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DJ Vlad, the controversial figure behind the popular VladTV platform is embroiled in a social media storm after a heated exchange with Princeton professor Morgan Jerkins. The altercation, which began over a critique of a Kendrick Lamar song, escalated into threats of job termination and accusations of bigotry.

It all started innocuously enough when DJ Vlad took to Twitter to share his opinion on Kendrick Lamar’s track, “Not Like Us.” However, his comment that the song “needed a better mix” was met with eye rolls from many users on the platform, igniting a firestorm of criticism.

Among those who called out DJ Vlad was Princeton professor Morgan Jerkins, who didn’t mince words in her tweet. She said, “You are WHITE. This is a BLACK FOLK AFFAIR,” implying that his opinion was not necessary in discussions about the Kendrick Lamar and Drake feud.

A series of heated exchanges between the two followed, with DJ Vlad accusing Jerkins of attempting to stifle his right to voice an opinion on the matter. The situation quickly escalated when Vlad threatened to contact Princeton University about Jerkins’ remarks, insinuating that her comments were not befitting of a faculty member.

Jerkins, however, stood her ground, asserting that the conversation should center on black voices and experiences, not on Vlad’s opinions. Despite her attempts to clarify her stance, DJ Vlad persisted in his threats, suggesting that Jerkins could face repercussions for her remarks.

In response to Vlad’s threats, Jerkins revealed that she had already completed her contract with Princeton, implying that his attempts to have her fired were futile. She also pointed out the irony of Vlad’s actions, highlighting the discrepancy between his response to her and the harsher criticisms he had received from other users.

Throughout the exchange, DJ Vlad remained adamant in his belief that Jerkins’ comments were bigoted and unbecoming of a representative of an Ivy League institution. He accused her of backtracking and suggested she consider using a burner account to avoid professional repercussions.

The altercation quickly caught the attention of social media users, many of whom condemned DJ Vlad’s actions and accused him of attempting to silence a black woman’s voice. Calls for a boycott of DJ Vlad and his platform began to circulate, with many expressing their outrage over his behavior.

Vlad is whack for a myriad of reasons. But in this you can tell he saw a Black woman and a predominantly white university and tried to use his whiteness against her. DISGUSTING. pic.twitter.com/74C0awOHfD

— Kevín (@KevOnStage) May 5, 2024

pay attention and watch whiteness work
DJ Vlad was told this is a Black Folk Affair and his immediate response was to try to get a Black Woman fired because this was a space for Black people about Black people and him being told this isn’t for him means she needs to be fired https://t.co/7l6HJVbWiY pic.twitter.com/z7GZXtxQUV

— colorfullstory (@colorfullstory) May 5, 2024

this is how DJ VLAD feels about black people .

“Typical Victim Mentality” is insane for someone who profits off of black pain . pic.twitter.com/7J9LunHSMA

— 🦆 Sweet Duck Willie 🦆 (@KingChamploo) May 5, 2024

White men who profit from hip hop select their victims with precision.

Black men with platforms who are faculty at high ranking colleges who tweeted the same sentiment as Morgan Jerkins to DJ VLAD. But he knows trying to get a Black woman fired won’t cost him his BM following.

— Ola Ojewumi (@Olas_Truth) May 5, 2024

What are your thoughts on whether DJ Vlad is a culture vulture? Share your opinion below.

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NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Armed with gardening hoes while others cradled bamboo seedlings, students gathered outside their school in Kenya’s capital. They hoped the fully grown bamboo would help to filter filthy air from one of Africa’s largest trash dumps next door.

More than 100 bamboo plantings dot the ground around Dandora secondary school, which shares a name with the dumpsite that was declared full 23 years ago. Hundreds of trucks still drive in daily to dump more trash.

Allan Sila, 17, said sitting in his classroom is like studying in a smelly latrine.

Acrid smoke billowing from the burning of trash fills the air every morning, hindering visibility and leaving some students with respiratory issues.

“Asthma is a disease that is commonly known,” Sila said.

The school’s principal, Eutychus Maina, recalled being greeted by the smell and smoke when he was posted to the school last year. He knew he had to do something.

“My motivation for initiating the bamboo project in the school was to mitigate the effects of the dumpsite. It really pollutes the air that we breathe,” he said.

