As the fallout continues for Ye, a brand he named checked often has decided to drop him.

In a simple statement to Women’s Wear Daily, the parent company of Balenciaga has formally detached itself from the Ye business, which has been taking a nosedive recently. After Kering published the results of its third-quarter sales on Thursday, they stated, “Balenciaga has no longer any relationship nor any plans for future projects related to this artist,” referring to the artist formerly known as Kanye West.

Things were looking good between Ye and the company less than a month ago when he made his runway debut in Paris for Balenciaga’s summer 2023 show. During Paris Fashion Week, he was seen sporting several items of clothing from the French fashion house. The company removed all proof of the appearance after scraping images of him participating in the show from its website.

Balenciaga is the latest of several fashion lines to separate themselves from the combative designer since he made what’s been labeled as anti-semitic remarks in recent interviews.

Ye has been in the news consistently since the middle of September when he announced that he severed ties with the Gap on Sept. 15, where he had a partnership with his signature Yeezy line.

A few of the mishaps have taken place over the last eight weeks.

A day after his runway debut at the Balenciaga fashion show, Ye released his YZY Season 9 in Paris on Oct. 3. That is when the music producer debuted his controversy-causing long-sleeved shirt, “White Lives Matter,” alongside conservative firebrand Candace Owens, thus causing mayhem that would pale in comparison to his next move.

After going on a rant stating that “Black Lives Matter” was a scam, he made claims against Adidas, claiming they stole his designs. The sneaker giant released a statement saying their relationship with Ye “is under review.”

After his Twitter and Instagram accounts were locked for violating the policies of both social media platforms for posts labeled as antisemitic, he announced he was going to buy the social media platform Parler. Then, his friend, Owens, revealed that J.P. Morgan Chase had ended its relationship with the temperamental rapper.

And just a reminder, on Drink Champs, he disclosed that George Floyd wasn’t killed by Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin but by the drug fentanyl.

• Career

by Eric Moody

October 25, 2022

Black Physicians Speak Out After Claims of Racial Discrimination in Workplace

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Three Black physicians recently spoke out, claiming they experienced racial discrimination in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The physicians, whose positions ranged from a former resident to a hospital executive, spoke on the allegations during an interview with ABC News.

Dr. Dare Adewumi claimed he was terminated without justification, and the two others, Chris Pernell, MD, and Dr. Rosandra Daywalker, said they resigned due to “untenable work climates.” The physicians cited in their ABC News report that racial discrimination was the common reason for their departures.

At the time, Daywalker stated that she was the only Black trainee at the University of Texas Medical Branch’s (UTMB) otolaryngology program for her residency. While reportedly excelling in the program, Daywalker claimed her supervisor began treating her differently, including him delaying her clinical rotations. After voicing concerns about a Black patient being mistreated by a white faculty member during a morbidity conference, reportedly the same faculty member later became Daywalker’s direct supervisor, and things took a turn for the worst.

“Overnight, I become someone who doesn’t like feedback. You start to see him inject these words like I’m ‘unprofessional’ or that I’m ‘incompetent,'” Daywalker said in her interview.

“This is what they do. If they don’t have a real reason to get rid of you to fire you, they will make things so bad that you have no choice but to leave.” After more than three years of training, the Texas Workforce Commission reportedly determined she resigned “for good cause.” Daywalker has since filed a lawsuit against UTMB alleging violations of the Civil Rights Act and the Family Leave Act.

As for Pernell, University Hospital launched an investigation into her conduct during media appearances. She shared her personal experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and her perspectives on the Trump administration’s pandemic response. But ABC News reported that Pernell was told that other hospital executives disapproved of her “mouthing off” on television.

“[It was] as if I, a Black woman who had experienced loss and hurt and grief in this pandemic, should not speak about it—and speak about it from the auspices of also being a Black physician, leader, and executive,” Pernell said in her interview.

Adewumi told ABC News that he began receiving an influx of “letters of inquiry,” which questioned his surgical approaches and technique after Adewumi was recruited to revamp the neurosurgery program at Wellstar Cobb Hospital in Austell, Georgia. He claimed that his white colleagues did not receive similar criticism, even when they reportedly had worse patient outcomes.

