Vice President Kamala Harris, Tim Walz, white dudes for Kamala, ad

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

Vice President Kamala Harris Has made her choice.


Vice President Kamala Harris has chosen Tim Walz as her running mate as she continues on the campaign trail to become the first Black female President of the United States, according to Associate Press sources.

Walz is the currently serving his second term as Governor of Minnesota. According to the Minnesota government’s official website, Walz’s resume is filled with service to our nation.

“24 years in the Army National Guard, Command Sergeant Major Walz retired from the 1-125th Field Artillery Battalion in 2005. Tim won his first election to the United States House of Representatives in 2006 and was re-elected for another five terms serving Minnesota’s First Congressional District in Southern Minnesota.”

Social media users have been vocal about their preferred choices for vice president. While some were in favor of Josh Shapiro. Many have taken to Walz, noting his lengthy service, agreeable demeanor, and support for women’s rights.

TWEET

President Joe Biden shocked the nation when he took himself out of the running for this year’s presidential race and nominated Vice President Kamala Harris in his stead. Harris stepped up and by the morning after the announcement, grass roots organizations nationwide had raised millions in support of her candidacy. Since then, Harris has been running what some would describe as a whirlwind campaign as the democratic nominee for the 2024 presidential race.

According to The Philadelphia Inquirer, Harris and Walz will rally together for the first time at Temple University’s Liacouras Center in Philadelphia today. This stop is the first in a series of campaign rallies in a series of battleground states.

“Harris will visit five states that she and Biden flipped blue in 2020: Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan, Georgia and Arizona. She will also make stops in North Carolina, which Biden lost by a slim margin, and Nevada, where Democrats won narrowly,” NBC reported.

Harris and Walz have fourteen days from the time of their announcement until they appear before the Democratic National Convention Aug. 19-22.

RELATED CONTENT: Kamala Harris Secures Democratic Nomination With Required Votes

Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles Gave His Definition Of A World Champ, Then Became One

Noah Lyles took home three gold medals at the World Championships and shared some critique for NBA players who consider themselves his equal.


Originally Published Aug. 8, 2023

Noah Lyles ran tight winning race at the Stade de France for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Still, Lyles managed to take home the gold for Team USA. The self proclaimed “world fastest man” won the race by being 0.005 of a second faster than his competitors.

Lyles is no stranger to being a fierce competitor. When speaking of his “fastest man” title he told ESPN, “Everybody knows that the title goes to the Olympic champion, and the world champion,” Lyles said last week. “Which, I am one of … and soon to be another one of.”

While his win should create pride in the hearts of many, some still can’t get over Lyles’ self aggrandizing at the expense of other athletes.

The sprinter spoke on the NBA world Championship in 2023. He questioned the accuracy of the “World Champions” title when the league finals is a national competition. BLACK ENTERPRISE covered the controversy surrounding Lyles‘ comments at the time.

According to Sports Illustrated, the six-time world champion pointed out that players in the league only compete in the United States and Canada. However, they refer to themselves as “world champions” when they successfully win the Larry O’Brien trophy. “You know what hurts me the most is that I have to watch the NBA Finals and they have ‘world champion’ on their head. World champion of what? The United States?” said Lyles. His comments made their way to NBA superstars like Phoenix Suns teammates Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and Portland Trailblazers leader Damian Lillard.

“Somebody help this brother,” wrote Durant, while Booker chimed in with a face-palm emoji of his own. “Whatever… I’m smoking buddy in the 200m,” wrote the current reigning NBA Champion Denver Nuggets power forward Aaron Gordon. In recent years, the NBA has amassed a large international player presence and has launched several global initiatives to bring the game of basketball to other countries and continents. Mexican-American player Juan Toscano-Anderson, who has been an ambassador for the NBA in Mexico, also offered his opinion on the matter. “Last time I checked, the NBA was the best competition in the WORLD,” he said.

Players from all over the world set their sights on being drafted to the NBA as confirmation of their skills and ability to compete with the best players from across the globe. Though Lyles makes an interesting argument, the USA has shown up on the world stage and dominated in basketball competitions against the best players from other countries to the tune of 16 gold medals since the sport was first introduced to the Olympics in 1936.

Parkinson’s Disease, Elderly

Black People Under Diagnosed, Under Treated For Parkinson’s Disease

Black people are generally less likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson's, and when they are diagnosed, it's often later in the process than white Americans.


Black people are underdiagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, and those who are often go untreated. 

