Controversial S#!T

The Dixie Chicks are dropping "Dixie" from their name and will now be just "The Chicks" ... and the change is 100% a response to the nationwide protests of systemic racism.

While the Texas-based band has yet to publicly announce the name change, the group's Twitter handle is now @thechicks and the band made the same change on their cover photo, which features album art for their upcoming project, "Gaslighter."

The band's official website is also now, TheChicks.com, and simply says, "We want to meet this moment."

The name change obviously comes in the middle of the Black Lives Matter movement, with other iconic brands and bands changing their names and dropping anything deemed racially insensitive.

If you aren't aware, Dixie is a nostalgic name for the old South ... and the band has been under mounting pressure recently to ditch the word.

As we reported ... another country act, Lady Antebellum, changed its name to Lady A earlier this month and apologized for turning a blind eye to the original name's link to slavery.

The protester who allegedly took rubber bullets fired by LAPD officers to his scrotum is about to unveil his lawsuit against the cops ... and call for major reform.

Bradley Steyn -- along with his attorney, Lisa Bloom -- is about to address the media in front of LAPD headquarters ... and TMZ will be live streaming.

Steyn -- a renowned South African anti-apartheid activist -- is expected to detail his account of alleged police brutality encountered during a May 30 protest over the death of George Floyd in L.A.'s Fairfax district ... and announce legal action.

He claims he was roughed up by cops who shot him with rubber bullets at point-blank range in the inner thigh and genitals ... severely injuring him. He ended up losing a testicle.

Steyn and Bloom say they will call for "specific reforms."

The press conference is scheduled to begin Thursday at 10 AM PT.

Guy Phillips -- the Scottsdale City Council member who mocked George Floyd's final words and got blasted by Arizona officials -- is apologizing, claiming he meant no disrespect.

The councilman addressed a crowd of anti-mask protesters Wednesday by wearing a mask and saying "I can't breathe" ... before removing it to disgusting cheers.

Of course, those were the 3 words Floyd repeated as he pleaded with the Minneapolis cops who were kneeling on his neck and back as he died.

Phillips' comments were swiftly blasted on social media, including by AZ Gov. Doug Ducey who called them "Just flat out wrong. Despicable doesn't go far enough." Ducey also suggested Phillips should lose his position for mocking Floyd's death.

Scottsdale Mayor W.J. "Jim" Lane also expressed his disappointment and said he hoped Phillips would recognize his fault and sincerely apologize.

Phillips is trying to do both, we guess. He's now saying ... "It was a stupid and insensitive comment that I shouldn’t have made, and I had no intention of disrespecting anybody."

He also directed his apology to the Floyd family, saying George "didn't deserve what happened to him, and I by no means was trying to make light of it by saying I can't breathe in a mask. Please accept my sincerest apology and that goes out to anyone who became offended."

And, just a reminder ... the councilman made his "stupid" comments at a rally against wearing face masks in a state and county with one of the nation's highest COVID-19 infection rates.

Could Colin Kaepernick's NFL return be as few as a couple weeks away???

The answer could be yes ... because "multiple" teams and at least one head coach have legitimate interest in signing the QB before the start of the season, according to NFL Network reporter Michael Silver.

The plugged-in journalist said on the league's owned NFL Network on Wednesday, "I have talked to one head coach who is absolutely interested" in Kaepernick.

The holdup? Silver says it's all about the coronavirus pandemic ... and the lack of the ability for teams to physically workout Colin for a tryout at their facilities.

"Colin Kaepernick, who has not played since 2016, finds himself in the same situation that Cam Newton and Jadeveon Clowney do," Silver said, "which is a team that would be ready to sign him would want to work him out."

Of course, Kaepernick did famously hold his own workout last year -- which was on video ... but Silver says teams would still like a front-row view this summer before putting pen to a new contract.

The NFL reporter adds, "There could be a chance that something happens when teams are able to get that part of it done."

Unclear when teams will be allowed to host free agents for tryouts ... but training camps do open July 28 -- so seems that date is nearing.

