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During the ABFF honors Angela Bassett speaks out against AI and Ryan Coogler thanks the organization for the community. 

Angela Bassett is sounding the alarm on where Hollywood is headed and who could be left behind.
While accepting the Excellence in the Arts Award at the 10th Annual American Black Film Festival Honors at the SLS Hotel in Beverly Hills on Monday, Feb. 16, the 67-year-old actress reflected on the entertainment industry’s shifting relationship with diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
The “Black Panther” star kicked off her remarks by noting that language once rooted in “promise and possibility” is now being “challenged, rebranded and in some cases, erased,” adding that the cultural shift is impacting “very real lives, real careers and real dreams.” At the same time, she warned that Hollywood’s breakneck embrace of technology is outpacing reflection, with business models changing and stories being reshaped in the name of efficiency.
“In moments like this, I believe it’s fair and necessary to ask, where do Black creatives fit into this future?” she said, per the Hollywood Reporter, questioning who gets to imagine, participate in, and ultimately decide what that future looks like.
Bassett reflected on coming into an industry that offered few examples of fully realized Black women onscreen and even fewer opportunities behind the camera. What sustained her, she explained, was community — the artists who “made room,” the peers who “told the truth,” and the audiences who continued to show up.
“Our stories are not trends,” the “9-1-1” star said. “They are truths.”
She also acknowledged the broader political climate, noting that “targets are being put on our backs as people by those at the highest heights of power.” The answer, she said, is to keep telling stories that reflect both the fullness and complexity of Black life.
“We do belong, we do matter, and we are not going anywhere because we are home,” she said to applause.
Still, Bassett made clear that inclusion alone is not enough. Her hope, she said, is for empowerment, for investment in longevity, ownership, mentorship and legacy, and for an industry that moves beyond tokenism.
To young artists wondering if there is still space for them, she offered reassurance: “You belong here. Your voice matters.” And to decision-makers, she issued a challenge to “choose courage over comfort,” adding that the future of film and television “will not be saved by playing it safe but by allowing us all to have a voice.”
Bassett was one of five honorees celebrated at the ceremony, which gathered some of the brightest stars in Black Hollywood. Dwayne Johnson received the Entertainment Icon Award, Jennifer Hudson was honored with the Renaissance Award, Salli Richardson-Whitfield earned the Evolution Award and Damson Idris took home the Horizon Award. The festival also paid tribute to the creative team behind “Sinners,” with Michael B. Jordan and Wunmi Mosaku presenting producers Ryan Coogler, Zinzi Coogler and Sev Ohanian with a special honor.
In his remarks, Coogler reflected on how instrumental the ABFF was early in his career, recalling how “so broke” he was when his 2011 short film “Fig” was selected for the festival’s short film competition with HBO.
“I’ll be forever indebted to you guys for being such incredible cultivators,” he said, per Variety. “Whenever I make a film, I think about y’all. I think about this community. It’s got to work for us first, before it works for anybody else.”
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OPINION: Tyra Banks revisits her iconic reality TV show in Netflix’s new documentary “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model.”
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
Netflix’s new highly anticipated three-part documentary, “Reality Check: Inside America’s Next Top Model,” arrives with all the glossy nostalgia of early 2000s reality TV, and the uneasy feeling that its central figure still is still due for a reality check of her own.
The series revisits the meteoric rise of “America’s Next Top Model,” which ran from 2003 to 2018 and spanned 24 cycles. For many, it was campy, chaotic appointment television. For others, especially a new generation discovering it on streaming services, it’s closer to a pop culture fever dream.
The makeovers alone have aged like milk. Contestants were pressured to widen or close gaps in their teeth, chop off their hair against their will, or install tacky, heavy weaves. Photo shoots — when they weren’t being racist, insensitive, or making light of violence against women — veered from avant-garde to outright dangerous. And through it all, young women and eventually men starting from cycle 20, often plucked from modest backgrounds with little industry protection, were expected to endure the humiliation ritual in the name of a highly coveted modeling career jumpstart package.
The documentary doesn’t dispute much of this. In fact, Tyra Banks opens by acknowledging that, in some moments, she went “too far.” What’s striking, though, is not that she misremembers the show. It’s how she seems to remember it. While giving it a very generous read, seeing her as a champion of diversity in the industry, her tone remains largely aloof, as if the cultural reckoning happening around her and the show hasn’t quite caught up with her yet.
Take Shandi Sullivan from Cycle 2. During a trip to Milan, production encouraged the contestants to socialize. After drinking heavily, Sullivan blacked out and slept with a man while her boyfriend was back home. Cameras captured not only the drunken encounter but also the devastating phone call in which her boyfriend berated her on national television.
Speaking on “Reality Check,” Sullivan was candid about the shame and trauma that followed. Viewers revisiting scenes from the episode are now questioning whether what happened should have been treated as entertainment or something more in line with an assault. Yet in the documentary, responsibility is largely deflected. Banks suggests certain situations weren’t in her lane to control. Other former producers echo the sentiment.
It’s a disappointing chorus that gets repeated.
Shandi is far from the only former contestant to be severely let down. Several of the Black women who appeared on the show, in particular, had very challenging experiences made all the worse because Banks was often at the center of their experience, in a position to do something about it, or at the very least someone they felt should understand. Ebony Haith endured comments about her skin, being labeled “aggressive,” and a humiliating haircut during Cycle 1. Dani Evans, who won Cycle 6, was pressured to close her signature gap tooth, only to later be shut out of the industry after doing so. Tiffany Richardson’s infamous “We were all rooting for you!” moment from Cycle 4 remains one of reality TV’s most memeified scenes, but for Tiffany, it was a public shaming she’s still reckoning with. 
Not everyone walked away with a bad experience, however. The show did launch the careers of several notable figures, including supermodel Winnie Harlow, model and actress Yaya DaCosta, and reality TV star, model, and actress Eva Marcille. Celebrity hairstylist Kiyah Wright, who has worked with Banks for over 20 years, publicly defended her. In a lengthy Instagram post, Wright credited Banks and “Top Model” with shifting culture by bringing high-fashion editorial beauty into everyday living rooms. She described the environment as formative, saying it sharpened her craft and opened doors that led to Emmy-winning work on “The Tyra Banks Show.”
“Was it intense? Of course. Excellence usually is,” she wrote. “But what I experienced was growth, exposure, discipline, and opportunity at the highest level. Tyra moves with the times. She takes risks. She pushes boundaries. She gave sooooo many girls a shot. I was one of those girls.”