Following the selection of four hospital systems to participate in an expansion of the Black and African American Connections to Parkinson’s Disease program in March 2024, significant progress is being made in addressing the underdiagnosis of Black individuals with Parkinson’s. This initiative emphasizes the urgent need to recruit more Black participants into early treatment programs.

According to NBC News, David Leventhal, the program director of Dance with PD at the Mark Morris Dance Group, one of the largest exercise programs in the United States, has noted the absence of Black participants in the program.

“We’re always asking who’s not in the room and why are they not in the room?” Leventhal told the outlet. “In Parkinson’s, movement is medicine. So, if you’re not figuring out how to engage communities in movement, it’s basically like withholding medication. If this were a pill, there would be an uproar.”

During the early stages of Parkinson’s, exercise can slow symptoms that stimulate neurons in the brain, which produces dopamine. According to research published in the National Library of Medicine, exercise was presented as a potential game-changer treatment for Parkinson’s in its early stages. 

Black people are generally less likely to be diagnosed with Parkinson’s, and when they are, it’s often later in the disease’s progression than white Americans. 

According to Camilla Kilbane, a medical doctor and the director of the Parkinson’s and Movement Disorder Center, as well as the medical director of the Deep Brain Stimulation Program and the program director of Movement Disorders for the University Hospitals Institute, “Most previous Parkinson’s research has focused on a large predominance of Caucasian and white populations, with men overrepresented versus women.”

Kilbane continued, “Because of potential bias in data collection, the traditional thinking was that Parkinson’s disease risk was lower in Blacks and African Americans; however, this may not be true. The reality is that this population is too often underdiagnosed or diagnosed further into the disease progression.”

According to the Parkinson’s Foundation, in 2023, PD GENEration announced that Morehouse’s School of Medicine would become the first HBCU to become a PD GENEration research site; PD GENEration is the Parkinson’s Foundation’s global genetics initiative.

According to Amasi Kumeh, the director of research partnerships at the Parkinson’s Foundation, its initiative is helping to fill a critical need.

“PD GENEration has established a strong relationship with the community through engagement and programs,” Kumeh told Parkinson’s Foundation. “We have become a gateway to research, helping recruit diverse participants for clinical trials and providing information about the process.”

RELATED CONTENT: Research Shows Blacks Get Imaging For Alzheimer’s Later In Life Compared To Whites

Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry, Sex Criminals, sex crimes

Louisiana’s Radical New Laws: From Castration For Child Sex Offenders To Expanded Gun Rights

On Aug. 1, Louisiana enacted several contentious new laws.


On Aug. 1, Louisiana enacted several contentious new laws, including a groundbreaking and controversial measure that permits castration as a punishment for certain sexual crimes against children.

According to The Associated Press, Louisiana’s political make-up has made it possible for conservative policies to have a virtually unopposed path to becoming law, even if they are morally or constitutionally questionable. 

While several states have laws permitting chemical castration as punishment for child rapists, Louisiana is the first to allow judges to impose actual castration. Though the punishment is not mandatory and is left to judicial discretion, critics argue that this new law may violate constitutional protections against cruel and unusual punishment.

According to Gwynneth O’Neill, a New Orleans-based criminal defense attorney and a member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the law is “draconian.” 

“It’s very confusing, in addition to being absolutely unprecedented, and draconian and overkill,” O’Neill told NPR in July. “Surgical castration is generally considered, or was considered, to be sort of like the paradigmatic example of cruel and unusual punishment, because it’s a form of physical mutilation. It’s barbaric.”

O’Neill continued, “I think anytime you have this vague terminology, you’re not going to get the most qualified people to make such a determination. Practically speaking, I think it puts defense attorneys in a very difficult position.”

 She is also concerned that the law, much like the death penalty, will be applied in a racially discriminatory manner. 

Alongside the new castration law, Louisiana has enacted several other controversial measures, including one that restricts the number of times an individual can complete, witness, or deliver absentee ballots. Critics are particularly concerned that this law could impose significant barriers for voters, especially among the state’s elderly population.

Gov. Jeff Landry’s election provided a path to pass laws targeting trans youths, something that Louisiana’s former Democratic Governor John Bel Edwards was able to keep in check via his veto power. Those laws, which Edwards previously blocked, will now become law under Landry’s Administration. One such law bars teachers from discussing gender identity and sexual orientation in schools, which have been called “Don’t Say Gay” policies, similar to policies pushed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Police in Louisiana will now receive additional protection in the form of a “buffer zone” allowing anyone who approaches within 25 ft of an officer to face up to a $500 fine, 60 days in jail, or both. According to the AP, the law applies to a person who “knowingly or intentionally” approaches an officer who is “lawfully engaged in the execution of his official duties,” and whom the officer has warned to “stop approaching or retreat.”

