“REVOLT BLACK NEWS Weekly” aired on Friday (Mar. 18) to discuss the death of Breonna Taylor, the contentious relationship between the Biden administration and Black-owned media, society’s obsession with Brazilian butt lifts and why they can be deadly, and more.

Neima Abdulahi hosted the episode, titled “Remembering Breonna Taylor, Black Beauty, and POTUS vs. the Black Media.” She was joined by jeen-yuhs: A Kanye Trilogy director Chike Ozah, Breonna Taylor’s sister Juniyah Palmer, plastic and reconstructive surgeon Dr. Aisha Baron, President/CEO of Black Enterprise Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., and REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels. REVOLT Entertainment Correspondent Kennedy Rue McCullough also interviewed Jocqui Smollett, the younger brother of Jussie Smollett, about the latest developments in the actor’s case.

Abdulahi began the show by remembering 26-year-old Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police officers during a botched drug raid in Louisville, Kentucky on Mar. 13, 2020. She reminded viewers that none of the officers involved have been charged with Taylor’s death. Juniyah Palmer, Taylor’s sister, told “REVOLT BLACK NEWS Weekly” she is demanding answers.

“Something needs to give in this process. You can’t let them get away with murder because that’s exactly what the system is letting them do as of right now,” Palmer insisted.

During the discussion, activist Sean Ali said he believes any Black woman could have been in Taylor’s position. “There’s no difference between Breonna and my sister, or any other Black woman in this country, except chance. Now Kentucky is a stand-your-ground [state]. So, if someone’s walking in your house you can assume that they’re armed [and] you’re supposed to shoot,” he said.

During a press conference about Taylor’s death, activist Tamika D. Mallory previously declared, “When Breonna Taylor was killed it was not just a tragedy for Black America, it was a tragedy for America because Breonna Taylor was murdered in her home.”

On Friday, Abdulahi reminded us, “The fight for justice still exists beyond the hashtag” before moving on to discuss the serious consequences of getting a Brazilian butt lift (BBL).

Actress Lyric Belleza told Abdulahi that BBLs are a trend because the operation helps Black women feel confident about their physical appearance.

“It’s about self-love and it has a lot to do with what’s going on in the world, but it also has a lot to do with: I want to love my body. I want to feel good. I want to embrace every piece of me,” she said.

Influencer Spank told Abdulahi that she believes social media has had a “big impact” where BBLs are concerned. “They see these women making a lot of money off of social media. They’re marrying rappers, athletes and they’re like, ‘I want to be like that.’ So they think, ‘Let me start with the body and we’ll go from there,’” she explained.

Dr. Aisha Baron, plastic and reconstructive surgeon, weighed in and stated that BBLs can be deadly.

“When fat is injected into the muscle layers of the buttocks, it could potentially damage some veins, and the fat can be taken up into those veins and travel to the brain — or the heart — causing a fatal fat embolism,” she said.

Following that discussion, Abdulahi said the Biden administration is facing criticism for not standing by its promise to support the Black community, Black businesses and Black-owned media. During the “REVOLT BLACK NEWS Weekly” chat, Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., president and CEO of Black Enterprise, said the Biden administration has not kept its promise to invest in Black America.

“If the Biden administration continues down this path, they will not get the support of Black-owned media. They will not get the support of Black people and they will not be re-elected. That’s what’s going to happen. They’ve gone back and practiced the same racist spending habits out of the government that has been in place for years,” he said.

Abdulahi shared with viewers that in the last five years, the U.S. Government has spent $5 billion on advertising and only one percent of that money has gone to Black-owned media. REVOLT CEO Detavio Samuels chimed in to say that in recent years advertisers have shied away from Black-owned media companies due to their coverage of social justice issues.

“You go back to the 1800s where you have our first Black newspapers. Not only was it a way to build wealth and created some of our first millionaires, but on top of that it was where we told our stories … by the time we’re in the 2000s, those things are all disappearing. Advertisers don’t want to be around Black news because so much of Black news was about social justice and economic justice and police brutality, and those weren’t fun subjects for brands and advertisers,” he said.

Later in the show, REVOLT Entertainment Correspondent Kennedy Rue McCullough shared clips from her interview with Jocqui Smollett, Jussie Smollett’s younger brother who claims Jussie is innocent.

“You will not find anything linking my brother — any text messages, any emails, any letters. Nothing. No phone calls. There’s nothing linking him,” he said.

Jocqui Smollett believes the media has vilified his brother because he is a gay Black man.

“We need more folks to step up to be honest. Folks are being very much sheep right now. Media also leveraged the fact that our community innately has a lot of homophobia in it. They leveraged that fact — they knew that ultimately Jussie was not going to get the same type of support as a straight Black man,” he went on to say.

Watch a clip from the Biden administration vs. Black media discussion up top. Plus, be sure to catch the next episode of “REVOLT BLACK NEWS Weekly” on Friday, March 25, 2022 at 5 p.m. ET on REVOLT’s app.