According to the Association of American Medical Colleges, Black doctors constitute only 5% of all practicing physicians nationwide.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

October 25, 2022

‘A Phoenix Rising’: Canadian Orphanage for Black Youth Reopens 101 Years Later as Black Business Incubator

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After more than 100 years, the former Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children is transforming its agonizing history and creating an Afro-centric community for multiple generations to support one another and thrive.

Incorporated in 1921, the private nonprofit agency has now been renamed Kinney Place to honor the leadership and dedication of its founder and first superintendent, James Alexander Ross Kinney. The renaming is part of a multimillion-dollar restoration effort spearheaded by current property owners, Akoma Family Centre Inc. and Akoma Holdings Inc., in 2016, Global News reported.

The century-old building, which sat vacant since closing its doors in 1978, has been refurbished and reopened as a community gathering place and an incubator for Black businesses. The grand opening took place on Sunday, Oct. 23.

In a press release, the Akoma enterprise said they hope “the community sees [Kinney Place] as a place of both historic significance and a place for healing, a phoenix rising from the ashes.”

A painful history

The Nova Scotia Home for Colored Children was formed to meet the needs of disadvantaged Black youth. However, a restorative justice inquiry reported instances of abuse, isolation, and malnourishment.

“Forms of discipline included being sent to bed hungry and being locked outside with inadequate clothing,” the inquiry’s 2019 report revealed.

“Moreover, it was reported to us that food was withheld by some staff unless the resident would comply with sexual acts.”

A new hub rises

The new facility is now home to the nonprofit organization 902 Man Up, a Halifax-based volunteer organization that helps better the future of young males, a hair salon and spa, and more.

Cherry Brook native Deb Vaillancourt-Higgins, is one of the new tenants of Kinney Place, where she will be opening The Opus Café and Catering at the end of November, according to SaltWire Network. The café will offer all-day breakfast and catering, as well as a comfortable space for the community to connect “amongst our own and feel safe in doing that.”

“I feel like it’s an opportunity for us, us a people, us as a township/collective community,” said Vaillancourt-Higgins, per the outlet.

“It allows us to keep our money where it needs to be and that is basically in the community. I believe it creates opportunities for jobs for individuals that would not otherwise have the availability to be employable based on various things, the colour of their skin being one [sic].”

Influencers of the social media generation have taken many issues into their own hands to create simple and beneficial products for people in search of beauty hacks and skincare solutions.

Former Google tech executive, Davlyn Mosley, created Namesake Skincare, a line of dermatologist-approved skincare essentials that cater to people of color, in honor of her mother, a board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Lynn McKinley-Grant.

 

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A post shared by NAMESAKE (@namesakeskincare)

After spending a lot of time at her mother’s dermatology practice, Mosley was exposed to the ins and outs of skincare products and treatments.

“I started Namesake with a singular goal in mind: to create a skincare line specifically catered towards the care of melanin-rich skin,” Mosely stated on the Namesake website.

“It needed to be powerful enough to target the particular concerns of my own skin type, focusing on brightness, elasticity retention, and smoothness.”

“And it also needed to be gentle enough to work on my own ultra-reactive skin.”

“When I scoured the existing products on the market and was unable to find anything that covered those bases, I decided to create my own. I brought my dermatologist mom on as an advisor, and Namesake was born,” she added.

According to an interview with a source, Mosley appointed her mother as an advisor for Namesake Skincare to ensure quality was at the center of the brand.

“We spent almost two years perfecting the formula for the Daily Moisturizer and we started from scratch,” Mosley said.

“We made so many revisions which meant I was constantly FedExing samples from L.A. to D.C. so my mom could weigh in on everything from the ingredient list to the texture and scent. She was incredibly instrumental in making sure that we didn’t include ingredients that she’s seen her patients react negatively to.”

Dr. McKinley-Grant shared that working with her daughter has kept her up-to-date on various skincare trends, products, brands, and ingredients.

“Learning more about what works and doesn’t has been an interesting process as we developed the formulation.”

Mosley revealed upcoming partnerships with creators and brands, in addition to new social media content.

