OK hand gesture associated with white power at Army-Navy game caused social media uproar

Social media messages went crazy during Saturday’s annual Army-Navy football game as cadets were spotted using upside-down “OK” hand gestures associated with the movements of white nationalists.

Reporting from ESPN broadcasting the game has made the rounds online showing West Point cadets and midshipmen from the Naval Academy flashing the upside-down “OK” symbol while journalist Rece Davis delivered a pregame report.

Newsweek details the gesture has had worldwide notoriety for being a sign that shows one is in agreement with someone else but has been commandeered by the modern white nationalist movement. The gesture is now considered an extremist gesture and noted as such by the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish civil rights group, just recently in September.

— Excited football coach faces backlash for screaming: ‘White Power!” after a win, resigns

The ADL mentions in regards to the symbol that “particular care must be taken not to jump to conclusions about the intent behind someone who has used the gesture.” The 2017 article from the ADL reads that the “okay” hand gesture represents the letters “wp” or “white power” in a hoax by members of the bulletin website 4chan, which would eventually become a successful troll to liberals.

Those opposing the idea that this incident is linked to white supremacy state that the gestures were part of “the circle game,” which would allow for the person doing the gesture to punch someone who saw it.

— U.S. Army has yet to officially honor murdered Black ROTC student

West Point is investigating the cadets and midshipmen in response to the broadcast’s backlash.

“West Point is looking into the matter,” a spokesperson said in a statement to the Philadelphia Inquirer. “At this time we do not know the intent of the cadets.”

Lieutenant Colonel Chris Ophardt, a spokesperson for the U.S. Military Academy at West Point said to The Wall Street Journal “I don’t know what their intention is.”

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Commander Alana Garas, a spokesperson for the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland stated: “We are aware and will be looking into it.”

Last year, The Associated Press detailed leaders of the U.S. Coast Guard received a reprimand for a similar hand symbol used. The military has also had accusations of racism within its leadership. Vice detailed this past November when three active-duty military soldiers were cited for making racist posts on an online neo-Nazi message board.

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South Carolina man who inspired the film ‘Radio,’ dies at 73

James “Radio” Kennedy, who inspired the Hollywood blockbuster Radio starring Cuba Gooding Jr., has died at the age of 73.

Kennedy was a staple at South Carolina high school football games over a decade. His death as confirmed by T.L. Hanna High School Athletic Director John Cann, on the school website. A cause of death as not disclosed in the announcement.

“It would be easy to talk about all the school did for Radio, but the miraculous thing about this story is what Radio did for the school,” Cann wrote. “It is perhaps a lesson of which all of us need to be reminded. Because he was embraced by caring people, he was stimulated to learn. Because he was loved, he found his place in the world.”

— Cuba Gooding Jr. accused of sexual misconduct by 7 more women

The San Diego Tribune notes Kennedy was known for his affection toward T.L. Hanna High School and his presence around their games dating as far back as to the 1960s.

“He was just a fine, fine man,” former T.L. Hanna football coach Harold Jones told The Independent Mail. “We all loved him. We will miss him incredibly.”

Kennedy was an unofficial 11th-grader at the school, looking to never leave like the graduating classes, becoming a staple of the school.

— Charlamagne Tha God donates $250k to South Carolina State University

The 2003 film, Radio, detailed Kennedy’s interaction with Coach Jones, played by Ed Harris. The decades of Kennedy’s tenure were compacted into a single football season but would be seen to be accurate of the relationship between the two and how the city embraces a man with developmental disabilities.

“The other 80% of the people who never met him didn’t see, but they’d have loved that about him, too,” said Josh Allen, the great-nephew of Kennedy.

Kennedy’s love for the game of football would allow him to visit practices of the Carolina Panthers – Clemson University’s football team – but he always had a deep love for T. L. Hanna High.

Radio received his nickname because he always was in possession of a transistor radio. He was described by area residents as a kind man who did not talk much unless it was about sports.

Carolina Panthers’ Eric Reid says he will continue to kneel on the field in new season

“Radio was the heart and soul of T.L. Hanna for over 50 years, and the impact he made in our community can’t be overstated,” said Kyle Newton, a spokesman for Anderson School District 5 in a statement.  “He will be missed, but his legacy will live on in the countless lives he touched.”

