Black Woman Educator Launches Innovative New School In Florida
DOTT Academy ditches grades for real-world skills.
Families in Southern Florida now have a new educational option. DOTT Academy is one of the few competency-based schools in the state. The charter school serves children ages 5 to 14. Students move to the next level by demonstrating mastery of skills rather than progressing based on age or grade.
Located in Greenacres, Florida, the charter school was established by Dr. Kisha Bellande-Francis. She brings more than 20 years of experience in education as a teacher, consultant, and personal development expert across 15 states. She also acts as the school’s principal.
“DOTT Academy empowers students through personalized, competency-based learning where they progress based on mastery, not seat time,” Dr. Bellande-Francis said in a press release.
“Students advance at their own pace, collaborate with multi-age peers, and work toward clear, meaningful learning targets. The result is stronger skills, deeper confidence, and real-world readiness — the ultimate goal of every parent,” Bellande-Francis said.
The educator noted that students learn skills such as building sustainable gardens and planning community events, which better prepare them for real-world situations.
“We focus on depth over pace, personal growth over comparison, and real readiness over rote performance.”
The academy groups students into five multi-aged “pods”: Foundations (K–1), Explorers (1–3), Innovators (3–5), Scholars (5–6), and Leaders (6–8). These pods are designed to help teachers focus on each child’s skills, ensuring students learn in ways that work best for them instead of being held back or moving ahead too quickly.
When students complete the Leaders Pod, they graduate with a mastery portfolio that showcases their achievements and prepares them for some of the most competitive high schools in the region.
The academy recently held its official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the North Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce office. At the Oct 27 ceremony, Bellande-Francis expressed gratitude to supporters in an Instagram post.
“This is just the beginning. Thank you for supporting my dream, for supporting DOTT, and for helping us create a new future in education,” Bellande-Francis wrote.
Applications To Business, Law Schools Up Among Gen Z
In July 2025, the Trump administration signed the “One Big Beautiful Act,” which eliminated of the Grad PLUS loan and will change how graduate and professional students finance their education.
Applications to business and law schools are increasing among Gen Z graduates who are struggling to find employment. Unemployment is rising across the country, and companies such as Target and Amazon have announced the layoffs of thousands of their employees this week alone.
More layoffs are expected as the shift to AI tools, which automates and reduces the need for certain roles.
Similar to the financial crisis of 2008, the youngest generation in the workforce is now safeguarding themselves against the exhausting job search and technological advancements by obtaining higher degrees.
In a report from Fortune, applications to American Bar Association-accredited law schools are 33% larger than it was this time last year, according to data from the Law School Admission Council.
“Another metric that we watch closely is the number of first-time LSAT test takers, and how that number may be trending compared to previous years,” LSAC writes. “Looking at the 2024 August and September tests, the number of first-time test takers is up 25% compared to the same two tests last year — an increase of nearly 5,000 first-time test takers.”
But it doesn’t stop there. Applications to graduate management education (GME) programs (MBAs and other business master’s degrees) are steadily rising in 2025. In 2024, GMAC’s report found that applications to GME programs were up by 12%. In 2025, the growth increased by an additional 7%. Applications to MBA programs from women surpassed those from men in 2025, according to the report.
Gen Z, Professional Students Face Financial Battle Under Trump Administration
The unemployment rate for Gen Z is approximately 8.2%, which is significantly higher than the national average of around 3.5%, and at its highest point since early 2021, according to Zogo.
One challenge for students seeking to pursue a higher degree is that they will no longer have access to the federal Graduate PLUS Loans for new borrowers, effective July 1, 2026. In July 2025, the Trump administration signed the “One Big Beautiful Act,” which eliminates the Grad PLUS loan and will change how graduate and professional students finance their education.
Federal borrowing for graduate students will be capped at a lower limit. Graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 per year, with a lifetime maximum of $100,000. Professional students, such as those applying to law or medical school, are eligible to borrow up to $50,000 per year, with a lifetime maximum of $200,000.
Homeowners In Atlanta Area Demand Audit After HOA President Accused Of Embezzling Thousands
The former HOA president is accused of collecting reimbursement for services that were not provided.
Homeowners in the Magnolia Walk subdivision near Atlanta have hired an audit team to review their HOA finances following the arrest of their former president, Richard Austin, on fraud charges.
