BLACK ENTERPRISE Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors: BE There
The Inaugural BLACK ENTERPRISE Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors is heading to New York. The event is founded in the belief that diversity, equity, and inclusion are vital to the business world. Some companies shy away from the difficult work of building diverse, equitable, and inclusive spaces. BE is not one of those companies. BE will honor the leaders of DEI initiatives across multiple industries for their contributions to creating fair opportunity and work-spaces,
The event will take place Wednesday, June 28 from 9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. at the spectacular Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center in New York City.
A few years ago, companies rallied to start DEI initiatives to pacify workers during a time of racial strife in America. Since then, many have abandoned those pledges and walked-back talk of DEI initiatives, favoring the status quo. The Chief Diversity Officer Summit & Honors will examine how neglect of DEI best practices by some companies can affect all.
BE executive vice president and chief content officer, Derrick Dingle, said, “Our event will bring together corporate diversity leaders to assess the damage from forces that seek to water down DEI initiatives or have demonstrated outright opposition to the continued advancement of Black executives and increased procurement spend for Black suppliers.”
Examining the abandonment of DEI best practices will, hopefully, lead to a newfound commitment from those in the industry as a whole. Panel discussion surrounding “Growing Backlash Against DEI,” with informed guests, Wendy John, Head of Global Diversity & Inclusion for Fidelity Investments and Celeste Warren, Vice President, Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence of Merck, will break down diminishing diversity efforts and its effects on companies.
BE’s own vice president and deputy chief content officer Alisa Gumbs, will discuss “How Measurement Tools and CEO Engagement Make DEI a Priority,” with Geraldine White, Chief Diversity Officer, Publicis Groupe.
Along with panel discussions, BE will also honor those who stand at the forefront and champion those same DEI practices. Among the honorees are Michelle Gadsden-Williams, Black Rock; Cynthia Bowman, Bank of America; and Joy Fitzgerald, UnitedHealth Group. All have shown an unwavering dedication to racial equity. For this commitment they will receive the BLACK ENTERPRISE CDO Changemaker Award and Lifetime Diversity Crusader Award.
LL Cool J And Ice T Team Up For New A&E Show ‘Hip Hop Treasures’
LL Cool J and Ice T’s new show on A&E will take a trip down hip-hop’s memory lane and seek some cool memorabilia along the way.
Deadline confirmed that the rappers-turned-actors would join forces on Hip Hop Treasures, a docu-series focusing on hunting down iconic pieces of the music genre’s rich history.
In a long line of new ways to commemorate hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, this show will keep the celebration going as they source relics of some of the best cultural moments.
From Flava Flav’s iconic clock chain to DMX’s Aaliyah car, fans can expect the nostalgia to be on full display, while hip-hop aficionados can rejoice at true artists of the craft bringing these items back to their memory.
The new dynamic duo will collaborate with a team of field collectors, such as Cipha Sounds and Yo-Yo, and curators of the Universal Hip-Hop Museum, Paradise Gray and Pete Nice. The museum will debut the biggest collection of hip-hop memorabilia next year.
However, LL Cool J and Ice T won’t be the only rappers involved in the search, as guest stars and fellow artists will be sprinkled throughout the episodes. CeeLo Green, Master P, and Soulja Boy, to name a few, will be present to help the co-hosts on their many quests.
The rappers have made names for themselves outside of their original professions, going on to star in hit shows such as Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and NCIS: Los Angeles. Their screen time also includes reality-based shows, with Ice T appearing in his own reality show with his wife Coco, and LL Cool J hosting Lip Sync Battle. With stars as experienced as the two entertainers, Hip Hop Treasures is gearing up to be a hit with fans and new viewers alike.
For those who want to catch the new show, it debuts on Aug. 12 at 10 p.m. on A&E.
