HBCU Professor Goes Viral for Holding Student’s Baby Who Needed a Babysitter While Lecturing
An HBCU professor is being praised for going above and beyond when a student needed help.
A viral video showing Professor Aqeel Dix, Ph.D., a health sciences professor at Lincoln University, as he holdsa student’s baby while instructing the class is being celebrated.
The student needed a babysitter to attend class, so Dix stepped in.
“It Takes A Village….When my students need me, I’m there,” Dix posted. “Student came to me and said Dr. Dix I’m going to miss class. My reply, was why…She then says I don’t have a babysitter. I said yes you do, bring him to class I’ll take care of him. I always say, we as educators are more than our title. I will never have a student miss class because they have no one to keep their kids. I will hold Dr.Dix daycare in the back of my class before I allow them to miss class. Days like this makes me fall in love with what I do.”
The video was recorded back in January 2020, but the video has since resurfaced, touching the hearts of many.
Recently, people have been adding comments about the touching gesture on social media.
“Beautiful and impactful! Much respect Had a professor who did something very similar for me when my daughter was a few months old and I was in grad school and I will forever respect and love her for it!” a commenter said.
“The epitome of a ‘BEAUTIFUL SOUL’. I love teachers like you,” someone wrote.
“Keep setting the bar high! We need more human beings like you,” another person added.
“This is great brother. You have made a difference in someone life,” a user continued.
Dix has been a professor at Lincoln since 2015. While he did not know he was being filmed, he says he signed up as a professor to make an impact that sometimes involves serving in many roles.
“I go above and beyond for all of them,” he says. I[‘ve] bought groceries, I picked [a student] up when he was stranded on the side of the road with a flat tire. That’s just who I am. And so I understand the plight of single parents … they tackle school and work. It’s a lot to carry. It’s hard for someone who does not have children to take care of to go to school and be successful.”
Rapper Wanted to Be Different So He Surgically Implanted Gold Chains Into His Head
Rapper Dan Sur is bringing new meaning to an old trend of “letting your chain hang.”The rapper has gold chains for hair and is boasting that he is the only one on earth to have them.
Sur says the chains were installed surgically. They hang from hooks that had to be surgically implanted to his scalp. Apparently, the hooks are placed all over his head, allowing him to attach the chains and sport them as if they were hair.
“The truth is that I wanted to do something different because I see that everyone dyes their hair. I hope not everyone copies me now,” he said in one of his videos. “I have it as a hook that is implanted in my head, and that hook has hooks and they are all hooked in my skull, under my skin…This is my hair. Golden hair. The first rapper to have gold hair implanted in human history.”
The rapper reportedly underwent surgery in April earlier this year.
But now Sur is getting much publicity from the new style. The Mexican rapper created quite the buzz online after a TikTok video of him went viral showing him wearing the new locs—gold chained hair with gems and diamonds on them.
Sur released a new music video donning the style, in which he added a gold grill to complement the look.
But the new do is also sparking criticism andserious conversations online. Some doctors have raised concerns about the procedure and are cautioning others against attempting to follow the rapper. According to plastic surgeon Dr. Frank Agullo, this is a very uncommon procedure that carries immense risks.
“They introduce an easy path for bacteria between the outside world and the internal body. In this case, the bone covering the brain. In addition, I am concerned about the amount of weight these hooks are supporting,” the health expert said. “The weight or any accidental tug on a band of gold could cause the implant to dislodge and even fracture the skull,” Agullo told Yahoo Life.
The rapper has not disclosed just how much the procedure cost.
Black Couple Visiting Apple Farm Searched and Falsely Accused of Stealing 6 Apples
A Massachusetts farm is offering an apology after calling the police on a Black couple and falsely accusing them of stealing apples.
According to a post by Manikka Bowman and Jeff Myers, the couple paid more than $100 for admission to go apple picking and enjoy food and drinks on a visit to Connor’s Farm, a tourist attraction in Danvers. However, the couple says they were instead subjected to racial profiling after being confronted by farm staff over apples they placed at the bottom of their child’s stroller that did not fit into the prepaid apple-picking bag.