He said he researched online and came across the use of bamboo. He believes it will help reduce the cases of respiratory infections in the community.

The fast-growing bamboo has been promoted by the United Nations and others for its high uptake of carbon dioxide.

Aderiana Mbandi is an air quality research and policy expert at the United Nations Environment Program, based in Nairobi. She said the impact of air pollution is felt in all parts of the body including the brain, and the best way to reduce its effects is minimizing exposure.

The seedlings the students began planting last August are already nine feet (three meters) tall. The giant bamboo variety is expected to reach 40 feet when mature, depending on soil conditions.

Students hope the bamboo will help transform the school compound into a green haven in the litter-strewn Dandora neighborhood.

The publicly funded school relies on donations to afford the seedlings that retail at 400 Kenyan shillings ($3) each.

But the school management is determined to keep going until bamboo lines the 900-meter wall that separates the school and the dumpsite.

The Dandora dump occupies about 50 hectares (123 acres) of land and receives more than 2,000 tons of waste daily from around Nairobi, home to 4 million people.

Its stench can be smelled kilometers (miles) away.

UNEP, in partnership with the Stockholm Environment Institute, deployed sensors to the Dandora neighborhood from October to April to monitor pollution levels from the dumpsite.

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Out of the 166 days monitored, only 12 had a daily average of excellent air quality according to World Health Organization guidelines.

Nairobi’s air is also polluted by emissions from secondhand cars that make up much of the city’s transport. Other pollutants include smoke from industries that are often located near residential areas.

The Dandora school is also planting trees including jacaranda and grevillea.

Student Josiah Nyamwata called them easy to obtain and easy to plant. “The other advantage is that the trees will be helpful in order to boost our air circulation around our school,” he said.

The air isn’t the school’s ‘ only challenge. Vultures from the dumpsite are a nuisance at mealtimes. Students guard their plates from being snatched.

In Black American homes, objects can hold great significance. Historically, enslaved people, considered to be possessions themselves, were largely prohibited from having possessions of their own. During Jim Crow and well into the civil rights movement, it was still difficult to save enough money to make special purchases, and many stores didn’t serve Black clientele. If we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams, our ancestors may have dreamed that today, we would have the freedom to buy lots of nice things. 

However, there’s a growing movement to do just the opposite. Loosely defined as the pursuit of simplicity, author Christine Platt has introduced many Black people to minimalism, including theGrio’s own Panama Jackson. Platt’s 2021 book, “The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living With Less,” outlined her personal journey to minimalism and gave readers a framework to begin their own — even in a society that celebrates consumption. Among key steps Platt suggests are admitting that you have too much stuff, forgiving yourself for it, taking an inventory (however agonizing that might be), letting go of the things you don’t need, use, and love — and lastly, paying it forward through gifts and donations. 

Platt began pursuing minimalism back in 2016 when she left her job as a policy advisor at the U.S. Department of Energy to become a writer. Suddenly going from working in an office to spending her days at home, she was forced to confront her material goods, among them a wealth of clothes, shoes, and accessories. She even went so far as to heat-map her four-bedroom, three-bathroom house and found that between herself, her then-husband, and her daughter, much of the square footage was hardly being used. Taking inventory proved essential when she later went through a divorce that led to downsizing from a single-family house to a condo. 

As she pared down her belongings, Platt decided to take a Black-centric approach, a process she found offered emotional and financial benefits. Freeing up mental space as well as money that could be saved, for example, to create generational wealth, is something that often feels out of reach for many Black families. Additionally, instead of turning her home into a bland, neutral, stereotypically minimalist space, Platt’s approach was deeply personal; she opted to honor her heritage and the African diaspora by showcasing colorful Ankara pillows and mudcloth. She even held onto a jar of raw cotton that reminded her to thank her ancestors. 

“It doesn’t matter if I make my house look like this barren Pinterest square if it’s not going to make me happy,” Platt noted. 

Beyond the labor of paring down, Platt also asked herself some fundamental questions, like why she enjoyed bargain shopping so much in the first place. “Why do I get this euphoric feeling when I find something on sale, but by the time I get home, I don’t want to wear it?” she asked. 

