Hennessy’s ‘Never Stop, Never Settle Society’ Celebrates Extraordinary Black Entrepreneurs
by Derek Major

October 7, 2021

Hennessy’s ‘Never Stop, Never Settle Society’ Celebrates Extraordinary Black Entrepreneurs

Hennessy has announced 20 members of its inaugural “Never Stop Never Settle Society,” championing the next generation of Black entrepreneurs.

Hennessy, the world’s best-selling Cognac, introduced the initiative in March to create and support an inclusive environment for business growth and development.

The “Never Stop Never Settle Society” builds on Hennessy’s long-standing commitment to Black communities, which dates back to the 1800s, including involvement in what would become the National Urban League, the first corporate sponsor of the NAACP and the only company in its industry to be a founding corporate donor of the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Hennessy has a rich legacy of assisting in the growth of African American business and socioeconomic status.

“Hennessy recognizes the tenacity and resilience each selected member embodies as they push the limits of potential to carve their path, address social and economic challenges and make a lasting impact on their community,” Jasmin Allen, senior vice president, Hennessy US, said in a statement.

(Courtesy NSNSS)

“Hennessy has always supported the Black community,” she added. “We are honored to continue this legacy through the ‘Never Stop Never Settle Society’ by celebrating extraordinary individuals and championing the vision of their businesses.”

The program was co-created with the Marcus Graham Project, a nonprofit organization that helps identify, expose, mentor, and train ethnically diverse men and women in all aspects of the media industry. The inaugural 20 members selected for the program were chosen due to their commitment to changing the world through social impact and increasing representation of Black businesses and job creation within their communities.

“Marcus Graham Project shares Hennessy’s vision to embolden the rich legacies of Black entrepreneurs who are moving the culture forward,” says Lincoln Stephens, co-founder, and CEO of the Marcus Graham Project (MGP).” We are honored to have co-created a platform that will continue to champion Black excellence, celebrate entrepreneurial endeavors, and advance early ventures.”

Each member will receive $50,000, access to professional development sessions with Moët Hennessy executives, business development resources and tools and a membership to The Gathering Spot Connect, a Black-owned digital community offering networking options, business development resources, and culturally relevant content.

Hennessy believes its inaugural members are paramount to creating positive change for the future while paying respect to past models of community-built success such as Tulsa’s Greenwood District.

The 2021 inaugural members are:

