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

October 24, 2022

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

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.

“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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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.

Fossil Firms Including TC Energy Are Using Black Leaders To Endorse Projects Harmful To Black Communities
by Derek Major

October 24, 2022

Fossil Firms Including TC Energy Are Using Black Leaders To Endorse Projects Harmful To Black Communities

Fossil fuel companies such as TC Energy have long used Black leaders to endorse oil and gas projects that disproportionately affect people of color and low-income areas.

The Guardian reported that one prime example is the Virginia Reliability Project (VRP), a proposal by TC Energy, the same company behind the controversial Keystone XL Pipeline. THE VRP aims to upgrade gas infrastructure on tribal lands, fragile waterways, and underserved neighborhoods in Southeast Virginia.

Geoffrey Guns, the senior pastor at the Second Baptist Calvary Church in Norfolk, was asked to join the community advisory board for the pipeline, which TC Energy claimed would lead to thousands of local jobs, and that community engagement is core to TC Energy’s mission.

Guns, believing it was his duty to fight for Black communities that would be affected by the pipeline, joined the board with several other Black community leaders, but soon realized they made a grave mistake.

“If they’re asking us to rubber-stamp this, then there should be economic benefits for Black folks and minorities. But all we heard was talk without any actual commitment to equity in contracts for minorities,” Guns told the Guardian.

Guns added that he felt used by TC Energy, which features the endorsement of several Black leaders on its “Community Voices” page, including Virginia Senate Delegate Lamont Bagby, Sen. Louise Lucas and Delegate Clinton Jenkins.

However, The Guardian reported that many of the firm’s “Community Voices” receive financial contributions from TC Energy, which is legal but not mentioned on the page. Additionally, the majority of the “Community Voices” are white.

“The whole thing feels very disingenuous, as clearly the company is not really interested in our advice on safety or guaranteeing opportunities for minority businesses. I am very disappointed. This is a bunch of white people with some Black faces sprinkled in. I feel absolutely used and violated,” Guns added.

TC Energy is a $47 billion energy company and its VRP proposes digging up 49 miles of an existing pipeline and replacing it with a pipeline double the size through designated wetlands, residential areas, and an elementary school of mostly minority students.

The Guardian reported the project would also use horizontal drilling to cross watersheds currently being rehabilitated, which provide fish, oysters, and drinking water to indigenous Americans and Black communities. TC Energy is not the only fossil fuel firm to bring in influential Black leaders to endorse oil and gas projects that disproportionately affect people of color, Native communities, and low-income areas.

In fact, it happened so much the NAACP created a Fossil Fueled Foolery primer, warning people of color and communities about companies that use the endorsement of local leaders to misrepresent their interests. The organization created the primer after discovering some of its local chapters were supporting power plants and pipelines.

James Minor, the president of the Richmond NAACP chapter, lobbied on behalf of TC Energy and asked local politicians to sign ghostwritten letters supporting the pipeline. Minor is also one of eight voting members on the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, which is responsible for issuing water permits, which the VRP requires. Earlier this year, Minor voted in favor of a separate TC Energy permit request.

Itai Vardi, a research manager at the Energy and Policy Institute (EPI) told The Guardian that Minor’s actions are “a blatant conflict of interest and what seems to be an extremely troubling attempt by TC Energy to tilt the environmental review of the project in its favor.”

According to The Guardian, TC Energy donated $20,000 to the state’s Black Caucus, $5,000 to Lt. Gov. Winsome Sears, and $2,000 to Sen. Lucas, among others in the state.

George Floyd Demonstrators to be Paid $700K in Four Separate Settlements Over Police Excessive Force
by Eric Moody

October 24, 2022

George Floyd Demonstrators to be Paid $700K in Four Separate Settlements Over Police Excessive Force

The city of Minneapolis has been required to pay more than $700,000 to demonstrators because of the police using excessive force during protests over the death of George Floyd.

Members of the Minneapolis city council approved the four separate settlements Thursday, with the largest award issued to a group of 11 Minnesotans and one Iowa resident, according to The Associated Press.

Minneapolis police were accused in federal court of targeting the protesters with tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray as they peacefully protested George Floyd’s death.