Understanding that our lives can be just as cluttered as our homes, Platt has a new book forthcoming in 2025, “Less Is Liberation,” that’s intended to help readers improve other areas of life beyond their homes. “Minimalism is the gateway to living with intention,” Platt told theGrio, adding that she could imagine calling herself the “Afrointentionalist.”

In “Less Is Liberation,” Platt wants to encourage readers to apply this kind of self-assessment not just to clutter, but to habits, behaviors, and beliefs. “Why do I go to the mall instead of going to yoga when I’m stressed?” she asked as an example. Platt wants to pinpoint where these narratives come from and what needs to change in order for us to make more intentional choices. 

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As a result of her own self-interrogation, Platt’s approach to minimalism has evolved over the years. “I’ve come to appreciate, and almost welcome, loss and letting go,” she said. Acknowledging that Black people may have difficulty releasing certain objects because ownership often connotes a sense of power historically withheld from marginalized communities, Platt noted that, besides objects, sometimes we hold onto people and situations longer than we should due to an ingrained fear of loss. 

Nevertheless, as readers approach her with well-worn copies of “The Afrominimalist’s Guide” that have been tagged and dog-eared from repeated use, it is clear the Afrominimalist community is growing, said Platt. “I have people doing the work generationally. They’re doing it with their siblings and parents,” she explained. “Inherited clutter is a big part of it.”

Along with self-declared Afrominimalists, a new group of enthusiasts has emerged. Platt was tagged in a Facebook group of Black female homesteaders, members of which had read the Guide and wanted to apply its principles to their rural, self-reliant, sustainable lifestyle. The group includes single women, families, and empty-nesters, she said, all pursuing a life with less.

“Many of us are first-gen in the sense that we have an opportunity to change the legacy of our family lineage, and it’s been really beautiful to see more and more Black and brown folks embrace that,” Platt said.

“Less Is Liberation” is forthcoming in 2025 from Balance, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing. In the meantime, get started on your minimalism journey with “The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living With Less.”

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Sarah Enelow-Snyder is a freelance writer from Texas, based in New Jersey. She has an essay in the anthology “Horse Girls” from Harper Perennial.

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R&B singer Keyshia Cole briefly deactivated her Instagram account today in response to a steamy music video featuring her boyfriend, Hunxho, and fellow artist Gloss Up. The video, released by Gloss Up earlier today, showcased the duo in intimate settings, sparking confusion and speculation among fans, especially considering Cole and Hunxho’s recently confirmed relationship.

The music video for “Come Here,” Gloss Up’s collaboration with Hunxho, featured scenes of Gloss Up twerking on Hunxho, the pair lounging in a bathtub, and other suggestive imagery. The steamy visuals left many wondering about the dynamics between the artists, particularly given Cole and Hunxho’s public relationship status.

Shortly after the video’s release, eagle-eyed social media users noticed that Keyshia Cole had deactivated her Instagram account. However, her hiatus from the platform was short-lived, as she swiftly reactivated her account to address the situation.

Gloss Up further fueled the fire by sharing behind-the-scenes photos from the music video shoot, featuring herself and Hunxho in close proximity, accompanied by a suggestive caption. The images and caption only added to the speculation surrounding the trio’s relationship dynamics, prompting Cole to break her silence and reclaim her online presence.

Keyshia Cole responded to Gloss Up’s scenes photos with her boyfriend Hunxho on her Instagram stories, saying, “Him being Yo sneaky link when u have a ‘Man you bout to marry’ is nasty work. But I wish u all the best on your project. Love, I was actually rooting for the video to come out.” Cole also shared another Instagram story, stating, “The way people wanna see the next unhappy and miserable is forever crazy to me. But I kno how this Hollywood. I’m not surprised. But ion wish nothing but Love, prosperity, health, and happiness for ALL YALL.”

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WASHINGTON (AP) — The last thing standing between Ashnaelle Bijoux and her college dream is the FAFSA form — a financial aid application that’s supposed to help students go to college, but is blocking her instead. She has tried to submit it over and over. Every time, it fails to go through.

“I feel overwhelmed and stressed out,” said Bijoux, 19. She came close to tears the last time she tried the form. “I feel like I’m being held back.”

