Former Chicago TV News Anchor Allison Payne Dies at 57
by Charlene Rhinehart

September 11, 2021

Former Chicago TV News Anchor Allison Payne Dies at 57

Allison Payne, former WGN-TV news anchor, has died at the age of 57. WGN-TV confirmed the news on Friday (September 10). Payne passed away in her hometown of Detroit on Wednesday, September 1.

Payne worked as a WGN anchor for 21 years. She was hired in 1990 and quickly built a reputation for herself as one of Chicago’s most influential journalists. Payne was a role model for many young women in Chicago who saw her presence as a representation of what was possible.

“I am heartbroken over the death of Allison Payne,” tweeted Afua S. Owusu, Chicago broadcast journalist. “For 21 years she was theee face of @WGNNews for me, a little black girl living in Bolingbrook, IL. My parents moved my bedtime to 9:30pm so that I could watch the nightly news with @AllisonPayneTV & Steve Sanders.”

A Glimpse Into Allison Payne’s Career

During her career, Payne won nine Emmy Awards for her outstanding on-camera reporting. She co-anchored the primetime newscast and WGN Midday News. Payne covered a number of groundbreaking stories during her career, including traveling to Kenya to trace the family roots of former President Barack Obama. She also reported on Jesse Jackson’s peace agreement between Israel and Lebanon.

In 2011, Payne parted ways with WGN. According to the channel, Payne experienced a series of health issues prior to her departure.

In 2012, she shared a video on her Twitter page announcing her new adventure: the Foundation for Excellence in Journalism. This program was designed to help aspiring journalists learn the ins and outs of the business.

Payne was known as an outstanding speaker, journalist, and mentor. She called Chicago home for several years and played an active role in community initiatives.

The exact cause of her death has not been reported. However, reports show that Payne previously suffered a series of mini-strokes and was treated for depression.

“This is a severe loss for Chicago journalism,” Chicago Tribune political reporter Rick Pearson tweeted. “Allison was my friend. We respected each other. She helped inform me about the Black community. We co-hosted a governor’s debate. We shared good times and bad times and just spoke about a month ago. This hurts.”

Get Started On Your Real Estate Career With This Informative Bundle
by Black Enterprise Shop

September 11, 2021

Get Started On Your Real Estate Career With This Informative Bundle

Locales around the nation are experiencing a real estate boom as home prices nationally continue to soar. In June, the S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller national home price index shared data that showed an 18.6% increase in home prices, which is the biggest gain in more than two decades.

Real estate has always provided lucrative opportunities for realtors, and with home prices surging again, the field has become even more attractive. However, with so many opportunities available for those who are interested, beginning a journey into the world of real estate can be daunting.

The Fundamentals of Real Estate Investment Bundle condenses information about the field into five courses that are easy to understand, informative, and chock full of real-world examples that will make your foray into real estate easy to understand. For a limited time, this bundle valued at $1,000 can be yours for only $24.99.

More than 7,000 people have enrolled in the course, which spans 181 hours. Its information has received rave reviews from those who have taken the course. Currently, the bundle averages 4.5 out of 5 stars from 28 verified purchasers.

“Multiple streams of income are fundamental; learning about real estate opens doors to additional streams of income. This bundle provides information on how to structure deals, how to partner on deals, etc., which are intricacies I want to know,” writes verified five-star reviewer Tori V.

Despite your goal or reasons for entering the real estate world, this product will meet any need you might have. Its bundle includes courses on Pre-Investing: Before Investing in Real Estate; Fundamentals of Real Estate Investment Analysis; Introduction to Commercial Real Estate Analysis; How to Invest with Partners in Real Estate; and How to Analyze a Wholesale Deal in Real Estate.

Each course is taught by Stanford-educated real estate investor Symon He. More than 206,000 people have taken courses taught by He.

If you’ve had an interest in real estate or if you’re examining ways to add additional income to your financial portfolio, this bundle will provide you with everything you need to know about real estate and how to carve out a successful career in the arena. Take advantage of this limited-time discount of 97% and buy it today for just $24.99.

Prices subject to change.

Former President Barack Obama Supports Gov. Gavin Newsom In TV Advertisement
by Derek Major

September 10, 2021

Former President Barack Obama Supports Gov. Gavin Newsom In TV Advertisement

Former President Barack Obama Is helping California Gov. Gavin Newsom by asking residents to reject the recall in a new TV ad released Wednesday.

