Shaquille O’Neal, Shaq, Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 12, 2024

Shaquille O’Neal To Receive ‘Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Of The Year’ Award

Shaq is the 11th recepient of the award

The Muhammad Ali Center will bestow NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal with the organization’s highest honor in November when he is named the 2024 Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year.

The Louisville, Kentucky-based organization is handing Shaq the 11th annual Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, which will take place on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Philanthropically, Shaquille O’Neal has raised millions of dollars for charity. He is a national spokesperson for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and his relationship dates back to his youth in New Jersey. He is also a National Board of Directors for Communities in Schools member. In 2019, Shaquille established The Shaquille O’Neal Foundation, which creates pathways for underserved youth to help them achieve their full potential. The Foundation works to instill hope and bring about change in communities, collectively shaping a brighter future for our children,” according to the Muhammad Ali Center.

The Inside the NBA commentator will join other individuals who will be honored that night, including Grammy-Award-winning music producer Niles Rodgers, who will be receiving the Global Citizenship Award; public interest attorney Bryan Stevenson, who will take home the Lifetime Achievement honors, and award-winning journalist, Dawne Gee, who will be honored as Kentucky Humanitarian.

The honors are labeled the Seasoned Awards, which honor people who have dedicated “a significant portion of their lives to humanitarianism.” The Muhammad Ali Center will also present the Six Core Principles Awards, which are given to young adults 30 years of age or younger. The people being honored match one of Muhammad Ali’s Six Core Principles: Confidence, Conviction, Dedication, Giving, Respect, and Spirituality.

Those individuals are Deja Foxx, Sophia Kianni, Shah Chowdhury and Mohammad Yasir, Lianna Genovese, Richa Gupta, and Charlot Magayi.

The Muhammad Ali Center launched the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Awards (MAHA) in 2013. It was developed to honor and mirror the celebrated former heavyweight boxing champion’s lifelong humanitarianism and to celebrate a new generation of others who perform similar work for the communities.

Biden, Deportation, Undocumented Spouses
by Sharelle Burt

August 12, 2024

President Joe Biden Admits Pressure From Top Democrats Led Him To Drop Out Of The Race 

Such a brave admission....

President Joe Biden said it was the pressure from top Democratic colleagues that led him to drop out of the race to stay in the White House, Newsweek reported.

During his first interview after announcing he would no longer seek reelection, Biden told CBS News’ chief election and campaign correspondent, Robert Costa, that heightened pressure from Democrats in the House and the Senate prompted him to make the difficult decision to drop out. “The polls we had showed it was a neck-and-neck race, it would have been down to the wire,” the President said. 

“But what happened was a number of my Democratic colleagues in the House and the Senate thought that I was going to hurt them in the races. And I was concerned that if I stayed in the race, that would be the topic you’d be interviewing me about.

The President specifically name-dropped former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who, while on her book tour, has been opening up about how she feels about Biden passing the torch to Vice President and now presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris. “You’d be interviewing me about ‘why did Nancy Pelosi say, why did so’… .and I thought it would be a real distraction,” Biden continued. 

According to Fox News, Pelosi admits that she hasn’t spoken to Biden since the bombshell election switch-up. While denying that she pressured the President to stop his bid for reelection, Pelosi told reporters that she didn’t think Biden would win in November 2024. “Now I was really asking for a better campaign,” the first woman House speaker said. 

“We did not have a campaign that was on the path to victory. Members knew that in their districts.”

Prior to ending his campaign, Biden was standing firm on staying in the race. While making an appearance on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Pelosi said Democratic colleagues were encouraging the President to do what he feels is best. “It’s up to the president to decide if he is going to run,” she said. “We are all encouraging him to make that decision because time is running short.” 

Biden admitted that when he ran in 2020, his goal was to be a “transition president,” but things started to move faster than expected. “When I ran the first time, I thought of myself as being a transition president. I can’t even say how old I am. It’s hard for me to get out of my mouth,” he said. 

