by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 22, 2021

Yara Shahidi Leaves Emmy Awards Early to Make It to Her Harvard Class On Time

Actress Yara Shahidi is not playing with Hollywood about her education. The grown-ish star recently admitted leaving the Emmy Awards early to make it to her Harvard class on time.

Shahidi blessed Sunday night’s Emmy Awards show with her presence and presented the Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series award to Ted Lasso‘s Brett Goldstein. The award was given out early on in the show at the request of Shahidi, who had prior obligations.

“I do fly out tonight to make it to class in time,” Shahidi told ET. “… The lovely people at The Academy really helped me out because I was like, ‘Guys, I have a hard out to make this flight.'”

The 21-year-old announced her decision to attend Harvard in 2017. Quoting the late great James Baldwin, Shahidi wore a Harvard University sweatshirt while showing off her “Crimson Pride” in a photo posted on Instagram.

With a double major in sociology and African American studies, Shahidi’s studies at Harvard are no easy feat. All the while, she stars in her black-ish spin-off show and runs her own production company alongside her mom Keri Shahidi.

Skipping out early on the Emmy Awards shouldn’t be too much of a surprise considering how Shahidi has previously said she wouldn’t allow her acting career to impede her education.

“[Hollywood] has proved that it changes so often, so I’d rather spend the time on something [like social studies] that has personally been a passion of mine for so long,” she told Glamour in 2018. “Hollywood isn’t moving anywhere. I’ll figure it out when I get back.”

But the young star is wise beyond her years, and hanging out late is not something she’s ever been interested in.

“I always say I’m simultaneously four years old and 50 years old, existing in the same body,” Shahidi said. “I’m known to be somewhat of a grandmother in terms of how I operate. You won’t catch me at after-parties many times. Nothing good happens after 10:00 P.M.”

Good thing the Emmy’s worked with Yara’s cut-off time.

The NYPD Claims Killing of Kawaski Trawick ‘Appears To Be Justified’
by Ashantai Hathaway

September 22, 2021

The NYPD Claims Killing of Kawaski Trawick ‘Appears To Be Justified’

The New York Police Department says the 2019 killing of Kawaski Trawick “appears to be justified.”

Trawick was shot and killed in his Bronx apartment by a New York Police Department officer on April 14, 2019. The NYPD said Trawick charged at officers with a knife. However, the video of the shooting shows Trawick repeatedly asking the unexpected police “why are you in my home?” before being killed.

Trawick was holding a wooden stick and a kitchen knife and within two minutes a police officer fired four shots, including one that pierced his heart, which killed the 32-year-old personal trainer and dancer.

Police have said Trawick “ escalated” the situation and that one officer then shot Trawick over his more-experienced partner’s objections.

While the NYPD has never released video of the shooting, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office released footage of it last month, along with a detailed report. 

However, news outlet, ProPublica obtained parts of the videos, which it analyzed that the officer— 

  • Had filed to use techniques from NYPD’s crisis intervention training program to de-escalate the confrontation with Trawick.
  • The more-experienced officer, Herbert Davis, who is Black, repeatedly told his partner, Brendan Thompson, who is white, not to use force against Trawick.
  • Thompson instead opened fire on Trawick, first with a Taser and then with a gun, killing Trawick.

The footage released by his attorney shows the officers opening Trawick’s door then standing in the doorway telling Trawick to put down his knife. He responded, “ I have a knife because I’m cooking. As police asked Trawick to put his knife down, he says, ”Hold it, hold it hold it, the center, the center, the center, of the brain.” Police tased him to the ground as he was speaking.

Trawick got up and said, “I’m going to kill you all! Get out!” Officer Brendan Thompson then fired the fatal shots. 

Police described Trawick as “emotionally disturbed.” 

Country Music Singer’s Promise To Donate $500K To Black-Led Groups Has Fallen Short
by Ashantai Hathaway

September 22, 2021

Country Music Singer’s Promise To Donate $500K To Black-Led Groups Has Fallen Short

County music singer Morgan Wallen has some explaining do.

This past summer Wallen did his first sit-down interview with Good Morning America after he was caught uttering the n-word—he promised to make amends by donating money. However, according to a Rolling Stone investigation, the promise has not been fulfilled.

“Before this incident, my album was already doing well; it was already being well-received by critics and by fans,” he told host Michael Strahan five months after the video surfaced.

