MTA Employee Suspended After Moonlighting As College Professor For Years While On The Clock
The employee was placed on a 30-day suspension upon the reveal of her unapproved second job.
New York City’s Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) has fired a computer specialist after discovering she worked as an adjunct professor for years while on the clock.
The agency’s watchdog confirmed that the unidentified employee spent her hours teaching instead of performing her duties assigned at work. A complaint from a coworker about her suspicious behavior sparked an investigation into how she spent her shifts. The probe was launched in October 2022 by MTA Inspector General Daniel Cort’s office.
“For years, this employee had free rein to teach college classes during her workday without permission due to an alarming lack of supervision,” explained Cort, as reported by NewsDay. “All of the employees involved breached the public trust, and I commend the MTA for holding them accountable.”
Amid the investigation, the employee served a 30-day suspension beginning on June 25. The probe found that she had worked at a local college since Spring 2020. However, she did not have the approval from management to do so.
The employee finessed out of her shifts by not swiping out of the timekeeping system during her lunch breaks. Not only did she use work hours to teach her courses, but she also used her MTA-issued laptop to fulfill her professor duties.
Moreover, investigators confirmed reports by the whistleblower that the MTA employee received overtime pay while on vacation. However, the employee’s role did not grant remote work. Despite this, her supervisors allowed her to telework due to a lack of personnel able to complete her duties in person.
Upon the investigators’ findings, two of her supervisors, the Deputy Chief Officers of Technology and Information, respectively, were also fired in April for not noticing the breach in work responsibilities. Her other supervisor, who oversees timekeeping and payroll, received a written warning.
It remains unclear if the MTA will also terminate the employee or if she will still work as a professor.
Jay-Z To Gain Ownership Of ‘Reasonable Doubt’ Masters In 2031
The news comes as a disheartening warning to potential buyers at the auction.
Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter has made a legal claim to owning the masters of his Reasonable Doubt album amid Damon Dash’s Roc-A-Fella Records stake buyout drama.
The news comes as a disheartening warning to potential buyers at the auction, especially as the album is the label’s most valuable asset. Those who choose to proceed with bidding anyway would only reap the benefits of owning a third of the 1996 LP until 2031. By that point, the entire master recordings will go to Carter, as well as subsequent checks.
Despite the short-term earnings, bidders aiming to acquire the co-founder’s stake must cough up at least $1.2 million, the minimum bid in the auction.
TMZ broke the story in early August, revealing that Dash’s successor would own only a portion of Roc-A-Fella. As the new minority owner, the purchaser would have little influence over the company’s future operations.
Dash lost his stake in the record label earlier this year after losing an over $800,000 lawsuit by film director Josh Webber. Webber took legal action against Dash in 2022 for copyright infringement and defamation. To cover the payout designated in the civil judgment, Dash’s stake in Roc-A-Fella will be forfeited.
As for Reasonable Doubt, Jay-Z would have always been granted ownership of his album’s master recordings 35 years after its release. However, Dash did propose his selling of the album before, even as a shut-down NFT. In 2022, an agreement between Dash and Roc-A-Fella confirmed that the co-founder did not have “direct ownership interest” of the album. However, the revenue he earns could be transferred, alongside his stake in the label.
The actual sale must now be conducted through the U.S. Marshal. The public auction will take place Aug. 29 in Manhattan.
Senegal Issues Ultimatum To Akon’s African Metropolis: Start Building Or Lose Majority Of Land
Senegalese lawmakers have called out 'Akon City' for its lackluster progress.
Akon’s multi-billion dollar quest to build a metropolis in Senegal faces a new ultimatum. The Senegalese government has threatened to take away the land designated for the project if the singer does not start construction.
The artist announced the establishment of “Akon City” in 2020. However, the lack of substantial progress on its creation has the Senegalese government applying pressure. Their government initially granted 136 acres of rural land along the Atlantic coastline for construction.
The project sought to boast eco-friendly innovation and technology, similar to that of Wakanda, the fictional, advanced African nation of Marvel’s Black Panther. The plans included housing complexes, a university, and amusement parks to boost the country’s tourism and economy. Moreover, the area, located south of Senegal’s major city of Dakar, would run on solar power and Akoin, a crypto-currency named after the singer.
