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Recognized as Karen Huger’s assistant, he was first seen on season 3 of the reality TV show when the Grande Dame held the unforgettable press conference to clarify misconceptions regarding her husband, Ray Huger, aka the “Black Bill Gates,” who […]

On Thursday, the ex-girlfriend of Jonathan Majors withdrew a federal lawsuit against him, in which she had accused the former Marvel actor of assault and defamation, according to court records filed in New York.

To an outside observer on Thursday, November 14, New Zealand politician Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke’s reaction on Parliament’s floor may have been a surprise. But the immediate reaction of other Members of Parliament (MPs) joining the 22-year-old, who’d ripped up a copy of a treaty bill, made it more than obvious that they knew what was coming: a haka. The bill she was holding intended to reinterpret the 184-year-old clauses in the Treaty of Waitangi, previously signed between the Crown and Indigenous Māori chiefs.

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Who Is Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke?

According to SBS News, Maipi-Clarke is New Zealand’s youngest MP since 1853, and this is not her first haka. Toward the beginning of her first speech to Parliament in December of 2023, she also performed a haka, a traditional Māori ceremonial dance involving dance-like movements, chanting and exaggerated facial expressions. With hopes of being the voice of a new generation of young voters in New Zealand, she has vowed to protect Māori rights and culture.

In two of her many areas of focus, she is a strong advocate for educating about indigenous people and addressing climate change. Inspired by her grandfather, Taitimu Maipi, a member of the Māori activist group Nga Tamatoa, she is also a grand-niece to Māori language activist Hana Te Hemara. (In a 1972 petition, spearheaded by Te Hemara and signed by 33,000 Māori and Pākehā, the document called for the introduction of Māori language and culture curriculum in schools nationwide while worldwide protests were happening regarding civil rights, women’s rights and the Vietnam war.)

Why Did Maipi-Clarke Rip Up the Bill About the Treaty of Waitangi?

For those who remember U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi tearing up the “State Of the Union” speech of 2016 President Donald Trump, this may have felt nostalgic. Pelosi’s reason for doing so? She couldn’t find one page “that didn’t have a lie on it,” she told fellow Democratic lawmakers the next day. The Dems’ response? A standing ovation.

In Maipi-Clarke’s case, the paper she was holding held more weight than a speech. Before a vote could be taken to make the bill a new law, Maipi-Clarke ripped up the controversial bill on the Parliament floor. The reinterpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi, in Māori and English, was first signed in 1840. In it, the tribes were promised broad land rights that protect their interests in return for relinquishing governance to the British. In the rewritten one, all New Zealanders would have those rights.

According to the bill’s creator David Seymour, who will become deputy prime minister next year as part of a governing coalition agreement, stated that Maori people “enjoy privileges not accorded to other New Zealanders under the nation’s founding document, the 184-year-old Treaty of Waitangi.” 

Arguments made in support of the treaty were startlingly similar to the kind of rationale used in opposition to Affirmative Action. In their case, though, the goal was changing the treaty for factors such as land ownership, a touchy point that was creating racial tension between some MPs and British leaders.

US Embassy

Maipi-Clarke’s One-Day Suspension, Willie Jackson Kicked Out for Not Apologizing

There were a couple of other interesting parallels in Parliament that may have felt like a blast from the not-so-distant past in the U.S. In 2017 and 2023, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson and Georgia Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene yelled out at former President Barack H. Obama and current President Joe Biden, accusing them of being liars during their “State Of the Union” addresses. Neither member of Congress apologized, and the SOTU continued on.

Across the country on the Parliament floor in 2024, Willie Jackson, the Labor MP and Maori leader, was ejected from the chamber after calling Seymour a liar and refusing to withdraw or apologize for his comment. But after the haka and the vocal protest against British colonization, Speaker Gerry Brownlee suspended Parliament for nearly half an hour, describing Maipi-Clarke’s behavior as “grossly disorderly, appallingly disrespectful and premeditated.” Maipi-Clarke was suspended for 24 hours.

But unlike U.S. Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who also openly protested Congressional decisions, New Zealand MPs Jackson and Maipi-Clarke were not kicked out of their roles altogether. The U.S. House of Representatives, on the other hand, specifically targeted two of three protesters while one remained unscathed.

The Protest Hits the Streets

Tens of thousands of Māori communities gathered outside of the Parliament doors in a hīkoi (i.e., protest) against the re-interpretation of the Treaty of Waitangi and Māori rights. On Tuesday, November 19, these 35,000 protestors marched from the northern tip of New Zealand’s North Island to parliament in the capital Wellington, at the southern tip of the island. The march was also described as a “celebration of a resurging Indigenous language and identity” and a way to fight for their “tamariki, for our mokopuna” (children and grandchildren).

And unlike protests such as January 6, 2021, this has been a peaceful cross-country march without breaking into any politician’s office or private Parliament quarters. No one has reportedly had to be evacuated or threatened with hangings. At bus stops, people of all ages and races waited with Māori sovereignty flags. Some local schools opted out of reporting students as absent who participated, and the city’s mayor joined the protest.

