Maryland officials marched 12 black men suffering with mental illnesses into a forest and forced them to build their own asylum from the ground up in March of 1911. My new book Madness tells the hospital’s 93-year history. Out Tuesday Jan 23rd everywhere:
My boyfriend of 2+ years took me out to see The Photograph last night and then broke up with me. And I’m down about all the usual stuff... but I... cannot wrap my head around why he took me out first. Is that a thing? Are men ok???
Uvalde city meeting getting heated right now. Mayor calls reporters at the
@statesman
& KVUE “chicken” and “unprofessional” for releasing new video footage before the families were able to see it first. A resident shot back, asking him if he thinks the cops are chickens.
New: Atlanta shooting suspect told police he had “sexual addiction”, “indicators now may not be” racially motivated, says Cherokee Cty Sheriff Frank Reynolds.
Our team spent long hours reporting on and around Columbia’s campus on Thursday & Friday. I want to clear some stuff up. I didn’t see a single instance of violence or aggression on the lawn or at the student encampment. The student-led protest was peaceful and often very quiet…
God. Part of the horror of the Tyre Nichols video - which I’m not sharing - is how what we hear officers say is the opposite of what we see. For ex - the demand to see his hands when they are holding his arms & kicking him. It appears they’re manufacturing a pretext for the stop.
I should note that it’s been about 7 weeks since a gunman killed 19 kids and 2 teachers. The authorities could’ve released this video or showed it to the families sooner.
I cannot stop thinking about the fact that what we’ve repeatedly witnessed this week is what people do to black people when the cameras are on. What do you think happens when they’re off?
This story isn't getting enough attention. A 16 year old boy died after staff members at a foster facility restrained him until he lost consciousness. He was tackled... for throwing a sandwich. Truly disturbing 18-minute video was released today:
My grandpa was my hero & I’m missing him terribly. What I’ll add to
@soledadobrien
is that he was also generous & hilarious. He saved up to help pay for college for all 20-something grandkids. He walked me thru my physics homework on the phone. He saw humor & light in everything
My dad passed away last night. He was 85. He was a sharpshooter in the military. A professional athlete. A scientist. Here he is with my mom (and me) in 1966:
Lmaooo. You do this to most black women and you'll get your soul slapped out of you. She's lucky there's a computer screen in between (and that Gayle King is a saint)
If you’re watching or sharing videos from the last few days, provide context. The public protests happening on the street are not the same as the encampment inside. Don’t imply students at Columbia/Barnard are involved in events that they were not present or responsible for.
Woke-ism, multiculturalism, all the -isms — they're not who America is. They distort our glorious founding and what this country is all about. Our enemies stoke these divisions because they know they make us weaker.
This is from my interview with Biden at Monday’s Brown & Black forum in Iowa. I asked this because social security is especially important to black voters, who tend to rely on it more heavily for their retirement income than white voters do.
Biden blatantly lied about Social Security at Iowa's Black & Brown Forum this week:
Q: "Do you think it's fair though for voters to question your commitment to Social Security when in the past you've proposed a freeze to it?"
Biden: "No, I didn't propose a freeze."
"You did."
Next the lovely Ricky Martin & Residente (Bad Bunny was in there somewhere too). Ricky Martin was the subject of homophobic jokes made by the Governor & friends in the infamous chat group. He was right in the thick of the protest with people all day 📷
@zcaldwelll
The students I met were mostly praying, eating, holding signs. Other students walked by the encampment throughout the afternoon. Never saw anyone bother or harass them.
Reporters often tell stories about the “clubs” of parents who’ve lost their children to senseless gun violence. And there are Black parents in every city who find themselves in this one… mourning children who had an entire life ahead of them until an encounter with police.
The only moments of conflict or aggression I witnessed took place beyond the gates, out on Broadway Ave. I repeatedly approached people in that crowd. Every single person I approached told me they were NOT a Columbia or Barnard student. None of them had badges to get on campus.