The former president is the latest Democratic politician to back Newsom. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Vice President Kamala Harris have come to the governor’s defense in recent weeks as next week’s recall election could mean the end of Newsom’s term.

“You’ve got a big choice to make by September 14. Governor Newsom has spent the past year and a half protecting California communities. Now Republicans are trying to recall him from office and overturn common-sense Covid safety measures for health care workers and school staff,” Obama says, with an image of Larry Elder, Newsom’s leading Republican opponent, and former President Donald Trump flashing on the screen.

Obama’s words are not unlike Newsom’s messaging around the illness that is quickly heading towards a death count of 700,000. Newsom is running against Caitlyn Jenner and Elder, who said one of his first actions would be to roll back many of Newsom’s COVID-19 mandates.

Elder, who was forced to leave a tour of homeless encampments in Venice by its residents earlier this week said Democrats are “scared to death” of losing the election.

“They know they are in trouble,” Elder told reporters on Tuesday. “They know that Gavin Newsom can’t defend his record on crime. They know he can’t defend his record on how he ignored science and imposed all sorts of mandates that he didn’t abide by himself. They know that he is unpopular.”

Polls show Newsom’s popularity in the race has been growing. According to the Public Policy Institute of California released last week found 58% of likely voters plan to vote “no” on recalling Newsom. 39% of registered voter plan to vote “yes”

So far, far more Democrats have returned mail-in ballots than Republicans. CNN reports 53% of the 6.4 million ballots that have been returned so far have come from Democrats, while 25% have come from Republicans.

MTV Entertainment Group Joins Forces With Music of the Sea To Include Music From Diverse Creators In Its Content
by Derek Major

September 10, 2021

MTV Entertainment Group Joins Forces With Music of the Sea To Include Music From Diverse Creators In Its Content

Chicago and Los Angeles-based Music of The Sea, one of the largest Black-owned sync publishing catalogs, has announced a partnership with MTV Entertainment Group.

The partnership will provide MTV’s content creators with a one-stop shop for easy, clearable access to thousands of songs from the Music of The Sea catalog.

Music of the Sea’s catalog includes more than 2,500 artists and 200,000 songs from genres including soul, R&B, hip-hop, rock, jazz, and others. The company rose to prominence through its partnership with Music World Entertainment, which represents Chaka Khan, Kool & The Gang, Solange Knowles, Earth Wind & Fire, The O’Jays, and Rick James. 

The company’s current roster of artists includes hip-hop legends Roxanne Shante, Big Daddy Kane, MC Lyte, Positive K, and Sadat X of Brand Nubian. Eddie Caldwell, who has been in the music industry for more than three decades, said the partnership is the next frontier of music in a release.

“Real music from cool and hip artists, both major and indie, is the next frontier in marketing,” Caldwell said in a release. “We view Music of the Sea as a bridge to connect film and TV companies such as MTV Entertainment Group, as well as advertisers, gamers, restaurants, and commercial retailers, with a diverse catalog of the world’s greatest voices.”

Caldwell’s music has been featured in major motion pictures, including Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, King of Staten Island, Tom and Jerry, and multiple Tyler Perry titles. His music has also been featured in a wide range of television shows such as Ray Donovan, Better Call Saul, Bosch, Snowfall, and even in the Mortal Kombat video game.

Caldwell added the move would benefit Music of the Sea’s artists, giving them revenue and widespread exposure they may not have otherwise seen.

“This will be a great way for the multi-ethnic artists on our roster to gain tremendous exposure that will lead to more streams and downloads from digital service providers,” Calwell added.

by Seimond London

September 10, 2021

The Ultimate Road Trip: Fishing for Trout and Memories

“Inspired by Nissan Pathfinder, writer Chris Atwell has written a series about the fictional Anderson Family and imagined the adventures they might have on a summer road trip with Pathfinder. The story, all names, characters, and incidents portrayed in this article are fictitious. No identification with actual persons (living or deceased), places, buildings, or entities is intended or should be inferred.”

The Andersons are still exploring the waterways of Central Pennsylvania. After an exciting day kayaking in Prompton Lake, they’ve taken their all-new Nissan Pathfinder some miles south, just outside Harrisburg on the lip of the Susquehanna River. Denise is eager to meet up with an old college friend, a professor at a local college, but her husband Darryl wanted to get in some fishing time first. While the family slept in, Darryl, and his son Zane, 15, tossed their gear into the Pathfinder and made their escape! Young Zane shares his experience.

