by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

Hampton University’s Byron Perkins Becomes First D1 HBCU Football Player to Come Out As Gay

A defensive back on the Hampton University Pirates is making history after becoming the first football player at an HBCU to come out as gay.

Byron Perkins made history last Wednesday when the junior took to his Instagram to “stop running away” from publicly identifying as a gay man, making him the first HBCU football player to do so, Sports Illustrated reported.

“I’ve decided that I’m going to make a change, and stop running away from myself,” Perkins wrote.

“I’m gay, let it be known that this is not a ‘decision’ or a ‘choice.’”

“Yes, this is who I am, this is who I’ve been, and this is who I’m going to be. Simply put, I am who I am,” he shared.

Speaking with Outsports, Perkins explained how he decided to come out after realizing that hiding his sexual identity was taking a toll on his personal well-being.

“I’ve been self-reflective and trying to prioritize what makes me happy and makes me feel alive,” he said. “I thought it could be just football and school, but there was a component missing.”

“And recently I’ve been able to figure out that I haven’t been fully happy because everyone didn’t know who I was,” he continued. “Authenticity is everything to me.”

The Chicago native said the response from his team has been “very good,” but also a bit mixed. He credits his coaches for supporting him and says he chose to come out to provide inspiration and support to other gay Black men who might be struggling in HBCU environments.

“Especially at an HBCU, young Black gay men need an outlet,” Perkins said.

“They need a support system. There hasn’t been an out gay football athlete at an HBCU. I want to end the stigma of what people think. I want people to know they can be themselves. It’s about that kid who’s going to see this and think he can be himself too.”

Perkins is the first gay Division I HBCU football player to come out publicly. Other gay Division I football players who have come out during their college careers include Scott Frantz at Kansas State and Arizona’s My-King Johnson.

Award-Winning Black Film Director Searched By DEA at Atlanta Airport, ‘I Was Definitely Racially Profiled’
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

Award-Winning Black Film Director Searched By DEA at Atlanta Airport, ‘I Was Definitely Racially Profiled’

A Black man traveling to Los Angeles from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport had his bags completely searched by DEA agents, who provided no explanation why.

Award-winning veteran film director, Tabari Sturdivant, shared a short video clip along with a lengthy caption explaining what he experienced while at the Atlanta airport on Friday.

“Friday morning right as I was boarding a flight to LA, (2) DEA agents approached me,” Tabari explained.

“They asked for my ID, began to question me and proceeded to search me and my bags right in front of everyone.”

 

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Sturdivant noted that he was “the only black person in the area,” and the only one the plainclothes officers decided to search.

“It was a humiliating experience,” he said. “People took their phones out and started filming.”

“They took everything out of my bag in front of everyone. No privacy. I was totally shocked and embarrassed.”

“After finding NO illegal contraband in my bag, they seemed disappointed and let me go,” he confirmed.

Sturdivant explained how once he got on the plane, passengers started questioning why he was searched. He said the questioning continued once he arrived in Los Angeles.

There was one passenger who admitted to filming the search and posting the video on social media. Following the encounter, Tabari is convinced that he was a victim of racial profiling.

“I was minding my business with a black hoodie and headphones on,” he explained. “I was standing in the middle of white 20 passengers and they singled me out and humiliated me.”

“I was definitely racially profiled.”

At the start of his caption, Tabari referenced comedian Eric André’s recent lawsuit filing after experiencing the same thing at the same airport.

Earlier this month, André and fellow comedian Clayton English filed a lawsuit with claims they were racially profiled by police at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on separate occasions in 2021 and 2020, NPR reported.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the two well-known comedians claimed they were illegally stopped by Clayton County officials at the Atlanta airport on separate occasions about six months apart. The lawsuit challenges the airport police program, saying officials are violating the constitutional rights of Black airline passengers, interrogating them, and taking them through coercive searches as they board their flights.

“CCPD calls these stops ‘consensual encounters’ and ‘random,’ ” the lawsuit states.

“They are neither; the CCPD jet bridge interdictions rely on coercion, and targets are selected disproportionately based on their race.”

