• News

by Atiya Jordan

October 28, 2022

A Malawi University Nullifies Woman’s Degree After She Lights It On Fire In Viral Video

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Landing a job after college graduation is not always easy. But a young Malawian woman proved she had had enough and took her frustrations out on her degree certificate.

Exploits University in Lilongwe, Malawi, has completely nullified a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration awarded to its unemployed graduate, Bridget Thapwile Soko, for setting her certificate on fire in a viral TikTok video, according to Malawian news publication, Nyasa Times.

The footage, uploaded by Africa Facts Zone, shows Soko sitting by a fire while holding her degree to the burning flames. The post confirmed that the woman was upset about her struggles of gaining employment or even an interview following her academic achievement.

“Degree gone,” Soko can be heard saying in the video.

A university in Malawi has revoked a woman’s degree, after she burned her certificate on TikTok for not being able to get a job with the certificate. pic.twitter.com/7klDEE2RMG

— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) October 25, 2022

In response, social media users jumped to assumptions about clout chasing, claiming that Soko is now making money on TikTok.

Doing nonsense just to chase clout…….😔😔😔

— Olusolo (@RealOlusolo) October 25, 2022

On the other hand, Dr. Desmond W. Bikoko, the president of Exploits University, found Soko’s actions to be a “disgrace” to the university and sent a formal letter informing her of the revocation in consequence.

“We have learnt with disappointment that you recorded a video clip burning a degree that we awarded to you upon completion of your studies with Exploits University and posted to social media,” the letter reads.

“It is our interpretation that you did this to disgrace and tarnish the image of the university. The university is therefore revoking the degree of business administration awarded to you. Consequently, you are no longer a graduate of Exploits University and as such your degree certificate is invalidated with immediate effect,” the letter continued.

@upilemkulumba #bananarepublic ♬ original sound – Upile Mkulumba

While some people may not agree with Soko’s actions, they also expressed their contempt against the university for retaliation.

“Revoking an awarded degree is a serious matter that cannot be driven by emotions. This has been a big fail by the university if the letter is genuine,” said Facebook user Kondwani Chirembo, per Nyasa Times.

“This is not an honorary degree and what she has committed is not academic misconduct,” Francis Chiumia also shared on Facebook.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 28, 2022

Harlem Pastor and Major Political Force and Influential Figure Rev. Calvin Butts III Dies at 73

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Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts III, pastor of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church and one of New York City’s most prominent religious and community leaders, passed away on Friday at the age of 73.

The Baptist church sent out a tweet on Friday, confirming Butts’ passing with no cause of death given.

“It is with profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved pastor, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, lll, who peacefully transitioned in the early morning of October 28, 2022,” the church tweeted.

“The Butts Family & entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers.”

It is with profound sadness, we announce the passing of our beloved pastor, Reverend Dr. Calvin O. Butts, lll, who peacefully transitioned in the early morning of October 28, 2022. The Butts Family & entire Abyssinian Baptist Church membership solicit your prayers. pic.twitter.com/fBzJBoUe3v

— Abyssinian Baptist (@AbyssinianBC) October 28, 2022

Butts served as the senior pastor of Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church for more than 30 years and spent 50 years in the ministry, CBS News reports. He took on a more advocate role in the 1980s when he founded the Abyssinian Development Corp. to redevelop the areas surrounding the church.

Butts helped to establish retail and residential buildings as part of his mission to “rebuild Harlem, brick by brick, block by block.” His activism continued in the 1990s when he condemned what he referred to as the misogyny of rap music. In 1993, he infamously had a steamroller crush hundreds of rap CDs outside the church.

In 1995, Republican Gov. George Pataki appointed Butts to two state boards that controlled economic development grants to businesses in New York. That same year, Butts invited then-Cuban leader Fidel Castro to Abyssinian, where the communist leader received a warm welcome.

Butts’ activism and religious leadership also spanned across education with Butts having served as president of SUNY Old Westbury for more than two decades, from 1999 to 2020. The respected pastor presided over Cicley Tyson’s memorial service at Abyssinian last year which was attended by Bill and Hillary Clinton and Tyler Perry.

Rev. Al Sharpton remembered Butts as a major pillar in the Harlem community.

“He was a dominant faith and academic leader for decades,” Sharpton said in a statement.