The council unanimously voted to award each plaintiff named in the case $50,000.

“In other blatant displays of excessive force, captured on video, MPD officers can be seen spraying tear gas and pepper spray indiscriminately out of their squad car windows while driving through peaceful protests,” according to a 60-page civil suit.

The settlements reportedly require approval from Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

The Star Tribune reported that most of the plaintiffs were marched along the Interstate 35W bridge on May 31, 2020, when a semitrailer drove into a large crowd.

The city of Cleveland also agreed last month to pay 12 protesters $540,000 for their wrongful arrests during George Floyd protest demonstrations.

The 12 plaintiffs agreed to split the money evenly, and the city will dismiss all charges on their records, ABC News reported.

Last week, the family of George Floyd filed a $250 million lawsuit after billionaire recording artist Kanye West made inflammatory comments regarding George Floyd’s death  on the Drink Champs podcast.

Ye said, after watching a documentary by Candace Owens, that Floyd was not killed by a Minnesota police officer. Instead, Ye said, Floyd died from ingesting fentanyl, which was proven in court to be false.

Former police officer Derek Chauvin is currently serving a prison sentence after being convicted for the murder of George Floyd in 2020.

breast cancer
by Stacy Jackson

October 24, 2022

Death Rates From Breast Cancer 41% Higher Among Black Women Than White Women

As of 2019, breast cancer is reportedly the leading cause of cancer deaths among Black women.

Statistics provided by the American Cancer Society show that Black women are 41% more likely to die from breast cancer, compared to white women. Studies found that death rates from breast cancer were higher among Black women as a result of a higher prevalence of obesity and other health problems, and a higher incidence of triple-negative breast cancer, which is reportedly more challenging to treat.

“Black women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer than white women. They’re also 30% more likely to die from these tumors because of lower rates of surgery and chemotherapy,” the American Cancer Society reported.

Higher death rates from breast cancer among Black women are also likely related to a higher incidence of inflammatory breast cancer, which studies found to be aggressive, but less common.

According to Chicago Tonight, the age for women to begin screening for breast cancer was lower than the United States Preventive Services Task Force’s guidelines, presently set at 50 years old.

Advocate and consultant, Teena L. Francois-Blue, believes the age for mammograms should be lowered. Black women who decide to seek detection earlier than the set age often have to pay out-of-pocket, as insurance companies will not cover costs for mammograms until women are of the recommended age, reported Chicago Tonight.

However, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that women in their 40s communicate with their doctors about when to begin screening.

“There’s a lot of policy issues at play, that we need to still be mindful of that are very specific to Black women that are important to save our lives,” Francois-Blue said, according to the outlet.

Dr. June McKoy, professor of medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, cleared up myths about mammograms, regarding the concern that radiation to the breast being an “additive overtime effect.”

“If we can’t dispel this myth that mammography will lead to breast cancer then we’re going to lose more of our own women to breast cancer,” McKoy said.

McKoy and Francois-Blue believe early screening and changes in insurance policies are necessary, especially for Black women who might be finding lesions early.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

Hampton University’s Byron Perkins Becomes First D1 HBCU Football Player to Come Out As Gay

A defensive back on the Hampton University Pirates is making history after becoming the first football player at an HBCU to come out as gay.

Byron Perkins made history last Wednesday when the junior took to his Instagram to “stop running away” from publicly identifying as a gay man, making him the first HBCU football player to do so, Sports Illustrated reported.

“I’ve decided that I’m going to make a change, and stop running away from myself,” Perkins wrote.

“I’m gay, let it be known that this is not a ‘decision’ or a ‘choice.’”

“Yes, this is who I am, this is who I’ve been, and this is who I’m going to be. Simply put, I am who I am,” he shared.

Speaking with Outsports, Perkins explained how he decided to come out after realizing that hiding his sexual identity was taking a toll on his personal well-being.

“I’ve been self-reflective and trying to prioritize what makes me happy and makes me feel alive,” he said. “I thought it could be just football and school, but there was a component missing.”

