Racist Tweets Fly Across Twitter After Elon Musk Finalizes Purchase of Platform
by Derek Major

October 31, 2022

Racist Tweets Fly Across Twitter After Elon Musk Finalizes Purchase of Platform

Not long after Tesla founder Elon Musk took control of Twitter, trolls littered the site with hate speech and Nazi memes, raising fears that the social media platform could become a home for online hate.

The Washington Post reported that the flood of racist and hateful posts is a clear signs the site has changed ownership. One tweet, a racial slur in capital letters, was retweeted more than 700 times and liked more than 5,000 times. Other accounts have included swastikas as profile pictures, glorifying Nazi Germany, and tweets denouncing the LGBTQ+ community.

The rise in hate speech has led many to believe the return of Former President Donald Trump to the site is imminent. However, Musk tweeted that he has not made any changes to Twitter’s content moderation policies.

One change that numerous outlets have reported is that Twitter will begin charging $20 per month for its blue check verification. The blue checkmark is typically used to verify that statements are coming from specific individuals and organizations. Musk seemingly wants to turn it into a status symbol.

Musk tweeted Friday that he will form a new moderation council, offering little information about the council, who will be on it, or what it will be tasked with.

Paul M. Barrett, New York University’s Center For Business and Human Rights deputy director, told the Washington Post that a council under Musk would be highly criticized considering his “notoriously erratic and imperious personality.”

“To make an advisory body work, he would have to give it some degree of independence and make it very transparent,” Barrett said.

“Frankly, I am not that optimistic, but as the whole Musk-Twitter saga has illustrated, he is full of surprises.”

Musk’s other company, Tesla, has paid millions in racial discrimination lawsuits due to the alleged treatment of Black workers at Tesla plants. Even the state of California is suing the electric vehicle giant.

According to the Washington Post, Musk has yet to meet with Twitter employees and although rumors of layoffs have impacted the workforce since Musk took over, no one was laid off Friday, and most employees said it was business as usual at its headquarters.

General Motors told CNBC that it will temporarily suspend its advertising on the platform until the direction of the company under Musk becomes clear.

All the Way Up! 14 Black Women Climb to Top of Highest Freestanding Mountain in World, Mount Kilimanjaro
by Atiya Jordan

October 31, 2022

All the Way Up! 14 Black Women Climb to Top of Highest Freestanding Mountain in World, Mount Kilimanjaro

A sisterhood of 14 Black women was in the mood to elevate, and they climbed to the top of the tallest mountain in Africa.

Earlier this month, the Sistahs to the Summit group had lunch and danced to Beyoncé‘s Cuff It at the top of Mount Kilimanjaro, towering over 19,000 feet high. The ascent makes them one of the largest groups ever to climb the highest freestanding mountain in the world.

They left together with numb toes, lifelong connections, and the desire to keep exploring.

Last week, the New York City and New Jersey-based women sat down with CBS Mornings co-hosts Gayle King, Nate Burleson, and Tony Dokoupil to share their challenging yet triumphant journey.

A 50th birthday wish

The eight-day journey up and down the so-called “Roof of Africa” began with one woman, Erica Liles. She wanted to bring in her 50th birthday with a historical feat, so she emailed her friends with an ambitious proposition. Out of 18 people who responded, 14 women decided to take the journey.

“I had a strategy where I did not want to put any pressure on anyone because I know that climbing Kilimanjaro is not for the faint of heart,” Liles said.

These plans, however, were five years in the making. Liles tagged in her good friend, Malaak Compton-Rock, to bring the vision to life.

“We have the same travel sensibilities,” Compton-Rock said. “We’re talking about Antarctica next. We wanna see the world. We want to discover places and take ourselves out of our comfort zone.”

“When I got her email, it was like instantaneous.”

Training

In preparation, these women enlisted strategies to help them train, including walks at Martha’s Vineyard.

“For me, I couldn’t travel to Martha’s Vineyard, so I broke my boots in in Brooklyn [sic],” J’Nelle Agee said. “[I did by] going to Trader Joe’s and Target. So we all had to find our ways to train…whether it was on the treadmill, doing small hikes in New Jersey, or going in Harlem.”

 

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A post shared by Erika Liles (@erikaliles)

The journey

“The reward is not better than the effort,” Compton-Rock said.

The group also journeyed with 72 porters who helped carry their day packs, but along the way, two women had to turn back due to altitude sickness.

Check out the full interview here:

Granny’s Still Got It — Check Out the 90-Year-Old Woman a With 5th Degree Black Belt
by Stacy Jackson

October 31, 2022

Granny’s Still Got It — Check Out the 90-Year-Old Woman a With 5th Degree Black Belt

Don’t mess with the best, because the best don’t mess.

