Billionaire Robert F. Smith Brings Generative AI Curriculum To Morehouse And Spelman Colleges

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 17, 2025

Billionaire Robert F. Smith Brings Generative AI Curriculum To Morehouse And Spelman Colleges

The billionaire investor spoke on how he's bridging community with the future of AI.

Robert F. Smith, the billionaire investor and philanthropist, believes in the future of generative AI and wants to foster learning of the technology at HBCUs.

Smith, who founded Vista Equity Partners, emphasized his focus on artificial technology in a fireside chat with Harold L. Martin Sr., Ph.D., chancellor emeritus of North Carolina A&T University. In response to a question on how these technologies can yield systemic change while creating economic value, Smith explained how the implementation of generative AI has proven useful in companies under his portfolio.

“I have the good fortune that our organization is of the size that we are a top-five customer for Amazon, Microsoft, and Google,” Smith. “So I get unique sets of access to resources for my portfolio companies to enable them to be first in the industries that they’re in to have gen AI-enabled products in those markets. That’s critically important.”

Seeing how generative AI is transforming the business landscape, Smith wants to ensure Black professionals are at the forefront of this change. The creation of hackathons resulted in HBCU students’ involvement and acclimation with this emerging tech.

He added, “That is what I call your responsibility to create the on-ramps on the platforms that you are have influence over.”

Smith said this success led to his implementation of AI-focused curricula at Morehouse and Spelman. His company, Stats Perform, launched these courses at all the men’s and women’s HBCUs within the Atlanta University Center (AUC). Last year, he wrote on LinkedIn about one of the initial courses, titled “AI in Basketball.”

The class not only dived into the intersections of AI and sports, but provided career growth opportunities for AUC students.

Smith is aware of the racial equity gaps present within the tech industry but he remains committed to using his platform to drive more opportunities toward Black scholars at these institutions. His work has sustained the importance of embracing this technology while building diverse pipelines that explore it across multiple industries.

Putting his money where his mouth is, Smith also launched an AI-learning platform, InternXL, which offers over 4,000 technical and certification courses for any student to access.

Robert Smith was honored at the 2025 XCEL Summit For Men for his commitment to excellence.

Parents, Timeout Box, NY Elementary Students

by Jameelah Mullen

October 16, 2025

Federal Indictment Leads To School Superintendent Resignation

DeKalb County, which encompasses much of the Atlanta metropolitan area, is the third-largest school district in Georgia.

DeKalb County School Superintendent Devon Horton resigned after Illinois authorities indicted him on charges of wire fraud, tax fraud, and embezzlement. Horton has led the Metro Atlanta school district since 2023.

The county’s school board voted to accept Horton’s resignation during a special meeting on Oct. 15. His resignation came just days after prosecutors accused him of accepting kickbacks from businesses owned by personal associates that had contracts with Evanston-Skokie School District 65 and Chicago Public Schools (CPS), where he previously served as superintendent. Prosecutors allege that Horton failed to disclose his financial ties or involvement with those companies.

The board faced backlash when it initially placed Horton on administrative leave with pay during an emergency board meeting on Oct. 9, the day after he was indicted. State Sen. Emanuel Jones demanded that the district terminate him immediately.

The board announced that it unanimously approved a forensic audit of district contracts and purchasing card expenditures.

“Given the recent federal indictment involving Dr. Horton related to his employment in a prior school district, the Board believes this action is in the best interest of the DeKalb County School District,” Board Chair Deirdre Pierce said in a statement obtained by Decaturish.

“We recognize the seriousness of the situation and remain committed to transparency, accountability, and maintaining public trust. While there will be changes ahead, please know that the Board remains fully committed to our ongoing work, including key initiatives such as the Student Assignment Project (SAP), and providing a high-quality education for all students.”

The Board named Dr. Norman C. Sauce, who previously served as the district’s chief of Student Services, as acting superintendent.

An embezzlement charge can result in up to a 10-year prison sentence and a fine of $100,000 or twice the amount stolen. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.

Horton’s arraignment is set for Oct. 23 at 11 a.m. in the Northern District of Illinois.

real estate, Detroit, Miami, housing market

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 16, 2025

Reparations Program Gives Black Detroiters $25K Toward Home Ownership And Genealogy Tracing

Reparation Generation is helping Black Detroit residents purchase a home and trace their ancestral roots.

A growing reparations initiative in Detroit, Michigan, is helping Black residents access funding for homeownership and trace their ancestral roots.

