by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 13, 2023

Tiffany Haddish’s Child Abuse Saga Continues with Former Friend’s $1 Million Lawsuit

If Tiffany Haddish thought the controversy over an old comedy skit involving children was behind her, she can think again.

The Girls Trip star was performing at the Laugh Factory in Hollywood on August 28, when she was served with legal papers by a process server, Radar Online reports. Haddish’s former friend Trizah Morris filed the lawsuit, which accuses the comedian of grooming her children by having them participate in a sexually inappropriate skit filmed in 2014.

Morris, who was friends with Haddish from 2011 to 2020, claims the comedian and former Mad TV star Aries Spears made slanderous remarks about her. While her now adult children dismissed their suit against the comedians last year, their mother has moved forward with her own $1 million lawsuit.

Haddish received the legal documents just weeks after Morris filed the suit, advancing the process. Morris claims to have been close friends with Haddish with her children. who called the comedian “Aunt Tiff,” when Haddish had the children perform in Spears’ controversial skit dubbed “Through A Pedophile’s Eyes.”

Morris says her children were groomed and made to perform inappropriate sexual acts including one where her minor daughter simulated oral sex. Morris’s children dropped their lawsuit last year claiming there was no wrongdoing and the suit was an extortion attempt.

According to Haddish’s lawyer, Morris has been trying to assert her claims “for several years,” as noted by The Blast.

“Every attorney who has initially taken on her case—and there were several—ultimately dropped the matter once it became clear that the claims were meritless and Ms. Haddish would not be shaken down,” her lawyer said.

“Now, Ms. Morris has her adult daughter representing herself in this lawsuit. The two of them will together face the consequences of pursuing this frivolous action.”

RELATED CONTENT: Tiffany Haddish Hit With $1M Defamation Lawsuit

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 13, 2023

Imposter Syndrome Where? Oprah Winfrey Knew Nothing About This Common Insecurity

While many might feel self-doubt or imposter syndrome when engaging with high achievers, media mogul Oprah Winfrey never had those issues.

The billionaire OWN creator is sharing her secrets to success in a just released book co-authored with Arthur C. Brooks called Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier. Winfrey and Brooks invite readers to change their way of thinking and perspective, particularly when dealing with challenges.

Weeding out negative emotions is the book’s central message. One negative emotion Winfrey, 69, has never struggled with is imposter syndrome. The concept is so foreign to the decorated TV star, that she had to research its meaning.

“I don’t have any of that imposter feelings that so many people have,” Winfrey told People. “I didn’t even understand it, I had to look it up.”

It’s a mindset she credits to her upbringing, particularly how her father raised her.

“I remember as a young girl being a strong orator in the national competition for speaking and winning the local championships, then the state championships. And then placing, I think it was No. 3 or something, in the nationals,” she shared. “And I remember after every contest, the families whose kids were just in the contest were going to celebrate and their families were all excited. My father’s thing was, ‘Get your coat.'”

The experience served as an early lesson that “nobody’s going to be excited about it, so you might as well just get your coat and go,” she said. From the success of her talk show to her flourishing media empire, Winfrey has never experienced “high highs or low lows” about her wins and losses because she learned “the ability to live in the space of true appreciation for a life, not just well lived, but well-earned.”

Now as she approaches the age of 70, Winfrey can look back with pride at a life she built for herself and by herself.

“I didn’t have a grandfather, a great-grandfather who could give me land. But now…I can have my own and to know that I work for it,” she said.

“And it wasn’t a husband that did it. It wasn’t a brother or an uncle, or whatever did it, but I did it.”

by Daniel Johnson

September 13, 2023

Judge’s Ruling: Business Owners Of Color Must Now Submit Proof Of ‘Social Disadvantage’ For SBA Loans

In the wake of a July decision by a Tennessee federal judge, small business owners will now be required to write a letter proving that their race impedes their business. As Business Insider reports, due to the judge’s ruling, the Small Business Administration was required to change how small business owners receive funds through its 8a program. In new guidance posted by the administration in late August, participants must complete a social disadvantage narrative if they wish to keep being funded by the program.

