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The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has announced that U.S. Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis (D-GA), is going to receive the prestigious NAACP Chairman’s Award at this year’s 51st NAACP Image Awards.

Past honorees of the Chairman’s Award have included Tyler Perry, Senator Barack Obama, Former Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, Ruby Dee, The Neville Brothers, Bono, Danny Glover, and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. The Chairman’s Award is given to individuals who demonstrate exemplary public service and use their distinct platforms to create agents of change.

“Congressman John Lewis is a modern hero in American history, and we’re proud to give him this award,” said Chairman Leon Russell in a press release. “In an age where our voting rights are under attack like never before, we’re honored to elevate a civil rights hero who has dedicated his life to protecting our constitutional rights, fighting injustice and speaking truth to power.”

Congressman John Lewis is receiving the honor based on his lifelong dedication to protecting human rights, securing civil liberties, and building what he calls “The Beloved Community” in America.

The show and honor will air live on BET on Saturday, February 22, 2020, from Pasadena, California. NAACP Five-Time Image Award recipient Anthony Anderson of ABC’s Black-ish is returning as host of the 51st NAACP Image Awards. This upcoming special will be Anderson‘s 7th consecutive year in the role. Anderson is an Emmy and Golden Globe-nominated actor and is currently the star and Executive Producer of ABC’s five-time NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Comedy Series, Black-ish.

As previously announced, global music superstar and fashion icon, business entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Rihanna, will receive the prestigious President’s Award at the ceremony.

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest nonpartisan civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities. You can read more about the NAACP’s work and our six “Game Changer” issue areas at naacp.org.

There’s a good chance you aren’t aware of the fact that, according to some researchers, humanity is entering an age of “digisexuality,” in which a second wave of sexual technologies is beginning to come to fruition. This second wave, a successor to a first wave that includes technologies like dating apps, may not only end up drastically altering the way people interact romantically, but also creating a whole new range of relationship types, many of which will not involve a second human partner. Which means we may want to prepare for some combo of Her, Ex Machina, and Weird Science all soon happening at once.

2nd wave #digisexuality explained. #COSRT #srt #sexualandrelationshiptherapy pic.twitter.com/O7ZlyGJy3B

— Dr. Markie (@Dr_Markie_Twist) April 15, 2019

Futurism picked up on an essay published in The Conversation outlining this second wave in the evolution of digisexuality, which was co-authored by alternative sexualities researcher and specialist in the philosophy of human rights, Neil McArthur, along with sexuality educator, sexologist, and relationship therapist, Markie Twist. Both Twist and McArthur have written extensively about sexuality and technology, and they even coined the term “digisexuality.”

Speaking of which, for those unfamiliar with the term, digisexuality has a broad definition, but boils down to two general use cases according to Twist and McArthur’s essay. In a more general sense, digisexuality is used “to describe the use of advanced technologies in sex and relationships,” and in the narrower sense, is used in reference to “people whose sexual identity is shaped by what we call second-wave sexual technologies.”

McArthur (right) describes the definition of digisexuality. 

These second-wave technologies include everything from virtual reality sexual experiences and pornography to, of course, sex robots. And while sex robots, more colloquially known as “sexbots,” are only in their very nascent stages of development, there’s a clear path toward making them far more humanlike. Not only are countless companies working to develop sexbots, but advances in robotics and artificial intelligence in other fields will doubtlessly spill over into the field of digisexuality. On top of sexbots and various forms of virtual reality sex, McArthur and Twist also point out developments in “teledildonics,” which essentially describes technologies that allow people to have sexual intercourse without ever actually touching.

This deletion of touch, of physical connection, seems to be a central facet of the second wave of digisexuality. For example, in an article published in The New York Times in early 2019, titled “Do You Take This Robot…,” Twist said that several of the patients she sees in her clinical practice have “been into… toys they can control with their tech devices, that attach to their penis or their vulva,” and added that these patients “haven’t had contact with humans, and really don’t have any interest in sex with people.” (That same Times article even referenced a 35-year-old Japanese school administrator who married a hologram.)