Normally a time of celebration for high school seniors, this spring has been marred by the federal government’s botched rollout of the new FAFSA application. By May 1, students usually know where they’re headed to college in the fall. This year, most still haven’t received financial aid offers. Three months before the start of fall classes, many don’t know where they’re going to college, or how they’re going to pay for it.

“We’re asking them to make probably one of the biggest financial decisions — and decisions that will have the biggest implications on their lives going forward — without all of the information,” said Justin Draeger, president and CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, went through a massive overhaul that was supposed to make it simpler and shorter. But a series of blunders by the Education Department made it harder than ever, delaying college decisions by months and raising fears that hundreds of thousands of students will forgo college entirely.

Across the United States, the number of students who have successfully submitted the FAFSA is down 29% from this time last year, and it’s even worse at schools with more low-income students, according to the National College Attainment Network.

The group’s CEO, Kim Cook, warned members of Congress this month about a potentially “catastrophic” drop in college enrollments that would make the decreases of the pandemic seem mild.

For Bijoux, of Norwich, Connecticut, the FAFSA problems threaten to undermine the promise of higher education.

To her, college is a chance to seize the opportunities that weren’t available to her mother, who immigrated from Haiti to the U.S. as an adult. Bijoux hopes to become a therapist and set a positive example for her three younger brothers.

If her FAFSA goes through, she should be eligible for enough financial aid to help with the $ 13,000-a-year tuition at Southern Connecticut State University. If not, she might go to a local community college, but even that would require loans if she can’t complete the FAFSA.

“That’s why it hurts, because it’s like you work so hard to go somewhere and do something and make something of yourself,” Bijoux said. “I thought I would start at a four-year (college) and then work hard continuously, like I’ve been doing basically my whole life. But that’s not the case.”

The updated FAFSA form has one section filled out by students and another by their parents. But when Bijoux finishes her part, nothing shows up on her mom’s online account. She keeps trying, but nothing seems to change.

Similar problems have been reported across the country, along with numerous other bugs that the Education Department has scrambled to fix. Families who call for customer service have faced long wait times or say the call center hung up on them.

It “drains all the momentum” from families working to send their children to college, especially those navigating the process for the first time, said Anne Zinn, a counselor at Norwich Free Academy, where Bijoux goes to school.

“I can only say so many times, ‘Just be patient, just be patient,’ before they throw their hands up and they’re like, ‘Why am I doing this? I’m just gonna go get a job,’” she said.

The rollout has attracted bipartisan criticism in Congress, and it’s being investigated at the request of Republicans. Last week, Richard Cordray, the federal student loan chief who oversaw the FAFSA update, announced he’s stepping down at the end of June.

For colleges, too, the delays pose a major threat.

Enrollment decreases like those being projected now could put many small colleges out of business, or necessitate deep cuts in staff. Some colleges are pushing for emergency relief just to stay afloat, said Angel Pérez, CEO of the National Association for College Admission Counseling.

“If they don’t get checks from the federal government to basically get them through next year, they will not survive,” Pérez said.

The FAFSA has been the linchpin of student financial aid for decades. It’s used to determine eligibility for the federal Pell grant, a scholarship for low-income students, and it’s required to receive federal student loans. Colleges and states also use FAFSA to distribute their own scholarships.

FAFSA had long been maligned for being tedious, difficult and intimidating to families without college experience. Congress passed legislation in 2020 meant to simplify the form. The Education Department was ordered to reduce the number of questions from more than 100 to about 40, and change the formula to expand aid to more students.

Problems started piling up as soon as the new form went online in December, already months overdue.

The first applications were incorrectly processed using an outdated calculation for inflation. Later, a federal contractor miscalculated a different formula on more than 200,000 applications. Each mistake added to delays, leaving students waiting longer to hear anything about financial aid.

Even more worrisome is a misstep that blocked students from finishing the form if they have a parent without a Social Security number. Advocates say the system locked out hundreds of thousands of students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents but whose parents are not.

The Education Department on Tuesday said it’s giving those parents a new way to enter their tax information manually. But as recently as this week, some students said they were still blocked from submitting the form.

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Federal education officials say they’re addressing lingering bugs but making progress. More than 8 million student applications have now been processed and sent to colleges, the agency said, and new applications are being processed within three days.