  • Abeille Creations is based in Atlanta and established by CEO Melissa Mitchell, a self-taught artist who endeavors to illuminate the Black Art movement through community engagement.
  • Annie Admin is founded by Chicago native Erica Davis and offers a complete virtual office management solution to help manage the day-to-day administrative needs of home service professionals across America.
  • City Press Juice & Bottle is a Chicago-based establishment helmed by Todd McCrainey Jr. to provide the healthiest, most nutrient dense cold-pressed juice by superfood blends and raw food.
  • EatOkra Inc. is the go-to app for discovering Black-owned restaurants nationwide co-created by Brooklyn-based husband and wife duo Janique and Anthony Edwards.
  • EnrichHER connects institutional and retail sources of capital to companies led by women and people of color; founded by gender equality activist Dr. Roshawnna Novellus and based in Atlanta.
  • Esquire Branding Agency is led by principal and owner Matthew Harper of Atlanta to deliver top-tier services across event production, creative and branding.
  • Gallerie 88, founded by Alex Delotch Davis in Atlanta, is a digital media and lifestyle company that celebrates Black luxury fashion, fine art, and design.
  • HealHaus is a Brooklyn-based wellness company established by entrepreneur Darian Hall to provide digital and studio mental health programming.
  • Kanarys, Inc. is a Dallas-based technology company co-founded by Mandy Price, Star Carter, and Bennie King that focuses on providing the tools organizations need to create long-term, systemic change around diversity, equity, and inclusion challenges.
  • Listen TWO Me is a full-service production company founded and led by CEO George A. Peters II that collaborates with Black creatives to develop original content from in-person events to digital series and films.
  • Mischo Beauty, based in Washington, D.C., and founded by CEO Kitiya King, focuses on the formulation of the healthiest, safest, and cleanest beauty products.
  • Podpal is an Atlanta-based tech startup that provides an all-in-one platform for podcast management. Founder and CEO Aaron P. Woods leads the product vision to help podcast teams plan, publish, and promote their show.
  • Quartz Water Source was born out of the Flint water crisis and developed by Flint-native Jonathan Quarles to expand global access to clean water through innovative technology.
  • Saint Miles Creative Agency is a creative sanctuary where ideas are actualized. The Jacksonville, FL-based award-winning storytelling agency was co-founded by Enitan Bereola II and Steve Canal.
  • The Kinship Advisors is based in the Washington, D.C. area and founded by CEO Alexys Feaster. A strategic advisory company, the Kinship partners with people of influence and brands committed to racial equity and sustaining impact in underserved communities.
  • Soulgood is based in Dallas and founded by plant-based visionary Cynthia Nevels to provide opportunity zones across Texas with healthy, organic, and plant-based fast foods using eco-friendly materials.
  • TNT Wangs Tulsa is a Tulsa-based food truck that was founded by Latia Vann and is known for serving “the best chicken in the Midwest.”
  • Toasted Life is a Bay Area-based lifestyle-entertainment platform co-founded by Warren Jones and Matt Tuffuor that provides access to elevated events and experiences for BIPOC professionals, creatives, and entrepreneurs across the U.S. and abroad.
  • WaySlay is an on-demand delivery app for Black haircare and cosmetics created by Miami-based Michael James and Ian Grant II to deliver beauty supplies directly to consumers’ doorsteps.
  • WITH, led by co-founder Amy Lattimore in Atlanta, is a wellness education platform designed to help employees learn how to care for themselves and others. Through live and on-demand sessions, WITH makes holistic wellness accessible for employees.

 

Bank of America Hikes Average Hourly Pay To $21 And Plans To Raise It To $25 By 2025
by Jeffrey McKinney

October 7, 2021

Bank of America Hikes Average Hourly Pay To $21 And Plans To Raise It To $25 By 2025

Bank of America Corp. is lifting its minimum hourly wage to $21 and plans to raise it to $25 by 2025.

A shortfall of workers and challenges in hiring people and keeping existing employees amid COVID-19 has led many U.S. businesses in various industries to hike their minimum wage over the past several months.

In the last four years, Bank of America boosted the minimum hourly pay to $15 in 2017 and $17 in 2019. The nation’s second-largest bank increased it to $20 in 2020, one year ahead of schedule.

“Our company’s focus on responsible growth requires that we provide a great place to work,” Sheri Bronstein, Bank of America’s chief human resources officer, stated. “We make broad-ranging investments to attract and develop talented teammates who serve our clients and local communities every day, and who can build long, successful careers with our company. Today, we are taking another step forward, again increasing our minimum rate of pay for U.S. employees, demonstrating our commitment to sharing our success with teammates, and inspiring others to do the same.”

Plus, the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank requires its U.S. vendors to pay their workers who are dedicated to the bank’s business at least $15 an hour. The bank initially talked about a $25-per-hour rate in May.

“It costs us a few hundred million dollars a year … but it’s an investment,” the bank’s CEO Brian Moynihan told CNN at the time.

In general, wages for workers climbed in April as some employers appeared to increase pay to attract or retain employees, The Wall Street Journal reported. Average hourly earnings for private-sector employees rose by 21 cents to $30.17 in April.

In September, Amazon announced it would hire 125,000 more workers in hundreds of cities and towns across the United States. The massive online retailer also plans to boost average starting U.S. pay to over $18 hourly for warehouse and transportation workers, a company executive told Reuters.

According to CNBC, dozens of companies, like Walmart and Target, now offer perks like education benefits, higher pay, and sign-on bonuses to attract workers.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 7, 2021

18 Ex-NBA Players Arrested In $4 Million NBA Insurance Fraud Scam Including Big Baby, Sebastian Telfair & Shannon Brown

Eighteen former NBA players have been brought up on charges t for allegedly running a healthcare fraud scheme from 2017 to 2020, CBS Sports reports.