Crazy in love? The Japanese man ‘married’ to a hologram.
Akihiko Kondo, a school administrator, married a virtual reality singer called Hatsune Miku in early November. His mother refused to go to the wedding https://t.co/xD9jvGni2s pic.twitter.com/CURmO4b7YB

— AFP news agency (@AFP) November 12, 2018

There are obviously innumerable ethical issues with this second wave of digisexuality—including, among so many others, the moral dilemmas surrounding the treatment of humanoid robots, or any other robots used for sexual purposes, for that matter—but it’s the idea of supplanting humans with robots and virtual reality in the realms of romance that seem to require the most forethought right now. Not only is it reasonable to believe that second-wave digisexual technologies will further alienate people from each other, but McArthur and Twist also emphasize the fact that there could be widespread stigmatization of people who do decide to jettison carbon-based partners in favor of silicon-based ones.

Ultimately, however, the researchers seem to think that the evolution of digisexuality will be a net positive for humanity. McArthur said in a 2017 Discover article that “There will be lots of digisexuals in the near future, but it’s going to be okay.” He added that digisexuality will eventually just “take its place alongside other non-mainstream sexual identities, and society will go on.” Although as far as seeing things from the sexbots’ point of view, it’ll probably be a while before we figure out if we’re actually turning them on or off.

via GIPHY

What do you think about the research into digisexuality being done by McArthur and Twist? Are you excited for the digisexual revolution, or do you fear it could lead to a widespread loss of human connection? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Feature image: ThoroughlyReviewed / Nevit Dilmen

The post Evolving ‘Digisexuality’ May See Many Pick Tech Over People appeared first on Nerdist.

Young actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa has passed away at the age of 15 after being diagnosed with a brain tumor.

Waligwa appeared in 2016’s Queen of Katwe, which starred Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, and Madina Nalwanga. Based on true events, the film told the story of Phiona Mutesi, a Ugandan girl living in Katwe who becomes a chess prodigy and leads the Uganda team at the Chess Olympiad in Russia.

Waligwa played Gloria, a friend of Phiona’s who explains the rules of chess to her.

BBC reports that the actress was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2016. Following the diagnosis, Queen of Katwe director Mira Nair reportedly worked with others to fund treatment for Waligwa.

In 2017, the actress was deemed tumor-free but was diagnosed again last year.

Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.

The post ‘Queen Of Katwe’ Actress Nikita Pearl Waligwa Dead At 15 appeared first on Essence.

Nearly 66,000 marijuana convictions in Los Angeles County will be dismissed thanks to state laws that paved the way for the action, the county district attorney said Thursday.

The cases include 62,000 felony convictions for cases, including those for marijuana sales and cultivation dating as far back as 1961, and roughly 4,000 misdemeanor possession cases, District Attorney Jackie Lacey’s office said.

“The dismissal of tens of thousands of old cannabis-related convictions in Los Angeles County will bring much-needed relief to communities of color that disproportionately suffered the unjust consequences of our nation’s drug laws,” Lacey said in a news release.

“I am privileged to be part of a system dedicated to finding innovative solutions and implementing meaningful criminal justice reform that gives all people the support they need to build the life they deserve. The 66,000 dismissals mean conviction relief for about 53,000 people. About 45% are Latino; 32% are black; and 20% are white, Lacey’s office said according to CNN.

On Nov. 8, 2016, the majority of California voters passed Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act. California joined several states including Washington, Oregon, and Colorado, where the personal possession and use of marijuana is decriminalized according to post.ca.gov. In 2018, the state Legislature passed AB 1793, which required the state Department of Justice to scour California’s crime records and find past cannabis convictions that are eligible to be expunged or downgraded to misdemeanors.

Lacey’s office stated it worked with Clear My Record, a service that helps people expunge nonviolent marijuana convictions, to evaluate records. The service is offered by the nonprofit Code for America. Including the Los Angeles County cases, Clear My Record has helped prosecutors dismiss about 85,000 marijuana convictions across the state, according to Code for America Senior Criminal Justice Program Director Evonne Silva.

“This is a clear demonstration that automatic record clearance is possible at scale,” Silva added, “and can help to right the wrongs of the failed war on drugs.”