Sturdivant is a well-respected filmmaker who was voted Georgia’s Best Independent Filmmaker of 2013 by the Georgia Entertainment Gala.

In January 2011, Sturdivant started the Behind The Scenes Department at Tyler Perry Studios, where he directed and produced content for the new tylerperry.com website, DVD features, and future programming. After leaving TPS, Sturdivant produced the feature film First Impression, starring Lamaan Rucker (Meet The Browns), Lisa Arrindell Anderson (Meet the Browns – Movie), Elise Neal, David & Tamela Mann.

TheGrio Hosted Inaugural Awards Gala to ‘Amplify’ Black Excellence
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

TheGrio Hosted Inaugural Awards Gala to ‘Amplify’ Black Excellence

Black Excellence was on full display at theGrio’s first-ever awards ceremony and gala.

Held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Saturday, hosts Sheryl Underwood and Taye Diggs, along with Allen Media Group’s Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Byron Allen, came together to set the stage for a new award show aimed at spreading and celebrating Black empowerment.

“I created theGrio Awards to celebrate and amplify African-American excellence and the incredible champions from other communities who truly support us,” Allen said in a statement.

“Celebrating and amplifying iconic individuals is something we can never do enough of, especially for our children.”

Attendees included Queen Latifah, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Hudson, Allyson Felix, Ben Crump, Don Peebles, and Robert F. Smith. Inspirational figures across film, politics, and journalism graced the red carpet including Nikole Hannah-Jones, Terrance Howard, Jackée Harry, Marla Gibbs, Kim Coles, and Congressman Bobby Rush.

April Ryan, Natasha Alford, Panama Jackson, and Michael Harriot were also in attendance along with actor Taye Diggs and his girlfriend Apryl Jones. Patti LaBelle blessed attendees with a live performance along with Yolanda Adams, Tyrese, and Fantasia. Music veteran, Greg Phillinganes, served as the evening’s musical director, alongside DJ Kiss who worked double time as the D.J. and announcer.

Mini-reunions took place when Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry crossed paths, much to the delight of 227 fans. Queen Latifah and Kim Coles shared a Living Single moment when fans noticed them both on the red carpet.

Awards were given to Patti LaBelle who received the Music Icon Award, Jennifer Hudson took home the Trailblazer Icon Award, Queen Latifah was awarded with the Television Icon Award, and Felix was crowned the Sports Icon Award.

Other honorees included Tyler Perry, Dave Chappelle, and Kenan Thompson, Daily Mail reported.

Those who missed the live event can catch theGrio Awards on theGrio Television Network and other Allen Media Group television and digital platforms. The event will also appear on broadcast television stations nationwide in the near future.

Urban League of Greater Madison Receives $500,000 Donation to Support 4-Story Black Business Hub
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 24, 2022

Urban League of Greater Madison Receives $500,000 Donation to Support 4-Story Black Business Hub

The Farwell Foundation announced a $500,000 donation to the Urban League of Greater Madison, Wisconsin, earlier this month to support the Black Business Hub project.

The gift is one of the organization’s largest grants ever made. It was fueled by the generosity of Cheryl Rosen Weston.

In a written statement, Weston said, “we believe firmly in our duty to make this world, and more specifically, Madison, a better place. We do this by committing to support, love, honor, and respect all members of our community.”

“In particular, we place emphasis on offering our assistance to those members and segments of our community that have not been given equal access to the resources that they deserve.”

“We are delighted to partner with the Urban League of Greater Madison in the development of the Black Business Hub, and we believe in its enormous potential to effect positive change for Madison’s Black community.”

Earlier this spring, in April, the Urban League of Greater Madison broke ground on the Black Business Hub project. Located in South Madison, Wisconsin, and costing $26 million, it is the largest project in the organization’s history. The donation brought the total fundraising tally to nearly $20.5 million.

The upcoming Black Business Hub is a Black-led, place-based project that plans to provide a transformational ecosystem for businesses and individuals who are underserved in the area. The Hub will be a centrally located one-stop shop focused on supporting businesses and entrepreneurs through incubation, acceleration, and networking programs and services. Services at the Hub will include training, educational support, loans, grants, business coaching and mentoring, networking opportunities, shared services, and other initiatives.