According to an indictment unsealed in the Southern District in New York on Thursday, nearly two dozen former NBA players were charged for their alleged involvement in a $4 million health insurance fraud scheme that aimed to rip off the league’s health and wellness benefits plan for retired players.

Among the list of former players involved in the scam include 2009 NBA Draft pick Terrence Williams, former NBA champions Tony Allen, Glen “Big Baby” Davis, Shannon Brown, and Melvin Ely.

The NBA alums are accused of submitting false insurance claims to get reimbursed for medical or dental services that they never actually received. The claims total $4 million, with the defendants in the case each receiving about $2.5 million in reimbursements.

The fake invoices and medical necessity forms had glaring mistakes that stood out because “they are not on letterhead, they contain unusual formatting, they have grammatical errors,” according to the indictment.

Williams is accused of being a ringleader in the scam and orchestrating the plan by recruiting other participants to join and providing fake invoices to support their phony insurance claims. Williams is also accused of drafting fake medical letters and impersonating a plan claim processor. The former NJ Nets player reportedly received at least $230,000 in payments from 10 other players for his services.

The former NBA players are charged with a count of conspiracy to commit healthcare and wire fraud, along with aggravated identity theft.

The complete list of former players involved include:

  • Milt Palacio, Sebastian Telfair, Antoine Wright, Charles Watson, Darius Miles, Ruben Patterson, Eddie Robinson, Gregory Smith, Glen Davis, Jamario Moon, Terrence Williams, Alan Anderson, Tony Allen, Shannon Brown, William Bynum, Melvin Ely, Christopher Douglas-Roberts, Tony Wroten.

In addition to the 18 former NBA players, Tony Allen’s wife, Desiree Allen, was also charged.

‘Black Panther’ Actress Letitia Wright Reportedly Fired Her U.S. PR Team After Receiving Backlash Over Her COVID Vaccine Stance
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 7, 2021

‘Black Panther’ Actress Letitia Wright Reportedly Fired Her U.S. PR Team After Receiving Backlash Over Her COVID Vaccine Stance

Despite playing a scientist in Black Panther, actress Letitia Wright is under fire for her stance on the COVID-19 vaccine.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, new details claim Wright fired her U.S. public relations team after she faced backlash for the skepticism she expressed over COVID-19 vaccines. In December 2020, Wright made headlines after posting a video that questioned the vaccines.

But a new report from The Hollywood Reporter reveals that Wright has continued her anti-vaccine stance on the set of Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.

The reveal comes as Disney, the studio behind the Black Panther franchise, will begin enforcing its vaccination mandate “in a return-to-work agreement between AMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) and Hollywood’s unions.”

Last year, Wright apologized for sharing the video after initially saying, “If you don’t conform to popular opinions but ask questions and think for yourself….you get canceled.”

The controversial video also included climate change skepticism and transphobic comments, as noted by Variety. Wright was labeled as an anti-vaxxer but seemingly apologized once the heat got too thick.

“My intention was not to hurt anyone,” she said in a tweet captured by Indie Wire. “My only intention of posting the video was it raised my concerns with what the vaccine contains and what we are putting in our bodies. Nothing else.”

Now Wright has become a trending topic, with many making a mockery of her anti-vax stance.

https://twitter.com/thegates0fmel/status/1445797811065217030?s=20

Bali to Release Chicago Woman Who Helped Boyfriend Kill Her Mother and Stuff Her in Suitcase
by Ashantai Hathaway

October 7, 2021

Bali to Release Chicago Woman Who Helped Boyfriend Kill Her Mother and Stuff Her in Suitcase

Authorities in Indonesia say they will release a Chicago woman who helped her boyfriend murder her mother and stuff her in a suitcase at an Indonesian resort in Bali in 2014.

According to Lili, the Kerobokan Female Prison chief, Heather Mack, who was 18 when she was arrested, is set to be released and deported to the United States on Oct. 29.

Police arrested and convicted Mack after finding Sheila von Wiese-Mack’s body in the trunk of a taxi parked near the St. Regis Bali Resort. Mack has served 10 years in prison.

