Kansas City High School Hires Race Expert After ‘Reinstate Slavery’ Petition Sparks Backlash
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 30, 2021

Kansas City High School Hires Race Expert After ‘Reinstate Slavery’ Petition Sparks Backlash

A grim history of racist incidents has led one Kansas City high school to hire an expert for assistance.

Parents at Park Hill South High School are outraged by a petition to reinstate slavery, PBS reports. It was the latest in a series of racist incidents plaguing the school.

On Sept. 22, parents received an email from Superintendent Jeanette Cowherd acknowledging that many people are “hurting” because of “unacceptable and racist statements online.”

The email statement noted that the Board of Education “prohibits discrimination, harassment and retaliation” and that those involved would be subject to “suspension or expulsion.” Cowherd also said a meeting would be held to “give people the opportunity to share how they feel.”

But parents at the school are outraged and believe the district isn’t doing enough to combat the blatant racism in their local schools.

“I have a disheartening feeling about the incident that happened at Park Hill South. I don’t feel like it was addressed properly or at all,” parent Jeff Holmes said at a Park Hill school board meeting last Thursday. “I’ve heard all of the nice, kind words and I guess that they are OK, they are what they are but they are meaningless, hollow, and insincere if we don’t see action.”

As a result, the school has decided to hire an expert to help create a “plan of action” to combat racism, Kansas City Star reports.

In a video released on Monday, Cowherd said the school spent years trying to improve the “culturally relevant education, access, and inclusion” at the school but the pro-slavery petition “made it clear that we must speed up our efforts.”

“We will face this challenge ahead of us head on, and we appreciate the support of our community as we work to make our schools safe and welcoming for each member of our Park Hill district family,” Cowherd said.

The incident comes amid backlash over another Kansas City high school just a few miles away that made media headlines after one white student asked another to homecoming using a racist sign.

Georgia Man Finds Corpse on Porch After Two Dogs Killed Suspected Intruder
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 30, 2021

Georgia Man Finds Corpse on Porch After Two Dogs Killed Suspected Intruder

A dead man’s body was discovered on the porch of a Georgia homeowner after the man was reportedly mauled by two dogs after it was found that he was an intruder.

According to Law and Crime, two dogs killed a man who was an alleged intruder last week at a home in Georgia. The body of a dead man had been discovered on the homeowner’s porch after the suspected mauling incident.

Police officials suspect that the dead man, Alex Binyam Abraha, 21, had broken into the two-bedroom Georgia home that is located in a rural area of Newnan, Ga. last week on Sept. 24.

Fox 5 Atlanta reported that investigators are thinking that a possible intruder broke into the home that is located in Coweta County and ended up getting mauled to death by the homeowner’s dogs. They say that the owner of the house returned to the home on Friday morning and discovered the dead man on his front porch.

An autopsy was performed and it was confirmed that the cause of death was related to a dog attack. Based on the evidence found, the investigators speculate that the man had been inside the home where the dogs were located, but he ended up dying outside the home.

Coweta County Sheriff’s Office deputies appeared at the home sometime after 10:30 a.m. after getting a report of a dead man on the property. It has also been reported that the two dogs that killed the man were taken by police officials at the start of their initial investigation. The dogs are currently in the custody of Coweta County Animal Services, which operates under the auspices of the county’s Department of Corrections.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 30, 2021

Former NFL Player Wale Ogunleye Teaches Wealth Management to Current Athletes

After playing in the NFL for 11 years and noting the money mistakes he made, Wale Ogunleye is now giving back by teaching financial literacy to current athletes and entertainers.

The former defensive end knew that he needed something to fall back on once his NFL career was over. That’s why after leaving the league, Ogunleye decided to get his MBA from George Washington University School of Business, Afro Tech reports.

While studying, Ogunleye realized that he could help reverse the damage many athletes and entertainers cause themselves by not understanding how to manage their finances properly. His interest in wealth management landed him a role as the Head of Sports and Entertainment at global financial services company UBS.

“I realized that there were some gaps that I feel like the financial institutions had when it came to providing the best service for entertainers,” Ogunleye said.

“It was about five or six years ago we had just started talking about how UBS could help change the status quo of the way we look at athletes and entertainers and this was the genesis of me starting at UBS.”

With his background in sports and a passion for proper money management, Ogunleye says his transition from pro athlete to financial planner was “seamless.”

