u/SpiritedBase5047

A Man Won an Election With 68% of the Vote — Then the State Tried to Eliminate His Office

Title Options

  • A Man Won an Election With 68% of the Vote — Then the State Tried to Eliminate His Office
  • Calvin Duncan Won the Election. Why Was the Office Suddenly Abolished Afterward?
  • What Happens When the Establishment Loses a Local Election?
  • The Calvin Duncan Case Raises a Bigger Question About Power and Local Elections
  • He Won the Election Fairly. Then Lawmakers Changed the Rules.
  • Is This What “States’ Rights” Looks Like in Practice?
  • Calvin Duncan’s Story Shows Why Local Elections Matter More Than People Think
  • Can Democracy Function If the Rules Change After the Vote?
  • The Most Disturbing Local Political Story Most People Haven’t Heard About
  • A Wrongfully Convicted Man Won Office — Then the State Moved to Stop Him

On the latest segment of Raised By Her, Donnica and Ro Nita break down what they see as one of the clearest examples of structural power moving to override a local election result.

Calvin Duncan — an exoneree who taught himself law during nearly 30 years of wrongful imprisonment — won the New Orleans criminal clerk race with 68% of the vote. 📉⚖️

According to Donnica, the response from the political establishment was immediate. After losing at the ballot box, lawmakers fast-tracked Senate Bill 256, which would abolish the criminal clerk’s office before Duncan could even take office.

Ro Nita argues that many voters assume winning an election means the fight is over, but this case raises bigger questions about how much power state governments have to restructure systems after an election has already happened.

The situation became even more controversial when a federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, only for the Fifth Circuit to pause the ruling hours later. Critics also point to the state merging criminal and civil court records, which they argue makes access to records more difficult for exonerees and defense advocates.

The conversation ultimately asks a larger question about civic engagement, local politics, and institutional power:

If elected offices, systems, or rules can be changed immediately after voters make a decision, how much faith do people continue to have in local democracy?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 1 day ago

Why the George Floyd Joke at Netflix’s Kevin Hart Roast Backfired

On the latest segment of Raised By Her, Donnica and Ro Nita got completely honest about why the optics surrounding The Roast of Kevin Hart felt so off.

Ro Nita pointed out that while people online keep talking about comedians “understanding the assignment,” the George Floyd joke noticeably failed in the room. The backlash intensified after George Floyd’s family publicly spoke out, explaining how painful it was to watch a white comedian make a “can’t breathe” joke while a corporate audience laughed along. 📉

Donnica argued that the moment felt less like comedy and more like shock-value content engineered for viral engagement. Her biggest question was simple: “What was the purpose, and what did this actually accomplish?”

She explains that if the goal was clicks and controversy, Netflix probably succeeded — but at the cost of making the event feel hollow, overly corporate, and disconnected from the culture it was trying to reference. Ro Nita adds that instead of building a truly memorable dais with comedians deeply rooted in Black comedy traditions and cultural nuance, the production leaned heavily into edgy moments designed to trend online.

One of the most uncomfortable parts of the conversation is the real-world fallout. The Gianna and George Floyd Foundation reportedly criticized the special and discussed the impact the jokes were having on Floyd’s young daughter, including bullying at school.

The episode raises a bigger question about modern entertainment: when does “nothing is off limits” comedy stop being satire and start becoming content optimized for outrage and engagement?

TIL: Do you think comedy should truly have no boundaries, or should comedians and platforms consider the real-world impact certain jokes can have on families and communities?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 1 day ago

Donnica (Raised by Her): "The judicial system we have now was completely predicted and planned. They play the long game." 🏛️📉

On the latest segment, Donnica and Ro Nita discuss how power actually works in Washington. Donnica points out that while she routinely struggles with both the Democratic and Republican platforms, you have to respect the tactical discipline of the conservative long game.

