As I watched documentary in regards to the profession of rapper Megan Thee Stallion, I could not help but consider Serena Williams.

When Williams retired in September 2022, she received unanimous praise from the tennis community, celebrating her Hall of Fame profession. But many of the favor seemed disingenuous to me because I remember what it was like when Williams’ profession took off. Those of us who were there when the Williams sisters were thriving remember the body shaming, racism, and micro- and macro-aggressions they experienced. We remember many within the tennis community trying their hardest to beat the Williams sisters at every turn.

At some point in the longer term, Megan Thee Stallion will retire as one of the crucial successful female rappers of our generation – she’s already first woman with three number-one hits in a single yr, he won three Grammy Awards and six nominations. And when her profession involves an end, many individuals within the hip-hop community will stand by her side to have fun her profession, and much of it is going to seem disingenuous because we’ve got a full two-hour documentary that shows exactly how much misogynoir there may be on this heart of hip-hop and what it takes for a lady to reach the face of such harassment.

Directed by Nneka Onuorah, the film takes us through the parallel worlds of Megan’s best public achievements and her deepest personal tragedies. The first half of the documentary shows Megan finding her footing as an MC and performer under the tutelage and direct guidance of her mother, Holly Thomas. In the documentary, viewers learn that it was Thomas who shot Megan’s guerrilla freestyle and twerk videos, and they get to see first-hand how close they were. Thomas’ death from a brain tumor in 2019 is a devastating moment within the documentary and a real crossroads moment for Megan, who spends the remainder of the film looking for the community, happiness and peace that her mother provided her.

The documentary shows Megan’s pursuit of fame and her rise to superstardom, in addition to the person attempting to cover her scars with thin plasters. What’s particularly telling is that Megan returned to the road three weeks after her mother’s death. The juxtaposition of Megan’s public success and personal sadness is heartbreaking. And all of it ended on a night in July 2020, when rapper Tory Lanez shot Megan within the foot.

The documentary tells Megan’s entire story from that evening – from her friendship with Lanez to the character of their argument. It also includes an animated reconstruction of the shooting. Megan also explained why, just months after Minneapolis police murdered George Floyd, the police turned to a black woman, she refused to place the blame on a black man, even at her own physical risk. Meanwhile, the identical Black man she was attempting to protect began his own series of disgusting public attacks.

The shooting and fallout dominates much of the film’s second half and indicts Lanez, showing us the extensive trauma his act of violence has caused to Megan. But Lanez is merely a vehicle to debate the final hatred Megan has experienced by the hands of too many Black men.

The most damning moment of the documentary comes from a video montage of all the boys who defended Lanez after Megan admitted he shot her. Assembly features Joe Budden, DJ Akademik, 50 Cent, DaBaby AND Chris Brown. All the boys query, insult Megan and defend Lanez. Meanwhile, all of them had their very own accusations of molesting women. The clip ends ominously with Sean “Diddy” Combs supporting Lanez and admitting that he also has a dark side. Not to be lost in all this, there’s also a clip of LeBron James playing Lanez’s music on Instagram Live.

This also happens after the following montage through which essentially the most outstanding people in rap, including: Snoop Dogg, of all peoplecriticized Megan and other female rappers for showing their bodies and rapping about sex. While all of us could have assumed how deeply these moments would affect Megan, the documentary showed us moments of her crying, scrolling through social media, second-guessing herself, and being overly critical in moments where she might need previously been safer.

The media also bears a number of blame for this case, with bloggers and newspaper headlines being the important protagonists of this case. And, satirically, lots of these publications have learned nothing. Megan admitted within the documentary that she he lied to Gayle King the news that Tory Lanez has not had a sexual relationship has turn out to be the leading takeaway from the identical publications and social media accounts which have demonized her for the past half-decade. Headlines again appeared all around the Internet calling Megan a liar and using her revelations about her relationship with Lanez to disqualify her testimony about what happened the night of the shooting.

All the hate and trauma culminated in Megan having a mental breakdown and having to take a month off from a wellness camp. At the top of the documentary, he finds some semblance of peace in Lanez’s conviction. While this moment provided catharsis for the rapper, all of it made me sad. The notion that Megan needed to turn to the identical criminal justice system that so often oppresses black women to feel safest, and that she couldn’t find safety in a community that ought to have avoided Lanez and reclaimed her in the primary place. Unfortunately, she couldn’t depend on her community to guard her from trolls and harassment. Megan’s story is a direct rebuke to so many “fathers of girls” and toothless performative gestures of “protect black women” because lots of these men selected to side with the perpetrator somewhat than side with the lady he molested.

Megan Thee Stallion has survived and overcome a lot and that is an enormous a part of what makes her rise so special. But it’s hard to understand that perseverance without also acknowledging that she shouldn’t have been so resilient. There should not be a world where she needed to endure a lot abuse and public backlash for simply surviving an assault and telling her story, for being on the forefront of a revolution about women’s bodily autonomy in hip-hop, for being certainly one of the most important female stars rap in history.

doesn’t let anyone pass. It is an outline of all those that have found themselves on the unsuitable side of history and a pre-emptive rebuke to anyone who tries to pretend otherwise.

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.