“It’s just basic tools, suggestions, and ideas around money,” Ogunleye explained. “Things that we hope these young women and men are not only able to practice themselves, but to take back home to whoever helped raise them and provide them with these resources and give them to their communities that they come from.”

Now helping others build a legacy for future generations, the NFL veteran has hopes of expanding his reach and helping as many people as he can.

“We’re just going to continue to find connections and partnerships that are meaningful,” he said. “Not just glitz and glamour, but something of substance behind everything we do.”

‘Ongoing Medical Issues’ Delays the ‘Wendy Williams Show’s Season Premiere
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 30, 2021

‘Ongoing Medical Issues’ Delays the ‘Wendy Williams Show’s Season Premiere

It was recently announced that talk show host Wendy Williams will be back on air later than anticipated.

According to a recent post on The Wendy Williams Show’s Instagram account, 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.

“Wendy will not be returning with new shows on Oct. 4. She has been and continues to be under a doctor’s care and is still not ready to return to work. We plan to return with new shows on Oct. 18. Her breakthrough COVID case is no longer an issue, and she has tested negative, but she is still dealing with some ongoing medical issues.”

 

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A post shared by Wendy Williams (@wendyshow)

Over two weeks ago, it was revealed on the show’s official Instagram account that Williams had tested positive for COVID-19.

TMZ also revealed that Williams voluntarily admitted herself into an NYC hospital for a psych evaluation. The hospitalization came after the talk show host’s COVID diagnosis was confirmed. Her brother, Tommy Williams, gave her fans an update on his sister’s condition letting her supporters know she’s pushing through.

According to The Sun, an insider implied that the 57-year-old Wendy Williams Show host had also indulged in alcohol before being admitted to a hospital on Sept. 14.

Williams was gearing up to host a new season of her popular daytime talk show before falling ill. She has been transparent about her struggles with drug abuse and ailments like Graves disease, dating back to 1999.

In 2017, Williams infamously passed out during the show’s Halloween episode. That incident was later attributed to dehydration.

Around the time she was going through a highly publicized divorce from her husband of 20 years, Williams admitted herself into a sober house and admitted it on her show.

Anti-Racist Author Ibram X. Kendi & Art Historian Nicole Fleetwood Among 2021 MacArthur Genius Grant Winners
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 30, 2021

Anti-Racist Author Ibram X. Kendi & Art Historian Nicole Fleetwood Among 2021 MacArthur Genius Grant Winners

The MacArthur Foundation announced the recipients of the 2021 Genius Grants, and a slew of creative social justice warriors made the list.

Each fellow is awarded $625,000 that gets paid out over five years, the company website states. The grants come with no-strings-attached, meaning the recipients can spend it however they see fit. The foundation has awarded the grant to 1,061 people since its inception in 1981.

“As we emerge from the shadows of the past two years, this class of 25 Fellows helps us reimagine what’s possible,” Cecilia Conrad, managing director of the MacArthur Fellows, said, as noted by CNN.

“They demonstrate that creativity has no boundaries. It happens in all fields of endeavor, among the relatively young and more seasoned, in Iowa and Puerto Rico.”

The recipients include How to Be an Antiracist author Ibram X. Kendi. Thrust into the spotlight following the release of his 2019 book that came ahead of the heightened racial tension that plagued the country last year, Kendi’s work garnered him a spot on Time magazine’s “100 Most Influential People of 2020.”

“Being named a 2021 #MacFellow is tremendous! Thank you to @macfound and my peers for this honor — for recognizing and supporting the work to create a just and equitable society,” Kendi said on Twitter. “Feeling encouraged, excited, stunned, thankful. So many feelings! … It is the honor of a lifetime to join this illustrious community.”

Art historian and curator Nicole Fleetwood is also among the MacArthur fellows. NPR reports that her groundbreaking museum exhibition, “Marking Time,” collected artwork made by incarcerated people serving time in prison.

Florida-based civil rights activist Desmond Meade also made the list for his work to restore voting rights to formerly incarcerated citizens.

“This is an amazing honor that I didn’t see coming, but now that it’s here, I hope that this recognition serves as an example of what can happen when one is committed to making our society better,” Meade tweeted.

