Federal Appeals Court Admonishes Police Department For Arresting Black Good Samaritan Who Apprehended Drunk Driver
Judges from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals chastised the Houston Police Department after officers lied to falsely arrest Austin Hughes in 2019.
A Black man who called the police after witnessing an alleged drunk driver leaving the scene of a crash and holding him for law enforcement was then arrested by the police and charged with impersonating law enforcement. The police officers then allowed the drunk driver to leave. A three-judge panel chastised the Houston Police Department for arresting the man.
According to The Houston Chronicle, a federal appeals court, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals rebuked the police department after they wrongly arrested Austin Hughes in 2019. The former police officer was working as a part-time security guard when he called 911 after seeing a drunk driver crash his vehicle and attempt to get away by running in traffic. He chased the driver and used handcuffs to restrain him until police officers arrived on the scene.
Instead of arresting the driver, the police officers let him go and then arrested Hughes on charges of impersonating law enforcement.
“This case does not involve excessive force, or split-second decisions, or the chaos of a chase,” Judge Andrew Oldham wrote in the decision. “Rather, it involves a simple, clearly established rule that all officers should know at all times … Do not lie.”
Although there was another eyewitness who also called 911 and gave the operator the same description of what happened, as well as the driver admitting he was drunk and failing a sobriety test, the officers still allowed him to leave while arresting Hughes.
HPD patrol officer Michael Garcia did not write about that in the sworn affidavit he handed in to support the charges filed against Hughes. Yet, Garcia and his partner, Joshua Few, believed the intoxicated man’s story. He told them that Hughes attacked him and pretended to be a police officer.
Hughes’ criminal defense lawyer, Paul Doyle, said, “You just wonder what motivated those officers. We can’t get people to respond to aggravated robberies and murders, but they’re gonna go after a Good Samaritan who happens to be African-American and go out of their way to arrest him when crime is rampant in our city. Like, actual crime.”
Both police officers are still on the force, and it is unknown if they were ever disciplined.
Sean Kingston Arrested In California After Florida Home Raided By SWAT Team
Kingston's 61-year-old mother was arrested during the raid on numerous fraud and theft charges.
Recording artist Sean Kingston was arrested on May 23 on fraud charges after his South Florida residence was raided earlier in the day by a SWAT team of police officers.
According to The Associated Press, the “Beautiful Girls” singer was taken in without incident on fraud charges in California. This occurred after his 61-year-old mother, Janice Turner, was arrested during the raid on the mansion he is renting located in Southwest Ranches. Officers were seen taking items away in a van. The Broward County Sheriff’s Office stated that the artist was arrested on a Florida warrant.
Kingston, born Kisean Anderson, posted a message on his Instagram account assuring fans that he and his mother were good and his attorneys were “handling” the situation before the message was deleted.
“People love negative energy! I am good, and so is my mother! … My lawyers are handling everything as we speak.”
NBC Miami reports that Turner was arrested on numerous fraud and theft charges and was being held on a $160,000 bond in Broward County.
According to attorney Dennis Card, whose client is suing Kingston, the raid was conducted because of a lawsuit filed against him, accusing him of not paying for some items, including a 232-inch TV.
“He likes having bling, he likes showing off, he’s a showman,” Card said. “My client has a $150,000 television sound system that’s in there, there’s also about $1 million worth of watches that are in there, there’s a $80,000 custom bed that was ordered. This is an organized, systematic fraud.”
Kingston hasn’t released a charted record in over five years. Card alleges that he is a scammer with judgments against him totaling more than a million dollars.
“He’s 100 percent a scammer; he’s on felony probation right now for trafficking in stolen property, he’s got judgements against him for procuring more than $1 million in watches without paying for them,” Card said. “This is just an ongoing pattern for Sean.”
Robert Rosenblatt, representing Kingston and Turner, stated in an email to The Associated Press, “We are aware of some of the allegations” against the pair. “We look forward to addressing these in court and are confident of a successful resolution for Shawn [sic] and his mother.”
Donald Trump Brings Two Indicted Brooklyn Drill Rappers On Stage At Bronx Rally
The former president brought out Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, who were indicted as part of an investigation into a vast murder conspiracy.