The guidance reads, “SBA must determine that the discrimination or bias experienced by an individual is chronic, substantial, and has occurred within American society (not another country).”

The guidance continues, “Additionally, the discrimination must have negatively impacted the individual’s entry or advancement in the business world.”

Judge Clifton Corker ruled in favor of Ultima Services Corp.’s case against the United States Department of Agriculture, using the same logic that the Supreme Court did when it struck down affirmative action earlier in 2023. Corker found that the SBA’s program violated the equal protection clause of the 5th Amendment, as Case Text notes in the court documents

“The Court DECLARES that Defendants’ use of the rebuttable presumption violates Ultima’s Fifth Amendment right to equal protection of the law,” said the ruling.

Corker’s opinion spells out that he does not believe that minority businesses are necessarily socially disadvantaged because the SBA identifies them as minority-owned businesses.

It reads in part, “the determination of which groups of Americans are presumptively disadvantaged compared with others necessarily leads to such a determination being underinclusive because certain groups that could qualify will be left out of the presumption.”

Edward Blum, the conservative activist who filed the lawsuit that sparked the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action in college admissions, filed a lawsuit in August against the Fearless Fund, which gives grants to Black women entrepreneurs. Blum also moved to sue two law firms with fellowships to foster diversity. Blum’s motive appears to pressure conservatives to pursue litigation to do away with diversity and inclusion in the private business sector.

It is also currently unclear whether or not the Biden-Harris administration will appeal the Tennessee ruling, but SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman released a statement affirming the administration’s commitment to the 8a program. The 8(a) program was created to help firms owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals.

“The SBA is proud of our work to promote equity and level the playing field in federal procurement to attract a diverse supplier base and ensure competition, innovation, and performance,” she wrote. “As we work with the Department of Justice to continue reviewing the District Court’s ruling and evaluating the next steps, the SBA and Biden-Harris Administration remain committed to supporting this crucial program and the small business owners who have helped drive America’s strong economic growth.”

by Daniel Johnson

September 13, 2023

Former NFL Player Marshawn Lynch Draws Inspiration From His Sister For His Role In The Film ‘Bottoms’

Former NFL star Marshawn Lynch has embraced the role of Mr. G in the film Bottoms, a comedy centered around high school lesbians initiating a fight club. People magazine reported that Lynch accepted this role as a gesture of reconciliation for his initial reaction when his sister, Marresha Sapp-Lynch, came out to him as a lesbian.

Sapp-Lynch shared with the outlet, “Marshawn had numerous questions and felt responsible for the situation.”

She continued, ‘“What did I do?’ Because growing up, he would always say I couldn’t have a boyfriend, ‘You can’t talk to boys.’ We’d go to a party, and he’d be asking everybody, ‘Did you dance with my sister?’ But I wasn’t attracted to boys, so I didn’t dance with them!”

Emma Seligman, the director and co-writer of Bottoms, initially didn’t think that they would be able to get Lynch for the film, but after his sister gave him her blessing, he agreed to be in the movie.

“In his words, he said he wasn’t amazing about it when Marreesha came out in high school and that he felt like this was the universe giving him a chance to right his wrongs,” Seligman told People. “He made it seem like that was really what was interesting him the most about it.”

Lynch often beamed with pride when his sister and her wife showed up at the New Orleans set, according to Seligman. He would make it a point to tell people proudly that Marresha is his sister.

In 2021, Lynch walked his sister down the aisle when she got married, and he was also heavily involved in planning the wedding, often talking to his sister about decorations at 5 a.m. Sapp-Lynch says that her brother cried the whole time he was escorting her, something that meant a lot to her. Lynch also pushed the pair to move their wedding up two years from 2023 to 2021.

“He doesn’t cry — or I don’t see him cry. The fact that he did cry and shed some tears, it meant a lot to me.” Sapp-Lynch explained. “He was very much involved in the whole planning… He called us at 5:00 a.m. talking about the cake designs and party favors.”