“Me and my team noticed that whenever this whole incident happened, that there was a spike in my sales. So we tried to calculate…how much it had spiked from this incident. We got to a number somewhere around $500,000, and we decided to donate that money to some organizations, BMAC [the Black Music Action Coalition] being the first one.”

But, according to the investigation, it remains unclear if Wallen actually donated the entire promised amount. In a statement to Rolling Stone, BMAC—the only organization Wallen mentioned by name in his GMA interview—criticized the singer, saying they were “disappointed that Morgan has not used his platform to support any anti-racism endeavors.” While the group received some money from Wallen, it said the $500,000 number “seems exceptionally misleading.”

Rolling Stone reached out to 56 other state, regional, and national Black-led or Black-founded charities. None reported receiving any money from Wallen.

On February 2, the country superstar was caught on tape saying the “n-word.’  Days later, his label, Big Loud Records, “suspended” his contract—before lifting the suspension in May. 

Radio conglomerates and streaming services also removed his music from station playlists. The C=country music network CMT also removed his videos and the Academy of Country Music considered Wallen ineligible for this year’s ACM Awards. The Country Music Association also acted and disqualified him for any individual categories at its upcoming awards.

COVID-19 Is Officially America’s Deadliest Pandemic, Has Killed More People Than Spanish Flu
by Derek Major

September 22, 2021

COVID-19 Is Officially America’s Deadliest Pandemic, Has Killed More People Than Spanish Flu

COVID-19 is officially America’s deadliest pandemic, killing more Americans than the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Reported deaths from COVID-19 passed 675,000 Monday and the trend is going upward at a rate of almost 2,000 deaths per day. The actual number of COVID-19 deaths is significantly higher considering some deaths have been blamed on other factors and previous medical conditions.

When the pandemic was first acknowledged by former President Donald Trump, he estimated between 200,000 would die. According to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention, the 1918 Spanish flu came in three waves between the spring of 1918 and the spring of 1919 and killed 675,000 Americans.

There were some significant differences between the Spanish flu pandemic and the coronavirus pandemic. For starters, about 103 million people lived in the U.S. during the Spanish flu compared to the more than 300 million people residing in the fifty states today.

“I think we are now pretty well done with historical comparisons,” Dr. Howard Markel, a physician and medical historian at the University of Michigan, told CNBC.

Globally, COVID-19 has nothing on the Spanish flu, which killed an estimated 20-50 million people, according to the World Health Organization, due to the fact there were no vaccines, antibiotics, IV fluids, intensive care units or ventilators.

The United States is worse off now than it was a year ago due to the large portion of Americans who are still unvaccinated. Like the Spanish flu, the coronavirus may never entirely disappear. Instead scientists believe the virus will become a seasonal bug as human immunity strengthens through vaccines and repeated infection.

“We hope it will be like getting a cold, but there’s no guarantee,” Emory University biologist Rustom Antia told the Associated Press. Antia added that it may take a few years to reach that point.

For now, COVID-19 will be a daily part of our lives as cases and deaths continue to rise, schools across the country schools move between in-person training and virtual learning, and people continue to protest mask and vaccine mandates

Activist Tamika Mallory Slams Biden Administration for Border Patrol Whipping Haitian Migrants
by Ashantai Hathaway

September 22, 2021

Activist Tamika Mallory Slams Biden Administration for Border Patrol Whipping Haitian Migrants

Tamika Mallory is not holding back in speaking out against the Biden administration’s response to the Haitian humanitarian crisis.

The activist responded to horrific images of Border Patrol agents who appeared to be using reins as whips from horseback to block the path of Haitian migrants attempting to cross into the United States. from Mexico.

Mallory criticized the Biden administration and questioned the Democratic Party’s lack of leadership.

“So there’s no way to get around the fact that under this administration, they are responsible,” Mallory said.

Mallory’s comments come days after the Department of Homeland Security began expelling Haitian migrants from the border town of Del Rio, TX, where an estimated 14,000 people have gathered hoping for legal asylum in the U.S.

Mallory questioned why Democrats are not speaking against the administration’s actions and the disturbing images that mirror the inhumane treatment used on slaves. Mallory posted on Instagram,” I open my Instagram for the first time in about 10 hours and see white men whipping our Haitian bothers.”

Mallory also mentioned Biden’s failure to address the most recent updates on the immigration crisis in his United Nation’s address Tuesday morning: “I didn’t hear anything about whips,” Mallory said.

