• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 21, 2022

Kevin Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures Receives Substantial Investment From J.P. Morgan

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Comedian and entrepreneur Kevin Hart has received a substantial investment from a major banking institution for his venture capital firm.

According to TechCrunch, Hart’s Hartbeat Ventures has received its first institutional investment from J.P. Morgan. The announcement took place on Wednesday at the TechCrunch Disrupt conference.

The newly formed venture capital firm will have a focus on lifestyle, media, and technology. A portion of the fund will go towards supporting minority and underrepresented founders.

Hart expressed to the audience that entering the world of investing was not what he expected, and he had to learn the meaning of investment.

“I had to learn why investing was okay,” Hart said.

“From my understanding, the world of investing — well, it was attached to the space of a con. You’re trying to con me out of my money. I don’t trust you. I’m not giving nobody my money so they can run off and do what they want — that was my challenge. The biggest learning curve for me was understanding that the investment has a timeline attached to it and because I invested today, does that mean I get anything tomorrow?”

J.P. Morgan’s head of digital investment banking and digital private markets Michael Elanjian also spoke about the investment going through a program called Project Spark. The amount of the investment is the most that can be allocated to a fund. Project Spark’s initiative invests money into diverse and women-led ventures.

“We created an initiative a couple years ago called Project Spark, which is ‘How can we give diverse funds capital and first-time fund managers to change that equation?’” Elanjian said. “Over the last few years, we’ve put $90 million into 23 funds that have gone on to raise over $900 million of capital. And so through this project and through meeting with Kevin’s team, we’re super excited that as of yesterday, we just closed and J.P. Morgan is now the first investor in Hartbeat Ventures’ new fund and we’re very excited for the things that we can do together.”

Hartbeat Ventures has been busy investing in several companies: electrolyte beverage brand BrightFox, avatar platform Ready Player Me, sustainable bottled water brand Path, massage therapy device Therabody, sustainable packaging brand Cleancut, car leasing platform Rodo, and social food ordering platform Snackpass.

Hart credits the team of people around him with helping to make the right business moves.

“This is not a Kevin Hart machine that Kevin Hart stands in front of and I said it has to happen and there’s no other way,” Hart said. “This is a table. This is a table where we sit and we talk, we ideate and we come up with the best possible ideas. That’s something that I’ve done very well over the years. I’ve aligned myself with people who have done it right and that’s how I’ve learned.”

by Derek Major

October 21, 2022

Herschel Walker Campaign Event In Atlanta Goes Left as Crowd Screams ‘Answer the Question!’

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Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker had the crowd at a campaign event in Atlanta this week turn on him, questioning his intentions.

Salon reports that Walker held a campaign event in Atlanta outside the Columbia Towers apartment building, which is owned by his opponent, Sen. Raphael Warnock‘s church. Walker chose to hold the rally outside the building because the church is allegedly evicting some of its tenants.

The event turned for Walker when he announced he would take questions and he was asked if any of the people standing behind him as he spoke had received eviction notices.

“Uh, no, we want you to go in and see the people behind us,” Walker said. “That’s the reason we’re here.”

The reporter quickly asked the question again and after Walker sidestepped the question a second time, the crowd got involved, chanting for him to answer the question. Fox News reported a small group of protestors were at the event, including one who referred to Walker as a House N-word, although video of the incident did not support that claim.

According to Fox, the church has evicted tenants for owing as little as $25 in back rent. Five cases reportedly involved rent that was less than a month late and two cases led to court-ordered evictions by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Department.

“It’s disheartening. It’s horrible. It’s horrifying,” one resident told The Washington Free Beacon. “We need the help. I understand churches take care of their pastors, but the excess, it’s not good. Not when you have people that need help here.”

Warnock has responded to the claims at his own campaign event in Carrollton Thursday saying, “This is yet another example of Herschel Walker lying.”

Walker and Warnock are still trying to attract voters with less than a month before the midterm elections. Warnock has a narrow lead in the polls as Walker’s scandals surrounding his children and abortion have held him back.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

October 21, 2022

WATCH: Black Woman Shoots Kansas City Firefighter Beating Up Her Boyfriend — She Won’t be Charged

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In the Kansas City shooting of an off-duty firefighter, the Jackson County Prosecutor’s Office confirmed that the woman involved acted in self-defense and won’t be facing murder charges.

