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Nivea Pulls "Civilized" Black Man Ad After Racial Controversy

Skin care giant NIVEA has been forced to apologize for an advert that encourages Black men to "re-civilize" themselves. The print ad for Nivea for Men shows a clean-cut Black man tossing the head of a Black man with an Afro and beard—presumably his earlier non-Nivea self—and the motto: "Look Like You Give A Damn ... Re-Civilize Yourself."

TIME's Kai Ma notes:

The ad was heavily criticized: The "message couldn't be clearer: natural hair on a black man isn't a style preference or a nod to afrocentrism—it's straight-up uncivilized," wrote GOOD's Nona Willis Aronowitz. Public outrage ensued, especially on Twitter, which resulted in a prompt apology by Nivea.

Beiersdorf AG, the parent company of Nivea, released the following statement to CNN: “After realizing that this ad is misleading, it was immediately withdrawn.” The apology also emphasized that Nivea values and represents “diversity, tolerance, and equal opportunity.” Nivea USA also posted on its Facebook page: “This ad was inappropriate and offensive. It was never our intention to offend anyone, and for this we are deeply sorry. This ad will never be used again.”

The controversy unfolded  across Twitter on Wednesday. #Nivea became one of the top trending topics on the social networking platform.

The advert was part of a new branding campaign that also uses white male models. None of the others ads, with the exception of the one using the Black model,  employ the term "civilize", reports Ad Age.

Rihanna is one of its Nivea's celebrity spokesmodels. Rihanna has made no comment on the controversy.

ClutchmagOnline gives the brand a sarcastic benefit of the doubt: "Perhaps they are trying to capitalize on the popularity of Planet of the Apes?”

VIDEO: Amazing Speech by West Indian Londoner Criticizing Vandals

An amazing speech by a West Indian woman and resident of Hackney, East London has gone viral. The woman slams the rampant looting and tells "Black people to get real."

Burning peoples shops that they worked hard to start their business. ... She's working hard to make her business work and then you lot want to go and burn it up. This is about a fucking man who got shot in Tottenham this aint about having fun on the road and busting up the place

Get real black people get real. Do it for a cause. If we're fighting for a cause lets fight for a cause. I'm ashamed to be a Hackney person. Cause we're not all gathering together and fighting for a cause. We're running down Foot Locker."

Absolutely right. It's tragic to watch a community destroy itself. Watch the fearless speech AFTER THE JUMP ...

VIDEO, PHOTOS: London in Flames as Rioting Spreads Across UK

PHOTOS: Reuters

One man is dead and hundreds are in custody as London reels from the third and worst night of violence, arson and looting. The unrest has spread to Britain's second-largest city, Birmingham, as well as Leeds, Liverpool and other cities.

Up to 16,000 extra police officers are deployed today after officers were "overwhelmed" by the numbers and scope of the riots, reports The Guardian.

Buildings were set ablaze, businesses ransacked; overstretched officers were pelted with petrol bombs, bricks and other makeshift missiles. Normally peaceful streets were laid waste as rioting flashed around the city. A man died after being shot in Croydon, south London.

At times the police appeared overwhelmed by the sheer number of incidents – which began with serious rioting in Hackney and spread to the south London neighborurhoods of Peckham, Lewisham, Colliers Wood and Croydon, where a 100-year-old furniture store was torched.

In Hackney [East London], trouble flared at around 4.45pm, in broad daylight and captured live by a BBC News helicopter. Gangs of youths fought pitched battles along the length of the main street in Hackney, Mare Street. Buses were trapped, shops were looted and vans were disgorged of their contents.

The 26-year-old man shot and killed in a car in Croydon, South London, is the "first known fatality since the unrest began" in Tottenham, North London on Saturday.

The Saturday night riots began as a peaceful protest over the death of 29-yar-old Mark Duggan, who was killed Thursday by officers from the Metropolitan Police. The flash point apparently was when a teenage girl—who may have thrown something—was brutally attacked by riot police.

The unrest has largely been confined to poor areas and the city Black communities. Tottenham has highest unemployment rates in London. It has a "history of racial tension and ... many Blacks have complained" about police abuses, adds Reuters. Across the UK, commentators say there is growing anger over "economic hardship, poor prospects for many youths" and a widening gulf of inequality.

Prayers and best wishes to all of our friends in London. Watch video AFTER THE JUMP ...

King Murder Trial: Student Testifies About Stabbing Plot

More than three years after 15-year-old Lawrence King was gunned down in class—in front of up to 30 students—the murder trial of his former classmate and accused killer Brandon McInerney begins this week in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley. Opening statements were Tuesday and the first witnesses for the prosecution testified on Wednesday.

Only days before the February 2008 shooting, the now-17-year-old McInerney asked several boys to help him ambush and stab King, according to the testimony of a student identified as "Christian."

