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Sometimes we scratch our heads and ask ourselves, "Who in their right mind thought this was OK?"

This time, we're asking that very question of Canadian fashion brand Ports 1961.

The luxury label recently stuck their (chic) heads in the sand when they presented models sporting sweaters that read, "Every Color Matters" at their recent fashion show during Men's Fashion Week, sparking backlash online.

They also debuted a sweater that reads, "Only Love Matters."

Notwithstanding the fact that the fashion label is capitalizing on an important movement that at its core seeks to end anti-black racism, but it's also being flippant towards Black Lives Matter by tweaking the words to make them more "palatable" for their audience, thus delegitimizing the movements' cause.

Fortunately, Black Twitter took Ports 1961 to task, explaining why the brand's shirts are offensive, especially in light of the recent acquittal of the police officer who killed Philando Castile.

Even Vogue pointed out that the brand's messaging was troublesome.

"A T-shirt that read 'Only Love Matters,' a broadening of the term 'Black Lives Matter,' felt, to this writer, troublesome (a movement that big and important and personal to so many should perhaps not help to serve a company's bottom line)," wrote Nick Remsen. "Ditto for a clenched fist on a jumper that opened the show; there are subtler and more sensitive ways to deliver a message of resistance and fairness and acceptance."

Refinery29 reports that the brand's show notes acknowledged that they were paying tribute to the Black Lives Matter movement and that the collection was meant to show their "message of solidarity."

"This collection is, in its own way, a message of solidarity for the Black Lives Matter movement that began in the street and on social media in 2012. The fight against violence and for justice for black people resonates today in an even wider, bigger way," the notes read.

Ports 1961, this was the wrong way to show your support for a movement that's fighting for equality. Do better.

Excerpt from:
Canadian Fashion Brand Put On Blast For Appropriating Black Lives Matter Movement - Huffington Post Canada

When it comes to the lack of diversity in Hollywood, Spike Lee believes that Hamilton has the answer. He points to the song, The Room Where it Happens, using it as a way to describe the lack of representation in important boardrooms, packed with white men.

When you deal with diversity and you dont have anybody in the room who looks like what youre trying to do, then you have a fiasco like the Pepsi spot, Lee says about a controversial ad that ran last spring starring Kendall Jenner.

Lee is attending the Cannes Lions advertising conference this week to talk about diversity and creativity in storytelling. Ahead of his presentation, the director of such acclaimed films as Do the Right Thing and Malcolm X sat down with Variety to discuss his thoughts on whats happening and other hot-button issues.

On advertisers pulling out of the Public Theater because of a Trump-inspired Julius Caesar: Well, its their money. I think theres going to be more things like that happening. It affects art directly. Delta and Bank of America were usual contributors to the Public Theater. With this administration now which has no regard for the arts and wants to get rid of any National Endowment for the Arts, all that stuff, its going to be more difficult for arts. Also, artists are going to start thinking, If I do this, I wont get money. That affects art too. Its a very dangerous time we live in today. I dont think this present administration has any idea what humanity is.

On the controversial Pepsi ad: It was horrible. The pregnant woman in Seattle got shot the other day. Philando [Castile], the whole world saw him get killed on Facebook, and the cop walked, and Pepsi did something like [that]. Dont get me started. That was a complete appropriation of Black Lives Matter, and Black Lives Matter is not a joke. Black people getting shot down left and right, and cops are walking and they are going to make a commercial out of that?

On #OscarsSoWhite: Every 10 years, black people win a lot of Oscars. And then we read articles in Variety magazine and others, the black audience has been discovered. Its a renaissance then theres another nine years of drought. It should be constant. I will put my money on this. The reason why what happened at the Oscars this year was because the year before was #OscarsSoWhite. That was a bad look for the Academy. And they had to switch up, get more inclusion, get more people, try to get more diversity among the voting members. But what happened this past Oscars, you think thats going to happen [next] year?

