Rabble, a social discovery app focused on connecting people to community events that align with the issues they care most about announced its partnership with Everybody Eats Philly, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing food security. The partnership kicks off at Everybody Eats Philly’s annual Juneteenth BBQ on June 18, bringing together Philadelphia’s Black community and allies for a historical celebration of Black freedom that recognizes and honors when the last enslaved people were free.

Rabble chose Everybody Eats Philly as its first major partner given the city’s civic pride and the opportunity to unite the community as the nation faces an increasingly polarizing political environment, worsening socioeconomic disparities, and the adverse effects of climate change. Philadelphia also has a huge college-aged population that lacks an entry point to gather for purposeful activities. Rabble aims to serve this demographic, with the understanding that 94% of Gen Z are passionate about a social cause and 73% of Gen Z report feeling lonely and in search of community — the highest level of any generation.

“Philadelphia is primed to be a leading hub for change, which underscores why Rabble chose to partner with Everybody Eats Philly,” said Becky Wang, co-founder and CEO of Rabble. “The annual Juneteenth BBQ allows us to engage with a core subset of Philadelphia’s youth, offering them a single destination to remain connected and discover future actions to support in their community. We’re proud to partner with such an impactful nonprofit and honored to have a seat at their table as we continue to make strides in our goal to curate local impact experiences in cities across the country.”

In three years, attendance to Everybody Eats Philly’s annual Juneteenth BBQ has gone from 250 people in 2020 to more than 2,000 people in 2022. To continue this momentum and maximize the event’s impact, Rabble engaged more than 25 organizations, including the Philadelphia Eagles and San Pellegrino, to make donations such as signed jerseys, gift cards, theater tickets, and food. Money raised from these donations goes directly to Everybody Eats Philly and their mission to increase food security and build community. Brands are able to track the impact of their donations directly from the Rabble app, and event organizers are able to track proof of attendance and donations to assist with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) tracking.

“Thanks to Rabble, Everybody Eats Philly has been able to reach donors that we never thought to reach out to in past years, while also widening our presence across the city’s wide population of college-aged youth,” said Stephanie Willis, founder and CEO of Everybody Eats Philly. “We look for partners who understand how to serve and listen to the Philadelphia community to create magic, and Rabble reflects exactly that. We’re thankful our community members — especially youth who are interested in getting involved but don’t know where to start — will have the opportunity to register for their platform and create positive change in Philadelphia and beyond for years to come.”

Through the partnership, event attendees will gain access to Rabble’s marketplace, allowing them to connect with other local members and grassroots organizations with similar interests. The goal of these connections is to build long-term community and impact. These new bonds allow groups to support each other for future events that closely align with the social justice issues they are most passionate about.

For future events, Rabble’s core focus will remain on reaching the following audiences:

• Young change makers and event organizers that are looking to build local connections and take action that aligns with the issues they care most about.
• Culture-driven, value-aligned brand donors that want to take a stance on a social cause and provide resources to their community in a meaningful way.

Looking ahead, Rabble plans to expand support to other issues that impact the Philadelphia community and beyond, including climate catastrophe, digital access, women’s health, criminal justice reform, Black farmers, and food security in other areas of the U.S.

This news first appeared on prnewswire.com.

Rihanna and her baby bump were the inaugural stars of Pharrell’s first-ever Louis Vuitton campaign that teases his first menswear show as creative director.

Pharrell took to Instagram on Thursday, June 15 to share a photo of himself standing in front of a giant billboard in Paris that shows pregnant Rihanna modeling his Louis Vuitton menswear collection for Spring-Summer 2024.

 

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A post shared by (@pharrell)

The photo tease comes days ahead of Pharrell’s official debut as Louis Vuitton’s menswear creative director at Paris Fashion Week, Hypebeast reports.  The partnership was a long time coming with Pharrell first collaborating with LV and Nigo back in 2004 with his “Millionaire” sunglasses collection.

Pharrell was named the new creative director of menswear in February. He was selected to succeed the late Virgil Abloh who passed away in November 2021 at age 41.

Rihanna and Pharrell are no strangers. The two collaborated in 2017 on N.E.R.D’s “LEMON.” In 2020, Rihanna teased the music she was recording with Pharrell for her new album, which has yet to be released or announced.

The Bajan superstar also has a solid relationship with the LVMH conglomerate as the company has a stake in Fenty Beauty and helped launch the Fenty luxury line, as noted by Fashionista. Rihanna has been slowing down her public sightings as she prepares to welcome her second child with rapper A$AP Rocky.

The “Diamonds” singer announced her pregnancy in February while headlining the Super Bowl halftime show. She remains mum on her plans for baby number two, just as she did with the birth of her son in May 2022.