Austin is accused of stealing over $7,000 by submitting an invoice for services that never occurred. Homeowners said they noticed discrepancies in the HOA’s financial records and contacted the police.
“We were concerned about money being spent improperly, and services being paid for that were not rendered,” Magnolia Walk homeowner William Washington told WSBTV News.
According to homeowners, Austin submitted a request for reimbursement for cameras he claimed were installed near the community poolhouse. However, when authorities contacted the business listed on the invoice, they discovered that Austin had made no payments to the company and that no cameras were installed. This led to police arresting Austin, who now faces charges of felony theft and deception.
The HOA paid an additional $7,000 to have the cameras installed, which Austin never did. Williams stated that Magnolia Walk residents are currently waiting for the audit results and that, while they know there is already a $7,000 loss, they expect it to increase. He noted that the alleged theft strained the HOA’s already tight budget.
“We can’t afford to miss a penny,” Williams said.
Austin’s arrest is the latest in a string of cases involving HOA leaders in the Atlanta area who are facing similar charges. In July, Tabetha Rowe, former president of the Camelot Condo HOA in South Fulton County, was arrested and booked on multiple charges, including two counts of first-degree forgery and theft by forged signature to claim ownership of a property. Investigators say she signed homeowners’ names on a quitclaim deed and took ownership of their units without their knowledge.
Jay Marshall Cain, 77, treasurer of the Provincial Park Homeowners Association in Carrollton, GA, was charged with Theft by Conversion and Forgery in the Second Degree. Between 2022 and 2025, Cain allegedly appropriated thousands of dollars in HOA funds for personal expenses.
If convicted, Austin could face one to 15 years in prison, along with potential fines and restitution to victims.
‘Family Matters’ Darius McCrary Released From Jail, Extradited to Michigan on Felony Warrant
"Family Matters" star Darius McCrary was extradited to Michigan on a felony warrant after spending nearly a month in a San Diego jail following his fugitive arrest.
Darius McCrary was released from jail following his fugitive arrest and promptly extradited to Michigan on a felony warrant.
Family Matters star Darius McCrary was released from a San Diego jail on Oct. 29 after being arrested on Oct. 5 at the U.S.-Mexico border on an out-of-state felony warrant, People reports. Following his release, McCrary was extradited from California to Michigan to face the outstanding charges.
McCrary spent nearly a month in a San Diego jail after a judge denied him bail while he awaited transfer to Michigan authorities. The warrant for his arrest was issued after he allegedly missed a court appearance related to unpaid child support.
Reports conflicted over the reason for McCrary’s trip to Mexico. Prosecutors initially claimed the actor’s agent said he was in Tijuana looking at real estate when he was detained by Border Patrol while reentering the U.S. However, McCrary’s public defender, appointed after he first sought to represent himself, stated he had traveled there to assist a charity that builds homes.
Prosecutors contended that McCrary was a flight risk, noting this was his third arrest on the same charges, with prior detentions in 2015 and 2023. In 2023, he was extradited from Los Angeles to Michigan. The judge sided with prosecutors, labeling the actor a flight risk.
Following his Oct. 15 court appearance, where he chose to represent himself and reportedly appeared confused, McCrary’s representative, Ann Barlow, said the actor was not a flight risk and had no ties to Tijuana. She claimed that the Next Day Air star accidentally crossed into Mexico due to “a mix-up about where to meet his partner for the Esperanza program,” where he volunteered to build homes for unhoused individuals.
After the court appearance, the judge appointed McCrary a public defender, stating that the actor “is unable to understand and appreciate the legalities of these proceedings.”
City Leaders Speak Out On Viral Video of Baltimore Police Officer Allegedly Trying To Run Over Black Man
The officer has been suspended for his reckless action.
Baltimore officials are speaking out after a video of a police officer allegedly trying to run over a Black man went viral.
The video made waves on social media after the officer made repeated attempts to run over someone in his police vehicle. The clip showed the officer in the marked police car chasing a man running on foot, and hitting him. Upon finding the video, Baltimore police suspended the officer. The Neighborhood Talk shared footage of the viral incident.
“You don’t even have no reason to stop [him],” stated one bystander overheard in the background, who is assumed to have recorded the footage.
The department released a statement about its internal affairs investigation into the matter. Police Commissioner Richard Worley called the video “disturbing” and “alarming” as the unit begins its probe.