Earlier this month, Anthony “Tony” Santi, 41, was shot in the back during a physical altercation with 23-year-old Ja’Von Taylor. 

Fox 4 Kansas City reported that the two men were at a Road Star gas station on Oct. 6 when Santi witnessed Taylor disputing with the clerk about not having his desired brand of cigars. Taylor was told to the leave store, and when he refused, Santi also told him to leave.

Graphic Content 🚨⚠️

A Kansas City woman has been set free of charges tonight after protecting her boyfriend in a fight with a firefighter. The young lady seconds later killed the firefighter which has now been declared as self defense. ⚠️ pic.twitter.com/tuxV15oTC1

— KC Discover (@KcDiscover) October 19, 2022

According to court records, Taylor hurled threats toward Santi and then a fight broke out between them in the establishment’s parking lot. The documents also indicate that Taylor and Santi were wrestling over a gun that Taylor allegedly had possession of and had pulled out.

A woman who initially arrived at the store with Taylor picked up the gun and pointed it at Santi, according to a cell phone video. She can be heard screaming in fear to let Taylor go as Santi held him in a chokehold and pinned him to the ground.

“You’re killing him!” she yelled out. The woman even mentioned that her kids were in the car. Soon after, she fired a round that ultimately killed Santi.

As KCTV5 reported, Taylor is facing weapons charges, but the woman who pulled the trigger, will not be. The decision cited self-defense and it was determined after reviewing the evidence in the case.

“An officer will be upset because they don’t understand why the case was declined,” Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker explained during a crime forum on Tuesday night.

“If a case is declined, it’s just because we don’t believe there’s sufficient evidence to get to that highest burden of proof.”

Kwame Building Group (KWAME) has completed the Freedom Suits Memorial to honor enslaved plaintiffs who sued for their freedom. The memorial is located at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis where the Dred Scott Case was tried. KWAME served as the Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR).

The Freedom Suits Memorial features a 14-foot bronze statue by sculptor Preston Jackson, a freedom walk of stone pavers that lead to the monument, bench seating and landscaping. The base is etched with the names of hundreds of enslaved plaintiffs who sued for their freedom. The Old Courthouse is also home to the only Dred and Harriet Scott statue in the world.

“From the Freedom Suits to the Black Lives Matter movement, we have rightfully earned our place at the table along with Selma, Birmingham and Atlanta,” said St. Louis City Mayor Tishaura Jones at the unveiling ceremony.

St. Louis Circuit Judge David Mason spearheaded the project. He found the files of the Freedom Suits back in the 1990s and has since conducted extensive research to honor the many slaves, witnesses and attorneys involved in those cases. According to Mason, more than 130 slaves were freed out of the approximately 400 cases that were filed.

“The Freedom Suits project has much more significance on so many levels than any of the larger projects KWAME has been involved with,” said Tony Thompon, President of Kwame Building Group. “Judge Mason was a personal friend of my mother, Betty Thompson. He told me stories of how she helped him and other attorneys and judges when she was a state representative. When this project was getting off the ground, Judge Mason reached out to me and said he wanted KWAME to lead this special project. It is heartwarming to unveil this monument to the world nearly one year after her passing, knowing how many people it honors and will impact.”

Extensive planning and thought went into lighting design and how the statue was mounted so that the history of the piece could be captured from all angles and visible at various times of day. KWAME oversaw the project, including hiring and coordinating contractors, working with the design team to convert conceptual landscape drawings into working plans, overseeing installation and communicating with all stakeholders.

“It was an honor to help bring to life the vision Judge Mason has had for some time of a plaza for people to sit and acknowledge those who bravely fought through civil litigation to achieve their freedom,” said Kenneth Brown, Project Manager at Kwame Building Group. “There is such rich history around every way the Freedom Suits Memorial was constructed and displayed. Judge Mason’s passion for the project inspired us all.”

