Go Trojans! Mister and Miss HBCU Earn VSU’s First National Pageant Titles
by Atiya Jordan

October 24, 2022

Go Trojans! Mister and Miss HBCU Earn VSU’s First National Pageant Titles

The birth of a new HBCU dynasty is shining a light on the powerful legacies of HBCUs everywhere.

This year, Mister and Miss HBCU hail from Virginia State University (VSU), where the incomparable Trojan pride runs deep and the crowns stack high.

Isaiah Matthews-Braxton and Joy Watson, who competed in separate pageants against HBCU students nationwide, earned VSU’s first national pageant titles from the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame, WTVR reported.This opportunity not only honors VSU in a grand way, but it allows the king and queen to represent all HBCU students.

In 2021, Matthews-Braxton, a humanities and social sciences major, earned VSU’s 31st Mister Virginia State title and was named Mister HBCU in January 2022. His journey is a testament to the Trojan’s orange and blue that illuminates in his blood and the family he’s gained in the Land of Troy.

“HBCUs are extremely important, for Black and Brown kids [as] we go into this scary world,” Matthews-Braxton said, per the news outlet. “We’re dealing with so much adversity, whether it’s police killings or systematic oppression, but when you go to an HBCU you gain a family. ”

“Being Mister HBCU is probably the greatest thing I’ve done in my whole college experience,” he continued.

Voted 94th Miss Virginia State University in April, Watson is a Senior Presidential STEM Scholar from Newburgh, NY. The mission behind her reign is to serve her ambassadorship by inspiring and educating students about HBCUs.

“When people see us they’ll want to go here. When people see us, they’ll want to send their students, their kids, and maybe even become a professor at our university,” Watson said.

“The goal is to continue to have people from our school, more Virginia State University kings and queens to hold these titles,” she continued.

by Kia Morgan Smith

October 24, 2022

Blue Ivy’s Got Bank! Jay Z and Beyoncé’s Daughter Bid on $80K Diamond Earrings at Grandmom’s Wearable Art Gala

Ten-year-old Blue Ivy Carter is apparently a little lady in control of her spending power.

Blue’s got a lot of green, and at her grandmother Tina Knowles-Lawson’s annual Wearable Art Gala this past weekend, she placed a bid for an $80,000 pair of earrings. The little lady’s a big spender!

Saturday’s Wearable Art Gala is a partnership with Knowles-Lawson and her husband, Richard Lawson, to raise funds for the WACO Theater’s youth mentorship programs. The star-studded Harlem Nights theme was a nod to the Harlem Renaissance from the 1920s to the 1950s, “a golden age in African American culture, manifesting in literature, music, stage performance and art.”

“From music and dancing to savory culinary dishes and signature cocktails, we’ll experience the big ballrooms, jazz clubs, speakeasies, iconic restaurants, and theaters where artists such as Duke Ellington, Bill Bojangles Robinson, Zora Neale Hurston, Cab Calloway, Langston Hughes, Billie Holiday, Pearl Primus, Ella Fitzgerald, and others performed,” the venue’s website states.

It was a family affair with Jay-Z and Beyonce in attendance as well to support the initiative. Blue’s $80,000 bid sent shockwaves even among the auctioneers who announced the expensive piece of jewelry. Those auctioneers included her grandmother and actor/TV host, Keke Palmer, who were surprised when she placed the bid on a pair of Lorraine Schwartz diamond earrings.

A video showing a portion of the bid was taken by Abbott Elementary‘s Quinta Brunson and placed on her Instagram account and reposted by a Twitter user over the weekend.

Carter did not win the item after being outbid by Mielle Organics founder Monique Rodriguez and her husband when they placed a final bid of $105,000.

This event took place at the Wearable Art Gala in Los Angeles Saturday.

This isn’t Carter’s first attempt at buying an item at an auction. Today reported that at the same event back in 2018, the young girl, who was six at the time, also placed a bid for a piece of artwork. The item was an acrylic painting of a young Sidney Poitier. After first placing a $17,000 bid for the art, she placed a higher bid of $19,000 before losing out to the winning bid of $20,000. That artwork was taken home by filmmaker, Tyler Perry.

She did manage to take home an item from that auction. For $10,000, she bid on and won a 36″ x 36″ art piece made out of deconstructed law and medical books according to Vanity Fair.

Wells Fargo Donates $800,000 to 100 Black Men of America, Inc.
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 24, 2022

Wells Fargo Donates $800,000 to 100 Black Men of America, Inc.

The Wells Fargo Foundation is providing $800,000 to the 100 Black Men of America, Inc. to expand economic empowerment programming for youth, underserved communities and the members of the 100.