Thelma Jones, a 90-year-old woman from the east side of Detroit, plans to continue her training after earning her fifth-degree black belt in Isshinryu karate.

According to Fox 2 Detroit, she received the black belt as part of her celebration for her 90th birthday. Jones has been training in karate for 50 years, and aims to continue practicing, as she has been able to use her skills to defend herself against criminals.

“You mention Miss Jones, and they go, ‘Oh I know Miss Jones, she’s tough,'” said grandmaster Willie Adams.

Sensei Adams, a 10th degree black belt, trained Jones three times a week at Southfield Martial Arts Institute, a contemporary training complex that is reportedly one of the largest and finest martial art schools in the country, according to the institute’s website.

“It really does teach you to listen, behind you, in front, and be aware of all things,” Jones said.

Jones recalled the time she had to use her karate skills to fight off robbers at a bus stop when she was 60 years old, adding that in a recent incident she used an approach she learned to protect herself from a suspicious man following her.

“I crossed the street back, and he came at me. So, I went into the liquor store and waited until he left,” she said. “That was karate right there, that was using your brain. I didn’t want to duke it out with him.”

Jones provided the outlet with some life advice. “Take care of your body, take care of your mind, and think a situation through before you react,” she said.

According to Grand Master Adams, who is 77, many of the people who attend the dojo are in their 70.,

“The retired, they come here to get in shape, builds up confidence, slow to anger,” he said.

Parent Throws Bleach In 72-year-old NC School Bus Driver’s Face Leaving Chemical Burns — Victim Speaks Out
by Stacy Jackson

October 31, 2022

Parent Throws Bleach In 72-year-old NC School Bus Driver’s Face Leaving Chemical Burns — Victim Speaks Out

A North Carolina school bus driver spoke out after she was attacked and left with chemical burns from a parent who allegedly threw bleach in her face.

According to WBTV, the district said the incident happened on Tuesday, Oct. 18, on bus 1701.

The unidentified 72-year-old bus driver for Winterfield Elementary School was allegedly approached by the parent just after 7:30 a.m. that morning near the 4600 block of Central Avenue.

Screenshot via YouTube/WSOC-TV News

“I am concerned for my safety; I truly am,” she told ABC 15 News.

ABC 15 News reported that police identified the parent as 30-year-old Regina Fields. The encounter reportedly happened as the students boarded the bus during the victim’s morning route.

“She just ran up to the bus in her bathrobe, and the last kid was getting on the bus, and that’s when she threw the Clorox,” the victim said.

“All over my face, my clothes, the bus, all over the bus, I don’t think any got on the last kid that was getting on,” she said.

Reportedly, the bus driver is recovering from the attack from nearly two weeks ago.

“My face,” she said. “My eyes. I have constant drops in my eyes. The burning. My face.”

According to the outlet, the bus driver, who has been operating the bus for two years, was back at work only days after the incident.

“I gotta work. I have no one to take care of me, so I’ve got to work, and I’m prayed up; God’s taking care of me,” she said.

“It’s so many parents that need this bus to transport their children, a.m. or p.m., and it’s really hard for them,” she added.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg school officials said the incident follows a trend they have observed during the first three months of the school year.

“We have seen [an] uptick in parents that have approached the driver, and in most cases, it’s to confront another student,” said Adam Johnson, the executive director of Transportation with CMS.

According to WCNC, police said the woman was arrested and charged with assault of a school employee. The nine students on the bus have been transported to another bus since the incident.

Harlem Festival of Culture Appoints Grammy Award-Winning Musician Wyclef Jean in Key Role as Chair of its Music Advisory Board
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 31, 2022

Harlem Festival of Culture Appoints Grammy Award-Winning Musician Wyclef Jean in Key Role as Chair of its Music Advisory Board

Harlem Festival of Culture (HFC), the modern-day reimagining of the groundbreaking Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969, announced that Grammy Award-winning rapper, musician and actor Wyclef Jean has been appointed Chair to the Music Advisory Board for the organization.

In this new role, Jean will advise executive leadership and assist in engaging the artist community to galvanize support around the Festival.

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome Wyclef as Chair of the Music Advisory Board! Of course, we know
that music and artists are integral to the success of this Festival. As we start to build and actualize what
the Festival will look like, we recognize that it is imperative that we have artists and creatives at the
table who believe in what we’re doing and who can help broaden support for the Festival,” said HFC
Co-Founder and Technical and Talent Producer Yvonne McNair.

