve got, what you truly get and what you’ll be able to do with those limitations. Many people associate memories with cars and the independence that comes with them.

Ford got here from a modest family and knew she would must work for her first car. She did what many other teenagers do and went to the local mall to search for a job. When her grandmother died, she left her a car, which Ford was capable of sell for $600. She saved one other $600 and in 1996 bought a 1984 Honda Accord.

“It was pretty old, but it was fun,” Ford said. “I have a great dad, but he definitely pushes me to study. So if your tire got flat, he wouldn’t replace it for you. He would show me how to replace it, and if something went wrong with my car, he wouldn’t take me to a mechanic to fix it. I would have to go and price it and then he would go and price it and show me the difference in what they would charge men and women.”

Ford’s independence and self-protection evolved into the well-oiled machine that is today’s premium goods. After receiving the decision from Adidas, Ford, Kare and the team met internally and quickly decided that Houston’s car clubs and culture can be their inspiration.

After deciding on the concept, the Premium Goods team met with Adidas again for guidance on material selection. Ford and Kare used their previous experience working with major brands, reminiscent of two Nike Air Force 1 colorways, to assist guide them.

“Because we’ve been in business for 20 years, we’ve seen a lot of shoes come in and out of people’s homes,” Kare said. “We knew we definitely wanted cracked leather and suede because we felt it represented the aging and imperfection that exists in car design. Once we got the first sample, we didn’t have to make many changes.”

As Premium Goods celebrates its twentieth anniversary, Ford and Kare see their customers grow up and return to the boutique with their children. Kare also noted that by watching their clients grow, they’ve the chance to see them evolve as business owners and as people.

The brand was inspired by watching customers undergo subsequent stages of life and develop an interest in styles add a kid’s boutique to his offers.

“We wanted to provide them with an environment where their child could come in and pick out their own shoes and still provide a safe environment for the child,” Ford said. “It’s definitely not a huge money maker, but it’s fun for us to give away gifts and shop for the whole family. Plus, who doesn’t love photos of the whole family with everyone wearing matching sneakers.”

For Ford, it is not nearly selling lifestyle or limited-edition shoes, but greater than that, not taking with no consideration the luxurious of waking up and with the ability to go to work with her friends while making an impact on the community that raised her.

SYDNEY (AP) – Australian tennis player Rachael Gunn told a Sydney radio station she plans to withdraw from competition just three months after her unconventional performance on the Paris Olympics led to her being ridiculed and spawned conspiracy theories about how she qualified to the games.

The now 37-year-old University of Sydney lecturer missed the mark in all three competition rounds in August, performing a routine that included unconventional moves corresponding to a kangaroo jump.

Gunn initially planned to proceed competing, but found it so “upsetting” that she modified her mind.

“I just had no control over how people perceived me and who I was,” she told radio station 2DayFM. “I definitely intended to proceed competing, but it surely seems really difficult now. “I think there will be a level of control, people will film it and it will go on the Internet.”

There was breaking she appeared on the Olympic Games for the primary time. This could also be a one-off event and never included in this system for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games or the 2032 Brisbane, Australia Olympic Games.

“Raygun,” because it was called, got here later ridiculed on social mediawith some posts also questioning the Olympic qualification process.

In a television interview for The Project broadcast in September on Australia’s Channel 10, she talked about it chased by cameras through the streets of Paris and the way she handled the very public response to her performance.

“It was really wild,” she said. “If people are chasing me, what should I do? This really made me panic. I was nervous about performing in public. It was quite tense for a while.”

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She apologized for the confusion, but again defended her performance and she said she was grateful for the support from others involved in the game.

She had defended herself before how she qualified for Parisand repeated it on a TV show.

“I won the Oceania Championship. It was a direct qualifier,” Gunn said. “There were nine judges, all from abroad. As soon as I qualified for the Olympics, I knew my possibilities were slim.

“People didn’t understand the violation and were just angry at my performance,” she added. “The conspiracy theories were just terrible and it was really upsetting. People are now attacking our reputation and our integrity – none of the attacks are based on fact.”

Gunn’s performance was ridiculed on the Internet and on television, including: within the skit re Jimmy Fallon’s late night TV show.

In a Sydney radio interview on Wednesday, Gunn said she wouldn’t completely stop breaking down.

“I’m still dancing and I’m still breaking.” she said. “But it’s like being in my living room with my partner.”