Ice Cube Calls Out NBA And Hollywood Gatekeepers Bothered By His Contract With Black America
Ice Cube is not here for the “gatekeepers” who are seemingly overlooking his Big3 basketball league ever since he released his “Contract With Black America” ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
The NWA rapper turned Big3 founder launched the Big3 in 2017 as a 3-on-3 basketball league consisting of former NBA players. Ice Cube took to Twitter on Sunday, June 25, to post a four-minute video message calling out the “gatekeepers” in Hollywood and the NBA who are seemingly trying to backlist his basketball league since he isn’t a part of the elite Hollywood “club.”
Because of his standing in Tinseltown, Ice Cube claimed, his Big3 Basketball league, which he co-founded with entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz, is not being given the attention it deserves in mainstream media. The Friday star says his “Contract With Black America,” which called on the NFL to direct more business to Black companies in consumer services, technology, and other business sectors, is the reason his basketball league is being ignored.
“Some of you may not have realized that I’m not part of the club,” he said. “And a lot of you listening to me right here and right now, you are not part of the club either.”
Ice Cube continued: “And what I realized with the club is, what makes them so mad is when you don’t want to be a part of they (expletive) club. That pisses them off. What club am I talking about? I’m talking about the club of gatekeepers that we all got to deal with. You know who they are and they definitely know who they are.”
As a result, Ice Cube is going on a “fu*k the gatekeepers” podcast tour to get his message out to the public that the NBA isn’t willing to work with the Big3 for reasons unknown.
Now in its sixth season, the Big3 consists of 12 teams whose players are former NBA contributors or younger players who are looking to break through to the big leagues, as noted by USA Today. The season lasts 10 weeks and tours major markets in the U.S., with several prominent basketball Hall of Famers, including George Gervin, Gary Payton, and Lisa Leslie, serving in head coach roles.
How Gilead Is Leveraging Science And The Power Of Collaboration To Tackle Inequities In HIV
Today, Tuesday, June 27, marks National HIV Testing Day (#HIVTestingDay and #NHTD). Across the globe, Black people disproportionately bear the brunt of HIV. The United States is no exception. Despite making up only 14% of the population in 2020, Black people in the U.S. represented 42% of new HIV diagnoses and 40% of all people living with HIV.
For more than 35 years, Gilead has been fighting alongside Black communities to end the HIV epidemic and the stigma that so often accompanies it.
Gilead Sciences Senior Director of Global HIV Medical Affairs David Malebranche and Executive HIV Community Liaison Danielle Houston spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about how Gilead’s HIV work in Black communities and the South is helping to change the lives of those living with HIV.
As a board-certified internal medicine physician specializing in sexual health and HIV, Malebranche’s career has lived at the intersection of patient care and treatment access, both of which are impeded by health inequities facing many Black communities. In his role at Gilead, Malebranche is laser-focused on advancing Gilead’s HIV therapies and finding solutions to help overcome systemic barriers that limit access to life-changing medicines.
“I’m extremely proud of how Gilead intentionally establishes itself within the HIV treatment and health equity landscapes,” Malebranche said. “If we look back to 1999 and into the early 2000s, things started to ramp up in scientific innovationand combination therapy with two medications in one pill. In 2006, Gilead created the first once-daily, single-tablet regimen that ushered in a new era of what’s possible in reducing the risk of infection and maintaining effective viral suppression in individuals infected with HIV.”
“Today, people with an HIV diagnosis can have life expectancies that are very comparable to individuals who are not HIV-positive. We know the potential of these medicines, but they can’t reach their fullest potential unless they are available to people and communities that need them most. What Gilead has been able to accomplish over the past thirty-five years in HIV treatment is astounding. I am eager to see what’s on the horizon as we continue to apply a health equity lens across our HIV research, programs, and partnerships that benefit Black communities.”
Houston, too, admires Gilead’s intentional work in the HIV space. As an Executive HIV Community Liaison, she is dedicated to securing strategic partnerships with organizations and institutions committed to ending the HIV epidemic and engaging with clients at every stage of the HIV continuum of care.