“We knew each other for more than 40 years, and while we did not always agree we always came back together.”

Saddened to hear of the passing of Rev. Dr. Calvin Butts, a true treasure. He was an educator, and a Pastor of the highest level, he served both duties for decades. We found ourselves differing at times but we’d always come back together. pic.twitter.com/2Ba3olTXhO

— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) October 28, 2022

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 28, 2022

Former Saturday Night Live Comic Chris Redd Attacked Outside NYC Comedy Club

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Comedian Chris Redd, who recently left the cast of NBC‘s Saturday Night Live, was assaulted outside of a popular New York City comedy club.

According to TMZ, Redd was sucker-punched in the face earlier this week as he approached the venue he was scheduled to perform at that night. As the comic was getting out of his vehicle in front of the Comedy Cellar, a man dressed as a security guard attacked Redd.

The suspect hit him in the face and left him with a bloody nose before fleeing the scene. This took place on Wednesday around 9:40 p.m. Redd was rushed to Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, where he received treatment.

Police officers were reportedly on patrol in the area and were quickly on the scene after the attack.

Blood was on the sidewalk as a bystander took a video after the incident.

The Black Excellence was on full display at Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever premiere in Hollywood and BLACK ENTERPRISE was on the purple carpet to experience it all.

Courtesy of Mastercard’s support of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever and its Strivers Initiative, the company invited business owner Egypt Otis to experience the star-studded event and share how the initiative has helped amplify her Flint, Michigan-based Comma Bookstore & Social Hub.

Otis, who serves as the face of Mastercard’s Wakanda-inspired commercial that is airing nationwide, enjoyed high-vibrational moments with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars all while promoting her bookstore that aims to empower the Flint community through literacy, programming, and culture-focused events that enrich and impact their lives.

“It’s been an honor to be part of this strivers initiative,” Otis tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“I feel very fortunate to be given a platform that Mastercard has created to amplify the various needs of Black woman business owners.”

Otis shared how “empowered” she feels by the initiative that has allowed her the opportunity to serve a heroic role in Mastercard’s new Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever commercial and enjoy guest appearances on Jennifer Hudson’s new talk show.

“I feel very empowered and just grateful for the overall experience so that I can hopefully become an example of the wonderful things that Mastercard is doing with their Strivers Initiative,” Otis says.

BLACK ENTERPRISE saw firsthand all the acclaimed Black talent, who stopped to take photos and show their support to Otis and Mastercard’s Strivers Initiative—Angela Bassett, Tyler Perry, Winston Duke, Boris Kodjoe, and more. The stars were shining on the red carpet and stopped to share a moment with the Black business owner on the red carpet.

The night concluded with a special screening of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that was attended by the entire cast and superstar Rihanna who debuted her song “Lift Me Up,” which serves as the main score for the new film.

The film serves as a beautiful tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman and the introduction to Wakanda’s new beginnings in wake of King T’Challa’s passing.

Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is in theaters on November 11.

• Celebrity News

by Atiya Jordan

October 28, 2022

Take a Look: ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ World Premiere Invited Kings and Queens of Hollywood

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The world premiere of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was not only a proud tribute to the late Chadwick Boseman but the moment for stars and celebrities alike to serve looks like kings and queens.

On Wednesday, the highly-anticipated Black Panther sequel invited guests to a star-studded purple carpet at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles that was attended by BLACK ENTERPRISE. The movie is set to hit theaters Nov. 11, and yet Hollywood has already set the mood with these melanin-popping moments.

Some of the shining cast gathered for a legendary group photograph. Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta Mejía, Dominique Thorne, Michaela Coel, Alex Livinalli, and Mabel Cadena graced the purple carpet for a timeless capture.

Actress and pro-wrestler Janeshia Adams-Ginyard stepped onto the scene Wednesday night with a powerful tribute of Boseman painted on her back. A portrait of his face beamed as she completed the epic tribal look with full body paint and colorful braids.

Adams-Ginyard played a member of the Dora Milaje in the first Black Panther movie. Now her character will be called Nomble, according to People.

Boseman, who portrayed the iconic King T’Challa, battled colon cancer and died in 2020 at the age of 43.