“But things got moving so quickly, it didn’t happen. And the combination was that I thought it was still a critical issue for me still, it’s not a joke, maintaining this democracy. Although it’s a great honor being president, I think I have an obligation to the country to do the most important thing I can do, and that is, we must defeat Trump.” 

While Biden has been making minimal appearances, he is scheduled to join his Vice President and her running mate, Minnesota governor Tim Walz, on the campaign trail. Biden thinks Harris made the right decision in selecting Walz, who he said is “my kind of guy,” and thinks the duo is “a hell of a team.”

RELATED CONTENT: Barack Obama Releases Statement After Joe Biden Ends Re-Election Bid

Microschool, student, classroom
by Daniel Johnson

August 12, 2024

100 Black Men Give Out School Supplies In Milwaukee

100 Black Men of Madison gave out school supplies to families in need at its annual Back to School Celebration On Aug. 10. The event was made possible through the group’s partnership with Milwaukee school districts and community groups.

According to Spectrum News, the group has held the event for almost 30 years. At the event in 2023, they were able to distribute school supplies to approximately 1,200 families, which the group expected would be the case this year as well.

According to J.R. Sims, a spokesperson for 100 Black Men, it is vital that children get supplies ahead of the beginning of the school year. 

“What we realize is that if students don’t have the proper supplies when they’re starting out the school year, they’re starting out at a disadvantage,” Sims told Spectrum News. “That disadvantage is going to show up in their performance.”

Sims continued, “The natural order of things has demonstrated that families are strapped to try and supply all of these goods and services by themselves. So, we just want to be here to help the community grow.”

The United Way of Tri-County agrees with Sims’ assessment of the disadvantage students who don’t have adequate school supplies face, writing in a blog post, “Students who start school with the supplies they need in the classroom and at home are more motivated, have higher self-esteem, and enjoy a better learning experience overall. Across a lifetime, this leads to higher rates of high school graduation, secondary education pursuits, and career success.”

One of the parents, Erika Walker, told the outlet that she was grateful for the assistance that 100 Black Men were providing her family.

“I’ve been unemployed for 14 months, so our family is struggling,” Walker told Spectrum News. “I actually ended up going to a store, put everything together in a cart, and it was close to $400 to $500,” she said. “And I’m like, I don’t have that type of money.”

Walker continued, “At least they won’t feel like, ‘Hey, everyone else has their backpack with their school supplies, and I’m the outsider where people are going to be looking at me, or students are going to be looking at me weird because I don’t have what I need. You need to look for the best, and obviously, the best thing for our children is to provide a better education, and having just the basics for them is what is needed to start the year well.”

RELATED CONTENT: Mother Goes Viral After Son’s Teacher Issues ‘Zero’ Grade Over School Supplies

Home Depot
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

August 12, 2024

Elderly Former Employee Sues Home Depot Over Alleged Four-Figure Fraudulent Transaction

An axed elderly Home Depot employee is suing the company for alleged age discrimination and wrongful termination.

A former Bay Area Home Depot employee sued the retail giant for age discrimination and wrongful termination after she was let go just days after ringing up $5,000 worth of fraudulent transactions.

Carleen Acevedo, 72, worked as a cashier for seven years at the San Ramon Home Depot before being let go in July 2023, ABC News 7 reported. According to her termination letter, Acevedo created “a security or loss prevention risk” for the store after ringing up four fraudulent transactions, which resulted in a more than $5,000 in loss for Home Depot.

The termination came four days after the cashier reportedly worked alone in the store’s Garden Center when a man approached her register with a card with written instructions on the back telling her to process the transaction as a cash sale. After processing a purchase totaling just over $1,300, Acevedo recalls the same man returning 30 minutes later demanding her to ring up three additional separate transactions as cash totaling more than $4,000.

“I just got a funny feeling about it, and the card was suspicious. It was very suspicious, but I went ahead and ran it,” Acevedo said. “And then I knew he was targeting me because I was alone.”

She claims to have tried calling her supervisor, the head cashier, but they didn’t respond. Acevedo says she was “scared” by the customer’s behavior during the exchange and feared for her life.

“He was demanding. He wanted the transaction done as fast as possible,” she recalled. “He got upset when I made the phone call to my manager.”