Much like the coin, the city has also fallen into decline. Currently, only one concrete block stands, with the rest of the land still utilized for livestock purposes. Considering the plan launched four years ago, the Senegalese government is getting restless.
The notice was given by Sapco-Senegal, the government agency that oversees its tourism and coastal areas. According to the statement obtained byBloomberg, Akon will lose 90% of the land bestowed to him if advancements on the project are not made.
Moreover, the development aimed to be a 10-year project, with a hospital and condos supposed to be completed last year. However, Akon’s consecutive missed payments to Sapco-Senegal have led to the ultimatum.
Lawmakers have also called out “Akon City” for its lackluster progress. “Akon City is a scandal,” said legislator Bara Gaye in February 2023. “What is the government waiting for to end his contract?”
However, Akon remains adamant that he will break ground on his city. He intends to return to Dakar to reassure the government of his plans, which include geotechnical studies and clearing of brush surrounding the area.
Black-Owned Group Buys Remaining Oakland Athletics Coliseum Stake For $125M
African American Sports And Entertainment Group now owns the Oakland Coliseum.
On their way out of town, the soon-to-be former Oakland Athletics MLB franchise have agreed to sell its stake in the Oakland Coliseum to a Black-owned development group for $125 million.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the group, the African American Sports and Entertainment Group, already owned the other half of the arena due to a deal it made in May with the City of Oakland to purchase the controlling interest in the Oakland Coliseum for $105 million.
According to the group’s managing member, Ray Bobbitt, the group is still in the general planning stage, but plans for the arena to remain at its present location and continue to host profitable events at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum and Oakland Arena. The group was founded in 2020, established to “create a path for enhanced economic equity” for Oakland’s Black residents and its website promises to create a “thriving sports, entertainment, educational and business district” on the property.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement with the African American Sports & Entertainment Group regarding our portion of the Coliseum site,” Oakland Athletics President Dave Kaval said in a statement, according to SFist. “AASEG has a community-oriented vision for the long-term development of the site and will be strong stewards of the property. Their leadership and development provide substantial opportunities and benefits for East Oakland and the broader Oakland community.”
Oakland’s Mayor Sheng Thao also released a statement indicating her belief that the group’s ownership of the site is a positive development.
“This is another incredibly exciting day,” Thao said. “When we agreed on our terms with AASEG for the City’s half of the Coliseum site, we knew this was right around the corner. Having one entity control the entire Coliseum site will fast track much-needed and deeply deserved development in East Oakland.”
Black War Of 1812 Soldier Finally Recognized As Veteran—152 Years After His Death
Samuel A. Neale served in the Maryland State Militia during the War of 1812.
Samuel A. Neale, a Black man who served in the Maryland State Militia during the War of 1812, was posthumously recognized as a veteran of the United States Armed Forces, ending a campaign started by a local historian to get Neale the headstone entitled to him.
According to TheBaltimore Sun, Louis Giles, a former NSA official and amateur historian of the War of 1812, started to take up Neale’s case with the Veterans Affairs office in 2022. According to Giles’ research, under the regulations of the Maryland militia, Black soldiers were to receive military titles no matter what their duties were. Withholding this, he argued, was tantamount to further entrenching the racism of the time in which Neale served.
In July, Giles told the Sun his reasoning for pursuing the change. “Is a person in the VA discriminating against Blacks? I can’t say that. But whether they recognize it or not, if their policies are what they’ve told us, that’s certainly effective discrimination.”
Despite Giles’ claims and research showing that Neale was granted a military pension by the Maryland legislature in 1870, the VA continually denied his appeals to grant Neale his due status. As a last ditch effort, Giles applied for and was granted an audience with the VA’s court of appeals where his case was heard by Anthony Scire Jr., one of the VA’s appeals court judges in June.
Scire then ruled on July 25 that Neale was an American soldier in good standing and was thus entitled to a free headstone.
Scire’s ruling applied the understanding that state militia units were essentially akin to today’s National Guard and as such, Neale was effectively acting in service of the United States Armed Forces when he joined the fight.
“Mr. Neale was a member of a federalized unit which was being commanded by a lawfully appointed officer; wore a military uniform; carried arms openly; and operated within the laws and customs of war at the time,” Scire wrote in his ruling.
