Commentary

COMMENTARY: #FirstThem Movement Highlights White Predators

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Producer Harvey Weinstein is currently fighting charges of sexual assault and recent documentaries have revisited decades-old allegations against singers R. Kelly and the late Michael Jackson.

Published

8 years ago

February 2, 2019

Oakland Post

By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia

The #MeToo movement began a little more than two years ago, and some of the most famous and powerful men – like Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose, and Louis C.K. – have lost their high-profile jobs, or have seen their careers derailed.

Producer Harvey Weinstein is currently fighting charges of sexual assault and recent documentaries have revisited decades-old allegations against singers R. Kelly and the late Michael Jackson.

And while some, like Louis C.K., have made comebacks, Bill Cosby, who sits in prison serving a sentence of up to 10 years because of a previously settled and decades-old allegation, remains the only high-profile person jailed as a result of the movement.

And, according to many legal experts, Cosby’s conviction remains questionable at best, and a set-up at worst.

Now, a new movement is afoot that seeks to reveal that the #MeToo movement – a movement that was started by a black woman – has unfairly targeted black men.

The fledgling #FirstThem movement wants to ensure that those who are alleged to have committed sexual assault or abuse aren’t targeted just because they’re black – something those involved said is a major problem and counts as a serious injustice.

The founders of that movement, which has gained momentum on Twitter and other social media platforms, said they want to ensure that the focus will shine on white men and women who are accused instead of what they see as the lynching of those of color over unfounded allegations.

In one of many tweets, film producer and media personality Tariq Nasheed highlighted what he believes is one of the primary reasons for the #FirstThem movement.

“While the white media is trying to make any Black entertainer the face of sexual abuse, they are putting accused serial abusers like Charlie Sheen on magazine covers,” said Nasheed, a founder of the movement.

Nasheed, who couldn’t immediately be reached for a telephone interview, noted that Sheen has been accused of abusing women and exposing them to HIV.

“There is a wave of corporate sponsored movements that were created under the narrative of addressing sexual misconduct particularly within the entertainment industry. Many organizations behind these movements have racially tailored their agenda and our mission is to counter the racial targeting from these organizations,” Nasheed said in a post.

Nasheed readily acknowledges that sexual misconduct “is wrong on every level.”

“No group should be given a pass for sexual assault on their race,” he said. “So, get involved now and contribute to the #FirstThem movement so we can replace the system of racial privilege with a system of justice.”

Using the hashtag #FirstThem, one Twitter user noted that former Hollywood Producer Gary Goddard stands accused of sexual misconduct by 8 former child actors, yet his case hasn’t had the focus of Cosby or even R. Kelly, who recently was the subject of a scathing documentary about his alleged sexual assault of underage black girls.

In 2017, actor Anthony Edwards alleged that Goddard molested him and raped his best friend for a number of years beginning when they were just 12.

Goddard has denied the allegations.

In the case of R. Kelly and Jackson, Nasheed eagerly defends them, lambasting the media for its repeated coverage of those cases.

Another #FirstThem post noted that actor Rob Lowe “is still being glorified and getting gigs… I think it’s time to introduce him to #FirstThem,” the Twitter user Kobe Denzel wrote.

In 1988, Lowe was involved in a scandal over a videotape of him having sex with two females, one of whom was 16.

Lowe has claimed that he didn’t know that the girl was underage and later he cut a deal in which he agreed to perform 20 hours of community service.

While it’s not only celebrities called out for their alleged misdeeds, #FirstThem has listed a host of icons whose mideeds supporters of the movement believe the media and history have overlooked or forgotten.

Iggy Pop, the late David Bowie, Jimmy Paige, Mick Jagger, Jim Morrison, Jeff Beck, Alice Cooper, and football great Peyton Manning have drawn the attention of #FirstThem.

Singer Courtney Love was also among those mentioned by #FirstThem because she reportedly admitted to performing a sex act on singer/songwriter Ted Nugent when she was just 12.

“When I was a single man, I liked younger women,” Nugent told reporters last year, without directly addressing Love’s claims. “I haven’t had relations with underage women since I was underage,” said Nugent, a Republican supporter who performed at a number of President Donald Trump’s campaign events.

Trump himself has also been accused of sexual abuse by several women.

A recent article in the United Kingdom’s The Guardian, also touched on the allegations of Iggy Pop, Bowie, Paige, Jagger, Beck and Cooper.

The article noted that, in 2001, when the Mötley Crüe biography The Dirt was published, barely an eyebrow was raised at the debauchery described within.

Even one of the darkest tales, in which Nikki Sixx said he “pretty much” raped an intoxicated woman after he had sex with her in a cupboard and then sent Tommy Lee in to do the same, did little to damage Sixx’s reputation.