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 13, 2023

Black-Owned Tour Company & New Orleans’ Only Black-Owned Historic Jazz Club to Present an Evening of Live Jazz & Creole Dining

New Orleans five-star rated tour company All Bout Dat Tours LLC and The Historic Sweet Lorraine’s Jazz Club are partnering to present an evening of world-class jazz performed by singer Mikhala “Jazz Muffin” Iversen and The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band headed by bandleader Mr. Gerald French.

Mikhala’s shows will be every Friday at Sweet Lorraine’s located at 1931 St. Claude Ave, New Orleans, LA 70116. The Jazz & Creole Dinner shows will held on October 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th & November dates are 3rd, 10th, 17th, and 24th.The show will include a Billie Holiday & Lester Young tribute, New Orleans traditional jazz, and some brown sugar blues. “We are honoring Billie Holiday & Lester Young in a tribute concert,” says Mikhala. “I’m fortunate to be working with some of New Orleans’ finest jazz musicians. As jazz singers, we carry lighthearted and deep songs to the next generation. These are songs that contain truth, vulnerability, and resistance. The best and only real way to do this is to get up on the bandstand and sing them.”

The band is The Original Tuxedo Jazz Band, established in 1910 by Papa Celestine and handed down through generations. The current bandleader is New Orleans Native and highly favored drummer, Mr. Gerald French. “It’s happy music for people to enjoy,” says French.

Mikhala is an international recording artist from Copenhagen, Denmark, with Southern roots on her mother’s side. Her mother, Rosita Thomas, was a celebrated jazz and blues singer who stayed in Copenhagen after she met Mikhala’s father journalist Henrik Iversen. He is an award-winning journalist, acclaimed TV producer, and the founder of The Ben Webster Foundation.

She comments, “I grew up in a revolutionary jazz house. My childhood home was a safe haven for travelers, activists, and jazz superstars. My aunties were Josephine Baker, Eartha Kidd, and Nina Simone. My uncles were Ben Webster, Clark Terry, Dexter Gordon, Ernie Wilkins, and New Orleans’ own Louis Armstrong. They were all very close friends of my parents. Because she could cook so well, they called my mother ‘Mama Charlie Parker of the Kitchen!’”

“Where’s your gig at?” Visitors kept asking me. “We all sing on my tours.” Mr. Paul Sylvester, the owner of Sweet Lorraine’s, made it possible. All Black owned and operated.

Dinner and jazz reservations can be made online at AllBoutDat.com

All of the shows start at 8 pm and 10 pm. Limited seating requires reservations.

by Daniel Johnson

September 13, 2023

Black Farmer Fund Raises $11 Million For Black Agricultural Businesses

The Black Farmer Fund has raised $11 million in funds for Black agricultural and food businesses. The group provides grants and operational support to these businesses in the northeastern United States.

“We are humbled by the support from investors aligned with our commitment to racial and economic justice,” the fund’s co-founder, Olivia Watkins, said in a press release. “With $11 million secured, we are well on our way to achieving our $20 million goal. This significant milestone reaffirms our belief that when we empower Black communities, we foster a stronger, more inclusive food system that benefits us all.

“Our “for-us-by-us” approach goes against traditional lending practices by providing patient, non-extractive capital and putting the decisions around who receives funding in the hands of experienced Black farmers and food systems entrepreneurs across the Northeast.”

Watkins and Karen Washington, co-founders and now co-executive directors of the fund, received the 2023 James Beard Humanitarian of the Year and Lifetime Achievement Award because of their work. They also became the first Black winners of the award in June 2023.

The Black Farmer Fund started in 2017, focuses on putting control of wealth creation back into the hands of the community and not in financial institutions like banks, where Black people and Black businesses have been traditionally underinvested or redlined. The Black Farmer Fund is also a member of the National Black Food & Justice Alliance, which advocates for Black farmers in the United States.

The group is also a supporter of the Justice for Black Farmers Act, a piece of legislation introduced in 2020 that promises to end discrimination in the United States Department of Agriculture, protect remaining Black farmers from losing their land, provide land grants to create new Black farmers and implement reforms to assist family farmers across the United States.