Both things can be true. “America’s Next Top Model” undeniably democratized fashion fantasy. It gave young women — especially Black women — visibility in a space that historically excluded them. It also normalized emotional manipulation, overserved contestants, and blurred ethical lines in the name of ratings. Reality TV in the early 2000s was the Wild West. Cast members across franchises have since spoken about inadequate mental health support, exploitative contracts, and long-term fallout. The industry as a whole has much to atone for.
Still, this documentary felt like an opportunity for something deeper from Banks herself. At one point early on, Banks notes, “I haven’t really said much,” and after three hours, she still hasn’t. Beyond acknowledging that she found some comments about weight unacceptable or that some of her crashouts were motivated by her own experiences in the industry, there is little in the way of a meaningful apology or direct reckoning with the women who say they were harmed. The refrain is essentially, “That was the time.”
And yes, it was. But growth requires accountability. Then again, Banks famously coined “smizing,” smiling with your eyes while keeping the rest of your face neutral. Watching “Reality Check,” it’s hard not to notice the smize remains firmly in place
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A still from The Circle (2023) by Bouchra Khalili, whose exhibition at the Mosaic Rooms opens on 18 Feburary © Bouchra Khalili; courtesy of the artist and Mor Charpentier
London’s Mosaic Rooms is reopening on 18 February after a year-long refurbishment, with new facilities, a new charitable status and a new director. But the organisation’s focus, says its director Pip Day, remains the same: art and culture from the Arab world and beyond.
Since the Mosaic Rooms launched in 2008 it has been a consistent platform in the UK for major artists from the Arab region, such as Heba Y. Amin, Sandi Hilal and Alessandro Petti, and Mohammed Omar Khalil. Its audience has expanded over the years, reflecting shifting attitudes towards Arab culture and growing curiosity around art from the Global South. To date it has been fully funded by the A.M. Qattan Foundation, a UK and Ramallah-based organisation that supports culture and education in Palestine and the Arab world.
The renovation, paid for by the Al-Qattan Charitable Trust—the family foundation’s largest donor—has seen the 19th-century building reconfigured in order to better adapt it for the institution’s programming. New facilities include a recording suite, a salon for hosting workshops and lectures, a playroom for local families, an expanded bookshop and better access to its galleries.
A permanent commission of stained-glass windows by Dima Srouji will greet visitors on their way to the new entrance, now via the garden, which has been redesigned as a space of congregation. The work, Four Moons from Home (2026), refers to the seasons of the year and recalls the qamariya—or “half-moon” windows—that are a traditional mode of architectural decoration across the Arab world, and particularly in Yemen and the artist’s native Palestine.
Artist Dima Srouji (left) and a view of her work, Four Moons from Home (2026), in progress Srouji portrait: Gucci. Four Moons from Home: Courtesy of the Mosaic Rooms
A solo show by the French-Moroccan artist Bouchra Khalili inaugurates the refurbished galleries, with three video installations exploring the Arab Workers’ Movement (MTA), an activist theatre group from the 1970s that agitated for the rights of North African immigrants in France. Khalili has been investigating the work of the MTA for more than a decade, and first showed work connected to the project at the Documenta exhibition in 2017.
Day, who became the director of the Mosaic Rooms in September, says she wants to continue the institution’s tradition of learning from its artists and audiences.
A still from Bouchra Khalili’s The Public Storyteller (2024) © Bouchra Khalili; courtesy of the artist and Mor Charpentier
“In today’s challenging times, I want to listen closely to our communities, their histories and strategies of cultural resistance, resilience and international solidarity,” she says. Part of her work, she adds, will be in researching strategies of resistance and support for marginalised communities. Pointing to Khalili’s exhibition, she adds, “A lot of work has been done by movements that came before us. Our task is to carry it forward.”
Mosaic Rooms (left) and its new director Pip Day
Mosaic Rooms: Courtesy of the Mosaic Rooms. Day: Photo: Bruno Aiello Destombes
A new recording suite will be used to create podcasts and sound collaborations, including an upcoming project with the Bethlehem-based broadcaster Radio Alhara. Radio Alhara, an online radio project, began among five friends—the artists, designers and architects Yazan Khalili, Yousef Anastas, Elias Anastas, Said Abu Jaber and Mothanna Hussein—during the Covid pandemic, and has continued as a prominent platform for Palestinian voices and music since.
Other elements of the venue will focus specifically on those living in the surrounding area. Migrant families housed in the hotels around the Mosaic Rooms’ Kensington location regularly came to the space’s library—which stocks both English and Arabic books—and the café during the day. The new configuration leans into this past use through the addition of a playroom specifically for children and families, and an expanded bookshop and cafe.
A “Tiny Fridays” event held at Mosaic Rooms before the refurbishment
Courtesy of the Mosaic Rooms
“Mosaic Rooms has been shaped by its communities for the past 17 years,” Day says. “These activities have always been present in the institution’s history, and now they’re being made present in the architecture.
Day was most recently the director of the Leonard & Bina Ellen Art Gallery, part of Concordia University in Montreal. In late 2024 she was dismissed after less than six months in the role. The move came after the university postponed a screening of the film Resistance, Why?, which had been organised by Day and a Montreal-based collective called Regards Palestiniens. Local media reports at the time alleged the dismissal was due to her support for Palestine, and most of the gallery’s advisory council ultimately resigned in protest at her firing.
In a statement to The Art Newspaper, a spokesperson for Concordia University said the organisation was not at liberty to discuss employee matters, but pointed to events that have been held at the Ellen over the last two years in solidarity with Palestine. It added: “The university has always respected its employees’ freedom of expression as is evident from the diversity of views and stances regularly expressed by members of our community.”
The Mosaic Rooms has also now re-incorporated as a charity, which will enable it to seek both private philanthropy and public grants, in addition to ongoing support from the Al-Qattan Charitable Trust. “The goal for the foundation was to transition into a public institution that belongs to London, rather than to the family,” she says, adding that as a new independent charity, Mosaic Rooms will build a framework of ethical fundraising.
The A.M. Qattan Foundation is a major funder of education and culture projects in Palestine. These include a large library in Gaza, which was damaged in the war. The building will need to be refurbished, confirms the foundation, but the situation in Gaza is still not safe enough for work to begin.
This article has been updated to reflect the fact that the screening of ‘Resistance, Why?’ was postponed, not cancelled
It has also been amended to clarify that not every member of the council resigned after Day was dismissed
The Palestine Museum US’s director hopes the institution will challenge “dominant narratives and showcase the rich cultural heritage of Palestine”
Current and former employees have expressed shock that the museum hosted the event—which marks a day associated with the mass displacement of Palestinians—during one of the most violent weeks of the Israel-Hamas conflict
The non-profit space dedicated to Arab culture has been a vocal supporter of a ceasefire, and now aims to increase its space and income streams
The museum’s upcoming “Palestine Uprooted: Nakba, Past and Present” has the support of Canadian Palestinian organisations and some Jewish groups, but has been denounced by others who fear it “will ignore key issues”