The grant was announced during the 100 Moving In Faith Prayer Breakfast, convened in collaboration with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s 51st Annual Legislative Conference, according to a press release. This pledge of support builds on the more than 25-year history between the two organizations and strengthens a strategic plan with programs that deliver innovative, sustainable solutions that meet community needs.

The work of the 100 addresses the needs of marginalized youth by delivering the most impactful programming and resources possible in the areas of mentoring, education, health and wellness, economic empowerment and leadership development. Through the engagement of committed volunteer members at the local level, collaborative partnerships with like-minded organizations and committed stakeholders like Wells Fargo, the 100 has achieved remarkable and measurable outcomes.

“As a company we share a common vision with the 100 for greater racial and economic equity and closing the racial wealth gap in our country,” said Otis Rolley, president of the Wells Fargo Foundation and head of Philanthropy and Community Impact.

“The 100 is known for empowering generations of black youth and we look forward to continuing our work together to engage young people and prepare them for financially independent futures.”

Biden|Biden
by Jasmine Jackson

October 24, 2022

US Appeals Court Temporarily Blocks Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan

A U.S. appeals court on Friday temporarily blocked President Joe Biden‘s plan to cancel billions of dollars in college student debt, one day after a judge dismissed a Republican-led lawsuit by six states challenging the loan-forgiveness program.

The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted an emergency stay barring the discharge of any student debt under the program until the court rules on the states’ request for a longer-term injunction while Thursday’s decision against them is appealed.

The St. Louis-based appeals court also ordered an expedited briefing schedule on the matter.

U.S. District Judge Henry Autrey in St. Louis ruled on Thursday that while the six Republican-led states had raised “important and significant challenges to the debt relief plan,” he threw out their lawsuit on grounds they lacked the necessary legal standing to pursue the case.

Nebraska, Missouri, Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas and South Carolina said Biden’s plan skirted congressional authority and threatened the states’ future tax revenues and money earned by state entities that invest in or service the student loans.

The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office in September calculated the debt forgiveness would cost the government about $400 billion.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Thursday’s temporary order does not prevent borrowers from applying for student debt relief or bar the Biden administration from reviewing applications and preparing them for transmission to loan servicers.

“We encourage eligible borrowers to join the nearly 22 million Americans whose information the Department of Education already has,” Jean-Pierre said.

“It is important to note that the order does not reverse the trial court’s dismissal of the case or suggest that the case has merit,” she added. “It merely prevents debt from being discharged until the (appeals) court makes a decision.”

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson, a Republican who is leading the lawsuit, welcomed the temporary stay.

“It’s very important that the legal issues involving presidential power be analyzed by the court before transferring over $400 billion in debt to American taxpayers,” he said.

The case reaching the 8th Circuit is one of a number that conservative state attorneys general and legal groups have filed seeking to halt the debt forgiveness plan announced in August by Biden, a Democrat.

Autrey ruled about an hour after U.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett denied without explanation an emergency request to put the debt relief plan on hold in a separate challenge brought by the Wisconsin-based Brown County Taxpayers Association.

Biden said the U.S. government will forgive up to $10,000 in student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 a year, or $250,000 for married couples. Borrowers who received Pell Grants to benefit lower-income college students will have up to $20,000 of their debt canceled.

The policy fulfilled a promise that Biden made during the 2020 presidential campaign to help debt-saddled former college students.

Democrats are hoping the policy will boost support for them in the Nov. 8 midterm elections in which control of Congress is at stake.

(Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; additional reporting by Nate Raymond and Ismail Shakil; Editing by Grant McCool and Lincoln Feast)

Music Exec Robert Louis Gordy Sr., Berry Gordy’s Brother, Has Died at 91
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 24, 2022

Music Exec Robert Louis Gordy Sr., Berry Gordy’s Brother, Has Died at 91

Robert Louis Gordy Sr., a music publishing executive and older brother to legendary Motown founder Berry Gordy has died on Friday, Oct. 21, his family confirmed.

“I am deeply saddened by the sudden passing of my younger brother, Robert,” Berry Gordy said in a statement.

“He was absolutely the best lil’ brother anyone could ever hope for. His ability to succeed at whatever he attempted or that I threw his way, amazed me over the years. I will miss his love, his support, and his loyalty.”

Courtesy of West Grand Media, LLC

Robert was also a recording artist who went by the stage name Bob Kayli. He co-wrote the song “Everyone Was There,” with his brother Berry in 1958 which was released on Carlton Records.

According to Wikipedia, “Robert Gordy was born in Detroit, Michigan on July 15, 1931. Growing up, he became a boxer like his brother Berry. He had a brief career as a recording artist and had a minor hit as Bob Kayli with the novelty song “Everyone Was There”, co-written with his brother Berry and leased by him to the Carlton label. The record reached number 96 on the Billboard Hot 100 in November 1958 and performed it on the Dick Clark TV Show. He recorded a second single on Gordy’s Anna label in 1959, “Never More”, before working for a time in the postal service. As his older brother’s Motown company expanded, Robert returned to work for it, initially as a recording engineer. He also recorded two further singles as Bob Kayli, “Small Sad Sam” (a cover of Phil McLean’s answer record to “Big Bad John”, Tamla, 1961) and “Hold On Pearl” (Gordy, 1962). Neither was successful and his career as a recording artist ended.”