Heather Mack and her mother (Twitter)

“She has shown to be a good person, she was entitled to the sentence reduction,” said Lili, who goes by a single name. “She looked happy when she learned this … and began to pack up excitedly.”

Mack and her then-boyfriend, Tommy Schaefer, were detained in August 2014 and convicted in April 2015. Schafer received an 18-year sentence.

Before being convicted, Mack gave birth to her and Schaefer’s daughter, Stella Schaefer.

In 2016, Robert Bibbs, a cousin of Schaefer, pleaded guilty to helping to plan the killing in exchange for $50,000 that Mack was expected to inherit. He was sentenced to nine years in prison.

Heather Mack and Family (Facebook)

Upon her release, under Indonesian law, Mack can be reunited with her daughter, who is now 6.

But her Indonesian attorney, Yulius Benyamin Seran, said that Mack, who has not seen the little girl for about 20 months because authorities halted prison visits during the coronavirus pandemic, asked Indonesian authorities to let the girl remain with her foster family to avoid media attention.

In August, Mack told The Post that she was “fearful and nervous of returning to Chicago.”

“I’m not worried about the idea that people cannot understand the tragedy for my sake. But I’m nervous for Stella. I’m scared that if she comes back to the States with me, she will be exposed to what happened,” she said.

Under Indonesian law, a deported foreigner is denied entry to Indonesia for up to a maximum of six months.

Yara Shahidi Partners with Dell XPS to Become Latest Brand Ambassador
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 7, 2021

Yara Shahidi Partners with Dell XPS to Become Latest Brand Ambassador

Black-ish actress Yara Shahidi is expanding her universe by trying to help ‘Expand Your YOUniverse.’

Dell Technologies recently announced they have tapped Shahidi as its latest brand ambassador. The technology company has entered into a multiyear collaboration with the creative entrepreneur, actor, producer, and advocate to inspire Gen Z to use technology to drive their passions.

“Technology has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. It’s something that touches nearly every aspect of our lives and has the power to make meaningful impact,” said Shahidi in a written statement. “My work with Dell XPS is incredibly special to me because we are mobilizing my generation to use technology to make space for their unique stories and voices.”

In addition to her role as a brand ambassador, Shahidi will bring her passion for representing diverse, young leaders to the Dell XPS brand. She is on board to recommend ideas on inclusive creative campaigns and curate forthcoming collaborations.

The newest Dell XPS creative campaign features Shahidi and Quannah Chasinghorse and musical group Aint Afraid. The campaign, titled ‘Expand Your YOUniverse,’ will assist in amplifying leading Gen Z voices. The collaboration between Shahidi and Dell XPS will attempt to carry out the mission to inspire the next generation of changemakers through current technology.

“Yara’s advocacy and passion for technology deeply aligns with Dell’s commitment to affect positive change in this world,” said Liz Matthews, senior vice president of Global Brand and Creative at Dell Technologies. “At the heart of this collaboration is a shared mission to empower the next generation of changemakers to use technology to shape a better tomorrow.”

The actress and entrepreneur and Dell XPS will also be partners with Ghetto Film School (GFS), an award-winning nonprofit founded to educate, develop, and celebrate the next generation of storytellers.

Ghetto Film School announced on Twitter that Shahidi is among four honorees for the GFS Fall Benefit, including Jerelyn Rodriguez, Tiffany R. Warren, and Chloé Zhao.

Black Writer Wins Nobel Prize In Literature For First Time Since 1993
by Derek Major

October 7, 2021

Black Writer Wins Nobel Prize In Literature For First Time Since 1993

Novelist Abdulrazak Gurnah has become the first Black writer to win the Nobel Prize in literature since 1993, the Swedish Academy announced Thursday.

Gurnah, who was born in Zanzibar and has written 10 novels, was recognized by the Nobel Prize judges, “For his uncompromising and compassionate penetration of the effects of colonialism and the fate of the refugee in the gulf between cultures and continents.”

Gurnah will receive $1 million in prize money for the award. The writer formerly worked at the University of Kent in England, where he taught English and postcolonial literature.