Former President Donald Trump appeared in the Bronx, New York, on May 23 for his first-ever rally in the borough that started hip-hop. Maybe because of its storied history, the presumptive Republican nominee for president invited two rappers on stage, who just happened to share a common trait: they were indicted men currently out on bail.
According to The New York Daily News, as Trump stood on stage at Crotona Park, he gladly introduced Sheff G and Sleepy Hallow, drill rappers who hail from Brooklyn. Last year, both men were indicted as part of an investigation into a vast murder conspiracy by two Brooklyn gangs, the 8 Trey Crips and 9 Ways.
Sheff G, whose real name is Michael Williams, was out on bail after posting $150,000 cash or $1 million bond. He was hit with conspiracy charges and multiple counts of murder, assault, and criminal possession of a weapon in the case due to 27 different acts of violence. He was allegedly involved in a dozen shootings.
Sleepy Hallow, born Tegan Chambers, was also out on bail for conspiracy charges, with a $200,000 cash or $150,000 bond.
At the podium, Sheff G told the crowd, “One thing I want to say, they’re always going to whisper your accomplishments and shout your failures. Trump’s gonna shout the wins for all of us.”
Sleepy Hallow came right behind him and said, “Make America Great Again.”
Complex reported that after spending time at Otis Bantum Correctional Center in the Bronx, Sheff G was released on April 19 after posting $1.5 million. He provided proof with a photo of the $1.5 million check he paid to the Department of Corrections.
He was sentenced to two years in prison in 2021 after pleading guilty to criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. He was among 32 individuals named in a 140-count indictment from the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.
The two rappers are accused of using Pig Latin in phone conversations to discuss dealings so they wouldn’t get caught by authorities. “Defendants and other members of the 8 Trey Crips and 9 Ways gang also used a distinct form of pig Latin to show gang allegiance and to attempt to disguise their discussions of acts of violence, gun possession and other gang business,” it states in the indictment.
There is no word whether Trump and his team knew of their criminal background.
UCLA Professor Dr. Carol Bennett Receives Award From Society Of Women In Urology
Dr. Bennett made history as the nation's first Black woman urologist and University of Michigan's first woman urology trainee.
Dr. Carol Bennett, a trailblazing figure in the field of urology, has been honored with the prestigious Jean Fourcroy Leadership Award from the Society of Women in Urology.
To honor the urology specialist, who is a professor at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, the university stated that an award ceremony took place earlier this month at the American Urological Association’s 2024 annual meeting. As its name suggests, the award commemorates Jean Fourcroy, a pioneering female physician instrumental in establishing the society back in 1980 and recognizing modern-day women in urology who follow her groundbreaking path.
Bennett’s illustrious career and significant contributions were recently celebrated when the Association of Black Women Physicians bestowed upon her a lifetime achievement award in 2023.
Congratulations to Dr. Carol Bennett on receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Black Women Physicians. Bennett was the nation's first Black woman in the field of urology and helped train underrepresented students at @dgsomucla. https://t.co/7zNfdRqxki
Notably, she etched her name into history as the nation’s first Black woman urologist. Her research endeavors, spanning male reproductive defects, urinary tract diseases, and groundbreaking work with men suffering neurogenic injuries from spinal cord trauma, have left an indelible mark.
After completing medical school at Georgetown University in 1978, Bennett shattered glass ceilings, becoming the first woman trainee in the University of Michigan’s urology program, at a time when a mere 15.4% of residents across all specialties were women, with urology’s representation lagging at 0.9%.
The Bel-Air Association commended the longtime Bel-Air resident for her over-20-year tenure as Chief of Urology at the Veterans’ Administration Hospital in Ann Arbor. The association highlighted her innovative patient care initiatives like televised remote access clinics and e-consults. Such strategies have expanded patient access and decreased delays. In the association’s words, “She has demonstrated innovation.”
An active presence across numerous professional bodies, Dr. Bennett, has authored a wealth of articles focused on neurourology and male infertility, solidifying her status as a luminary in the field.
Gamecocks Guard Raven Johnson Scores NIL Deal With Parfait Beauty Brand
The University of South Carolina guard plans to incorporate Parfait's U-part curly wigs and rock a half-up, half-down look.