“They are responsible,” Mallory said of Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, using their names. “There’s nobody else.”

Mallory said that while the Department of Homeland Security is to blame—especially the main Border Patrol agent who was seen in a viral video cursing at a Haitian migrant—Biden and Harris are “the ones that have a responsibility to deal with this. It should have never happened under their watch.”

“This is much bigger than just one group of Border Patrol agents. His boss needs to be fired, and their bosses,” Mallory said, “not the man with the whip.”

“Protection of the border has a whole hell of a lot to do with corporate interests,” she added. “But they’re very much so connected. You’d be surprised who actually runs this country.”

by Charlene Rhinehart

September 22, 2021

Meet the 28-Year-Old Instagram Influencer Who Landed Over $700,000 In Brand Deals Within 6 Months

Instagram Influencer JaLisa Vaughn-Jefferson has accumulated over $700,000 in sponsorships and worked with over 100 companies this year.

But her success didn’t happen overnight and she didn’t do it alone.

When Vaughn-Jefferson published her first brand post in 2016, she only charged $50. At the time, she had around 50,000 Instagram followers.

“People will probably almost throw up at hearing that now,” Vaughn-Jefferson shared in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Back then, nobody was willing to talk about or share what they charged. So we really all were just making it up.”

She adds, “It wasn’t until maybe a year or two ago, people were open with saying if we’re all going to make it in this industry, especially black women, we’re going to have to help each other because we need to be able to say no. We know that you’re paying our white counterparts this. We will not be skimmed on the other end. A lot of us may be scared to charge what we actually think we’re worth, and sometimes we just don’t know.”

It wasn’t until Vaughn-Jefferson hired a team of experts that she saw her earnings soar. She hired a video editor who was blessed with hidden talents that Vaughn-Jefferson needed.

“They were editing a Vlog for me and they heard me in the background saying ‘I don’t know what to charge this brand. Can somebody help me with this?’.

Her video editor was also skilled in influencer marketing. She was able to help Vaughn-Jefferson figure out what to charge for posts and measure engagement. Her skills were so impressive that Vaughn-Jefferson hired her as an influencer marketing manager.

“Unlike a lot of influencers, I want to hire a team so that I can move faster,” says Vaughn-Jefferson. “I didn’t want to spend all my time trying to sit down and learn every trade of this business. And I really believe that’s kind of what helped me move a lot quicker. I was always open to having a team.”

The 28-year-old credits her success to her team, especially after having a baby girl last year. She’s been able to keep her momentum going and incorporate her lifestyle changes into her work.

“A lot of baby brands have contributed to my success this year. It added a new stream of brand partnerships and income. I also bought a new home so I’ve been able to partner with house brands.”

Vaughn-Jefferson’s work has caught the attention of many top brands, including Weight Watchers, Arm & Hammer, Reebok, and Zales Jewelers.

“I got noticed by these brands because I was doing the job before doing the actual job. Before just waking up and deciding I wanted to start working with brands, I was sharing the products that I use and love every day without being paid. The brands I’ve worked with have been watching me for years. They reach out because they see how consistent I am. They love how I interact with my audience and get things done.

Vaughn-Jefferson explains that there is no secret to her success. It’s a few ingredients that allow her to continuously attract opportunities and serve her audience.

“I have a team and tunnel vision. I enjoy what I do. It fuels me. I’m here to serve my audience, and I love taking them along my journey. So it just makes everything so much easier. People think there’s some scientific calculation that’s gotten me here. I really just enjoy what I do. I love working fast and quickly and getting things done. That’s what got me there.”

 

Nas’ Daughter, Destiny Jones, Launches ‘Lipmatic’ Line and Matic Cosmetics
by Ashantai Hathaway

September 22, 2021

Nas’ Daughter, Destiny Jones, Launches ‘Lipmatic’ Line and Matic Cosmetics

While Nasir “Nas” Jones is a hip-hop icon, his 27-year-old daughter Destiny is apparently also destined for greatness. She already knows what she wants to be—a girl boss.

“My dad definitely taught me to focus on what I’m doing and not get distracted by anyone else. I have my own vision and my own road. He taught me to trust myself and be confident,” Destiny told Ebony.

“When I was around 19, I still had a huge love and passion for lip gloss,” she said. “I always wore a lot of different brands and would mix them together because I didn’t always like the feeling and consistency. I decided to start my own organic lipgloss line, [Lipmatic], and branded it to incorporate New York, hip-hop, and the culture that I grew up in.”

