by Niko Mann

November 10, 2022

‘Black Panther’ Suit Worn by Late Actor Chadwick Boseman To Be Displayed at National Museum of African American History and Culture

The National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian will soon display the suit worn by Chadwick Boseman in Black Panther. According to the Smithsonian, the suit will be included in the exhibition “Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures” in March 2023.

The exhibition seeks to elevate stories by using objects that speak to social equality and the liberation of Black people. The Black Panther costume worn by the first Black superhero in mainstream American comics will be one of the highlights of the exhibition.

“On March 24, 2023, our museum will debut a major, thought-provoking exhibition, ‘Afrofuturism: A History of Black Futures.’ One of the highlights of this new exhibition will be the #BlackPanther hero costume worn by the late Chadwick Boseman, pictured here. #NMAAHCFutures.”

 

The temporary 4,300-square-foot exhibition will also include the uniform worn by the late Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Nyota Uhura in Star Trek, the typewriter used by science-fiction writer Octavia E. Butler, and the spacesuit-inspired costume worn by LaBelle singer Nona Hendryx.

The exhibition will also include the aviation suit worn by Trayvon Martin at Experience Aviation as he followed his dream of becoming an astronaut. Martin was murdered in 2012 as he walked home from the store.

Kevin Young, the Andrew W. Mellon Director of the National Museum of African American History and Culture, said the museum is honored to incorporate the joy of an imagined future in the face of injustice.

“Trayvon Martin’s flight suit tells the story of a dream of space flight ended tragically by earthbound violence,” said Young. “We are honored to tell more of Trayvon’s story, exploring his love of flight and mechanics and his fondness for science and technology. Afrofuturism charts the joy of a rich, imagined future, often in the face of injustice.”

The National Museum of African American History and Culture is located in Washington, D.C. next to the Washington Monument. The exhibit will be on display through March of 2024.

conflict, conversations, work, workplace, drama,
by Derek Major

November 10, 2022

Twitter Lays Off Entire Staff in Africa Without Severance; Facebook Lays Off 11,000

Less than a week after opening its only African office in Ghana, Twitter has laid off all but one employee while Facebook announced that it laid off 11,000 employees.

Business Insider South Africa reports Twitter employees found out they were laid off via emails or by being abruptly locked out of their employee accounts. In a since-deleted tweet, Twitter CEO Elon Musk said that employees were offered three months’ severance.

However, CNN international correspondent Larry Madowo tweeted that employees in Ghana were told they were being laid off without additional information or an exit packet and were not offered the same severance as U.S employees.

Twitter’s Ghana office officially opened November 1. Three days later, staff members were locked out of their email accounts and their work laptops stopped functioning. Twitter also laid off employees and closed its office in Japan and laid off 90% of its staff in India.

Twitter isn’t the only social media giant that recently announced layoffs. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in a letter sent to employees this week that Facebook is laying off 11,000 employees or 11% of its staff. The social media site has also instituted a hiring freeze through Q1 of 2023.

“Today I’m sharing some of the most difficult changes we’ve made in Meta’s history,” Zuckerberg wrote in the letter.

“I’ve decided to reduce the size of our team by about 13 percent and let more than 11,000 of our talented employees go. We are also taking a number of additional steps to become a leaner and more efficient company by cutting discretionary spending and extending our hiring freeze through Q1.”

Meta’s investors are concerned about the rising costs and expenses at the company and the slow start of its Oculus headset, which could have major future implications, especially for jobs that require significant training such as flying or the medical field. However, the headset’s $400 price tag is leaving it out of touch for most individuals and companies.

Amazon has not announced layoffs but has instituted a hiring freeze that could last months.

Amazon “will continue to monitor what we’re seeing in the economy and the business to adjust as we think makes sense,” Beth Galetti, the senior vice president of people experience and technology, said according to KIRO7. “We’re facing an unusual macro-economic environment, and want to balance our hiring and investments with being thoughtful about this economy.”

Her Win: Megan Thee Stallion Credited on Drake’s New Album Despite Diss in ‘Her Loss’ Song
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 10, 2022

Her Win: Megan Thee Stallion Credited on Drake’s New Album Despite Diss in ‘Her Loss’ Song

Megan Thee Stallion is laughing all the way to the bank when it comes to being referenced on Drake‘s new album with 21 Savage, Her Loss.

Drake seemingly took aim at Megan on the track “Circo Loco” where he rapped a subtle line that appeared to reference Megan’s 2020 shooting incident with singer Tory Lanez. “This b***h lie about getting shot, but she still a stallion/She don’t even get the joke but she still smiling,” Drake rapped in the song.