• Technology

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 21, 2022

Student Freedom Initiative Expands Partnership with CISCO to Bolster Cybersecurity Infrastructure for HBCUs

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The Student Freedom Initiative and CISCO announced their expanded partnership to bolster cybersecurity infrastructure at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) by adding three prominent Certified Minority Business Enterprises (MBEs)—Procellis Technology, Sology Solutions, and IPC Consulting—to the cybersecurity implementation team.

This collaboration is a direct actionable response to the Department of Education/Federal Student Aid (FSA) guidance promulgated on December 18, 2020 for colleges and universities to comply with National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST) 800 171 R2 requirements which set safeguards for protecting sensitive information transmitted online. The cybersecurity solutions and expansion of the implementation team are available at no cost to participating HBCUs due to the generosity of Cisco, whose initial financial support of $150 million was announced in May 2021.

Through this partnership, each MBE will play a critical role in accelerating the analysis of current security posture, preparing a gap analysis report, defining the bill of materials necessary to mitigate gaps, ordering and delivering required technical solutions, and optimizing systems throughout the twelve months of maintenance of the delivered technical solutions.

“Over the last two years, we’ve made steady progress building scalable systems, processes, governance and technology, and establishing strategic partnerships to increase the resilience of our institutions and the global competitiveness of our students,” said Mark Brown, Executive Director of Student Freedom Initiative.

“We look forward to continuing to grow the number of participating institutions and adding other strategic partners committed to long-term, strategic partnerships with all Minority Serving Institutions to reduce the wealth gap through the lens of education.”

“When we think about HBCUs, aging infrastructure, and the need to be cybersecurity-compliant in our Cisco systems, we have the services and the products that can assist HBCUs,” said Saidah Grayson Dill, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Cisco. “We are leveraging our resources to help HBCUs protect against cyber threats while simultaneously helping to build the diverse IT workforce of the future.”

“Working with the Student Freedom Initiative gives us the perfect opportunity to put our commitment to social justice in action by supporting technological efforts for HBCUs in retention, enrollment, and attainment of students,” said Damian Young, Founder and CEO of Procellis Technology. “It’s been gratifying to see tangible improvements in the overall well-being of the HBCUs we’ve worked with, and we look forward to supporting SFI as we continue our relationship.”

“Sology Solutions is proud to work with Student Freedom Initiative who has a shared vision to close the digital equity gap through the provision of broadband, training, and economic development,” said Ed Christmas, Founder and Managing Principal of Sology Solutions. “Our work to drive technological excellence and IT modernization at HBCUs will have a direct impact and bring about real change in underserved communities.”

“It is an honor to partner with Student Freedom Initiative to ensure HBCUs and their students have a secure and compliant cybersecurity solution that will allow the universities to focus on expanding enrollment, both in person as well as remotely, and increase their capacity for teaching and research,” said Milton Moore, Founder and CEO of IPC Consulting. “HBCU students deserve the best education and the best technology, and we are thrilled to assist in that mission.”

In direct support of Student Freedom Initiative’s vision to reduce the wealth gap through the lens of education, Cisco has also expanded its philanthropy by providing access to the Cisco Networking Academy and Talent Bridge. Students participating in these offerings will have the opportunity to obtain professional certifications in cybersecurity and job placement support. It is estimated there will be a 33% growth in cybersecurity-related jobs through 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and an average salary of $79,000 for those with relevant security certifications.

Cisco Networking Academy is celebrating its 25th anniversary and continues to be one of the longest-standing IT skills-to-jobs programs in the world. The program provides high-quality IT and cybersecurity courses, simulation software, and hands-on practice opportunities via a learning platform to support instructors and engage learners in 190 countries. To date, over 17.5 million global learners have taken Cisco Networking Academy courses to gain digital skills, and 95% of students that have taken Cisco certification aligned courses have attributed obtaining a job or education opportunity to Cisco Networking Academy.

Cisco’s Network Academy certifications are an investment of time and resources for HBCU students and staff. IT certifications can differentiate HBCU students from other professionals in their career fields, which is particularly important in today’s competitive marketplace. Statistics captured in 2021 show how individuals with certifications report salaries that are higher than those who are not certified.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

October 21, 2022

Son of Former Slave Daniel Smith, Who Fought For Freedom, Dies at 90

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Civil rights activist, Daniel Smith, whose father was born in bondage in the early 1860s, has reportedly passed away at age 90.

