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Hit Netflix Series ‘Supacell’ Sheds Much-Needed Light on Sickle Cell Disease

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Netflix viewers have recently been thrilled with the brand new London-set sci-fi drama Supacell. Since its first season premiered last month, the series has amassed over 11.8 million views on the streaming platform, earning it #1 on Netflix’s Top 10 Worldwide Titles.

The series, which follows a bunch of black South Londoners who develop superpowers, has captivated viewers worldwide with its unique portrayal of sickle cell disease. As well as showing a number of the realities of the condition, Supacell shows a world where individuals with sickle cell trait develop supernatural powers comparable to telekinesis, speed and more.

With sickle cell anemia over 20 million people worldwide, Creator of “Supacell” rapman (also often known as Andrew Onwubolu) explained how he purposefully used the show to boost awareness concerning the disease.

“Before Supacell came along, ask anyone about sickle cell disease and one in five people would know about it. It’s crazy how unknown it is, especially for a disease that affects so many people,” Rapman said Guardian“I wanted it to raise awareness and make people with sickle cell disease feel seen and heard. I get messages from young people and parents about how they feel so seen and how they didn’t talk to their friends about it before and now they are interested.”

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Reportedly fascinated and hurt by the ways sickle cell disease disproportionately affects black communities, Rapman desired to create a show that may not only raise awareness but in addition uplift those most affected by it. In an interview with Cosmopolitanrevealed that the series’ origins date back to 2020, shortly after the murder of George Floyd.

“People were doing their part and protesting, TV channels were showing black stories, and I wanted to make a difference by lifting up black people. For me, sickle cell disease didn’t have enough awareness, even though so many people have it,” he told the publication. “So if there’s a disease that’s weakening black people, I thought, is there a disease that’s empowering black people? I wanted to turn that around, raise awareness, and make people with sickle cell disease feel seen and heard.”

Although the series debuted 4 years after Floyd’s death and the worldwide protests that followed, “Supacell” highlights the undeniable fact that black lives matter through the nuances of presenting the black experience. While the series addresses many issues, including discrimination, domestic violence, prison rehabilitation and more, Rapman hopes the series will encourage more people to grasp and support sickle cell disease.

“There’s a huge sickle cell disease treatment center in the program, and it’s really nice and welcoming,” he said. Complex“I’d like to see someone do that in real life.”


 

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Tyreek Hill breaks silence after disturbing footage shows him attacked by Miami police ahead of explosive season opener

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Tyreek Hill

 

On Sunday, Sept. 8, just hours after being aggressively detained by Miami-Dade police, Miami Dolphins wide receiver Tyreek Hill scored his first points of the 2024 NFL season, catching an 80-yard touchdown within the third quarter against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

After running 54 yards after the catch, what ESPN reports that it’s the longest point scored in his NFL profession, Hill’s touchdown pass caused as much confusion because the career-defining rating. After the play, Hill, with the assistance of wide receiver Jaylen Waddle, stood in the long run zone along with his hands behind his back, allowing Waddle to carry them back as if Hill was “under arrest.”

Tyreek Hill's touchdown celebration sends Miami-Dade police into a tailspin after being busted just hours before the season opener (Photo: Getty Images)
Tyreek Hill’s touchdown celebration sends an enormous “fuck you” to Miami-Dade police after he was detained hours before the season opener. (Photo: Getty Images)

@TheBestCelly the report called the moment “probably the best celebration I’ve ever seen,” One said user He said, “He will definitely be fined for that.”

One X user supported Hill’s big “FU” towards the police.

Hill’s eventful day began earlier that morning when he was stopped by Miami-Dade police as he headed to Hard Rock Stadium hours before the sport.

Footage circulated on social media showing the NFL star being forcibly placed face down on the sidewalk and aggressively handcuffed by members of the Miami-Dade Police Department near the stadium. One officer was seen along with his knee in Hill’s back, angering many fans who watched the disturbing clip.

Video courtesy of @AdamSchefter

Another photo shows officers punching Hill before he falls to the curb.

“This officer apparently hit a handcuffed (and compliant) Tyreek Hill multiple times. On a busy Miami street in the middle of the day. Unacceptable. Fire this idiot,” user X wrote, sharing the video clip.

“This is absolutely DISGUSTING behavior by @MiamiPD” he said one other fan. “This cop decides to KICK and HURT #Dolphins WR Tyreek Hill while he was cooperating and just sitting on the ground.”

USA today reported that the daddy of 10 was initially detained in reference to a “road accident.” Later, ESPN Jeff Darlington posted on X, stating that his sources cited dangerous driving as the explanation police pulled Hill over. Hill then got right into a verbal altercation with police, was handcuffed and beaten before he was eventually released with a ticket.

Many other athletes and celebrities also expressed their support via social media.

Former NFL quarterback Robert Griffin III shared his thoughts on the situation. “Tyreek Hill should not have been forcibly taken to the ground, handcuffed and treated so aggressively for a minor traffic violation before entering the stadium before the game. Period.”