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Diddy’s birthday party reunites Jay-Z and Kanye West amid Kim Porter tribute

Sean “Diddy” Combs celebrated his 50th birthday a month late with a lavish party, which brought Jay-Z and Kanye West to the same room and sparked fans’ memories of their feud that has lasted for years.

Fans online read into every facial expression of Jay and Ye as they posed with the Bad Boy Records icon, Pharrell Williams, Kim Kardashian West and more at the star-studded event.

— Strip club exec wants to host Kanye West and his Sunday Service

The beef between the Kanye and Jay-Z stretch back to 2016. Rolling Stone details the incident when West called out Beyonce and Jay-Z during a tour stop and the relationship to be strained ever since.

Buzzfeed pointed out numerous images where the two hip-hop artists occupy the same space, sometimes catching Ye with a scowl and Hov with an unbothered stale face. The two cornerstones of Roc-a-Fella records would eventually shake hands and crack a smile during their greetings, however, that did not stop fan speculation that they made nice for the occasion.

Beyond seeing if the big brother-little brother relationship of JAY-Z and Kanye West would mend, fans also received a tribute to the late Kim Porter on Instagram from Diddy. According to E! Online, his party was held on what would have been her 49th birthday.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Words can’t explain how much we miss you but today is your birthday. We’re celebrating you today! We love and we miss you!!!!!

A post shared by Diddy (@diddy) on Dec 15, 2019 at 11:06am PST

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY @ladykp,” he wrote. “Words can’t explain how much we miss you but today is your birthday. We’re celebrating you today! We love and we miss you!!!!!”

— Diddy continues to mourn ex-girlfriend Kim Porter’s death one year later

Kim Porter died last year from lobar pneumonia. The two were together for over a decade, breaking up in 2007, but still co-parenting their children. Together they had 21-year-old Christian, 12-year-old twin daughters D’Lila Star and Jessie James. Diddy would also help raise Quincy Brown, who was born to Porter and singer Al B Sure! In addition, Didy has a 25-year-old son Justin and 13-year-old daughter Chance from other relationships.

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Wells Fargo employee accused of stealing $88,000 found flashing cash online

A Wells Fargo employee in North Carolina has been accused by federal authorities of stealing over $88,000 cash from a bank vault and then posting the cash on Facebook.

29-year-old Arlando M. Henderson, who is believed to have taken the cash from deposits of customers 18 times throughout 2019, would adjust the books to hide the money he took, according to the Miami Herald. Henderson used the cash to pay for personal needs, which included a $20,000 down payment on a 2019 Mercedes-Benz.

Henderson, a resident of Charlotte, was arrested on December 4 in San Diego and charged with over 30 counts of financial institution fraud theft, embezzlement, money laundering and more.

— North Carolina marker now calls 1898 violence a ‘coup,’ not a ‘race riot’

According to The Charlotte Observer, the money Henderson received from his thefts would often show up on his social media pages. On his Facebook page, (which has been removed) Henderson used the nickname “AceeyFoez” and has been seen showing off large amounts of cash in his hands or on the floor surrounding him. The white Mercedes also was present on social media, which he reportedly gave the down payment in all $100 bills.

Online he would also wear a T-Shirt with the abbreviation AWBB, in long-form “Ain’t wit being broke.”

Henderson would go on to say that while it looked easy to get the money it is not. “This shyt really a PROCESS,” he wrote online.

— Steve Harvey to premiere new Facebook Watch show on Jan. 6

It is being reported that Henderson worked the cash vault at a Wells Fargo location in Charlotte last April. The indictment says the first amount taken was $446 on June 12, he would drop down to $200 a week later, before escalating to $411 two days later. He is being accused of then going on to take amounts in four digits range and would have his one day high in July of $13,450. After taking the money he would deposit it in an ATM near work. The transactions would show amounts of $50 and $100 bills.

Henderson’s last Facebook post came with his white Mercedes behind him. Henderson is being represented by a federal public defender, Benjamin Davis, who has not provided a statement on his client.

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Orlando Jones Says He Was Fired from American Gods, Mr. Nancy Character Wasn’t Right ‘For Black America’

Is something rotten in the cotton at FremantleMedia?

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