After appointing its first executive director, Christian Harris, last year, Reparation Generation — a group dedicated to building Black wealth and supporting data for a potential federal reparations program — is expanding its impact. The organization recently selected six new recipients for its third round of homeownership grants, with each receiving $25,000 in down payment assistance, home-related expenses, and genealogy research support.

“I’m looking to build a legacy through home ownership and build generational wealth,” Stephanie Coney, a 2023 recipient, told the Detroit Free Press. “What better way to do it than with home ownership?”

The program helped Coney overcome the challenges of buying a home and achieve a major milestone. Along with purchasing her first house, she was able to trace her family lineage back to the late 1800s and learn just how close her ancestors were to slavery.

“You’re the recipient for not just you, but for your ancestors who paid the price for you to be here,” Coney said.

Founded in 2020 after George Floyd’s murder, Reparation Generation is a national nonprofit helping Black descendants of enslaved people in metro Detroit achieve homeownership and trace their ancestry. Initially self-funded, it now raises money from individuals, foundations, and corporations, redistributing wealth from those who’ve benefited from systemic harms to Black homebuyers.

One contributor, Joni Tedesco, a white Detroit native, saw her family build generational wealth through her father’s military service and the GI Bill — a privilege often denied to Black veterans, contributing to a lasting racial wealth gap. After learning about Reparation Generation last year through a church group, she became actively involved, hosting home meetings to raise awareness and, with her husband, Jim, contributing monthly to the organization’s $25,000 homeownership grants.

“This really struck home to me, the whole idea of helping with reparations in a way that helps provide people the opportunity to obtain housing,” Tedesco said.

Since 2022, 12 metro Detroit residents have become homeowners through the program. The third-round application ran from Sept. 1–10. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, Black descendants of enslaved people (with ancestry traceable in the 1870–1900 census or linked to the South through the 1940s), identify as Black in the 2020 census, reside in Wayne, Oakland, or Macomb counties, and commit to buying a home in the area.

Accepted applicants complete orientation, including homebuyer education and a financial readiness assessment, and apply via an official link. Applications are sorted by Detroit median family income to ensure income diversity, then randomly selected within categories. Selected participants schedule genealogy and financial consultations, while others join a waitlist. Enrollees have 120 days to purchase a home, after which the $25,000 grant is wired to an escrow account. Participants also commit to two years of program evaluations.

“Families will see a different future for themselves and for their children and I think that it will also have a broader impact on the community,” said Glenda Price, a Reparation Generation’s board member.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 16, 2025

As A Teen Mom And GED Grad, Solange Knowles Is Now The First Scholar-In-Residence At USC School Of Music

Solange will teach her own course at the university focused on music curation.

Solange Knowles is taking her artistry up a notch as the first scholar-in-residence at the University of Southern California. The achievement comes years after the talented multihyphenate became a teenage mother and a GED graduate.

The acclaimed singer and songstress, known professionally as Solange, will embark on the new role at USC’s Thornton School of Music. The inaugural appointment will last for three years, beginning Oct. 13.

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A post shared by USC Thornton School of Music (@uscthornton)

She started her official residency with a public conversation titled “Beyond Category,” in the Newman Recital Hall at USC. The event featured the music school’s dean, Jason King, and Solange’s own Saint Heron team, Shantel Aurora and Sablā Stays. There, she spoke of her own atypical background in education. Beginning her music career at a young age, Solange also reflected on obtaining her GED and becoming a teenage mom.

“I am a GED graduate…I was a teenage mom. I was pregnant with my son at 17…so I didn’t get to further my education in the classical sense,” she shared. “So to be able to have access and broader tools as a scholar in residence…is really so exciting for me.”

Dean King also emphasized Solange’s unique approach to music curation. He expressed his hope that she’ll apply this curriculum to shape USC students’ own methodology.

“I think the work she does as a music curator is very singular and very unique,” he said. “I’m hoping she brings that uniqueness into the classroom and programming.”

The position will put Solange as a developer of new curriculum and programming in their music curation courses. According to WBLS, she will lend her expertise to a course titled Records of Discovery: Methodologies for Music and Cultural Curatorial Practices. The class is scheduled for the fall 2027 semester.

The course will be done in collaboration with Solange’s multidisciplinary creative group, Saint Heron. The 39-year-old expressed her excitement about the new role, sharing her mission to “nurture students’ curiosity” through this course.

“I am eager to use the coming year to further develop and solidify my syllabus, Records of Discovery, with Saint Heron,” Solange shared in a statement.

“My goal is to nurture students’ curiosity while advancing educational frameworks that reflect the expansiveness of the landscapes—both sonically and visually—that surround musical expressions.”