The Caucasity! Black Twitter Drags Ellen Pompeo For Bragging About Her Argument With Denzel Washington
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 30, 2021

The Caucasity! Black Twitter Drags Ellen Pompeo For Bragging About Her Argument With Denzel Washington

Actress Ellen Pompeo is on the receiving end of Black Twitter’s wrath after the Grey’s Anatomy star had the audacity (caucasity) to seemingly boast about the argument she had with the one and only Denzel Washington.

While speaking on her podcast Tell Me With Ellen Pompeo, she recalled a heated exchange she got into with Washington when he directed an episode of Grey’s Anatomy, Newsweek reports.

During the season 12 episode, Pompeo went off-script to tell another actor what they should do to strengthen the scene in her opinion. But the Oscar Award-winning actor/director Washington wasn’t here for Pompeo’s interjection.

“Look at me when you apologize—look at me!'” Pompeo recalled shouting at her co-star. But Washington stopped rolling to intervene.

“That wasn’t in the dialogue and Denzel went ham on my a**,” Pompeo said. “He was like, ‘I’m the director. Don’t you tell him what to do.'”

But offended by Washington’s criticism of her performance, Pompeo let those true colors shine through.

“I was like, ‘Listen, motherf*****, this is my show. This is my set. Who are you telling? You barely even know where the bathroom is,” she said. “Denzel’s a movie star, right? He doesn’t know s*** about directing TV.”

However, once Black Twitter caught wind of the interview, they let Pompeo have it in the name of Coach Carter, Malcolm X, and Aunty Pauletta Washington.

“The tl eating ellen pompeo up and i can’t defend her this time bc she was wrong and why you telling us the story unprovoked like it’s tea,” one person said.

“Marrying someone Black does not give you a Pass. Having bi-racial kids does not make you know the experience. You are still YOU. This tweet is for Ellen Pompeo,” added someone else.

https://twitter.com/xoraveen/status/1443392752637595652?s=20

While Pompeo likely told the story to bring attention to her new podcast, she got a hard lesson on what can happen when you rub Black Twitter the wrong way.

Democrats Struggle To Line Up Support For Biden’s Infrastructure As Infighting Continues
by Derek Major

September 30, 2021

Democrats Struggle To Line Up Support For Biden’s Infrastructure As Infighting Continues

Reuters – President Joe Biden’s domestic policy agenda appeared to be at risk in the U.S. Congress on Thursday, as his fellow Democrats struggled to line up support for a plan to double spending on roads, bridges and other infrastructure.

The No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives had a one-word answer when reporters asked if he was confident the $1 trillion bill would pass in a vote scheduled later in the day.

“Nope,” said Representative Steny Hoyer.

Failure would be a stinging setback for Biden. The infrastructure legislation has already passed the Senate with Republican and Democratic support. But it could fall victim to an impasse between Democratic moderates and progressives over a multitrillion-dollar bill that would bolster social services and tackle climate change.

Lawmakers on the party’s left flank have said they will not vote for the infrastructure bill unless they feel certain their priorities will be reflected in the social-spending bill.

Senator Joe Manchin, a key Democratic moderate with the power to block legislation in the Senate, said on Thursday that bill should cost no more than $1.5 trillion – far lower than the $3.5 trillion price tag floated by Biden.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had earlier promised moderates a vote on the smaller $1 trillion infrastructure bill this week, predicted the party would ultimately resolve its differences on both pieces of legislation.

“We are in a good place right now. We are making progress,” Pelosi said at a news conference. But she declined to say whether it would pass.

With razor-thin majorities in Congress, Democrats cannot afford to lose many votes if they want to pass their agenda. And they are unlikely to win much support from House Republicans eager to take back the majority in the 2022 midterm elections.

Meanwhile, Congress was poised to approve new government funding through Dec. 3, which would head off the risk of a partial government shutdown when current funding expires at midnight. Both the House and the Senate were expected to pass the temporary funding bill by that deadline.

Republican leaders in both chambers said they would support that legislation.

Besides keeping government operations running, the stopgap spending bill would provide aid for communities hard hit by hurricanes, wildfires and other natural disasters. Money to help Afghan refugees is included as well.

Manchin’s proposed price tag of $1.5 trillion was sure to rile progressives, who initially proposed $6 trillion in new spending. On Thursday, he said the bill should also help natural-gas producers, who have a large presence in his home state of West Virginia. Environmentalists have said natural gas is not a long-term energy solution.