Donnica reveals that the current gridlock and conservative shift in the courts didn't just drop from the sky. For years, organizations have been strategically picking candidates, financing specific law school educations, and slowly raising individuals up to inherit the bench. Ro Nita argues that finding ourselves in this scary situation is the natural result of playing against an opponent that thinks in quarter-centuries while your preferred party only thinks about the next fundraising email. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: The current judicial system is the result of a 30-year talent pipeline strategy. Do you think most Americans underestimate how much long-term planning shapes politics, or are people becoming more aware of how these systems actually work?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 2 days ago

"She went on The Breakfast Club and said she didn't need a license. That's not how public safety works." 🏛️📉

On the latest Raised by Her, Donnica and Ro Nita dive deeper into the fallout from Cheyenne Bryant's unverified credentials. Donnica points out that the comments are absolute chaos right now, with users throwing around nicknames like "Dr. Dre" and "Dr. Pepper" because the wellness guru simply refuses to produce a dissertation or a state license. 📉🚫

Ro Nita reveals that watching Bryant's appearance on The Breakfast Club was incredibly frustrating because she tried to frame licensing boards as a meaningless hurdle meant for corporate billing. She argues that when you're treating people with deep childhood trauma, hiding behind a defunct university's lost records while leveraging "pretty privilege" to secure celebrity clients is the ultimate red flag. She demonstrates that true practitioners don't run away from transparency—they embrace it because their field demands structural accountability to protect marginalized communities. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Cheyenne Bryant says she works "under a licensee" to bypass board regulations. If an internet psychologist gets offended when asked for receipts, it's time to run.

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 2 days ago

"It wasn't a great roast. It just seemed like a celebrity party for Netflix producers." Let's talk about the Kevin Hart special.

On the latest Raised by Her, Donnica and Ro Nita review the three-hour Roast of Kevin Hart. Ro Nita points out that she went into the special expecting a classic, biting roast structure, but was left completely confused by the bizarre production choices. 📉🚫

Ro Nita reveals that trying to host a comedy roast inside a giant mega-arena completely killed the vibe. Instead of a tight, high-stakes dais, the stage was just a massive, disorganized room full of random individuals that completely stripped away the format's historic tension. Donnica argues that the final product was clearly engineered by Netflix executives to act as a flashy, star-studded marketing activation for the Netflix Is a Joke festival, rather than a space for substantive comedic writing. She demonstrates that when you bloat a comedy show to three hours just to fit in executive-friendly cameos, the art form gets completely diluted. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Mass-producing a roast for stadium-level capacity completely ruins the room's energy. Are we officially done with the era of high-quality, intimate celebrity roasts?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 2 days ago

Shomi: "The market for the AP Swatch drop is being driven by people who want to aspire to something." Let's talk about the launch-day desperation. 🏛️📉

On the latest segment, H and Shomi stop the standard hype train to drop an incredibly sobering take on why people are getting pepper-sprayed in malls for a plastic pocket watch holder. H points out that the entire secondary ecosystem for the Royal Pop is a complete psychological bubble. The chaos isn't happening because people suddenly developed a profound love for hand-wound caliber pocket watches. 📉🚫

H reveals that the lines are systematically being filled by people who want a shortcut to a high-luxury lifestyle. They are desperate to have the "AP" octagonal aesthetic on their bodies, so they pay hundreds of dollars for a non-serviceable gadget that looks like a colorful toy. Shomi argues that this is the ultimate form of predatory corporate marketing—extracting liquidity from demographics who are already struggling with rising fuel and electricity costs just to sell them a simulated token of wealth. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: The Royal Pop isn't a collectors' item; it's a dynamic tax on status anxiety. Stop camping out for items meant to devalue your savings while overvaluing corporate portfolios.

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 3 days ago
▲ 592 r/HBCU+1 crossposts

"For the first time ever, Spelman has 7 co-valedictorians with perfect 4.0s." The reality of the Spelman Seven. 🏛️📉

On the latest Raised by Her, Donnica brings some raw, incredible news from her alma mater. Seven Black women just made history by graduating as co-valedictorians, each maintaining an absolute 4.0 GPA over four years. 📉

One of the philosophy majors, Nia-Sarai Perry, was ready to accept an A-minus her junior year just to get across the stage, but her classmate Alexis Sims explicitly pulled her aside, held court in the cafeteria, and forced her to retake the class to protect her trajectory. Ro Nita argues that in an educational landscape that routinely fields attacks on diversity and African American communities, watching the number one HBCU function as a literal machine that pumps out doctor, lawyer, and executive pipelines is the ultimate response. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: The Spelman Seven didn't break the record by competing against each other; they broke it by holding the line together. If your "excellence" requires you to win alone, you’re doing it wrong.

u/Dependent_Studio1986 — 3 days ago
▲ 8 r/RaisedByHerPodcast+1 crossposts

"Tiffany Haddish is the 4th Black woman on the cover ever." The history behind the glamorous SI shoot. 📉

On the latest Raised by Her, Donnica and Ro Nita strip away the standard corporate PR noise to talk about what the new Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition actually represents.