Joe Tacopina, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Relli, lawsuit, attorney, defamation ,

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 13, 2023

A$AP Relli Files Lawsuit Against A$AP Rocky and Attorney for Defamation

There is ongoing strife in the Harlem-bred A$AP Mob collective. According to TMZ, a defamation lawsuit has been filed against hip-hop recording artist A$AP Rocky and his attorney, Joe Tacopina.

The suit was brought by A$AP Relli (real name Terell Ephron), a former friend of the rapper, who was a part of the A$AP Mob collective. It’s based on comments and statements Relli said Tacopina told media outlets about a 2021 incident when Rocky was accused of shooting Relli.

Relli alleges that Tacopina called him a liar, a money grabber, and an extortionist at the direction of Rocky. In the legal paperwork, he stated that Tacopina told TMZ and other outlets that “Rocky didn’t commit a crime. It was an extortion attempt by a former associate, who threatened to make false, criminal accusations if Rocky didn’t pay him.”

The rapper stated he has received numerous death threats and has been ridiculed for the alleged attack on him. He is seeking unspecified damages.

“This is actually nothing more than a publicity stunt which is going to backfire badly,” Tacopina told TMZ in a statement. “I more than welcome this lawsuit, especially because the resolution of the criminal case has not happened yet. This opens up this extortionist to depositions under oath now before the resolution of the criminal case. It will expose the fraud he committed, and unfortunately for his lawyers, it will cause them to be responsible for legal fees in this case. They don’t know the facts of this case or the actions taken by their client. But, I will be more than happy to educate them.”

Last summer, Rocky was charged with two felonies for an incident involving Relli that took place two years ago in Hollywood. The 33-year-old father of two, whose real name is Rakim Mayers, allegedly pulled out a gun on his former friend.

Prosecutors claimed on Nov. 6, 2021, Rocky pointed his weapon at Relli, and during the confrontation, Rocky allegedly fired his gun twice in the direction of Relli. He reportedly suffered minor injuries.

Rocky’s charges were two counts of assault with a semiautomatic firearm with allegations of personally using a firearm.

mike williams, NFL, Buffalo Bills, sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 13, 2023

Former NFL Player Mike Williams Dies At 36

After being hurt in a construction accident and falling into a coma two weeks ago, former NFL wide receiver Mike Williams died Tuesday at 36.

According to CNN, Williams’ agent, Hadley Engelhard, said Williams was taken off life support and died Tuesday.

“He will be missed. He fought hard his whole life. Prayers to his family,” Engelhard said. Williams had been hospitalized after he was severely injured while performing electrical work.

His former NFL team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, sent a message of condolence on its social media page.

“We are saddened to hear of the untimely death of Mike Williams, which has left our organization, his former teammates, and fans with heavy hearts. We send our deepest sympathies to his family and loved ones as they mourn this tragedy.”

Rest in Peace, Mike Williams ❤️🙏 pic.twitter.com/6ppABCvTJk

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 12, 2023

WIVB reported over the weekend that Williams’ mother, Mary Rosenthal, said that her son needed a “Hail Mary” after he was taken off the ventilator on Friday.

“He said, if this ever happens to me, to pull my plug because I don’t want to live like that,” Rosenthal said. “Those are his wishes. When he was a football player, he had already signed the papers.”

The news comes after it was erroneously reported that Williams had already died when he was actually on life support.

The Tampa Bay Times reported that the former wide receiver suffered severe head and spinal cord injuries and paralysis in his arm and lower body hen a steel beam accidentally fell on Williams’ head at a construction site on Sept. 1. Williams never regained consciousness.

The former NFL star played high school football at Riverside Institute of Technology. After graduating, he attended and played three seasons as a wide receiver for Syracuse University before entering the NFL Draft in 2010. He had some impressive numbers for the school, where he finished ninth in career receptions (133), eighth in receiving yards (2,044), and tied for second in receiving touchdowns (20).

A fourth-round pick by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Williams played with the Bucs for four seasons. He was traded to his hometown team, the Buffalo Bills. He played in six games that season and caught 22 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns.