Manchin also said lawmakers should first sort out what taxes are needed to cover the cost of new spending. He said the differences could take weeks to resolve.

Another Democratic moderate, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, has met with Biden multiple times to discuss the bill but has not publicly said how large she thinks it should be or what it should look like.

(Reporting by David Morgan, Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; additional reporting by Jarrett Renshaw and Chris Kahn; writing by Andy Sullivan; editing by Scott Malone, Cynthia Osterman and Jonathan Oatis)

by Seimond London

September 30, 2021

The Ultimate Road Trip: Powered by the 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, the Anderson Family Comes Home

The Ultimate Road Trip

“Inspired by Nissan Pathfinder, writer Chris Atwell has written a series about the fictional Anderson Family and imagined the adventures they might have on a summer road trip with Pathfinder. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this article are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, or entities is intended or should be inferred.”

_____________________________________________________________________ 

Home 

The Andersons are coming home. After weeks of seeking adventure and making memories in their all-new 2022 Nissan Pathfinder, this family of intrepid travelers is heading back to Brooklyn. They’re short one family member; eldest daughter Malena disembarked for college mid-road trip to start her freshman year. But Darryl, Denise, Zane, and Janae, are enjoying the last hours of their Pathfinder journey. Darryl reflects and looks ahead.

Our family road trip took months to plan. It’s hard to believe that it’s nearly over!

When the family climbed into the Pathfinder this morning, everyone was feeling good about where we’d been the past three weeks. We covered hundreds of miles and got to do so many things we’d talked about for so long–many for the first time.

We hiked peaks in upstate New York and Tennessee, visited family down in the Sea Islands of South Carolina, and Denise and I even found private time to explore Virginia Beach on horseback.

The kids got to take a hot-air balloon ride over Virginia’s Blue Mountains–they’ll talk about that for a long time–and I was so happy we were able to take Malena to her freshman orientation. We’re so proud of her. And you know I was thrilled to get my fishing time in, first with Zane in a father-son excursion to Susquehanna River near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and again with yesterday’s full-family trip to Delaware Bay in the boat we just bought.

Yeah, that purchase was a little impulsive, but worth it. And since the Pathfinder has more than enough hauling capacity to handle the 25-foot sailboat, I figured now was as good a time as any to take the plunge. Once we’re back home, I look forward to hopping in the Pathfinder and taking the boat to Sheepshead Bay and Long Island for some serious weekend fishing.

You know, it’s one thing to dream and talk about doing things you want to do. In so many ways, acquiring the Nissan Pathfinder was the catalyst that allowed us to turn that talk into action.

Think about it. You’ve got a family vehicle that’s rugged enough to manage serious miles worth of driving time, changing weather, and all kinds of terrain. The interior is luxe and comfortable, and spacious enough for a family over long trips. Even our dog, Juno, had her lounge space. And finally, you’ve got all the latest driver-assist tech–Head-Up display, Intelligent Navigation, 360-view Safety Shield–it’s a lengthy list!

With that level of performance and support, Denise and I had the flexibility to plan big for this ultimate road trip. Everything was on the table, and we made the most of it. When we took the Pathfinder across the Brooklyn Bridge this evening, we closed the book on a remarkable family adventure. It feels good to be home.

Denise, of course, is already planning our next trip!

 

 

Nick Cannon Steps Up To Erase Tens of Thousands of Dollars of Debt For Seven HBCU Students
by Jeffrey McKinney

September 30, 2021

Nick Cannon Steps Up To Erase Tens of Thousands of Dollars of Debt For Seven HBCU Students

Displaying a generous touch of goodwill, entertainer Nick Cannon has committed to erasing tens of thousands of dollars of debt for seven students at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The comedian and entrepreneur surprisingly announced the philanthropic action on The Nick Cannon Show. He pledged to pay the students’ outstanding debt with the assistance of a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund.

On his nationally syndicated talk show Monday, MSN reported, the students Cannon hosted were from Saint Augustine’s University, North Carolina A&T University, Winston-Salem State University, and other HBCUs.

They talked about the hardship they endured and their desire to attend college, precisely an HBCU.

“Once you earn your college degree, we’re wiping out your personal student debt — every single penny,” Cannon stated.