Director Ryan Coogler dealt with the passing hard and couldn’t imagine making another Black Panther movie. But he stood strong and donned in an all-white pants suit at the premiere. He paired it with a necklace and pendant with Boseman’s face on it.

Rihanna may be busy, but not too busy to show out like she did on the purple carpet. Her boyfriend, A$AP Rocky, joined her in a color-matching ensemble and all smiles. The beauty mogul also graced the premiere to claim her vocal prowess on the Wakanda Forever soundtrack.

On Wednesday, Rihanna released a teaser of the song, titled “Lift Me Up,” which will be released by her own Westbury Road label in partnership with Roc Nation, Def Jam Recordings, and Hollywood Records, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.

Another head-turning moment included Michael B. Jordan‘s controversially bright yellow wide-legged pants suit. His presence dripped in confidence, although some people have voted against his stylist.

• Health and Wellness

by Derek Major

October 28, 2022

Pfizer Defends Minority Fellowship Program, Which Is Facing a Discrimination Lawsuit

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In the wake of a lawsuit, Pfizer is defending its minority fellowship program.

AOL reports the pharmaceutical giant urged a Manhattan federal judge to dismiss a request for an injunction against Pfizer filling its Breakthrough Fellowship Program’s 2023 class which enrolls Black, Hispanic, and Native American medical students. In a Tuesday night filing, Pfizer added the two-year program has helped historical discrimination and racism in the workplace as well as recruiting, retaining and promoting minorities in the medical industry.

The request for an injunction was filed by Do No Harm, a national association of medical professionals that, in an ironic twist, is arguing the program discriminates against white and Asian Americans.

Pfizer’s fellowship program aims to enroll 100 fellows by 2025 as part of a commitment to boost minority representation. Fellows in the program receive two years of full-time jobs, fully-funded master’s degrees and employment at Pfizer in New York after completing the program

“There exists a strong public policy in favor of voluntary affirmative action plans,” Pfizer said according to AOL. “At a minimum, the public interest favors preserving the status quo.”

In its complaint, Do No harm said Pfizer’s program was discriminatory on its face,” violating several civil rights laws and a federal ban on racial discrimination by companies that accept government healthcare reimbursements.

Pfizer said Do No harm lacked standing to sue and could not show irreparable harm.

The racism and discrimination against Black medical professionals spans generations and according to the Associated Press, even today, Black doctors across the U.S. commonly experience discrimination, ranging from microaggressions to career-threatening disciplinary actions. Additionally, bias, whether conscious or not, is magnified in the hospital environment and aids in the underrepresentation of Black doctors.

“Too many of us are worried about retaliation, what happens when you say something,” Dr. Rachel Villanueva, president of the National Medical Association (NMA), which represents Black doctors, told the AP. “We have scores of doctors that are sending us letters about these same discriminatory practices all the time and seeking our help as an association in fighting that.”

Even the NMA’s origins are the result of racism and discrimination as Black doctors were excluded from the American Medical Association (AMA) and were forced to start their own organization. In 2008, the AMA apologized for its history of racism.

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

October 28, 2022

Emory University Establishes First African American Studies Ph.D. Program at a Private University In The South

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Emory University, a private school in Georgia, has announced the rollout of a new African American studies  Ph.D. program that will be the first at a private university in the South.

According to a press release, the program is currently taking applications, and the first doctoral students are set to enroll next fall.

“I couldn’t be more excited or more proud that we are launching our African American studies Ph.D. program,” says Carla Freeman, interim dean of Emory College of Arts and Sciences.

“Our faculty have invested years of strategic planning, imagination, and bold ambition to develop the curriculum and recruit top scholar-teachers working across the humanities and social sciences in this vibrant interdisciplinary field.”

Emory University has a long history of promoting African American Studies. The private institution established the first undergraduate major in African American studies in 1971, making it the first university in the South with a degree-granting African American studies program.

Historian and Emory Professor of African American studies Carol Anderson has been a significant part of the effort to establish the program at Emory University, which has been in development for five years. Each student in the program will receive training in one of three fields: gender and sexuality, social justice and social justice movements, and expressive arts and culture.

“The Ph.D. program in African American studies is something that we have worked so hard for and is so necessary, given the situation where we are right now in terms of understanding the inequities in America, how we got here and how we get out,” Anderson said in a statement.