“I think it’s just brilliant and wonderful,” Gurnah told Reuters when asked how he felt to win the prize. “I am very grateful to the Swedish Academy for nominating me and my work. It’s just great— it’s just a big prize, and such a huge list of wonderful writers—I am still taking it in. It was such a complete surprise that I really had to wait until I heard it announced before I could believe it.”

Gurnah’s win may signal the beginning of change for the Nobel Prize, which has often been criticized for selecting male, Eurocentric writers.

According to NPR, in the Nobel Prize’s 120-year history, only 16 women have won the prize in literature. Gurnah is the fourth African-born writer to win the Nobel Prize, joining Wole Soyinka, Naguib Mahfouz, Nadine Gordimer, and J.M. Coetzee. The last Black person to win the award was Toni Morrison, who wrote Beloved and Tar Baby.

The Academy’s Nobel Committee Chair, Anders Olsson, told The New Republic in a recent interview they will begin to increase the diversity of their candidates, adding the Academy plans on having experts in language areas the committee doesn’t have a “deep competence” in.

“It was very Eurocentric in the first part of the twentieth century, and very few women won, as you say,” Olsson said. “But now, in recent times, I think there has been a considerable shift. In the last 20 years, seven women have received the prize. We are on the move forward, in the right direction.”

The prize also went through some controversy in 2018 after an Academy member’s husband, Jean-Claude Arnault, was accused of sexual misconduct and leaking information on the prize. He would later be sentenced to two years in prison for rape.

Other Nobel Prize winners include David Julius and Ardem Patapoutian (medicine), Benjamin List and David Macmillan (Chemistry), and Syukuro Manabe and Klaus Hasselmann split the prize for physics. The Nobel Peace Prize will be announced next week.

 

Nick Cannon Could Be In The Running to Take Wendy Williams’ Talk Show Time Slot
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 7, 2021

Nick Cannon Could Be In The Running to Take Wendy Williams’ Talk Show Time Slot

There may be a changing of the guard in the land of morning talk shows!

According to Page Six, there is a real possibility that multitalented personality and entrepreneur Nick Cannon could be given The Wendy Williams Show’s time slot, given that Wendy Williams is still on the mend and the show must go on.

According to the outlet, network executives are seriously considering giving Cannon the slot after the start date to the new season for Williams’ show has been pushed back several times.

A source told Page Six that, “The executives have been talking. They are keeping a close eye on [Williams’] recovery and hoping for the best. But they have pushed back [her] show premiere several times, so they are already thinking of a backup plan. It would not be a far stretch for Nick to take her time slot… Debmar-Mercury [which produces both shows] is really pushing to make Nick Cannon’s show a huge success. He already has a major platform, and a huge fanbase, so it is an easy win. So, if Wendy’s show ends up being a no-go, their backup plan is already set.”

After postponing the season premiere of The Wendy Williams Show twice, a recent post on The Wendy Williams Show’s Instagram account announced that the show’s upcoming season debut will be postponed for a third time due to “some ongoing medical issues” suffered by the show’s host.

Williams would not be returning with the previously announced start date for the new season on Oct. 4. She continues to be under a doctor’s care, thereby reportedly still not ready to return to work. The expected start date was pushed back to Oct. 18. Williams also reportedly had COVID, but she has since recovered.

The daytime talk show, titled Nick Cannon, is already airing.

New Jersey Judge Sentences Killer Who Lured Women on Dating Apps to 160 Years in Prison
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 7, 2021

New Jersey Judge Sentences Killer Who Lured Women on Dating Apps to 160 Years in Prison

A man who killed unsuspecting victims that he lured through dating apps has been sentenced to over 150 years in prison.

According to The Associated Press, convicted serial killer Khalil Wheeler-Weaver will be spending the remainder of his natural life in jail after a New Jersey judge gave him a sentence of 160 years in prison.

Khalil Wheeler-Weaver
(Image: Twitter)

Wheeler-Weaver was convicted Wednesday of going on a killing spree that ended with three women dead. He was indicted nearly four years ago on three counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, including kidnapping, aggravated arson, and desecration of human remains charges.

