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Black Eyed Peas & Katy Perry To Headline Rock The Vote Virtual Event

Black Eyed Peas and Katy Perry have been confirmed as headliners for Rock the Vote’s live virtual Democracy Summer event on Thursday, June 18.

They will be joined by a host of other stars, including Eve, Saweetie, Chuck D, Ne-Yo, Big Freedia, MAX, and Lucy Hale.

The event will be hosed by actors Logan Browning and Rosario Dawson and will be streamed at 7 p.m. CST on http://www.democracysummer.org , and Democracy Summer’s Facebook and YouTube pages.

“I’m excited to be a part of this kickoff to Democracy Summer 2020 with so many amazing talents, activists and speakers,” Perry told Billboard.

“The young people of America are speaking loud and clear on the streets and online, and come November, it will be more important than ever to fight for justice and equality, and against systemic racism, with our ballots,” she added.

“Now, more than ever, voting is key for long-term change,” Black Eyed Peas said. “The youth vote is going to decide the future of America. It’s not just our duty but our honor to spread the word in an election year.”

Halsey Launches Black Creators Fund

Halsey took to social media to promote her recently launched “Black Creators Fund,” which aims to “give funds, resources, and a platform to black creators,” financed entirely by her team.

“If you’re an artist, poet, graphic designer, writer, film maker, music producer, journalist, make up artist, or creator of any kind, we want to see your work and want to help achieve your goals,” the singer shared.

The “Closer” singer also encouraged her followers to include the profiles of their favorite black creators in the comments section of the post, along with the hashtag #BLACKCREATORSFUND to shed light on and promote their work.

The biracial singer has been vocal against systemic racism and police brutality, two topics that have emerged into the limelight following the tragic death of George Floyd.

She has participated in several peaceful protests and even recounted her experiences of the events on Twitter.

I am launching this to give funds, resources, and a platform to black creators. Looking for black creators who want to enrich the world with their work. #BLACKCREATORSFUND http://pic.twitter.com/Yph9cHhIVm

— h (@halsey) June 11, 2020

Beyoncé Demands Justice For Breonna Taylor

Beyoncé wrote to Kentucky Attorney General demanding justice for a black woman killed by police three months ago.

The superstar urged Daniel Cameron to bring charges against the three officers involved in Breonna Taylor‘s killing.

Taylor, who was a decorated emergency medical technician with no criminal record, was killed on March 13 in her apartment as police opened fire.

“Three months have passed — and the LMPD’s investigations have created more questions than answers. Three months have passed — and zero arrests have been made, and no officers have been fired,” Beyoncé wrote Sunday in an open letter.

Beyoncé pointed out that the AG’s office has both the power and the responsibility to bring justice to Taylor and demonstrate the value of a black woman’s life.

“Bring criminal charges against Jonathan Mattingly, Myles Cosgrove, and Brett Hankison. Commit to transparency in the investigation and prosecution of these officers’ criminal conduct. Investigate the LMPD’s response to Breonna Taylor’s murder, as well the pervasive practices that result in the repeated deaths of unarmed Black citizens,” she wrote in the letter.

Selena Gomez Gives Control Of Her Instagram To Run The Jewels’ Killer Mike

Selena Gomez recently gave control of her Instagram to Run The Jewel‘s Killer Mike in order to teach about the work of black activists and the history of racism.

“Right now, a lot of people are asking what they can do,” Mike said in the first of a series of posts on Selena’s Instagram Stories. “How they can make a difference. I always say start local. Support local candidates and support grassroots groups in your community.”

In another post, he reminded his people of Atlanta to vote. Mike added, “I appreciate protest and demonstrations. Beyond that, one of the most important things you can do to improve your community is to plot, plan, strategize, organize and mobilize.”

Selena had earlier allowed Black Lives Matter co-founder Alicia Garza, New Yorker writer and Columbia University professor Jelani Cobb and Harvard University African & African American Studies professor Sarah Elizabeth Lewis to use her Instagram as platform to educate and increase awareness about racism.