Donnica points out that Tiffany Haddish didn't just break the glass ceiling as an actress; she is the first stand-up comedian to ever be featured in the magazine, period. 📉 She also says that the coolest part of the entire drop is the de-influenced personal history. Tiffany didn't treat this like a standard ego-trip; she used her platform to highlight her late grandmother, who was one of the first Black models to integrate media spaces in California decades ago.

Ro Nita says that after decades of editing layouts strictly for a male gaze, the publication’s ongoing pivot—which really kicked into gear with the Martha Stewart spread last year—proves they are recognizing that modern audiences demand depth, range, and genuine heritage over superficial perfection. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Tiffany Haddish wanted to be an Olympic track star to land this cover as a kid. Decades later, she did it through comedy while honoring her family roots.

u/Dependent_Studio1986 — 3 days ago

Dru (The 12 Hub): "If a shoe has been tried on at the store, it’s not Deadstock." Stop letting retail chains trick you. 🏛️📉

On the latest The 12 Hub, Dru and H get into the ridiculous double standards of what actually counts as "New In Box" today. H points out that his strategy for buying dress shoes at spots like DSW requires a full box inspection—if the tissue paper is shredded, the box is ripped, or the shoe tree is missing, he walks away. 📉🚫

Dru reveals that the definition of Deadstock has become totally warped and subjective because people rely too much on resale platforms to tell them what’s clean. H admits that when he buys off secondary apps, he operates on a "don't ask, don't tell" mentality—if it looks real and smells fresh, he'll rock it. But Dru argues that if we're being completely honest about the culture, a shoe that has been on a stranger's foot in a physical store is used. Period. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Big-box retail stores are selling "tried-on" shoes as brand new every day, but a reseller would get flagged for listing the exact same pair as DS. Is the definition broken?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 5 days ago

Ana Kasparian: "Everyone just wants easy answers, and those easy answers are gonna screw you." The case against AI dependency. 🏛️📉

On the latest The Young Turks segment, Ana Kasparian goes completely off on how lazy our collective brains have gotten. She points out that the quiet part of the tech boom is that AI is explicitly designed to make human labor completely irrelevant. 📉🚫

Ana reveals that the tech is already actively making people dumber because we've abandoned critical thinking skills. Instead of trying to write or research a topic ourselves—which actually stimulates brain activity—we just open a tab and say "Hey Grok, is this true?" She demonstrates that skipping the actual craft of vetting credible sources for instant algorithmic gratification is an intellectual dead end. She argues that if you don't learn to think for yourself right now, you are setting yourself up to be completely left behind. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Relying on chatbots for fact-checking is just dynamic confirmation bias. Are we completely losing the ability to do basic independent research?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 5 days ago

H: "The early listings under $2,000 are just desperate quick flips. Wait for the 6-month drop." Don’t get smoked by launch weekend hype. 🏛️📉

On the latest segment, H pulls up the live secondary tracking charts and breaks down why the opening-weekend price spikes are a complete illusion. He points out that the people racing to dump their white "Huit Blanc" models under $2,000 are just local campus crews liquidating inventory to cover immediate real-world liabilities like food and rent. 📉🚫

H reveals that the smart money is completely ignoring these opening "quick flips." If you inspect the brand’s website architecture right now, the interface is already optimized for a direct digital transition. The current store locator is built to shift to a standard e-commerce platform the moment physical boutique velocity slows down. He demonstrates that because the collection is projected to remain available for a six-month lifecycle, the secondary market floor is going to cave in. He argues that by simply exercising restraint, collectors can comfortably acquire the entire color run—including the red "Otto Rosso," yellow, black, and white—for flat retail price. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: The entire AP Swatch line is likely hitting the website as a general release within weeks. Let the hypebeasts bleed out their capital on speculative premiums.