Pop loves to fish. Give him half a chance, and he’ll go on and on with his epic stories about “the big one” he almost caught that one time. I’m not sure what kind of fish it was, but it sure gets bigger and scarier every time he tells the story. We’ll be in “Jaws” territory soon. (LOL!)

I give Pops a hard time about his stories, but the truth is they inspired my love of the sport. My sisters never got into it, so now it’s “our” thing.

I think it started with the way he always talked about fishing with his father. He laughs a lot, remembering. I’m pretty sure that I’ll think about our fishing trips together the same way when I’m older. Maybe this winter, the two of us can take the new Pathfinder up to New England and try ice-fishing. I read that Moosehead Lake in Maine is a great spot. We can land some brook trout, and Pops can test out all the Pathfinder’s driving modes getting us there, from Snow to Mud/Rut to Eco.

It was still dark out when the two of us headed out this morning. While everyone else was knocked out, we crept out of the hotel, loaded the fishing gear we rented into the back of the Pathfinder, and made our way to one of dad’s “secret” fishing spots. The hawk was out this morning, so I didn’t mind when he turned on the Pathfinder’s heated seats. And I’ve got to say that the Head-Up display on the windshield is on point! I’m looking forward to driving lessons in the Pathfinder when I get my learner’s permit. Only five more months!

The road was empty, and it was nice having the Pathfinder to ourselves. There was nothing but the sound of the road and the hum of the engine. We were warm and comfortable in the car’s cabin, enjoying the calm of the early morning. You don’t catch fish by making noise, anyway. The trash talk comes later.

The fishing was good; we had more than a few bites. I caught a couple of decent-sized walleye. Pops hooked some nice trout, our contribution to tonight’s dinner at the home of mom’s college roommate, who’s having a cookout. There was this one fish, though; it was a giant catfish. I saw it come to the surface just before it grabbed my line. We wrestled for a good while, but just when I thought I’d wore him out, the fishing line snapped.

Oh well. At least I left with my own story to tell. And did I ever. “Mom, you should have seen that fish! It was a beast!”

Next up: Zip line courage and more adventures on the road…

  • Driving modes: Intelligent 4×4 cannot prevent collisions or provide enhanced traction in all conditions. Always monitor traffic and weather conditions.

 

 

 

Nick Cannon Said God Willing He’ll Have More Kids, But Black Twitter Said Leave God Out Of It
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 10, 2021

Nick Cannon Said God Willing He’ll Have More Kids, But Black Twitter Said Leave God Out Of It

Nick Cannon said it’ll be God’s grace to bless him with more children. But Black Twitter wants the Pied Piper of baby-making to leave God out of it.

After welcoming four children in the last year, the multifaceted comedian is still depending on God for more kids. TMZ recently caught up with the Wild N’ Out creator and asked if he had any plans to have more children.

“God willing, man,” Cannon said with a smile. “You see it, if God sees it that way, then that’s what I’mma keep doing.”

However, despite all the money he makes, not everyone was on board with Cannon bringing more children into the world that he wouldn’t be a present father to.

“Sounds like he is willingly creating broken homes,” one user said. “He is. Kids need present parents, not deposits,” someone said in response.

In June, Cannon welcomed his fourth child in the last year after Wild N Out model Alyssa Scott gave birth to their son Zen Cannon on June 23. Earlier that month, DJ Abby De La Rosa gave birth to twins with Cannon, named Zion Mixolydian Cannon and ZIllion Heir Cannon, born on June 14.

In December 2020, Cannon welcomed his daughter Powerful Queen with Brittany Bell, with whom he also shares a son, Sagon.

Cannon’s eldest two kids are 11-year-old twins Monroe and Moroccan, whom he welcomed with his now ex-wife Mariah Carey.

Cannon’s seven children with four different women haven’t come without public scrutiny. During his appearance on The Breakfast Club, Nick “No Condom” Cannon shut down speculation of him not being a present father to all seven of his kids.

“Time is a man-made construct,” he said. “Anybody who knows me … I’m at every basketball game, every martial arts practice, and people don’t understand how I do it, but my children are my priority. It’s all about being present.”