The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana is among the critics of the law and they have argued that the law could have the effect of impeding the public’s First Amendment rights in its zeal to protect the police from being filmed. It should be noted that bystander videos are the only reason that evidence of police misconduct or violence at the hands of the police is disseminated to the public and creates wider discussions about how the police are not transparent with the public regarding their actions. 

Louisiana also joined 27 other states in enacting a state law on July 4 allowing anyone 18 years of age or older to carry a concealed firearm without a permit. New Orleans, which already had a similar law but with additional restrictions, had to wait until its city ordinance expired on August 1 for the state law to take effect.

As a result, Reese Harper, the communications director for the New Orleans Police Department, issued a statement to the AP, explaining the change. “The city is no longer allowed to have stricter laws than the state regarding permitless concealed carrying of a firearm.”

The concealed carry law is subject to debate. The law’s supporters say that Louisiana should join other Republican-led states in expanding gun laws, they argue that the law expands the Second Amendment right to bear arms, while its detractors worry that a lack of training requirements for gun owners to carry firearms coupled with more people who conceal-carry said firearms could result in more gun violence. 

RELATED CONTENT: ACLU Fights Back Against Louisiana’s New Law Enforcing The Ten Commandments To Be Posted In Public Classrooms

Lil Wayne, Rapper

Lil Wayne’s Old Lyric Notebook Can Be Yours For $5M

Moments in Time is auctioning the notebook which has handwritten lyrics to the Hot Boys songs 'We On Fire' and 'I Feel.'


A major piece of hip-hop memorabilia is up for auction—for a minimum price of $5 million.

According to TMZ, a notebook that once belonged to New Orleans-bred rapper that Lil Wayne contains lyrics he wrote as a youth is now on the block after a court battle. Moments in Time, an auction house that listed the item originally in 2019 for $250,000, emerged victorious after attorneys for Lil Wayne sent a cease and desist letter to the company. The rapper said the company had no rights to sell the notebook and he wanted the item back. The person who possessed the notebook was also accused of lying.

The person who was not named claimed that he found the book, which makes him the rightful owner. TMZ reported that the person claimed he found the notebook in a car that was once owned by Cash Money Records. He was working at a car dealership that took ownership of the vehicle. The notebook, which he kept, was discovered when he looked through the car.

The person asked the court to name him the rightful owner. Since Lil Wayne never responded in court, the auction has moved forward.

Moments in Time has listed the notebook as “The only handwritten lyrics of Lil Wayne ever for sale.” The company stated that the notebook featured lyrics from “We On Fire” and “I Feel” when Wayne was a member of the Cash Money Records’ group Hot Boys.

Although the item was previously listed for $250,000, Moment in Time has set it for a minimum of $5 million after winning the case. The company told the media outlet that the reason for the higher price now is because “Lil Wayne is one of the greatest rappers ever, making his handwritten song notes incredibly valuable.”

RELATED CONTENT: Lil Wayne Says He’s ‘Too Unique’ For Artificial Intelligence To Dupe

Gabrielle Gambrell

Gabrielle Gambrell Named SVP, Chief Communications Officer Of Hachette Book Group 

Hachette’s CEO David Shelley said the creativity Gambrell brings to the executive team will take the company to new heights.


According to a press release shared with Black Enterprise, Gabrielle Gambrell was recently named senior vice president and chief communications officer of Hachette Book Group (HBG). 

Hachette’s CEO, David Shelley, announced on Aug. 1 that Gambrell will replace the current communications SVP, Sophie Cottrell. As a new executive management board member, Gambrell will oversee the Hachette Speakers Bureau, which includes all branding plus corporate, internal, and executive communications

She will also tackle media relations, strategic communications, trade fairs, the environmental program, the company’s philanthropic outlooks, and work with Hachette United Kingdom. In a statement, Shelley says he is very excited to work with the communications professional, feeling her creativity will take the company to new heights.

“I’m really excited to be working with Gabrielle. Her creativity, flair, and experience across a range of disciplines and industries will help us hugely in getting the message out there about the new worlds of ideas, entertainment, learning, and opportunity that books offer,” he said. 