“And recently I’ve been able to figure out that I haven’t been fully happy because everyone didn’t know who I was,” he continued. “Authenticity is everything to me.”

The Chicago native said the response from his team has been “very good,” but also a bit mixed. He credits his coaches for supporting him and says he chose to come out to provide inspiration and support to other gay Black men who might be struggling in HBCU environments.

“Especially at an HBCU, young Black gay men need an outlet,” Perkins said.

“They need a support system. There hasn’t been an out gay football athlete at an HBCU. I want to end the stigma of what people think. I want people to know they can be themselves. It’s about that kid who’s going to see this and think he can be himself too.”

Perkins is the first gay Division I HBCU football player to come out publicly. Other gay Division I football players who have come out during their college careers include Scott Frantz at Kansas State and Arizona’s My-King Johnson.

Award-Winning Black Film Director Searched By DEA at Atlanta Airport, ‘I Was Definitely Racially Profiled’
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

Award-Winning Black Film Director Searched By DEA at Atlanta Airport, ‘I Was Definitely Racially Profiled’

A Black man traveling to Los Angeles from Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson airport had his bags completely searched by DEA agents, who provided no explanation why.

Award-winning veteran film director, Tabari Sturdivant, shared a short video clip along with a lengthy caption explaining what he experienced while at the Atlanta airport on Friday.

“Friday morning right as I was boarding a flight to LA, (2) DEA agents approached me,” Tabari explained.

“They asked for my ID, began to question me and proceeded to search me and my bags right in front of everyone.”

 

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Sturdivant noted that he was “the only black person in the area,” and the only one the plainclothes officers decided to search.

“It was a humiliating experience,” he said. “People took their phones out and started filming.”

“They took everything out of my bag in front of everyone. No privacy. I was totally shocked and embarrassed.”

“After finding NO illegal contraband in my bag, they seemed disappointed and let me go,” he confirmed.

Sturdivant explained how once he got on the plane, passengers started questioning why he was searched. He said the questioning continued once he arrived in Los Angeles.

There was one passenger who admitted to filming the search and posting the video on social media. Following the encounter, Tabari is convinced that he was a victim of racial profiling.

“I was minding my business with a black hoodie and headphones on,” he explained. “I was standing in the middle of white 20 passengers and they singled me out and humiliated me.”

“I was definitely racially profiled.”

At the start of his caption, Tabari referenced comedian Eric André’s recent lawsuit filing after experiencing the same thing at the same airport.

Earlier this month, André and fellow comedian Clayton English filed a lawsuit with claims they were racially profiled by police at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on separate occasions in 2021 and 2020, NPR reported.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the two well-known comedians claimed they were illegally stopped by Clayton County officials at the Atlanta airport on separate occasions about six months apart. The lawsuit challenges the airport police program, saying officials are violating the constitutional rights of Black airline passengers, interrogating them, and taking them through coercive searches as they board their flights.

“CCPD calls these stops ‘consensual encounters’ and ‘random,’ ” the lawsuit states.

“They are neither; the CCPD jet bridge interdictions rely on coercion, and targets are selected disproportionately based on their race.”

Sturdivant is a well-respected filmmaker who was voted Georgia’s Best Independent Filmmaker of 2013 by the Georgia Entertainment Gala.

In January 2011, Sturdivant started the Behind The Scenes Department at Tyler Perry Studios, where he directed and produced content for the new tylerperry.com website, DVD features, and future programming. After leaving TPS, Sturdivant produced the feature film First Impression, starring Lamaan Rucker (Meet The Browns), Lisa Arrindell Anderson (Meet the Browns – Movie), Elise Neal, David & Tamela Mann.

TheGrio Hosted Inaugural Awards Gala to ‘Amplify’ Black Excellence
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 24, 2022

TheGrio Hosted Inaugural Awards Gala to ‘Amplify’ Black Excellence

Black Excellence was on full display at theGrio’s first-ever awards ceremony and gala.

Held at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles on Saturday, hosts Sheryl Underwood and Taye Diggs, along with Allen Media Group’s Founder, Chairman, and CEO, Byron Allen, came together to set the stage for a new award show aimed at spreading and celebrating Black empowerment.