Urban League Madison CEO, Dr. Ruben Anthony, expressed that he was “overjoyed and humbled when he got the call.”

“This is a tremendous investment in the Black Business Hub’s vision, and even more importantly in the hard-working small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs who have experienced a lifetime of under-investment, challenges accessing capital, and the lack of a culturally relevant ecosystem of support.”

The Farwell Foundation organization is overseen by Samantha M. Weston.

White Supremacist Group Rallies In Los Angeles Raising Nazi Salutes and Giving Nod to Kanye’s Anti-Semitic Rhetoric
by Stacy Jackson

October 24, 2022

White Supremacist Group Rallies In Los Angeles Raising Nazi Salutes and Giving Nod to Kanye’s Anti-Semitic Rhetoric

Residents were unexpectedly confronted with Nazi salutes as they drove along the freeway in Los Angeles.

Members of a white supremacist hate group were sighted on Saturday above Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, publicizing their support of recent antisemitic tweets by Kanye West that expressed that the rapper would go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

According to The Daily Beast, the antisemitic group was identified as affiliates of the “Goyim Defense League,” who rallied two weeks after Kanye’s tweet. Participants, including the Goyim Defense League’s leader, Jon Minadeo, stood beside banners that read “Kanye is right about the Jews,” “Honk if you know,” and featured biblical verses regarding references such as “the synagogue of Satan.”

Photographs captured the rally-goers allegedly raising their arms in a Nazi salute.

The Wrap reports that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) classified the group as a “loose network of individuals connected by their virulent antisemitism,” and condemned the rally as an “Outrageous effort to fan the flames of antisemitism gripping the nation.” One of the police assigned to the scene was allegedly yelled at by Minadeo about “diversity hires” and immigrants.

“This group is known for espousing vitriolic #antisemitism and white supremacist ideology,” the ADL Southern California tweeted. “Hate has no place in Los Angeles or elsewhere and these attempts will not divide us.”

ADL is reportedly leading an effort, titled #RunAwayFromHate, to persuade Adidas to cut ties with the controversial rapper.

“While Adidas has refused to condemn Kanye West’s antisemitism, hate groups like White Lives Matter and the Goyim Defense League are celebrating and promoting Ye’s comments to further their extremist agendas,” the organization said.

In an exclusive with Women’s Wear Daily, Balenciaga revealed its company cut ties with Ye for his repeated use of hate speech.

Kanye reportedly apologized for the remarks he made on Twitter in reference to the military readiness condition “DEFCON,” during an interview with Piers Morgan.

‘Crossed the Line’: Black NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace Gets Suspended for Altercation After Mid-Race Crash
by Atiya Jordan

October 24, 2022

‘Crossed the Line’: Black NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace Gets Suspended for Altercation After Mid-Race Crash

An escalating incident prompted NASCAR driver Bubba Wallaceto deliver a wrecking right rear hook to his opponent’s car during last weekend’s playoff race. Now his one-race suspension is costing his team this week’s Cup Series.

Leading the pack, Wallace was just 14 laps in Stage 2 when his No. 45 Toyota collided into the wall at the hands of Hendrick Motorsports racer Kyle Larson on Sunday, Oct. 16, according to The Sporting News. The run-in resulted in Wallace returning a slight bump that sent Larson’s No. 5 Chevy toward the infield.

At high speed, Wallace tailed behind Larson to the edge of the infield grass and smashed into Larson’s right rear with the left front of his vehicle. The pair spun back onto the track, involving championship contender, Christopher Bell. All three drivers were knocked out of Sunday’s race.

Shortly after, a heated Wallace approached Larson on the infield with some fuming words and hard shoves. An on-track official immediately diffused the altercation by separating the pair.

For Wallace, his actions on-track were in response to Larson’s attempt to make a three-car dive bomb without clearing the move with him first.

Larson told NBC that Wallace “had a reason to be mad, but his race wasn’t over until he retaliated.”

NASCAR’s chief operating officer, Steve O’Donnell, made a statement with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio after the one-race ban was announced, per ESPN.