It was only recently that word got out on what Rih and Rocky decided to name their first child. Baby Rza celebrated his 1st birthday last month at Wu-Tang-inspired party his celebrity parents threw for him.

RELATED CONTENT: Rihanna Radiates MILF Vibes In Latest Maternity Shoot

• News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 16, 2023

PulteGroup CEO Ryan Marshall Under Fire After Black Former Employee Reveals He Covered Up Racist ‘Noose Meeting’

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Ryan Marshall, the CEO of PulteGroup, is in hot water again after one of the plaintiffs against him revealed the harassment against him for reporting racist behavior within the company. Idus Hartsfield spoke out after a PulteGroup executive “openly waved” a noose in front of employees, including at least two who were Black, while warning them “not to hang themselves.”

“It was a frigid reminder, like getting dumped in a bucket of ice, like (seeing that) things are not progressing like you may have thought,” said Hartsfield, who added he was afraid to report the incident to human resources and worried he would be targeted, but “then it started eating away at me, I did start having like anxiety and it was a good period of time to filter through the different emotions that I had. I couldn’t sleep thinking about it and that’s what ultimately compelled me to go to HR.”

After Hartsfield reported the noose incident to human resources, he says that he was repeatedly “written up for non-issues” until he was terminated in May 2020. Hartsfield had never been written up in his four previous years at the company.

PulteGroup released a statement describing the allegations as “reprehensible,” but a second plaintiff stated that CEO Ryan Marshall not only knew about the “noose incident,” but covered it up and terminated the black employees that blew the whistle.

“Ryan Marshall has fired just one of the players in the racist and discriminatory scheme our lawsuit made public,” said Richard Turnbow. “He also has not sent me or my fellow litigants an apology. We lost our employment because we were targeted, lynched, harassed, and terminated or chased from PulteGroup. The Atlanta office is a mess and it’s run by the CEO. The buck starts and stops with him.”

Turnbow is one of three Black former PulteGroup employees that have secured legal representation by the highly reputable Zausmer Law Firm in order to pursue CEO Ryan Marshall and other named PulteGroup senior executives in a sweeping conspiracy to reward personal loyalty over merit and, in some specific cases, white employees over Black employees.

PulteGroup’s Jim Zeumer, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications, told Lansing CBS affiliate WLNS Channel 6: “Our company leadership is committed to ensuring an environment of inclusion where all people are respected and valued. What is depicted in the images is despicable and has no place in our company nor in our society. The allegations are not consistent with our values and corporate culture.”

CEO Ryan Marshall, under fire for his role in the racist “noose incident” at PulteGroup, released a statement acknowledging racism in the company.

“Marshall passed responsibility alleging an organized conspiracy against him or sought to downplay the racism by saying that one of the incidents, the ‘Noose Meeting,’ was in 2019,” said Turnbow. “Ryan Marshall doesn’t care about equality or diversity. His statement proves that much! Apologize and let us get on with our lives. Put an end to the legal games. We appreciate the thousands of messages over the internet and messages from our former colleagues at PulteGroup.”

The case is being pursued under the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act in Michigan, where PulteGroup was founded in 1950 and maintains its registered office. PulteGroup is a Fortune 500, publicly traded company, listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the “PHM” ticker symbol. PulteGroup is the third-largest homebuilder in the country.

This news first appeared on blacknews.com.

The Black Owned Media Equity and Sustainability Institute (BOMESI) is holding its Black-owned Media Weekend this Juneteenth in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The three-day conference will occur June 16–19 at the Tulsa Club Hotel and the Agora Event Center. The Black-owned Media Conference will unite Black media owners and publishers, enriching Black media resources, access, and distribution through authentic connections, and intentional/engaging customized programming. The conference will also provide valuable insights on strategies to create a new way forward, the need to build a Black-owned media ecosystem, and the cultural revolution paving the way for the next generation.

In addition to panels and a fireside chat, attendees can take part in a walking tour of the Greenwood Rising Black Wall Street History Center and a tour of the Black Wall Street Times.

Topics, speakers, and panelists for the BOMESI conference include keynote speaker, attorney, and Revolt TV Host Eboni K. Williams, podcaster Mandii B, BK Reader Founder and Publisher C. Zawadi Morris, URL Media Advertising Executive Melanie Figueiredo and Black Enterprise Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Alfred Edmond Jr.

Topics will include how Black-owned media can better protect the power of diverse storytelling, standing out and getting to the bag in the crowded world of podcasting, and Black storytelling in LGBTQ media. For dinner each night, attendees will be given a list of Black-owned restaurants in the area to enjoy.