Tekashi 6ix9ine's Instagram page will stay up and running despite renewed uproar over his criminal record -- because the platform feels he hasn't violated their rules.

Here's the deal ... 6ix9ine ran into some legal trouble even before he hit it big. When he was younger -- age 18 -- he pled guilty to one count of Use of a Child in a Sexual Performance.

In light of that, folks started asking why he's even allowed to have an IG since Facebook -- the parent company -- has explicit terms saying convicted sex offenders are barred from the platform. FB said his account would be put under review.

We've got an update on that review from the folks at FB and Instagram -- and it's basically this ... Tekashi is NOT technically in violation of FB/IG's sex offender policy, at least that's how they're viewing it.

A source at Instagram tells us ... FB and IG took a hard look at his record, and turns out ... they found the guy's case -- which went down in NY -- and saw he was adjudicated as a “youthful offender” which is different from having an adult criminal conviction.

As a result, our source tells us Facebook will not be removing his account, as they don't believe -- based on their interpretation of things -- he meets the criteria that would mark him as a sex offender. Look it up yourself ... Tekashi (whose real name is Daniel Hernandez) does not appear on the state's sex offender registry.

The Manhattan D.A. confirms Tekashi's 2015 case was adjudicated as a Youthful Offender, but declined to offer more details. His attorney, Lance Lazzaro, shed a bit more light, telling us yes ... the crime was committed when T69 was 18. But, after he completed some sentencing requirements, the court granted him youthful offender status.

BTW, T69 has addressed the conviction himself on the Breakfast Club -- insisting he didn't know the girl was underage. Prosecutors say Tekashi was at a party where a nude 13-year-old girl was taped performing sex acts on a man, and T69 was seen making thrusting motions behind her and slapping her buttocks at one point.

Lawrence Wright -- the former Univ. of Florida football star who created the famous "Gator Bait" chant -- is urging school officials to reconsider the cheer's ban ... telling TMZ Sports it's not racist.

Back after the 1996 season, fresh off a national championship, Wright ingrained the chant in Gator fans' minds during a celebration ... and at nearly every UF event since, it had become a staple.

But, in a statement released by the school last week ... the University president said there will now be a ban on the chant over its racist ties -- effective immediately.

As for why ... if you're unfamiliar, the term "Gator Bait" was coined by white men who would take Black babies and use them as "bait" to draw out alligators on hunting expeditions. Horrible.

"Gator bait" was later used as a racial slur toward Black people for that reason.

In his statement, the school's president wrote, "there is horrific historic racist imagery associated with the phrase."

When we spoke with Wright about it all ... he told us he disagrees with the university's decision -- and is now trying to have a sitdown with the president to attempt to change his mind.

Wright says even though he's aware of the awful images associated with the "gator bait" term ... he claims his chant has absolutely nothing to do with that at all.

"We're only talking about collegiate things," Wright said.

A Black Lives Matter protester allegedly took rubber bullets fired by LAPD officers right to the crotch, and he claims it caused him to lose a testicle. So, yeah ... he's suing.

Bradley Steyn -- a South African man who protested apartheid back in the day -- claims he was maimed by law enforcement during a May 30 George Floyd protest in L.A.'s Fairfax District.

He claims he witnessed police brutality, then became a victim himself when cops allegedly used batons to beat him in the chest ... before shooting him with rubber bullets at point-blank range.

Bradley claims he was hit in the inner thigh and genitals and has since suffered horrific pain and the loss of a testicle.

His attorney, Lisa Bloom, will hold a press conference with him in front of LAPD headquarters Thursday, where Bradley will speak on "the impact his beating and shooting has had on his life and family."

If you had 3 guesses to figure out who was behind the "Defund NASCAR" banner over the weekend ... what would you do with the other 2 guesses??

The lieutenant commander-in-chief of the Sons of Confederate Veterans -- yes, that's a thing -- is taking full responsibility for the Confederate flag that flew over Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday.

"During and before the start of the NASCAR race in Talladega, Alabama, race, our plane flew a banner announcing a drive to 'defund NASCAR,'" Paul C. Gramling, Jr. told the Columbia Daily Herald.