“As we look at the sport and where we are today and where we want to draw that line going forward, we thought that [Wallace] definitely crossed the line, and that’s what we focused on in terms of making this call,” he said.

On Monday, Oct. 17, Wallace issued a public apology to reflect on Sunday’s actions.

“I want to apologize to NASCAR and the fans, along with Christopher Bell, Joe Gibba Racing, and Toyota for putting them in a situation in the Playoffs that they do not deserve,” Wallace wrote in part.

Wallace’s NASCAR journey has been no easy ride. Yet, it has been trailblazing. Back in 2021, he made history as the first Black driver since 1963 to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at the Talladega Superspeedway. The historic victory came after his outspoken efforts to shed light on social justice by pushing NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag and driving in a Black Lives Matter stockcar during a cap series race.

Memphis Mayor Teams Up With SBA and Operation HOPE to Drive Black Economic Development
by Stacy Jackson

October 24, 2022

Memphis Mayor Teams Up With SBA and Operation HOPE to Drive Black Economic Development

All hands are on deck to drive Black economic development.

Members of the U.S. Small Business Administration and John Hope Bryant, CEO of Operation HOPE, gathered Thursday with Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland to discuss the goal to provide resources to help small Black-owned businesses grow into successful companies.

According to Action News 5, Mayor Strickland revealed his efforts toward supporting Black businesses, including the increase in contract opportunities he has provided to Black entrepreneurs.

“We had to do better contracting for services from the city government. When I took office, it was about 12% of contracts. We have basically doubled that amount,” Strickland said.

Operation HOPE and the City of Memphis collaborated with the One Million Black Business and Entrepreneur Initiative back in February 2021 to expand on its mission to drive Black economic development across the United States.

“We aim to start, grow, and scale 1 million Black businesses by 2030 to provide a successful path to wealth creation for the black community,” the website states.

Operation HOPE was founded by entrepreneur and philanthropist John Hope Bryant with a vision to create an innovative approach to uplifting the community and addressing critical issues facing corporations and financial institutions. The American non-profit organization partners with “like-minded players” to provide resources that target systemic issues like economic inequality, financial illiteracy, social injustice, inequitable access to capital, and lack of financial dignity.

“My business has encountered and taken full advantage of the City of Memphis’ certification process, Operation HOPE’s 1MBB program and the SBA’s programs/trainings, and COVID recovery,” said Nicole Gates, owner of She-EO Unlimited. “Thanks to Operation HOPE, I completed their in-depth entrepreneur training program and even became Shopify certified.”

Action News 5 reported that together Operation HOPE and the City of Memphis aim to support 500 Black-owned small businesses through the initiative by the end of Strickland’s term.

Officials Urge Parents To Check Halloween Bags Amid Increase of Smuggled Drugs in Candy Wrappers
by Eric Moody

October 24, 2022

Officials Urge Parents To Check Halloween Bags Amid Increase of Smuggled Drugs in Candy Wrappers

Parents are being reminded to stay vigilant this Halloween as massive amounts of drugs are being packaged in candy wrappers.

This comes after Los Angeles officials announced a major drug bust in Pasadena of 328,000 fentanyl pills as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation.

Officials with the Pasadena Police Department say the candy-colored fentanyl, seized on Sept. 24, appeared to be a new method used by drug cartels to attract children and young people, according to ABC7 Eyewitness News.

The news outlet reports that the Pasadena Police Department alone has seized roughly 708,500 fentanyl pills, according to an issued press release.

In Connecticut, two Maryland men were charged with trafficking 15,000 pills of fentanyl disguised as candy with the intent to sell to an undercover DEA agent.

The drugs were stored in Skittles and Nerds packaging, according to the U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut.

Experts with the Drug Enforcement Administration say that just one pill can be fatal and are urging parents to talk with their children to be extra observant about what to look out for this Halloween and beyond.

This also includes seeking educational materials from the DEA and other nonprofits that specialize in this area as Halloween approaches.

“Rainbow fentanyl—fentanyl pills and powder that come in a variety of bright colors, shapes, and sizes—is a deliberate effort by drug traffickers to drive addiction amongst kids and young adults,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in a press release.