The Alabama Primary Runoff Election is on 7/14/2020!

Be sure you’re ready – check your voter registration status at https://tvote.org/2n6I9rS and plan how you’re going to vote today!

In order to register by mail to vote in this election, your registration must be postmarked by 6/29.

The deadline to register online is to vote is 6/29.

You can download a ballot request application at http://tvote.org/2mj7RJK.

BE THE CHANGE! GET OUT AND VOTE ALABAMA!

It’s Official The New Bachelor Is Matt James!

Matt James was originally cast as a contestant on the upcoming Clare Crawley season and is known by Bachelor Nation as Tyler Cameron’s best friend and business partner.

The 28-year-old real estate broker, entrepreneur, and community organization founder has been selected as the season 25 lead. Matt James was selected after days of renewed pressure about the franchise’s lack of diversity. James was previously set to be a contestant on Clare Crawley’s forthcoming season of The Bachelorette before production was shutdown in March and postponed indefinitely amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. Bachelor Nation also knows James as the best friend, roommate and business partner to fan-favorite Tyler Cameron; the two have spent the majority of the pandemic quarantined together in Florida.

“Matt has been on our radar since February, when producers first approached him to join Bachelor Nation, as part of Clare’s season. When filming couldn’t move forward as planned, we were given the benefit of time to get to know Matt and all agreed he would make a perfect Bachelor,” ABC Entertainment president Karey Burke said in a statement announcing the casting Friday. “We know we have a responsibility to make sure the love stories we’re seeing onscreen are representative of the world we live in and we are proudly in service to our audience. This is just the beginning and we will continue to take action with regard to diversity issues on this franchise. We feel so privileged to have Matt as our first Black Bachelor and we cannot wait to embark on this journey with him.”

The Bachelor’s executive producers also put out a joint statement, saying, “We are excited to move forward with both Matt James as the new Bachelor and Clare Crawley as our next Bachelorette. We acknowledge our responsibility for the lack of representation of people of color on our franchise and pledge to make significant changes to address this issue moving forward. We are taking positive steps to expand diversity in our cast, in our staff, and most importantly, in the relationships that we show on television. We can and will do better to reflect the world around us and show all of its beautiful love stories.”

In its 40 seasons and 18 years on the air, The Bachelor has never had a person of color lead; Lindsay remains the only non-white Bachelorette. The franchise has had the opportunity to cast diverse leads before James, most recently with Mike Johnson from Hannah Brown’s season, but has opted against it. As Lindsay noted in her post, creator Mike Fleiss previously said that her season saw a dip in ratings that suggested the franchise’s audience did not want to watch a Black woman, or people of color in general, find love. As for the 30 or so contestants every cycle, there are a handful of people of color in the mix, but they rarely make the top four each season.

A return date for The Bachelorette has not been determined as the franchise faces a number of safety questions when it comes to how production can resume amid the novel coronavirus pandemic. The Bachelor is scheduled to return in 2021.

Alicia Keys Demands Justice For Breonna Taylor

Alicia Keys is leading a new video campaign demanding the arrest and removal from service of the police officers who are responsible for the killing of Breonna Taylor.

The video that she posted on Twitter begins with Keys asking, “Do you know what happened to Breonna Taylor?”

Breonna’s mother, Tamika Palmer then recalls the brutal murder of her daughter by the Louisville Metro Police who entered her apartment.

“They fired 22 times, eight of those bullets landed in the body of the most essential worker I will ever know,” Palmer said about her late daughter. “Now the whole city is mad, now the whole world is mad. Breonna should not be dead. Some days, I feel like I can’t breathe without her. This should never happen to another family. I am Breonna Taylor’s mother, say her name!”

The video closes with the intersectional social justice organization Until Freedom’s co-founder Tamika Mallory detailing the course of action to seek justice for Breonna.