Small Party, Big Power

Regardless of open proponents, the proposed law passed its first vote last Thursday, November 14, after it had been discussed at length for months. Even in New Zealand’s tiny parties, the political system is set up to allow them to negotiate outsized influence. But the treaty is especially alarming to those who are noticing progress made for the Māori, such as celebrating the new national holiday Matariki in 2022, one year after Juneteenth became a federal holiday in the U.S.

And while the bill has not become a law, protesters are vocal and noticing they’re more united than they were in years prior.

“It’s different to when I was a child,” a protester named Shanell Bob told Associated Press. “We’re stronger now, our tamariki are stronger now, they know who they are, they’re proud of who they are.”

Smollett’s conviction tied to staged attack incident Blavity reported that Smollett initially lied to police, stating that he was attacked near his Chicago apartment by two men (identified as brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo) who allegedly yelled racist and homophobic […]

“This legislation is more than a recognition — but an affirmation — of the contribution of Shirley Anita Chisholm, who unlocked and opened doors for generations of political leaders who were excluded simply for being Black,” Brooklyn Councilmember Farah Louis […]

Haitian families flee Springfield amid deportation fears According to The Guardian, the Ohio city of 60,000 people saw an uptick in Haitian families leaving recently. The lack of funds and other resources is challenging for many as they figure out […]

Jonathan Majors’ film appearances have granted the actor award nominations and an abundance of roles. However, his personal life has made way more headlines over the last couple of years. Alleged domestic violence claims from his last partner have lead to his recent decline in work and removal from a major film series. However, his dating and recent engagement to longtime actress Meagan Good has stirred curiosity about his funds. Good, who is reveling in their shared joy, is rumored to be financially supporting her fiancé in recent months. But while he’s fighting to get back to the top of the horizon, here’s what we know about Jonathan Majors’ net worth.

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Majors Splurged During the Height of His Fame 

Majors reportedly spent over $350,000 on luxury vehicles. He’s said to own a Mercedes-Benz S-class worth $96,000, an $87,000 BMW 7 Series, an $86,500 Audi A8 and a $76,000 Lexus LS. Majors also reportedly owns a three-bedroom apartment in Los Angeles, despite his advice to young actors to “keep your rent low” in an interview.

Recently, Majors proposed to his girlfriend of almost two years. Good flashed her diamond ring on the red carpet at the Ebony Power 100 Gala. Both actors have expressed excitement about a future together.

Domestic Violence Allegations Cost Him Millions

Jonathan Majors’ net worth was an estimated $2 million ahead of the domestic violence trial. At the height of his career, he raked in an estimated $550,000 per month from Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. He starred in The Last Black Man in San Francisco in 2019, one of former President Obama‘s favorite films, and starred in Lovecraft Country. His role in Creed III would become one of his last notable performances before the alleged domestic violence claims made by his former partner.

Major Productions Distance Themselves From the Actor

Upon learning of the alleged domestic violence incident, the U.S. Army removed his recruitment commercials. He was dropped as a client by Entertainment 360 and the Lede Company. Now, it’s been reported that Jonathan Majors’ net worth is $500,000. In October, Majors had an upcoming film release for Magazine Dreams. Despite it already premiering at Sundance, the film was pulled by Disney’s Searchlight Pictures. Majors was found guilty and convicted on two misdemeanor counts of assault and harassment. He was sentenced to a one-year, in-person batterer intervention program in Los Angeles, California, was ordered to continue therapy, and pay a $250 surcharge. In light of the conviction, he was also dropped from all future Marvel Studios projects.

Majors Is Set To Star in a Villeneuve Revenge Thriller

Best known for his work in the science fiction space, filmmaker Martin Villeneuve will direct Merciless, a revenge thriller in which Jonathan Majors will star. Produced by Christopher Tuffin, the film was set to start filming this fall in Saskatchewan, Canada. In the film, Majors plays the role of a CIA interrogator who saves the life of the woman he loves after she was overtaken by an evil force. This will be Majors’ first film following the domestic violence conviction.

The career fair is one of the most popular elements of the event. As AfroTech has continued to evolve, so has the number of companies like JPMorgan Chase & Co, Playstation, Amazon, American Express, Riot Games and many more looking […]

A Seattle restaurant has closed temporarily after a video from Keith Lee sparked rumors about worms at the establishment. Lee, who has amassed over 16 million TikTok followers, recently visited Seattle’s FOB Sushi and tried 10 sushi rolls. As he reviewed the food, some of Lee’s viewers said they saw something that looked like a worm in the yellowtail fish, according to King5.

@keith_lee125 Fob Sushi taste test 💕 would you try it 💕 #foodcritic ♬ original sound – Keith Lee

Model Chidimma Adetshina, who finished second in the Miss Universe contest, proudly spoke about her roots after making history at the competition. As she finished in second place and became the highest-placed Black African in the contest since South Africa’s Zozibini Tunzi won in 2019, Adetshina, who was born to a Nigerian father and a mother with South African citizenship, proved that she remains undeterred despite facing xenophobic attacks.

Miss Universe Nigeria, Chidimma Vanessa Adetshina emerges as 1st Runner Up at Miss Universe 2024.She ranked second in the world.She is the highest ranked African contestant this year. pic.twitter.com/Qk90c5OZUC— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) November 17, 2024