Police Search for Missing 15-Year-Old Detroit Teen Madison McGee
Detroit police are asking for the public’s help in finding 15-year-old Madison McGee who went missing when returning from school.
Detroit Police are asking for the public’s help in finding 15-year-old Madison McGee, who went missing on Nov. 6 after leaving school. McGee was last seen near the 2100 block of Oakman Boulevard and did not return home as expected. She was reportedly wearing a baby-blue Mumford High School shirt, beige pants, and black-and-yellow Jordan sneakers at the time of her disappearance.
Authorities have released her description in hopes of aiding the search. McGee is 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs approximately 150 pounds, and has red hair and brown eyes.
While police continue to gather information, McGee’s disappearance reflects a troubling national trend that disproportionately affects Black women and girls. According to the Department of Justice, Black females are more likely to experience violence, trafficking, and systemic neglect—factors that contribute to their higher rates of disappearance and vulnerability to homicide.
Yet, despite the alarming statistics, these cases often fail to attract the same level of media coverage or investigative urgency as others. Data from the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) reveals that of the 271,493 girls and women reported missing in 2022, 97,924—about 36%—were Black, even though Black women and girls made up just 14% of the U.S. female population at the time.
Experts and advocates argue that this gap in attention perpetuates systemic inequities and leaves families without critical support. In response, several states have implemented new strategies to better address these disparities. These include the creation of specialized task forces and partnerships between law enforcement, advocacy groups, and community organizations to improve investigations and communication with families.
Such initiatives have been credited with strengthening trust between communities and law enforcement, streamlining case management, and ensuring that missing person reports involving women and girls of color receive the attention they deserve.
Anyone with information regarding Madison McGee’s whereabouts is urged to contact local authorities immediately.
Michigan Cannabis Dispensaries Urged To Rat Out Customers Who Exceed Legal Purchase Limit
State officials are reminding marijuana retailers to alert authorities if customers purchase or possess more than twice the legal amount.
Michigan cannabis retailers say they’re struggling to understand new guidance from state regulators urging them to report customers who buy or possess illegal amounts of marijuana even though the same rules don’t forbid stores from completing the sale.
The Cannabis Regulatory Agency (CRA) issued a notice on Nov. 3 reminding licensed businesses of their obligation to report theft, diversion, or other criminal activity “within 24 hours of detection.” The bulletin specifically mentioned customers who possess “more than twice the amount of marijuana allowed” under Michigan law.
“It doesn’t really make sense at all,” said the manager of a dispensary in the Upper Peninsula who asked to remain anonymous. “They’re basically saying that if a customer wants more than their daily limit, we should call and tell on them. You can legally sell it—but then you have to report them.”
Under the law, individuals may purchase or carry up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis (or 15 grams of concentrate). Exceeding that amount is a civil infraction, but carrying more than twice the limit can lead to misdemeanor charges.
Some dispensaries handle this by splitting large purchases into two separate transactions, a common workaround that still technically complies with the law. “You’re not gonna stay in business very long if you start calling the police on your customers,” said Lansing-based attorney John Fraser, who advises marijuana businesses.
CRA spokesman David Harns declined to clarify to MLive how stores should handle customers who leave and return for additional purchases.
Retailers also questioned how “criminal activity” should be defined in the cannabis industry, given marijuana’s federal prohibition. “Every single one of the customers is committing criminal activity if you start looking at federal law,” Fraser noted.
Recent enforcement cases appear to have prompted the CRA’s renewed warning. Earlier this year, a dispensary in Battle Creek was cited after police intercepted an Iowa-bound truck carrying eight pounds of marijuana traced back to its store. Another shop, Muha Meds in Ypsilanti, allegedly sold hundreds of grams of concentrate in single transactions.
“It’s one of those things that’s worth reiterating,” Fraser said. “When people start getting reckless with large sales, the CRA wants to remind everyone they’re still watching.”
Miles College Partners with NVIDIA to Bring Artificial Intelligence to HBCU Classrooms
The Alabama HBCU teams up with the $5 trillion tech giant to integrate AI into research, teaching, and community programs, aiming to prepare students for a technology-driven future.
Miles College is making a historic move into the world of artificial intelligence through a new partnership with NVIDIA, the global leader in AI computing. The collaboration, announced last week, will weave artificial intelligence into every corner of campus life—from classroom instruction and faculty research to local community engagement.
The partnership began after Miles College President Bobbie Knight reached out to NVIDIA about a year ago, recognizing the potential impact the company could bring to students and faculty. “I wanted this partnership because the future is here,” Knight said during a panel in Birmingham. “It’s not here in 10 years—it’s here right now, and AI is part of that future. I wanted to make sure our students, not just at Miles but across HBCUs and Alabama, are positioned to live in a world dominated by AI.”
The collaboration comes as NVIDIA recently became the first publicly traded company to surpass $5 trillion in market value, underscoring its central role in shaping the digital age. For Miles College, one of Alabama’s prominent historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs), the partnership marks a major step toward closing the technology gap that often leaves underrepresented communities behind.
AI integration is already underway. Nearly half of Miles’ faculty are using AI tools in their curriculum, while roughly 60% of research projects on campus are now supported by artificial intelligence. Louis Stewart, NVIDIA’s Head of Strategic Initiatives for the Global Developer Ecosystem, emphasized the urgency of AI adoption.
“This is a ‘right now’ opportunity—it’s not a 5-10-year opportunity,” Stewart told students. “If all of you are not involved in AI right now, that’s a problem. If you don’t think about how AI can change the situations for your family, that’s a problem.”
Stewart added that true collaboration goes beyond investment. “A real partnership isn’t about how NVIDIA can invest in you, but how we can walk alongside you as part of the puzzle. Without the other pieces, you just have a piece—and that doesn’t do you any good.”
Knight said she and Stewart have been sharing Miles College’s story at major technology conferences, including events in San Jose and Washington, D.C. “That audience will have an opportunity to see what Miles College is doing with NVIDIA and hopefully create other opportunities for others,” she said.
Looking ahead, Knight said the goal is to extend AI literacy beyond the college campus. “We’ve talked about taking this out to K-12,” she added. “Young people need to start now understanding AI and its implications in daily life. It has the potential to be life-changing for so many.”
Fisk University Unveils Digital Archive Celebrating Rosenwald Fund’s Legacy In Advancing Black Education
Fisk University has launched a digital archive showcasing the Rosenwald Fund’s impact on Black education in the Jim Crow South.
Fisk University has unveiled a digital portal of archived materials showcasing the Rosenwald Fund’s impact on Black education and community institutions in the South.
Launched on Nov. 5, the Julius Rosenwald Fund Archive database offers over 146,000 digitized items, including photographs, letters, fellowship applications, and building plans for Rosenwald Schools that educated the likes of Maya Angelou, Marian Anderson, James Baldwin, W.E.B. Du Bois, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and John Lewis, the Nashville Banner reports.
The collection highlights the Fund’s enduring impact on Black communities throughout the Jim Crow South during a period of significant educational inequality.
Project staff hosted a virtual unveiling, offering an online tour of the archive. Dr. Jessie Carney Smith, dean emerita of the John Hope and Aurelia E. Franklin Library at Fisk, was inspired to launch the database after exploring Fisk’s collection and realizing she had attended a Rosenwald School as a child in the 1930s.
“In looking around at the materials in the library, I saw photos of schools, and some of them needed to be filed,” Smith recalled. “And I asked our special collections librarian, ‘What are these schools, why are they here?’”
Rosenwald, a Jewish businessman from Chicago, partnered with Booker T. Washington, who was seeking a new board member for the Tuskegee Institute. Deeply moved after reading Washington’s autobiography, Rosenwald needed no convincing when Washington encouraged him to invest in Black education.
Their efforts led to the construction of 5,000 schools across the Southeast, as well as homes for their teachers, designed to provide quality education in well-built facilities. Rosenwald remained on Tuskegee Institute’s board for the rest of his life.
Most Rosenwald schools closed after the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision and the push for desegregation. Some remained open during the transition or were repurposed as community centers. The last surviving Rosenwald school in Davidson County is the Pasquo School, now a private residence and listed as an endangered historic site in Nashville in 2019. Several other Rosenwald-supported buildings, including the Wabash Avenue YMCA in Chicago, also remain standing and have been recognized as historic landmarks.
“It’s just a great experience to know the history,” said Esther McShepard, who works at Franklin Library in Nashville and attended a Rosenwald School in 1950. “You don’t know that all these other schools around and all the other different communities, and they are going through the same thing in education.”
Self-Driving Cars Are Here And Tech Giants Are Willing to Pay The Price
Tech companies want self-driving cars to become the norm.
Self-driving cars have finally hit the road, and tech companies want the automated systems to take the wheel.
From self-driving vehicles to delivery robots, companies like Uber, Lyft, and Doordash want these advanced technologies to take over their everyday services to consumers—but making these automated robots mainstream will require a bit of cash.
Business Insider reports these companies plan to make significant investments into these advanced technologies over the next year. In these tech giants quarterly earning reports, an emphasis was placed on autonomous vehicles.
DoorDash has already implemented its own robot called Dot, which navigates bike lanes and sidewalks to make deliveries sans the human companion.
The company wants to scale up the development of these robots, but there are caveats.
“This is not something that’s going to happen overnight,” explained CEO Tony Xu on a recent earnings call. “It does require making investments upfront.”
The company’s stock price took a dive with news of this investment, but other companies are following suit to prioritize autonomous vehicles in their production.
Lyft has already begun developing a depot in Nashville to hold their self-driving cars, which will cost the rideshare giant between $10 and $15 million. Uber revealed that although self-driving cars are bleeding money from the corporation, it plan to scale up profits over time with increased availability.
Fears that this will reduce thehuman workforce remain prevalent. Black people also make a significant portion of the gig economy workforce. According to data by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Black and Latino individuals account for 42% of those doing app-based works, primarily Uber and Lyft.
With less need for contracted workers, those making livings off these flexible gigs may need to pursue other service roles in the near future.
From the Civil War to today, Black veterans have consistently stood at the front lines of American history, shattering barriers, reimagining patriotism, and urging the nation to live up to its promise of equality. These trailblazers didn’t simply serve; they made history. Here’s a salute to 11 veterans who transformed the face of U.S. military service and leadership.
These 11 Black veteran figures whose deeds have rewoven the fabric of history stand as testaments to a courage that spans centuries and a spectrum of conflicts. Their narratives remind us that patriotism isn’t a devotion; it’s a courageous, accountable stance. From the dust of Fort Wagner’s battlefields to the polished corridors of the Pentagon, each has propelled the quest for freedom forward both abroad and on the home front.
Salute to them all
William H. Carney
Sergeant William H. Carney, born in Norfolk, Virginia, in 1840, held the United States flag aloft amid a hail of fire during the 1863 assault on Fort Wagner, refusing to let it ever kiss the ground. That daring act earned him the Medal of Honor. When the award was finally presented in 1900, Carney became the first African American ever to receive that distinguished decoration.
Charles Young
Born in Mays Lick, Kentucky, Charles Young became the third Black graduate of West Point in 1889, later the first Black colonel in the U.S. Army, and in 1903, the first Black superintendent of a national park when he was appointed to Sequoia. In the 1900s, Young’s service spanned the United States, the Philippines, and Africa, and his command and diplomatic work bucked the norms of a segregated era, offering a vivid illustration of Black excellence in leadership long before integration took hold.
Eugene Jacques Bullard
Eugene Bullard, a native of Columbus, Georgia, born in 1895, became the first African‑American to earn military pilot’s wings during the Great War. At a time when the United States barred Black men from ever setting foot in a cockpit, Bullard crossed the Atlantic and joined the French Air Service, taking to the skies over France from 1917 to 1918. His daring service broke down barriers of his era and, in doing so, forged a path for the Black pilots who would follow.
Henry Johnson
When a German raiding party struck in May 1918, Private Henry Johnson, of the celebrated Infantry known as the Harlem Hellfighters, fought back alone, refusing to yield despite multiple wounds and managing to save his comrades. His gallantry earned him France’s Croix de Guerre. Decades later, the Medal of Honor finally arrived, a long‑overdue tribute to Black heroism in World War I.
Born in Washington, D.C., Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis Sr. shattered a long‑standing racial barrier in 1940, when he became the U.S. Army’s African‑American general officer. His military career stretched from the Spanish‑American War to World War II, tearing down a ceiling that had long hovered over the service since its establishment.
Born in Pensacola, Florida, in 1920, General Daniel “Chappie” James Jr. fought in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. In 1975, he shattered a barrier by becoming the first Black four‑star general in the U.S. Air Force. From 1943 through 1978, James Jr helmed bases scattered across Asia, Europe, and the United States.
Freddie Stowers
Freddie Stowers, a corporal born in 1896 in South Carolina, led a daring charge in World War I. Even as a fatal wound took him down, Stowers’ fierce determination spurred his men to clinch the victory. In 1991, more than seven decades later, Stowers was finally awarded the Medal of Honor, a commendation that had been denied for far too long because of the color of his skin.
Waverly Woodson Jr.
Corporal Waverly Woodson Jr., an Army medic, stormed onto Omaha Beach on D‑Day. Even after a shrapnel wound struck him, he kept moving, stitching and coaxing life back into two hundred soldiers. In 2024, for his gallantry, Woodson finally received a posthumous award, a long‑awaited recognition of Black bravery that helped shape that historic landing.
Michael Jackson Has Timeless Hits As ‘Thriller’ Charts In Billboard Top 10 For Six Decades
The King of Pop now reigns as the first artist to break the Top 10 six decades in a row.
Michael Jackson has proved, yet again, that his musical legacy withstands the test of time.
The legendary King of Pop has returned to the Top 10 of the Billboard charts with his spooky hit, “Thriller.” The re-entry of his 1982 single has cemented a new record for the pop icon.
As “Thriller” found its way into the Top 10 following its revived popularity over Halloween weekend, the milestone made Jackson the first artist to score a top 10 hit across six decades. Despite the song’s release over 40 years ago, “Thriller” has since become a Halloween theme song.
Also an instant classic when it debuted back in the ’80s, Variety confirmed that the song’s 14 million streams and radio airplay audience of 9.3 million helped it climb the Billboard charts. While the song peaked at No. 4 during its heyday, its rise back to the Top 10 helped Jackson make history while showcasing his popularity in a new era of music.
Since the 1970s, Jackson has run his own race with music. He dominated the industry with chart-topping songs throughout each decade, even as music changed. His latest entry proves his art even has an impact through music streaming.
He now beats Andy Williams for the longest consecutive decade of placing in the Top 10 on the charts. However, the emergence of another piece of media surrounding Jackson may have led to the revival of the ’80s classic.
The long-awaited biopic on Jackson’s life, titled Michael, is set to hit theaters next April. A widely viewed teaser trailer for the musical film was released on Nov. 6, showcasing the professional achievements and personal journey of the “King of Pop.”
While securing this latest Billboard record, Jackson remains no stranger to the charts. Throughout his 40-year career, he earned 30 Top 10 hits, including 13 No. 1 singles. Currently, he and Drake are tied for 5th place among artists whose songs reigned at the top. Drake’s inclusion of Jackson’s posthumous vocals in his 2018 hit “Don’t Matter To Me” also paved the way for Jackson’s prior chart placement.
As fans sing-along to “Thriller,” they can catch the reenactment of how one of Jackson’s signature songs came to life once “Michael” hits theaters.
A Dream Deferred, Not Denied: ‘The Root’ Returns To Black Ownership
Only 4% of all media in the United States is owned by Black individuals, according to a report.
Ashley Allison didn’t expect that the news of her company, Watering Hole Media, acquiring The Rootwould create so much buzz. For her, it wasn’t out of the ordinary because acquisitions “happen all the time.”
However, for the community, this was something significant.
“The response to this deal has been huge. It was overwhelmingly humbling,” Allison tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.
The response from others reflects just how rare Black ownership in media has become. A report from NPR reveals that only 4% of all media in the United States is owned by Black individuals. Meanwhile, legacy media companies with verticals dedicated to coverage of Black communities gutted these departments and laid off staff.
Recently, NBC News dissolved its dedicated editorial team for NBC BLK, a platform that launched in 2015 and focused on telling stories about Black identity, politics, and culture. Teen Vogue and its publisher, Condé Nast, have recently come under fire for layoffs that disproportionately affected Black people and people of color.
“Gone is the political-cultural criticism of the fashion and culture industries by the Black women writers laid off today,” The NewsGuild of New York wrote in a statement obtained by The Hollywood Reporter about the layoffs. “As of today, only one woman of color remains on the editorial staff at Teen Vogue.”
Allison’s purchase of The Rootcould not have come at a more dire time.
A Legacy Reclaimed
Since its launch in 2008 by Harvard University Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. and former Washington Post Company chairman Donald E. Graham, The Root has been a trusted voice in Black news, identity, and political discourse. Ownership shifted in 2015 when Univision purchased it from The Washington Post Company.
G/O Media purchased Univision’s portfolio of online brands, including The Root,in 2019, before Allison’s company, Watering Hole Media, purchased the publication for an undisclosed amount this past October. She is reportedly thefirst Black woman owner of The Root.
“I have always been a reader and an admirer of The Root … and it has always been a part of my story,” Allison says.
When the opportunity presented itself to acquire such a powerful platform over the summer, she knew instantly that: “This is it. No questions asked. Why wouldn’t we build on the legacy that it has had to date?”
A Vision for The Root’s Future
A study from Pew Research shows that Black Americans are skeptical about the U.S. news media. The skepticism is rooted in long-standing concerns about coverage, representation, and the media’s role in society.
Almost two-thirds of Black adults, or 63%, say news about Black people is often more negative than news about other racial and ethnic groups. More than half (57%) say the news only covers specific segments of Black communities and often misses essential information, and 43% said the coverage largely stereotypes Black people.
Allison says her goal with The Rootis to close this gap.
“We want to tell the stories that might not make it in other publications or on other channels,” she says. “I think we are able to do that with honesty, integrity, data, and facts with a journalistic rigor.”
She plans to expand the digital reach and coverage by investing in video and audio components to meet people where they are. An estimated 54% of U.S. adults access news through social media and video networks. There will be no shortage of opinions, commentary, and conversations with people readers may not always agree with.
Allison is clear that The Root will not platform people who cause harm to Black communities.
“There is a rigor that I think we should be able to have as Black people, to have a conversation and debate and still be able to work together in community,” says Allison. “We’re also going to be asking folks what they want to hear throughout the year to really get a sense of where our audience is.”
An average of 10 to 15 million people consume The Rooteach month. According to Allison, readers are not solely Black. Another goal for Allison is to ensure that The Root provides information for people who want to learn more about the Black experience.
A Dream Deferred Is Not a Dream Denied
What many may not know is that Allison wrote down her dreams of acquiring digital media properties in her journal in 2009. She envisoned it, then prayed about it, and waited.
Acquiring The Root is more than a business move. It’s destiny fulfilled. The Democratic strategist and former senior staff member in the Obama and Biden administrations urges anyone with a dream to push through, even when it feels impossible.
“The things that we sometimes fear or feel that no one will support, it’s often the exact opposite,” she says. “My dream was to buy media property, and I did it. People have been very receptive. If you have a dream, try it, because it’s probably been something everybody has been waiting for.”
Veteran’s Day Looks Different As Government Shutdown Impacts Veterans Affair Department
The government shutdown has halted many services managed by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
Although Veterans’ Day honors the contributions of former military members, this year’s federal holiday may look a little different amid a government shutdown.
The shutdown has essentially halted many federal agencies and operations, from the release of SNAP benefits to those working at Air Traffic Control centers. While many federal workers have felt the effects of the shutdown, another group of service members and veterans has also taken a hit, even on their designated day of recognition.
Celebrated on Nov. 11, Veterans’ Day is an official day of remembrance for all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces. However, the shutdown has stunted the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, leaving many of its services and employees on hold. The VA manages the rollout of healthcare, pensions, and other benefits to veterans nationwide.
According to USA Today, many VA employees were furloughed following the shutdown. Initial numbers presumed only 15,000 of the 460,000 employed under the VA would face furloughs. However, actual figures revealed that 37,000 employees were suspended or working without a full paycheck.
The staff shortage left many operations in limbo, including transition briefings for those leaving the Armed Forces. Career counseling for the approximately 100,000 veterans enrolled in the VA’s Readiness and Employment program has also been paused. Additionally, more than 50 regional benefit offices faced closures amid the shutdown.
With GI Bill hotlines unplugged as well as stalled placements of permanent headstones at almost 100 VA cemeteries, veterans have faced their own unique struggles as the government attempts to reopen. Those needing pre-need burial support are also waiting for Congress to pass a deal.
This is also threatening to the nation’s prominent Black veteran population. According to the Black Veterans Empowerment Council, there remain over 2 million Black vets across the country. This demographic accounts for 12% of the total number of former military men and women.
While benefits have continued to roll out, the discontinuation of several essential VA services has made this Veteran’s Day an outlier. Fortunately, VA medical centers and other services remain operational, including burials, housing benefits, compensation, and the review of veterans’ cases. Suicide prevention programs and the Veteran Primary Call Center, Crisis and Benefit Hotlines still operate.
However, the celebration of Veterans’ Day has been slightly overshadowed by the stifled VA services prompted by the federal crisis. While the government shutdown is nearing an end, departments from the USDA to VA will need time to recover from the halted operations.
Two Can Play That Game: Gov. Wes Moore Says Maryland ‘Wont Just Sit On Our Hands’ In Redistricting Fight
Moore announced the commission’s formation in early November in an effort to draw 'fair maps,' unlike his Republican counterparts.
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore says he is standing up to President Donald Trump and Republicans’ redistricting scheme by creating a committee that could potentially push out the only seat held by a Republican in the state, CBS News reports.
During a sit-down on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Moore said he’s “not sure why we should be playing by a different set of rules than Texas, or than Florida, or than Ohio or all these other places,” highlighting the headlining push from red-leaning states to give in to Trump’s demand. The Democratic governor says the state will prove to be one that’s not afraid to fight back. “I want this bipartisan commission to be able to actually speak with the people and to be able to go through their process and just simply say that if other states are going to go through this process, that we’re not just going to sit on our hands because Donald Trump tells us to,” Moore said.
“That’s not the way this process is going to work.”
Moore announced the commission’s formation in early November 2025 to draw “fair maps,” unlike his Republican counterparts. In July 2025, Texas answered Trump’s call to redistrict Democratic areas for the GOP. However, state Democratic leaders protested by leaving the state to avoid a vote that could advance the mission.
Maryland law outlines that congressional maps should be drawn by the state Assembly, a supermajority of Democrats. Moore would have to call a special session of the Assembly to move forward with the plan. Chaired by Maryland Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, the commission consists of Senate President Bill Ferguson, Maryland House Speaker Adrienne A. Jones, former Attorney General Brian Frosh, and Cumberland Mayor Raymond Morriss.
However, leaders like Ferguson are seemingly opposed to the redistricting effort, citing high-risk legal issues in a letter. “Mid-cycle redistricting for Maryland presents a reality where the legal risks are too high, the timeline for action is dangerous, the downside risk to Democrats is catastrophic, and the certainty of our existing map would be undermined,” the Senate President wrote.
But Moore says that, for democracy, nothing is too risky, as both he and Ferguson agree that Trump has taken things to the limit, and it’s time for a change. “Where we differ is the urgency that this moment requires, the fight that this moment requires,” Moore said.
“And I personally am someone who is not going to allow Donald Trump to determine whether or not Maryland follows this idea of saying, are we going to do everything we can to make sure we’re preserving our democracy.”
The call for change comes after California voters’ historic vote to pass Proposition 50, according to The Hill, giving the state Legislature the green light to take over the state’s congressional maps until the state’s independent commission takes control in 2030.