Dr. Rosemary Lucy Hill, from the Centre for Interdisciplinary Gender Studies at the University of Leeds, told the newspaper that the idea of a groupie is a complex one – citing the example of Pamela Des Barres, who claims she slept with Jagger, Page, Morrison and numerous others, and wrote five books about her experiences – an updated version of the most famous, I’m With the Band, hit stores again last year.

Lori Mattix (sometimes known as Maddox) told The Guardian that she was just 14 when she lost her virginity to Bowie. Her next lover was Jimmy Page, she said.

Though she recently acknowledged that the #MeToo movement she founded has appeared to have left Black women behind and that the message has been lost, Tarana Burke responded to the #FirstThem on Twitter to defend her stand.

“These #FirstThem folks are attacking me like I haven’t spent the greater part of my life in service for Black folks,” Burke wrote on Twitter. “There is not a bone in my body that hates Black men or that would intentionally target them for attack,” she said. “But we have to have a real conversation.”

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.

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OPINION: The Philippines Isn’t Foreign When Your Family Still Lives There

Americans complain about inflation. Filipinos complain about surviving. That’s not a knock on America. It’s a reminder that for millions of Filipino Americans, the Philippines isn’t some faraway place we visit on vacation. It’s where our parents were born. Where our cousins still

Published

3 days ago

August 9, 2026

bpusa-syndication

By Emil Amok Guillermo

Americans complain about inflation.

Filipinos complain about surviving.

That’s not a knock on America. It’s a reminder that for millions of Filipino Americans, the Philippines isn’t some faraway place we visit on vacation. It’s where our parents were born. Where our cousins still live. Where grandparents are buried. Where every phone call home can begin with, “We’re okay,” or, just as easily, “We need help.”

The Bay Area is home to one of the nation’s largest Filipino communities. California alone has nearly two million Filipinos—roughly half of all Filipino Americans in the United States.

Every year, Filipino Americans send an estimated $17 billion from the United States to the Philippines. Those remittances account for roughly a tenth of the Philippine economy. One wire transfer may keep children in school, put food on the table, pay hospital bills, or help elderly parents make it another month.

That’s why Filipino Americans were paying attention to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s State of the Nation Address this week.

They were listening for justice.

They were listening for Lyle Prijoles.

Prijoles, a 40-year-old Filipino American from Hayward, was killed on April 19 during a Philippine military operation in Negros Occidental. Also killed was Kai Sorem, a 26-year-old activist from Seattle.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines say those killed were connected to the Communist Party’s New People’s Army.

Their families say otherwise.

Human-rights advocates describe Prijoles and Sorem as labor organizers and peaceful activists working alongside sugar workers struggling under crushing poverty. Prijoles had traveled repeatedly to the Philippines since 2006, documenting conditions in Negros and advocating for farm workers whose lives rarely improve no matter who occupies the presidential palace in Manila.

Those conflicting stories are exactly why members of Congress, led by Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA-7), have called for an independent investigation.

After all, two American citizens are dead.

If an ally’s military kills Americans under disputed circumstances, shouldn’t we want to know exactly what happened?

Yet the story barely made news in the United States.

Perhaps because it’s inconvenient.

It’s inconvenient for Manila – and Washington.

Strategic allies aren’t supposed to kill American citizens.

The Philippines isn’t just another country.

It’s family.

President Marcos had bigger issues on his mind this week.

China’s growing aggression in the West Philippine Sea dominated much of the speech. Marcos rightly rejected racist insults aimed at Filipinos and insisted his country would not surrender its sovereignty.

“We are not racists. We are not liars,” Marcos declared. “We are respectful, and we are dignified. We are Filipinos, and we do not yield.”

Strong words.

But patriotism isn’t measured only by how forcefully a government stands up to China.

It’s also measured by how a government treats its own people.

The Philippines inherited many of America’s democratic institutions. Even the “State of the Nation Address” echoes our “State of the Union.” Congress. Elections. Constitutional government. We exported the architecture of democracy.

What we couldn’t export was accountability.

That’s why activists like Lyle Prijoles believed ordinary workers deserved better.

And that’s why his death matters.

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is an award-winning journalist, political analyst and comic monologist. See him on his microtalk show on YouTube at @emilamok1.

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Commentary

Asm. McKinnor’s Bill Banning Drones Above Outdoor Entertainment Events Awaits Senate Decision

POST NEWS GROUP —

Published

3 days ago

August 9, 2026

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$Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood), right, introduced Assembly Bill 2113 to address a public safety enforcement gap involving unauthorized personal drones flying over crowds at large outdoor events in California. A violation would be an infraction punishable by a fine of up to $500. McKinnor is shown with fellow California Legislative Black Caucus member Assemblymember Isaac Bryan (D-Ladera Heights). CBM photo by Antonio Ray Harvey.$

By Antonio Ray Harvey, California Black Media

Photo Caption:

Assemblymember Tina McKinnor (D-Inglewood) is advancing legislation that would prohibit unauthorized drones from operating within 400 feet of large outdoor ticketed entertainment events.