“One of Gilead’s strongest commitments is our workforce of community liaisons,” Houston said. “Gilead empowers my team to use its innovative scientific community resources across local territories where our HIV community liaisons live, work, play, and pray. This allows us to leverage the personal knowledge and connections of our liaisons who know the names of those we are helping and can help facilitate resources that meet their specific needs.”
As an alumnus of the Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine and a Texas native, Houston has seen first-hand the devastation of the HIV epidemic across the Southern U.S. “We can’t forget that geography, in addition to race and ethnicity, is also a driver of an individual’s likelihood to be diagnosed with HIV and to receive quality care. That is why programs like COMPASS Initiative are so critical.”
There is a high concentration of need in Southern states, which account for 52% of all new HIV cases annually, despite only making up 38% of the U.S. population. Racial disparities also persist there, with Black Southerners representing half of all new HIV diagnoses in the region, even though they make up only 19% of the Southern population. Gilead’s COMPASS Initiative– short for COMmitment to Partnership in Addressing HIV/AIDS in Southern States – is a ten-year, $100 million commitment to address systemic challenges that contribute to the HIV epidemic in the region. Notably, the program leans into the power of community collaboration and local leadership to help address health inequities.
Since 2017, COMPASS has focused on increasing awareness of HIV, battling stigma, and improving access to and the quality of healthcare services for people living with HIV, especially among Black communities. To date, the initiative has provided nearly 400 community-based organizations with over $106 million to provide on-the-ground support and care.
COMPASS is just one of many efforts the biopharma giant has created to advance equity. In 2020, Gilead launched its Racial Equity Community Impact Fund, a three-year program providing $10 million in grants to 20 organizations working to tackle racial inequities affecting Black communities across the United States.
“COMPASS Initiative and the Racial Equity Community Impact Fund are particularly important to the work of our community liaisons because they focus on directing funds and programs to areas disproportionately impacted by HIV,” said Houston. “In the U.S.,more than half of new diagnoses are occurring in the South, so getting funding and resources into the hands of the people who have been doing the work for years is critical for promoting health equity and eliminating barriers, especially across Black communities in southern states.”
Gilead has also teamed up with HBCUs in the South to help shape the next generation of Black medical professionals. With its established partnerships with Morehouse College and the Xavier University of Louisiana, Gilead has created a college-to-career pipeline for Black men and women in the medical profession.
“We are focused on education and training so that more Black medical professionals are working in HIV prevention, treatment, and sexual health,” Malebranche told BE. “Representation matters, so when there are more of us in the medical field, it serves as an inspiration to younger people who plan to pursue a medical career but may not know they can focus specifically on HIV prevention and treatment. It is valuable and affirming in all forms of medical care when our healthcare providers look like us.”
Gilead continues to serve as a trusted ally in the fight against HIV. In June 2023, the organization announced its Setting the P.A.C.E. funding opportunity, a three-year, $10 million philanthropic investment to increase HIV prevention, anti-stigma, and health equity efforts for Black women and girls – both cisgender and transgender – in the U.S. The funding is a response to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data that reveal cisgender Black women and girls continue to be diagnosed with HIV at disproportionately high rates compared to white and Hispanic/Latina women.
Setting the P.A.C.E. will support regional- and national-focused projects working to improve the HIV landscape through the development of prevention training and informational resources, arts and advocacy, community and non-profit capacity building, and education. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until July 28, at www.gilead.com/purpose/giving/funding-requests.
“Helping those living with HIV live longer, healthier and fuller lives requires an all-hands-on-deck approach,” added Malebranche. From medical innovation and partnerships with local HIV organizations to funding opportunities that improve access and health outcomes, Gilead will remain hard at work to advance efforts to end the HIV epidemic and serve as a beacon of hope for Black communities disproportionately impacted by HIV.”