She kept duplicate copies of the receipts that she took to her manager. However, four days after the encounter, she was fired. The incident came three months after a Home Depot Loss Prevention Officer at a nearby location was shot and killed while trying to stop a theft attempt, a story Acevedo was familiar with.

Acevedo was reportedly a star employee at the store who won multiple awards for exceptional service, including Cashier of the Year in 2021. She recalls Home Depot offering annual computer-based training on what to do in the event of a shoplifting or active shooter.

“I was instructed not to do a thing. Do not approach, do not touch, do not try to dissuade, to interfere, just let them go,” she said.

Hence, her response to completing the fraud transaction, her lawsuit, states.

“She was doing everything she could. She asked for backup. She’s making copies of the receipt. You know she can’t risk her life for merchandise, and employees are explicitly taught not to risk their life for merchandise,” Acevedo’s attorney, Chambord Benton-Hayes, stated.

Elsewhere, the suit cites the timing of Acevedo’s termination, which came six months after she complained about the pay disparity between her and a teenage new hire making $21 an hour and her $20.17. After complaining, she received a $2 raise, but believes management was looking for a reason to terminate her after calling out what she cites as age discrimination.

Eventually, Acevedo was able to bounce back from the “devasting” experience and find new part-time work. But not without it taking a huge toll on her overall wellbeing.

“I lost so much. I lost my health care. My health declined as a result of that. I had difficulty finding work, and paying my rent was put into question,” she said.

Trump, Federal Judge, hacked
by Sharelle Burt

August 12, 2024

Trump Campaign Claims It Was Hacked, Intelligence Experts Warn Of Future Election Interruptions 

Should we be concerned?

The Trump campaign believes its email systems were hacked by Iran, resulting in intelligence experts warning of potential future election disruptions, The Washington Post reported. 

The announcement came on Aug. 10 after campaign officials said they received questions from news organizations regarding an internal vetting document on vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance that was sent to media outlets. The 271-page document, labeled “privileged & confidential,” came from an anonymous AOL user by the name of “Robert.” News outlet Politic was the first to say it had been receiving documents, including a vetting document on Vance, from a sender with the same name since Jul. 22. 

On Aug. 9, Trump’s campaign pointed to a report released by Microsoft as the tech company opened up about discovering evidence that Iranian hackers attempted to break into the email account of a “high-ranking official” on the U.S. presidential campaign trail in June 2024, corresponding with the time Vance was selected as Trump’s running mate.

According to CNN, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung released a statement regarding the report and said the Iranians plotted “to assassinate President Trump around the same time as the Butler, PA tragedy.” “The Iranians know that President Trump will stop their reign of terror just like he did in his first four years in the White House,” Cheung wrote. 

“Any media or news outlet reprinting documents or internal communications are doing the bidding of America’s enemies and doing exactly what they want.”

It is unclear if Iranians are the cause of the hack attempt, however, the security breach has heightened analysts and intelligence experts to sound the alarm on other potential efforts to disrupt the U.S. presidential election from foreign powers. 

Former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Chris Kreb, made a cryptic post on X, saying, “Buckle up” and reminisced on Russia interfering with the 2016 presidential election. “Someone is running the 2016 playbook, expect continued efforts to stoke fires in society and go after election systems – 95% votes on paper ballots is a strong resilience measure, combined with audits. But the chaos is the point….,” Kreb said. 

Trump once publicly encouraged Russia to hack into former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton’s private server and release her emails during the 2016 election season. He later claimed to have been joking.

Democratic House members, including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.), have called for briefings and for information related to the possible foreign election interference to be declassified. As a top serving Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee’s cybersecurity subcommittee, Swalwell called for a briefing from the Department of Homeland Security, on X. He said while Trump is “the most despicable person ever to seek office,” that doesn’t give America an excuse to tolerate election interference.

“I am seeking a @DHSgov briefing on the alleged hack of Trump’s presidential campaign. Yes, Trump is the most despicable person ever to seek office,” Swalwell wrote. 