Assembly Bill 2113, titled “Aviation: Unmanned Aircraft Systems: Ticketed Entertainment Events,” passed the Senate Public Safety Committee on June 30 by a 6-0 vote and was referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.

The Assembly approved the bill May 18 on a bipartisan 72-0 vote, with support from 54 Democrats and 18 Republicans. AB 2113 must clear the Senate Appropriations Committee before the Legislature’s Aug. 31 deadline to remain active.

“Large, ticketed entertainment events such as concerts, festivals, and sporting events bring thousands of people into dense confined spaces, including many venues in my (California State Assembly District 61),” McKinnor said. “Unauthorized drones and activities in these settings pose a real risk to public safety and can interfere with event operations and emergency response.”

McKinnor said the legislation would establish a state-level restriction that local authorities could enforce while preserving the federal government’s authority over U.S. airspace.

McKinnor also said, “While the Federal Government regulates airspace, local law enforcement is responsible for protecting public safety on the ground, yet current law does not provide a clear state-level prohibition addressing this issue.

Under the bill, the restriction would apply to outdoor professional music, sporting, or performing arts events held at venues with a capacity of at least 1,000 people.

Each violation would be an infraction punishable by a $500 fine.

McKinnor, who chairs the Assembly Select Committee on the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Los Angeles County Legislative Delegation, said the restrictions are particularly important as California prepares to host major international gatherings, including the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“AB 2113 protects the intellectual property rights of artists and addresses a growing public safety gap at public events due to the growing use of drones across California,” said McKinnor, a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC).

The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has raised concerns about the bill’s potential effects on legitimate commercial drone operations.

Mason Sisk, the group’s director of government affairs, said AB 2113 would address the “disruptive use of drones,” including operations that infringe on artists’ intellectual property. However, the trade association has asked McKinnor’s office to add an exemption for commercial flights providing services such as cargo transportation and infrastructure inspections.

“Our issue with the bill really has to do with the distinction between the ‘loitering and hovering’ and the disruptive use of drones. So, I would ask that the committee not support the bill until we have language figured out,” Sisk told the Senate Committee on Public Safety.

To address concerns raised during the legislative process, McKinnor accepted amendments that narrowed the bill’s scope and exempted certain authorized operations. The prohibition would not apply to venue-approved flights, venue employees conducting official business, regulated utility employees performing official duties, or emergency personnel responding to an incident.

“My office and the sponsor have been engaging with stakeholders throughout this process, and I want to thank everyone for their patience and collaboration,” McKinnor said. “We remain committed to working in good faith as the bill moves forward to address concerns of stakeholders.”

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Black History

George Cook: The Inventor Who Made Fishing Smarter

Published

3 days ago

August 9, 2026

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A copy of the patent for George Cook’s Automatic Fishing Device. Public domain.

By Tamara Shiloh

George Cook was a Black American inventor from Louisville, Kentucky. He was born in 1863, during a time when Black Americans faced unfair laws, limited opportunities, and many barriers to education, jobs, and recognition. Even with these challenges, he became known for his intelligence, honesty, and ability to think in practical ways. Some records say he worked as a cook for Buffalo Bill Cody and later as a chef on a private dining car for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. He was even known by the nickname “Honest Mister Cook.”

As with many Black American inventors and scientists of that era, there is little biographical information about Mr. Cook.

Cook’s most famous invention was the Automatic Fishing Device. He received U.S. Patent No. 625,829 for it on May 30, 1899. His patent shows that he was not just someone with an idea, but someone who made it happen.

So, what did the Automatic Fishing Device do? Imagine fishing with a line in the water. Usually, you have to watch carefully and pull the line at just the right moment when a fish bites. Cook wanted to make that process easier. His device was designed to react when a fish pulled on the line. The tension from the fish would trigger a lever. That lever would release a spring-loaded part of the device, causing it to move quickly and help pull in the line. The device also had an alarm gong that would ring to let the fisher know something was happening.

This invention was important because it used simple mechanical ideas in a clever way. Springs, levers, rails, and alarms were not new by themselves, but Cook combined them to solve a real problem. His device showed how inventors often take familiar parts and arrange them in a new way to make life easier.

Cook looked at fishing and asked, “How can this be improved?” Then, he created a device that could respond automatically when a fish tugged on the line. His invention let fishermen relax instead of watching the line for hours, trusting the alarm to alert them.

Cook may not be as famous as some inventors, but his Automatic Fishing Device shows that creativity and innovation can be applied anywhere. His legacy lives on as part of the larger story of Black innovation in America.