Lipmatic, which is a nod to her father’s popular and influential 1994 album, Illmatic, is just one way Destiny references hip-hop classics in her lip line.

She has lipgloss named after Lauryn Hill, for example, and another one named after the Queens, NY, neighborhood of Jamaica, where she was raised.

Born and raised in Queens, Jones told NBC News that she maintains a tie to New York through Lipmatic.

Now, Destiny has grown the lipgloss line into a full makeup line called Matic Cosmetics.

But while Nas is regarded as one the greatest hip-hop artists of all time, Destiny has her own goals and hopes to be an inspiration for other Black women.

“I am inspired by the next generation of young Black women,” she said, according to the article. “It’s important to me to be a positive role model and put myself in a position where I’m able to give as many opportunities as possible to like-minded creative young Black women who have their own stories to tell.”

Ulta Beauty Announces MUSE 100, A Celebration Of 100 Inspiring Black Voices In Beauty 
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 22, 2021

Ulta Beauty Announces MUSE 100, A Celebration Of 100 Inspiring Black Voices In Beauty 

Ulta Beauty, the nation’s largest beauty retailer, today announced the MUSE 100, a celebration of 100 inspiring Black voices in beauty, each of whom will be awarded with a MUSE 100 grant to further their impact.

Representing the next chapter of its MUSE platform to Magnify, Uplift, Support, and Empower Black voices in beauty, the MUSE 100 is another tangible way the leading retailer is actively working to champion diversity, equity, and inclusion.

“We understand our responsibility to inspire positive change and drive greater diversity, equity and inclusion in our industry,” said Dave Kimbell, CEO, Ulta Beauty.

“The MUSE 100 champions those who have succeeded in making so much beauty possible, those who represent the future and those who have inspiring stories that deserve to be shared and supported. We are proud to honor and uplift these 100 Muses and hope others find inspiration in learning their stories while celebrating with us.”

The MUSE 100 recognizes a variety of merits including vision, leadership, and the ability to stimulate change, uphold values and champion inclusivity. Spanning beauty brand founders, makeup artists, activists, authors and more, each honoree’s accomplishments were reviewed and selected by the Ulta Beauty DE&I Counsel with input from a panel of industry leaders: Ulta Beauty’s diversity, equity and inclusion advisor Tracee Ellis Ross, Cosmopolitan’s beauty director Julee Wilson, entrepreneur and co-founder of Melanin Haircare Whitney White and celebrity stylist Mecca James Williams.

Each honoree will be awarded with a MUSE 100 grant of $10,000 to accelerate their continued impact and influence, totaling a commitment that exceeds $1 million from Ulta Beauty. These funds are in addition to the $25 million DE&I commitments made by the company in February of this year.

“I’m excited and consistently encouraged by Ulta Beauty’s continued commitments,” said Tracee Ellis Ross, DE&I advisor at Ulta Beauty, CEO and founder of PATTERN Beauty. “The MUSE 100 demonstrates a significant evolution of Ulta Beauty’s mission to uplift Black voices. By shining a light on these inspiring changemakers, we empower Black communities and continue the important work of fostering foundational change.”

Said Karla Davis, VP of Integrated Marketing at Ulta Beauty:

“As we thought about what the next step in our DE&I journey would look like, we knew it was essential to create something tangible in support of the many Black voices, makers and creators in beauty who are truly fueling the industry. MUSE 100 is a unique, exciting and inspiring way we are honoring their stories and lived experiences, their influence and impact – and the opportunities that lie ahead in each of their journeys. It’s our hope that this platform empowers and inspires others in the way that each of the honorees has done for and with our industry.”

In addition to being featured on the Ulta Beauty MUSE 100 website, honoree stories will be shared on Ulta Beauty’s social channels and further amplified via the company’s media partnerships to celebrate individual ventures and inspire others. Following is a closer look at the MUSE 100:

Makeup Magicians: Those making the world more beautiful – artists and innovators in makeup

Hair Raisers: Stylists and influencers changing the hair game one lock, braid, twist at a time

Style Setters: Icons and trend setters in in the fashion space

Well Makers: Leaders and founders celebrating the beauty of wellness and mental health

 Story Shifters: Those telling the stories of Black beauty

Culture Creators: Influencers, makers and content curators driving culture today and tomorrow

Luminous Leaders: Changemakers and entrepreneurs leading and lighting the way

 Executive Excellency: The bosses of beauty, movers and shakers making an impact in the industry

Fearless Founders: Those changing the face of beauty and taking shelves by storm

The Next Gen Muses: Emerging young Black leaders shaking up our world

 

Meet the Former Housekeeper Who is Now The Owner Of A 5-Star Luxury Hotel
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 22, 2021

Meet the Former Housekeeper Who is Now The Owner Of A 5-Star Luxury Hotel

Meet Souadou Niang, a serial entrepreneur and the owner of Palms Luxury Boutique Hotel in Dakar, Senegal, who used to work as a housekeeper at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in the United States.