I spoke with Black moms in Iowa who shared some terrifying stories about the racism they experienced from doctors and nurses in the state. Then sat down with
@ewarren
, one of the candidates they think might actually do something. Full story here:
NOW: young Puerto Ricans stage a theatrical protest. Each a diff corrupt member of
@ricardorossello
administration. They pull their pants down to crap on boxes that say things like “democracia” “educacion publica” and “justicia social.” Peep Trump in the corner
#RickyRenuncia
I’ve covered lots of protests & flew out to Kenosha this week as National Guard came & officials over-prepared for peaceful protests... seeing a crowd of mostly white ppl storm the capitol is distressing. This is not what law and order looks like for the communities I’ve covered.
Another one from Southlake.
@NBCNews
obtained audio from a district training. An administrator advised confused teachers that if they have a book about the Holocaust in the classroom, they need one with an "opposing" viewpoint. From
@Mike_Hixenbaugh
and me
@perlim55ML
So I actually worked at Vice when Charlottesville happened. I would venture to say that Vice had the best coverage, out of everyone, of that day. One of my best friends produced this. Feel free to watch:
WNBA star Maya Moore sat out the entire season last year and helped overturn the conviction of Jonathan Irons, who was serving a 50-year prison sentence.
He was finally released today.
(via
@MooreMaya
)
THREAD: Dr. Jennifer McKenney has had people drive by her house and film her, post awful messages about her on Facebook & rally for her to lose her job. She grew up in this small town... she knows many of the people who’ve turned on her. She finishes many work days in tears.
.
@ahylton26
reports from rural Kansas, where Covid-19 cases are rising, along with some threats and animosity towards health professionals.
“People want to blame something, and they can’t blame a virus that is too small to be seen, so they blame people like me,” one doctor says.
Excited to see this piece circulating again ☺️ For those curious: NJ ended up reducing - not eliminating - reqmts for braiders. Still required to have a high school diploma/GED & take a written exam... major roadblock for the many braiders who are immigrants/english 2nd language
This is insane. A woman in MA couldn’t get a test or treatment for coronavirus here so she flew back to China, where she and her family are now receiving care.
The latest imported case in Beijing is a Chinese national who lives and works in Massachusetts. One of her coworkers was diagnosed with covid-19. She began to have symptoms 2 weeks ago. Her chest CT scan on 11/3 showed lung infections but couldn't get admitted. She requested
Southlake is a beautiful and affluent city in Texas, known for top schools and stunning McMansions. But if you ask it’s Black students & families, they’ll tell you that the pretty exteriors paper over something ugly. My first ever Nightly News story airs tonight. Tune in.
Tonight on
@NBCNightlyNews
: After a racist video went viral in Southlake, Texas, the school developed diversity and inclusion programs – then some parents pushed back.
@ahylton26
talks to students and families.
Watch at 6:30pm ET/5:30pm CT. Read more:
NEW: In upcoming book, Michael Cohen writes Donald Trump's disdain for Obama was so extreme he hired a "Faux-Bama" to participate in a video in which he "ritualistically belittled the first black president and then fired him." He includes this photo:
Events are being held throughout the holiday weekend marking the 100th anniversary of the 1921 massacre in Tulsa, Oklahoma. A century later, many are still grappling with that violent and largely hidden history.
@ahylton26
reports.
Just got my
@NBCNews
headshot 😅 so now it’s real. The Report premieres on
@quibi
this coming Monday. It’s a strange time to launch a new program, and I know the news is intense and overwhelming for many people right now. We’re gonna do our best to bring you something new.
I’m still in shock that the first thing I saw when I woke this morning was my friend getting arrested on television for doing his job. I’m trying to focus on being thankful that he was on air and he wasn’t out reporting alone.
These are the rural counties that the nonpartisan group
@NewRuralProject
has been canvassing for more than a year. We’ve watched as they’ve gone door-to-door & had frank conversations with Black voters who sat out the 2020 election. They think something may have shifted.
WATCH: Black voters are turning out at higher rates than white voters in N.C. That could spell good news for Cheri Beasley,
@ahylton26
reports.