Still, the wait is far from over. It usually takes weeks for schools to prepare financial aid offers. Some colleges have extended decision deadlines to give students more time to weigh their options. But some stuck to May 1, forcing students to choose a college — and make a nonrefundable payment to hold their spot — without knowing all their scholarship options.

In West Virginia, Gov. Jim Justice on Tuesday declared a state of emergency that allows students to receive state scholarships without having their FAFSA processed by the federal government. West Virginia has the lowest number of college graduates in the nation, and the state’s high school FAFSA completion rates are currently down nearly 40%, said Justice, a Republican.

“Really and truly, a lot of kids are sitting on the sidelines … wondering, ‘Am I going to be able to go to college?’ ” he said during a news briefing.

In Baltimore, Camryn Carter is waiting to find out if he’ll get a full ride to the University of Maryland or face tens of thousands of dollars in student loans.

A top student and captain of his baseball and wrestling teams, Carter sees college as a step up in life. He thinks back to the times in the grocery store line when he had to put items back on the shelf because his mom couldn’t afford the bill. A college degree would give him the stability he didn’t always have, the 18-year-old said.

But when he looks at tuition, it’s intimidating. Along with Maryland, he’s also considering McDaniel College, a private school in Maryland. If he enrolls there, he expects to borrow almost $30,000 a year.

“I try to make the best decisions now so I can have a good future,” he said. “I’m a little nervous that things won’t work out. But I’m faithful.”

14

Real Madrid has secured its 36th LaLiga title in a dominant fashion, following a resounding victory against Cádiz. With four games still to play in the championship, the win has solidified Real Madrid’s position at the top of the table, poised to claim the title once again.

In a match marked by emotional moments and stellar performances, Real Madrid showcased their superiority on the field. Brahim, Bellingham, and Joselu were the heroes of the day, each finding the back of the net to seal a convincing win.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti’s strategic rotations proved effective, with notable contributions from key players like Thibaut Courtois, who returned after a 268-day injury layoff to a warm reception from the Bernabéu faithful.

From the onset, Real Madrid asserted their dominance with relentless attacking play and possession control. Despite a few scares, including a clearance off the line by Nacho, Real Madrid’s pressure eventually paid off.

Brahim opened the scoring with a sublime finish, followed by Bellingham’s clinical strike to extend the lead. The icing on the cake came from a brilliant team move culminating in Joselu’s goal, securing a comfortable 3-0 victory.

Real Madrid’s journey to the LaLiga title has been marked by resilience and excellence. Overcoming significant injuries to key players, they have displayed both attacking prowess and defensive solidity throughout the season.

Leading the charge in attack, Bellingham has been a revelation, notching an impressive 18 goals in LaLiga, while Vini Jr. has been instrumental with 13 goals and 13 assists.

For manager Carlo Ancelotti, this triumph adds to his illustrious career, marking his second league title and 12th overall with Real Madrid. Ancelotti’s unparalleled success across multiple leagues cements his legacy as one of the greatest football managers of all time.

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As the U.S. government moves toward reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug, there may be little immediate impact in the dozen states that have not already legalized cannabis for widespread medical or recreational use by adults.

But advocates for marijuana legalization hope a federal regulatory shift could eventually change the minds — and votes — of some state policymakers who have been reluctant to embrace weed.

“It is very common for a state legislator to tell me, ‘Well, I might be able to support this, but … I’m not going to vote for something that’s illegal under federal law,’” said Matthew Schweich, executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, which advocates for cannabis legalization.

Although a proposal to reclassify marijuana would not make it legal, “it is a historic and meaningful change at the federal level that I think is going to give many state lawmakers a little less hesitation to support a bill,” Schweich added.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has proposed to shift marijuana from a “Schedule I” drug, which includes heroin and LSD, to a less tightly regulated “Schedule III” drug, which includes ketamine and some anabolic steroids. Federal rules allow for some medical uses of Schedule III drugs. But the proposed change faces a lengthy regulatory process, which may not be complete until after the presidential election.

In the meantime, the proposed federal change could add fresh arguments for supporters of ballot measures seeking to legalize marijuana. Florida voters will decide on a constitutional amendment allowing recreational cannabis this November. Public votes could also be held in several other states, including South Dakota, where supporters plan to submit signatures Tuesday for a third attempt at legalizing recreational marijuana.