Scire continued, “Furthermore, extracts from official Maryland state files indicate that the Maryland State Legislature had recognized Mr. Neale as a Veteran for pension purposes based on his military service. Therefore, Mr. Neale is a Veteran, for VA purposes, based on his honorable active-duty wartime service with the United States Army during the War of 1812.”
Giles, however, had already secured the free headstone from a stone mason in Frederick, Maryland, which was installed in a private ceremony at St. John’s Cemetery on July 26. However, Giles’ contention was never actually about the headstone.
“I always believed that if I had the opportunity to appear before an impartial judge, the decision would support my views,” he told the Sun. “To me, this should have been a slam dunk from the beginning. Not only did we have the muster roll, but supporting evidence far beyond what I have normally seen in 1812-era cases. I felt that the law clearly supported the judge’s decision.”
Concerns Mount After Jackson State Professor Is Placed On Leave
Tenured psychology professor Dawn McLin was placed on administrative leave pending termination for allegedly abusing the power of her position.
After Jackson State University faculty Senate president and tenured psychology professor Dawn McLin was placed on administrative leave pending termination for allegedly abusing her position’s power, it created an atmosphere of fear among her colleagues.
According to the Mississippi Free Press, McLin has had to perform the duties of her position at a time of great friction between faculty and school administration. This tension has resulted in multiple votes of no confidence from the faculty Senate directed at the current and former administrations of the HBCU.
Although the faculty members the paper spoke to at an Oct. 8 meeting called to support McLin are unsure of why she was placed on leave, they believe how the university is treating her is highly irregular, particularly because, as a tenured professor, she is owed more due process than they believe she has received from JSU administration.
According to faculty Senate executive committee members, McLin was not issued a written warning before her suspension and has been accused of harassment, malfeasance, and insubordination. Per the American Association of University Professors, a professional group that acts as a union of sorts for university professors, the treatment of McLin is exceedingly rare; it only happens at the most once or twice every few years.
Anita Levy, a program officer for the AAUP, wrote in a statement to the paper via email that the actions of the university appear to be retaliatory, “Such actions are generally taken in retaliation for criticisms of the administration the faculty members may have offered in the performance of their faculty leadership duties.”
Although McLin is owed a hearing in front of a faculty panel, members of the faculty the Free Press spoke to indicated that Marcus Thompson, JSU’s president, could still terminate her regardless of the panel’s recommendation. Faculty also shared with the outlet that they believe if McLin can be placed on leave with no prior warning, any one of them could be as well.
Neither McLin nor university officials spoke to the Free Press before it ran its story. McLin could not speak at the Zoom meeting because, according to a member of the Senate executive committee, she had already been “removed from the university altogether.”
Although the call was initially supposed to be a general assembly meeting to help the faculty prepare for the upcoming fall semester, the presence of Onetta Whitley, Thompson’s general counsel, and Van Gillespie, Thompson’s chief of staff, unnerved some at the meeting. This is because a meeting of the full Senate is typically not attended by anyone from the president’s office unless they are there at the request of the Senate.
At one point, Whitley spoke and explained why she believed the president’s office did not receive an invitation to the meeting.
“We know the faculty senate has recently undergone some changes and that may explain why we did not receive such an invitation.”
Whitley continued, “I wanted to say to the faculty senate how much we are looking forward to working with you all. We hope to be in a position to foster, really, a better working relationship than in 2024, a more collaborative, collegial relationship than what I understand has existed between the administration and the faculty senate in the past.”
In addition, Whitley’s remarks during the meeting in which she called for a more collegial relationship between the president and the Senate also confused some meeting attendees because they believed their relationship was already collegial. One Senate executive committee member also noted that the lack of a relationship exists because Thompson doesn’t directly communicate with the Senate himself, telling the Free Press, “He doesn’t have any communication with us.”
One member on the call questioned how the administration approached the entire process despite the faculty advising a cautious approach out of fear of facing the consequences for standing up for McLin.
“We love JSU as much as they do,” the faculty member said. “The question we have to ask is this the best way to address the issue of faculty? Is this the best way to address the needs of students? Is this the best way to address the community?”
They concluded, “(Jackson State) does not belong to one person or two persons. It belongs to all of us.”
Beyoncé Saddles Up For A Good Cause: BeyGood Donates $500K To Support Black Cowboys
The money will go toward the newly-created Black Equestrians program and other organizations dedicated to uplifting Black cowboy culture.