“An industry in growth mode, I believe there’s never been a more dynamic or interesting time for book publishing, and Gabrielle will be instrumental in communicating the possibilities to the widest audience.”

The mother of two began her impressive mass communications career as a Production and Talent Assistant for Disne. She worked on ABC’s Emmy Award-winning morning show “Live with Regis and Kelly.” Most recently, Gambrell served as head of communications for Inclusive Experiences and Technology, Employee Experience at Amazon. Prior to that, she made history as the first Black woman — and youngest — to lead the marketing and communications department at Barnard College of Columbia University as the chief marketing & communications officer.

Gambrell says as a “story lover,” she is elated to transition within the Hachette community during a time of transformation.

“Joining a prestigious industry leader during a great time of transformation is just one of many reasons why I’m excited to become part of the executive management team at HBG. If you’re a story lover like me, then you’ve likely read many of Hachette’s acclaimed books,” she said. 

“As a storyteller at heart, I look forward to elevating this world-renowned brand and showcasing all that HBG offers. Publishing impacts the entire world, our understanding of information, thoughts, curiosity, and imagination. With David’s vision for the company’s future, the sky’s the limit for what new heights that HBG will reach.”

Gambrell has managed several communication teams of numerous companies, including FCB Global, NBCUniversal, and CBS Corporation, where she was a charter member of the company’s first diversity council.

According to Publisher’s Weekly, Cottrell will leave the company at the end of August 2024 after 16 years in the role and 22 years at HBG. She is leaving to “take a pause and spend some well-deserved downtime to think about what she might like to do next.”

RELATED CONTENT: 5 Summer Reads By Black Authors

Derek Hayes

Derrick Hayes Reveals Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks New Flagship Location After Adversity

Big Dave's Cheesesteaks will take over a former Waffle House in Atlanta, doubling the size of its original location.


Atlanta fans of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks just received great news. The beloved restaurant’s owner, Derrick Hayes, announced the newest location for its flagship location in the city.

The new location is near Atlanta’s downtown sector, amid the Georgia Aquarium and Centennial Park. Walking distance from the city’s stadiums, the new restaurant will include an outdoor patio, beer and wine options, and validated parking. Hayes spoke on moving his flagship operation to an area that will better serve the Atlanta community.

“While it has been devastating to say goodbye to our original flagship location, this new chapter for Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks is filled with promise and excitement,” shared Hayes in a press release obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE. The water main break may have closed one door, but it opened another, allowing us to create an opportunity for an even better experience for our loyal customers, the heart and soul of our business. I’ve been known to say, ‘When one door closes, Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks opens another location!’”

The city’s water main break, which occurred in June, left Hayes unable to revive his original Forsyth Street location. He showcased the official closing of the establishment on his social media.

Despite the loss, Hayes assured fans of his Philadelphia delicacy that his time in the “A” was far from over. Big Dave’s will take over a former Waffle House in the area, doubling the size of its predecessor. Moreover, he claims his latest venture on Marietta Street symbolizes his “resilience and growth” as an entrepreneur and Atlanta staple.

He added, “Our new flagship restaurant, located at 300 Marietta St. NW, is more than just a place to eat; it’s a symbol of resilience and growth. We can’t wait to welcome you all to our new home, where we’ll continue to serve the community and make unforgettable memories together.”

Furthermore, Hayes continues to build Big Dave’s empire. He recently announced a brick-and-mortar location inside Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He celebrated the opening with his family during an Atlanta United soccer match on July 17.

“I’m really living a dream,” wrote Hayes in the caption.

With 10 years of success in the food industry, Hayes hopes to open his newest Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks this year.

RELATED CONTENT: Pinky Cole Hayes Selected To Uncover The Nation’s Best Black-Owned Restaurants For Pepsi Dig In

Comic Book, Midnight Comics

Midnight Comics Is A Black Business Representing For Blerds And Beyond


Lloyd S. Jones III and Natosha F. Jones are a husband-and-wife duo and co-owners of Midnight Comics. Midnight Comics is a Black business that represents “marginalized characters of color from all different backgrounds.” The company has set up shop as “Atlanta’s first and largest Black, family-owned, indie comic and manga company.”

BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with the Joneses about the business of comic books and manga publishing. Natosha and Lloyd are self-professed Blerds introduced to comics, anime, manga and poetry at early ages. The introduction to mainstream content, like the popular anime Dragon Ball-Z, led to Lloyd creating a manga in high school and Natosha exploring writing as a young adult. Their union is a match made in Blerd heaven, which created a space for dual creativity and the start of a publishing empire. The Joneses talk about the trial and error that helped them find their way from artists to successful fundraisers and business owners.

You both are creatives. When you decided to publish comic books and manga, what were your first steps?

Lloyd: We asked, ‘How can we effectively create as much story and content as possible that won’t break the bank? So, we created an anthology series called Tales From Midnight, where we introduced four of our titles at one time.

Now that we’ve provided different products, let’s give it to the audience and let them decide where to move forward or what they want to see move forward.

What have you learned about the business side of publishing?

Natosha: We recently finished a business cohort. It taught us so much about the business side. The ins and outs of overhead, budgeting, employees, grants, and loans. All the small things you don’t think about, especially when you’re really creative and really just want to do all the creative stuff.

Do you have outside investors? 

Natosha: Kickstarter has been wonderful. That has been the main avenue in regard to crowdfunding. That’s the only one, actually, that we utilize. Our fans have fallen in love with these stories, so every time one drops those return folks are already coming in, boom, it’s funded.

Midnight Comics, Lloyd Natasha, Jones, Grey, Armani
Courtesy Of Midnight Comics

Talk about your most successful Kickstarter campaign.

Lloyd: The Grey and Admani Kickstarter had the most backers, around 100 plus. 

The pricing was different for Seoul. So, financially, I think Seoul did better. But, backer count-wise, what we look at the most is how many new people and how many returning people because now there’s an opportunity to bring them to the website and showcase the other stories.

How do you determine the price points for your product?

 Natosha: Although we’re indie, Marvel and DC still count as direct competition. We look at their page counts; what are their page counts, and how much of that is ad space?

Out of a 24-page book with Marvel and DC, you’re getting 10 pages of ads, and they’re charging $5. We might have a one-page with an ad in it. But the rest of our, on average, 32-page books, so we’re gonna charge $10 because you’re getting way more story from us. With more story, people are more interested.

We also, of course, look at indie companies say, what they are charging. What is our overhead? What is, what is our profit margin gonna look like?

What platforms do you sell on besides your own, MidnightComics.org?

Lloyd: Nova Tunes and Global Comics; our stuff is available on there. We’re also in a Nubian Bookstore in Morrow, Georgia. They have the whole catalog, save for the manga.

What strategies do you find effective in marketing such a niche product? Black and woman-centered?

Natosha: I don’t know if the audience even realizes that it’s happening like that, that there are a plethora of women characters and not as many males. I think it’s a testament to how good the stories have been written.

Seoul is, really, probably our biggest seller. But then, right behind him is The Grey.

Midnight Comics, LLyod Natasha, Jones
Courtesy Of Midnight Comics

Were there any unexpected hurdles on your journey? How did you navigate them?

Lloyd: Our first artist spoiled us with the price and services that they provided. They did everything. When we moved over to the traditional style comic book side, it was a little bit more in-depth on the business side of it. It kind of slipped our mind that, in most cases, there’s a penner, inker, and colorer, then a letterer. 

How does that impact production once you realize a person is not working out and you have to pivot?

Lloyd: A few times, we have had to switch artists. One of them decided to do a price change toward the end of production. They said. ‘By the way, my price went up. Another had some critiques for the stories that were more racist. They felt like, essentially, the Black character should be the bad guy.

Now, we go on a book-by-book basis.

Do those experiences change your hiring process or contractual agreements?

Lloyd: It changed a lot. We ask people first, like, ‘You’ve worked with this guy? Somebody who’s worked with them before let us know what that looked like all the way through.

We also look for somebody who’s invested and knows these stories. We don’t just go by how well they draw but how invested and knowledgeable they are in these things.

Do you have any current fundraising efforts? 

Natosha: We were just part of a massive collaboration that’s ending on Kickstarter, Epiphany Engine. It brought together 40-plus comic book publishers.

Lloyd: It’s, dare we say, the largest Black indie comic book crossover collaboration ever. We raised $52,000 for this project, and by the time it’s over, it may be another couple of thousands.

Is there anything you want the BE audience to know?

Lloyd: If you’re trying to get into, really anything, just do it. You’re not gonna ever know everything. Be open; there will be closed doors, but just as many open doors and yeses at the same time. If there is a need and you believe you can fill it, go ahead and fill it.