The head of the SOCV says the group strongly believes NASCAR's new Confederate flag ban is simply unconstitutional ... and they're clearly very bothered by it.

"NASCAR's banning the display of the Confederate battle flag by its fans is nothing less than trampling upon Southerners' First Amendment Right of free expression,"

"This un-American act shall not go unchallenged."

May we add ... boohoo, crybabies?

Despite the backlash, NASCAR isn't budging on its ban -- which has been widely applauded by pro racers and athletes from all sports, including LeBron James.

Bubba Wallace had been leading the charge to remove Confederate flags from NASCAR -- saying it made Black people feel uncomfortable at races because of the connection with slavery.

"No one should feel uncomfortable when they come to a NASCAR race," Wallace said.

"So it starts with Confederate flags. Get them out of here. They have no place for them."

"Gone with the Wind" is gone no more ... HBO Max is restoring the film to its library after a 2-week hiatus, but this time the streaming platform's adding a disclaimer.

The 1939 classic will return to HBO Max with historical context that includes 2 videos -- the first showing TCM host and film scholar Jacqueline Stewart talking about "why this 1939 epic drama should be viewed in its original form, contextualized, and discussed."

Stewart said in the intro video for the film, "Watching 'Gone with the Wind' can be uncomfortable. Even painful. Still, it is important that classic Hollywood films are available to us in their original form for viewing and discussion. They reflect the social context in which they were made, and invite viewers to reflect on their own values and beliefs when watching them now."

The host added, "The film’s treatment of this world through a lens of nostalgia denies the horrors of slavery, as well as its legacies of racial inequality."

The second video is an hour-long panel discussion to talk about the complicated legacy of the film ... filmed at the TCM Classic Film Festival in April 2019.

As we reported earlier this month ... HBO Max initially pulled the film after "12 Years a Slave" screenwriter John Ridley wrote an Op-Ed calling for its removal given the film puts slavery in a positive light. Just hours later, HBO Max said it would bring back the film but would add historical context and denounce its racist depictions.

"Gone With the Wind" scored 8 Oscars -- including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress for Hattie McDaniel, who played Scarlett's house servant, Mammy.

Cops in Georgia slammed a man to the ground while arresting him, and he says they broke his wrist -- problem is, they had the wrong guy and now he's suing for excessive force.

Antonio Smith claims he was unjustly roughed up and had his rights violated back in February by the Valdosta Police Department as officers attempted to arrest him.

Video of the incident shows cops approach Smith for reported suspicious activity at a Walgreens nearby, but he insists he was waiting at the Western Union for money from his sister.

As Smith begged cops to look into it further, another officer arrived and abruptly bear-hugged Smith from behind and told him to put his hands behind his back. He then violently body-slammed him and told Smith he was under arrest for a felony warrant.

Smith was screaming in pain and in his lawsuit claims his wrist was broken as officers held him down. The video shows the cops were clearly confused about who they were supposed to arrest ... and they realized Smith did NOT have a warrant out for his arrest.

According to the lawsuit ... the officer "treated him less than a human being." Smith claims once he was released, he still feared "additional ill-treatment" from the law enforcement around him, so he refused medical care.

Valdosta PD has released a statement admitting they made an error with the felony warrant, but insists Smith was the suspect reported for suspicious activity.

Police Chief Leslie Manahan says ... "We did have the right guy stopped that was causing the problem at Walgreens, it’s just unfortunate he was not the one with the felony warrants."

However, in the video and in the legal docs ... Smith claims he was not doing anything illegal -- just waiting for a wire transfer at Western Union.

Rep. Karen Bass is worried Americans will forget about police reform if another major event captures headlines, and she's encouraging the public to keep the pressure on politicians.

The U.S. Congresswoman for California's 37th District joined us Wednesday on "TMZ Live," to talk about the police reform bill and the uphill battle to get it through the Republican-controlled Senate.

Bass said she fully expects the bill to get held up in Senate, and fears those delay tactics will kill the momentum created in recent weeks by Americans protesting for and demanding an overhaul of police departments.