The Connecticut native died Wednesday night in a hospice in Washington, his wife, Loretta Neumann, revealed, CBS News reported. She said his daughter April and son Rob joined him by his side.

To reflect on Smith’s life is to pay tribute to his journey unraveling his father’s stories and pursuing the fight to end systemic discrimination. His attendance at the inauguration of the first Black president, Barack Obama, and photos with civil rights leaders speaks to his commitment.

Born on March 11, 1932, Smith was the fifth of six children, his father Abram had with his second wife, Clara. His early years were filled with curiosity, as he would overhear his father recount the dark days of slavery and the suffering his ancestors endured.

Lessons learned

“We are survivors,” Smith said in a past interview, per the news outlet.

At night, Smith would sneak out of bed to hear the stories only his older siblings were allowed to consume. From lynchings to horrid punishments, the stories were gruesome.

He recalled: “Father said, ‘You could hear them screaming and crying at the whipping post.’ But the interesting thing: my father never allowed you to talk negatively about America.”

The lessons he learned in his father’s retelling of these painful stories helped him navigate the rest of his life. He enlisted into the Army, where he served as a medic in Korea and returned home to complete college. Upon his return, he was also revered as a hometown hero in 1955 when he rescued a truck driver from a hurricane-swollen river.

Abram instilled in his son that he would be great in this new era, but the color of his skin would remain a target for discrimination.

“He grabbed me and shook me. He said, ‘You have nothing to cry about. This is America. We came from the strongest of the strong. We survived the ships,'” Smith said.

“He gave me the signal to be strong and to survive,” he added.

Fight for freedom

After college graduation, Smith and a Jewish friend attended the March on Washington to witness King’s “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in 1963, per AFP News. His pursuits in activism followed him to graduate school in Alabama, where he fought valiantly for voting rights.

However, his fight came with obstacles. He was up against the Ku Klux Klan, who torched his office building, and attempted to chase him off a road one night while driving.

By 1968, Smith made a life in Washington as a federal worker. He founded a national training program for primary care physicians that still operates today. He went on to retire in the 1990s, and served as an usher at the National Washington Cathedral, where he met Barack Obama.

After an extensive national search, the Weingart Foundation, a private grantmaking foundation that partners with communities across Southern California to advance racial justice, welcomes Brian Williams as its first Chief Operating Officer (C.O.O.).

Working with the Foundation’s leadership team, staff, and Board of Directors, Williams will play an instrumental role in driving the organization’s innovation and operational excellence and in maintaining a work environment that reflects the Foundation’s mission and values.

“As a strategic and thoughtful organizational leader with an unwavering dedication to social change, Brian Williams exemplifies the core values and competencies required to step into this newly created role of Chief Operating Officer,” said Miguel A. Santana, President and C.E.O. of the Weingart Foundation.

“He brings a well-rounded and varied professional background, lived expertise, and a demonstrated track record of working collaboratively to achieve ambitious management objectives. We look forward to working closely with Brian as a thought leader and key partner to continue to operationalize the Foundation’s commitment to racial justice.”

Brian Williams brings a wealth of expertise in corporate, entrepreneurial, and nonprofit leadership, most recently serving as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at the Los Angeles Urban League where he was a key architect of their dramatic turnaround and helped secure more than $10M in grants over four years. He also managed day-to-day operations, facilities, and aspects of finance, human resources, and programming.

“Weingart’s mission and vision for equity, inclusion and social change are perfectly aligned with my own values and vision,” said Brian Williams, incoming C.O.O. of the Weingart Foundation. “I am honored to be the Foundation’s first C.O.O. and I look forward to working with Miguel Santana and his stellar leadership team, Board of Directors, and staff at all levels to achieve organizational excellence consistent with the Foundation’s innovative approach toward racial, social and economic justice.”

A mentor and community advocate in his personal life, Williams also has executive-level experience managing and consulting with top-tier and mid-market companies and building teams to achieve bold goals. He holds an M.B.A. from Yale School of Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Philosophy from Yale College.