#CoolShit 07.06.20

TGIM!

Was it just me, or did celebrating the 4th of July feel weird this year ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

See you tomorrow!

-Shelby

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Black Lives Matter May Be the Largest Movement in U.S. History

There’s no doubt that this movement is one of the largest, not just in the U.S., but across the entire planet, that I’ve ever witnessed, or even read about.

Four recent polls — including one released this week by Civis Analytics, a data science firm that works with businesses and Democratic campaigns — suggest that about 15 million to 26 million people in the United States have participated in demonstrations over the death of George Floyd and others in recent weeks.

These figures would make the recent protests the largest movement in the country’s history, according to interviews with scholars and crowd-counting experts.

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Thomas Jefferson’s 6th-Generation Grandson

LaNier, a black man who descended from Jefferson and his slave Sally Hemings, tells Smithsonianthat he has complex feelings about being a Jefferson descendant, and he chose to not wear a wig to more faithfully recreate his great-great-great-great-great-great-grandfather’s portrait.

“He was a brilliant man who preached equality, but he didn’t practice it,” LaNier tells the magazine. “He owned people. And now I’m here because of it, I didn’t want to become Jefferson.”

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ayy.bee

With deep sadness, I'm revisiting my Stolen series. George Floyd, 46 years old - 46 minutes of color. How badly he deserves a full portrait -- a full life.

I'm fucking done. Like many others, I'm tired of yelling the same story. Im outraged that these cops hold power over us and that people like Amy Cooper dangle that over our heads. How are we supposed to be okay if every week we see someone that looks like us being killed by the ones "trained" to protect us... These officers not only stole a life, but they are draining us all with each life they steal. Reminding us that our lives ain't worth nothin in their eyes. That they can murder us on camera and go home to their families that night.

Witnessing these stolen lives during COVID adds another layer of helplessness. This series is painful to revisit, but I'm trying to use the pain to fight against them, rather than have them break me--thats what they have always tried to do. This is how I want to be a part of the conversation. RIP George Floyd. We won't ever forget your name.

#stolenseriesbyab #georgefloyd #sayhisname #blacklivesmatter #justiceforfloyd #minneapolis #justiceforbigfloyd #creativityxgigi2

May 29, 2020

In Artist Adrian Brandon’s Incomplete Portraits, A Year of Life Equals One Minute of Color

A heartbreaking, but powerful series.

ayy.bee

Breonna Taylor. 26 years old, 26 minutes of color. Graphite and ink
Her story reminded us that we are never safe, even in our own homes. Something we already knew from Botham Jean and Atatiana Jefferson's death. With this series I want you to see how much empty space there is. How much of life she was never able to experience. How much emptiness her family and loved ones are left with and struggling with today. We've been hurting, and I can feel the knife getting pushed deeper and deeper.

#stolenseriesbyab #breonnataylor #blacklivesmatter
#justiceforbreonnataylor #justiceforbre
#sayhername #sayhisname #louisville #blackart #brooklyn #georgefloyd #nojusticenopeace #creativityxgigi2

May 30, 2020

ayy.bee

D'ettrick Griffin. 18 years old, 18 minutes of color. Stolen on January 15th, 2019 in Atlanta, GA.

D'ettrick's family lawyer, Jonathan Hibbert, said the officer 'emptied his gun' into his body during an alleged car theft attempt of the unmarked police car. The officer was in plainclothes.
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“There’s a line that law enforcement officers have to be aware of and should never cross,” Hibbert said. “It seems to be that rule of law is being thrown out the window ... They’re acting as the judge, jury and the executioner.” .
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#stolenseriesbyab #dettrickgriffin #justiceforgriffin #breonnataylor #justiceforbre #georgefloyd #justiceforfloyd #ahmaudarbery #justiceforahmaud #blm #blacklivesmatter #nojusticenopeace #handsupdontshoot #sayhisname #sayhername #saytheirnames #stopkillingus #atlanta

June 11, 2020

ayy.bee

Elijah McClain. 23 years old, 23 minutes of color. Stolen on August 30th, 2019 in Aurora, CO.

The fact that I have just learned of Elijah's story this past month breaks me and scares me. It has been nearly a year since he was walking home from a convenience store, wearing a ski mask to keep him warm, unarmed, and three cops responded to a "suspicious person" report. There should have been national outcry back in August. I don't have the words or the energy to go into the rage I feel about this right now, but to Elijah's family and friends, thank you for staying loud for so long even when your story wasn't being heard.

#stolenseriesbyab #elijahmcclain #justiceforelijahmcclain #justiceforelijah #stopkillingus #sayhisname #sayhername #saytheirnames #blacklivesmatter #blm #protests #unarmed #georgefloyd #breonnataylor #nojusticenopeace #defundthepolice

June 29, 2020

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LEGO’s new LEGO ART series

So dope!

Discover the pleasure of a different LEGO® building experience! Celebrate some of the world’s most iconic artists, bands and characters with these unique LEGO ART sets.

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UBS predicts that 100,000 brick-and-mortar U.S. retail stores will close by 2025

Because of the coronavirus and people's buying habits moving online, retail stores are closing everywhere — often for good.

Why it matters: Malls are going belly up. Familiar names like J.C. Penney, Neiman Marcus and J. Crew have filed for bankruptcy. Increasingly, Americans' shopping choices will boil down to a handful of internet Everything Stores and survival-of-the-fittest national chains.

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1940’s L.A. in color

Shot from an automobile driving through Bunker Hill and downtown Los Angeles, ca. 1940s.