“I created theGrio Awards to celebrate and amplify African-American excellence and the incredible champions from other communities who truly support us,” Allen said in a statement.

“Celebrating and amplifying iconic individuals is something we can never do enough of, especially for our children.”

Attendees included Queen Latifah, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Hudson, Allyson Felix, Ben Crump, Don Peebles, and Robert F. Smith. Inspirational figures across film, politics, and journalism graced the red carpet including Nikole Hannah-Jones, Terrance Howard, Jackée Harry, Marla Gibbs, Kim Coles, and Congressman Bobby Rush.

April Ryan, Natasha Alford, Panama Jackson, and Michael Harriot were also in attendance along with actor Taye Diggs and his girlfriend Apryl Jones. Patti LaBelle blessed attendees with a live performance along with Yolanda Adams, Tyrese, and Fantasia. Music veteran, Greg Phillinganes, served as the evening’s musical director, alongside DJ Kiss who worked double time as the D.J. and announcer.

Mini-reunions took place when Marla Gibbs and Jackée Harry crossed paths, much to the delight of 227 fans. Queen Latifah and Kim Coles shared a Living Single moment when fans noticed them both on the red carpet.

Awards were given to Patti LaBelle who received the Music Icon Award, Jennifer Hudson took home the Trailblazer Icon Award, Queen Latifah was awarded with the Television Icon Award, and Felix was crowned the Sports Icon Award.

Other honorees included Tyler Perry, Dave Chappelle, and Kenan Thompson, Daily Mail reported.

Those who missed the live event can catch theGrio Awards on theGrio Television Network and other Allen Media Group television and digital platforms. The event will also appear on broadcast television stations nationwide in the near future.

Urban League of Greater Madison Receives $500,000 Donation to Support 4-Story Black Business Hub
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 24, 2022

Urban League of Greater Madison Receives $500,000 Donation to Support 4-Story Black Business Hub

The Farwell Foundation announced a $500,000 donation to the Urban League of Greater Madison, Wisconsin, earlier this month to support the Black Business Hub project.

The gift is one of the organization’s largest grants ever made. It was fueled by the generosity of Cheryl Rosen Weston.

In a written statement, Weston said, “we believe firmly in our duty to make this world, and more specifically, Madison, a better place. We do this by committing to support, love, honor, and respect all members of our community.”

“In particular, we place emphasis on offering our assistance to those members and segments of our community that have not been given equal access to the resources that they deserve.”

“We are delighted to partner with the Urban League of Greater Madison in the development of the Black Business Hub, and we believe in its enormous potential to effect positive change for Madison’s Black community.”

Earlier this spring, in April, the Urban League of Greater Madison broke ground on the Black Business Hub project. Located in South Madison, Wisconsin, and costing $26 million, it is the largest project in the organization’s history. The donation brought the total fundraising tally to nearly $20.5 million.

The upcoming Black Business Hub is a Black-led, place-based project that plans to provide a transformational ecosystem for businesses and individuals who are underserved in the area. The Hub will be a centrally located one-stop shop focused on supporting businesses and entrepreneurs through incubation, acceleration, and networking programs and services. Services at the Hub will include training, educational support, loans, grants, business coaching and mentoring, networking opportunities, shared services, and other initiatives.

Urban League Madison CEO, Dr. Ruben Anthony, expressed that he was “overjoyed and humbled when he got the call.”

“This is a tremendous investment in the Black Business Hub’s vision, and even more importantly in the hard-working small business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs who have experienced a lifetime of under-investment, challenges accessing capital, and the lack of a culturally relevant ecosystem of support.”

The Farwell Foundation organization is overseen by Samantha M. Weston.

White Supremacist Group Rallies In Los Angeles Raising Nazi Salutes and Giving Nod to Kanye’s Anti-Semitic Rhetoric
by Stacy Jackson

October 24, 2022

White Supremacist Group Rallies In Los Angeles Raising Nazi Salutes and Giving Nod to Kanye’s Anti-Semitic Rhetoric

Residents were unexpectedly confronted with Nazi salutes as they drove along the freeway in Los Angeles.