The program will feature 14 core faculty members and more than 40 affiliated faculty members, including scholars with research specializations in a litany of disciplines, including American studies, anthropology, art history, comparative literature, creative writing, educational studies, English, history, music, political science, religious studies, sociology and women’s, gender and sexuality studies. Emory’s faculty gives the program one of the nation’s largest graduate faculties of any African American studies Ph.D. program.

According to Dianne Stewart, a Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Religion and African American Studies and the interim chair of the department, the goal for the new Ph.D. program is “to translate our vision in such a way that would feature our program’s distinctiveness as well as its integral contributions to Emory’s Laney Graduate School and the wider landscape of African American studies Ph.D. programs across the nation.”

The program also plans to be cutting edge with faculty and students engaging in debates and conversation on current events, including the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement, the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, and what it means to be a public scholar.

• Health and Wellness

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 28, 2022

Stic of Dead Prez Shares Keys to Inner Wealth in New Book ‘5 Principles to A Revolutionary Path’

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Khnum “Stic” Ibomu, better known as Stic from the revolutionary but gangsta hip-hop duo Dead Prez, appeared on Hip Hop & Enterprise to share the gems found in his new book The 5 Principles: A Revolutionary Path to Health, Inner Wealth, and Knowledge of Self.

The award-winning rapper, producer, and champion of healthy living has inspired millions with his music and lifestyle, and now he’s sharing his life wisdom in his new self-help guide. Stic uses his relatable, non-preachy, proactive, and integrative approach to well-being to explain the 5 Ps of Knowledge, Nutrition, Exercise, Rest, and Consistency.

The book serves as a customizable roadmap for enjoying the discipline of healthy living. The rapper wasn’t always the people’s champ of healthy living in hip-hop. As a young aspiring rapper on the rise in the late ’90s, Stic was no stranger to self-destructive lifestyle habits of excessive drinking, abusing weed, poor dietary choices, and enduring many stressful days and sleepless nights.

His lifestyle decisions at the time ultimately led to a dangerous diagnosis of gout. Once confronted with the choice to continue the cycle of suffering or make revolutionary changes, Stic set out to profoundly transform his lifestyle.

“Health is a very much personal journey,” Stic told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“Right. You know, there are all kinds of diets and fads and trends out here. My journey has been that it’s a custom fit. Health and fitness is something that must fit you.”

What he’s learned and acquired in the three decades since is reflected in his new book and cultural movement, RBG FIT CLUB. Always a pioneer, Stic is coining his own ground-breaking genre of music called “Fit Hop,” where he uses his lyrical ability to motivate a movement through the culture of hip-hop.

Press play below to get into the jewels and gems from Khnum “Stic” Ibomu’s The 5 Principles: A Revolutionary Path to Health, Inner Wealth, and Knowledge of Self.

The United Kingdom’s Black Lives in Music (BLIM) is sending a message to the music industry through an official code of conduct against racism.

On Wednesday, an official announcement was made to unveil the new code of conduct that will be adopted in 2023, The Guardian reports. Created by BLIM, the UK Music Industry Anti-Racism Code aims to tackle issues around pay, inclusion, and safety for Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse members of the sector.

The code results from a 2021 BLIM report that found 63% of Black music creators had experienced racism in the UK music industry. The percentage was higher for Black music professionals, at 73%.

Of the 1,718 performers, creatives, and staff surveyed, all reported experiences of harassment, bullying, microaggressions, and racist language in the workplace. Of those surveyed, 36% of the UK’s Black music professionals said the conditions took a toll on their mental health.

“The music industry has a hole in terms of what Black artists are chosen and what investments are made; the same type of music is being put out by Black people when in reality we do every kind of music,” said BLIM Chief Executive Charisse Beaumont.

“But that space is not being created for us. And why is that? Because the decision-makers at the top are not diverse.”

The 2021 survey also found that Black musicians in the UK say they are pigeonholed into urban music genres like R&B and hip-hop, while Black and ethnically diverse people only make up 19.9% of executive positions.

The Independent Standards Authority supports the code and will apply to anyone working in music in the UK, from freelance technical staff to artists working for large companies. Labels and organizations will be expected to commit to creating a safe working environment for all and strive for inclusion over diversity.

Companies will also be asked to conduct mandatory training, data collection, and accountability processes to combat potential racism or lack of diversity and inclusion.