This summer, Black folks got outside, and we didn’t just touch grass; we made it a whole vibe.

From music festivals to hiking clubs, audiobook walking groups to glamping resorts, Black people have been inspiring each other to reconnect with nature. It’s part movement, part cultural reset, and a complete joyful reminder that the outdoors isn’t just for some, it’s for us too.

For the DMV-based Black Girls Hike, the goal was simple: create a safe, welcoming space for Black women to explore the trails. 

As the founder Asia Bright explained, “Nature is healing in itself. Just being in a forest away from first-world problems, it’s healing in itself, and just the conversations that we have… it’s a great way to air out our grievances in a safe space where we might not be able to do it elsewhere.” 

That sense of community has helped make the group a thriving network based in the DMV, where thousands of members are trading city noise for waterfall trails, fire pits, and fresh air.

Still, some people see Black folks hiking as a form of resistance. The founder, who began hiking during the pandemic as way to get outside, sees it differently. 

“I don’t see it as a form of resistance,” she said. “Black people specifically, we come from nature. We’re like outdoor and natural people. It’s only resistance to the people that have been keeping us out. But from us, we belong here.” 

It’s a reframing that centers belonging and joy rather than opposition — a reminder that nature has always been ours, too. And for those intimidated by the idea of venturing into the woods? Black Girls Hike is intentional about easing people in. 

“Most of the times, hiking groups have a hike lead and they are familiar with the space,” Bright explained. “We have hiking apps that lay out trails, difficulties, inclines and landmarks, so they make it fairly for anyone that would like to come out.”

She added, “Bring water, boots, and an open mind … The more that you’re open to experiences, the better your experience will be.”

It’s a sentiment echoed in larger movements like Outdoor Afro, the national nonprofit dedicated to reconnecting Black communities with nature. The group has expanded its work beyond hiking to include swimming, kayaking, and even scuba diving, rewriting narratives that long kept Black folks away from the water. Other groups with similar missions include Outdoorsy Black Women, Vibe Tribe Adventures, and Black Girls Run.

But getting outside isn’t just about health; it’s also about celebration. The Dear Summer Festival showed exactly that when thousands of festival goers turned out at stops around the country this summer. 

“It started out as a way for us to gather. We all went to college together. Everybody graduated, moved to different areas, and then we didn’t see each other anymore, co-founder Danny Adkins explained of the initial gathering that began as a barbecue in Harlem.   

In the mid to late 2000s, Adkins said his friends, who were all HBCU graduates, decided, “let’s do a cookout to kind of be a reunion for us to gather and get back together. And it’s just kind of grew from there.” 

The growth is undeniable. The D.C. stop alone drew between 4,000 and 5,000 people this year, with headliners like Boosie Badazz and weekend-long programming that included a rooftop kickoff, a massive Saturday day party, and a Sunday brunch. The organizers also make a point to give back. This year, they hosted a community service event at the local Boys and Girls Club, complete with back-to-school giveaways.

But at its core, the festival is still about connection. 

“It’s such a vibe. It’s such a beautiful thing when you can bring eight to 9000 people around each other and not worry about no incidents,” co-founder Lenny Nunez.

He noted that typically, festival goers are doing nothing more than what he and the original founders were attempting with the first gathering in Harlem. People are catching up with friends, making new ones, and even making an annual tradition out of it. Nunez recalled how some longtime festival goers have met lifelong friends and even their spouses at the festival.

“We putting love together,” he remarked. 

For many, the atmosphere is what keeps them coming back. 

“Day parties are more popular with our age group,” said Adkins. “We like going out and having fun. We also like to be able to be home by 11 o’clock.”

And perhaps most powerfully, the organizers see it as a legacy project. 

“I have so many people that reached out to us, and they said they started the same way we started,” Nunez shared. “And they look up to what we doing. They admire us, and we glad that we could [be] a positive influence. And we want to continue doing that, continue helping out the people and bringing love, and everyone enjoying yourself.”

He added. “You know, you know life is so short. You know, health is everything. And while we here, let’s enjoy it.” 

Leave it to us to remix the concept of getting outside altogether. Some have joined walking clubs that pair steps with audiobooks, and others are glamping in Black-owned spaces like the luxe modern treehouses at New York’s Finger Lakes Treehouse resort, where stylish design meets Black entrepreneurship near scenic Lake Ontario. Meanwhile, as a certain set escaped to the beaches of Martha’s Vineyard others took to paths along the Appalachian Trail. These aren’t just outings and clubs; they’re reimaginings of how the outdoors can feel when curated by us, for us.

15

If you didn’t wake up this morning with mascara-smear cheeks because of “Tears,” then you are just not living in 2025. Sabrina Carpenter has just released her seventh studio album, Man’s Best Friend, and it’s literally taking over the world.