➡️ Anson County: Turnout is over 2% higher
➡️ Hoke County: Turnout is over 8% higher
➡️ Robeson County: Turnout is 3% higher
There’s a growing NYPD presence outside Columbia’s campus right now… including high ranking officers, supervisors, captains, and community affairs. They’ve launched a drone over Hamilton Hall.
Breaking: Dean of the Columbia Journalism School
@jelani9
tells me that calls to bring the National Guard to this campus are OFF the table. Not part of ongoing encampment negotiations.
Trump as protagonist VS coverage where his actions are reported but he is not the main character informs so much of our team’s immigration coverage. We spend way more time with immigrants & lawyers and in courtrooms than we do circling his orbit in dc. And it’s paid off.
If you don't want to take the bait, but you feel you cannot ignore — and by ignoring accept — his behavior, then a distinction worth making is between coverage in which Trump is the protagonist, and coverage where his actions are reported but he is not the story's main character.
I’m forever grateful to all the Black reporters covering this week’s stories and someway, somehow pushing through. I’ve basically disassociated since I saw Lt. Caron Nazario get pepper sprayed and haven’t quite come to yet. Sending my 🤎 to all of you.
Breaking: Columbia Pres Minouche Shafik announced that school & organizers are in negotiations over ending the encampment. There’s a midnight deadline. If not successful, she says, “we will have to consider alternative options for clearing the West Lawn and restoring calm.”
My latest looks at how high levels of student loan debt are keeping black professionals from getting approved to buy homes... even when they have good savings and credit. Here’s the preview of what just aired
@MSNBC
. Full piece out now on
@thereportnbc
!
@Wademiller44
I’m a reporter. I cover protests, I don’t support or take part in them. Every story I’ve done on the war and campus life has prioritized student stories, including Jewish students who’ve shared stories of harassment and fear.
This summer the state of Texas took over its largest school district — Houston ISD. Staff were laid off & reorganized, school libraries were turned into work & discipline centers. Parents are calling it a hostile takeover. And now some are pushing back. Tonight
@NBCNightlyNews
.
The Houston Independent School District announced a plan to eliminate 28 libraries and replace them with a center for work and discipline after allegations of poor academic performance.
@ahylton26
speaks tonight with one librarian and the superintendent to hear both sides.
New: Black Lives Matter and Pride have collided this month. And the movement is forcing every organization, even progressive ones like LA Pride, to grapple with their own histories of racial exclusion. Watch
@thereportnbc
@Quibi
💥
Deadly transphobia didn't start with the Trump administration. And getting one man out of office isn't going to end it, either. These murders deserve serious, thoughtful discussion and investigation... they're not political fodder.
Joe Biden speaks in Columbus, OH: "We've already had five, just this year, we've already had five black transgender women killed violently in 2019. It's outrageous. It must, it must, it must end. And the fastest way to end it is end the Trump administration."
We won a Peabody. I'm so humbled. Thank you to the Peabody jurors. Thank you to everyone who listened to our series. Thank you to the families in Southlake. Thank you to the brilliant and generous people we work with every single day at
@NBCNews
.
All of you who’ve watched that clip and come away with any reaction other than being weirded out by a grown adult man punching a woman in her back... eeeeek.
*taps mic* uh I have personal news. Today’s my last at
@ViceNews
after 4 unbelievable years! Joining this team has changed my life. I’ve been to almost every state/territory in the US & reported in LatAm. Won my first Emmy for a feature story. Moderated my 1st presidential forum.
Lori Loughlin has received permission from a federal judge to serve her prison sentence at a facility of her choice. She will serve her time at a medium-security prison camp in Victorville, California.
Schools across the country are facing a teacher shortage, fueled by low pay and burnout. But in Texas, many teachers say it’s politics. They’re tired of living and working at the center of the culture war. Our story
@NBCNightlyNews
tonight:
As school districts grapple with teacher shortages,
@ahylton26
takes us to a Texas town where frustrations over banned books, restrictions on race and identity lessons have contributed to a 40 percent increase in staff resignations and retirements.