“I started out cleaning toilets. Today, I am the manager of my own five-star boutique hotel with 60 employees,” Niang told BBC Africa.

Born and raised in Dakar, Niang moved to the U.S. at the age of 18. She went from New York to Washington, DC, where she applied for work at the Ritz-Carlton to help pay for her education.

For 10 years, Niang worked cleaning rooms at the hotel while also studying. Throughout those years, she always kept in mind that she would someday become more successful in the field. Sure enough, she eventually got a job with the management team at the same hotel she started working as a housekeeper.

“I rose through the ranks and that’s where I got the passion. I said one day I will go back to my country and show that luxury and quality of service can be achieved there,” Niang said.

And that’s exactly what she did! She opened Palms Luxury Boutique Hotel upon returning to Dakar, Senegal in 2017. However, it was not without challenges. She experienced rejections from several banks mainly because she is a woman. Not until one investor believed in her determination and took the risk to invest in her project.

Now, Palms Luxury Boutique Hotel is a famous five-star hotel which is run by a staff of 80% female. Niang chose to hire more women as she believes in their potential.

(Photo The Palms Dakar)

Moreover, she hopes to expand the hotel locations across Africa and even internationally.

She comments, “My dream is to conquer Africa, and why not the world. As the international hotel franchises in Africa, we should be able to adapt our Afro-chic boutique hotels in Western countries, and show African women can run luxury boutique hotels with the same standards as the international hotels.”

(Photo The Palms Dakar)
(Photo The Palms Dakar)

Learn more about her hotel at ThePalmsDakar.com

Also, follow the brand on Instagram @PalmsDakar

This story first appeared on BlackBusiness.com.

by Tai Saint-Louis

September 22, 2021

From Private Tastings To Your Own Sommelier, Steffini Bethea Wants To Elevate Your Wine Life

Just east of Atlanta, right outside of the suburb of Decatur lies the Purple Corkscrew Tasting Room, a wine shop.

And owner Steffini Bethea has spent nearly 10 years creating an eclectic space to educate consumers and push them to expand their vino boundaries. And while her shop has built up quite a diverse clientele, Bethea has been especially intentional about making wine more accessible to people of color.

At the core of that decision were two personal experiences. First, the Purple Corkscrew Tasting Room is the culmination of Bethea’s own love of wine despite an admittedly limited palate. After being introduced to Tempranillo, a black grape used in full-bodied reds while in Spain, she was encouraged to start exploring varietals outside of her favorite white and red, Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon respectively. While working in a wine bar, she set out to continue educating herself about the wine world in hopes of opening her own bar.

Once she opened the Purple Corkscrew in 2012 and found the shop’s current home in Avondale Estates.

(Purple Corkscrew)

A year later, Bethea tells Food & Wine that the biggest challenge she found was being accepted as a Black woman by the wine community. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been overlooked at trade shows, mistaken for an uninformed customer, or a server at my own shop,” she recounts. “I was not taken seriously by winemakers, suppliers, and importers.”

So Bethea set out to rise above the skepticism.

In addition to acquiring as many certifications as she could from all over the world, she and her team – which happens to be all Black and Female – do approximately 75 tastings each week to handpick the selection of wines available at Purple Corkscrew. The in-store collection includes 350 brands from all regions as well as several Black-owned labels.

Because Bethea believes that the customer experience should be just as important as the sale of a great bottle, the Purple Corkscrew offers a variety of in-person and virtual events and services including a Meet The Winemaker series, and a Sommelier At Home Service.

“We provide an educational experience facilitated by one of our staff members who are all certified,” she explains. “Together, we pick out the wines with the customer, create food pairings, and provide the proper stemware.”

Talk about stepping your wine game up!

Steffini Bethea (Purple Corkscrew)
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