Members of a white supremacist hate group were sighted on Saturday above Interstate 405 in Los Angeles, publicizing their support of recent antisemitic tweets by Kanye West that expressed that the rapper would go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE.”

According to The Daily Beast, the antisemitic group was identified as affiliates of the “Goyim Defense League,” who rallied two weeks after Kanye’s tweet. Participants, including the Goyim Defense League’s leader, Jon Minadeo, stood beside banners that read “Kanye is right about the Jews,” “Honk if you know,” and featured biblical verses regarding references such as “the synagogue of Satan.”

Photographs captured the rally-goers allegedly raising their arms in a Nazi salute.

The Wrap reports that the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) classified the group as a “loose network of individuals connected by their virulent antisemitism,” and condemned the rally as an “Outrageous effort to fan the flames of antisemitism gripping the nation.” One of the police assigned to the scene was allegedly yelled at by Minadeo about “diversity hires” and immigrants.

“This group is known for espousing vitriolic #antisemitism and white supremacist ideology,” the ADL Southern California tweeted. “Hate has no place in Los Angeles or elsewhere and these attempts will not divide us.”

ADL is reportedly leading an effort, titled #RunAwayFromHate, to persuade Adidas to cut ties with the controversial rapper.

“While Adidas has refused to condemn Kanye West’s antisemitism, hate groups like White Lives Matter and the Goyim Defense League are celebrating and promoting Ye’s comments to further their extremist agendas,” the organization said.

In an exclusive with Women’s Wear Daily, Balenciaga revealed its company cut ties with Ye for his repeated use of hate speech.

Kanye reportedly apologized for the remarks he made on Twitter in reference to the military readiness condition “DEFCON,” during an interview with Piers Morgan.

‘Crossed the Line’: Black NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace Gets Suspended for Altercation After Mid-Race Crash
by Atiya Jordan

October 24, 2022

‘Crossed the Line’: Black NASCAR Driver Bubba Wallace Gets Suspended for Altercation After Mid-Race Crash

An escalating incident prompted NASCAR driver Bubba Wallaceto deliver a wrecking right rear hook to his opponent’s car during last weekend’s playoff race. Now his one-race suspension is costing his team this week’s Cup Series.

Leading the pack, Wallace was just 14 laps in Stage 2 when his No. 45 Toyota collided into the wall at the hands of Hendrick Motorsports racer Kyle Larson on Sunday, Oct. 16, according to The Sporting News. The run-in resulted in Wallace returning a slight bump that sent Larson’s No. 5 Chevy toward the infield.

At high speed, Wallace tailed behind Larson to the edge of the infield grass and smashed into Larson’s right rear with the left front of his vehicle. The pair spun back onto the track, involving championship contender, Christopher Bell. All three drivers were knocked out of Sunday’s race.

Shortly after, a heated Wallace approached Larson on the infield with some fuming words and hard shoves. An on-track official immediately diffused the altercation by separating the pair.

For Wallace, his actions on-track were in response to Larson’s attempt to make a three-car dive bomb without clearing the move with him first.

Larson told NBC that Wallace “had a reason to be mad, but his race wasn’t over until he retaliated.”

NASCAR’s chief operating officer, Steve O’Donnell, made a statement with SiriusXM NASCAR Radio after the one-race ban was announced, per ESPN.

“As we look at the sport and where we are today and where we want to draw that line going forward, we thought that [Wallace] definitely crossed the line, and that’s what we focused on in terms of making this call,” he said.

On Monday, Oct. 17, Wallace issued a public apology to reflect on Sunday’s actions.

“I want to apologize to NASCAR and the fans, along with Christopher Bell, Joe Gibba Racing, and Toyota for putting them in a situation in the Playoffs that they do not deserve,” Wallace wrote in part.

Wallace’s NASCAR journey has been no easy ride. Yet, it has been trailblazing. Back in 2021, he made history as the first Black driver since 1963 to win a NASCAR Cup Series race at the Talladega Superspeedway. The historic victory came after his outspoken efforts to shed light on social justice by pushing NASCAR to ban the Confederate flag and driving in a Black Lives Matter stockcar during a cap series race.

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