The esteemed scholar will lead workshops while providing mentorship and support to students and faculty at Thornton. As an official Trojan, she will also participate in USC’s Dean’s Creative Vanguard program, bringing more distinguished artists and creators to the Los Angeles institution.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 16, 2025

Black Police Officer Pays For Meal, While White Cops Receive Comped Meals From Chick-Fil-A, Causing Uproar From Officers For Perceived Racism

'I was kind of humiliated and embarrassed, you know, at the whole situation. It seemed like it was a racial issue to me,” said Clover Police Sgt. Tracey Reid.

Four police officers walked into a Chick-fil-A in South Carolina, and while the three white officers received a complimentary meal from the restaurant, the lone Black officer had to pay for his food, causing an uproar from the officers, who stated that racism was the cause of the Black officer being made to pay for his meal.

According to WSOC-TV, the incident took place at a Chick-fil-A in Augusta several weeks ago, Clover Police Sgt. Tracey Reid was singled out, even though he was with the other three officers when they all ordered food from the fast food spot. It’s customary for the restaurant to comp the meals of law enforcement officers who dine there.

“We came in together, same uniform, stood in line, there was never a time we were not together while standing in line,” Reid told the media outlet.

When he went to obtain his order, he was instructed to make payment for his meal, which made him feel a way, knowing that his coworkers had been given their meal for free. He felt it was racism.

“I was kind of humiliated and embarrassed, you know, at the whole situation. It seemed like it was a racial issue to me,” said Reid.

The incident also angered his fellow police officers when they noticed the discrepancy.

“He said he had to pay for his meal, and it infuriated me,“ said Detective Thomas Barnette. ”And I said, ‘You want me to go say something?’ He was like ‘No, I don’t want you to cause a scene,’ but I could tell the way he looked; he just looked at his plate, he looked sad and humiliated, and that made me really mad.”

Frustrated by what appeared to be a blatant act of racial bias, Reid penned a letter to the corporate offices of Chick-fil-A requesting that the fast food restaurant retrain employees at the Augusta location and strengthen the company’s policies on compliance with civil rights laws.

The manager from the Augusta location responded by sending two comp meal cards, but that wasn’t satisfactory for Reid and the other officers who were with him. In the letter, it was written that the incident was perceived as racial, but the officers stated implicitly that it was indeed a racial incident.

“It said it was perceived that it was a racial incident, which I didn’t like, because it wasn’t perceived; it actually happened,” Reid said.

Barnette added, “He’s not the only one that perceived it. We all did, and it’s not perception, it’s what happened. It was a racial issue.”

The manager included an apology and mentioned that the person who performed the racist act was a team leader who doesn’t usually work at the register. The manager also called the incident a mistake.

Farmers’ Market, Dr. Diedre Grimm, Forsyth, racially motivated, Grimm, Diedre, fired

by Jameelah Mullen

October 16, 2025

Atlanta’s City Run-Market’s ‘Fresh’ Approach To Affordable Groceries Is A Success

Located in downtown Atlanta, the Azalea Market opened in August.

As American cities struggle with rising food prices and less access to affordable groceries, Atlanta lawmakers implemented a solution that may become the blueprint for other major cities.

Azalea Fresh Market is the city’s first government-operated grocery store. Situated in downtown Atlanta, the market provides fresh and locally made foods instead of packaged and processed items.

The grocery store is located in an area the Department of Agriculture classifies as a food desert, which means many residents don’t live close to full-service grocery stores. The store operates daily from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and plans to open two restaurants in the future.

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A post shared by Azalea Fresh Market | Atlanta Grocery (@azaleafreshmarket)

“Azalea Fresh Market is proof that when we work together as a city, we can deliver real solutions that change lives,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told Fox News Digital. In less than two months, the store has served more than 20,000 customers, evidence, he says, of how strong the need was in a neighborhood “long underserved by grocers.”

Dickens noted that in its first month, fresh produce made up 11.6 percent of Azalea Fresh’s sales, exceeding the national average of 10 percent.

Atlanta’s city-run market has become a potential success story, drawing close attention from other major cities like New York. Mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani said that if he takes office, he plans to create city-operated grocery stores to address increasing costs in America’s largest city.

“As Mayor, Zohran will create a network of city-owned grocery stores focused on keeping prices low, not making a profit,” his campaign website notes. “Without having to pay rent or property taxes, they will reduce overhead and pass on savings to shoppers.”

Some argue that city-run grocery stores could negatively impact taxpayers. Nicole Huyer, a senior research associate at the Heritage Foundation’s Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies, argues that smaller grocers will struggle to compete with the government-subsidized businesses.