“As one of the most important artists of our generation, Wyclef is a true visionary and stands as one of the most trusted and respected voices in music.”

“We are grateful to have him lend his expertise and his support for the Harlem Festival of Culture and look forward to working together with him to spread the word throughout the industry and to the artist community.”

“I am thrilled to join HFC as Chair to their Music Advisory Board. On a personal note, Harlem has
always held a special place in my heart as I have performed there very early in my career and
throughout,” said Jean.

“As a creative who is also an entrepreneur, I’m all about creating opportunities for creatives and professionals in our community and when I heard about this reimagining of what was such a
seminal milestone in Black creativity and Black music, I knew I wanted to be involved in some way.”

“And in talking to Yvonne about what their vision is, I am 100% positive that the Harlem Festival of Culture has so much potential to become a formidable fixture in the Festival space and the ultimate platform to celebrate the Culture and the Black American experience.”

“I look forward to working with them on this.”

(Image: Left Wyclef Jean, Right Larry Miller / Courtesy of Harlem Festival of Culture)

The addition of Wyclef Jean continues HFC’s expansion of its executive team including the recent
announcements of Jordan Brand Chairman and Best-selling Author Larry Miller as strategic advisor
and music legend and business mogul Michael L. Bivins as creative director.

Three-time GRAMMY Award-winning and Golden Globe and Emmy nominated Wyclef Jean has
created music — both as a solo superstar and as founder and guiding member of the Fugees — that has
been a consistent and powerful, pop cultural force for over two decades. In 1996, the Fugees released
their monumental album The Score. Since then, Wyclef has released eight albums as a solo artist that
have sold nearly nine million copies worldwide, including his 1997 debut The Carnival and 2000’s The Eclectic: 2 Sides II a Book.

In March 2019 Wyclef released Wyclef Goes Back to School, a collaboration with students he met while touring the United States and visiting colleges across the country. Additionally, Netflix announced the production of an untitled animated project based on the real-life story of Wyclef’s childhood in Haiti, which will be co-produced by Greg Silverman’s company Stampede and have Jean as the film’s composer.

The year 2020 also found Wyclef venturing into the podcast industry as the host of RunThatBack, a one of a kind weekly show for music lovers of any type, where Wyclef interviews heavy hitters from all walks of life,
from music, to sports, politics, and beyond. He also teamed up with Google in the fall of 2020 to create a
jingle for their #BlackOwnedFriday campaign to promote and support shopping black-owned businesses
for Black Friday during the holiday season. This campaign has won a Webby Award, and has been
nominated for a Clio Award, among others. In 2021 Wyclef co-founded SodoMoodLab, a jingle and
scoring company. In his most recent project with Sodo, Wyclef stepped in as composer for seasons four
and five of Showtime’s The Chi, a show created by screenwriter and actress Lena Waithe.

(Image: (L-R) Nikoa Evans, Wyclef Jean, Yvonne McNair, Larry Miller, Musa Jackson / Courtesy Harlem Festival of Culture)

Launched in April, 2022, the Harlem Festival of Culture was founded by Nikoa Evans, Musa Jackson
and Yvonne McNair and created to recapture and return the heart of the historic Harlem Cultural
Festival held in 1969 to the community and to showcase the vibrancy and creative energy of today’s
Harlem. The original festival was a pivotal moment in Black history that fell into obscurity for over 50
years and inspired Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s acclaimed Oscar winning concert documentary film
Summer of Soul (…Or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised).

With this reimagining, Harlem Festival of Culture will celebrate Black culture through cultural and
economic development programming delivered at the nexus of live music and entertainment, a vibrant
cultural destination, and innovative social impact. HFC’s first annual celebration will consist of a series
of live entertainment event experiences and social and economic development programming,
culminating with a multi-day outdoor music festival to be held at Marcus Garvey Park in Summer, 2023
in homage to the original event.

TRANSFORMERS: INNOVATORS OF TODAY & TOMORROW HOSTED BY NOW & LATER, THE LONG LASTING CHEW “RECOGNIZE THE CHEW”
by Black Enterprise

October 31, 2022

TRANSFORMERS: INNOVATORS OF TODAY & TOMORROW HOSTED BY NOW & LATER, THE LONG LASTING CHEW “RECOGNIZE THE CHEW”

Reginae Carter, Lil Wayne
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 31, 2022

ESSENCE Girls United Summit is Returning to Empower the Next Generation of Black Leaders

ESSENCE Girls United, the premier destination for young Black women, will host its third annual summit on Nov. 5 at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center in Atlanta, Ga.