Sports Analyst and Host Stephen A. Smith called the aggressive force on Hill in comparison with what happened to golfer Scottie Scheffler during his arrest in May. “Check it out for yourself. It’s bullshit. It’s completely unnecessary. And by the way… I know the Scottie Scheffler incident happened in Georgia — not Florida — and he was arrested, detained, booked. And I know we don’t know all the details, blah… blah… blah! But he wasn’t lying face down in handcuffs? And then he was forcibly placed in the seat by the officers a second time. No! This story won’t go away — and it doesn’t have to go away.”

During a post-game press conference, Hill shared his recollection of the events. When asked what led as much as the incident, Hill told the press, “I really don’t know. I’m still trying to piece it all together right now.”

He added: “I wasn’t naughty because my mom didn’t raise me that way, she didn’t swear, she didn’t do anything like that. Like I said, I’m still trying to figure it out.”

According to Hill, it was necessary to make use of his platform to make clear the horrific incident because not everyone seems to be as fortunate. “I want to use my platform to say, what if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Worst-case scenario,” he said, before calling the officers who beat him “black sheep.”

Miami defensive end Calais Campbell, who was also on the scene, revealed that he was detained while attempting to deescalate the situation between police and Hill.

“I saw Tyreek in handcuffs. Excessive force. The officer felt the need to put handcuffs on me. They said I disobeyed a direct order,” Campbell told the Palm Beach Post Joe Schad.

Campbell told NFL Network that he was just as confused as Hill when the incident occurred. “They handcuffed me too, and I was like, ‘What’s going on?’ I didn’t understand what was going on,” he said. “The fact that he handcuffed me made me feel weird.”

CNN reports that the Miami-Dade police officer who stopped Hill has since been placed on administrative leave pending further investigation into the matter. Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said an investigation has been opened into the matter

“Following the incident involving Tyreek Hill, I initiated an internal affairs investigation to ensure a thorough investigation. One of the officers involved in the incident has been placed in an administrative position while the investigation continues,” Miami-Dade Police Department Director Stephanie V. Daniels said in an announcement Sunday. “I am committed to transparency and accountability to the community in every situation involving my officers.”

This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Discover the inspiring journey of Robert Alexander, CEO of 360Wise Media

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Discover Robert Alexander's inspiring journey from the tough streets of Washington D.C. to CEO of 360Wise Media. Learn how he overcame challenges to lead in brand marketing and public relations
Opinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own.

By Published June 26, 2024

Discover the inspiring journey of Robert Alexander, CEO of 360Wise Media, from the tough streets of Washington D.C. to leading a prominent brand marketing and public relations agency. Learn how he turned personal challenges into opportunities for himself and his clients, driving success through perseverance and innovation.
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Mississippi officials say there is not enough time to select majority-black districts

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JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Redrawing some Mississippi state House districts before the November election is unimaginable due to tight deadlines for preparing ballots, state officials say in latest court documents.

Attorneys for the state’s all-Republican Board of Election Commissioners filed arguments Wednesday in response to a July 2 ruling by three federal judges that ordered the Mississippi House and Senate to reconfigure some voting districts. The judges said the present districts dilute the facility of black voters in three parts of the state.

The ruling got here in a 2022 lawsuit filed by the Mississippi State Conference of the NAACP and several other black residents. The justices said they wanted the brand new districts to be drawn before the subsequent regular legislative session begins in January.

Mississippi has House and Senate elections in 2023. Redrawing some district boundaries would require special elections to fill the remaining four-year terms.

Election Commission attorneys said Republican Gov. Tate Reeves would have to call lawmakers right into a special session and latest districts would have to be adopted by Aug. 2 so other deadlines may very well be met so the special election may very well be held on the identical day because the November general elections for federal and state judicial offices.

“The state took a long time to develop the current maps,” Electoral Commission lawyers said.

Mississippi state senators Rod Hickman, Democrat of Macon, left, Michael McLendon, Republican of Hernando, second from left, Albert Butler, Democrat of Port Gibson, and David Jordan, Democrat of Greenwood, review an alternate map of Senate districts on the Mississippi Capitol in Jackson, Mississippi, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)

The justices ordered lawmakers to draw majority-black districts in DeSoto County, within the state’s northwest corner, and Hattiesburg County and its surrounding southern corner, and to create a brand new majority-black district in Chickasaw and Monroe counties within the northeastern a part of the state.

The order does not create additional districts. Instead, it requires lawmakers to adjust the boundaries of existing districts. That could affect multiple districts, and Election Commission attorneys have said drawing latest boundaries “is not realistically achievable” by Aug. 2.

Legislative and congressional districts are updated after each census to reflect population changes from the previous decade. Mississippi’s population is about 59% white and 38% black.

In the redistricting plan adopted in 2022 and utilized in the 2023 elections, 15 of 52 Senate districts and 42 of 122 House districts have a black majority. That’s 29% of Senate districts and 34% of House districts.

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Jarvis Dortch, a former state lawmaker who is now executive director of the ACLU of Mississippi, said federal judges were right to order the redrawing of House and Senate district maps.

“These voting districts deny black Mississippians an equal voice in state government,” Dortch said.

Historical voting patterns in Mississippi show that precincts with more white residents are more likely to go Republican, and precincts with more black residents are more likely to go Democratic.

Lawsuits are underway in several states difficult the composition of congressional or state legislature districts drawn after the 2020 census.

 

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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