After catching wind of the shady rap line, Megan took to Twitter to blast Drake and any other artist who is siding with Lanez in wake of her accusing the Toronto singer of shooting her.

“Since when tf is it cool to joke [about] women getting shot,” Megan tweeted upon the album’s release.

But it looks like Megan is getting the last laugh. Turns out the Houston Hottie is listed in the credits of the intro track on Drake and 21’s collab album.

According to UpRoxx, Drake and 21 Savage’s Rich Flex track features an interpolation of Megan’s highly recognizable flow from her 2020 hit single, “Savage.”

One look at the song credits and it shows they’ve been updated to include M. Pete, Megan Thee Stallion’s government name, as a composer. Megan’s co-writers, J. White Did It (A.G. White) and Bobby Sessions (B.D. Session Jr.), are also credited. The song credits means Ms. Megan is getting paid off the same album Drake dissed her on.

Fans were quick to applaud Megan for the easy win.

“We love to see it,” one fan tweeted.

https://twitter.com/ijayt205/status/1588581052620378113?s=20&t=AZTvRAxLOz_E0snviHlaBg

“Yea baby get that MF check,” added someone else.

Drake has remained silent about the backlash that he has received for his sly reference to Meg’s shooting on the song. But he has a $4 million lawsuit from Vogue to worry about.

Small Business Administration Proposes Rule Increasing Number Of Non-Bank Lenders
by Derek Major

November 10, 2022

Small Business Administration Proposes Rule Increasing Number Of Non-Bank Lenders

The Small Business Administration (SBA) has proposed a rule increasing the number of non-bank lenders in its 7(a) loan program to provide more lending options to underserved small businesses.

The Business Journals reports the Biden administration and the SBA said in October it wanted to revisit lending participation. SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman said in May the agency was considering expanding the role of Fintechs in its lending programs.

Supporters of the proposed rule, which includes fintech representatives, said it will increase access to capital for small businesses, especially in underserved areas. Attorneys and accountants say businesses, especially small ones, are becoming more interested in SBA loans and grants, but some in the banking industry have concerns about increasing access to the fintech industry.

Hundreds of banks participate in the SBA 7(a) lending program and more than 1,500 banks made loans in 2022. However, since 1981, the agency has limited non-bank licenses that give 7(a) loans to just 14 “small business lending companies,” that are regulated by the agency.

However, the agency has been dipping its toes into expanding its lending options.

In 2011 the SBA created the Community Advantage Pilot Program (CAPP) to provide smaller 7(a) loans to mission-oriented lenders focused on economic development. The pilot was extended to 2024 earlier this year.

The SBA has used non-bank lenders before. In the initial days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SBA used non-bank lenders to help distribute Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds.

The SBA anticipates it can add three new non-bank lenders to its lender network, based on the resources it will take to supervise them. Additionally, the agency said the lenders in CAPP would also be able to apply to the program and it would not increase the number of lenders the agency has to supervise, since they’re already part of the SBA lending system.

The agency has also proposed removing the existing loan authorization requirement for lenders seeking SBA authorization for 7(a) and 504 loans. Currently, both SBA loans require a loan authorization providing the terms and conditions under which the agency will make or guarantee business loans.

Instead of its current process, under the proposed rule by the agency, it will rely on the terms and conditions of the loan application submitted by the SBA lenders. The agency is also working with HBCU fraternities and Sororities to help close the wealth gap

14-Year-Old Walking After Successful Open Heart Surgery Following Collapse on Football Field
by Eric Moody

November 10, 2022

14-Year-Old Walking After Successful Open Heart Surgery Following Collapse on Football Field

It has been a rocky road to recovery for 14-year-old high school freshman Zaidyn Ward who collapsed in the end zone after scoring a football game’s final touchdown as his team huddled there.

Thankfully, this Texas student-athlete successfully received open-heart surgery two months after the August 31 incident at Monterey High School in Lubbock, Texas.

Ward had just finished playing his second game of the year when he suffered a seizure on the field, according to ABC affiliate KXXV. A medical team at the game provided CPR and eventually used a defibrillator twice to save Ward.

The teen was transferred to Cooks Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas, roughly 300 miles away. Due to complications, KXXV reported that surgeons quickly realized Ward wasn’t getting blood flow in the left side of his heart and considered performing open heart surgery, considered rare for people his age.

A fundraiser was organized to help Ward and his family pay for the necessary medical expenses. The effort raised over $35,000 with an original campaign goal of just $8,000.

But amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Ward’s scheduled surgery was reportedly delayed more than once.

“What they wanted him to do was come here and give, I guess, his lungs enough time to heal,” Ward’s mother, Cassandra Combs, told KCBD.