“He also sought foreign hacking in a past election.  But that doesn’t mean America ever tolerates foreign interference.”

Once made aware of the breach, a spokesperson from the U.S National Security Council issued a statement condemning election disruptions. “As we have said many times, the Biden-Harris Administration strongly condemns any foreign government or entity who attempts to interfere in our electoral process or seeks to undermine confidence in our democratic institutions,” the spokesperson said.

RELATED CONTENT: It’s On! Kamala Harris And Donald Trump Finally Agree To Sept. 10 Presidential Debate

parole
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 12, 2024

Man Cops To Manslaughter Following Death Of 70-Year-Old White Man After Racist Incident

Anthony Collins pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will spend two and half years in a New Jersey state prison after accepting the plea agreement on June 10

A Black New Jersey man who struck a man on a bicycle after being called a racial slur that led to a head injury that the victim later died from has accepted a plea deal in the case.

According to Asbury Park Press, Anthony Collins pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will spend two and half years in a New Jersey state prison. Collins accepted the plea agreement on June 10 for the Sept. 18, 2023 encounter. The victim, Robert May, was 70 years old. The incident took place in Seaside Heights, where both men resided. After completing the sentence, Collins will be eligible for parole under the terms of a plea deal.

A statement from Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office said that the sentence is below the usual punishment for the crime Collins was charged with. Citing problems with proving the case, prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer also stated that May’s family understands the issues and gave their blessing for the imposed sentence.

“Certain proof problems in this case resulted in the State entering into a plea agreement with a recommended sentence below the normal sentencing range for manslaughter. The victim’s family recognizes and understands those issues and supports this resolution. I commend them for their compassionate and forgiving nature,” Billhimer said in a written statement.

The prosecution stated that at around 4:00 p.m. on Sept. 18, 2023, May was reported as a victim of a fall to the Seaside Heights Police Department. Police officers discovered May lying on the ground next to his bicycle. He was bleeding from a cut on his head. He was treated at the scene but refused further medical assistance and left to return home.

Police officers later found out that he was struck in the head by someone. They found out that it was Collins who hit May on that day.

About an hour later, police were informed that May had been acting erratically and had been taken to Community Medical Center in Toms River. His condition worsened, and he was transferred to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick. May died from his injuries on Oct. 1. The Ocean County Medical Examiner’s Office stated the cause of death was blunt force injury resulting from the assault that occurred on Sept. 18 and listed the death as a homicide.

On Oct. 4, a warrant was issued for Collins’ arrest, and on Oct. 15, Collins surrendered at Seaside Heights Police Department Headquarters.

RELATED CONTENT: Darryl George Loses Racial Discrimination Case While Judge Allows Sex Discrimination Claim To Carry On

Tim Walz, George Floyd, Harris, Minnesota, national guard, riots, governor, Derek Chauvin,
by Sharelle Burt

August 12, 2024

George Floyd’s Family Come Out In Support Of Tim Walz For VP Despite Backlash Over 2020 Riots

The endorsements just keep pouring in....

George Floyd’s ex-girlfriend and mother of his daughter, Gianna Floyd, is supporting Democratic Vice President nominee, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, despite the backlash he’s facing over the riots following the police filling of George Floyd, TMZ reports.

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin killed Floyd after kneeling on his neck for more than eight minutes on May 25, 2020. Outrage led to Black Lives Matter movement protests, with some gatherings escalating into rioting, which prompted former President Donald Trump to apply pressure for Walz to deploy federal forces to the city. However, as a 24-year Army National Guard veteran, Walz said sending the National Guard to the city would be an “abject failure.”

Roxie Washington isn’t buying into the sudden scrutiny of Walz over the rioting four years ago because she doesn’t understand what people expected him to do. She feels if anyone should be blamed for the protests getting out of hand, it should be Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey. Washington believes it was Frey’s responsibility to protect the city. When riots erupted just three miles from where Floyd was killed, Washington believes Frey could have done more to address the unrest.