Bowman, a vice-chair of the city’s school committee, said a security guard approached her and searched her purse. According to AP News, a manager then called the police when the couple insisted someone give them the contact information for the owners of the farm.
The responding officer, the couple added, accused them of “playing the race card.”
“The couple posted on a blog, “By jumping straight to an assumption of theft, Connors Farm created a scene, harassing us and causing our 7-year-old to burst into tears, anguish that lasted well into the evening,” the couple wrote. “We are left wondering, was it ever about the apples?”
The farm has since issued a public apology in a Facebook post.
“We regret the incident that happened this past weekend. We have extended our personal apology to the family. We do our best to train our employees to handle all customer issues with courtesy and respect at all times. We are taking further steps to ensure that staff will undergo diversity, equity and inclusion training. Please know that everybody is welcome on our farm.”
Meanwhile, Bowman and Myers released a statement asking for a written apology, a refund that will go toward a donation to the Essex County Community Foundation’s racial equity work. They also want a commitment from Connors Farm ownership and the Danvers Police Department that their staff will undergo diversity, equity, and inclusion training.
How BROWN GIRL Jane And SheaMoisture’s Second Annual #BrownGirlSwap Grant Competition Is Supporting Black Female Entrepreneurs
BROWN GIRL Jane and SheaMoisture have officially announced their 2nd Annual #BrownGirlSwap Grant Competition for Black female entrepreneurs.
With an investment of $150,000 plus comprehensive programming in support of Black-owned independent beauty and wellness brands, the competition is now running on BROWNGIRLJane.com and offers Black female founders a platform to amplify their brands, receive entrepreneurial mentorship from industry veterans, and be awarded critical funding.
Co-founder and Chief Impact Officer, Nia Jones, states, “We are so excited to partner again with SheaMoisture as this initiative will help diversify the beauty and wellness industry by shining the light on deserving Black women entrepreneurs who are far too often overlooked. SheaMoisture’s commitment to advancing participation for Black and Brown women in this space is in lockstep with our ethos and it has been very rewarding to hear from previous winners how the grant and mentorship has benefited them and their work.”
The initiative beautifully meshes the missions of an award-winning indie brand and purpose-driven company – serving those who have been underserved. BROWN GIRL Jane is a leading luxury, plant-based wellness collection centering the needs of dynamic women of color, and SheaMoisture remains a global leader and pioneer in the beauty and personal care space.
With funding being one of the biggest issues Black entrepreneur’s face, Jones states, “We know that Black women receive less than 1% of venture capital funding despite creating businesses at the fastest rate than any other demographic. Our goal is to therefore provide more and more women of color with true solutions and help advance the next future leaders in this space.” Besides funding, mentorship is the second biggest hurdle many of these entrepreneurs have trouble sourcing.
Simone Jordan, global head of purpose and brand partnerships at SheaMoisture, shares, “There is great value in collaboration, mentorship and providing a source of inspiration for Black female entrepreneurs. However, without the funding, many Black female entrepreneurs will face difficulty bringing their business goals to fruition. Jordan goes on to mention, “Businesses, especially those led by Black female entrepreneurs, need additional funding support because they are not as readily provided this from financial institutions or venture capitalists the same way their white peers are.”
While many have not shown the same fervor as in 2020 to support Black and Brown entrepreneurs, SheaMoisture resumes its longstanding commitment to their community and with the top grant increased to $25,000 for two Black-women founders under the $150,000 commitment. “We are excited to continue our partnership for the second consecutive year with BROWN GIRL Jane, a company whose mission and purpose so closely aligns with SheaMoisture,” shares Cara Sabin, CEO of SheaMoisture. “Our collaboration is a powerful manifestation of our shared goals of bringing real impact and change within the industry, by empowering Black female founders through the creation of space, provision of resources and economic opportunities.”
This year, 12 inspirational winners will not only be selected by BROWN GIRL Jane and SheaMoisture, but by the loyal community who will be given the opportunity to help determine the final winners. The winners will be announced at the #BrownGirlSwap second annual Black Beauty and Wellness Summit taking place on October 14-16, 2021.