My littlest sister (I’m one of 7) got into Harvard today. She’s had a pretty crappy high school experience and has had to put up with on&off racist bullying and bs. I can’t wait for her to get out and I’m so proud of her. Overwhelmed.
Residente & Bad Bunny (hidden behind) are here outside the Governor’s mansion leading the crowd in chants. Everyone pumped about the news that Governor Ricardo Rosselló will resign tonight or tomorrow & there may be fresh FBI arrests in the am
#rickyrenuncia
#RickyVeteYa
Excited to share the cover of my upcoming book MADNESS. This is the story of a segregated asylum, told through the eyes of the patients and employees who lived it. I’ve been working on this since I was just 19. It’ll finally be here Jan 23, 2024:
@MsPackyetti
@gaietydeity
I tweeted this spontaneously while feeling really down and confused. Had no clue so many people would respond! I’ve made new friends & laughed on here all day and I’m so grateful for that ☺️
I’m writing a real, whole book 😅 It will explore Crownsville, a formerly segregated asylum in Maryland, & the current legacy of race and mental health services. I’ll also open up about some of my own family history, too. I’m excited… and very scared lol. Welp no turning back.
A fourth grader who survived the shooting said officers assaulting the barricaded room told kids to call for help before they had incapacitated the gunman, which led to him shooting a kid who called for help
watching this is like when i used to have sleepovers at my white friends' house and they'd tell their moms to shut up and i would hyperventilate in fear
I shot a story in Boston today and my mom and some of my siblings came & surprised me with a homemade cake. It made me cry like a baby 😭 I’ve missed them so much.
So if you know me you know how much I love
#DemThrones
. In tonight’s episode of
@vicenews
@HBO
we celebrate some of Game of Thrones’ most devoted black fans & the communities they create. Tune in 🔥
"After long days in the ninth grade and between dance classes, Jalaiah tried to get the word out. She hopped in the comments of several videos, asking influencers to tag her. For the most part she was ridiculed or ignored.”
NEW: I spoke to people struggling to socially distance inside US prisons and jails, and met with one man who managed to get an early release from Rikers. My latest
@NBCNews
is out on
@Quibi
now.
Right now, Minnesota is showing the country you don't win elections to bank political capital – you win elections to burn political capital and improve lives.
My story on
@NBCNightlyNews
tonight. Black and indigenous parents are hurting as they watch the coverage of Gabby Petito unfold. They’re pleading for the nation to put the same investment & urgency behind the search for their missing children.
WHAT IS A RACIAL STUMBLE. When you use language like this you are absolving DeSantis of responsibility for his words. A stumble is a mistake. I’m not so sure DeSantis’s language and associations have been mistakes.
Never thought I’d talk about this kind of thing on national TV 😅 but I felt like I had to pay it forward. Hearing
@craigmelvin
talk about his brother & the risks of colon cancer may very well have extended my life.
After dealing with gastrointestinal issues,
@ahylton26
decided to get checked out by a doctor, which might have saved her life. Antonia and her doctor Nooshin Hosseini join TODAY to discuss her health journey and share and important lesson about listening to your body.
According to KCUR, dozens of health officials have dealt with threats and hostility. Many have quit or been pushed out of their jobs. Dr. McKenney told me she faces extra venom because she’s Asian-American and people think she’s connected to ppl who “manufactured” this
It’s 15 minutes after curfew in Louisville. Protestors have entered First Unitarian church. A little tough to see through but many people sitting on steps getting food and water. Officers waiting and watching. It’s quiet except for helicopters circling above.
Our story on
@DrJamesWhit
, the Black principal in Texas on the brink of losing his job. See more of his family’s story tonight 9pm on
@MeetThePress
@NBCNewsNow
. We’ll also take you into a school in OK doing all it can to shield educators & kids from the culture war around them.
Dr. James Whitfield, a Black high school principal in Texas, is fighting to get back to his job after being accused of promoting critical race theory, which is outlawed in the state.
@ahylton26
reports.