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 5 days ago

Hasan Piker: "People were literally getting fired for posting Holocaust scholars, and Drake signed a ceasefire petition 23 days in. That was a bold move." 🏛️📉

On the latest stream clip, Hasan stops the chat to deliver a massive reality check on Drake's political history. He points out that the current internet space has completely memory-holed just how unhinged and punitive the corporate environment was in October 2023. 📉🚫

Hasan reveals that regular office workers were getting summarily executed by HR departments just for sharing articles from The Jewish Currents written by prominent Israeli Holocaust scholars comparing Gaza to historical genocides. He demonstrates that operating at Drake's insane stratum of global commercial celebrity while openly plastering your name on an Artists for a Ceasefire open letter less than a month into the escalation was an extreme financial gamble. He argues that no matter how much you want to de-influence or clown on Drake's personality, you can't erase the fact that he put his neck out when the rest of the industry was dead silent. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Drake took a stand on the ceasefire petition long before it was corporately safe or trendy for pop stars to do so. Does this change the "culture vulture" narrative at all?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 6 days ago

H (The 12 Hub): "It’s fake news. Air Force 1s are $115 minimum. Stop driving to Costco." 🏛️📉

On the latest segment, Dru and H get into the absolute idiocy of the viral TikTok rumor claiming Costco is selling Air Force 1s for $69. H points out that people grappled onto this like it was real because their brains are still riding the wave of the recent Kirkland clothing line trends. 📉🚫

H reveals that he looked at the rumor with immediate skepticism because you don't find mainline, un-collaborated Nike products sitting next to bulk paper towels. Dru pulls up live retail tracking right on the broadcast, demonstrating that standard Air Force 1 retail is $115, with prices hitting $125 at spots like Foot Locker. He argues that in the 2026 economy, Nike has zero incentive to devalue their number-one everyday silhouette by giving it a 45% warehouse haircut. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: If you see a video claiming a wholesale club is selling pristine white uptowns for under seventy bucks, it’s a scam. Check the real retail data before you waste a trip.

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 6 days ago

H: "It's a money grab, people. The economy isn't good." Why the AP x Swatch hype is predatory. 🏛️📉

On the latest broadcast, H drops an incredibly sobering dose of reality for the collection community. He points out that the entire luxury marketplace is currently panicking because wealthy demographics are looking at global conditions—skyrocketing fuel costs, climbing electricity bills, and the war involving Iran—and choosing to hoard core survival necessities instead of buying affluent toys. 📉🚫

H reveals that the madness surrounding the AP Swatch drop is just artificial hype manufactured to trick secondary market buyers into passing the same marked-up asset back and forth for thousands of dollars. He demonstrates that even though he can comfortably purchase a Rolex today, he chooses not to because paying bills and maintaining real liquidity is infinitely more critical right now. He argues that as collectors grow older, they must develop a "be who you are" mentality that rejects the illusion of material validation. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: High-end watch brands are only lowering their price floor because their traditional elite consumer base is busy preparing for a hyper-inflationary winter. Don't be the final bag holder for a plastic status symbol.

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 6 days ago

H: "The person left holding the bag is usually the guy or girl who actually wants the shoe." The secondary market is a literal pyramid scheme. 🏛️📉

On the latest broadcast, H drops an incredibly accurate breakdown of how cooked the market is right now. He points out that we aren't living in a standard consumer economy anymore; we're living in a reseller-to-reseller marketplace where items are just traded like stocks between middlemen who keep adding arbitrary markups. 📉🚫

H reveals the absolute illusion of saving up for limited drops. You think to yourself, "Yo, I saved up 3 racks, I can finally get this Travis Scott or AP Swatch." But when it dropped, it was a grand. While you were saving, ten different middlemen flipped it to each other for an extra $50 a pop. He demonstrates that by the time you have the money, the price floor has risen out of your reach. He argues that the organic consumer is the one getting punished simply for wanting to wear the actual product. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: The retail price of high-end streetwear is completely irrelevant because bulk resellers use conventions to completely control the supply chain before it ever hits the pavement.