Despite the challenging road, Ward persevered and completed the surgery successfully.

“It feels good. They’re saying that I’m healing faster than what I am supposed to be, so that’s a good thing. I’m already walking after the surgery,” Ward told KLBK following his surgery. Doctors said complications amid an unknown birth defect involving the arteries caused Ward to pass out. 

 “He’s healing,” Combs added. “Zaidyn is pulling through. He’s been walking around, he had his tubes taken out, and he’s done his breathing treatments. He’s healing slowly, but so far, he’s doing pretty good.”

Overall, Ward is optimistic for his future as his doctors said he can return to the football field next year.

by Niko Mann

November 10, 2022

Banned for Life: Man Gets Boot After ‘Heckling’ Black Child At Royal Opera House Performance

A man has received a lifetime ban from the Royal Opera House in London after he heckled a 12-year-old child during his performance.

Malakai M. Bayoh was making his debut as Oberta in the George Frideric Handel opera seria Alcina on Tuesday, November 8.

Bayoh is a music student at the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School in London. According to The Daily Beast, when Bayoh took to the stage, the heckler yelled, “Rubbish!” and booed the young performer. Associate art editor of the Financial Times, Josh Spero, tweeted about the incident and asked who would do such a thing to a child.

“The nastiest thing happened @RoyalOperaHouse tonight during Alcina: a ~12yo boy was sweetly singing his lines when a man in the audience yelled ‘rubbish!’ and booed him. Who would do that to a child? Once the boy was done, the audience responded with wild applause and cheering.”

The Royal Opera House also tweeted about the offensive disruption and confirmed that the man was no longer welcome at the facility.

“Unfortunately, the opening night of Alcina featured an audience member who disrupted the show and the excellent performance by young singer Malakai M Bayoh. We are appalled that a member of the audience behaved in this way and steps have been taken to ensure the audience member in question does not return to the Royal Opera House.”

The Royal Opera House also congratulated Bayoh on his excellent performance despite the rude disturbance.

“We would like to congratulate Malakai M Bayoh for his stellar performance as Oberto in our first night of Alcina,” said the spokesperson.

“Malakai is astonishingly talented—bringing great acting and beautiful singing to the role—a huge accomplishment for such a young singer.”

Bayoh received thunderous applause and cheering from the audience at the end of the show.

Meet the Black Woman Whose Company Washed 43,035 Seats in Preparation for 2022 World Series
by Stacy Jackson

November 10, 2022

Meet the Black Woman Whose Company Washed 43,035 Seats in Preparation for 2022 World Series

A Black woman entrepreneur is proud that her company played a role in the Phillies’ World Series run.

After fans were cleared out from Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park by a rain cancellation last Monday night, Sheena Parker, owner of 4SYT Industries, a facilities maintenance company, said her crew stayed behind to uphold their duties.

“If we’re rained out or something is canceled, our crew is still there,” Parker said.

According to ABC6, the crew of 150 members made sure the stadium seats were ready for the next day. Preparation included pressure washing all 43,035 seats in Citizens Bank Park.

 

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A post shared by 4SYT Industries (@4syt_industries)

“My guys work super hard and they work all night,” she said. “We do pressure washing, trash pickup, and janitorial.”

“It’s almost like a make or break. It must be done,” she added.

Parker shared how pleased she is to be one of the few Black-owned companies contracted with Citizens Bank Park where the team also preps the stadium for concerts and other events.

“It’s a labor that’s often overlooked,” said Parker.

“People just look at ‘Oh, I’m in my nice clean seat,’ but they don’t realize how much time it takes to ensure there is no debris in your seat. That there is no debris on the ground because that changes your entire experience when you’re walking into something that is not clean.”

As an Army veteran and woman in a male-dominated field, Parker revealed she is often the only Black woman when she visits sites. Aside from the stadium contract, 4SYT is responsible for all state buildings in Delaware and the Atlanta public school system. She also has contracts with companies and venues in six states along the East Coast.

With game three between the Phillies and Houston Astros being postponed, the remainder of the 2022 World Series schedule was pushed back by a day.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 10, 2022

Kyrie Irving Had ‘Productive Visit’ With NBA Commissioner After Promoting Anti-Semitic Film

After the Brooklyn Nets issued demands for how point guard Kyrie Irving can rejoin the organization, the embattled basketball superstar finally met with NBA commissioner Adam Silver.

It was reportedly “a productive and understanding visit” between the two.

No details have been revealed from Silver, Irving, the NBA, or the Brooklyn Nets, but The Athletic’s lead NBA reporter Shams Charania mentioned the get-together via his Twitter account.

“NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and Kyrie Irving met this morning and the sides had a productive and understanding visit, paving the way for the Nets and their suspended star to work through his steps on a potential path forward.”