The issue is reportedly causing major issues for morgues in terms of space to put bodies nationwide.

“The most common non-natural death is opioids, it’s more than our number of homicides, more than our number of traffic accidents,’ said Cook County Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Ponni Arunkumar during a interview with Fox News.

In 2021, there were reportedly more than 63,000 overdose deaths related to fentanyl.

White Illinois Woman Gets Probation After Confrontation With Black Bicyclists
by Eric Moody

October 24, 2022

White Illinois Woman Gets Probation After Confrontation With Black Bicyclists

A white woman has been sentenced to probation following a confrontation with a group of Black men at a suburban Chicago beach in 2020.

Irene Donoshaytis, who had been previously charged with a felony hate crime charge, pled down to a lesser charge Wednesday in an agreement with Cook County.

Donoshaytis confronted Otis Campbell and two other Black men who were riding bicycles near a pier along the Winnetka, Illinois, beach when she told them they couldn’t be there after complaining to a Winnetka Park District employee that they needed a particular pass to be in the area.

After the employee informed Donoshaytis that the men were on public property and a beach pass wasn’t required, it did not sit well with the then 65-year-old woman.

“Are you crazy? What, you want to kill me? No? It feels like it,” Donoshaytis replies and asks Campbell.

“Why would I want to kill you? Is it because I’m Black?” Campbell says in the video.

“Yes,” Donoshaytis responded on video.

According to the Associated Press, Campbell said Donoshaytis hit his arm twice after trying to knock the phone out of his hands, which stopped the recording.

He also informed authorities that he had just finished up a 15-mile bike ride with his cousin and friend from the nearby suburban area of Skokie in Illinois, where Campbell grew up.

Campbell uploaded the confrontation captured on his cellphone video to Twitter shortly after, where it gained tons of traction.

The plea agreement with Cook County lowered Donoshaytis’ previous charge to misdemeanor battery and one-year probation. She must also attend an anti-racism class, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Jeffrey Fagan, Donoshaytis’ attorney, said in 2020 that she was a refugee from the Soviet Union who fled persecution there, the Associated Press reported.

Florida Rapper Found Not Guilty After Prosecutors Attempt to Use Lyrics Against Him
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 24, 2022

Florida Rapper Found Not Guilty After Prosecutors Attempt to Use Lyrics Against Him

A Florida hip-hop artist has beaten the rap and was found not guilty after his rap lyrics were used against him in a felony court case.

Noah Williams, a rapper who uses the moniker Spinabenz, was found not guilty on a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, ABC News reported. Last week, the jury ruled in his favor after prosecutors based part of their evidence on lyrics from “My Glock.”

Prosecutors alleged that Spinabenz’s girlfriend, who purchased a gun legally, bought it for him. The prosecutors’ stated that in the song they referenced for the lyrics that Spinabenz claimed “my Glock cost $300” and in one line he raps about having a woman purchase a gun for him if she is “over 18.”

At the end of the trial, prosecutors pointed to the lyrics in closing arguments and stated the date the song was released. They claimed it took place several weeks after his girlfriend bought the weapon, according to WJXX.

They also argued that 18% of Spinabenz’s DNA was discovered on the gun as well. His attorneys stated that this did not prove that he was in possession of the firearm nor did he use it.

The rapper had previously been convicted on a felony weapons charge; convicted felons in Florida are not allowed to own firearms. Based on that fact, he was facing up to 30 years in prison due to adding a gang enhancement in the case, which based on what his attorneys said, doubled his potential sentence.

A jury found him not guilty on Thursday.

“He was, I would say, elated,” David Bigney, who represented Spinabenx told ABC News Friday about Williams’ reaction to the verdict.

There is a movement to prevent prosecutors from using lyrics cited in songs by rappers against them.

“In closing arguments, we discussed how artists, even though sometimes they may write lyrics based on reality, that other times they do not,” Bigney said.

“And the example that we gave was Bob Marley, who certainly sang about actual events, [but] also sang a song, “I Shot the Sheriff,” and suggested that just because he sang a song about shooting the sheriff doesn’t mean that he did.”

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