Raven Johnson, a starting guard for the University of South Carolina Gamecocks basketball team, has forged a groundbreaking NIL partnership with Black-owned beauty brand Parfait.
As part of the new deal, Parfait introduced its “Ravenge Tour” wig, inspired by the two-time NCAA champ and designed for customers looking for versatility and performance. Crafted for the multifaceted individual who effortlessly transitions from athletic to stylish, the innovative sport-mode wig defies convention by refusing to budge. The unwavering fit makes the wig resilient, flexible, and “undefeated,” Parfait described on its website.
This historic collaboration aims to amplify female voices in the male-dominated sports industry. According to Andscape, Parfait’s co-founder and CEO, Isoken Igbinedion, believes the deal sets “a new standard for how female athletes should be treated and how they can maintain and express their personal style without compromise.”
Johnson expressed her excitement, saying, “I’m so grateful that beauty brands are partnering with women athletes…not just partnering with a beauty brand like Parfait but a brand that Black women own. That means a lot to me.”
As part of this novel arrangement, Parfait will create products tailored to complement Johnson’s athletic lifestyle. Igbinedion and her little sisters are huge fans of Johnson, and the entrepreneur is thrilled about the opportunity for Johnson to build her wealth and brand through the collaboration. Johnson’s deal will allow her to learn about the products as they are created for her to wear.
“[Parfait] is so excited to support her and give her opportunities that are not available to women,” Igbinedion told the outlet. “I know it’s starting to happen, but it’s not happening fast enough, and it’s not having at the speed it needs to. We’re excited to be one piece of this much larger movement.”
Johnson’s signature style on the court involves rocking lashes, lip gloss, and flaunting her “slayed” long hair. She regards her wigs as being in “sport mode,” explaining, “There’s a thing on the wig that has a strap on the back, and it makes the wig tighter. And you have, like, this comb in the wig that you can put under the band that you tie, and it makes it like tighter. It makes it secure so that the wig won’t go anywhere. It’s good for athletes.”
The Atlanta native plans to incorporate Parfait’s U-part curly wigs and half-up, half-down styles into her look.
As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously highlighted, Parfait is the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered hair tech platform for Black women. The platform, endorsed by tennis icon Serena Williams, creates the most simple, frictionless experience for wig shoppers searching for the perfect hair extensions.
The suit’s fate is in the hands of U.S. District Judge Jeffrey Brown, who heard legal arguments on May 23 over whether to dismiss the suit presented by Darryl George, 18, and his mother, Darresha. The mother and son filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in 2023 after George made headlines for being punished over the length of his dreadlocks.
George has not returned to his normal classes at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu since Aug. 31 because the district, Barbers Hill Independent School District, claims the length of his hair violates the dress code. The school district, the district superintendent, the principal, and the assistant principal, as well as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, are all named as defendants in the suit.
The district argued that George’s hair, which he typically wears twisted on top of his head, violates policy because if taken down, it would fall below his shirt collar, eyebrows, or earlobes. The district has said other students with locs comply with the length policy. George and his mother are accusing those named in the filing as failing to stop racial and gender discrimination against the student while being punished.
While waiting for the official ruling, Darresha said she was just happy that her son’s day in court had arrived. “I’m just happy that we’re here. We finally made it here,” George said. “ This is another stepping stone we have to cross. It’s been a long road, and we will just be in this fight.”
The suit accuses the parties involved of numerous violations, including free speech and the CROWN Act. Since the junior student has spent most of the school year in in-school suspension at an off-site disciplinary program, the suit alleges George’s First Amendment rights to free speech and expression are being violated.
His punishment is also claimed to violate the CROWN Act, a state law that took effect in September and prohibits race-based hair discrimination. The law bans employers and schools from penalizing people because of hair texture or protective hairstyles, including Afros, braids, locs, twists, or Bantu knots.
Allie Booker, George’s attorney, and Judge Brown claim the district’s policy is discriminatory, alleging the school district makes religious exemptions for hair length but doesn’t follow CROWN Act provisions by not offering race-based protections. She also argues that there are no rules defined for girls. After Brown asked about any cases indicating, Booker said the case isn’t about hair length but about “acceptance for all in the same manner.”
