A Texas lawn care business owner recently recorded a tense exchange in which a white customer rejected his services mid-appointment, allegedly because he is Black. The encounter, posted on TikTok by user @heaintthatfunny, shows the moment the homeowner, who had hired him through a third-party app, called the police upon realizing his race. The video quickly went viral, gathering hundreds of thousands of views and sparking conversations about the persistence of racial discrimination in everyday interactions.

As the video begins, the man calmly narrates the situation to his followers, explaining that he and his team had already begun mowing when the customer abruptly changed her mind. “Look how much we’ve cut already,” he says, showing a partially mowed lawn as the woman stands on the street, apparently making a call to the police. During the encounter, the homeowner reportedly referred to him as “boy,” before refusing to let him finish the job.

The recording captures the woman taking a photo of his license plate, saying little else to him as she speaks to authorities on the phone. The business owner, joined by his two sons on the job, expressed frustration over the encounter and the impact of the woman’s reaction. “She didn’t know she was hiring Black people to cut her grass,” he noted. “This is wild behavior in front of my kids.”

When the police arrived, the officer first spoke with the business owner, who explained the situation. The officer then talked to the woman, ultimately apologizing to the landscaper for her behavior. The officer even asked for the man’s business card, expressing interest in his services, a gesture that provided a measure of validation for the business owner as he works to grow his lawn care company.

The viral TikTok video has drawn significant online support, with commenters sharing their outrage and disappointment over the incident. Many expressed admiration for the business owner’s composure, while others condemned the woman’s actions as a “tired old racism” that still pervades society.

A billboard along Highway 16 in Newark, Ohio, sparked controversy after displaying an altered image of Vice President Kamala Harris in a suggestive pose, accompanied by mocking text. Erected by a local towing company, RK Towing, and hosted by Kennedy Outdoor Advertising, the billboard drew sharp criticism for its misogynistic undertones and vulgar implications. Kennedy Outdoor Advertising responded by removing the image, with a spokesperson explaining the offensive innuendo was initially “overlooked” by the company’s sole ad reviewer.

The incident is not the first time Harris has faced gendered attacks; similar narratives have shadowed her since her early days in California politics. Harris, a historic figure as the first woman and first woman of color to serve as vice president, has long been targeted by critics with claims that challenge her competence and integrity. Yet, as her political record reflects, Harris has never lost a general election, winning six consecutive races from San Francisco District Attorney to the U.S. Senate before ascending to the vice presidency.

Harris’s critics often draw from deeply rooted stereotypes. At a recent rally, a speaker referenced her alleged “pimp handlers,” while other conservative voices have invoked sexist tropes such as the “Jezebel spirit” to belittle her, echoing a longstanding trend of such rhetoric in political discourse. Former President Trump joined the fray, telling Fox News that Harris would be easily manipulated by global leaders, adding, “She’ll be like a play toy.”

Public reaction to the Ohio billboard was swift and scathing. Social media users condemned the advertisement as “filthy” and misogynistic. Some highlighted the irony of placing the Harris billboard alongside one featuring Trump, quoting him as saying, “In reality, they’re not after me, they’re after you. I’m just in the way.” Commenters decried the double standard, noting Trump’s own history of documented allegations of sexual misconduct.

Kennedy Outdoor Advertising has expressed regret over the ad’s approval, which they attribute to a lack of oversight. According to a company spokesperson, the sole vetter did not recognize the inappropriate nature of the image, and no further review took place. “If there would have been three to four people reviewing this artwork, it likely would not have been approved,” the spokesperson noted. Following public complaints, the billboard was removed two days after its installation.

*In a dramatic turn of events on Wednesday, a St. Louis judge ruled that Maurnice DeClue, the 15-year-old charged with brutally beating fellow student Kaylee Gain, will be tried in the juvenile court system. The ruling comes after compelling testimony from a juvenile officer suggesting a broader context to the altercation that left Gain, 16, in a coma.

The case gained national attention when footage of the March 8 confrontation between Declue and Gain went viral. The clip showed DeClue repeatedly slamming Gain’s head into the pavement outside their school, resulting in severe brain injuries. Gain remained in a coma for months and only began walking again two months later. The incident led to DeClue being charged with first-degree assault and placed in juvenile detention, while authorities debated if she should be tried as an adult.

Earlier this month, a juvenile officer testified that Kaylee Gain was a serial bully who had repeatedly tormented Declue. According to the officer, Gain had been suspended just the day before for another fight, highlighting a troubling pattern of behavior. The officer also revealed that Gain had initiated the fight with Declue by throwing the first punch, reports KSDK.com.

On May 10, in response to the testimony and additional evidence, the judge decided that DeClue would remain within the juvenile justice system. This decision aligns with the officer’s recommendation and accounts for the nuanced backstory that contradicts the initial viral narrative.

The defense team highlighted DeClue’s exemplary school records, noting she was an honor student who had skipped the seventh grade due to her academic excellence. Teachers and school staff, including Spanish teacher Richard Bly, praised Declue as a “model student” who had never shown behavioral issues before the fight. Bly testified that Declue was one of the youngest in his class, further illustrating her exceptional academic performance.

Source: Black Teen Charged in Viral School Fight to Remain in Juvenile Court After Victim’s Bullying History Emerges | PicsVideo

Coco Gauff is getting love from the biggest names in the world after winning the US Open on Sunday. Tennis legend Serena Williams is among those who congratulated the 19-year-old for her big accomplishment.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Amazing!!!!!!!! @cocogauff,” Williams wrote on her Instagram Story, posting a photo of the young star.