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February 17, 2026
The former LA Clippers point guard spoke with his friend during the live taping of the ‘7PM in Brooklyn’ podcast
During the NBA All-Star Weekend, at a live taping of the Carmelo Anthony-hosted “7PM in Brooklyn” podcast, the NBA Hall of Famer spoke with one of his “Banana Boat” buddies, Chris Paul, about his latest career move after announcing he was retiring from professional basketball. 
On Feb. 14, Complex debuted its Complex Market at Ace & Mission Studios in downtown Los Angeles, billed as a curated fusion of vintage sportswear, streetwear, and sneakers for sports fans and sneakerheads. Paul, known to NBA Fans as the “Point God” for his exceptional skills on the basketball court, announced his retirement from the league after over 20 years. This was the first time he spoke publicly about his retirement.
Anthony, who was recently inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (Where Paul may join him in three years if he doesn’t return to the court), spoke with Paul and his co-host, Kaz, during the event.
The former New York Knicks forward introduced his close friend (the duo, along with LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, is affectionately referred to as the “Banana Boat Crew”) as “one of the greatest point guards ever,” before Paul stated why he felt it was time to move on from the game he has played all his life.
The former Los Angeles Clippers point guard said that making the decision “feels a little lighter.”
“I set a personal deadline that if I wasn’t on a team by a certain point, I would be done by All-Star,” Chris told Anthony and Kaz. He also stated that he knew last season he was about to end his career, but later in the season, he felt “too damn good” to retire. 
Before the season started, he announced to the world that this was it, before he signed his last deal with the Clippers, whom he led on the court for six seasons. The franchise stated that he was coming “home” after leaving it at the end of the 2017 NBA season. The future NBA Hall of Famer played with the Clippers from 2011 to the end of the 2016-17 season. Sadly, he did not last the entire season, when on Dec. 3, the team sent the point guard home in the middle of the night during a road trip in Atlanta.
At 3 a.m., the veteran posted on his social media account that he was being “sent home” by the Clippers.
Chris Paul has played for seven teams throughout his NBA career. His first team was the New Orleans Hornets (2005-11). He played for the Los Angeles Clippers (2011-17), Houston Rockets (2017-19), Oklahoma City Thunder (2019-20), Phoenix Suns (2020-23), Golden State Warriors (2023-24), and San Antonio Spurs (2024-25) before making the short-lived return to the Clippers.
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Five Black surgical residents have made history at Johns Hopkins Hospital as the first all-Black team of residents to lead the trauma center.
We often say that we are our ancestors’ wildest dreams. And at Johns Hopkins Hospital, five surgical residents are living in this truth. 
Doctors Valentine S. Alia, M.D. (second-year resident), Lawrence B. Brown, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. (seventh-year resident), Ivy Mannoh, M.D. (third-year resident), Zachary Obinna Enumah, M.D., Ph.D., M.A. (ninth-year and critical care fellow)  and Ifeoluwa “Ife” Shoyombo, M.D., M.P.H., M.S. (third-year resident) are now leading the hospital’s flagship Halsted service in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery — marking the first time in the residency program’s history that an all-Black team of senior residents and second year post graduate specialized residents has taken the reins.
“A historic moment for our program. For the first time in program history, our flagship Halsted service (Trauma & ACS) is led by an all-Black team of senior residents and PGY-2s [Postgraduate Year Two residents],” an Instagram caption read, spotlighting the groundbreaking moment. “Black individuals comprise 13% of the U.S. population but only 6% of general surgeons nationwide. This #BlackHistoryMonth, we recognize this milestone while continuing the work to build a more representative surgical workforce.”
A post shared by Johns Hopkins Surgery (@hopkinssurgery)
Despite each coming from different backgrounds, the milestone feels deeply personal. 
“My parents are so proud. I am the first physician in my family, and I think it’s so impactful. Brown told ABC News. “It’s service. That’s what’s important to me. Equity has to remain at the forefront of how we deliver patient care, how we do research, how we scale programs up in our healthcare system.”
“Growing up in Columbus, Georgia, in the 1990s, I watched my parents, my mom, a family medicine doc, my dad, a general surgeon, show up to serve patients every day,” Dr. Enumah told the outlet. 
Yet even as he follows in his parents’ footsteps, Enumah and his colleagues are also walking a path paved generations before them by Vivien Thomas, the pioneering cardiac surgery innovator who, in 1941, became the first Black person to wear a white coat in the halls of Johns Hopkins.
At a time when Black physicians were barred from admission as faculty or students, Thomas revolutionized cardiac surgery, developing groundbreaking techniques that transformed modern medicine…all without a formal medical degree. Though racial barriers denied him the credentials his brilliance merited, Johns Hopkins awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1976. Today, his legacy lives on through initiatives like the Vivien Thomas Scholars Initiative and a portrait that hangs in the hospital’s corridors
In the widely shared photo of the five residents, Thomas’ portrait hangs in the background, serving as a reminder of the significance of their accomplishments. Just as Thomas’ work inspired generations of Black scientists and doctors, Dr. Shiombo hopes that his work inspires a future generation of dreamers. 
“The best part is that I get to save lives and have an impact every single day. To anyone who’s watching, realize that your dream and capacity can only be limited by you. And if you can think it, see it, then you can absolutely reach it,” he concluded.
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Join us in swooning over the most lavish celebrity gifts from Valentine’s Day 2026
Mu$t be niiiiice!
Valentine’s Day 2026 was another lovey-dovey love day bursting with grand gestures, extravagant rose arrangements, and swoon-worthy surprises from some of our fave celebs who went ALL OUT for their loved (and very liked) ones.
With so many high-profile breakups over the past few years, it was nice to see a fresh batch of heart-eyed celeb couples spending their first Valentine’s Day together.
The stinkin’ cute couple have trended as one of entertainment’s buzziest couples after eagle-eyed followers noticed Klay Thompson in the background of Meg’s now-viral poolside photo posted last July.
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Just days later, Thompson confirmed the relationship by sharing photos from a Bahamas getaway featuring the rapper before making their official red carpet debut at the inaugural Pete & Thomas Foundation Gala in New York City.
Speaking to PEOPLE at the gala, Megan Thee Stallion teased details about their first encounter.
“Oh, we met and it was such a meet cute it was like a f—— movie,” she told PEOPLE at the event, describing how they met. “I won’t tell you how and I won’t tell you when, but it was a movie.”
Fast-forward to November 2025 where Megan showcased her cooking skills over Thanksgiving weekend, preparing a meal that reportedly earned high praise from Thompson’s parents, Mychal and his mom.
That same month, Thompson shared a photo of Megan aboard a boat he sweetly named the “S.S. Stallion” in her honor.
Most recently, Hot Girl Meg went all out for Klay Thompson’s 36th birthday, throwing him a celebration that immediately went viral.
He later shared highlights from the event, writing, “Best birthday ever thanks to my baby. I’m still on cloud East 99,” alongside a photo of the couple holding hands during a romantic beachside lunch.
Which celeb had the most swoon-worthy Valentine’s Day flex? Tell us down below and enjoy our gallery of the most extravagant Valentine’s Day gifts on the flip.
Russell Wilson extended his Husband of the Year streak by showing all the way out for Ciara (AGAIN)–this time, with countless heart-shaped balloons, life-sized pink roses, giant teddy bears, swoony bedroom decor, and more.
Porsha’s smitten boo Sway raised the whole entire Valentine’s Day bar with the grandest of gestures (endless roses, live saxophone player, and a Birkin!) that send social media into swoonlivion.
One thing about platinum-selling hitmaker MoneyBagg Yo, he’s going to gift his baddie boo Ari Fletcher a very expensive car which, in this case, is a gorgeous Mansory Edition Rolls-Royce valued at $600,000.
This is your sign to spin the block like Nelly and Ashanti and get the love you deserve. The roses, Ashanti’s smile, the romantic decor, perfection!
Dallas Mavericks star P.J. Washington (who signed a 4-year, $90 million extension last September) made the ultimate V-Day power move by gifting his wife Alisah a sexy new Ferrari SF90 valued at $500,000.
Papoose’s beach is better, especially when he’s catering to boxer boo Claressa Shields who gushed over the romantic surprise on the gram.
Toronto Raptors star Brandon Ingram kept things simple and sweet with boo thang Big Glo who was all smiles and swoony eyes while being gifted some expensive new bling from bae.
Every year, LightSkinKeisha‘s husband Coca Vango proves that he’s mastered the art of making his wife feel special on Valentine’s Day.
Meet famed influencer Antonela Roccuzzo, girlfriend of soccer superstar Leo Messi, who was gifted the most epic teddy bear (sixth slide).