The Azalea Fresh Market is located at 25 Peachtree Street NW in the historic Olympia Building.

by Ahsan Washington

October 16, 2025

Toast National Liqueur Day With 4 Black-Owned Spirits

Sip Black. Invest Black. Cheers.

To celebrate National Liqueur Day, we’re blackening up the toast with four Black‑owned liqueurs. Each spirit spins its own taste and tale for sippers to engage, and will definitely give your bar cart some added appeal. When a glass is poured from any of these bottles, it does more than mark National Liqueur Day; it becomes an investment in stories, legacy, and Black ownership.

Get into these creamy liqueurs and toast Black entrepreneurship.

LS Cream Liqueur

LS Cream Liqueur was launched by Haitian‑American founders Myriam Jean‑Baptiste and Stevens Charles, who took their cue from the island’s cream tradition. LS Cream Liqueur blends cream with a grain spirit and is scented with coconut, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Though the liqueur hit the market before 2021, the brand now sits on shelves in a handful of states, marking it as the first Black‑owned cream liqueur to grow its footprint.

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A post shared by LS Cream Premium Liqueur (@lscreamliqueur)

Best Friends/Cashid Limoncello

Best Friends / Cashid Limoncello, a citrus‑centric liqueur that marries Meyer lemon zest with the sweetness of premium agave syrup and the clean bite of distilled grain alcohol, entered the U.S. market around 2023. Designed for sipping, cocktail‑crafting, or even a quick shot, it aims to sit between sugary liqueurs and straight spirits in taste and offers a refined Black‑women‑owned alternative in the citrus‑liqueur arena.

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A post shared by Daphane Limoncello (@daphanelimoncello)

Sorel (Sorel Liqueur/Jack From Brooklyn)

Sorel (Jack From Brooklyn) is Jackie Summers’ liqueur, a bottled spiced take on sorrel that brings together hibiscus, clove, cassia (or cinnamon), ginger and a host of warming spices. Debuting in the 2010s, Sorel was given a relaunch and an expansion push from 2021-2023 and its reach has kept widening. Hailing from Brooklyn and infused with Caribbean influences, Sorel now lines the shelves of U.S. specialty retailers and on bar menus. By bottling an Afro‑Caribbean drinking tradition in a vessel, Sorel delivers a bona fide craft experience while clearing a path for distillers.

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A post shared by Sorel Hibiscus Liqueur (@sorelofficial)

Black Irish

Black Irish Cream, the liqueur that Mariah Carey has attached her brand to, arrives in several incarnations, including White Chocolate and Salted Caramel. Each hovers near 17 % ABV. Built for the shelf‑line and buoyed by celebrity clout, the rollout stretched across 2022‑2023, targeting the United States while eyeing expansion. Crafted in Ireland, the spirit emerges from a plant that operates with energy efficiency and signals a clear nod to environmental responsibility.

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A post shared by Black Irish (@goblackirish)

Sip Black. Invest Black. Cheers.

journalists, badges, Pentagon, Trump, reporting rules

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 16, 2025

Journalists Return Badges, Exit Pentagon, In Refusal Of Agreeing To New Reporting Rules

Pentagon reporters exited the building in rejection of new rules imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Dozens of reporters at the Pentagon cleared their desks, returned their badges, and left the building on Oct. 15 in protest of new government rules limiting their reporting.

Journalists covering the U.S. military walked out of their Pentagon posts in protest of new restrictions imposed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, which threatened expulsion for reporting on any information, not just classified, that hadn’t been approved for release, AP News reporteds. Many left together at the Defense Department’s 4 p.m. deadline, refusing to agree to the new rules.

“It’s sad, but I’m also really proud of the press corps that we stuck together,” Nancy Youssef, a reporter for The Atlantic who has worked at the Pentagon since 2007, told the ABQ Journal.

Hegseth, a former Fox News host, has held just two formal press briefings, restricted reporters’ access to many areas of the Pentagon without an escort, and launched investigations into leaks. He defended the new rules as “common sense,” claiming that having journalists sign a document is only to acknowledge the rules rather than serving as an official agreement. Reporters, however, view that as a distinction without a difference.

“What they’re really doing, they want to spoon-feed information to the journalist, and that would be their story. That’s not journalism,” said Jack Keane, a retired U.S. Army general and Fox News analyst.

Donald Trump supported his defense secretary’s new rules while speaking with reporters at the White House on Oct. 14.

“I think he finds the press to be very disruptive in terms of world peace,” Trump said. “The press is very dishonest.”