"He said he was going to get some guys together and rush him and shank him,” Cristian said in court, adding that McInerney showed no emotion when he made the statement.

Cristian testified that he saw King occasionally wearing makeup, jewelry and high heels with his public school uniform. When that happened, some students would taunt him with homosexual slurs, Cristian said.

When asked by defense attorney Scott Wippert if he ever saw King "chasing boys around," Cristian answered no.

Wippert is trying to portray King to the jury as an aggressor who flirted and taunted McInerney until it triggered their fatal clash. Prosecutor Maeve Fox has described King as a shy, effeminate student who had recently come out of his shell to assert his sexuality and paid a price for it at the hands of a classmate with white supremacist tendencies.

The defense has portrayed King as sexually "aggressive" and suggests that McInerney was "provoked". The theory was first advanced by Newsweek in a disturbing cover story—describing the 4-foot-11 Lawrence King as sexually harassing his male classmates.

McInerney shot his classmate twice in the head at point-blank range in a computer lab, according to the medical examiner's testimony on Wednesday. There were a few more details, too. "Fifteen-year-old King had nail polish on his fingers and his toes and had recently shaved a small mustache," reports the LA Times.

McInerney is being tried as an adult for the murder of his classmate. The state also alleges McInerey had close ties to white supremacists and neo-Nazis, which has led to a hate crime charge. McInerney has plead not guilty and rejected a plea bargain. McInerney faces 53 years to life in prison if convicted of all charges.

A shameful gay-panic defense. Lawrence King is re-victimized in death.

Rod 2.0's complete coverage on Lawrence King HERE.

VIDEO: Stabbings in Chicago's Boystown Spark Racial Tensions

One man is injured and many neighbors are outraged after a late Sunday night street fight and stabbing in Chicago's Boystown. The violent brawl on Halsted Street was the third stabbing in the neighborhood in three weeks and has inflamed racial tensions.

The graphic video was captured by a neighbor on a balcony. Watch it AFTER THE JUMP ...

Windy City Times:

The incident is the latest in a slew of violent altercations to cause uproar among many Lakeview residents who say that crime in the neighborhood is out of control. The incident occurred at 11:54 p.m. at Halsted and Aldine, according to police. A 25 year-old male was stabbed in a physical altercation. No others were reported injured. Information on his condition was not immediately available.

The video shows more than a dozen youth arguing and fighting. Several people attack one young man, hitting and kicking him while he is on the ground. You can see one man repeatedly punch or stab the victim.

All of the youth involved were Black and apparently LGBT. The two previous incidents also involved Black LGBT youth.  Before the Sunday incident, the most recent stabbing was June 18th on Halsted Street. That incident involved a white victim.

"The incident sparked a racial debate about whether the increased presence of South and West Side youth is linked to higher crime rates in Lakeview," reported WCT. "The youth cite the ability to be out in a safe environment and programs like the Broadway Youth Center as major draws. Many residents claim the young people are responsible for increased violence and higher crime rates."

The racial tension mirrors the experience of residents in New York City's West Village. The "Take Back Boystown" Facebook page has become a popular vehicle to vent and race-bait. "Why are these people in Boystown? Nobody wants them and their ghetto way of life, says one man. "We need to get this trash out of our community," another adds.

Police will hold a community forum on Wednesday to discuss the recent crimes. Watch the attack video AFTER THE JUMP ...

Former BART Officer Convicted in Oscar Grant Shooting is Released

The white former Bay Area Rapid Transit police officer convicted in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black man has been released  after serving only 11 months of a two-year sentence, reports KCRA.

Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department spokesman Steve Whitmore said Johannes Mehserle was set free early Monday from the county jail where he served his time after his high-profile trial was moved to Southern California. A judge ruled Friday that Mehserle should be given credit for time served and good conduct.

Mehserle, 29, was convicted last July of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Grant, 22, on a Bay Area Rapid Transit train station platform in Oakland on New Year's Day 2009.

Mehserle was responding to a fight on the train platform and was angry the 22-year-old Grant resisted arrest. Grant was laying prostate and handcuffed when he was shot in the back by Mehserle, who claims he "accidentally" drew his .40 caliber handgun instead of his Taser.

The jury acquitted Mehserle of the more serious charges of second-degree murder and voluntary manslaughter. Eight women and four men sat on the jury, none of whom were black. 

Violent riots erupted in Oakland after the jury's verdict. At least 150 people were arrested during the protests.

The involuntary manslaughter conviction had the option of an "enhancement" that could have extended the sentence 14 years because a firearm was used. The judge chose not to do so.

Shame, shame, shame.

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Maryland Republican Official Names Black Angus Cow "Oprah"

Diana Waterman, the newly elected First Vice Chairman of the Maryland Republican Party, has named her black Angus cow "Oprah." Waterman noted on Facebook that the cow recently birthed a calf.