The 3-day virtual hybrid Summit brings together Black and Brown women to talk about beauty, wellness and entrepreneurship, provides access to global thought leaders and puts knowledge, wisdom and confidence into the hands of attendees.
Last year’s grant recipients such as Base Butter and Range Beauty gained tremendous momentum with their businesses including retail partnerships with Target and Macy’s, new office spaces, team expansions and much more.
“We’re proud to continue such a dynamic program that allows us to support likeminded brands and will ultimately generate the next group of future beauty and wellness business leaders,” further adds Chief Impact Officer, Nia Jones.
Developed by BROWN GIRL Jane, the #BrownGirlSwap pledge launched across social channels in June 2020, challenging consumers to commit to replace at least 5 of their “go-to products” with brands owned by Black women. Learn, join and swap @itsbrowngirljane and @sheamoisture, and apply to the #BrownGirlSwap grant competition here at BROWNGIRLJane.com.
Shonda Rhimes and Eva Longoria Step Down From Time’s Up Board Amid Shakeup
The Time’s Up board has made a move towards “new leadership” with the exit of three A-list names from the organization.
Director Shonda Rhimes, and actresses Eva Longoria and Jurnee Smollett all stepped down from the board and Monifa Bandele was added as the interim CEO, NBC Newsreports.
The women’s rights group released a statement saying a few “of the existing board will be stepping aside over the next 30 days” to give Bandele time and space to refocus the organization’s leadership and continue its mission of supporting safe, fair, dignified work for all women.
“We see the current crisis within TIME’S UP as an important opportunity for growth and change,” the organization said in the statement. “TIME’S UP is ready for new leadership, and we want to move forcefully toward its new iteration.”
Colleen DeCourcy, Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, Ashley Judd and Gabrielle Sulzberger were all asked to stay on to help ensure a smooth transition.
The new shakeup comes one month after Time’s Up Chairwoman Roberta Kaplan resigned following a report from the New York attorney general that revealed the counseling she provided to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo after he was accused of sexual harassment by a former adviser last year.
Shortly after Kaplan’s resignation, Time’s Up CEO and President Tina Tchen also resigned amid the same revelations that the group’s leaders helped Cuomo who also resigned as Governor last month.
Longoria continued to speak highly of the Time’s Up movement despite her departure.
“It’s okay to make mistakes in the efforts to topple the patriarchy,” Longoria toldVariety. “Mistakes will be made. It doesn’t mean the efforts should stop.”
“We have to continue. We’ve been under thousands of years of a patriarchal society,” she added. “It’s not going to topple in the three years that Time’s Up has existed. We have so much more work to be done.”
Single Mother Dies after Hit and Run, Grieving Son Says They Were Best Friends
A woman who suffered through two hit and runs is dead and her son in mourning.
Police say 40-year-old Katrina Grisby of Nyack, N.Y., was first struck by a hit-and-run driver as she was walking along the side of the road at about 4 a.m., the Mount Pleasant Daily Voice reports.
According to police, a good Samaritan stopped on Route 9W when he saw a vehicle hit Grisby of Nyack, N.Y. and noticed Grisby was lying on the roadway.
The good Samaritan called the police but witnessed another vehicle strike Grisby. That vehicle also left the scene but was later located in Haverstraw. That driver has charges pending.
“The Clarkstown Police share our thoughts and prayers with the family and friends of the victim as we continue to investigate the crime,” the department said in a released statement.
Katrina was a single mother. Her son, Khasyi Grisby, is grieving the lost of his mother and has created a GoFundMe fundraiser to help get funding for his mother’s wish for him to continue his education and go to college.
He says the sudden loss has left him broken.
“There is no comparison to a Mother’s love, unending, enduring, unconditional, everlasting… And unfortunately gone way too soon,” the post stated.
“Khasyi was not only her only child but was her best friend as well. The relationship they shared was unlike any other,” the post continued.
“This little family now needs a village to help keep her dream alive,” the post stated.
So far, $23,000 has been raised, The goal is $50,000. Donors commented that Trina, as she was known, was “a sweetheart.”
Police ask anyone who may have been in the area and has additional information, or possibly video of any passing vehicles from 3:30-4 a.m., to contact the department at 845-639-5800.