US Supreme Court Lets Google Win Stand Against Genius Suit Over Song Lyrics
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear a bid by website Genius to revive its lawsuit accusing Alphabet’s Google of misusing its transcripts of song lyrics in search engine results without a license.
The justices turned away an appeal by Genius of a lower court’s decision blocking its breach-of-contract claims against Google. Genius had argued that a win for Google could allow big tech companies to steal content without repercussions from websites such as Reddit, eBay and Wikipedia that aggregate user-created information.
Genius, formerly known as Rap Genius, maintains a vast database of song lyrics. It sued Google in New York state court in 2019, accusing it of copying and posting its lyrics transcripts at the top of search results without permission, diverting web traffic that should have gone to the Genius site.
Genius does not hold copyrights in the lyrics, which usually belong to the artists or publishers. But it accused Google of violating its terms of service by stealing and reposting its work.
Google spokesperson Jose Castaneda said the company appreciated the Supreme Court’s decision.
“We license lyrics on Google Search from third parties, and we do not crawl or scrape websites to source lyrics,” Castaneda added.
Josh Rosenkranz, a lawyer for Genius, said he and the company were disappointed that the Supreme Court declined to take the case. Rosenkranz said the lower court’s decision “allows companies like Google to swallow up their competitors by misappropriating their content without any repercussions.”
The Genius lawsuit stated that one of the first Google posts it suspected as copying involved the lyrics for the song “Panda” by the rapper Desiigner.
“I got broads in Atlanta,” part of the song’s lyrics read. “Twistin’ dope, lean, and the Fanta. Credit cards and the scammers. Hittin’ off licks in the bando.”
Genius also cited songs by rapper Kendrick Lamar and pop singers Selena Gomez and Alessia Cara that it allegedly caught Google copying through the use of watermarks.
It said in its petition for Supreme Court review that it included a distinctive pattern of curly and straight apostrophes in transcriptions for some new songs that spelled out “RED HANDED” in Morse code.
“Sure enough, Genius caught Google with its hand in the cookie jar: The ‘RED HANDED’ message soon began to appear in the lyrics in Google‘s information boxes,” Genius told the justices.
The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2022 upheld a ruling that the Genius breach-of-contract claims were based on copyright concerns and could be pursued only in a copyright lawsuit.
Google told the high court that it holds licenses to the lyrics and argued that Genius wants to “ignore the true copyright owners and invent new rights through a purported contract.”
President Joe Biden’s administration recommended in May that the justices turn down the appeal.
Longtime Educator Creates Phonics Program Teaching Kids To Read In 40 Hours
A Black educator is making learning to read as easy as counting to three for Black students in America.
Rosa Higgs, a Black educator with more than 50 years of experience, created the Phonics workbook series Read in 40 to teach Black students to read at or above grade level. The program teaches students to read in 40 hours, Black News reported, with Higgs explaining, “Everyone that I teach learns to read above grade level in 40 hours or less, and that is why I chose the name.”
The educator continued, “When my kids complete Read in 40, they can read over 90% of the words in the American English Dictionary. And reading is like riding a bike.”
Higgs and her series have received a great deal of support. Actor, film director, and political activist Danny Glover said of the phonics program: “The Read in 40 workbooks will surely jostle the foundation of education and cognitive sciences. They’re an educational triumph in language arts of the first order.”
Mansour-Id Deen, Berkeley president of the NAACP, awarded Higgs the Most Valuable Teacher Award for Excellence in Literacy Instruction, per Black News. “Ms. Higgs was the only volunteer educator who taught scores of students at our offices during this pandemic,” said Deen. “Each of her students learned to read beyond grade level. Transitioning from in-person to online teaching was smooth with her supplementary YouTube lessons.” Higgs’ program “produces the most outstanding reading materials with the greatest, fastest results,” he said.