Five years ago, the convicted killer used dating apps to lure and then kill three women. At a state court in Newark, New Jersey, the 25-year-old Wheeler-Weaver denied committing the heinous crimes when he addressed Superior Court Judge Mark S. Ali, insisting that he was framed for the killings. He had no emotion when the judge sentenced him to 160 years in prison.

NorthJersey.com reported that Superior Court Judge Ali stated, “The purpose of this sentence is that this defendant never walks free in society again.”

Wheeler-Weaver, who has been jailed in Essex County since he was arrested for the crimes in December 2016, will be eligible for parole after 140 years.

There were four known victims. One of them, Tiffany Taylor, was able to escape and testified in the trial. She also spoke at Wednesday’s sentencing and described how the attack changed how she lives.

“My whole life is different; I don’t wear makeup anymore; I don’t have friends. I’m always paranoid. But I’m happy to still be here,” she said to the court before telling the judge, “I hope you don’t show him any remorse because he’s not showing any remorse.”

Three other women did not survive his attacks: Sarah Butler of Montclair, New Jersey; Joanne Brown of Newark, New Jersey; and Robin West of Philadelphia.

Prosecutors introduced evidence at the trial that Wheeler-Weaver had lured his victims through the use of dating apps. He had sex with the women and then strangled them. The victims’ bodies were found between September and December 2016 in northern New Jersey. Evidence was also provided from Wheeler-Weaver’s cellphone that placed him where the victims had disappeared and where their bodies were discovered.

Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Adam Wells stated at the sentencing that the killings were separated by weeks which gave Wheeler-Weaver a chance to ponder his actions before killing again.

The National Black Justice Coalition Asks Netflix To Pull Dave Chappelle’s The Closer
by Derek Major

October 7, 2021

The National Black Justice Coalition Asks Netflix To Pull Dave Chappelle’s The Closer

Dave Chappelle’s new stand-up special, The Closer, is drawing a wave of criticism, and two organizations have asked Netflix to pull it off their app.

The Closer premiered Tuesday and is the fifth and final installment in a series of five stand-up specials by Chappelle for Netflix. In it, the comedian talks about the trans community, defends the rapper DaBaby and Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling, and calls out white LGBTQ members who pretend to be oppressed but hide behind their whiteness when it’s convenient.

In a statement on Twitter, GLAAD expressed disappointment in Chappelle’s jokes adding, “Chappelle’s brand has become synonymous with ridiculing trans people and other marginalized communities.”

The National Black Justice Coalition called Chappelle’s special “lazy and hostile transphobia and homophobia” and is calling on Netflix to pull the special from the app.

“With 2021 on track to be the deadliest year on record for transgender people in the United States—the majority of whom are Black transgender people—Netflix should know better. Perpetuating transphobia perpetuates violence,” David Johns, executive director of the National Black Justice Coalition, said in a statement.

“Netflix should immediately pull The Closer from its platform and directly apologize to the transgender community.”

Others on social media have also called out the comedian for his jokes. However, the special is also praised by Chappelle fans for his honesty and unusual outlook on subjects such as the ‘Me Too’ movement.

Toward the end of The Closer, Chappelle references a trans comedian, Daphne Dorman, who he credited for defending him after his 2019 special Sticks & Stones. Dorman passed away soon after defending Chappelle.

“I don’t know what the trans community did for her,” Chappelle said. “But I don’t care because I feel like she wasn’t their tribe. She was mine. She was a comedian in her soul.”

Two of Dorman’s sisters defended Chappelle’s special, saying they were outraged at the suggestion the comedian’s set was transphobic or derogatory.

“Daphne was in awe of Dave’s graciousness,” Dorman’s sister Becky wrote to the Daily Beast. “She did not find his jokes rude, crude, off-coloring, off-putting, anything. She thought his jokes were funny. Daphne understood humor and comedy—she was not offended. Why would her family be offended?”

“Dave loved my sister and is an LGBTQ ally,” Dorman’s younger sister Brandy added. “His entire set was begging to end this very situation.”

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