After the hearing, George didn’t make a statement, but his attorney said he was “a little sad” due to difficulty finding a summer job. “He’s just afraid that some of the people that don’t agree with this case will hold it against him as they have been,” Booker said.
There are several people in George’s corner, including the Congressional Black Caucus, who invited both him and his mother to Washington, D.C., for the State of the Union Address in March 2024. In a press release, Caucus Chair and Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) said there is “no sound justification for the way the Barbers Hill Independent School District is treating Darryl George.”
The lead primary sponsor of The CROWN Act, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ), called the in-school suspension “for this long, MONTHS, and over a civil rights dispute “atrocious.
The judge mentioned possibly dismissing Abbott and Paxton from the lawsuit and a few claims filed against the superintendent and school administrators. He said a final ruling would be issued at a later date.
Charles Barkley May Continue ‘Inside the NBA’ Under Different Name If TNT Loses NBA Television Rights
'" have my own production company, I would love to do that if if we lose it [NBA rights]," Barkley said
With TNT possibly losing the rights to broadcast NBA games after next season, basketball fans are bracing for the end of the beloved Inside the NBA.
One of the show’s stars, Charles Barkley, doesn’t want the show to end either. He is toying with the idea of bringing the show’s talent, host Ernie Johnson and analysts Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal, under his production company to keep Inside the NBA going under a different name.
Barkley hates that the long-running studio show might be ending because TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, reportedly has not matched the bid placed by other networks vying to air NBA games.
“I have my own production company; I would love to do that if if we lose it [NBA rights],” Barkley told Patrick. “But I have definitely had— actually somebody suggested that to me, to be honest with you, on the internet—‘So, why doesn’t Charles Barkley sign these three, guys four guys total to his production company and sell it?’ I’m like, ‘That’s a great idea.’”
He also expressed concern about the staff that works on the show being out of a job if TNT loses its NBA rights.
“Morale sucks, plain and simple. You know, I just feel so bad for the people I work with, Dan,” Barkley said. “These people I work with, they’ve screwed this thing up clearly. And we don’t have zero idea what’s going to happen. I don’t feel good. I’m not gonna lie, especially when they came out yesterday and said we bought college football. I was like, ‘Well damn, they could have used that money to buy the NBA.’”
It’s been speculated that NBC has outbid TNT to secure the rights to broadcast NBA games after the 2024-25 NBA season.
The Atlanta-based designer brings her Caribbean roots-inspired hand-drawn patterns to life on a new assortment of duvet sets, pillowcases, and more, BlackNews.com reports. The collection’s inclusion on major retail sites like Wayfair, JCPenney, Amazon, and BedBathandBeyond.com marks a new milestone for the burgeoning apparel, accessories, and home decor brand.
This news follows Porter’s partnerships with West Elm, Target, and Nordstrom locations nationwide.
“I love creating pieces that bring smiles to people’s faces,” Porter said, according to BlackNews.com. “Seeing our brand reach this major milestone fills me with gratitude. It’s amazing to think that now, folks can enjoy my products right in the comfort of their own living rooms.”
Pieces include Porter’s popular Wild Out Printed duvet set of oversized florals digitally printed on 100% cotton sateen. The vibrant blend of colors is spread across two shams, an accent pillow, and a duvet insert.
“It’s the perfect way to infuse your bedroom with style and personality,” she wrote on Instagram. “Don’t miss out on this mindful, made-with-love addition to your home!”
Design enthusiasts can get a taste of the Caribbean wildlife with Porter’s Jaguar Safari wallpaper that comes in neutral tones and showcases Guyana’s national animal. The peel-and-stick paper aims to add a pop of life to any bedroom, bathroom, or kitchen.
The passionate self-taught designer who openly shares how “YouTube University” helped secure her with the tools to take her design dreams to the next level is experiencing a new level of growth. Thanks to an eco-friendly design aesthetic, consumers can transform their homes with pieces that keep the planet’s health in mind.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Promises To Pay Black Farmers $5B In Reparations, Despite Unconstitutional Ruling
Black farmers - -who make up 1.4% of the country's farmers -- have continued to fight against discriminatory practices both currently and historically.