On why diversity in story telling is important: Theres been several studies that show the more diverse your business is, the more profitable it is. Youd think that would be the No. 1 incentive. We have to be in the room, when they have these meetings, where they decided what films are going to get made. To me, thats where the power is. And I think diversity is the way to go. Its not Spike Lee saying it. The U.S. Census Bureau has said that by 2040, white America is going to be in the minority.

On if Bernie Sanders should run in 2020: Shoot, I hope this nuclear code doesnt get punched. Im not thinking about 2020. Look, you got Putin. You got the other crazy guy in North Korea and this other crazy guy, Agent Orange. Thats not a good trio for me, my children, for the world.

If Trump will be impeached: Who knows whats going to happen? When your lawyer gets a lawyeroh boy, Ive never heard of that! I travel a lot. People are laughing all over the world at the United States. You go around the world saying youre the beacon of democracy, what happened? WTF? But I really think what we have now is a reaction to eight years of Obama. Thats my opinion. So we got this secret health care bill where no one knows whats happening.

Read the original post:
Spike Lee on Kendall Jenner Pepsi Ad: 'Black Lives Matter Is Not a Joke' - Variety

by: KIRO 7 News Staff Updated: Jun 21, 2017 - 12:42 PM

In the wake of the Seattle police shooting that killed Charleena Lyles, the sheriff from Seattles neighboring county is offering some context into law enforcement tactics, but starts with a message.

Black lives do matter, said Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor. Black lives matter in a very important way.

About the case:

Pastor talked to KIRO Radios Ron and Don show about the Black Lives Matter movement and explained why Blue Lives Matter is not a response to the sentiment.

Blue lives matter to me, definitely, he said. I dont say that as a reply because it begs the issue. I think when people say Black Lives Matter what they are asking is Dont black lives matter? Individually? Dont black people in America matter?

They do, Pastor said. You know why? African-American people in America are a bellwether in how we are doing. We can chart how well America is doing by looking at the state of black America. Right now, we have to work harder on that. While black lives definitely matter, I dont think they matter enough in the white community or the black community.

>> Related: When is Seattle use of force authorized under law?

Pastor said that people have a misconception that every incident with police could have a positive outcome. People assume that some tragedies could be avoided if there was a mental health specialist present.

It is a nice tool to have if it is available, he said. We underinvest in mental health and just say, Just let the cops handle it. Let the cops respond. We dont want to finance treatment, hospitalization. The cops will handle it. That stinks. Its wrong. Its not fair. Thats what enhances the likelihood of damage in these encounters.

We lay this on the porch of law enforcement, Pastor said. We dont invest in doing something about it, and we wonder why we have these encounters.

After an early-June incident in whichLyles told police she wanted to morph into a wolf, Lyles was ordered by a Seattle Mental Health Court judge to not possess weapons. Read about that case here.

Lyleswas prescribed medication, her attorney told a Seattle Mental Health Court judge, but she had not taken it because she was pregnant.

A Seattle Police Department transcript shows that there were 11 commands to get back before shots were fired.

>> Related: Hear audio and watch dashcam video from day Lyles was shot

One officer said to use a Taser, a brand of stun gun, but neither officer had one.Sheriff Pastor told KIRO Radio that he is in favor of stun guns, but understands not all officers carry them.

Ive heard a number of agencies around the country withdrawing from using Tasers, he said. Some of that has been pressure by interest groups who think its cruel and unusual, or who think that it causes terrible damage.

PREVIOUS COVERAGE:

Transcripts show conversation before Charleena Lyles was shot: I don't have a taser'

Memorial grows where armed woman was shot by police; rallies planned

Seattle police shooting kills armed 30-year-old woman; read both sides here

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Pierce County Sheriff: 'Black lives matter in a very important way' - KIRO Seattle

While addressing the Conference on Peace crowd in Minneapolis on Saturday (June 17), legendary music talent Stevie Wonder shared some apparently newfound thoughts on the Black Lives Matter movement.