Namesake Skincare is approaching its first year since launching.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

October 25, 2022

Grab This Nine-Course Adobe Bundle For Under $20 Thanks To Overstock Deals

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Not much software over the past couple of decades has had the impact and staying power of Adobe.

More than just a vehicle to unpack PDFs, Adobe has become the go-to software for creatives. Photoshop and Lightroom are the preferred programs of photographers and videographers because of the vast set of features and their ease of use once properly learned. Dreamweaver is one of the most popular programs for web design, and InDesign is used in newsrooms and PR agencies around the globe.

A solid grasp of Adobe’s programs not only benefits users but can open doors professionally.

Thanks to Overstock Deals, you can purchase The 2022 Ultimate Adobe CC Beginner to Advanced Training Bundle for just $19.99. That’s a savings of more than 95% if you were to purchase each course in this bundle individually ($1,800). You don’t need a special coupon to receive this deal.

Overstock Deals runs through 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 31.

Nine courses are included in this Adobe bundle.

The Adobe Premiere Pro CC for Beginners 2022 is a great introduction to anyone interested in learning the programs. It includes 176 lessons and covers everything from video editing basics to green screen/chromakeying to advanced color grading.

Adobe Illustrator with Alice Thorpe spans 26 lessons. Taught by prominent YouTuber and graphic designer Alice Thorpe, students will learn how to build their brand through the use of Adobe Illustrator, along with ways to use the software to make the most of their graphic designing skills.

Those interested in game creation will find value in The 2022 Adobe Animate Games & Characters course. Aspiring creators will learn how to draw with Adobe Anime, they’ll receive step-by-step instructions on how to develop a game, and how to use a physics engine, among other tools and tips.

Whether you use Adobe daily or if you’ve never explored the software, there’s something of value for everyone in this nine-course offering. Purchase it today at its low Overstock Deals price.

Prices subject to change.

by Derek Major

October 24, 2022

Amazon Prime Gets Exclusive Rights To Broadcast 2023 ‘Black Friday’ NFL Game

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The NFL is adding a game on Black Friday, and Amazon Prime has won the right to televise it.

The L.A. Times reports that adding the Black Friday game to Amazon Prime’s package of NFL games indicates the streaming giant’s performance as a media partner.

Amazon is currently in the first year of its exclusive broadcasting deal with the NFL to show Thursday Night Football, which averaged 13.6 million viewers and 15.3 million viewers during its first two weeks of this season.

Black Friday is one of the year’s biggest days for retailers, including Walmart and Target, who typically start sales on Thanksgiving night. Amazon also features a bevy of sales on Black Friday. However, the game will likely promote Black Friday deals and sales for those who don’t do their Christmas shopping early.

“Amazon is uniquely positioned to partner with us for this game as Black Friday is one of the most important days of the year for their business,” said Hans Schroeder, chief operating officer for NFL Media.

Amazon paid more than $1 billion per year for the broadcasting rights to 15 Thursday Night NFL games between 2022 and 2032. Neither the league nor Amazon disclosed the terms concerning the Black Friday game, but according to the New York Times, rumors are swirling that the tech giant paid $50 million.

Traditionally, the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys play home games on Thanksgiving, but in recent years a third game has been added to the slate. The Black Friday game will be next year at 4 p.m. EST. The competing teams are unknown, and the 2023 NFL schedule has not been set.

While streaming is set to be more popular than cable based on the number of viewers by the end of this year, NFL games are routinely the most-watched cable programs. According to Mental Floss, NFL games on Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights were three of the top 10 most-watched cable TV shows of 2021 and 2022.

• Entrepreneurship

by Eric Moody

October 24, 2022

Black Entrepreneur Pushes Positivity Through Clothing Brand

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Entrepreneur Donny Harper has dedicated his G(O)OD Company Apparel brand as a daily reminder to be good company to others and to be mindful of the company you keep.

“I’m pushing a message of positivity through fashion,” Harper told Oprah Daily in an interview.

As a 2022 recipient of Spectrum Reach’s Pay It Forward (PIF) program, Harper reflected on his early journey and how he wanted to integrate a message of positivity after losing his mother at the age of 19 to cancer.