“This is not how we expect our officers to behave, and this incident does not reflect the values or standards of the Baltimore Police Department. Our department continues to work hard to rebuild trust and change the narrative of our department and our city. We remain committed to holding officers accountable for their actions and continuing the work of rebuilding trust with our community,” shared Worley.
They will also review the officer’s body camera footage to gain more insight into what led to the ordeal. The incident has sparked immense backlash from the overarching Baltimore community, fueling tensions between law enforcement and citizens. Baltimore’s mayor, Brandon Scott, also called the video “deeply concerning,” while emphasizing that “proper accountability” will be had.
According to an eyewitness who recorded the since-viral video, the man was with a group of friends in the Park Heights neighborhood when the accused officer approached them and told them to move. He claimed the officer wanted to hit the man.
“(The officer) told him, ‘Come here,’ for no reason,” shared the witness, Slick Brown, to WBAL-TV 11 News. “So, my man said, ‘No,’ so he kept walking. He walked through the alley. As soon as he walked into the alley, (the officer) hopped back into the car and started chasing him. Automatic, full speed, trying to hit him and all of that. So, my man started running. He was running for his life. He isn’t going to stop, (the officer) was trying to hit him with his car.”
The man did endure mild injuries, particularly to his knee. He later found out that the officer was trying to speak with him over his failure to appear in court for driving without a license.
According to Baltimore City State’s Attorney, Ivan Bates, the Public Trust and Police Integrity Unit will oversee the investigation. The unidentified officer will not return to duty in the interim.
“Out of an abundance of caution and in keeping with our ethical obligations, our office will decline to call this officer as a witness in any active or future criminal prosecutions until the investigation is complete,” wrote Bates.
For the First Time In 35 Years, No Rap Songs Hit Top 40 On Billboard’s Hot 100
The highest-ranked rap song is Cardi B's "Safe" at number 44.
Yes, you’ve read that correctly. There are no rap songs listed in the Top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100.
This has not occurred since 1990, when Cold Chillin’ Records artist Biz Markie reached No. 29 in February 1990 with “Just a Friend.” That placement marked the beginning of a successful streak of a rap song staying in the Top 40 for 35 years, eight months, and three weeks.
Kendrick Lamar’s song “Luther,” which features SZA, ends the streak after the song fell off the chart after coming in at No. 38 the previous week.
The surprising feat is attributed to recent changes in the Billboard Hot 100’s ranking system. When the media outlet categorizes descending songs as recurrent, they are removed from the chart. This occurs when songs exceed particular chart durations while also falling below thresholds recently updated by Billboard. In the case of “Luther,” the track had fallen below the No. 25 spot after being on the Hot 100 for 46 years.
Outside of no other hip-hop songs making enough noise to move the needle on the chart, pop star Taylor Swift may be partly to blame. All 12 songs on her latest album, The Life of a Showgirl, are listed in the top 40.
Although there are several hip-hop songs on the latest chart, the highest one was YoungBoy Never Broke Again’s “Shot Callin,” which came close at No. 44. Cardi B’s “Safe” (featuring Kehlani) was next at No. 48. BigXthaPlug’s “Hell at Night” (featuring Ella Langley) came in at No. 49.
According to incoming week’s chart, that streak of no hip-hop songs in the Top 40 on the Hot 100 list will be extended to two week: “Shot Callin” moves up one spot to No. 43.
Screams & Screens: Black Creators Bring Fresh Fear To Horror Cinema
Black creators aren’t merely slipping into horror, they are bending the genre’s spine
Horror has long served as a litmus test for the anxieties of its age. A fresh cohort of Black creators is now turning the genre on its ear. From blood‑soaked thrillers to slow-burning chillers, these horror filmmakers are weaving stories in which the monsters are less specters and more the social forces that haunt everyday life. Bringing viewpoints, cultural texture, and unapologetic imagination, these storytellers are breathing life and fresh screams into horror cinema, proving that fear resonates distinctly when it springs from lived experience. These Black creators aren’t merely slipping into horror; they are bending the genre’s spine. Whether it’s wielding satire like a scalpel, resurrecting myths, launching critiques, or re‑imagining classic tales, they pour fresh scares, fresh backdrops, and fresh faces into cinema’s darkest visions.