You may also submit an Anonymous Tip via the “RockalndCO DA” TIP411 app.
Visa Announces Inaugural Class of Visa Black Scholars And Jobs Program
The credit card giant Visa, has announced the inaugural class of the Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program, awarding 50 college students scholarship assistance for up to four years.
The program is designed for college-bound Black American students in the U.S. High school seniors pursuing an education in business or technology and intend to enroll in a four-year college or university in the U.S. are eligible for the scholarship program.
The inaugural class will also participate in a Scholars Summit at Visa’s headquarters in 2022 and receive year-round training to develop their professional and technical skills. Scholars will also receive opportunities for paid internships and those who meet the program requirements, will be offered full-time positions at Visa upon graduation.
“We are honored to recognize this group of extremely talented students and to support their educational aspirations through the Visa Black Scholars and Jobs Program,” Kelly Mahon Tullier, Visa Executive Vice President, Chief Legal and Administrative Officer and program mentor said in a release. “At Visa, we believe that change starts with action and we are committed to advancing racial equality and closing the opportunity gap. Through this program, we are supporting a pipeline of diverse future leaders in the business and technology sectors.”
The program was established in a partnership with the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and includes a $10 million investment over the next five years. The 50 scholars will be attending schools across the country including Brown University, Georgia Tech, Harvard University, Morehouse College and North Carolina A&T.
Visa Scholars will also receive mentors that will help them transition from high school to college and from college into the professional ranks. The mentorship program is designed to further scholars’ personal, academic and professional development and teach career and life skills.
Scholars will have direct access to their mentors throughout the program. The mentors will regularly interact with the students and provide consistent support. Scholars and mentors were selected and paired based on specific criteria and eligibility requirements.
Meet The Woman Behind Google’s Multi-Million Dollar Partnerships With Black Founders Around The Globe
Rachael Palmer is behind Google’s partnership strategy with venture capitalists and startups throughout Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
Her track record includes the launch of a $2 million fund for Black founders in Europe and a $3 million scheme in Africa, Business Insider reported.
“My role focuses on driving partnerships with the region’s top VCs and startup but also working on initiatives to transform the ecosystem for the better,” Palmer told Insider.
Before she joined Google, she worked at Microsoft and American Express. She spent plenty of time working with small businesses at the latter. As an internal consultant at Google, she “quickly found my back to working within the startup ecosystem”
Every day is different and far from typical, she told Insider.
“I spend some days working closely with founders to understand their business and how we can help them, or with internal product teams discussing opportunities to engage the VC and startup ecosystem,” she said. “Another day might be spent with a VC learning more about their portfolio companies, how we can partner and also what they look for in investments.”
Palmer shared her top five tips for businesses seeking to work with Google.
Keep Google’s users in mind
For startup founders hoping to secure an investment from Google, Palmer’s main tip is to ensure you have something to offer the company’s users.
“I meet many startups that want to get their content or product built into Search,” she said. “However, they often fail to step back and think about what’s in it for our users and how it enhances the product. For a partnership to work, it has to be mutually beneficial to both sides.”
2. Do your company values align with Google’s?
For Palmer, it’s important for her to get to know what’s in “the DNA of a company.”
“I really care about its values and how closely it meshes with Google,” she said. “In a pre-COVID world, I used to enjoy a visit to the offices as you can tell a lot about a company through seeing where and how they work.”
3. Think seriously about diversity
Palmer said about picking venture capitalist business partners, “I obviously care deeply about their ability to pick winners but I also care about their perspective on diversity.”
4. Think locally and globally
Palmer said she’s always been impressed by the go-to market strategies of EMEA-based startups.
“They often establish themselves in their home country then quickly create the blueprint for expansion by becoming really good at localization, developing local partnerships and navigating regulatory situations in different markets.”
5. Expect competition
Large companies like Google have rival founders and interested venture capitalists in numbers. This year’s Black founder initiative is one example.
“In Europe, we had almost 800 applications across 18 countries, almost 3,000 applications across 36 countries in Africa!,” Palmer said.
She explained it’s important to remember “What we are looking for in partners really depends on the type of partnership.”
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