The post Mu$t Be Niiiice! The Most Extravagant Valentine’s Day Gifts Of 2026 appeared first on Bossip.
Mu$t Be Niiiice! The Most Extravagant Valentine’s Day Gifts Of 2026 was originally published on bossip.com

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Analyse this: A sculpture by Cathie Pilkington at the Freud Museum, London
Courtesy of Cathie Pilkington and the Freud Museum London Photography: Perou
The Freud Museum in Hampstead, north London, is where Sigmund Freud lived the last year of his life—the father of psychoanalysis arriving with his family in 1938, ill with cancer and a refugee from Nazi persecution. It is an intensely evocative place, made all the more unique by the museum’s policy of inviting contemporary artists to respond to it.
Even though they had fled Vienna, the Freuds managed to bring many of their most precious possessions to 20 Maresfield Gardens, most notably the contents of Sigmund’s study and consulting room, including his remarkable collection of around 2,000 Roman, Egyptian, Chinese and Mexican antiquities, and of course his iconic psychoanalytic couch. Today all of this remains exactly as it was in Freud’s day: books and artefacts crowd into cabinets and cover every surface, with rows of ancient figures densely arranged across the large desk from where, even in his final months, Freud would write.
The house opened to the public in 1986, and one of the first artistic responses to its history and contents was Susan Hiller’s 1994 vitrine installation After the Freud Museum, now owned by the Tate and described by the artist as “a collection of things evoking cultural and historical points of slippage: psychic, ethnic, sexual and political disturbances”. Another memorable artist-disturber was Sophie Calle, who in 1999 spread her wedding dress across the hallowed couch and slyly interspersed personal keepsakes and intimate texts among the museum’s reverentially preserved artefacts; and another was Mark Wallinger, whose 2016 take on Freudian notions of doubling and self-reflection involved installing a mirror across the entire ceiling of the study.
I will also never forget Sarah Lucas’s Beyond the Pleasure Principle (2000), an exuberant exploration of the Freudian forces of Eros (desire) and Thanatos (death) which included slumping a mattress over a cardboard coffin in Freud’s bedroom and staging a sexual congress between two of Freud’s dining room chairs, decked out in male and female underwear and conjoined by a fluorescent strip light.
Now the museum is ushering in its 60th year with another radical series of interventions. Housekeeper by the British artist Cathie Pilkington channels the largely overlooked figure of Paula Fichtl, the Freud family’s devoted housekeeper. Fichtl joined the household in Vienna as a maid in 1929 and remained in their service until Anna’s death. One of her special duties was the care of Freud’s library and beloved antiquities. “Paula knows her way around here better than all of us,” Freud would say. “For every tiny piece she knows the right place.”
Pilkington’s exhibition gives a new subversive agency to this loyal servant. In Pilkington’s hands, Fichtl takes on the persona of what she terms a “housekeeper poltergeist”, who stealthily disrupts this hallowed shrine to psychoanalysis, unsettling the precise order of Freud’s artefacts and slyly inserting some disquieting new elements.
Amid the objects in Freud’s study it is initially hard to spot Pilkington’s sculptural interlopers. Peeping out from among the figurines on the desk is a polychrome statuette of a multi-breasted goddess with long white socks and dainty red shoes, while on a mahogany plinth previously occupied by a Roman bust, another miniature naked figurine strikes a pose in racy stilettos. A horse’s head and a faceless fur-collared female bust appear on a tabletop and disembodied plaster limbs nestle on folded blankets.
Cathie Pilkington, Herself (2019) in Housekeeper
Courtesy of Cathie Pilkington and the Freud Museum London Photography: Perou
In the dining room other new occupants continue to feed into the Freudian concepts such as the uncanny (or unhomely). Pilkington’s 2003 sculpture Curio, for example, features a disconcertingly ageless girl who sits at a dressing table piled with kitsch figurines glazed a gleaming chocolate brown. Upstairs, subtle subversion has been jettisoned, with Pilkington converting Freud’s bedroom into a dreamlike storeroom filled with an overwhelming mass of drawings, sculpture, found objects and works in progress.
A new work, Strata (2025), fills an entire wall with a glass case bursting with items ranging from female busts to random plaster and fabric limbs. Some of these are tucked between folds of packing blankets, the sediment-like layers of fabric chiming with the work’s geological title as well as echoing Freud’s notion of the unconscious as an archaeological site, excavated through psychoanalysis.
Cathie Pilkington, Strata (2025) in the Housekeeper show
Courtesy of Cathie Pilkington and the Freud Museum London Photography: Michael Barrett
By playing with conventions of storage, accumulation, curation and preservation—as well as offering multiple analogies with Freudian archetypes, practices and theories—this brilliant infiltration of the Freud Museum manages simultaneously to destabilise and reanimate the Great Man’s legacy. It’s no mean feat.
• Cathie Pilkington: Housekeeper, Freud Museum, London, until 1 March