Since the governor was announced as the vice presidential pick, his decision from 2020 is again facing backlash. However, Washington thinks there are other things Walz has done that should be highlighted and celebrated, including the support of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

Other members of Floyd’s family share similar sentiments; according to NBC News, his brother, Philonise Floyd, also believes Harris made the right choice in Walz and credits Walz’s compassion and dedication to police reform, making him worthy of a chance at being the next vice president of the United States. “He’s built for this,” Floyd said. 

“He’s built for this fight that he’s going to go through and I think he can do it.”

His endorsement of Walz comes just one week after his selection as a vice presidential running mate. However, Floyd says he has been a fan of Walz for quite some time. He believes Walz’s decision to appoint state Attorney General Keith Ellison helped lead to Chauvin’s prosecution. The 43-year-old called the move a “justice-defining moment that ultimately led to convictions against all four officers involved.” “At first, he was just a regular governor, just looking like a politician. Then, he stood up and he put Keith Ellison in place as the prosecutor, and that showed a lot of people he was not playing. He was serious,” Floyd said.

“If it wasn’t for Gov. Walz, we would not be able to walk around and say that we got some accountability.”

He also put the spotlight on how Walz supported the family of Daunte Wright, who was also killed at the hands of a Minnesota police officer, saying, “I can’t say anything bad about him.”

As the city of Chicago prepares for the first day of the Democratic National Convention on Aug. 19, Floyd says he is ready to assist in any way possible for the Harris-Walz team to secure the White House. “I would jump in on anything concerning what’s going on with them,” he said.

RELATED CONTENT: VP Kamala Harris Partners With Tim Walz As Her Presidential Running Mate

Hip-Hop, Cookie Shop
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 12, 2024

‘The Cookie Lady’ Closes Up Shop Despite Fame From ‘Real Housewives Of Atlanta’

The Cookie Lady was a prominent feature during season 12 of the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

“A Haute Cookie” has officially cooled down. The bakeshop’s owner, known as the “Cookie Lady” on The Real Housewives of Atlanta, announced its closure in the city.

The “Cookie Lady,” whose real name is Shiana White, took to social media to share the bad batch of news.

“Would like to let everyone know that, as of today, A Haute Cookie is officially closed here in Atlanta. You will not be able to order. We’re putting everything on pause to be continued, but as of now, Atlanta has played its course,” explained White. “Super duper grateful for you all, the people, corporations, businesses, movie sets. All the love you guys have shown me since Day One. ”

As for her claim to fame on reality television, the “Cookie Lady” first appeared in season 12 of The Real Housewives of Atlanta. Former cast member Kenya Moore introduced White to the show, as White’s bakery was next to an additional cast member, Cynthia Bailey’s wine cellar.

However, White’s presence on the show was not always sweet. According to The Jasmine Brand, White became entangled in drama surrounding another friend of the cast, Tanya Sams. White accused Sam’s partner of flirting with her while out at a nightclub. The confrontation of “The Cookie Lady” became a plot-point of the season.

While White remains ingrained in reality show history as “The Cookie Lady,” her business that inspired the nickname is no longer in operation. Despite this, the business owner who brought luxury baked goods to Atlanta has “other places to go,” meaning that her time spreading dough may not be over yet.

White added, “Thank you so much for making this a beautiful situation for me and my family. However, doors do close. People move on, I’ve got other places to go in life. But I so appreciate this journey, its been so beautiful.”

RELATED CONTENT: Black-Owned Bakery in Ohio Forced to Close After Racially Motivated Threats

Ayesha Curry, Draymond Green
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 12, 2024

Ayesha Curry, Draymond Green Get Caught In Confrontation With Paris Police

Curry was seen wiping away tears as Green and her mother-in-law dealt with the police officers.

Ayesha Curry and Draymond Green recently got involved in an altercation with the Paris police. Both were in the city as Curry’s husband, Stephen, led Team USA to Olympic Gold in Men’s basketball.

Green, a long-time teammate of Steph Curry, tried leaving with Ayesha and her mother-in-law, Sonya, from an undisclosed location in Paris. In the footage posted to YouTube by the Hollywood Fix, Curry began to tear up as the police refused to let her and her young children return to their car.