The way the Congresswoman sees it ... the public has a very short attention span and if a hurricane or other major event goes down, she's afraid police reform will be knocked off the news cycle.

That's why she's imploring peaceful protests to continue nationwide -- she believes that's the only way lawmakers will act. And, if you're wondering what happens if the protests let up ... Bass says just look at what happened after the L.A. riots in response to the Rodney King verdicts.

A semi-pro soccer club is taking Bruce Arena's advice ... swapping out the national anthem before games for another tune.

National Premier Soccer League team Tulsa Athletic announced Wednesday its decision to eliminate the "Star-Spangled Banner" from pre-game activities at home games  ... saying it will play "This Land Is Your Land" by Woody Guthrie instead.

Why? Here's the statement from the club ...

"After carefully reviewing 'The Star-Spangled Banner' lyrics and meaning, including the 3rd verse which mentions 'No refuge could save the hireling and slave / From the terror of flight or the gloom of the grave ... ' Tulsa Athletic came to the decision that the song does not align with the club’s core values."

"While this verse is rarely sung, Tulsa Athletic does not believe 'The Star-Spangled Banner' represents or unites their diverse players, fans and community."

"We believe 'This Land Is Your Land' not only captures a powerful patriotic sentiment, but that it does so in a far more inclusive way."

Tulsa Athletic co-owner Sonny Dalesandro says TLIYL "speaks to this country being built and shared by every person of every race, ethnicity, religion and sexual orientation. It represents a future Tulsa Athletic is committed to striving for."

The team will kick off its new tradition during a special Equality Cup match against Minneapolis City at Veterans Park in Tulsa. No date has been set.

Of course, the news comes in the wake of ex-Team USA Soccer coach Bruce Arena saying the playing of the national anthem before games is "inappropriate."

Walmart's under fire for selling All Lives Matter and Blue Lives Matter gear on its websites ... but the company says a third party seller's to blame, and it's looking into it.

The outrage began to spread Tuesday on social media, when people noticed the Walmart Canada site was featuring a black, All Lives Matter t-shirt and some other Lives Matter slogan gear along with its Black Lives Matter items.

Walmart Canada responded to the criticism by saying, "This item is sold and shipped by a third party seller. We've forwarded your comments to the appropriate department to look into further. Thank you for bringing this to our attention."

Of course, this didn't stop customers from firing their own complaints, saying the availability of these items goes against the Black Lives Matter movement and the items are dogwhistles to those who really don't want to end racism and police brutality.

The company later added in a statement, "We stand against any form of racism or discrimination. We promote listening, seeking to understand and embracing individual differences." It says it's reviewing its third-party marketplace items to make sure they comply with its terms and conditions.

Several All Lives Matter t-shirts are also available on Walmart's U.S. site, being sold by a company called Old Glory.

When the Minneapolis City Council vowed to disband its police department, everyone wondered how they'd fill the void -- well, a group called the Minnesota Freedom Riders might play a huge part.

During the immediate unrest after George Floyd was killed, citizen patrols organized across the city as trust in the police force plummeted. This included the Freedom Riders, who describe themselves as a group of individuals who banded together for a common cause -- protecting their community.

A spokesperson for the group of 45 volunteers tells TMZ ... they rotate patrolling northern Minneapolis. The men, mostly African-American, are licensed to openly carry handguns and/or assault rifles, and have regular weekly meetings to discuss their operation. We're told each patrolman's hours vary on the needs of their community.

And, so far ... there's a lot of positive info to report about the Freedom Riders' initiative.

For starters ... the Minneapolis PD has been receptive to it. We're told the Riders communicate with cops on a daily basis to share intel on community dealings and advise on what the police should handle.

On the flip side ... we're told the PD asks the group to assist on more neighborly matters requiring more trust -- like speaking with community members concerned about white supremacy groups -- along with handling "lesser crimes."

As the group puts it ... the Freedom Riders are NOT looking to replace the police -- they want to continue working as partners.

The group has also proven successful in thwarting violence in the recent weeks of unrest. During the riots, the Riders were able to prevent looting and structure fires in all of northern Minneapolis. They say their presence has also resulted in a reduction in street and gun violence.