News outlets overwhelmingly rejected the new rules, with conservative One America News Network the only outlet to sign on. The Pentagon Press Association, representing 101 journalists from 56 news organizations, condemned the restrictions. Media organizations across the spectrum, from legacy outlets like The Associated Press and The New York Times to Fox and conservative Newsmax, directed their reporters to leave rather than sign on.

“They knew the American public deserved to know what’s going on,” NPR reporter Tom Bowman wrote in an essay. “With no reporters able to ask questions, it seems the Pentagon leadership will continue to rely on slick social media posts, carefully orchestrated short videos and interviews with partisan commentators and podcasters. No one should think that’s good enough.”

William McNeil, viral video, Recording The Police

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 16, 2025

9- And 10-Year-Old Charged In Brutal Attack Of 5-Year-Old Girl, ‘Her Hair Was Scalped From Her Head’

Two juveniles, ages 9 and 10, face serious charges of attempted murder and assault of a 5-year-old girl in Cleveland.

Two children, ages 9 and 10, in Cleveland, Ohio, are facing serious charges of attempted murder and rape in connection with the violent attack of a 5-year-old girl.

Cuyahoga County prosecutors are withholding many details due to the case’s sensitivity, but confirmed that a 9-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl face initial charges of attempted murder, rape, felonious assault, kidnapping, and strangulation, Cleveland 19 reported. The alleged attack occurred on Sept. 13 in a field near East 148th Street and St. Clair Avenue in Cleveland.

Antavia Kennibrew, the victim’s mother, said her 5-year-old daughter was beaten, assaulted, and scalped after being dropped off at a family member’s home in Cleveland. The child reportedly walked out the front door and was attacked by a group of children in a field nearby. When Kennibrew learned what happened to her child, she rushed to the scene and saw EMS treating her daughter several blocks away.

“I literally saw the worst thing ever,” she said.

Kennibrew reported that her daughter was “unrecognizable” following the attack.

“What I saw was unbelievable,” she said. “My daughter was not my daughter. Her hair was scalped from her head. She had bruises and blood all over her body. Her eyes were filled with blood. Her lips and mouth were filled with blood. Her nails had debris and dirt stuck in them.”

Kennibrew said the assault left her daughter physically, emotionally, and mentally traumatized, and the 5-year-old is now undergoing therapy.

“I want her to just be somewhat of a normal 5-year-old again,” Kennibrew said.

Each child faces charges including one count of attempted murder, four counts of rape, two counts of felonious assault, one count of kidnapping, and one count of strangulation. Prosecutors are continuing to review evidence and gather new information, and the office is withholding further details due to the case’s sensitivity.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 16, 2025

Kim Kardashian’s Fake Pubic Hair Thongs Sell Out Online

Yes, really.

Kim Kardashian’s latest SKIMS drop has the streets talking about the faux pubic hair thongs that are already sold out online.

On Oct. 14, SKIMS dropped a 70s-inspired campaign to debut its new Faux Hair Micro String Thong, a bold panty designed with a pubic hair–like appearance. In a retro mock dating show titled “Does the Carpet Match the Drapes?” models flaunt their styles of the cheeky new design.

“Just dropped. The Ultimate Bush,” the company tweeted.

Just Dropped: The Ultimate Bush. pic.twitter.com/KCElt4DB4m
— SKIMS (@skims) October 14, 2025

Offered in 12 color and texture combinations, including straight and curly faux hair, the $32 thongs have already sold out on the SKIMS website.

“With this iconic new panty, your carpet can be whatever color you want it to be!” Skims wrote in a press release.

While it’s unclear how many were stocked, the concept and its rapid sellout have sparked plenty of conversation online.

“Ain’t no way… Skims made a bush thong & it’s already sold out,” one X user wrote.

https://twitter.com/skynewsuganda/status/1978697348172697733

“Kim Kardashian’s Skims just dropped thongs with fake pubic hair—yes, you read that right! 😳 And the wildest part? People are actually buying them! 👀,” added someone else.

“Who is out here spending $32 on fake pubic hair thongs ?!!!” asked one user, before suggesting to “Just grow your hair out. The people down at Skims must be running out of ideas. Cause this is a no ma’am 😩🥴😂”

SKIMS’ latest launch follows its controversial July 2025 release of the Seamless Sculpt Face Wrap, a compression garment promising a “snatched” jawline.

Though marketed as containing “collagen yarns,” dermatologists and medical experts largely dismissed its effectiveness and raised concerns about its safety and overall messaging. In September, Kardashian followed up with the NikeSkims collab featuring the reality star modeling the core activewear pieces alongside Serena Williams, Sha’Carri Richardson, Jordan Chiles, and Chloe Kim.