Congressional Black Caucus To Honor And Celebrate 50 Years At Annual Legislative Conference
by Derek Major

September 10, 2021

Congressional Black Caucus To Honor And Celebrate 50 Years At Annual Legislative Conference

The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) announced registration is now open for its Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) presented by Toyota.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Congressional Black Caucus, the largest class of the CBCF to date. This year’s ALC theme is “Black Excellence Unparalleled: Pressing Onward in Power,” representing the charge for this year and beyond to uplift, empower, and mobilize Black communities.

Amazon, Toyota, and Procter & Gamble will serve as the lead sponsors for the virtual event.

The conference will take place virtually from Sept. 12-17. Speakers and special guests for the anniversary celebration will include CBCF Chairwoman Joyce Beatty, CBCF Board Chairwoman and Global Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Lori George Billingsley, Poor People’s Campaign Co-Chair, Rev. William Barber, and others.

Honorary co-chairs for the virtual event will be U.S. Reps Anthony Brown (D-Md.) and Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.).

“Black Americans continue to fight a double pandemic,” Congresswoman Lisa Blunt Rochester said in a release. “The Annual Legislative Conference is a place where those engaged in our collective well-being come together to not only discuss but to activate progress. We invite everyone to join in this convening, as the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus realized 50 years ago, there is strength in working together.”

The ALC is the CBCF’s leading public policy, convening on issues impacting Black Americans. The 50th ALC will be the second virtual conference, which will allow the conference to reach, engage, educate and mobilize a larger portion of the Black community.

The conference will also include more than 50 forums and brain trusts with CBCF members serving as session hosts, an emerging leaders series, celebrity entertainment, and the Phoenix Awards ceremony.

“The CBC has served as the Conscience of the Congress over its remarkable 50-year legacy. It Is precisely this legacy that enables, guides, and equips us with the unique perspective on the adversities we face as we not only survive but thrive in 2021,” said Tonya Veasey, CBCF president and CEO. “2021 has been a year of both reflection and forward-thinking action, and we are compelled to press onward in power.”

Former Radio Station Intern Recalls Being Imprisoned and Assaulted by R. Kelly for Days
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 10, 2021

Former Radio Station Intern Recalls Being Imprisoned and Assaulted by R. Kelly for Days

A former radio station intern took the stand Thursday and recalled being taken and assaulted by R. Kelly after meeting him in a studio in hope of landing her big break.

The 39-year-old woman, identified only as Sonya, testified in R. Kelly’s sex-crimes trial and recalled being sexually abused by the disgraced singer when she sought an interview with him in 2003, Insider reported. Sonya said she met Kelly at a shopping mall in Salt Lake City, UT, and approached him about an interview. He initially denied it.

Instead, R. Kelly gave her his phone number. After a few phone conversations, Sonya was invited to interview him at his recording studio.

“I thought it would really just kick-start my career,” Sonya told the jury.

After arriving at the studio, she was asked about her family and told to sign a confidentiality agreement before being locked inside a room for three days. She begged for food, water, and to use the bathroom,   The New York Daily News reported. She was finally brought a meal that she said made her feel drowsy and unconscious.

“I didn’t know where I was at,” Sonya told the jury. “It made me feel like something happened to me. It felt like somebody or something had been inside of me.”

Once she woke up, Sonya noticed her underwear had been removed and her vaginal area felt wet. When she looked in the corner she saw Kelly “doing up his pants,” she testified.

“I was sexually assaulted,” Sonya said when asked what she thinks happened to her. “Someone was inside of me that wasn’t invited.”

At the time, Sonya was a single 22-year-old mother hoping to accomplish her high school dream of being a journalist. She never got that interview and left the studio scarred for life.

Kelly maintains his innocence. He stands trial facing charges of running a sex trafficking criminal enterprise that recruited women and girls for the singer to have sex with and abuse.

Black Man Left Paralyzed By Palm Beach Deputy Dies After Receiving Millions In A Settlement
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 10, 2021

Black Man Left Paralyzed By Palm Beach Deputy Dies After Receiving Millions In A Settlement

Dontrell Stephens has died eight years after being left paralyzed by a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office deputy in 2013.

On Thursday, Stephens’ attorney Jack Scarola revealed he passed away Sunday from complications associated with his paralysis, Palm Beach Post reports. Scarola represented Stephens in a civil lawsuit against PBSO and helped him win a $6 million lawsuit against the police department.