ESSENCE Girls United (GU) is a multimedia platform that provides access, resources, and opportunities to a global audience of Gen-Z and Millennial women, empowering them to pursue and achieve their wildest dreams. The theme of this year’s summit is “Forever the Blueprint” — a celebration of Black girls and gender-expansive youth that continues to be the blueprint for progression, tenacity, and resilience. The Girls United Summit is brought to you by major sponsor The Coca-Cola Company®, along with supporting sponsors,  SheaMoisture, Ford and American Airlines.

This year’s GU Summit will be hosted by Reginae Carter and feature panelists Aoki Lee Simmons, Jayda Cheaves, Kaleah Slay, Paige Audrey-Marie Hurd, Jessie Woo, Jamesa Bailey and more. Panelists will lead workshops and discussions throughout the day covering the crucial topics on most Gen-Z and Millennials’ minds, such as career paths, personal relationships, mental health, social activism, gender identity and more. For the third year in a row, GU Summit serves as a safe space for young Black women, girls, and gender-expansive youth to come together and fellowship about topics and issues that are impacting them the most, from cultural identity to education and reproductive rights.

“Our purpose is to always encourage and support the incoming generations of Black creatives and forward thinkers who both define culture and whose impact is significant to global culture,” Rechelle Dennis, co-creator of ESSENCE Girls United.

“The GU Summit allows us to connect and guide young Black women towards their goals with confidence, while creating a safe space for community building, empowerment and growth.”

This year’s GU Summit is making its return to Atlanta for a full day of panels, workshops and amazing activations including:

  • Slay Your Life: Tips and Tricks
  • The Reel You: Embracing Authentic Content Creation
  • I Am The Bar: Cultural Identity, Confidence & Hollywood
  • DND: Protecting Your Peace Through Black Girl Friendships
  • The Quickie: Speed Mentoring Sessions with corporate executives
  • Musical performance
  • Gaming station & tournament
  • Mocktail bar and food trucks
  • and much more!

Participants will have the opportunity to create and expand their network with other like-minded young Black women to support and empower each other as they pursue the pinnacle of their dreams and create an impact in their communities.

In the evening, ESSENCE Girls United will host an invite-only dinner sponsored by The Coca-Cola Company® and supporting sponsor Ford. Hosted by Coco Jones, the dinner will honor women who have continued to be the blueprint in the culture during unprecedented times and have excelled in their fields of education, activism, entertainment, content creation and entrepreneurship. Honorees include Trinitee Stokes (Education), Chelsea Miller (Activism), Olamide Olowe (Entrepreneurship) and Jayda Cheaves (Content Creation).

ESSENCE Girls United Summit can be attended in-person at the Atlanta Contemporary Arts Center in Atlanta, Ga. or virtually. To register to attend, visit GirlsUnited.ESSENCE.com/GUSummit2022 or join the conversation via social media on @ESSENCEGU and #GUSummit.

Two Black Men Wrongfully Convicted In Malcolm X’s Killing To Be Awarded $36 Million
by Atiya Jordan

October 31, 2022

Two Black Men Wrongfully Convicted In Malcolm X’s Killing To Be Awarded $36 Million

Two Black men, who were exonerated last year in the 1965 assassination of Malcolm X, will be awarded a $36 million lawsuit settlement.

On Sunday, David Shanies, an attorney representing Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam, confirmed that the City of New York agreed on $26 million for the wrongful convictions, according to the Associated Press. The men will also receive an additional $10 million by the state of New York.

“Muhammad Aziz, Khalil Islam, and their families suffered because of these unjust convictions for more than 50 years,” Shanies said. “The City recognized the grave injustices done here, and I commend the sincerity and speed with which the Comptroller’s Office and the Corporation Counsel moved to resolve the lawsuits.”

Aziz, now 84, spent two decades behind bars after being convicted in March 1966 for the murder of the civil rights activist. He was 26 years old at the time, and left behind six young children.

He shared first-degree murder charges with his co-defendant, Khalil Islam, who died in 2009. The men were branded as X’s killers for more than half a century “despite the lack of physical evidence, conflicting statements from prosecution witnesses, and a third defendant who took the witness stand to confess to his role and to proclaim Aziz and Islam’s innocence,” BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.

Last year, the convictions were dismissed by a Manhattan judge citing “newly discovered evidence and the failure to disclose exculpatory evidence,” ABC News reported. 

Following the decision, Aziz filed a lawsuit against New York City for $40 million.

“While I do not need this court, these prosecutors, or a piece of paper to tell me I am innocent, I am glad that my family, my friends, and the attorneys who have worked and supported me all these years are finally seeing the truth we have all known officially recognized,” Aziz said at the exoneration hearing, according to the Innocence Project.