Do you know what happened to #BreonnaTaylor? http://pic.twitter.com/uinwcCKqld

— Alicia Keys (@aliciakeys) June 10, 2020

Carlos Santana To Deliver Commencement Address At Herb Alpert School Of Music

Ten-time Grammy-winning guitarist Carlos Santana will deliver an online keynote address marking the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s commencement on June 19. The 2020 commencement celebration will be held online at 4 p.m. PDT.

“I feel honored to be speaking to young musicians and a new generation of music scholars,” Santana said. “The class of 2020 is resilient, and their voices are needed now more than ever.”

“I want them to use their music as a platform to empower and unite as we seek justice and creative solutions during these challenging times,” added the artist, who has sold more than 100 million records worldwide.

Eileen Strempel, the music school’s dean, said the academic community is thrilled that Santana will be participating in the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music’s 2020 commencement celebration.

The virtual commencement celebration will also feature performances by students and student groups, including the prestigious Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz Performance at UCLA, as well as student remarks.

Janet Jackson Shares Message In Support Of Black Lives Matter

Janet Jackson took to Twitter on Sunday to post a message in support of Black Lives Matter and urged Americans to rise as one to erase the boundaries that keep people apart.

“We are a nation with no geographic boundaries, bound together through our beliefs,” Jackson wrote. “We are like-minded individuals, sharing a common vision, pushing toward a world rid of color lines.”

Janet also listed names of black men and women who were victims of police violence and tagged the list #blacklivesmatter.

The visual sees the star reading her statement as the screen fades to show BLM. The clip also features images of Jackson in her Rhythm Nation outfit in the background.

Earlier, on June 5, Jackson joined a number of other artists and activists encouraging their followers to #SayHerName, a reference to what would have been the 27th birthday of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville police on March 13 when they burst into her apartment on a “no-knock warrant” and shot Taylor eight times after her boyfriend shot at what he thought were intruders.

Jackson has been encouraging followers to demand justice for Breonna Taylor, as well as murdered jogger Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd.

Rihanna, Megan Thee Stallion, Migos, & More Sign Letter Calling For New York Police Reform

Rihanna, Migos, Megan Thee Stallion, and a number of other music celebrities have signed an open letter calling for New York State to reform statue 50-A amid the ongoing atrocities against black people.

Statue 50-A is a civil law that keeps police officers’ disciplinary records “confidential and not subject to inspection or review.” The letter was shared on Monday, June 8.

The letter is addressed to Governor Andrew Cuomo, New York Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie. The letter follows the ongoing wave of protests sparked by the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin on May 25.

“We mourn the killing of George Floyd and the unnecessary loss of so many black lives before his,” reads the letter. “We must hold accountable those who violate the oath to protect and serve, and find justice for those who are victim to their violence.”

“An indispensable step is having access to disciplinary records of law enforcement officers. New York statute 50-A blocks that full transparency, shielding a history of police misconduct from public scrutiny, making it harder to seek justice and bring about reform. It must be repealed immediately.

“It is not enough to chip away at 50-A; this boulder in the path of justice has stood in the way for far too long and must be crushed entirely. It is not just a misreading of the statute; it is not just an inappropriate broadening of its scope. It is the statute itself, serving to block relevant crucial information in the search for accountability. We were pleased to hear the Governor’s statement that 50-A should not prohibit the release of disciplinary records.”

“But, clearly, it is not enough. 50-A has been used far too often in the past and, without repeal, it will continue to be used to block justice. When the Legislature returns this week, we urge members to recognize the moment, take one loud, bold, and meaningful step in addressing this systemic problem, and swiftly repeal 50-A,” the letter reads.

The letter has been signed by hundreds of members of the music industry, including artists, managers, publishers, trade groups, executives and record labels.

In addition to Rihanna, Migos, and Megan Thee Stallion, the letter was also signed by Ariana Grande, Billie Eilish, Justin Bieber, Meek Mill, Nas, Demi Lovato and many more.