“My mom was my best friend, my everything. I started going to church and growing in my faith,” Harper said.

What once began as Harper rapping about things he said his mother was not proud of later transformed into messages about his values as a Christian man. That laid the foundation for the Ohio-based company, and Harper began spreading joy and positivity.

 

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A post shared by GO(O)D COMPANY APPAREL (@goodcompanyapparel)

Harper earned his GED at 26—a promise he made to his mom—after dropping out of high school a decade before, which led to bigger and brighter things.

After becoming a math teacher and putting his music career on hold, Harper began to bring forth his vision for the GO(O)D Company.

“I wanted a brand that everybody could relate to and connect to.”

“In our world, there are so many things that divide us as people,” he told Oprah Daily.

“I wanted a message that connected to all backgrounds, all different walks of life, rich and poor.”

The messages on his t-shirts quickly became popular among his students and fellow staff. Harper left teaching to spread his message in new ways as a pastor and business owner.

“I truly feel that my mom would have been really, really proud of what we’re doing,” he told Oprah Daily. “I’m reminded of her every day.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

The BeyHive is Buzzing: Beyoncé Confirms Renaissance World Tour in Summer 2023

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Beyoncé’s Bey Hive is reeling over news confirming Queen Bey’s upcoming Renaissance world tour.

Beyoncé, Jay-Z, and Blue Ivy attended the WACO (Where Art Can Occur) Theater’s fifth annual Wearable Art Gala in Los Angeles on Saturday. During the lavish charity event, a concert package valued at $20,000 was raffled that confirmed Bey’s upcoming global tour, Yahoo News reports.

The event was founded by Beyoncé’s mom Tina Knowles-Lawson and her husband, actor Richard Lawson, to help raise funds for the theater’s arts and youth mentorship programs. Leave it up to Mama Tina’s signature event to reveal exclusive news for the Bey Hive.

A screenshot taken during the event showed the unique offering giving one lucky fan a chance to see Beyoncé’s return to the live stage.

“United x WACO offers you a chance to see Beyoncé on her ‘Renaissance Tour’ starting in the summer of 2023 at any of United’s national and international destinations around the world,” the message read.

“BEYONCÉ IS GOING ON TOUR THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” one fan tweeted out.

BEYONCÉ IS GOING ON TOUR THIS IS NOT A DRILL pic.twitter.com/cLXLNpIgAa

— S ミ☆ (@legendarihhhh) October 23, 2022

The package details include lavish accommodations to attend one of Beyoncé’s 2023 tour dates.

It included “2 First Class International United Airline Polaris tickets to select cities, with 3-Night hotel accommodations at a Marriott Property,” the offering states.

“2 concert tickets” are also included to attend Beyoncé’s 2023 tour, along with a guided backstage tour with Mama Tina herself.

Video footage showed that the bidding war went up to $50,000 while the final amount the tickets went for was unannounced. One attendee claims the tickets sold for a whopping $150,000.

https://twitter.com/IChoseViolences/status/1584053231197769728?s=20&t=rrKg1uiFMBF3BvG1eVeZdg

The Renaissance tour would be Beyoncé’s return to the live stage following the COVID-19 pandemic. The Grammy Award-winning singer released the 16-track album in July to critical acclaim.

Each song on the LP has landed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, with “Cuff It” being the latest dance craze on TikTok. Fans are eager for the highly-anticipated release of the Renaissance visual album.

• Lifestyle

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

‘BMF’ Starz Actress Michole Briana White Explains How Season 2 Will ‘Elevate’ Viewers

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Actress Michole Briana White, one of the four main leads on the hit Starz series, BMF, spoke exclusively with BLACK ENTERPRISE ahead of the season 2 premiere.

The BMF series is only one season in and receiving praise for his gripping portrayal of the infamous Detroit-based BMF (Black Mafia Family). From executive producer Curtis ‘50 Cent’ Jackson, BMF continues to tell the story of love, kinship, and capitalism in the pursuit of the American dream.

All through the eyes of the Flenory brothers, Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory (played by Demetrius Flenory, Jr.) and Terry “Southwest T” Flenory (played by Da’Vinchi), the show shares how the brother rose from the decaying streets of southwest Detroit in the late ’80s and gave birth to one of the most influential crime families in the country.