Registration is still open for Black-owned media and corporate agencies, brands, and advertisers. Sponsors for the conference include General Motors, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, and more.

The BOMESI was founded in June 2020 to unite and advance Black-owned media businesses and educate the public on the importance of these platforms. Additionally, the institute provides resources to support Black-owned media outlets, which have been a beacon for Black communities in the U.S. and abroad for over 190 years.

J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell became the first openly non-binary performers to win a Tony Award in the acting category, Variety reports. 

 The 76th Annual Tony Awards took place on Sunday night and featured a slate of performers. Hosted by Ariana DeBose, this year’s ceremony made history as Ghee won a lead actor award for their performance in Casey Nicholaw’s musical Some Like It Hot, where they played Jerry/Daphne. Newell, who goes by she/he/they pronouns, was awarded featured actor in a musical for their role as Lulu in Jack O’Brien’s Shucked. Both Ghee and Newell identify as non-binary, making them the first openly non-binary performers to win in major categories during the award show’s decades-long run.

“Whoever was told you couldn’t be seen. This is for you,” said Ghee as they tearfully accepted the award, according to Today. A long-overdue win for the drag star, Ghee has performed in the industry for many years. Ghee, born to a Missionary Baptist pastor and raised in North Carolina, shared with the New York Times that they were not always accepted for their identity and career. They were 21 when they came out to their parents, who were not initially receptive. Ghee’s mother was against their sexuality and career as a drag star, believing that their life was not in God’s plan. However, she later changed her tune just in time to witness Ghee star in the musical Kinky Boots as Lola.

Their father had slightly more accepting words when they came out, saying only this: “I don’t know where this came from and where I went wrong, but you’re still my son. You’re a part of me. You represent me. I love you.” These words comforted Ghee as they ventured further into their theatre career. According to Broadway World, Ghee has since starred in shows on the small screen and the stage, performing in musicals  Mrs. Doubtfire and The Color Purple and television shows High Maintenance and Raising Dion, to name a few. 

Newell has had an equally expansive career. Newell, also born into a religious household, spoke to Today about how they reconciled their faith and identity as they pursued a musical theater career. “My gender identity, my sexuality, my effeminate mannerisms, and my faith conflicted with each other and who I am. So, I had to learn to love who I am and I’m grateful for my mother and the strong community of Black women who loved me for me,” the Massachusetts native shared with Today. 

Newell’s passion for performing eventually led them to the small screen. Newell successfully landed a role in the 2009 musical-comedy-drama show Glee as the show’s first openly transgender teenage character in 2012. From there, their career flourished. According to Today, Newell has since featured and starred on shows Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist and a Broadway revival of Once on This Island. They have also released numerous dance-pop singles, garnering millions of streams in the U.S. and the U.K.

The 2023 Tony Awards was not just a night of celebration for the two gender non-conforming performers but also for the LGBTQ+ community as a whole, which they addressed within their speeches. Watch Ghee’s and Newell’s acceptance speeches below:

J. Harrison Ghee becomes the second openly nonbinary actor to win at the #TonyAwards pic.twitter.com/9DJ0D63Yrs

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023

Alex Newell gets emotional accepting the #TonyAwards for best performance by a featured actor pic.twitter.com/fnjWbOQ5e6

— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) June 12, 2023

RELATED CONTENT: Beyond the Binary: Why Pronouns Matter. Black Public Media’s Be Heard! Campaign To Release Three Short Films on Gender Affirmation, GLSEN Appoints First Black, Nonbinary Executive Director, Kandi Burruss Snags Emmy And Tony Nominations Within 24 Hours

• News

by Sidnee Michelle Douyon

June 15, 2023

Atlanta Fed’s Bostic Acknowledges More Financial Disclosure Issues

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Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic acknowledged Thursday more issues with his past financial disclosures, as part of a general release by the regional Fed banks of financial disclosure forms for their leaders covering 2022.

Bostic already acknowledged last year what he deemed as inadvertent errors in past disclosures tied to when some of his trades happened. He said in a footnote to his form covering 2022 there were more problems.

Noting his past acknowledgement that funds he and his spouse held, which were not managed by the couple, were traded during periods forbidden by Fed rules, Bostic said more trades happened when they should not have.

“The transactions that occurred on May 2, 2022, were associated with funds invested through one such account and occurred prior to realizing that they were subject to blackout restrictions,” Bostic wrote. The official said when preparing his disclosure form for last year, “it came to my attention” that entries in his disclosure for 2021 “needed to be clarified.”