Robert leaves behind his brother, Berry Gordy; three children, Roxanna Wright, Rodney Gordy and Fuller Gordy; four grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and other relatives.

Rest well.

Grab Two Licenses For MS Office For Mac For Under $80
by Black Enterprise Shop

October 24, 2022

Grab Two Licenses For MS Office For Mac For Under $80

Virtually every office or classroom you’ll encounter is in some way or form somehow connected to Microsoft’s powerful and popular Office software suite. According to EarthWeb, as of 2022, an estimated 1.4 billion people around the globe counted themselves among the many Microsoft Office customers.

Since its introduction in 1990, Microsoft Office has accumulated a loyal following thanks to its many features. Its ease of use has only added even more loyal customers. Many programs have attempted to replicate Office, but none have matched its perfection.

For a limited time, you can purchase two lifetime license codes for Microsoft Office Home & Business for Mac 2021 for just $79.99. That’s a savings of nearly 90% if you were to purchase each license without the discount.

This bundle is perfect for families, students, and small businesses. It harkens back to the classic MS Office apps and email. It includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams and OneNote.

There aren’t any annual or monthly fees to use the software. Updates to the software are included for the life of your product.

This deal has earned a 5-star rating from satisfied customers.

“I’ve used the previous versions of Microsoft Office applications before, it’s just easy to use and of course, the Mac version is more user-friendly,” writes verified 5-star reviewer Hasan Sahin.

The software is compatible with Mac computers that run Catalina Version 10.15, Big Sur Version 11 and Monterey Version 12. A minimum of 4GB of RAM and 10GB of hard-disk space are also needed to run the program.

Whether you’re looking to purchase Office for your academic or professional pursuits, this deal is just what you need to bring Microsoft’s popular software suite to your Mac computer. Purchase it today when it’s still available at its limited-time price.

 Prices subject to change.

WATCH: White Officer Stomps on Homeless Black Man in Indiana, Faces Federal Charges for Violating Civil Rights
by Eric Moody

October 23, 2022

WATCH: White Officer Stomps on Homeless Black Man in Indiana, Faces Federal Charges for Violating Civil Rights

An Indianapolis police sergeant faces federal charges after a bodycam video captured him stomping on a handcuffed Black homeless man’s face.

Eric Huxley, 44, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for violating the victim’s civil rights by using excessive force and has been suspended without pay, according to FOX 59. He also reportedly faces termination along with local felony charges of battery and official misconduct.

The video captured the 15-year veteran inflicting violence on the victim identified as Jermaine Vaughn in September 2021. According to FOX 59, Huxley and two other officers were trying to arrest Vaughn for disorderly conduct. Vaughn was then forced to the ground as he argued with the officers.

“Sgt. Huxley then walks over to [the man], lifts his left leg, and drives his left foot down into [the man’s] face,” FOX 59 reported.

“Within seconds, blood is visible in [the man’s] mouth.” 

As seen in the video, Huxley proceeds to yell at Vaughn after kicking him in the face. Vaughn, whose mouth appears bloodied, replied:

“There you go. Police brutality!”

Huxley was charged with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law while using a dangerous weapon, resulting in bodily injury.

Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department Chief Randal Taylor issued a statement in response:

“This incident was unnecessary and should have never occurred.”

“I would not tolerate this behavior from any community member; Sergeant Huxley is no exception.”

“As law enforcement officers, we must understand that this behavior violates the community’s trust. We have confidence the judicial system will bring justice to [the man] and his family.”

FOX 59 also reported that the City of Indianapolis, the Indianapolis Police Department, and the police chief face a separate federal lawsuit that claims the two involved officers, Sgt. Christopher Kibbey and Officer Matthew Shores, reported Huxley for the incident and faced retaliation.

University of Memphis Receives $700K Grant To Uplift Black-Owned Tech Businesses
by Eric Moody

October 23, 2022

University of Memphis Receives $700K Grant To Uplift Black-Owned Tech Businesses

The University of Memphis made a major announcement on Thursday to empower up-and-coming Black tech entrepreneurs.

The university’s Center for Workplace Diversity in partnership with the Black Business Association of Memphis, and Community LIFT received more than $700,000 from The U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA).

The administration states that the grant will be used to hire more people who will be responsible for raising capital funds aimed at promoting equity. In addition, the grant will be used to hire a fund director and training coordinator.