On the show, White portrays ‘Lucille,’ the strong-willed, dignified mother of Demetrius and Terry Flenory. In every episode, White delivers a strong and powerful performance as the matriarch of the Flenory family.

As the cast prepares for the release of season 2, White is beyond overjoyed with the public response to the show and how it helped humanize the Flenory family.

“Incredibly excited. People love this show,” White told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I personally love that it’s a story about family.”

“You get to see that these beautiful boys did not come from a broken home. They came from a broken neighborhood.”

Season 2 continues the grit, heart, and humor that helps refine the choices the Flenory brothers made in their pursuit of the American Dream.

 

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The show is rooted in family, loyalty, and brotherhood, as the show explores the brothers’ complex relationships with their parents, Charles Flenory (played by Russell Hornsby) and White’s character Lucille, who seeks counsel from their spiritual advisor, Pastor Swift (Snoop Dogg).

“As our incredible showrunner Randy Huggins said all season long, it’s to, “Elevate, elevate, elevate!” White said about the central theme of season 2.

The new season will see every character fighting temptation all around them, with Meech and Terry being at odds. When it comes to Lucille, she’s finally practicing the importance of self-care.

“I think they will see that Lucille has always done everything she could for those she loves but this season she learns the importance of honoring herself,” White said.

With the American dream remaining at the forefront of the BMF series, White says it’s a story that many can relate to.

“Access to the American dream was not an option in their community,” she said.

“So, they found another way to prosper with the limited opportunities presented to them.”

• News

by Atiya Jordan

October 24, 2022

White Lives Matter T-Shirts Were Dropped On Skid Row, But This Black Woman Wasn’t Having It

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A champion for LAʼs ever-increasing homeless population jumped to action when she discovered that boxes of T-shirts with the phrase “White Lives Matter” had been dropped off on Skid Row.

A video posted to Twitter on Oct. 16 suggested that the drop was “courtesy of Kanye West,” NBC News reports.

But Beauty 2 the Streetz founder Shirley Raines was not impressed and feared for the safety of those who might wear the shirts. She caught wind of the footage and decided to return a sense of security.

Load 1 – Skid Röw pic.twitter.com/F9Fh4KGlzp

— Ian Connor (@souljaian) October 17, 2022

“I’m not gonna allow their desperation to lead to their harm because people want to dump stuff like that in our community,” said Raines, who provides hair and makeup services, food, clothing, hygiene, and safety items to thousands of homeless people every week, per the outlet.

“It’s not acceptable. It’s not OK.”

 

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A post shared by Shirley Raines (@beauty2thestreetz)

Photos were also shared to an Instagram account called DondasPlace, along with a caption that read “#WLM shirt activation today at Skid Row.” The shirts resemble the one West wore at his YZY SZN 9 presentation, which sparked a social media uproar.

On a mission, Raines and her team took to the streets with about 200 plain black T-shirts from her warehouse and offered the opportunity for people to replace the ones emblazoned with White Lives Matter.

Last Thursday, she posted a video to her Twitter account documenting her efforts, and in her words, “it’s about providing clothing for an at risk community that keeps them warm and SAFE! I fear that while trying to keep warm someone will get harmed.”

@beauty2thestreetzIt’s about providing clothing for an at risk community that keeps them warm and SAFE! I fear that while trying to keep warm someone will get harmed. We provided SAFER OPTIONS today 🙏🏾♬ original sound – Shirley

Named the 2021 CNN Hero of the Year, Raines has been documenting the real people she serves and their living conditions to change the narrative of homelessness. She began with live-streaming Beauty 2 the Streetz events on Instagram and Tik Tok and gained millions of followers for her devoted journey.

The work is personal for her, but the spotlight on the homeless community is even more valuable.

“I wanted people to understand you are not looking at a woman who buried a child, who started a nonprofit, got her life together, and now she’s a CNN Hero winner,” Raines said, per CNN.

“I don’t do hero stuff, I do human stuff,” she continued. “I work out here in the streets to gain the trust of my community.