Family’s private apartment, displays about psychoanalysis and collection of conceptual art go on view

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February 17, 2026
In “An Open Letter to LeBron James,” Mehdi Hasan highlighted all the times the four-time champion was seen as a champion for social justice matters such as the violence in Charlottesville and Black Lives Matter.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is being slammed on social media for comments about Israel and labeled a “disgrace” by MS Now journalist and Israel critic, Mehdi Hasan. 
During the NBA’s annual All-Star weekend, James announced he would hold a separate press conference to answer questions about the possibility of his retirement and his thoughts on Portland Trail Blazers All-Star Deni Avdija, the only active NBA player from Israel, according to Fox News.
When asked about having a message for fans overseas, people zeroed in on his sentiments of “hearing nothing but good things.”
“If I have fans over there, then I hope you’ve been following my career. I hope I inspire people over there to not only want to be great at sports but to be better in general in life,” he said. 
“So, hopefully, someday I could make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I heard great things. I appreciate the question.”
LeBron James on Israel:

“I hope I inspire people over there not only to be great in sports, but to be better in general in life, hopefully someday I can make it over there.” pic.twitter.com/Z5rPTzFval
Hasan, in particular, took great offense to the comments made by the 22-time All-Star after reposting another social media user’s comments.
“What a disgrace LeBron is,” the journalist said on X. 
What a disgrace LeBron is https://t.co/xLWJMg8gD1
Hasan, who has received massive backlash on his hard-hitting takes against Israel following the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas terrorists, continued to slam James in “An Open Letter to LeBron James,” published on his Zeteo platform. 
He highlighted all the times the four-time champion was seen as a champion of social justice, such as the violence in Charlottesville, Black Lives Matter, and the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
But called him out for remaining silent on the issues overseas, accusing him of seemingly praising “mass killing and starving in Gaza.”
“So where has your voice been for the past two and a half years as tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza have been bombed, shot, and starved to death? As parents dug their children’s bodies out of the rubble with their bare hands? As doctors operated without anesthesia inside besieged hospitals?” Hasan wrote. 
“Why have we heard nothing from you?”
However, he may have misspoken. An old post on X resurfaced from James, dated Oct. 11, 2023, where the NBA legend, along with his SpringHill Company business partner Maverick Carter, openly condemned the terror, saying “the devastation in Israel is tragic and unacceptable.”  
pic.twitter.com/DvjrsHg6QE
While some advocates, like Marc Lamont Hill, claimed to be “nonplussed” by James’ “good things” comments, friends like fellow NBA legend Carmelo Anthony seemed to ask fans to give him some grace.
“He’s living long enough to be the villain… Still holding this league down. This league don’t move without Bron. I don’t give a f**k what nobody say.,” Anthony said during a segment of his “7PM In Brooklyn” podcast. 
“It don’t move without Bron. Until he’s gone. His position in this game is bigger than wins and losses throughout the season.”
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Reverend Jesse Jackson, ‘The Great Unifier,’ has spent 60+ years shaping civil rights, politics, and social justice as a leader, activist, and two-time presidential candidate. Here are 5 of his career-defining moments.
No American leader has shaped the modern civil rights landscape quite like Reverend Jesse Jackson, widely known as “The Great Unifier.”
As previously reported, the family of the icon who expanded the reach of the Civil Rights Movement, founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, and broke barriers with two presidential bids, confirmed that he died Tuesday at 84.
But before his death, he continued to remind the masses that they are somebody.
With more than six decades of political involvement, the civil rights icon, two-time presidential candidate, and founder and president of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition used his passion for justice to become one of the nation’s most influential civil rights, religious, and political figures. For more than sixty years, he was at the forefront of movements for empowerment, peace, gender equality, and economic and social justice, whether standing on the front lines with protestors or advancing those causes through his presidential campaigns or community initiatives. 
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On Aug. 9, 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded Reverend Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Often called the “Conscience of the Nation,” Jackson has consistently challenged America to embrace inclusion and uphold fairness and humanity, whether through Operation Breadbasket or the major voting rights initiatives he championed during his presidential campaigns. Throughout his remarkable career, the South Carolina native has leveraged his keen intellect and deep community spirit to unite people across diverse lines of race, culture, class, gender, and faith.