Gauff paid tribute to Serena and Venus Williams as she celebrated her U.S. Open title, Tennis 365 reported.

“Crazy. They’re the reason why I have this trophy today,” she said. “To be honest, they’ve allowed me to believe in this dream. Growing up, there wasn’t too many just Black tennis players dominating the sport. It was literally at that time when I was younger, it was just them that I can remember.”

Many more icons praised Gauff on her big day. Tennis legend Roger Federer said Gauff’s win was inspirational.

“Been watching you and following you for years. It’s great to see so much hard work and passion being rewarded. You shine brighter than ever,” Federer wrote as he posted a side-by-side photo of Gauff lifting the U.S. Open trophy and another pic of himself posing with the star many years ago.

Source: Coco Gauff Receives Praise From Serena Williams And Roger Federer After Winning US Open

As social media continues to react to the infamous Montgomery brawl that happened over the weekend, Black folks have been the most boisterous when it comes to the commentary surrounding it. From Black Panther comparisons to dubbing the fight Riverboat Wrestlemania, the jokes have seemingly been endless. Interestingly enough, the remarks happen to be rooted in humor that stems from a deeper and far more complex place.

And sadly, it’s a place that Black folks are all too familiar with. The fight started when a group of white men assaulted a lone Black dock worker who was doing his job by asking the group to move their pontoon boat (the boat was blocking a riverboat from docking). The response from the white men was one that kept in line with American history—to brutalize a Black person when they felt inconvenienced by them.

Racist violence against Black people has been always been made a public spectacle. After the Civil War, photographs of lynchings were published as postcards featuring racist text until it was banned by the United States Postal Service in 1908. That practice has been barbarically reincarnated as Black people being killed on video, with the footage being replayed on the internet.

Justice for us is a rarity and often when we try to achieve it, we are victim-blamed and held responsible for our own demise. What we saw in Montgomery was not just an incredible show of unity amongst Black people, but the opposite of what we are used to seeing. This time when a Black man was being attacked by white people, he—and folks who stepped in on his behalf—fought back.

This is vital in both a broader historical context as well as a more localized one. As Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones pointed out: “If you understand the history of Montgomery — one of the most prolific slave-trading cities in the U.S. turned brutally repressive apartheid regime after, and majority Black but JUST got its first Black mayor — it gives so much more perspective to this video.”

Source: The Reason Black Folks Are Rejoicing Over The Montgomery Brawl Is More Complicated Than You Think

Nationwide — Nikita Washington, a 35-year-old African American woman from Detroit, tragically died at Harper University Hospital a day after she gave birth to her 12th child, Nathaniel. Now, her mom, Patricia Pouncey, is raising her 12 grandchildren.

Pouncey has taken on the big responsibility as she still looks for answers about what exactly happened. Her daughter’s baby was born healthy via cesarean section. However, after giving birth she had to be treated for a loose stitch and excessive bleeding. Later, she was pronounced dead.A death certificate from the Wayne County Clerk indicates that Washington died from “postpartum hemorrhage” and “complications from multiple cesarean sections,” according to CNN. But Pouncey still has unanswered questions about what the doctors did to try to save her.

“I haven’t talked to anyone from the hospital. I have not received anything from them. All I have is the death certificate,” Pouncey said.

Pouncey said she regrets not going to the hospital to accompany her daughter, who was apparently being treated for high blood pressure. But at that time, she had to stay home to care for her other grandchildren since her daughter’s husband is currently incarcerated.

“I’m worried about every mother,” Pouncey said. “Don’t ever, ever make the mistake that I made, letting your child go (to the hospital) alone. We need to give more attention to what’s going on.”

Moreover, after her daughter’s death, Pouncey is left to raise 12 children, whose oldest is 19 years old and youngest was 3 months. She said they will be able to buy a bigger home and a reliable vehicle, thanks to the donations they received from the GoFundMe their family set up. It has so far received more than $100,000.

Source: 35-Year Old Black Mom Dies After Childbirth, Grandma Left to Raise 12 Grandchildren

*(CNN) — At least seven people are dead and one person is critically injured after shootings in two locations in Half Moon Bay, Dave Pine, President of the San Mateo Board of Supervisors, told CNN.

The suspect, a 67-year-old man who lives in Half Moon, is in custody, Pine said. One shooting took place at a mushroom farm and another near a trucking facility, approximately two miles from the farm.

Deputies found four victims dead and one wounded upon arrival at the first location, and soon after, three more dead victims were found at a separate site, San Mateo Sheriff Christina Corpus said at a news briefing.

“This kind of shooting is horrific,” Corpus said. “It’s a tragedy that we hear about far too often but today has hit home here in San Mateo County.”Half Moon Bay suspect shooter – screenshot

A sheriff’s deputy located the suspect in his vehicle in the parking lot of a sheriff’s substation in Half Moon Bay, Corpus said, and he was taken into custody without incident. A semi-automatic handgun was found in his vehicle, she said.

The motive is not yet known, the sheriff said, but officials believe the suspect acted alone and the community isn’t under threat.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was at a hospital meeting victims of the Monterey Park mass shooting when he was “pulled away to be briefed about another shooting. This time in Half Moon Bay.”

“Tragedy upon tragedy,” Newsom tweeted.https://www.youtube.com/embed/c3p1SNc1rM0?feature=oembed

Source: At Least 7 dead, 1 Injured and Suspect in Custody After Shootings in Half Moon Bay, CA | WATCH