(Image: YouTube / STEMedia / Screenshot)

The announcement was made on Thursday during the 2022 Computer Science for ALL Summit in Graceland, Tenn., for tech leaders and educators. Reportedly, leaders in the community hope the funding will uplift Black-owned tech businesses to further address the need for more underrepresented minorities to enter and operate in the workspace. During the three-day conference, four young teens took the stage and combined art and technology by choreographing a dance and coding the lights for their performance.

“I felt the need to combine my love for science and dance,” 14-year-old, Kayla Jean-Baptiste, an aspiring professional coder, told FOX 13.

The conference also hosted a series of conversations that focused on making the computer science field more equitable and sustainable.

“Computer Science for All is a national and even global movement to make sure that youth live in a digital world and can navigate that fluently,” Leigh Ann DeLyser, executive director of the organization told FOX 13.

“It’s not an accident that they take everything they know and build the next generation of technology.”

Memphis nonprofit, Code-Crew, also raised awareness during the conference surrounding the importance of a diversified tech industry.

“When you only ask one person one question, you only get that. But when you open the floodgates and you bring in minorities, you bring in women, you bring in kids sometimes, it appears completely different,” Audrey Willis, co-founder of the nonprofit told FOX 13.

by Eric Moody

October 23, 2022

NBA Legend Magic Johnson Reportedly In Talks To Buy Stake In NFL’s Raiders

NBA Hall Of Famer Earvin Magic Johnson is reportedly interested in buying a stake in the National Football League’s Las Vegas Raiders.

The ownership stake that Johnson and his team of investors he has been working on assembling over the weeks would reportedly set a record valuation for the football team franchise, Semafor reports.

His firm, Magic Johnson Enterprises, currently has an ownership stake in the Los Angeles Dodgers and Burger King as far as the restaurant industry goes.

Along with the 125 Magic Johnson Theaters located nationwide, Johnson also was an early investor in Starbucks.

From 1998 to 2010, Johnson’s company-owned more than 100 Starbucks. In 2010, Magic Johnson Enterprises sold its stock in Starbucks.

The Los Angeles Lakers champion walked away with $100 million from the deal, The Sports Rush reported.

It’s clear to see that Johnson’s pursuit of the NFL franchise aligns with his portfolio of interests.

A deal for minority ownership in the Las Vegas Raiders hasn’t been finalized and could reportedly fall apart.

The team is currently majority owned by the family of the late Al Davis, Mark, and Carol Davis.

While the price tag that Johnson has presented has not been disclosed publicly, Forbes previously reported in August that Las Vegas Raiders owner Mark Davis had received an offer of $6.5 billion from an unnamed investor for a minority stake.

If the move is successful, it would certainly help address some of the criticism The NFL has received over the years for its lack of ethnic diversity among the stakes of ownership involving the 32 teams.

The league has maintained strict ownership rules that have preserved its tradition of long-term owners, making it more difficult for newcomers who seek investment opportunities among the NFL franchises.

Robert smith
by Eric Moody

October 23, 2022

Billionaire Robert F. Smith Shares Importance of Internships Across 85 Portfolio Companies Growth, Long-Term Success

Billionaire investor, Robert F. Smith, shared how he achieves company growth and long-term success on Thursday at the 2022 Inc. 5000 Conference & Gala in Phoenix, Ariz.

Smith, founder of private equity firm, Vista Equity Partners, employs 95,000 workers across its 85 portfolio companies, according to Inc. 5000.

In a conference discussion with CEO Stephanie Mehta of Manseto Ventures, Smith stated the most important thing an organization can do is to start an internship program that can bring underrepresented people into the workforce.

As for his company, Vista Equity Partners, Inc. 5000, Smith and his team are reportedly responsible for hiring between 5,000 and 15,000 employees per year across its software business portfolios. The company’s effort has resulted in a solid infrastructure that is dedicated to recruiting and developing talent from top to bottom.

“Even a six-week summer program can allow you to get a good look at the next generation,” Smith said during the conference.

“And they can get a good look at you.”

Prospective employees take a Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Test (CCAT) examination that measures prospective hires’ ability to use new information. In addition, the prospects also take a personality test. Once hired, the new employees take a series of boot camps by the firm’s in-house consulting partner, Vista Consulting Group. The new employees learn how to incorporate the company’s best practices and principles that are only shared and kept secret with fellow Vista colleagues.

Smith added during his conversation at the conference that he credits much of his own success to a college internship with Bell Labs that focused on research and scientific development.

The internship inspired him to dedicate his efforts to training the next generation through a platform called, internXL, that brings precision, diversity, inclusion, and efficiency to the internship hiring process for top companies.

Whenever Vista Equity Partners invests in a new business, Smith says he intends to ensure that the portfolio company starts an internship program and doubles its size the following year.

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