Under the rules then, Fed officials, among a range of limitations, were prevented from trading securities and other investments around the time of Federal Open Market Committee meetings. Bostic’s issue is that those who managed his money did trade when they were not supposed to, causing him to amend his financial disclosure forms.

Bostic said the trades have been reported to both his bank and to the Board of Governors, as well as the Fed’s Inspector General, its in-house watchdog, which is currently investigating trading activity by regional Fed banks.

The investigation into Fed officials trading comes in the wake of disclosures that showed the then leader of the Dallas Fed, Robert Kaplan, had traded extensively in markets while helping set monetary policy. Former Boston Fed leader Eric Rosengren also reported trading that caused concern among observers, and both men left their positions in September 2021.

After their exit, the Fed tightened its ethics system to sharply restrict what officials and senior staff could invest in, and restricted when they could shift investments.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell and then Fed Vice-Chair Richard Clarida also faced questions about their trading and were cleared last year by the central bank’s Inspector General. Powell’s issues echoed those of Bostic and also dealt with accidental trades landing during forbidden periods.

An ongoing investigation by the watchdog has yet to report on any potential wrongdoing by regional Fed leaders over trading. The Fed’s I.G. has faced repeated criticism over the speed of its investigation and whether it can pursue it independently.

The disclosures for the regional Fed banks follow the release in May of disclosures for central bankers serving on the Board of Governors in Washington. The disclosures for Fed senior leaders are released annually as officials are now operating under a much more stringent ethics code after a series of controversies over market trading by some former central bankers.

While some observers have applauded the Fed’s new trading restrictions, some remain critical of the effort on transparency. The restrictions extended beyond top Fed leadership and even include spouses, but even so, regional Fed banks are not providing public disclosure information on their respective senior staffs.

“Regional Fed banks have enormous power, and their actions impact the lives and livelihoods of all Americans,” said Dennis Kelleher, leader of Better Markets, a group that presses for more financial market regulation. “Their unwillingness to provide even the most basic transparency is an insult to the American people. They either need to start disclosing much more information or Congress is going to force them to,” he said.

• News

by Stacy Jackson

June 15, 2023

Reinstatement Order Issued For 2 Oklahoma Officers Who Fatally Shot An Unarmed Black Man

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Two former Oklahoma officers will be reinstated after killing an unarmed Black man.

Former Lawton officers Robert Hinkle and Nathan Ronan were ordered to be reinstated by an arbitrator in the killing of Quadry Sanders in December 2021, according to U.S. News and World & World Report.

The city disagrees with the arbitrator’s order and said, per ABC 7, that officials “disagree with the awards and are disappointed with the outcome.” The statement explained, “It is important for citizens to understand that arbitration proceedings are strictly administrative in nature and that they are limited to administrative violations.”

The statement added, “City Officials acknowledge that in both proceedings, the two arbitrators sustained the former officer’s grievances finding that the officers acted in accordance with their training and within policy,” ABC 7 reported.

Gary James, the attorney for Hinkle and Ronan, said the two officers would also receive back pay. According to U.S. News and World & World Report, “Mr. Sanders made movements that prompted the officers to fire,” said James. He defended the actions of the officers saying the officers saw Sanders reach into his pocket, which prompted the shots,

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported the two officers were fired and charged with manslaughter in 2022 after body camera footage was released. The family’s attorney, Lee Merritt, said in response to the charges, “I can’t find a single redeemable factor that mitigates any aspect of this shooting. It was just murder. There was no justification. These men must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

The deceased man’s mother, Mina Woods, sued Hinkle, Ronan, and the city in a federal lawsuit for wrongful death, according to U.S. News and World Report. The city and officers denied wrongdoing. However, their federal case is pending.

Sanders, 29, was reported as armed inside the home of a person listed on a protective order in 2021. The body camera footage revealed that Sanders was unarmed and had his hands raised above his head when he was shot. Sanders was shot 12 times, per a medical examiner’s report, according to U.S. News and World & World Report.

Texas Rep. Jasmine Crockett is unafraid to go to bat against the Republicans.

The civil rights and criminal attorney made history on June 14, 2023, as the first Black woman Democrat to compete in the Congressional Baseball Game. The congresswoman told CNN, “I’m playing today for all the little Black girls with big dreams—whether those dreams are on the baseball field or in the halls of Congress.” She added, “As the first Black Woman Democrat to play in the Congressional Baseball Game, I want to show those girls that if I can do it, they can do it—and probably a lot better.”

The Congressional Baseball Game has been a tradition for 114 years. This year, the Democrats lost on the baseball field with a final score of 16-6. However, Rep. Crockett stepped up to the plate when it mattered the most. Crockett recently called Republican Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert out for being rude to a House Oversight Committee witness, Huffington Post reported.