Sveinn C. Storm, a Republican who publishes an Queen Anne County-focused blog called "Pave Our County?", says that naming a cow after a Black celebrity who has publicly struggled with her weight is "precisely why an enormous number of Americans view Republicans as racists."

As a Republican, I do not believe that Diana Waterman comes even close to promoting a positive image for the party. There is a slim chance that Diana Waterman names all of her pets after prominent black Americans she admires, but I doubt it. In fact, I’m betting she names her new calf "Michael Steele." Perhaps she will give him a quick call and see if he’s okay with that."

The Maryland Republican Party, which is (allegedly) the home of former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele, has dismissed calls for Waterman to resign.

Waterman has deleted the Facebook post. The screencap can be seen HERE.

Cowardly and tone-deaf . Typical.

Guilty Plea to Attack at Julius, Landmark New York City Gay Bar

PHOTO: EastVillageDenizen Flickr

The Queens, New York man accused of punching a Black bartender and shouting racist and anti-gay rants one of New York City's oldest gay bars has plead guilty to assault as a hate crime and other charges, reports FOX 5.

Frederick Giunta entered his plea Tuesday in the October attack at Julius. It occurred at a Manhattan tavern where a 1966 "sip-in" marked an early moment in the gay-rights movement. The 45-year-old Giunta is expected to receive a 3 1/2-year prison sentence. His lawyer, Hershel Katz, says Giunta's behavior stemmed from drunkenness, not malice.

Police say the victim was trying to defuse a dispute between Giunta and another customer when Giunta hit the victim in the face and used the epithets. Giunta also pleaded guilty to attempted robbery for grabbing at a man's wallet at another bar.

In addition to second attack at nearby Ty's, police say Giunta attacked a third man. "Moments before the attack inside Julius, Giunta allegedly punched another man in the face on Christopher Street and tried to take his wallet, according to court papers," reports NBC 4. "Giunta has history of targeting gay establishments for robberies, said Council Speaker Christine Quinn."

The accused gay-basher has a novel explanation: Giunta claims he is actually bisexual. "I was actually flirting with the bartender," Giunta told Gay City News. "I’m a very caring, kind person."

WATCH: LGBT Activist Kenyon Farrow is a BET Black History Hero

BET profiles New York City-based LGBT and community activist Kenyon Farrow as a Modern Black History Hero. The executive director of Queers for Economic Justice describes why he went into activism: "I'm a Black gay man who moved to New York City with dreams of becoming an actor. And when I saw how my community was dealing with homophobic violence, with police brutality, HIV/AIDS, I knew I had to do jump in and fight."

The recent OUT 100 honoree adds: "I realized a long time ago that if I wanted to see change, I had to do something about it. I couldn't wait on anybody else."

Bravo and congratulations to Kenyon.

The profile aired last week on BET's 106 & Park. Only a few weeks ago the same show premiered Marsha Ambrosius' fantastic new video for "Far Away." Bravo to the network for producing some inclusive programming.

Watch the spot AFTER THE JUMP ...

Mississippi Gov. Barbour Refuses to Denounce KKK Leader License Plate

Republican Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour has refused to denounce a Southern heritage group's proposal for a state-issued license plate to honor Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, who was a founder and early leader of the Ku Klux Klan.

Barbour is the current chairman of the Republican Governors Association, former chairman of the Republican National Committee and considered a potential 2012 Republican presidential candidate.

Raw Story reports:

The idea, put forth by the white heritage group Sons of Confederate Veterans, would create a state-issued license plate by 2014 in honor of Confederate General and KKK leader Nathan Bedford Forrest. It would include a car tag and a series of other Civil War license plates.

Mississippi lawmakers are considering the proposal, and Barbour said it's unlikely to be approved but refused to stake out a position against it. The NAACP's Mississippi chapter president Derrick Johnson called on the governor to denounce it. The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified the Sons of Confederate Veterans as a "hate group" known for its racist and white supremacist activities.

More on Forrest from The Associated Press:

Forrest, a Tennessee native, is revered by some as a military genius and reviled by others for leading an 1864 massacre of black Union troops at Fort Pillow, Tenn. Forrest was a Klan grand wizard in Tennessee after the war. ..

[Mississippi NAACP president Derrick Johnson] said he's not bothered by Civil War commemorative license plates generally. But he said Mississippi shouldn't honor Forrest, who was an early leader of what he calls "a terrorist group." "He should be viewed in the same light that we view Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden," Johnson said of Forrest. "The state of Mississippi should deny any vanity tags which would highlight racial hatred in this state."

Johnson and the Mississippi NAACP president Derrick has called on Barbour to denounce the license plate idea. "I don't go around denouncing people," Barbour told The Associated Press.

During a December interview, Barbour praised the Council of Conservative Citizens—successor to the hateful segregationist White Citizens Councils of the 1950s and 1960s. Barbour later walked back the comments.

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