Beyoncé continues to do good with her BeyGood charity. Most recently, the country-struck singer gifted $500K in grants to Black cowboys at the annual Bill Picket Rodeo circuit.
In partnership with the longest-running Black rodeo association, the half-a-million check will support the newly-created Black Equestrians Program. The initiative supports Black horse riders and ranchers, as well as the culture they have sustained; all amplified through the singer’s “Cowboy Carter” era.
According to USA Today, BeyGood announced its philanthropic gift at the rodeo’s Atlanta event on Aug. 3. The singer’s charitable arm also bestowed $25,000 grants to four different organizations, including SC Black Farmers and The Black Cultural Enlightenment Society/Black Cowboy Festival.
For these organizations, encouraging Black youth to learn about farming, agriculture, and horse riding remains pivotal to their missions. With BeyGood providing new financial support, their programming can reach new heights while continuing to uplift Black cowboy culture.
Beyoncé’s reclamation of her country roots and Black people’s place in country music has taken center stage with her new album. Since the release of “Cowboy Carter” on March 29, the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer has revitalized a movement for Black people to celebrate their American heritage.
More recently, the singer donned her red, white, and blue cowboy hat in a new commercial for Team USA’s participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics. With a matching “USA” leotard, the singer is all about uplifting her community and country.
BeyGood also supports Black entrepreneurship in many avenues, including those personally attached to the Grammy winner’s background. To celebrate the release of her haircare line, Cécred, Beyoncé also distributed grants to Black-owned hair salons. Furthermore, she championed the education of Black hair stylists through scholarships to cosmetology students.
Moreover, BeyGood remains committed to helping Black entrepreneurs and business owners, as well as providing disaster relief to diverse communities. More information on how Beyoncé gives back can be found on BeyGood’s website.
Jaylen Brown And Jason Kidd Unveil Oakland Program Aimed To Bridge Racial Wealth Gap
The new Oakland site is part of their The Xchange initiative to create wealth in historically marginalized communities.
As part of a national initiative launched by NBA star Jaylen Brown and NBA legend Jason Kidd to invest and create wealth in underserved communities, the pair announced their Xchange initiative, a partnership with Oakstop, an Oakland-based community anchor organization.
According to a press release, the initiative aims to create $5 billion in net worth for historically marginalized communities. With the addition of The Oakland Xchange, The Xchange now has two chapters; the other is in Boston.
According to Brown, the goal is to create a shared network that can produce lasting change. “True systemic change requires collaboration, shared vision, and collective impact. By working with community partners, thought leaders, and cultural influencers, our goal is to cultivate a powerful network of support and innovation.”
Kidd, meanwhile, emphasized the true scope of the racial wealth gap. “The racial wealth gap is not limited to Boston— it’s a national issue, affecting Oakland and cities throughout the country, revealing how some groups are better positioned to make critical investments in their futures that benefit their families and communities,” he said in the press release.
Trevor Parham, the founder of Oakstop, described his company’s cohesion with The Xchange’s stated goals, saying in a statement: “Place-based strategies are important for unifying and revitalizing underserved communities. Our lived experiences inform market insights and social solutions that help foster sustainable economic development. I’m proud of Oakstop’s track record for community-led social impact and our synergy with the Boston XChange.”
According to the press release, The Xchange will use four of Oakstop’s buildings as well as its connected network of partner associations. As it did in Boston, The Xchange will use well-known universities to build out business education programs for its participants. The educational partners for The Oakland Xchange will include Cal Berkeley’s Hass School of Business and Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business.
Parham told ABC 7 that knowing that the organization will remain in the community brings peace. “What they can fund is the acquisition of real estate assets, which brings the cost of space down significantly by owning those assets. Also allows us to invest in those spaces knowing they will be in the community in perpetuity.”
Brown also recognized the importance of tapping existing structures in the community, telling the outlet, “It’s not about starting anything new. I think there are a lot of great things that are already going on in Oakland. Rich history, tradition, entrepreneurship, so it is not like I got to come here and start something that ain’t been done already.”
Black History Museum And Cultural Center Of Virginia Designated As A Historic Site
The BHMVA is one of seven new spaces to earn the designation so far this year.
The Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia has been added to the list of historic sites by the National Park Service for its importance in illustrating the history of America’s civil rights.