Let’s take a look back at the defining moments of Reverend Jesse Jackson’s incredible career after the flip.
While attending North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, South Carolina, Jackson became deeply involved in the Civil Rights Movement by joining the Greensboro chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), according to the History Makers and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition website. His activism began early: in the summer of 1960, he took part in the effort to desegregate Greenville’s public library, an experience that marked the start of his leadership in the sit-in movement. By 1963, he was helping organize actions that resulted in the desegregation of local restaurants and theaters in Greensboro.
Jackson rose quickly within the movement, serving as field director for CORE’s southeastern region and leading the North Carolina Intercollegiate Council on Human Rights. In 1964, he represented students nationwide as a delegate at the Young Democrats National Convention. That same year, he graduated from North Carolina A&T with a degree in sociology and later received a Rockefeller grant to pursue graduate studies at the Chicago Theological Seminary.
Jackson put his Master’s of Divinity degree on hold to follow his passion for activism. In 1965, Jackson left seminary to join Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during the historic Selma marches in Alabama. According to Stanford University, in March 1965, he led a group of fellow students to Selma, Alabama, responding to Dr. King’s call for supporters of the local voting rights campaign. A year later, in 1966, Dr. King appointed Jackson to lead the Chicago branch of SCLC’s economic initiative, Operation Breadbasket, a program designed to strengthen African American-owned businesses and expand job opportunities within Black communities. 
Per the Chicago Public Library, confronted with the city’s persistently high unemployment rate among African Americans, Jackson and teams of ministers set out to evaluate the hiring practices of local companies. Firms that employed few or none of the city’s qualified Black workers were urged to implement fair hiring practices and goals within the coming months. The objective was straightforward: ensure that the workforce genuinely reflected the racial makeup of the community it served.
Operation Breadbasket prioritized dialogue and negotiation with business leaders. Yet when companies refused to cooperate or fell short on their commitments, the participating ministers turned to their congregations for support. From their pulpits, they challenged worshippers to consider the ethics of spending money at businesses that profited from the Black community while denying its residents access to jobs. Their appeals sparked a series of “Don’t Buy” campaigns—short for “Don’t Buy Where You Can’t Work”—which included organized picketing outside major supermarkets and other retail establishments. 
“Keep a slice of the ‘bread’ in your community” became the movement’s official slogan, hammering down Operation Breadbasket’s mission: economic justice through fair employment and community empowerment.
Two years after the successful launch of the initiative, Jackson was ordained on June 30, 1968, by Rev. Clay Evans.
In December 1971, Reverend Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) in Chicago. Its mission focused on economic empowerment and expanding opportunities for marginalized communities. In 1984, he established the National Rainbow Coalition, a Washington, D.C.–based organization dedicated to political empowerment, educational equity, and public policy reform. When the two merged in 1996, the Rainbow PUSH Coalition was born—an organization that continues to champion many of America’s most pressing social justice issues.
Decades before movements for national healthcare, anti-apartheid sanctions, drug policy reform, Middle East peace negotiations, and Haitian democracy became mainstream, Jackson was pushing these causes into public consciousness.
Jesse Jackson ran groundbreaking presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, seeking a chance to bring his inclusive policies to the White House. The Rainbow PUSH Coalition united African Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, poor white voters, women, labor groups, and LGBTQ communities in one of the most diverse alliances ever assembled in American politics.
Ahead of his time, Jackson campaigned on raising the minimum wage, universal healthcare, increased investment in education and job training, reducing military spending, and strengthening civil rights protections.
His efforts also helped register millions of new voters and energized progressive politics across the nation. According to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson’s 1984 campaign registered over one million new voters and won 3.5 million votes. In 1988, he registered over two million new voters, earned 7 million votes, and achieved top-two finishes in 46 of 54 primaries—an unprecedented milestone for a Black presidential candidate at the time. 
His speeches also played a defining role in shaping his legacy. Jackson infused them with moral clarity, biblical cadence, and a sense of political urgency. His address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention—delivered during his second presidential run—remains one of his most memorable, notable for the rallying cries “Keep hope alive” and “common ground.” Jackson urged Americans to come together—Black and white, rich and poor, urban and rural—to build a more just and inclusive country, stressing that as a nation, our work is best done when everyone is lifted, not divided.
Reflecting in a 2020 interview with WTTW, Jackson spoke about the grassroots nature of his campaigns.
“We were campaigning, we were crusading, staying in people’s homes.” He explained that staying with families across the country shaped his understanding of their struggles.
“That’s how I got a sense of the country. And so when I spoke about the coal miners, I [had] stayed in their homes. I didn’t stay in hotels; we couldn’t afford it.”
During the 1984 campaign, he successfully pushed for changes to delegate allocation rules during a party’s national convention, a shift he famously described in his own words:

“We democratized democracy… We changed it into proportionality.”
Although Reverend Jackson never became president, his impact on American society was recognized at the highest level. In 2000, President Bill Clinton awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his lifetime of leadership in civil rights, diplomacy, and social justice. From marching with Martin Luther King Jr. to founding Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition, Jackson’s legacy has transformed both national policy and global human rights.
After decades of activism, he finally received his Master of Divinity degree from Chicago Theological Seminary that same year, proving that it’s never too late to go after your dreams.
RELATED: Rev. Jesse Jackson Remains Hospitalized With Rare Neurological Condition As His Family Provides An Update
Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Monumental Milestones: How The Freedom-Fighting Faith Leader Reminded The World That ‘They Are Somebody’ was originally published on bossip.com

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Rare silk slipper believed to have been worn by James II
Courtesy of the National Trust
A magnificent leather and golden silk slipper believed to have once been worn, then lost or given away, by King James II is going on display at Killerton, a mansion in Devon that houses the National Trust’s costume collection. He is said to have worn the slippers when visiting Coventry in in 1687, where a grand banquet was held in his honour, and may have given them to one of his hosts. Pieces of opulent royal clothing such as embroidered gloves were often left as gifts, and cherished for generations by the recipients.
The single surviving slipper, which features a woven floral pattern, was bequeathed to the National Trust in 1978, as part of a vast costume collection assembled by Paulise de Bush. The connection with James II is anecdotal and the trust is researching its history: the slipper came with a faded museum label from De Bush’s own private costume museum, but it is not known where or how she acquired it. The rooms occupied by the king in Coventry were destroyed in the Blitz along with much of the historic core of the city.
Shelley Tobin, costume curator at Killerton, wonders if the other slipper may one day be found. “This slipper brings together many qualities we value in historic clothing,” she says. “Craftsmanship, social context and the traces of the people who made and used it … It invites us to imagine royal travel, gift giving and the long journeys objects can take through history before arriving in our care.”
In 1687, unknown to his hosts, time was running out for the king’s reign. James II, with a devout Roman Catholic second wife, Mary of Modena, was promising to repeal the laws barring Catholics from public and military office—sparking fierce opposition from those fearing the restoration of a Catholic state and monarchy. In 1688 he would be deposed in favour of his own daughter Mary, the Protestant child of his first marriage, and her husband William of Orange, who would come to England and become joint monarchs in the regime change known as the Glorious Revolution. James fled to France, but arrived in Ireland in 1689 to lead a wholly unsuccessful rebellion in an attempt to regain his throne. He died in exile in France in 1701.
His son James, and grandson Charles—Bonnie Prince Charlie—became known as the Old Pretender and the Young Pretender because of their failed attempts to regain the throne, which continued into the reign of George I and the coming of the Hanoverians, ending the Stuart succession.
The slipper will be on display in the History off the Hanger exhibition at Killerton, until 1 November.
A small casket, said to be a Barniz de Paso work, a largely forgotten form of varnishing, was found at the writer’s house in East Sussex