(Image: Photo Credit: Rich Fury)

An alumnus of Howard University, Cannon said those institutions have “played a pivotal role in developing the brightest minds and influencers of our time.”

A senior at Saint Augustine’s University, Mackenzie Estrep, is a first-generation high school graduate and college student working three jobs to help pay tuition.

“Going away to college was so important to me coming from that low-income single-parent household,” Estrep stated on the show. “I spent so much of my time living in that toxic household, and it drained me of not knowing my purpose or my passions or even my potential.”

She declared she knew going to college would help her, and SAU gave her a chance. It costs about $26,000 a  year to attend the school. Estrep will have more than $34,000 in student loan debt by graduation.

A student at Winston-Salem State University, Sharandica Midcalf, shared she was homeless. She added a school counselor told her she didn’t have the GPA to get into college. Someone telling her she wouldn’t go to college motivated her to succeed at WSSU as a first-generation college student.

“It feels like the world is finally going to see the person I’ve been my whole life,” Midcalf said on the show. “To prove that I’m not dumb, I’m not stupid; I’m educated.”

Shaw University, St. Augustine’s, and other HBCUs offered financial relief to graduates and returning students this year by clearing balances owed in tuition, fees, and fines. According to data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Black college graduates owe an average of $52,000 in student loan debt. That is roughly $25,000 more on average than for white graduates.

The seven HBCU students on the show each have between $34,000 and $120,000 in student debt, but they all expressed it’s worth it to get a college education and reach their career goals.

Report: Women Of Color Only Account For 4% of C-Suite Positions, While White Men And Women Succeed Them
by Jeffrey McKinney

September 30, 2021

Report: Women Of Color Only Account For 4% of C-Suite Positions, While White Men And Women Succeed Them

For many Black women, getting love from U.S. companies continues to be an ongoing battle.

More than a year after an increased focus on racial equity, diversity, and inclusion (DEI), corporate America is still failing women of color on vital issues such as job promotions and uplifting support.

The new Women in the Workplace report published by McKinsey & Co. and LeanIn.org reveals among its findings that job experiences are not improving for women of color. The 2021 report is based on data and insights from 423 companies representing over 12 million people and survey responses from over 65,000 individual employees.

Reportedly the largest study of its kind, the analysis points out some key trends since COVID-19 began. They include women overall are burned out and at risk of leaving the workforce. And while these women are stepping up as stronger leaders, including taking on more duties and helping advance workplace DEI, their efforts often go unrecognized.

The challenges are often different for Black women due to their race and gender. They are more likely to face bigger obstacles than their white male and women counterparts. The representation for women of color in the C-suite was 4%, versus a whopping 62% for white men. It was 20% for white women and 13% for men of color.

A Black woman senior manager and adult caregiver stated in the report:

“I’ve talked to white men who started off in the warehouse and now they’re at the VP level. I’ve also talked to a lot of Black and brown employees that have been here for 15 years and are at the same level they started at or they’re a little bit higher. But they’re nowhere near their white peers.”

Further, the report showed women of color face microaggressions that weaken them professionally — like being interrupted or having their judgment questioned — at higher levels than all women.

When compared to white women, Black women are more than three times as likely to hear people express surprise at their language skills or other abilities.

And women of color are by and large experiencing the same microaggressions, at similar frequencies, as they were two years ago. They are far more likely than white women to experience disrespect.

Some 17% of Black women have been confused with someone of the same race and ethnicity, compared to only 4% of white women. When it comes to others commenting on hair or appearance, 14% of Black women get those remarks versus 5% for white women.

A Black woman senior manager stated: “As a member of a minority, there’s additional stigma that I’ve had to face. When I would go to court to represent a client, people would constantly say, ‘Where’s your attorney? Where’s the attorney?’ They would assume that I was either an administrative assistant or a mail clerk, and that I couldn’t possibly be an attorney.”

The report surmised that women of color are still not getting adequate allyship from more privileged colleagues on the support front. Allyship can refer to actions, behaviors, and practices leaders take to advocate with others, particularly with people not belonging to the same social identity groups as themselves.

Though white employees recognize that speaking out against discrimination is critical, they are less likely to recognize the importance of more proactive, sustained steps like pressing for new opportunities for women of color and stepping up as mentors and sponsors.

The report includes commentary on the progress companies and employers have made for working women and offers suggestions on what can be done to conquer some of the lingering challenges.

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