RELATED CONTENT: Celebrating Black Business Month 2024



Librarian, Book Ban

Incarcerated Judges Select First Winner Of Inside Literary Prize

Launched in December 2023, 200 incarcerated individuals voted on a winner.


The first U.S. book prize comprised of incarcerated judges has announced its first-ever winner: Imani Perry’s for her novel, South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation.

Launched in December 2023, the Inside Literary Prize included over 200 incarcerated individuals to vote on the novels. The literary award was created with Freedom Reads, the National Book Foundation, and the Center for Justice Innovation alongside Dallas bookstore owner Lori Feathers.

“Reading literature and poetry throughout my nearly nine years in prison played an enormous role in shaping the person I am today,” said Freedom Reads Founder & CEO Reginald Dwayne Betts in a press release on its launch. “Through the reading and judging of leading American literary works, the Inside Literary Prize competition will provide a national platform for incarcerated individuals to meaningfully participate in our shared national cultural conversation. Freedom Reads could not be more proud to work with our partners on this initiative as we turn this vision into an annual reality. Freedom begins with a book.”

The inaugural winner was announced August 1 during the New York Ceremony, also emceed by Betts. The judges participated via video streaming and spoke of their role’s importance in determining the winner.

“Being a judge…just meant a lot for me,” said Chelsea, a judge from the Minnesota Correctional Facility-Shakopee, as stated in a news release. “It meant that my voice mattered because, for the last four and a half years, my voice hasn’t mattered. I got to be Chelsea. I wasn’t just my number.”

The judges came from 12 prisons across the country. Representatives from the sponsoring organizations led discussions at each prison. Following these conversations, readers voted on the prize winner. Their shortlist included Tess Gunty’s novel, The Rabbit Hutch; Jamil Jan Kochai’s short story collection,The Haunting of Hajji Hotak and Other Stories; and Roger Reeves’ poetry book, Best Barbarian.

Photo: Beowulf Sheehan

“In this honor, I renew my sense of responsibility to the millions of people incarcerated and under state supervision,” Perry said. “Not as a matter of charity, but rather out of the deepest respect for the insight that comes from seeing society from the corners that it keeps hidden. And for the wisdom of those whom it keeps out of view. But most of all, out of care for those in the grasp of confinement.”

Perry’s book, published in 2022, combines the formats of a memoir and travelogue. The author detailed her journey and personal history throughout the American South. Her $4,860 prize also holds significance to the plight of incarcerated people. It amounts to five years of work at 54 cents an hour, what Betts earned while working at his prison’s library.

“I think this prize is most of all a recognition of readers and may this recognition of the intellectual life that exists behind bars extend much further,” said Perry, who also received the 2022 National Book Award for Nonfiction “…God bless the organizers who believe in freedom. And, to the people inside, please know when I say ‘we’ and when I refer to ‘my people,’ I mean you too.”

Alabama, Montgomery, riverboat, #FadeInTheWater

Move Over Juneteenth! The Black Delegation Commemorates Aug. 5 ‘#FadeInTheWater’ The New-Era Day Of Revolt


No, but seriously – social media users took to the X app to honor the many brothers and sisters who united to molly-whop the proverbial and literal asses of “the man and his lady” during a massive brawl that occurred last year in Montgomery, Alabama.

At the center of the Mason-Dixon line melee was quadragenarian Reggie Ray, who reportedly put hands and a chair upside the head of some racist family who attacked him while he worked as a co-captain of the ferry that docked on the Alabama River. #FadeInTheWater was born from a momentous event, and today is the one-year anniversary.

What a time to be alive! Here are the best tweets commemorating the “newest” Black holiday – #FadeInTheWater.

All jokes aside, August 5, its anniversary and the notorious Montgomery riverfront brawl served as a unifier for the Black American delegation.  It also opened the door for the mentions of pertinent slave rebellions like the Stono Rebellion and Denmark Vesey. 

Throughout history, Black rebellion has taken many forms, from organized revolts to everyday acts of resistance. These acts have always been driven by a desire for freedom, justice, and equality. While the methods and contexts have evolved over time, the underlying spirit of defiance against oppression remains a constant thread.

The #FadeInTheWater was a significant moment in 2023, where community members came together to stand against injustice and protect one another. This act of collective defense resonated deeply, echoing the courage and determination of past generations who fought for their rights and dignity.

Power to the people.

RELATED CONTENT: An Alabama Brawl Between Black And White Citizens Has The Internet Buzzing

×