Longtime educator Higgs has witnessed many changes in American education, from the “reading wars” to Ronald Reagan’s “whole language method” and George W. Bush’s No Child Left Behind Act. In order to continue promoting literacy in the Black community, Higgs gained financial support through a grant from Donald White of Alpha Phi Alpha, Fraternity, Inc., and from former Oakland mayor Elihu Harris.
Laurence Fishburne Had Angela Bassett’s Back While Filming ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’
Actress Angela Bassett recounted how Laurence Fishburne stood up for her while shooting the Oscar-nominated film What’s Love Got to Do With It.
In honor of its 30th anniversary, Bassett sat down with Variety to reflect on what it was like working on the film that garnered her a Golden Globe win and an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Bassett was up-and-coming at the time and excited to star as Tina Turner in the biopic. The movie provided shocking visuals of many of the traumatic experiences that Turner endured while married to Ike Turner and later revealed in her autobiography, I, Tina.
One unforgettable scene in the movie showed Ike sexually assaulting Tina inside a recording studio.
Bassett recalled the long and draining hours the cast and crew put in and how they would spend the day reshooting the most minuscule scenes: “We literally worked 16-hour days on the smallest of things, like cutting a ribbon.” Fishburne, she says, was “strong, he was respectful. He could bring order and he had discipline. When things got out of hand, as they did, he could bring some stoppage and clarity to the moment.”
Leave it to Fishburne, who started acting when he was a child in films like Cornbread, Earl, and Me, and maintained his onscreen appearances throughout the 1970s and ’80s. By 1993, Fishburne was the veteran on set.
When it came to the harrowing assault scene, Bassett “wasn’t willing” to shoot it “over and over,” and decided to talk to Fishburne about it. She didn’t feel she could speak up about it to British director Brian Gipson because she was a “new actor” just getting started in the business. Fishburne felt more comfortable speaking up to Gipson and serving as a voice for Bassett. But first he listened.
“So Laurence asked me, ‘How many times you want to do this?’ And I looked at him, he took my hand and I said, ‘Four or five,'” Bassett recalled.
“And then he told the director, like, ‘Hey man, we’re just going to do this four times. So let’s make sure we get the cameras right and we’re going to keep them outside of the studio.'”
Bassett remembers, “And whereas I could not, as an up-and-coming actor to this white male British director, Laurence could say, ‘I think we got it. We got it.’ And then we could all go home and get some rest to be ready for the next day.”
Former BET Host Ananda Lewis Teams Up With Gilead Sciences To Discuss Her Breast Cancer Journey
Former MTV/BET veejay Ananda Lewis is partnering with Gilead Sciences to ensure that quality healthcare is provided in all communities, AfroTech reports. Lewis’ platform is centered on how to keep your faith while battling what could be a fatal disease.
At Mary J. Blige’s Strength of a Woman Festival in May 2023, Lewis, a breast cancer survivor, teamed up with Gilead, a festival sponsor, to continue the conversation. Lewis says working with the research-based biopharmaceutical company is a “full-circle moment” for her.
“When I found out that Gilead Sciences is committed to advancing health and Black equity, those two things together, advancing health and Black equity, are exactly what I’m trying to do,” Lewis said. “They’re doing the work. Their money is where their mouth is, and I respect companies like that.”
In 2020, Lewis announced she had been battling stage three breast cancer for nearly two years. At the Strength of a Woman festival, she reminded women to put themselves first when it comes to their health. “For me, prevention is the cure, and I want women to understand that every single day, having faith in God, for me, means taking care of what God created,” Lewis told the guests.
According to the American Cancer Society, Black women have a 4% lower rate of breast cancer than white women but still have a 40% higher chance of dying from this cancer. However, studies show that lifestyle changes prevent nearly 30% of breast cancers. Being active, keeping a healthy weight, and limiting alcohol intake can help.
Gilead Sciences Senior Director Omoro Omoighe says the company is working to create homegrown solutions for the challenges Black women face in the healthcare industry. “At Gilead, we are all about thinking through how we can not just have a transactional conversation and engagement with the community, but really, a transformative one, and so this conference, for us, is all about widening the table,” said Omoighe. “We believe that communities have the solutions for the challenges that face them, especially Black women.”