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The incident turned a birthday celebration into a painful lesson about racist violence, drawing condemnation from city leaders and state officials.
What was supposed to be a joyful seventh birthday ended with a lesson no parent wants to teach too soon.
Shayna Lee and her family were celebrating at the Krewe of Tucks parade in New Orleans when her daughter excitedly caught what she thought was a Barbie doll tossed from a float. But the excitement quickly turned to confusion, then heartbreak.
The doll was Black. Around its neck hung a string of beads.
For many, the image immediately calls to mind one of the most violent chapters in American history, when Black bodies were terrorized and lynched as a form of racial intimidation. Lee said she was stunned.
“At first I was actually in shock. I was because I was like… there is no way, out of all things that somebody could have thrown off of a float,” Lee told WWL-TV. “This… And it’s Black History Month. I’m not understanding how I, of all people or my family, was the chosen one to get this doll. And I was very upset because we have been teaching my daughter about, you know, Black history and racism and things like that.”
Instead of simply celebrating Mardi Gras and a birthday, Lee found herself explaining what it symbolized.
“It really just hurt that her innocence was taken away because I had to expose her to a darker side of racism and tell her why she wasn’t allowed to play with it,” Lee said. “And she was asking to keep the doll.”
The incident quickly drew condemnation from city and state officials.
Helena Moreno called the display “deeply offensive, unacceptable, and has no place in our city.”
“New Orleans is built on respect, diversity, and inclusion, and actions that seek to demean or intimidate any member of our community violate the very spirit of who we are,” Moreno said. She added that she and JP Morrell contacted Krewe of Tucks leadership to identify those responsible and ensure accountability.
Morrell described the doll as a “disturbing effigy meant to harm and intimidate families and children.”
State Representative Alonzo L. Knox said residents reached out with “justified disgust” and confirmed he is working with Liz Murrill, the governor and State Police to hold those responsible accountable.
“The people, especially the children, along that parade route did not deserve to be exposed to images of violence and hate, particularly against women,” Knox said. “It totally lacked sensitivity… and if anyone cannot see how this is offensive, they should check themselves.”
Murrill said she has opened an investigation.
“I have seen photos and reports of a disgusting, vulgar, racist image displayed on a float in the Tucks parade,” she said. “This conduct is absolutely abhorrent and entirely unacceptable.”
The Krewe of Tucks said it is investigating the incident and that anyone responsible will not be allowed to participate in future parades.
In a show of support, the day after the parade, the mayor and City Council welcomed Lee and her family to watch the festivities from Gallier Hall.
Lee said her family will continue to celebrate Mardi Gras, a cultural cornerstone of the city, but they will be more cautious.
“It’s not going to keep us from going out and having a good time,” she said. “But we’re definitely going to be more cautious about the throws that we get from the parades.”
For Lee, though, accountability matters most.
“At the least a fine… He definitely needs to get held accountable,” she said. “If it’s up to me, he needs to apologize, absolutely apologize, because that was disgraceful. For you to actually throw it out, it was even worse.”
What began as a birthday celebration became a reminder that even in spaces meant for joy, Black families are sometimes forced to navigate the weight of history in real time.
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OPINION: Public education is strongest when it adapts to the people it serves. Families don’t all want the same thing, and children don’t all learn the same way.
Editor’s note: The following article is an op-ed, and the views expressed are the author’s own. Read more opinions on theGrio.
When I think about education across America, I don’t start with policy. I start with place.
I grew up in Memphis and went to Whitehaven High School. Like a lot of kids, I did not spend much time thinking about school systems or governance. I remember hallways, teachers who knew my name, and the shared understanding that school mattered. Not as a guarantee, but as a door that could open if you did the work.
Whitehaven shaped how I saw education long before I led a school system. It taught me that schools must reflect the communities they serve and that stability, high expectations, and adult attention matter. Children and families in communities across America urgently need exactly those attributes in their classrooms – and the school systems that serve them must not be afraid to embrace change. 
So when I became superintendent of Memphis’ Shelby County Schools in 2013, I stepped into the role during a period of real disruption. The district had just gone through a historic merger. We were managing financial strain, aging buildings, and a system that too often asked families to accept outcomes no one would accept for their own children. I was responsible for every school in the district, including the one that raised me.
Graduation rates told part of that story. Too many students weren’t making it to the finish line, and Black young men were disproportionately represented in that group. Improving graduation outcomes became one of my clearest priorities. Graduation is not the end of a student’s journey, but it is a critical checkpoint. It reflects whether a system is organized around student success or around managing its own complexity.
The work was steady, practical, and unglamorous. We focused on stabilizing school leadership, improving facilities, reducing $100 million in district debt, and putting stronger supports in place for schools that had been asking for them for years. We worked to distribute resources where they were needed most and raise expectations across the system, not just in a handful of schools.
By the time I stepped down in early 2019, graduation rates had increased across Shelby County Schools, including for Black male students, who reached 75.3 percent, reflecting steady improvement. It wasn’t everything that needed to happen, but it was real progress, driven by educators, families, and students who showed up every day.
That experience continues to shape how I think about education now.
Today, my work at City Fund, a national foundation aimed at transforming education, is grounded in the same question that guided me as a superintendent: how do we help communities build school systems that work better for families, especially those who have had the fewest good options?
Last fall, City Fund partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies and UNCF to launch a $20 million initiative to support public schools, developed in partnership with Historically Black Colleges and Universities. The idea is straightforward. HBCUs are trusted institutions with deep roots, strong educational expertise, and a long history of turning opportunity into achievement. Bringing those strengths into closer partnership with K–12 education can open pathways earlier and make them clearer.
In Alabama, that work is taking shape now.
Later this month, I Dream Big Academy will officially cut its ribbon on the campus of Stillman College in Tuscaloosa. The timing matters. Opening a new public school during Black History Month is a reminder that the work of expanding opportunity is not symbolic. It is structural. Students will attend school each day on a college campus, learning in a setting that makes the next step visible and familiar.
In partnership with Tuskegee University, another Alabama community is preparing to reopen an existing public school with new academic supports and closer ties to higher education. In both cases, local boards approved the schools, local educators helped design them, and families chose them.
This work is not about choosing sides in education debates. Public education is strongest when it adapts to the people it serves. Families don’t all want the same thing, and children don’t all learn the same way. What they want is a real chance.
Research shows that when schools are well designed, well led, and held accountable, students benefit. Black students, in particular, have seen meaningful academic gains in high-quality public charter schools. That evidence should push us to expand what works, thoughtfully and responsibly, while continuing to strengthen the systems families rely on every day.
When I think back to the young men I met in Shelby County classrooms, I don’t think about policy debates. I think about whether they believed the system expected something of them. Whether they felt seen. Whether the adults around them believed they would succeed.
That question still matters.
Later this month, a ribbon will be cut at a new public school on the campus of an HBCU. Students will walk into a building designed by local educators, shaped by community priorities, and rooted in an institution that has helped generations turn education into opportunity.
Black History Month does not require grand statements. It calls for follow-through. It asks us to keep building schools that open doors, to support leaders who take responsibility for outcomes, and to stay focused on what students experience inside those classrooms every day.
That work is practical. It is local. And it is ongoing.
Dorsey Hopson is a Partner at City Fund, where he works with local leaders to improve student outcomes, strengthen K–12 ecosystems, and expand access to high-quality schools. He previously served as Superintendent of Memphis City and Shelby County Schools, leading the largest district merger in U.S. history while advancing early literacy, expanding school options, and building community partnerships. Earlier, he served as General Counsel for multiple districts and as a corporate defense attorney. Hopson holds degrees from the University of Memphis and Georgia State University College of Law.
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DL Hughley keeps it real, tackling billionaires, political integrity, and the rise of fake radio hosts with his truth, humor, and hard-hitting insights!