During a podcast interview with the founder of the National Black Farmers Association (NBFA), John Boyd Jr., the candidate discussed his proposal and how Black farmers got the short end of the stick with financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) under President Joe Biden’s America Rescue Plan in 2021. “I can tell you that when I’m in the White House, you’re going to be out there the first week; I’m going to get rid of those people in USDA and get that money,” Kennedy said.
Griesbach claimed there was no evidence of “intentional discrimination” by USDA in recent agriculture subsidies or pandemic relief efforts.
Biden’s plan targeted helping “socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers” get back on track following the COVID-19 pandemic. However, according to the USDA’s agricultural website, “socially disadvantaged farmers” were “defined as a group whose members have been subjected to racial or ethnic prejudice because of their identity as members of a group without regard to their individual qualities.”
Black farmers—who make up 1.4% of the country’s farmers—have continued to fight against discriminatory practices both currently and historically. However, white farmers in Texas, Florida, and the Midwest took offense to the provision and challenged it with a lawsuit from the Wisconsin Institute For Law & Liberty (WILL) and America First Legal (AFL).
Jacksonville federal Judge Marcia Morales Howard issued a preliminary injunction, describing the bill as appearing “to create an inflexible, race-based discriminatory program.”
Boyd said he has pulled his support of Biden’s reelection bid because of his minimal attention to “struggling Black farmers who are losing their land.” He alleges the USDA was allowed to foreclose on farmers who wanted assistance from the debt relief program that would’ve been available under the law.
Kennedy said the $5 billion isn’t just money but “entitlement.” “It’s money that was a loan that Black farmers were entitled to way back then and was stolen from them through discrimination,” he said.
“You can testify it was personally stolen from you, and that’s what the court found.”
There are some parties involved that are against Kennedy’s ideology. Executive Director and General Counsel for AFL Gene Hamilton, who was one part of the lawsuit at the time, feels it’s not the government’s responsibility to pick sides — especially when it comes to race. “Any public official who thinks it is the government’s role to pick winners and losers based on the color of their skin does not belong in public office,” Hamilton said.
“This is the 21st century, and we need to stop living like we are in the 19th century before the Civil War.”
While discussing the Supreme Court’s decision to allow South Carolina to continue using a congressional map that critics allege discriminates against Black voters, Thomas attacked the historic Brown v. Board of Education ruling argued by Thurgood Marshall, who would later become the first Black Supreme Court Justice. “The court took a boundless view of equitable remedies in the Brown ruling,” Thomas wrote.
“Those remedies came through extravagant uses of judicial power to end racial segregation in the 1950s and 60s.”
The 1954 ruling declared the “separate but equal” measure unconstitutional in a 9-0 vote, often considered the starting mark of the Civil Rights Movement. The decision sparked national outrage, prompting protests in Little Rock, Arkansas, when nine Black students enrolled in Little Rock Central High School in 1957. Ruby Bridges became the first African American child to attend formerly whites-only William Frantz Elementary School in Louisiana three years later.
Due to her young age, Bridges had to be escorted by federal marshals on her first day.
However, the amount of racial segregation in schools has jumped dramatically over the last 30 years with the rise ofcharter schools and school choice options. A report from American University’s School of Education found segregated schools hurt Black and Latino students at disproportionate levels as schools often have fewer resources, struggle with teachers, and have fewer AP class options.
Thomas has had his share of controversial statements against Black people. Regarding his defense of wanting to keep a predominantly white congressional district in South Carolina, he said federal courts have limited power to grant equitable relief, “not the flexible power to invent whatever new remedies may seem useful at the time.”
This is not the first time the Justice has opposed anti-discrimination measures. According to Newsweek, before being nominated by Republican President George H. W. Bush to the high court in 1991, he fought to use class-action lawsuits to enforce workplace discrimination laws while working for the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Years later, he voted with the majority in the Shelby County v. Holder case — voting to eliminate the 1964 Voting Rights Act in 2013. Thomas argued that racism in voting was no longer a thing, and he felt enough progress had been made to trash the law. Thomas has never backed down from his conservative ideology.
He once claimed that Black people are against him because they can’t handle his views that call for Black people to stop looking for free stuff from white people or government programs. He also said in a speech in 1998 that he refused to be an “intellectual slave.”