Jordan Peele
Jordan Peele, a comic who swapped punchlines for picture frames, stepped behind the camera in 2017. Peele dropped Get Out, a film that fuses rattling dread with a take on race, sparking what many now call a Black horror renaissance. When the movie rolled out across U.S. theaters and then globally, Peele’s brand of terror introduced a vernacular to the genre: protagonists at the center, cultural layers woven throughout, and a relentless poking at horror’s tired tropes. The buzz his breakthrough film generated has cracked doors and ushered in a wave of creators eager to claim their space in horror.
Dewayne Perkins & Tracy Oliver
Dewayne Perkins, Tracy Oliver, and director Tim Story joined forces for the horror‑comedy, The Blackening (2023). The film follows a circle of friends celebrating Juneteenth, who end up trapped in a cabin with a killer that forces them into a contest of ranking their own Blackness. After debuting at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival, The Blackening opened in U.S. cinemas on June 16, 2023, and drew a wave of reviews. The flick tosses the playbook aside, thrusting protagonists into the spotlight while slyly ribbing the usual racial shortcuts.
Bomani J. Story
Bomani J. Story steps onto the feature scene with The Angry Black Girl and the Monster, a spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein told through the eyes of a teen navigating a violent neighborhood and convinced that death is just another disease. The movie premiered at SXSW, opened on June 9, 2023, had a VOD release on June 23, and then rolled out to independent theaters and streaming platforms. Using horror as a vehicle, Story delves into trauma, systemic inequities, and family pressure, underscoring how terrifying it is to live inside a web of falsehoods.
Ryan Coogler
Ryan Coogler, Oscar‑nominated for his work on Black Panther and Creed, stepped into the realm of horror with his 2025 feature, Sinners. The movie fuses the bite of lore with a blues‑saturated 1930s Mississippi setting and the oppressive melancholy of Southern Gothic. Coogler reconfigures genre expectations, stitching Black history and cultural aesthetics into a horror framework and, in doing so, stretches the very definition of what “Black horror” can encompass.
Nia DaCosta
Nia DaCosta’s 2021 version of Candyman serves as a sequel to the 1992 original. The remix reshapes the narrative to echo a wave of cultural and economic anguish. Still based in Chicago’s Cabrini‑Green and the glossy, gentrified after‑effects that have replaced it, Candyman lets the city itself become a character. DaCosta leans into horror as a tool, layering Black trauma, the sting of gentrification, and the lingering myths of violence.
Nikyatu Jusu
Nikyatu Jusu’s first feature, the 2022 film Nanny, is a horror‑drama that follows an immigrant nanny living in New York. While caring for a family and trying to bring her son to the United States, her life begins to unravel. The movie weaves spiritual folklore into a chilling folk‑horror backdrop while probing class, immigration, and motherhood, expanding the scope of Black horror. It premiered at Sundance on Jan. 22, 2022, was released the same year on Nov. 23, and is now available for streaming.
Mariama Diallo
Mariama Diallo’s first feature‑length film, Master (2022), unfolds as a horror‑thriller set on a white Northeastern college campus. The story wades into the web of racism, elitism, and the lingering ghosts of injustices. It premiered at Sundance on Jan. 21, 2022, then moved to Prime Video on March 18 in the same year. By framing the narrative in horror, Diallo probes women’s experiences inside institutional spaces and delivers a fresh mix of psychological tension and incisive social commentary.
Sean “Diddy” Combs is seeking to fast-track his appeal to reduce his 50-month prison sentence.
After Sean “Diddy” Combs was sentenced to 50 months in prison, his legal team is seeking to fast-track his appeal.
On Oct. 29, Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyers filed a request with a federal appeals court to expedite his appeal of two prostitution-related convictions, ABC 7 NY reported. They argued that, under a standard timeline, Combs could complete his 50-month prison sentence before the appeal is heard. Combs has already served roughly 14 months, and it remains unclear how much longer he will serve, given potential sentence reductions, according to defense attorney Alexandra Shapiro.
“An expedited briefing and argument schedule is critical to ensure that Mr. Combs’s appeal of his sentence does not become moot while the appeal is pending,” Shapiro said in the filing.
The filing comes days after the Bureau of Prisons listed what it believes is Combs’ release date from the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn as May 8, 2028, though that date could change. Earlier this month, Combs was convicted on two counts of violating the Mann Act for transporting individuals for the purpose of prostitution, following an eight-week trial in July that examined his treatment of ex-girlfriends and employees. The jury acquitted him of the more serious sex trafficking and racketeering charges.
Combs’ lawyers plan to appeal to the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, arguing that prosecutors misapplied the law.