Along with having police support, the Riders also have the support of the Minneapolis NAACP ... whose President Leslie Redmond tells us, "I'm working in an individual capacity to help start this separate entity."

She's launched a GoFundMe -- which has raised $20k so far -- to support the group's efforts in the community. We're told the money goes toward equipment, training, insurance, furthering education for the patrolmen and events for kids in the community.

As you may know, Minneapolis public schools and the University of Minnesota have cut ties with the Minneapolis PD, so there's a major void that needs to be filled with the "community-based safety" suggested by the City Council.

Protesting inside a restaurant with a megaphone and a baseball bat got a black man arrested in a scene that looked eerily similar to George Floyd ... but this time police were way more patient and mindful.

The bust went down Tuesday in Madison, Wisconsin where a swarm of officers descended upon the guy who'd been using his megaphone to, as they put it, disrupt the peace. He also had a baseball bat on his shoulders as he yelled at customers and restaurant staffers from point-blank range.

It took as many as 5 officers to detain 28-year-old Devonere Johnson ... who was resisting arrest. It took several cops tugging at Johnson during the struggle before they ended up with 4 officers on his back and legs. Important to note, none of them were on Johnson's neck ... though he did complain he couldn't breathe before they hoisted him off the ground.

Vigilant bystanders -- including the outspoken man recording the scene -- demanded officers release him, as they claimed he'd done nothing wrong besides using his voice to exercise his First Amendment rights.

The cops weren't having it though, and eventually carried Johnson by his legs and torso and tossed him like a sack of potatoes into a patrol unit. Somehow, Johnson, who was now handcuffed, managed to escape out of the cop car ... before they pounced on him again.

Again, the bystander with the camera didn't give up, and continued pleading with several officers to let Johnson go free. They didn't and he was officially busted for disorderly conduct while armed, resisting arrest and attempted escape.

The cops add that 2 officers suffered minor injuries during the arrest, and Johnson had bruises on his arms and legs.

The question ... was there a more peaceful way to handle the situation? He had not physically harmed anyone and, according to police, was walking away from the restaurant when they arrived. Yes, customers did seem to feel threatened, so if ya gotta arrest him was this a prime case for de-escalating before manhandling? In fairness to cops, it's possible they did attempt to do that before the video started.

BTW, the scene was still bizarre even AFTER the arrest ... watch what happened when someone tried to get all Biblical.

Jimmy Kimmel's issued a delayed apology for his infamous Karl Malone impression -- along with others -- in which he used blackface and insensitive racial language ... calling them "embarrassing" and "thoughtless moments."

The late-night talk show host has come under fire recently for his past sketches -- specifically, one in which he wore blackface and a bald cap to portray the former NBA star.

Kimmel says ... "I have long been reluctant to address this, as I knew doing so would be celebrated as a victory by those who equate apologies with weakness and cheer for leaders who use prejudice to divide us. That delay was a mistake."

He's now apologizing to those he hurt or offended by "the makeup I wore or the words I spoke."

Kimmel goes on to explain he began doing his Malone impression for LA's KROQ radio in the mid-90s, and it continued on TV on "The Man Show." He says ... "I never considered that this might be seen as anything other than an imitation of a fellow human being," and that he's done impressions of several celebs, including Snoop Dogg and Oprah.

He says ... "In each case, I thought of them as impersonations of celebrities and nothing more. Looking back, many of these sketches are embarrassing, and it is frustrating that these thoughtless moments have become a weapon used by some to diminish my criticisms of social and other injustices."

Kimmel says he believes he's evolved and matured over the past 20-plus years and he's going to continue speaking out, adding ... "I won’t be bullied into silence by those who feign outrage to advance their oppressive and genuinely racist agendas."

He concludes by saying his current summer vacation has been planned for more than a year and is not related to his current racism controversy.

As we reported ... Kimmel's backlash comes shortly after another late-night host, Jimmy Fallon, faced his own backlash for a blackface sketch he did in 2000, in which he played Chris Rock.