Jasmine Sanders and DL Hughley are back at it on The DL Hughley Show, serving up the latest “What’s Trending” with the kind of raw honesty and humor our community relies on. From radio host to billionaires and political integrity that has everyone talking, get all the details below.
Hughley kicked off the discussion by drawing a firm line in the sand between professional broadcasters and the growing number of online personalities. “Just ’cause you get a microphone from Best Buy don’t make you a radio host,” he declared. He took issue with individuals being labeled “radio hosts” when they aren’t affiliated with an actual radio station. For Hughley, the distinction is about more than just equipment; it’s about the platform, the profession, and the earned title. As a self-proclaimed “real radio host,” he urged for clarity in terminology, distinguishing podcasters from those who broadcast on the airwaves.
The conversation then shifted to the intersection of politics and character. Hughley argued that the political affiliations people choose are a “window into your soul.” He expressed frustration with the political gymnastics he sees, suggesting that what a person is willing to tolerate says more about them than their stated ideology. He pointed out the difference between traditional Republicans and the current MAGA movement, noting they have become “indistinguishable” based on the rhetoric and actions they now accept, which he believes has knocked people off their moral center.

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DL took aim at the ultra-wealthy, questioning the morality of billionaires. He referenced the biblical passage about a camel passing through the eye of a needle to illustrate his point, suggesting that immense wealth is often accumulated through questionable means. “They would rather have a $50 million wedding than to make sure that their employees can read,” he stated, criticizing their priorities. He connected this wealth to societal problems, from underfunded social services to the names appearing on the Epstein list. Hughley’s take was clear: while not all billionaires are evil, the actions of most suggest a moral failing that negatively impacts everyone else.
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Works by Philip Guston on show with Hauser & Wirth at Art Basel Qatar Courtesy of Art Basel
From breaking news and insider insights to exhibitions and events around the world, the team at The Art Newspaper picks apart the art world’s big stories with the help of special guests. An award-winning podcast hosted by Ben Luke.
The first Art Basel Qatar art fair is now open in Qatar’s capital, Doha, and The Art Newspaper’s art market editor, Kabir Jhala, joins Ben Luke to discuss its impact, as well as reflecting on the wider artistic outlook in Qatar and the Middle East.
The author of a new catalogue raisonné of the work of Albrecht Dürer argues that a painting of the artist’s father in the National Gallery in London, long thought to be a copy after Dürer’s original, is in fact an autograph work. Our special correspondent in London, Martin Bailey, tells us about the arguments for and against its authenticity.
After Albrecht Dürer, The Painter’s Father (1497) National Gallery, London
And this episode’s Work of the Week is actually a pair of works. That is because there is a compelling double header opening at the Albertinum in Dresden this weekend: the exhibition Paula Modersohn-Becker and Edvard Munch: The Big Questions of Life. The show’s co-curator Andreas Dehmer discusses Selbstbildnis mit Hand am Kinn (Self-Portrait with Hand on Chin, 1906) by Modersohn-Becker and Vampir (Vampire, 1895) by Munch with our digital editor, Alexander Morrison.
Left: Paula Modersohn-Becker’s Selbstbildnis mit Hand am Kinn (1906/07) and right: Edvard Munch’s Vampir (1895) Modersohn-Becker: © Landesmuseum Hannover/ARTOTHEK; Munch: © Munchmuseet, Oslo

From the reimagined Frick Collection to Emily Kam Kngwarray at Tate Modern
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February 16, 2026
Shop owners report steep losses as federal enforcement actions dampen foot traffic.
As federal immigration enforcement intensifies under President Donald Trump’s renewed deportation push, small business owners in Minnesota say the economic fallout is undermining promises that stricter policies would benefit Black and Hispanic workers.
During the 2024 campaign, Trump argued that immigrants were taking jobs from minority communities. “They’re going to be attacking — and they already are — Black population jobs, the Hispanic population jobs, and they’re attacking union jobs too,” he said at a rally in Reading, Pennsylvania.
But in Minnesota, where federal agents have carried out one of the largest recent enforcement deployments, many entrepreneurs say the opposite is occurring. Storefronts in diverse neighborhoods report sharp declines in customers and revenue, with some warning they may not survive the year.
Local business leaders have launched “A Week to Shop Local for Truth & Freedom,” urging residents to spend money in neighborhood stores ahead of Valentine’s Day. Organizers argue the downturn is not seasonal but tied directly to fear surrounding immigration raids.
Brian Atkins, co-owner of Custom Designs in Brooklyn Park, said his shop typically sees slower sales after the holidays. “November, once after Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas is slow,” he told The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder. “But now ICE presents made it even slower.”
Community advocates say many residents are avoiding public spaces, concerned about potential encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Yusra Mohamud told the outlet the impact along Minneapolis’ Lake Street corridor is staggering. “Right now, ICE activity is hitting our corridor hard. Businesses on Lake Street are losing tens of millions of dollars a month,” she said. “That number continues to grow.”
Financial estimates reflect the depth of the downturn. Russ Adams said projections show between $10 million and $20 million in weekly losses citywide, with approximately $46 million in revenue disappearing across December and January on Lake Street alone. “You don’t come back from that in a single quarter,” Adams said.
Carl Swanson of the Minnesota CDFI Coalition warned that prolonged disruption could destabilize lending networks. “Even a 20 percent default rate would mean a $140 million loss to Minnesota’s economic ecosystem,” he said, noting there is “no federal safety net” to offset such damage.
For many owners, the crisis is also about principle. “Shopping local for truth and freedom is about saying clearly and publicly that our local economy should not be built on fear,” said Lawrence Eddison of Custom Designs. Emilia Gonzalez Avalos added, “Where you spend your money is one way we show what kind of community we want to live in. It’s also about solidarity.”
The economic ripple extends beyond Minnesota. In Columbus, Ohio, immigrant entrepreneurs gathered at the Global Mall to describe similar struggles. Khalid Turaani of CAIR-Ohio said agents have been stationed near businesses. “In some of these businesses, we’re seeing ICE agents are parked at the front literally to disenfranchise these businesses who are legal, who are taxpayers, who are employers,” he told WCMH–TV. Mohamed Ali emphasized, “We are citizens. We are taxpayers.”
On the West Coast, Los Angeles County officials reported roughly $3.7 million in losses between July and September 2025 following federal immigration raids. County supervisors commissioned the study after enforcement operations intensified, citing concerns about harm to local economies.
From Minneapolis to Columbus and Los Angeles, business owners say the effects of heightened enforcement are measurable not only in dollars lost, but in communities strained by fear and uncertainty.
RELATED CONTENT: Target CEO Along With Other Minnesota Executives Call For ICE Brigade To End As Workforce Dwindles As A Result Of Raids

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