“Tears” Dominates the Charts

Her lead single, “Tears,” wasn’t released, but it stormed the Spotify global charts at 2 a.m., like a drunken bridesmaid demanding the aux cord. With 9.295 million plays on opening day, Sabrina has just scored the largest debut of a female artist’s song on Spotify this year. Let that sink in. One sorrowful little pop song about heartbreak beat the serotonin levels of my entire twenties.

These are the top debuts of 2025 so far:

• Playboi Carti’s EVIL J0RDAN 9.52M
• Sabrina Carpenter’s Tears 9.25
• Chappell Roan’s The Subway 8.35M
• Justin Bieber’s DAISIES 8.35M
• Sabrina Carpenter’s Manchild 8.05M

Yeah, Sabrina is technically one step from knocking Playboi Carti’s devil cosplay song off the throne. And honestly? I wish she’d take another step.

Man’s Best Friend: The Album Which Barks Louder Than It Bites

The album itself debuted with 64.4 million streams on Spotify, the largest opening for a female album in 2025. Read that again. Bigger than Taylor. Bigger than Ariana. Bigger than your favorite niche indie boys with their ironic mustaches and broken guitars.

It’s official: Sabrina Carpenter is not that Disney girl with a side bang anymore. She is the world’s most streamed artist of all time now. On the 29th of August, the world Spotify chart looked like this:

• Sabrina Carpenter
• Taylor Swift
• Bad Bunny
• Drake
• The Weeknd
• KPop Demon Hunters Cast (don’t ask, just stan)
• Fuerza Regida
• Justin Bieber
• Ariana Grande
• Billie Eilish

If you’ve ever doubted her power, this is your permission to get in touch via email, as I cannot send vinyl and deal with the new order of hierarchy.

Pop Princess Turns into Pop Dictator

This is larger than numbers. “Tears” is a chart-topper, but it is a statement period. Sabrina Carpenter is no longer the pop princess standing at the castle door, but she is the gate. She IS the velvet rope. She IS the bouncer that is saying to you, “Sorry, babe, not tonight.” Taylor Swift still owns the stadiums, but Sabrina just owned the streams (until October 3rd). And come 2025, where streams translate into dollars, Carpenter is pop’s newest billionaire monarch.

Related

Noir Nation, further details have began to surface following tragic Minneapolis mass shooting that sadly claimed the lives of two young children!

Reports reveal that now deceased gunman Robin Westman blamed his mother for the violent attack at a Catholic School, as he claims she discouraged him from changing his gender and warned him that he would have to live with regrets.

“When I was first out to my mother, she was VERY antagonistic. She really made me hate myself and think I will never be good enough,” Robin wrote.

“I remember one day, she said something like, ‘In the future you will look back and feel ridiculous about who you feel like you are inside. You will regret this.’ 

“Well guess what mom?! I regret being born.”

The 23 year old opened fire n Wednesday August 27th, during morning mass as students celebrated the first week of school—fatally shooting 8 year old Fletcher Merkel and 10 year old Harper Moysk.

Sources state Robin unleased116 rifle rounds before ultimately turning the gun on himself.

Shocking Twist In Tragedy 😔

In his disturbing manifesto obtained by authorities, Robin issued a warning to the public about letting children transition—he also blamed transitioning and smoking weed as a cause of his acts of violence.

“Gender and weed f*cked up my head,” he claimed. “I wish I never tried experimenting with either. Don’t let your kids smoke weed or change gender until they are like seventeen.”

Another entry reads, “I wish I could stop vaping but I can’t! If I could stop vaping, I could stop myself from doing this attack, but I just don’t want to. Stopping vaping will not get rid of my cancer, nor will it make these fantasies go away.”

Mental Health, Family Conflict & Public Outcry ⚖️🔥

According to reports from the New York Post Robin’s mother Mary Grace Westman, has retained high-profile legal representation and is refusing to cooperate with authorities.

In a seperate letter left for his parents, Robin expressed to both of his parents that he appreciated the life they had worked so hard to provide for him and that he was raised to be a good person.“You did not fail me, you gave me so much. I truly appreciate the love you have given me.”

“I feel I was raised to be a good person.

“I’ve kept those traits of empathy, self-sacrifice, and good character. Please do not think you have failed as parents,” he added. 

In a series of video discvered on his Youtube channel, Robin opened up about feeling brainwashed into “being trans,” and revealed he planned to cut his hair.

Authorities continue to dig into Robin’s background and the events leading up to the shooting.

Minneapolis Reacts, Nation Watches 🌍

For Minneapolis and beyond, the tragedy has left the parents and students shaken as they are forced to have delicate discussion about . Noir Nation, this is a story about more than a crime—it’s a reminder of how unresolved trauma, family conflict, and societal pressures can intersect with devastating consequences.

As this story develops, stay tuned to NoirOnlineOrg for updates and insights into the legal, cultural, and community impact of this shocking event.