The video showed Sonya and Green trying to reason with the officers. Curry remained surrounded by the police while she carried her newborn child, 3-month-old Caius. Her 6-year-old son, Canon, stood beside her, wearing an American flag. All attended the Olympic Men’s Basketball Final on Aug. 10, where the USA beat France for the gold medal in Paris.

“C’mon, Ayesha,” stated the Curry matriarch to the mother of four.

She also urged the police to “Stop saying ‘madam.'”

“How about help us? How about that,” Sonya questioned the officers.

However, as the group tried to exit, the police continued preventing them. Despite explaining where their vehicle was, the officers refused to let them proceed. According to a man translating for their group, the police stated that restrictions were in place as the French President was also exiting the event.

“Look, they won’t let us go back to where we came from,” continued Sonya. “They won’t let the driver come here, and they won’t let us go back over there.”

Amid the confrontation, Curry wiped away tears as another party member spoke with her. The translator explained the officer’s apologies for the delay and the baby being hit. Green, however, continued to press the officers about why they refused to let them through.

“So even after hitting the baby in the head, there’s still nothing y’all can do to get them to get out of here?” Green inquired.

The video stopped abruptly and did not show the alleged assault on the child. However, many X users called out anti-Blackness and policing issues as global, even if you are a celebrity.

“Ayesha Curry was seen tearing up and being harassed in Paris by the police after the Olympics along with Steph Curry’s mother, Sonya,” wrote AJR, whose bio states they are a journalist. “Paris is full of racism!”

Another X user chimed in. She referred to the alleged racism felt by Kelly Rowland at the Cannes Film Festival as an additional instance of racism in France.

The commenter stated, “After seeing what happened on the Cannes red carpet and these games, the racism in France is undeniable.”

Despite the media frenzy, the Currys have yet to release a statement about the ordeal.

Towanda Braxton, Bald, Alopecia
by Stacy Jackson

August 12, 2024

Towanda Braxton Wears Her Alopecia Loud And Proud: ‘Being Bald Is Amazing’

The new season of "The Braxtons" will feature never-before-seen footage of her alopecia and an exclusive look at her hair patches.

Alopecia is no setback for actress Towanda Braxton, who has been publicly sharing her hair journey in hopes of inspiring others who suffer from the condition.

The 50-year-old television personality opened up about her diagnosis during the Aug. 8 premiere of The Braxtons at the West Cultural Arts Center. “I have alopecia, and I’m just wearing it loud and proud,” Towanda told People about the diagnosis she discovered through doctors. Alopecia, which Pfizer stated disproportionately affects Black people more than their white counterparts, is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss in patches or larger areas of the scalp or body.

Finding out about her alopecia diagnosis from her doctors was a relief for the reality star. “…I was like, ‘Okay, I hate being right about that, but I was right about that,’ you know?” she said, noting there are many types of alopecia that individuals experience due to the immune system’s attack of the hair follicles. The Envision star shared some advice saying: “Find out which one you have. So just in case you have children, they’ll know how to treat it.”

A 2023 report by the American Academy of Dermatology Association revealed that nearly 15% of Black women are affected by hair loss in the center or crown of the scalp, known as central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA). According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, Black women are prone to traction alopecia, a type of hair loss caused by heat, chemicals, and several hairstyles like braids, weaves, and dreadlocks that may tightly pull at the root of the hair and cause tension. Dermatologist Crystal Aguh, who specializes in hair loss, suggests looser protective styles and removing extensions after a certain period of time.

For Towanda, who currently flaunts a clean-shaved head, “being bald is amazing.” However, she confirmed in a recent interview with V-103 Atlanta that she initially shaved her head in solidarity when her late sister Traci Braxton, who died in 2022, got sick. “I cut it then, and then the entire journey, I didn’t have any hair, but y’all didn’t know I didn’t have any hair,” she said.

Sitting beside her sister Trina Braxton, Towanda revealed that fans will have the opportunity to witness exclusive footage of her hair patches as she shares moments of her alopecia journey on the new season of The Braxtons, which airs on Aug. 9 at 9:30 p.m., on We TV.

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