“…I hope the same system that was responsible for this travesty of justice also take[s] responsibility for the immeasurable harm it caused me,” he added.

 

 

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 31, 2022

Not Getting His Way, Ye Compares His Trials and Tribulations to Emmett Till’s

In a recent Instagram post, Ye seemingly compared himself to Emmett Till, the Black 14-year-old boy kidnapped and viciously beaten and ultimately lynched by several white men in Mississippi back in 1955.

The rapper formerly known as Kanye West recently had his Instagram account restored after it was suspended. He directed the post to Ari Emmanuel,  CEO of Endeavor, an entertainment and media agency. Emmanuel previously called for companies doing business with Ye to cut him loose.

In the since-removed post, there is a photo of a deceased Till with his disfigured face visible. (Instagram placed a warning to be able to access the picture).

 

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A post shared by Ye (@kanyewest)

Ye pleaded with Emmanuel to find a place for the children who are attending his school, Donda Academy. He also expressed that the teenagers who play for his basketball team are “being penalized without reason.”

In, what appears to be an indirect reference to what happened to Till, he stated that after the backlash he faced for his recent various comments, there has been an “economic lynching” as well as a “digital lynching” when it comes to what he has faced.

“Can you find a place for the Donda Academy kids to go to school that’s properly zoned for a school?

“I got about 60 children that have no place to be as they look to transfer.

“They tried to dismantle our basketball team. Those boys are being penalized without reason.
Even professional athletes were threatened by their owners to disassociate.

“This is what modern post social media #Blackmirror warfare looks like…the children are not even off limits

– Economic Lynching
– Digital Lynching
– Bankrupting my Social Credit Score

“You tried to bankrupt adidas and me at the same time

“You tried to destroy my life after all the money I’ve made for the “business” people

At least as I burn to the stake in front of the whole world… // everyone now knows who they need to really be afraid of. ”

He also added. “Please note that I have never physically hurt anyone.”

He also apologized to the Black community for offensive statements about George Floyd, yet followed up with another offensive statement saying that after what adidas did he now knows what it feels like to have a knee on his neck.

 

 

The Walt Disney Company Announces a $1 Million Multi-Year Grant for Disney Storytellers Fund at Florida A&M University
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 31, 2022

The Walt Disney Company Announces a $1 Million Multi-Year Grant for Disney Storytellers Fund at Florida A&M University

The Walt Disney Company announced a $1 million grant to Florida A&M University’s (FAMU) School of Journalism & Graphic Communication (SJGC), over the next five years, for the establishment of the Disney Storytellers Fund at FAMU. 

The grant is part of the Disney Future Storytellers program, an initiative aimed to increase access to careers in storytelling and innovation for individuals from historically underrepresented or marginalized communities. Over the course of five years, the donation to SJGC will provide the selected students with tuition and housing scholarships, a stipend, specialized programming, mentoring, leadership development and more.

“Across Disney’s iconic brands, we are committed to increasing representation, inclusive storytelling and opportunity,” said Jennifer Cohen, executive vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility, The Walt Disney Company.

“The Disney Storytellers Fund at Florida A&M University’s School of Journalism and Communication will help empower the next generation of Black journalists, news and media executives while also building on the rich legacy of creativity and innovation that the University has cultivated for decades.”

The announcement was made by ABC News President and FAMU alumna Kim Godwin on behalf of Disney during the University’s Homecoming Convocation. Established in 1982, FAMU’s School of Journalism & Graphic Communication’s (SJGC) is celebrating its 40th anniversary throughout the year.

“Florida A&M University changed my life. I first set foot on campus as a shy 16-year-old girl, but graduated as a confident journalist prepared to tackle the biggest news stories,” said Godwin.

“FAMU gave me the tools I needed to get to where I am today, and I am truly grateful. I hope that this donation from The Walt Disney Company will allow the next generation of bold, straightforward journalists to uncover their potential and achieve their dreams too.”

“For 135 years Florida A&M University has been in the business of innovation and transformation through teaching,  research, and service. From two instructors and 15 students on Oct. 3, 1887, to nearly 10,000 enrolled today, student success continues to be our primary focus. Establishing partnerships that provide support for our students and expose them to the world through internships and employment will ensure that our tradition of ‘Excellence with Caring’ extends well into the future. I am tremendously grateful for this generous gift from the Disney Company and to have them as a key partner with us in changing lives,  creating new opportunities, and producing tomorrow’s leaders,” said Dr. Larry  Robinson, president, Florida A&M University.

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