In his NFL career, Williams played 63 games, starting in 52, while recording 223 catches for 3,089 yards and 26 touchdowns.

by Jaimee Ratliff

September 13, 2023

D.C. Black-Owned Businesses Struggling To Exist In Popular H-Street Neighborhood

Washington, D.C. is among a growing number of historically Black cities contending with an ever-changing landscape that often leaves local communities and businesses like KitchenCray searching for lasting remnants of its original identity.

For business owners in the popular H-street area of what was once the “Chocolate City,” the struggle to exist in a neighborhood desperate to erase them has been arduous.

For chef James Robinson, who overcame homelessness to become the owner of KitchenCray, it means closing the doors to his restaurant after only three years.

According to DCist, Robinson opened his soul food eatery in 2020 in an effort to bring cultural cuisine to the historically Black area. However, constant scrutiny from the Advisory Neighborhood Commission (ANC) and complaints from newcomers in the area stunted the restaurant’s growth.

“You’re in the neighborhood where it’s white, Asian, and other races and not Black,” Robinson said. “They don’t want us to be here.” Due to the ANC’s governing of liquor licenses in the area, businesses like KitchenCray have found themselves allegedly targeted by members who display racial bias in their actions.

In an effort to maintain a certain cultural climate, ANC members will often protest against new businesses in order to have control over how they may fit into the neighborhood as well as their operations, DCist reports. Robinson claims that the scale very rarely tips in favor of Black-owned businesses in the area.

According to DCist, four out of the six businesses at the center of liquor license protests in recent years were Black. So, when Robinson and his partner Sudon Williams had the idea to turn the basement of their restaurant into a lounge with a live DJ to help offset the $24,000 rent on their space, they geared up to appear before a committee made up of mostly neighborhood volunteers, in a show of good faith.

“Many members of the community spoke up on the call to raise concerns about issues they have had with Kitchen Cray, including with respect to communication, parking, and behavior of staff and patrons, among other things,” according to a written summary published on ANC 6A’s website.

Williams claims that during the meeting one member told her and other KitchenCray leadership to “control your people.” Her claims were substantiated by Commissioner Robb Dooling, who agreed that the language “went too far.”

For Robinson, the disrespect and targeted attacks combined with the financial stress of trying to reach a favorable agreement, forced him to shut KitchenCray’s doors.

Other Black entrepreneurs share the chef’s frustrations with the majority-white ANC. “They come at us so hard,” H Street Main Street executive director Anwar Saleem said. “Businesses already have challenges getting their permits.”

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 13, 2023

You Can Now Cop The Lip Bar Cosmetics At CVS Stores Nationwide

The Lip Bar Inc. has already made waves as a prominent Black-owned beauty brand and is now hoping for even more success as it expands to CVS stores nationwide. Its products have been made available at over 3,000 locations since Sept.5.

In celebration of its retail expansion, the cosmetics company has announced a cash and product giveaway of $3,000 to coincide with the amount of new stores they will now be featured in. To participate, customers who purchase one of its many lip glosses at the drug store through Sept. 15 will have a chance to win. The beauty brand detailed the giveaway in its video announcement.

The award-winning business also shared the news of its CVS launch on Instagram, which boasts over 350k followers.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Lip Bar (@thelipbar)

Referencing Beyonce in its caption to highlight the occasion, the Allure ‘Best of Beauty’ winner made it known that its “lips are city to city like Bey.”

Since its release in 2012, The Lip Bar has emerged as a fan-favorite beauty brand to be available in drug stores. Currently, it holds the title as the largest Black-owned makeup company sold at Target, as reported by Black Enterprise in February. Its CEO and Founder, Melissa Butler, has since elevated her business to thread beauty, which is a part of the global company and also sold at the retail giant.

First-time buyers and long-time supporters alike can now grab the products, such as their Nonstop Liquid Matte Lipstick and Lip Glosses, including the famed Bawse Lady shade, at these retailers.

The Lip Bar’s mission of fostering a community of “Bawse” women will now be shared on a greater scale with this vast rollout across the country. With its products now in CVS stores, their customers can now be reached in all 50 states. The brand remains committed to ensuring women of color celebrate their beauty and boost their confidence.