Wonder began his sentiment by highlighting the shooting death of Philando Castile during the conference, which Fox 9 reports focused on the topic of youth gun violence. After the acquittal of Castiles killer, Minnesota police officer Jeronimo Yanez, who fatally shot him while his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter were in the car, backlash from Black Lives Matter supporters and several communities soon followed. Wonder, however, feels that the movement should be focusing on other things.

It is in your hands to stop all of the killing and the shooting wherever it might be, he said. Because you cannot say, Black lives matter, and then kill yourselves. Because you know weve mattered long before it was said, but the way we show that we matter, and the way that we show all the various people of color matter is by loving each other and doing something about it. Not just talking about it.

The comments come shortly after his previous I dont give a f**k response to those who disagreed with his support of BLM. Addressing attendees of London's British Summer Time Festival, the 67-year-old musician defended the movement by stating that Black people are the original people of the world and any hate toward the culture is in direct opposition to God as well.

Do you agree with his latest thoughts in the video below?

View post:
Stevie Wonder: 'You Cannot Say 'Black Lives Matter' and Then Kill ... - BET

Black Lives Matter sign. (KIRO 7)

Though Seattle police cant comment yet on the range of issues left in the wake of the fatal shooting of Charleena Lyles, Pierce Countys sheriff may offer some context. Starting with this: Black lives matter.

Black lives do matter, said Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor. Black lives matter in a very important way.

RELATED: Teacher of the year offers advice for police encounters

Charleena Lyles was an African-American mother killed by two white police officers after she reportedly threatened them with a knife. Lyles was recently suffering from mental illness, which adds another layer to the tragedy.

Sheriff Pastor made it clear while talking with KIRO Radios Ron and Don that black lives matter and explained why Blue Lives Matter is not a response to the sentiment.

Blue lives matter to me, definitely, he said. I dont say that as a reply because it begs the issue. I think when people say Black Lives Matter what they are asking is Dont black lives matter? Individually? Dont black people in America matter?

They do, Pastor said. You know why, African-American people in America are a bellwether in how we are doing. We can chart how well America is doing by looking at the state of black America. Right now, we have to work harder on that. While black lives definitely matter, I dont think they matter enough in the white community or the black community.

Pastor said that people have a misconception that every incident with police could have a positive outcome. People assume that some tragedies could be avoided if there was a mental health official present.

It is a nice tool to have if it is available, he said. We under-invest in mental health and just say, Just let the cops handle it. Let the cops respond. We dont want to finance treatment, hospitalization. The cops will handle it. That stinks. Its wrong. Its not fair. Thats what enhances the likelihood of damage in these encounters.

We lay this on the porch of law enforcement, Pastor said. We dont invest in doing something about it, and we wonder why we have these encounters.

Lyles was taken into custody nearly two weeks before the June 18 shooting. She was recommended to mental health court. Officers were aware of her previous interactions with police and the mental health concern.

Many people asked on Ron and Dons Facebook page: Why didnt police shoot her in the leg? Or use a Taser? Or use other, non-lethal force?

Generally, we are trained to aim for areas that will stop the action, however, people who even consider doing that have not been successful, Pastor said. Why? In the real world, when you are faced with something, its not like at the shooting range, its not like on television. Theres surprise, theres chaos, theres fear. People in combat will tell you that its not the same cool, calm, collective approaches.

Pastor said he is in favor of using stun devices, like a Taser, but said that not all officers carry them. Pastor also notes that the devices are also controversial.

Ive heard a number of agencies around the country withdrawing from using Tasers, he said. Some of that has been pressure by interest groups who think its cruel and unusual, or who think that it causes terrible damage.

Pastor said he has been hit with a stun gun from behind when he wasnt expecting it.

It hurt, it takes you down, and you can get up and carry on with your afternoon, he said.

Original post:
Pierce County Sheriff discusses why black lives matter - MyNorthwest.com