Following two previous failed attempts, a Nebraska group is gathering signatures to get two measures onto this year’s ballot: one to legalize medical marijuana and another to allow private companies to grow and sell it.

In North Dakota, criminal defense attorney Mark Friese is a former police officer who is backing a marijuana legalization ballot initiative. He said the proposed federal reclassification could immensely help this year’s initiative campaign. North Dakota voters rejected legalization measures in 2018 and 2022 but approved medical marijuana in 2016.

“The bottom line is the move is going to allow intelligent, informed discussion about cannabis legislation instead of succumbing to the historical objection that marijuana is a dangerous drug like LSD or black tar heroin,” Friese said.

Others aren’t so sure the reclassification will make a difference.

Jackee Winters, chairperson of an Idaho group backing a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana, said it’s tough to get would-be supporters to sign their petition.

“People are literally afraid to sign anything in Idaho that has to do with marijuana,” she said. “They’re afraid the cops will be coming to their house.”

The proposed federal change may have little affect in 24 states that already legalized recreational marijuana for adults, or in an additional 14 states that allow medical marijuana. But advocates hope it could sway opinions in a dozen other states that either outlaw cannabis entirely or have limited access to products with low levels of THC, the chemical that makes people high.

Georgia has allowed patients with certain illnesses and physician approval to consume low-THC cannabis products since 2015. But until last year, there was no legal way to buy them. Eight dispensaries are now selling the products.

The Georgia Board of Pharmacy last year also issued licenses for low-THC products to 23 independent pharmacies, but the federal DEA in November warned pharmacies that dispensing medical marijuana violated federal law.

Dawn Randolph, executive director of the Georgia Pharmacy Association, said a federal reclassification of marijuana could open the way for pharmacists to treat marijuana products “like every other prescription medication.”

In other states, such as Tennessee, elected leaders remain hesitant to back either medical or recreational marijuana. Tennessee Senate Speaker Randy McNally, a Republican, previously said he wouldn’t support changing state law until the federal government reclassifies marijuana.

But after reports about the DEA’s recommended reclassification, McNally still held off on supporting any push to legalize medical marijuana.

Removing marijuana as a Schedule I drug “would only start the conversation in my mind. It would not end it. There would still be many issues to resolve if the downgrade to Schedule III happens as proposed,” he said Thursday.

A proposal to legalize medical marijuana died in a Kansas Senate committee without a vote this year, and an attempt to force debate in the full Senate failed by a wide margin. The strongest and most influential opposition came from law enforcement officials, who raised concerns that any legalization could invite organized crime and make it difficult to assess whether people are driving under the influence.

Kansas Bureau of Investigation Director Tony Mattivi considers the DEA effort to reschedule marijuana “misguided and politicized,” KBI spokesperson Melissa Underwood said.

The head of the South Carolina state police force also has opposed efforts to legalize medical marijuana, saying it opens the door to other drug use. A legalization bill backed by Republican state Sen. Tom Davis passed the Senate this year but has stalled in a House committee.

“It’s difficult to rewire a lot of people who have been conditioned to think of marijuana in a certain way,” said Davis, who vowed to push a medical marijuana bill again next year if reelected.

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Although not fully embracing medical marijuana, Iowa and Texas both have laws allowing limited access to some cannabis products with low levels of THC. Some Texas cities have passed ordinances allowing small amounts of marijuana. But a similar effort in Lubbock, home to Texas Tech University, was derided in a Facebook post by Republican state Rep. Dustin Burrows as part of “nationwide effort by the left to undermine public safety.”

In Wyoming, a decade of pro-marijuana efforts through ballot initiatives and legislation has gotten nowhere. Gov. Mark Gordon, a Republican, has been ambivalent about legalizing medical marijuana and opposes legal recreational pot. The GOP-led Legislature didn’t even debate the latest bill to decriminalize marijuana and legalize medical marijuana.

Yet one organizer, who helped unsuccessful petition efforts in 2022 and 2023, hopes federal reclassification of marijuana nudges more lawmakers to support legalization.

“Resistance will be a lot less palpable,” legalization advocate Apollo Pazell said.