The year 2020 has been a very different year for most people. It has been a year of change and growth with the coronavirus, social justice movements, and protests. With everything going on with police brutality, specifically against people of color, and people are wanting to do better in 2020, major actions have been taken. Artists, sports franchises, and businesses have decided to make appropriate and needed changes based on some racially rooted names.

The first big name change came in the music industry with the country trio Lady Antebellum shortening their name to ‘Lady A’ after learning further the root of the word Antebellum. This word, meaning, “occurring or existing before a particular war, especially the American Civil War” went under fire and was dropped after realizing its association with slavery. They released the following statement on their instagram: “When we set out together almost 14 years ago, we named our band after the southern ‘antebellum’ style home where we took our first photos. As musicians, it reminded us of all the music born in the south that influenced us…southern rock, blues, R&B, gospel and of course country,” the band said. “But we are regretful and embarrassed to say that we did not take into account the associations that weigh down this word referring to the period of history before the civil war, which includes slavery.” They posted their new logo after the release of the statement. Although they received some backlash from the public, overall their change has been both respected and praised.

The next big name change that came out of 2020 was the Washington Redskins. It was announced on Monday, July 13th that they would be retiring the Redskins name and replacing it with a less polarizing one. Although the announcement of what the name has yet to be released, there are a few top runners that are being considered. The main options are The Warriors, The RedTails, The Red Wolves, and The Hogs. The team is being very careful when choosing the name to make sure they will not have any problems with it down the road. With sports teams such as The Braves, The Blackhawks, and The Indians receiving pressure to change, Washington may want to stay away from The Warriors at the risk of that being considered derogatory. Both The RedTails and the Red Wolves would stand to honor The Tuskegee Airmen, a group of all-black fighter pilots who painted the backs of their planes during World War II. With many options to consider, this change is going to make a positive impact all around the NFL and other sport franchises.

2020 is the year for change and we are happy to see major platforms taking steps in the right direction. Some may not agree with the need for the changes but many see the positive impact it will have. Do you think they made the right decision?

The month of June is recognized worldwide as pride month in support of the LGBTQ community. All throughout the entertainment world we have representation from the queer community who have advanced us with their talent and it is important that they are recognized. One singer who has made waves in her career as well as with her platform is Halsey and today we recognize her for it.

Halsey first started her singing career with videos she posted on social media of her singing covers of popular songs. One of her most famous was her cover of “I Knew You Were Trouble” by Taylor Swift. Soon after she got discovered and started to gain notoriety with her duet with the Chainsmokers with the song “Closer,” even though he had already had a studio recorded first album. This song earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Pop Duet/ Group Performance in 2016. In 2017 she released her song album called “Hopeless Fountain Kingdom” with songs that were viewed as “much more radio friendly.” This album focuses on Halsey’s bisexuality and other bisexual characters. The second single off the album “Bad at Love” which peaked at 5th in the US, spoke about her sexual orientation and relationship history.

Halsey was able to use her new platform in 2016 to speak out in support of presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. In July of that year, she performed at an event called “Hands” with 26 other artists in order to pay tribute to the victims of the Pulse Nightclub shooting. She had struggled with mental illness in the past and in 2017 she participated in the mental health and suicide prevention awareness campaign called “I’m Listening.” Halsey is a self proclaimed feminist and was active in the Women’s March 2018. At this March, she delivered a powerful poem to over 200,000 protesters in which she told personal stories of sexual assault and violence throughout her life. Halsey has continued to be an activist for the causes she believes in and In June 2020, she launched The Black Creators Fund, which will provide financial support, resources and a platform to black creators.

Halsey is an incredible talent and uses her platform to deliver a powerful message to all who will listen. She is never concerned about the backlash she might get and continues to back the causes she supports. She is a proud member of the LGBTQ community and stands as a role model for all. Her catchy songs deliver an undeniable source of entertainment while her lyrics provide a much needed message in this world today.