However, Scarola says Stephens lived a hard life after being left paralyzed from the near-fatal shooting. He had been in a hospital for three weeks leading up to his death.

“It was a variety of issues, including bed sores,” Scarola shared. “Dontrell had a very sad and difficult life.”

“I hope that as a consequence of the resolution of his case that he had some relief. But whatever relief he had was very short-lived,” Scarola added.

Stephens became paralyzed from the waist down after Deputy Adams Lin shot him in 2013, CBS 12 reports. Lin pursued Stephens after seeing him cut across traffic while riding his bike, claiming that he thought Stephens was reaching for a weapon when he fired his service weapon. However, it was only a cellphone.

Stephens testified with the bullet still lodged in his back and said his hands were up at the time of the shooting.

Stephens sued and initially won $22 million when a federal jury ruled Lin’s use of force unjustified. However, in 2020, Gov. DeSantis signed into law a $6 million claims bill for Stephens.  He was ultimately awarded $4.5 million to go into a trust fund and $1.5 million toward outstanding unpaid medical bills. He reportedly bought a house and a van, according to the Palm Beach Post. According to the outlet, some of the funds were in an annuity that Port St. Lucie attorney Evett Simmons administered.

State Representative Omari Hardy released a statement in response to Stephens’ death.

“I am saddened to learn of Dontrell Stephens’s passing. He would be here today if he had not been shot and paralyzed by PBSO,” Hardy said.

“He might still have been here if Sheriff Bradshaw hadn’t fought to deny him the money that he needed to get care after the shooting. The Sheriff needs to do some soul-searching and acknowledge the role that he and his agency have played in this tragedy.”

by Alexa Imani Spencer

September 10, 2021

Meet Brehanna Daniels, NASCAR’s First Black Woman Pit Member

NASCAR will never be the same now that Brehanna Daniels is there. She is the first Black woman pit member—though she didn’t see it coming.

While attending Norfolk State University, Daniels, 27, played point guard for the women’s basketball team. She never once thought about NASCAR as a career, she told ABC News.

When asked about what her 17-year-old self would think about what she’s doing now, Daniels said she’d say, “Girl, you are crazy…”

“Especially, you know, a little Black girl like myself at that time. [I] definitely was like, I’m never getting into NASCAR. It wasn’t even a thought in my mind,” she continued.

NASCAR came into the picture when recruiters from the association’s Drive for Diversity program appeared on her campus in 2016.

Her skills on the basketball court were an easy match for NASCAR’s fast-paced pit crew.

“Brehanna was one of those who embraced it, came through the program, excelled,” Max Siegel, the manager of NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity program, said.

Following months of training, Daniels became the first Black woman, over-the-wall tire changer in the history of NASCAR in 2017. By the end of that year, she made history again after becoming a part of the first female duo in a NASCAR pit crew. ”

“I could not be more proud of what she’s accomplished both as an athlete, but she’s been amazing with her brand and social media and creating awareness and really getting people excited about the fact that if she can do it, there are other people that can do it,” Siegel said.

Siegel, NASCAR’s first highest-ranking Black executive, has worked to increase diversity in the association for the past 12 years. More than 60 of NASCAR’s women and minority drivers have come through the Drive for Diversity program, he said. The program has trained 75 gender and ethnically diverse candidates for NASCAR’s pit crews since 2009.

Still, while some celebrate her accomplishments, Daniels has encountered some negativity on the job. She’s learning to tune it out.

“People were like, ‘Oh, she sucks,’ ‘What does it matter that she’s Black?’ It’s like, why wouldn’t that matter? You don’t see that every day in NASCAR. Why wouldn’t that be talked about?,” she said.

Dr. Ketra Armstrong, a professor of race and inclusion in sports at the University of Michigan, said NASCAR hasn’t had much success with the African-American community at large because of its association with the Confederate flag.

“You see that symbol, you know that it evokes these feelings of hatred and racial denigration,” Armstrong said. “If you’re a Black consumer, it’s hard to enjoy the sports or the leisure or the activity when you’re surrounded by this ambiance or this effervescence that’s racially discriminating.”

NASCAR recently took a step toward reconciliation by returning an award, stolen nearly 60 years ago, to the family of Wendell Scott—the first Black man to win in a Cup Series.

“There’s always room for improvement,” Daniels said. “But like I said, I’m very proud of NASCAR and for all the progress it’s made…yeah, I love to see it.”

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