Rep. Boebert reportedly cut the witness off and made a comment that sparked Maryland Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin to ask that committee members maintain “civility and decorum.” Crockett chimed in, “First of all, let me apologize because that was uncalled for, so let me do what she would never do, which is to be an adult in this room or in this chamber.” The Black Democratic Rep. continued, “I’m also going to start with some nonsense that she was trying to spew and, unlike Ms. Boebert, I am legally trained and I’ve passed a few bar exams and I also legislated before I got here …”

In a tweet following the meeting, Crockett said, “Lauren Boebert was beyond disrespectful & as granny would say, she was ‘loud’ & ‘wrong’ today.” Crockett made a point to mention that she has five minutes “to highlight what matters the most for the people of America,” and she is not afraid to “clap back” when a MAGA Republican “says something stupid.”

That sounds like a home run for Crockett.

Brian Jordan Jr., actor starring in Tyler Perry’s Sistas, will take his talents from the screen to the stage. Jordan is set to direct and choreograph a regional production of The Wiz for Kenny Leon’s True Colors Theatre Company in Atlanta.

The Atlanta production stars a native cast, including Tina Fears, Q Parker, Fenner Eaddy and many more. The Wiz begins previews June 13 leading up to opening night June 16. The Atlanta production will end July 2. Following the Atlanta run, the production will embark on a national tour including a stop on Broadway, according to Playbill.

This is Jordan Jr.’s directorial debut for a stage production. The thespian trained at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts before getting his breakout role in the BET drama series.The Louisiana native spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the opportunity to bring The Wiz to Atlanta.

“Atlanta is the cultural hub of Black change,” says the 32-year-old. “I always say that and that’s why I’m so excited to bring this show here because this is the place for it to happen because in our show, Atlanta is Oz … because Oz is a Utopian place where all these Black people live and it’s magical.”

This latest run of The Wiz is especially personal to True Colors.  The musical had a four-year consecutive run with co-founder Leon as lead director. This upcoming rendition of The Wiz is the first revival of the classic play in nearly two decades.

The modern re-imagining of the famed 1978 musical will seek to “honor the history and illuminate the power of True Colors’ artistic excellence in Black storytelling,” Leon told Playbill

The show will take place at the Southwest Arts Center in Atlanta with tickets to the see the show available for purchase now.

RELATED CONTENT: Kandi Burruss and Todd Tucker Move Forward With Broadway Revival of The Wiz

• History

by Stacy Jackson

June 15, 2023

Egypt Goes Hard Over Denial Of Afrocentric Portrayal Of ‘Kemet’ Exhibit, Says Dutch Museum Is ‘Falsifying History’

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Things recently turned dark for Dutch archaeologists portraying Egypt from an “Afrocentric” perspective.

CNN reported that Egypt has banned Dutch archaeologists at the Leiden National Museum of Antiquities (RMO) in the Netherlands from excavating its Saqqara necropolis, after nearly 50 years of allowing them.

The ban came about after the museum launched its exhibit “Kemet. Egypt in Hip-Hop, Jazz, Soul & Funk.” The chief of foreign missions for the Egyptian Antiquities Service said in an email to the museum that it was “falsifying history” and that the “Afrocentric” portrayal of the exhibit was not an accurate representation of Egypt’s history, TheGrio reported. Some Egyptians took to social media to scorn artwork from the exhibit, saying it made a point to emphasize light skin tones.

In a statement on its website, the Dutch museum acknowledged that while “There has been commotion in the (social) media about the exhibition ‘Kemet. Egypt in hip-hop, jazz, soul & funk,'” it stood by its work. The statement continued, “The museum has worked long and carefully on this exhibition with many external advisers, and fully endorses its content.”

The museum’s website says the exhibition “explores music by Black artists whose work refers to ancient Egypt and Nubia,” elaborating, “This music often reflects on experiences of Black people in the West and tells stories about the African diaspora and pre-colonial Africa, including ancient Egypt as part of the African continent.”

The debate over whether ancient Egyptians were Black has long been disputed. Netflix’s Queen Cleopatra sparked controversy when an actress of color, Adele James, was cast as the lead, Forbes reported. Persian director Tina Gharavi said via Variety, “I realized what a political act it would be to see Cleopatra portrayed by a Black actress. For me, the idea that people had gotten it so incredibly wrong before — historically, from Theda Bara to Monica Bellucci, and recently, with Angelina Jolie and Gal Gadot in the running to play her — meant we had to get it even more right.” The four-part documentary was produced and narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith.