• Sports

by Stacy Jackson

November 2, 2022

21-Year-Old Becomes First Black US Figure Skater to Win International Grand Prix Medal

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A silver medal marks another historic moment for Black women.

On Oct. 29, Skate Canada in Mississauga, Ontario, announced 21-year-old Starr Andrews as the first U.S. Black figure skater to win an International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix medal in the series history that dates back to 1995.

 

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A post shared by Starr☆ (@starrandrews2001)

According to Team USA, Andrews’ silver medal follows a tally of scores showing a jump from fifth place during Friday’s short program to second overall on Saturday, with a score of 191.26.

“I actually still feel like it’s a dream,” Andrews said after noticing her nameplate in the silver medalist’s spot during the women’s press conference.

“I’ve gone into this year with a different mindset, trying to not be so caught up in my head,” she said.

“… It’s definitely paid off, even though my season didn’t start off so strong (at Nebelhorn Trophy last month). I was still getting used to my programs.”

Andrews’ free skate performance was a beautiful piece that showed off her mature skating skills, executing six triple jumps and a difficult double Axel-Euler-triple Salchow combination. The skater chose Belgian singer Lara Fabian’s rendition of “Je Suis Malad” as the music to complement her routine.

“I think it’s a huge deal, to be a woman of color in figure skating,” Andrews said.

“I’m so proud I could represent. (It makes) bringing home a medal even more special.”

“It’s really, really important, especially with everything that’s going on in the world right now,” said Derrick Delmore, who trains Andrews in Lakewood, California. “She stepped up to the challenge. The fact she made so much of a statement this week does wonders for the community and it will continue to solidify her as a role model.”

 

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Team USA reported that Andrews dealt with an electrical heart issue where an extra nerve had to be burned away in surgery. Andrews revealed that it relieved her of a lot of anxiety.

“She has been running strong programs at home,” Delmore said. “What I am most impressed with is even when things are not perfect (in practice), she’s kept going.”

“She knows she can skate well even if there are errors. That weight has kind of been lifted off of her.”

Andrews, who went viral at nine years old after a performance to Willow Smith’s Whip My Hair, gave the world a historical performance to rave over. POPSUGAR reported that the figure skater’s score is reportedly 10 points above her previous personal best during a Grand Prix event in France in 2019.

Andrews’ second Grand Prix event of the season will reportedly be the fifth stop on the circuit: the NHK Trophy, held Nov. 18–20 in Sapporo, Japan.

“I’m just going to continue training the way I have been,” she said.

“My practices here were good and I think that helped a lot. I’m just going to trust myself.”

• News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 2, 2022

Elon Musk Meets with Free Press and Civil Rights Groups to Discuss Twitter Community Standards, Election Integrity and Content Moderation

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On Tuesday, Free Press joined representatives from the ADL, the Asian American Foundation, Color Of Change, the George W. Bush Presidential Center, LULAC and the NAACP in a meeting with Elon Musk to discuss Twitter’s commitment to community standards, election integrity and content moderation.

In a series of tweets following the meeting, Musk said that the platform would “continue to combat hate and harassment and enforce its election integrity policies.”

“Twitter will not allow anyone who was de-platformed for violating Twitter rules back on [the] platform until we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks,” he tweeted.

“Twitter’s content moderation council will include representatives with widely divergent views, which will certainly include the civil rights community and groups who face hate-fueled violence.”

Prior to the meeting with Musk, Free Press, Media Matters for America and Accountable Tech organized a mass sign-on letter in which nearly 50 civil-society groups called on Twitter’s top-20 advertisers to demand that Musk commit to brand and user safety. The open letter urges advertisers to suspend Twitter ads globally if Musk can’t commit to enforcing the brand-and community-safety rules already on the platform’s books. Already a major ad brokerage, IPG, has advised clients, including American Express, Coca-Cola and Johnson & Johnson, to pause advertising on Twitter for the next week until the company gives more details about its plans to protect trust and safety.

Last week, Free Press released Empty Promises: Inside Big Tech’s Weak Effort to Fight Hate and Lies in 2022, a report revealing the ongoing failures of Meta, TikTok, Twitter and YouTube to curb the spread of election disinformation and extremism across their networks. The report was part of the ongoing Change the Terms initiative, which has issued a series of corporate policy recommendations that would help ensure that the world’s largest social-media networks curtail the spread of hate and disinformation on their platforms.

Free Press Co-CEO Jessica J. González, who attended the Musk meeting, said:

“Yesterday, I joined colleagues in a frank conversation with Elon Musk. I shared my concerns that hate, harassment and conspiracy theories proliferate on the platform, and underscored the disproportionate harm that unmoderated social-media spaces inflict on women and people of color.”

“I asked him to retain and fully enforce election-integrity measures.”

“We had a productive discussion, and as Musk’s Twitter thread demonstrates, he made a few commitments. First, he agreed that he would not put anyone kicked off Twitter for violating its trust and safety rules back on the platform before the U.S. midterm elections next week; and he promised that any replatforming following the election will involve a transparent process.”

“Second, he agreed to retain and enforce election-integrity measures and assured us that all staff responsible for this work would have access to Twitter’s tools by the end of this week. Finally, he promised that he would consult with civil- and human-rights experts and those who have been targeted online as he develops new content-moderation policies.”

“These commitments are a good first step but really just the beginning of a long process.”

“As the report Free Press published last week shows, hate, abuse and conspiracy theories are rampant on Twitter. There is much more to do to make Twitter a space for robust and healthy dialogue. And of course, actions speak louder than words. We’ll be evaluating Musk closely and assessing whether he backs up his promises with actions.”

“With our four-dozen partners, we will continue to pressure Twitter’s largest advertisers to push Musk to retain and actually enforce existing content-moderation rules and community standards.”

“If Musk won’t prioritize safety on the platform, then advertisers should refuse to spend money to see their content alongside lies, harassment and extremism.”

“We must act immediately to disrupt the real-world violence that social-media companies have helped fuel, including the violent attack against Nancy Pelosi’s husband, the mass shooting targeting Latinos at an El Paso Texas Walmart, the shootings at Black churches and Jewish temples, the violence against Muslims, and so much more. This is about our communities’ ability to speak freely, yes, but also to live free from hate-fueled violence.”

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 2, 2022

Keyshia Cole Took Son Out of Donda Academy After Ye Claimed to ‘Shoot the School Up’

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Last month, singer Keyshia Cole stated on Twitter that her son, who was recently enrolled in Ye‘s Donda Academy, has been taken out of the institution after the artist formerly known as Kanye West made some shocking comments on his Twitter account.

The deleted tweet from Ye was in response to fellow rapper Boosie chastising Ye for recent antics. In the since-deleted Twitter post, Ye wrote:

“DON’T SPEAK ON ME LIL BOOSIE SPEAK TO ME YEAH LITTLE NERD ASS ME COME SMACK ME OR COME SHOOT ME IM THE ONE THAT GOT BULLIED BY THE ENTIRE BLACK CELEBRITY COMMUNITY NOW IM BACK TO SHOOT THE SCHOOL UP”

Kanye West responds to Boosie in now-deleted post pic.twitter.com/7GhJwzLnAr

— SAY CHEESE! 👄🧀 (@SaycheeseDGTL) October 7, 2022

Based on this response, Cole stated that it led to her son Daniel Gibson Jr.’s removal  from the school.

• Politics

by Derek Major

November 2, 2022

Atlanta Pastor Jamal Bryant Blasts Republican Senate Candidate Herschel Walker in Fiery Speech

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Atlanta-area pastor and social justice advocate Dr. Jamal Bryant delivered a fiery speech to his congregation about Republican Herschel Walker‘s candidacy for U.S. Senate, pulling zero punches.

Walker, who moved back to Georgia after living in Texas for years, is running against Sen. Raphael Warnock in next week’s midterm elections. Walker has run a campaign full of odd statements and allegations of paying for several abortions.

On Sunday, Bryant shared his thoughts about why Walker moved back to Georgia to run for the U.S. Senate, and his speech quickly went viral.

Stop what you’re doing and watch this complete takedown of @HerschelWalker by pastor @jamalhbryant. #WeDontNeedAWalker pic.twitter.com/TOGnFxliLe

— Quentin James (@QJames) October 30, 2022

“Ladies and gentlemen, when the Republican Party of Georgia moved Herschel Walker from Texas to Georgia so that he could run for Senate, it’s because change was happening too fast in the post-antebellum South,” Bryant said.

“The state had been flipped blue and there were some principalities that weren’t prepared for a Black man and a Jewish man to go to the Senate at the exact same time,” Bryant continued.

“So they figured they would delude us by picking somebody who they thought would, in fact, represent us better with a football than with a degree in philosophy.”

The 51-year-old HBCU graduate didn’t stop there, going in on Republicans who believed Black people “were so stupid that we would elect the lowest caricature of a stereotypical broken Black man as opposed to somebody who is educated and erudite and focused.”

From there, Bryant went off, telling his congregation, “Y’all ain’t ready for me today.”

“Since Herschel Walker was 16 years old, white men been telling him what to do, telling him what school to go to, where to live, where to eat, where to buy a house, where to run, where to sit down, where to sleep, where to pay for abortions, where to buy a gun and you think they not gonna tell him how to vote in 2022?”

“We don’t need a Walker, we need a runner!”

Throughout his speech, Bryant’s congregation applauded with approval. The pastor continued describing the type of candidate he believes Georgia needs.

“We need somebody who gon’ run and tell the truth about Jan. 6. We need somebody who gon’ run and push for the cancellation of student loan debts. We need somebody who gon’ run and make the former president respond to a subpoena.”

“Georgia, I need you to know the slave Negroes y’all are used to don’t live here no more. We can think for ourselves, function for ourselves, and vote for ourselves.”

“Why? Cause we don’t need a Walker!” Bryant thundered to a cheering crowd.

Bryant’s speech quickly went viral on social media.

Walker is popular among Republicans and white people, but support for the former running back is lacking with Black voters. According to the Sacramento Observer, Warnock holds an 80%-17% lead over Walker among Black voters over 50, and CNN reports Warnock leads Walker 74% to 11% among Black men.

An unimaginable tragedy has befallen Nigerian singer Davido. 

According to BCC, the singer, whose real name is David Adeleke, and his fiancée, Chioma Rowland, a popular chef and influencer, lost their three-year-old son, Ifeanyi Adeleke. Police confirmed the boy drowned in the swimming pool in his parents’ Lagos home Monday.

• News

by Derek Major

November 2, 2022

HBCU Students Say They Were Racially Profiled During Police Stop; South Carolina Sheriffs Say Otherwise

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A pair of South Carolina sheriffs are disputing claims that they targeted a bus full of students from Shaw University in October.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, on October 5, 18 students and two staff advisors from the HBCU located in North Carolina had their bus stopped by police in South Carolina while on their way to the Center for Financial Advancement Conference in Atlanta.

Spartanburg County Sheriff Chuck Wright and Cherokee County Sheriff Steve Mueller held a joint press conference Monday disputing Shaw University President Paulette Dillard‘s version of events, including that police dogs searched through the student’s luggage. The two officers acknowledged there was a police dog on site, but said none of the students were asked to leave the bus and at no point was the dog near the students.

“President Dillard said they were searched by blood-thirsty dogs. There was one dog; he was on a leash. Students were never even close to that dog,” Wright, said according to ABC News. “None of the students were even asked off the bus.”

Wright said since the incident he has reached out to Dillard but has not heard back from her. A similar incident occurred in May when the Alabama State University women’s lacrosse team was stopped and searched in Georgia while returning from a tournament in Florida.

Coach Prime had time and prompted his 8-0 Jackson State University football players to stay put when they get to Houston to play.

For good reason, after Migos group member Takeoff was shot and killed in Houston Tuesday morning, Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders made an impassioned speech, demanding his players stay safe in the hotel while in Houston.

The team is scheduled to play the Texas Southern Tigers Saturday but Sanders urged them not to leave the hotel while in Houston after the shooting.

According to TMZ, the NFL Hall of Famer referenced the shooting while giving a speech to the team Tuesday in preparation for their next game.

“I’m just sick and tired of the consistency of people that are influential to you are leaving us consistently, that’s our rappers.

“Takeoff was murdered in a dice game in Houston— where we’re going,” Sanders informed his young players. “So, that eliminates all y’all leaving that hotel, ’cause it ain’t happening until I give you further notice.”

The influential coach explained to his players that we’re losing our hip-hop artists to the ignorance of the streets. He also points the finger at our community referencing the sentiment that Black lives matter “but it’s always us” contributing to our destruction.

“I’m sad because it always seems like it’s us, but we wanna say we matter, we wanna say we keep it 100, but it’s always us!”

The former reality TV star also gave advice that he may have had to follow himself as he became an NFL legend.

“Sooner or later, we gotta start changing our addresses, guys. That’s an analogy to say, ‘I know we this, but we ain’t that.’ We gotta leave behind what we once did. You’re not whoever you were a year ago. You’re not even who you’re going to be a year from now, which is a blessing. But you can’t continuously do the things you’ve always done and expect to get the results.”

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 2, 2022

UCLA’s Freshman Basketball Player Kiki Rice Joins Jordan Brand as First NIL Athlete

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Jordan Brand has just announced its first official signing of a student-athlete.

Jordan Brand has welcomed incoming freshman, Kiki Rice as its first NIL (name, image, and likeness) signee. The 5’11” freshman is playing for the UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) women’s basketball team.

“I’m incredibly grateful to announce that I am joining the Jordan Brand as its first NIL athlete! It’s an honor to join a family that is made up of leaders on and off the court… lets get to work!! @jumpman23“

 

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A post shared by Kiki Rice (@kiki.rice)

“Being Jordan Brand’s first NIL athlete is an incredible milestone, and I think it’s a testament to the hard work I’ve put in and all the people around me who have helped me get to this point,” says Rice. “Signing with the Jordan Brand is another motivating factor for me to continue to work hard and achieve my goals.”

According to Andscape, Rice was the nation’s top recruit and women’s high school player of the year for 2022.  She played for Sidwell Friends High School in Washington, D.C. where she led the basketball team to its first state championship earlier this year.

Sports Illustrated has reported that she was the No. 2 recruit in the class of 2023. Her other accolades included being named a McDonald’s All-American, the Naismith High School Player of the Year, and the MaxPreps National Female High School Athlete of the Year.

During her last year in high school, she averaged 15.8 points, 7 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 2.7 steals, while earning MVP honors. She also led Team USA to a gold medal at the FIBA U18 Americas Championship.

She was welcomed to the Jordan Brand by NBA All-Star Carmelo Anthony, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts, and New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson and several other Jordan Brand athletes via recorded videos.

We got some special messages for @kiki_rice0 from the @Jumpman23 family today 🥺#GoBruins x #Jumpman pic.twitter.com/2wlTTkBgj9

— UCLA W. Basketball (@UCLAWBB) October 31, 2022

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

November 2, 2022

Keep Constant Watch On Your Front Door With This Smart Doorbell

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Smart technology has evolved over the years as nearly every aspect of your home to your vehicle can be outfitted to take advantage of the technology that has streamlined daily life for many.

Everything from beds to mirrors has smart technology options, so it’s no surprise that the outside of your home can now, too. While technology has assisted in making things easier, it’s also just as important for the many security options it provides.

The Eco4Life Smart Doorbell with WiFi & Security Camera does just that. For a limited time, you can purchase it for just $59.99. That’s a savings of 45% from its MSRP ($109).

This product allows you peace of mind in the form of being able to monitor activity at your front door. Whether you’re inside or away on vacation, you’ll always be able to keep track of what’s going on at the entrance of your home. It’s also helpful for those times you’re expecting a delivery and want to make sure your package or boxes are there. The motion detection range spans up to 20 feet.

It does more than just provide a window into your home’s entrance.

The two-way audio function allows you to talk to visitors from your phone, as well as the option to listen to them through your cell phone or computer. The video is provided by a 1080p HD camera. You can switch to the night vision function according to the ambient light level.

The security camera connects to your WiFi network. You can watch the live stream videos on your phone or your computer for those times you need to monitor activity at the front of your house.

Not all smart technology caters only to convenience. This smart doorbell and security camera provide unparalleled protection along with the peace of mind that affords. Purchase it today.

Prices subject to change.

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Jeffrey McKinney

November 1, 2022

Sustainability May Get Axed Amid Recession Worries, Potentially Imperiling Corporate Pledges To Black Community

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Many of the nation’s largest corporations vowed tens of billions of dollars two years ago to support economic growth and new opportunities for Black businesses and individuals.

The pledges in 2020 by a broad mix of large corporations became a part of a sweeping movement to combat uneasiness about racial injustice after the murder of George Floyd and subsequent national protests tied to systemic racism. New sustainability research raises concerns about whether companies will use an impending economic downturn as an excuse not to fulfill their commitments.

As part of the KPMG 2022 U.S. CEO Outlook, rethinking environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts is the leading action U.S. companies are looking at applying to counter a recession.

Almost 60% of 400 CEOs in America reported if such a slump occurs, they plan to pause or reconsider their ESG efforts in the next six months. Some 33% disclosed that they have already done that, and 9% have plans. The findings come even though 70% of those quizzed reported that they observed ESG programs advance the financial performance of their companies.

To boot, the 70% was roughly twice as large as the percentage from the survey last year, Politico reported. The U.S. portion of the survey included firms with at least $500 million in revenues, with 36% depicting companies with a minimum of $10 billion in revenue. The businesses operate in 11 industries, including asset management, automotive, banking, infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology.

On the corporate equity pledges front, reports have estimated the post-George Floyd commitments have ranged from as low as $50 billion to as high as $200 billion, based on research by BLACK ENTERPRISE. Many of those pledges reportedly come from financial institutions, including giant banks.

However, some observers have contested how much in pledges have been made as multiple companies that gained fanfare from making such vows have not publicly reported updates on their commitments. The announced pledges ranged from helping Black companies grow to assisting Black individuals in making big-ticket purchases like buying homes.

The sweeping survey, taken this summer and just released, included questions to CEOs on several issues, including how sustainability impacts profitability, environmental activity, and business prospects.

“It’s a moment of balancing short-term and long-term returns, and it’s really testing CEOs’ commitments to their ESG strategies,” stated Rob Fisher, a KPMG partner and the head of its ESG advisory group in the United States, as reported by Politico.

“It’s a critical moment for them and any reduction of those investments could lead to some pretty big long-term financial risks.”

Advocates for Black entrepreneurship had mixed reactions when asked how CEOs’ sustainability responses might impact the corporate pledges.

William Michael Cunningham, an economist and owner of Creative Investment Research in Washington, D.C., says the findings suggest that the slowdown in ESG activity will reduce Black Lives Matter commitments. “Our firm believes there was never an authentic desire on the part of most corporations to make racial equity pledges because of the negative pushback that they anticipated, or thought they would get, from the white consumer base.”

Cunningham says one of the ways to confirm it is by looking at the swiftness with which the pledges moved away from a focus on the Black community to centering on white women and other minority groups two years after the initial commitments were made.

He expects companies to cut back on expenditures tied to racial equity activity that specifically benefits the Black community but to continue spending efforts related to broader environmental issues like climate change. He says that’s because environmental issues are less focused on Black people.

“The reconsideration will focus on the S part of ESG, which is social,” he says.

“Within the social part, activities related to BLM pledges or other programs directed to Black people will be the first to go.”

Ying McGuire, president and CEO of the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC), offered her take in an email comment from the organization after a recent interview.

“I believe that corporate CEOs who see supplier diversity as an economic development engine aimed at creating wealth for the new emerging majority and growing their customer base will not cut back on efforts to increase their spending with minority-owned businesses when faced with a possible recession.”

She added, “However, there may be some CEOs that approach supplier diversity from a compliance angle, and we will continue to work with them to show the value our certified MBEs bring to our economy and their shareholders, so they do not cut back on their spending goals.”