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 6 days ago

Is this just luxury flexing - or a PR strategy gone wrong?

On the latest Raised by Her, Ro Nita and Donnica get into the absolute "excess" of the Bezos/Sanchez fashion era. Ro Nita points out that they are showing up at every fashion event, with rumors that Sanchez basically "paid to be on the cover of Vogue." 📉🚫

Ro Nita reveals that it's not the wealth itself that’s the issue, but the optics in a world where Amazon is still being challenged on wages and worker rights. She says that owning a $500 million yacht—while wondering what could possibly be on a boat that expensive—feels out of touch with the reality of 2026. She argues that there are "wonderful philanthropists" out there, but this specific brand of display just feels excessive. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Being one of the richest men in the world doesn't mean you're immune to a bad "vibe check" if you're outspending your philanthropy on fashion covers. Agree or disagree?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 7 days ago

Touré: "60 Minutes let a war criminal say whatever he wanted with no pushback. The show is a joke now." 🏛️📉

On the latest broadcast, Touré drops a brutal truth bomb about the structural collapse of 60 Minutes. He points out that the show used to be a legendary gold standard that challenged the powerful. Now? It’s completely toothless. 📉🚫

Touré reveals that during the recent interview with a leader facing active genocide and war crime allegations, the correspondents were so delicate it looked like they were terrified of offending him. He demonstrates that while some progressives get the history of the region wrong, the network's total surrender to access journalism is completely undeniable. He argues that the program has officially traded its investigative legacy for political compliance. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: 60 Minutes let an international suspect choose their own parameters for a prime-time interview. Has the show permanently lost its credibility?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 8 days ago

H: "If you really care about sneakers, you don't need the celebrity branding." Why GRs beat fakes. 🏛️📉

On the latest broadcast, H drops a beautifully de-influenced take on the replica debate. He points out that if you wear fakes, it’s a "yes, with an asterisk." You like the look, you like the vibe, but you aren't down with the actual essence of the grind. 📉🚫

H reveals that the clout obsession drives people to buy bad Travis Scott reps just to flex a logo. He demonstrates a much cleaner route: buy the clean, authentic Mocha Jordan 1 High or Low instead. It gives you the earth tones, it gives you the classic silhouette, it's real, and it doesn't break the bank. He argues that true sneaker people are entirely content with real GR pairs because they don't value an artist's stamp over structural authenticity. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Real sneakerheads don't care about the branding hype if the inline shoe is executed flawlessly. Are you team "Real GR" or team "Hyped Rep"?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 8 days ago

H: "There are not millions of people buying sneakers just to flex." The reality of the 2026 sneaker crash. 🏛️📉

On the latest broadcast, H drops some heavy facts for the sneaker community. He points out that the general consensus is completely warped—we assume the entire world wants to accumulate 600 pairs of shoes, but the actual enthusiast marketplace is incredibly small. 📉🚫

H reveals that Nike has cracked the code on maximizing returns by flooding the market with 150,000-unit Travis Scott runs. While the Jumpman Jack line drops dope shoes that instantly sell out, they are sitting right at retail because the scarcity is gone. He demonstrates that while this volume strategy doesn't hurt Nike's bottom line, it fundamentally changes the "aspiration" of the brand. If anyone can cop a pair of Travs, the artificial aura disappears. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: Recent Travis Scott stock numbers are approaching GR Jordan status. Is the sneaker game finally healthier now that the hype is dead?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 8 days ago

Dru (The 12 Hub): "If you're just buying reps for the attention, you're not a sneaker person." Period. 🏛️📉

On the latest The 12 Hub, Dru gets into the gritty reality of the "Rep" epidemic. He points out that the sneaker collector mentality isn't just about the shoes on your feet—it's about the hours of research and the grind to find them. 📉🚫

Dru reveals that people buying fakes just to "slap them on feet" for clout are missing the entire point of the culture. He demonstrates that being a head means following fits, understanding trends, and putting in the actual work. He argues that if you skip the process, you skip the culture. 🏛️⚖️

TIL: In 2026, the "work" is the only thing that separates the collectors from the clout-chasers. Do you still value the "hunt," or has the availability of fakes ruined the prestige for you?

u/SpiritedBase5047 — 8 days ago