Black Mom-And-Son Duo Host 10th Annual Talent Showcase And Resource Expo In Chicago
Natalie Manning and her son, Dorian, are the founders of This Is Life, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization they created 10 years ago to offer a platform showcasing the talents of Chicago youth. This Is Life also provides resources for families seeking solutions to the constant issue of violence in their communities.
On Saturday, June 24, the Mannings held the highly anticipated 10th annual This Is Life Youth Talent Showcase & Resource Expo. It was hosted by Chicago’s own Mr. “Aww Yea” El Hitta, with sounds provided by DJ Fly Ty.
Natalie got the party started by writing, “Let’s start the summer off on a positive note! Now more than ever, the world needs to shift into a more loving, joyful, and positive space for our youth to dwell!”
Chicago youth artists and group participants presented their artistic gifts to inspire positive attitudes toward youth-led movements and increase peace. The event took place at The Salvation Army Adele and Robert Stern Red Shield Center in Chicago’s Englewood community.
“We wanted young people to realize their worth and give them a platform to express themselves,” said Natalie.
The purpose of This Is Life is to provide youth with a safe environment to develop their creative strengths, build genuine relationships, expand their fan base, and shift the media’s focus of Chicago’s youth from defeated to optimistic. The movement has produced hip-hop artist Nia Kay, Hxllywood, and performing artist Lil Kemo.
This Is Life progressed from a single song to producing a series of events highlighting thousands of national and local youth artists as well the development of a Chicago-themed clothing line.
A recipient of the 2023 Chicago Fund for Safe and Peaceful Communities, the organization’s annual Youth Talent Showcase & Resource Expo offered free admission to the public. Vendor and sponsorship opportunities are still available for other activities this summer. To apply, email bookingsthislife@gmail.com.
This Is Life is a tax-exempt organization accepting donations which help fund its annual back-to-school giveaways, winter toy drives, seasonal city tour trips, and more. For more information, please visit ThisIsLifeChi.org for more details on how to support the cause and positively impact one youth at a time.
Florida Prosecutors Pass On Pressing Murder Charges Against White Woman Who Killed Ajike ‘AJ’ Owens
Prosecutors in the case involving the killing of Ajike “AJ” Owens won’t be filing murder against Susan Lorincz, claiming “insufficient evidence,” CNN reports.
Instead, state attorney Bill Gladson announced on Monday that the state would charge Lorincz with one count of manslaughter with a firearm and one count of assault. The 58-year-old white woman from Marion Country, Florida, is accused of shooting her neighbor, Ajike “AJ” Owens after Owens repeatedly knocked on her door. Owens allegedly was there to confront her after Lorincz became angry that Owens’ children were playing outside, close to her apartment.
The angry neighbor was arrested after investigators said Lorincz shot Owens through the door in front of her 10-year-old son.
Gladson said his team “carefully examined the viability of both second-degree murder and manslaughter with a firearm, both first-degree felonies,” and to charge her with murder would mean they would need to prove that Lorincz had a “depraved mind” when the shooting occurred. In a statement, Gladson speaks on the wishes of the Owens family and community members and believes he made the right decision. “I can assure you that the decision was thoughtful and made without consideration of any factors other than the specific facts of this terrible crime,” Gladson said.
According to Fox 35, Lorincz still sits in the Marion County Jail on a $154,000 bond after only being able to post $1,700.
Lorincz claims she didn’t mean to hit Owens and was scared for her life. She did admit to using racial slurs against some of the children in the neighborhood, which aligns with what the Owens family previously reported, saying she harassed Owens and her children before the shooting. Gladson said he did meet with the Owens family and their attorney before making the announcement, as he said the office is still seeking justice. “My office will do all it can to seek justice for Ms. Owens and her family,” he said.