The Brooklyn Nets suspended the mercurial New Jersey native when the team stated that Irving was “currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets” for his “failure to disavow antisemitism” after tweeting a link to Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America!, a film widely considered anti-Semitic, prompting a barrage of media attention.

The Nets made the decision after an outcry from the NBA commissioner. Silver criticized Irving for not offering “an unqualified apology.”

“Kyrie Irving made a reckless decision to post a link to a film containing deeply offensive anti-Semitic material,” Silver said in a statement.

“While we appreciate the fact that he agreed to work with the Brooklyn Nets and the Anti-Defamation League to combat antisemitism and other forms of discrimination, I am disappointed that he has not offered an unqualified apology and more specifically denounced the vile and harmful content contained in the film he chose to publicize.”

After meeting with Silver—and dependent on Irving completing the six rules the organization has set forth for the point guard in addition to completing a five-game suspension—it looks as if the mercurial superstar will likely be allowed to play again.

Michael Jackson’s Estate Files Lawsuit Requesting $1M of Stolen Property from His Sister’s Ex-Fiancé
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 10, 2022

Michael Jackson’s Estate Files Lawsuit Requesting $1M of Stolen Property from His Sister’s Ex-Fiancé

The estate of Michael Jackson is calling for the return of the singer’s personal property that they say was stolen from his home shortly after he passed away.
According to TMZ, the items were allegedly stolen by Jeffre Phillips in 2009 when the Beat It singer died. According to Radar Online, Phillips was formerly engaged to Jackson’s older sister, La Toya Jackson. The items have a reported worth of $1 million.

In a recent court filing obtained by TMZ, the papers say that the estate wants to recover the $1 million in property they believe is being wrongfully possessed by Phillips.

TMZ reported this past summer that Phillips used the “chaos and sadness” surrounding Jackson’s death to take advantage and snatch up a bunch of property from the singer’s Carolwood House. The lawsuit also stated that he stayed at the property for nine days and utilized that time to steal personal and private items.

After Jackson’s death on June 25, 2009, he was reportedly able to take several items, including MJ’s California driver’s license, his Apple iPhone, prescription pill bottles that still had pills inside them, and some of the singer’s clothing. There are allegedly also laptops and iPods in his possession. Non-public performances and some unreleased concert footage are believed to be on CDs and DVDs he also took from his home.

The papers also claim that Phillips has handwritten notes from MJ, a briefcase filled with his personal and business documents, video cameras, computers, and hard drives. Cassette tapes, a black bag that has a skull on it, a photo album, an MJ doll, and framed record awards.

The paperwork states that Phillips even stole the pajamas that the “King of Pop” was wearing when he was dying, the same pajamas that the paramedics removed from his body when they removed it while trying to save his life. Another item he allegedly stole was the resuscitator tube used on MJ.

18-Year-Old Iowa Teenager Who Killed Alleged Rapist Back in Custody After Escaping Facility
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 10, 2022

18-Year-Old Iowa Teenager Who Killed Alleged Rapist Back in Custody After Escaping Facility

An Iowa teenager who killed her alleged rapist violated her probation when she escaped from a women’s center last week.

According to CNN, 18-year-old Pieper Lewis has been captured and is back in custody after being on the run for several days.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office announced that Lewis was sent to the center as part of a deferred judgment after she pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and willful injury. She made the plea for killing of 37-year-old Zachary Brooks, her alleged rapist, as a 15-year-old in 2020.

The Iowa Department of Corrections stated that Lewis was found and apprehended in Des Moines and was brought back into custody Tuesday. She is currently being held at the Polk County Jail and faces an upcoming court date for violating her probation.

When she pleaded guilty, Lewis was looking at a possible 20-year jail sentence. After she escaped last week, according to a probation violation report, there was a request for a warrant for Lewis’ arrest. The report stated:

“It is further ordered that her deferred judgments (be) revoked and original sentence imposed.”

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that Polk County District Judge David Porter deferred the 20-year prison sentence for Lewis because she said she was forced into sex trafficking.

Before the stabbing, Lewis allegedly ran away from her adoptive mother, who she claimed was abusive. She had gotten shelter from a 28-year-old man whom she said forced her into sex trafficking. She said he held her at knifepoint and ordered her to have sex with several men, including Brooks. Reportedly, he sexually assaulted Lewis multiple times before she retaliated and stabbed him.

The judge ordered the 18-year-old to serve 1,200 hours of community service, which would cover more than $4,000 in fines. Lewis is also required by Iowa law to pay $150,000 in compensation for the death of her victim.

She is now facing 20 years in jail.

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