According to the definition created by the Congress-conceived African American Civil Rights Network, historic sites are spots that tell the history of the civil rights movement and highlight the enriching sacrifices and activism of those who participated in it. The Richmond-located museum was included in the classification along with seven other sites this spring, VPM reports.
The Black History Museum’s Executive Director, Shakia Gullette Warren, called the new designation a high honor.
She told VPM, “It means a great deal to the BHMVA as we endeavor each day to tell the stories of African Americans here in the Commonwealth, and it also gives us an opportunity to expand what the Civil Rights movement means here in Virginia.”
Gullette Warren continued to affirm that the BHMVA fit the federal government’s requirements for the recognition, and it was a “no-brainer” for the museum to join the network. The BHMVA has a similar mission to “preserve, collect, and interpret African American history across the commonwealth.”
“We get to expand that narrative, and we get to let people know that Virginia has always had a place in Brown v. Board and the civil rights movement.”
BHMVA was founded in 1981 by Carroll Anderson Sr. The original building was located on Clay Street in Jackson Ward, but in 2016, the museum moved from that space to the historic Leigh Street neighborhood.
The BHMVA building is not only a museum designed by Black craftsmen but also rich with other forms of history. It was an armory for Virginia’s Black soldiers, and years later, it operated as the Monroe School for African American children and a community recreational space.
The building has since been renovated to suit a museum space; it now includes rotating and permanent exhibits that discuss history from emancipation to the civil rights movement.
The most recent endeavor for the BHMVA includes completely digitizing the museum’s extensive collection to allow the location to become a center for scholarly research.
In September, the Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia (BHMVA) will debut a featured exhibition, “A Prescription for Change: Black Voices Shaping Healthcare in Virginia.” This exhibition celebrates the achievements of Black medical professionals and sheds light on the healthcare disparities faced by the Black community. The exhibition will be accompanied by guest lectures, health screenings, youth programs, and information sessions, according to RVA Hub.
Martin Luther King Jr.’s Daughter Claps Back At Donald Trump For Comparing Himself To Her Father
Bernice King called out the former President for claiming he drew bigger crowds than Martin Luther King Jr.'s historic "I Have A Dream" speech.
Bernice King, the daughter of the late civil rights activist Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., dragged former President Donald Trump for comparing his rallies to her father’s historic “I Have A Dream” speech.
During an Aug. 8 press conference at his Mar-a-Lago resort, Trump compared the size of his Jan. 6, 2021, rally crowds to the crowd that came out to Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech.
Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” Speech was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Aug. 28, 1963, during the civil rights movement’s March on Washington. In a call for equality, 100 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, King gave voice to the defining ideals of the civil rights movement and was later a galvanizing agent for monumental legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act the following year.
For Trump, his Jan. 6 speech was just as important and had just as many–if not more–attendees. Trump said, “Nobody’s spoken to crowds bigger than me. If you look at Martin Luther King, when he did his speech, his great speech. And you look at ours, same real estate, same everything, same number of people. If not, we had more.”
He continued, “Look at it, and you look at the picture of his crowd, my crowd, we actually had more people.”
However, this is not the case. The Root reports that Dr. King’s speech brought out nearly 250,000 people, but Trump’s popular “Stop the Steal” speech after losing the 2020 presidential election had 53,000 people in attendance.
Trump’s inaccurate comments stirred up social media, prompting King’s daughter, 61-year-old lawyer Bernice King, to address Trump’s claims.
She wrote on X, “Absolutely not true. I really wish that people would stop using my father to support fallacy.”
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People also responded to Trump’s claims about his supporters. On social media, the NAACP posted a photo of the 1963 crowd at the “I Have A Dream” speech side-by-side to the crowd at Trump’s speech. The post was captioned, “Donald Trump just said that he had a bigger crowd on January 6 than Dr. Martin Luther King did when he delivered ‘I Have A Dream.’ …Not only is that completely false, but here’s what is more important: MLK’s speech was about democracy. Trump’s was about tearing it down.”
Donald Trump just said that he had a bigger crowd on January 6 than Dr. Martin Luther King did when he delivered “I Have A Dream.”
…Not only is that completely false, but here’s what is more important: MLK’s speech was about democracy. Trump’s was about tearing it down. pic.twitter.com/cyjmztKy1Y