Former President Barack Obama is continuing his criticisms of President Donald Trump’s actions, this time warning against the 47th president of the United States’ recent takeover of the D.C. local police and the deployment of troops in U.S. cities, and what it could signal for the country’s future.

Obama, who has previously spoken out against Trump’s political threats against corporations, law firms, and college campuses, among other actions, shared an interview that details the dangers of militarizing state and local police against U.S. citizens in American cities.

“[It] provides a useful overview of some of the dangerous trends we’ve been seeing in recent months regarding federalization and militarization of state and local police functions,” wrote America’s first Black president in a post on X.

Obama shared an interview with journalist Radley Balko from the New York Times. Balko is a decades-long expert on policing and criminal justice and the author of “Rise of the Warrior Cop: The Militarization of America’s Police Forces.”

Balko warned on “The Ezra Klein Show” that President Trump’s use of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department in a declared “crime emergency”—as well as sending troops into the nation’s capital and Los Angeles, and threatening to do the same in other cities like Chicago and Baltimore— fits into a larger trend of militarizing law enforcement to the detriment of U.S. citizens.

“What we’re seeing right now is a response to a manufactured crisis. I mean, yes, crime is real, and crime is higher in D.C. than in other cities. But there is no crisis in D.C. — as we’ve all documented, crime is down pretty significantly there,” explained Balko.

Balko said he saw trends in “tactics, operations and policies” for over 20 years, suggesting that police agencies are becoming “too militarized, too aggressive and too us versus them.”

The journalist explained that militarization can be seen not just in the military-style equipment police agencies now use beyond handguns and tasers, but also in the “mentality they bring to the job.”

What’s more, Balko highlighted the fact that President Trump has expanded the hiring and operations of ICE and U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents, while cutting funds for more independent law enforcement agencies like the FBI, ATF, and DEA. He believes it is because many ICE and Border Patrol officers have shown “loyalty” to Trumpism over the years.

“I think this is an effort to build up the two federal policing agencies that Trump sees as most loyal and deferential to him,” Balko told the New York Times, adding, “Obviously, the mass deportations are going to ensure that those two agencies remain relevant throughout his administration.”

He warned, “There aren’t very many countries in which the figurative political head of the country assembled his own personal paramilitary force that was loyal only to him where things turned out well. So that’s where I think we are right now.”

Notably, the times in U.S. history when police saw expanded militarization occurred during periods that largely targeted Black, brown, and immigrant communities.

“It was always in response to a real threat. So it happened during the crack epidemic, which killed a lot of people. It happened again after Sept. 11, when you had these attacks on American soil,” Balko explained.

As a surge of ICE and Border agents swarm cities to detain undocumented immigrations—many of whom are masked—Balko also pointed out that federal agents almost have no accountability. When President Trump announced his federal surge in D.C., he said officers would be able to do “whatever the hell they want.”

Following a Supreme Court ruling that essentially eliminated civil liability for federal law enforcement officers and a Justice Department run by Trump that would almost certainly not charge any officer for criminal liability, Balko explains that there’s very little the public can do to seek accountability for any abuses committed against citizens and other undocumented individuals.

“I mean the only way that you can hold these agents accountable in any way for the displays of abuse and cruelty that we’re seeing is social opprobrium or social shaming,” he said.

As President Obama said in his post of Balko’s interview with the Times: “The erosion of basic principles like due process and the expanding use of our military on domestic soil puts the liberties of all Americans at risk, and should concern democrats and republicans alike.”

The U.S. government is offering military funeral honors for Ashli Babbitt, the rioter who was killed at 35 by an officer in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

Babbitt was a U.S. Air Force veteran from California who was shot dead wearing a Trump campaign flag wrapped around her shoulders while attempting to climb through the broken window of a barricaded door leading to the Speaker’s Lobby inside the Capitol.

Offering military honors to one of the Capitol rioters is part of President Donald Trump’s attempts to rewrite that chapter after the 2020 election as a patriotic stand, given he still denies he lost that election. Babbitt has gained martyr status among Republicans, and the Trump administration agreed to pay just under $5 million to settle a wrongful-death lawsuit that her family filed over her shooting.

Matthew Lohmeier, an under secretary of the Air Force, said on X that the decision was “long overdue,” and shared a post from a conservative legal group that was advocating for Babbitt’s family. The group, Judicial Watch, said the family had requested military honors from former President Joe Biden’s administration and had been denied.

In a statement, a U.S. Air Force spokesperson said that “after reviewing the circumstances” of Babbitt’s death, military funeral honors were offered to the family. Babbitt was a senior airman.

The post shared by Lohmeier included a link to a letter the Air Force under secretary wrote to Babbitt’s family, inviting them to meet him at the Pentagon.

“After reviewing the circumstances of Ashli’s death, and considering the information that has come forward since then, I am persuaded that the previous determination was incorrect,” the Aug. 15 letter read.