“Sean’s appeal will challenge the unfair use of the Mann Act, an infamous statute with a sordid history, to prosecute him for sex with consenting adults,” Shapiro said.
The filing also details Combs’ plan to challenge his conviction and sentencing on the prostitution charges, arguing that the counts should not apply since he had no financial motive for transporting male escorts, claiming he only sought to observe them with his girlfriends.
“Mr. Combs expects to challenge both his conviction and sentence in his appeal. An expedited briefing and argument schedule is critical to ensure that Mr. Combs’s appeal of his sentence does not become moot while the appeal is pending,” the filing states.
“Accordingly, to ensure that Mr. Combs could meaningfully benefit from any appellate ruling vacating his sentence, we have proposed a schedule that would expedite this Court’s consideration of Mr. Combs’s appeal.”
The college has sold four of six of Woodruff’s murals after Board Chair Rica Lewis-Payton told the New York Times that the college was having difficulty meeting payroll soon after she took the role.
Over the past year, she said she oversaw the sale of the college’s most prized possessions: Woodruff’s murals.
“The result of more than a year of careful consideration and due diligence resulted in an unprecedented coalition that benefits Talladega College in extraordinary ways and honors those who came before us, including Hale A. Woodruff, whose paintings will now be seen by millions across the United States and around the world.” Lewis-Payton said a statement.
What To Know About The Sale Between Talladega College and Art Institutions
The Smithsonian American Art Museum describes Woodruff’s 1930s figurative style as “bold” and “muscular.” Lynchings of Black people weighed heavily on his conscience and inspired him to design a series of his most iconic and impressive block prints.
According to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, his best-known and most widely acclaimed works at the time were the Amistad murals, painted between 1939 and 1940, which were installed in the Savery Library at Talladega College. Talladega commissioned a group of six murals from Woodruff, painted between 1939 and 1942.
The murals had a few meanings. First, the Amistad murals celebrated the 100th anniversary of the mutiny by enslaved Africans aboard the Amistad in 1849, their trial in New Haven, Connecticut, and return to West Africa following acquittal. His other iconic mural is The Underground Railroad.
According to a news release on the college website, the Toledo Museum of Art acquired The Underground Railroad. The Art Bridges Foundation and The Terra Foundation for American Art have jointly acquired three paintings that depict the Amistad uprising and its aftermath. Woodruff’s two paintings that depict the founding of Talladega and the building of the school’s Savery Library will remain on campus, the college confirmed.
“This unprecedented coalition has formed a strategic partnership that will jointly steward the paintings and maintain their connection to Talladega, including reuniting all six murals at the College on an agreed-upon schedule,” a statement reads on the college website.
Paul Pierce Charged With DUI After Allegedly Falling Asleep On Los Angeles Highway
The former Boston Celtics great was charged with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Former NBA player Paul Pierce was hit with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of driving with .08% blood alcohol content after police officers said they found him asleep in his car in Los Angeles nearly three weeks ago.
According to TMZ Sports, the Boston Celtics legend was arrested Oct. 7 by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers while he was on U.S. Highway 101 in Los Angeles. When officers found him in his Range Rover, they claim Pierce showed signs of alcohol impairment.
Pierce provided the officers with a blood test.
“At about 10:38 p.m. on Oct. 7, CHP officers responded to a multi-vehicle crash on northbound US-101, south of Lankershim Boulevard,” a spokesperson told People. “Officers closed four of six lanes to investigate the crash and began reopening them around 11:35 p.m. As traffic lanes reopened, officers saw a Range Rover SUV stopped in traffic lanes south of the crash scene.
“When officers approached, they found the driver, later identified as Paul Pierce, asleep at the wheel.”
Two days after the incident, Pierce offered his version on Threads.
“Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep 🤦🏾♂️ I took this picture that night because I never been in stand still traffic for this long. I’m old, I’m tired, and I fell asleep 🤷🏾♂️I’m good y’all thanks for the love.”
Pierce was infamously fired from his analyst job at ESPN in 2021 after he was seen on Instagram Live partying with strippers while playing poker with friends.
Two years later, while appearing on a podcast,I Am Athlete, he still felt he should not have been let go.
“I got fired for having some entertainment,” Pierce said. “I’m playing cards. It’s my boy’s birthday. It’s girls dancing, and we’re blowing some trees. I mean, what did I do wrong?”
