It’s been one week since Beyoncé released Act II of her musical renaissance “Cowboy Carter.” The 27-track album introduces fans to a country-inspired sound that sees the decorated Grammy winner tackle an all-time country classic in Parton’s “Jolene.” When discussing Beyoncé’s musical transition to country, British singer Lily Allen accused the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer of making a “calculated” move to the music genre.
“It’s quite an interesting thing to do when you’re trying to tackle a new genre and you just choose the biggest song in that genre [to cover],” Allen said on her “Miss Me?” podcast in reference to Beyoncé’s “Jolene cover. “I mean you do you, Beyoncé.”
Citing Jay-Z’s 2024 Grammys speech where he called out the Recording Academy to defend his wife having not won Album of the Year, Allen believes it was part of some orchestrated plan to help propel Beyoncé’s success in the country music space.
“I think it’s been quite calculated. I feel like when Jay-Z got up at the Grammys … that was part of this campaign,” she added. “And now she is the most played woman on country radio and she’s coming for that market.”
Beyoncé is expected to set a new mark for the best first-week performance of 2024, Billboard reports. Since its March 29 release, “Cowboy Carter” has earned a score of 92 on the review-aggregating website Metacritic. It’s also drumming up Grammy buzz for the singer’s first potential Album of the Year win. Considering the high-volume combination of physical sales and digital streams of the album, it should result in a massive first week for “Cowboy Carter.”
Allen’s criticisms of the record seemingly highlight Beyoncé’s reasoning for recording the country album after revealing a time when she was made to not feel welcomed into the genre.
“This album has been over five years in the making,” she wrote on Instagram last month. “It was born out of an experience that I had years ago where I did not feel welcomed…and it was very clear that I wasn’t.”
Elsewhere, Allen and her co-host Miquita Oliver discussed Beyoncé’s youthful appearance with Allen doubting the “Cuff It” singer would look as good as she does without a beauty squad.
“She does look great; she makes me quite excited about [my] 40s,” Oliver said, to which Allen chimed in, “Yeah, but she’s getting some help.”
“She has not had any work done if that’s what you’re implying,” Oliver said in Beyoncé’s defense.
“I didn’t say that, [but] she’s got a great team of stylists, great hair people, she works out, [she’s] got access to the best personal trainers in the world … she’s Beyoncé,” Allen clarified.
Jerrod Carmichael Claims Dave Chappelle Is An ‘Egomaniac’
Jerrod Carmichael is accusing Dave Chappelle of being an "egomaniac" for his response to his criticism of his anti-trans material.
Jerrod Carmichael is accusing Dave Chappelle of being an “egomaniac” for his response to the constructive criticism he gave about Chappelle’s anti-trans material.
It’s been two years since Carmichael publicly criticized Chappelle’s “opinions on trans sh*t” in an interview with GQ. While the “Reality Show” star only meant to offer the veteran comedian some feedback, Carmichael believes Chappelle was offended by his commentary.
“He took it as, ‘Fu*k Dave Chappelle,’ because he’s an egomaniac,” Carmichael explained in Esquire’s digital April cover. “He wanted me to apologize to him publicly or some sh*t.”
Chappelle’s “What’s in a Name” comedy stand-up special was quietly released by Netflix in July 2022. Filmed during his 40-minute speech at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, where a theater was supposed to be named after him, Chappelle upset students with his trans jokes and defense of his 2021 comedy special “The Closer” where he also made jokes about the trans community.
When sharing his opinion on the special with GQ, Carmichael called out Chappelle for seemingly standing by his anti-trans material despite how backlash clouded the comedian’s legacy.
“Chappelle, do you know what comes up when you Google your name, bro? That’s the legacy? Your legacy is a bunch of opinions on trans sh*t? It’s an odd hill to die on,” Carmichael quipped.
2022 was the same year “The Carmichael Show” star came out as gay in his stand-up special, “Rothaniel,” one which Chappelle called “the bravest special for 1996.” While Carmichael got the joke, he was still bothered by the irony of how the joke highlighted his continued battle with his sexuality.
“It’s like, that’s a funny enough line, whatever, but I wonder if he gets the irony that the fact that you are mocking it even then is why it was hard,” he told Esquire.
“So much of comedy is just gay jokes. As long as people continue to laugh at it and mock it, and as long as it’s a punchline, it’s going to be scary for somebody. It’s scary for me.”
Carmichael acknowledges how personal his “Rothaniel” material was to him when accusing Chappelle of producing jokes that show how “he’s removed from what he’s talking about,” he said. Carmichael believes Chappelle is “smarter than that and deeper than that and has more interesting thoughts” than repeated trans jokes.
Chappelle came under fire in December 2023 with his “The Closer” special which once again took aim at trans people in jokes made throughout the stand-up show.
HERide Founders Secured Historic Partnership With Busiest Airport In The World
HERide offers women travelers in Atlanta a safe option for public transportation and compensates drivers with 80% of the fare.
HERide co-founders Jillian Anderson and DeVynne Starks have been holding it down for Atlanta travelers as Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport’s first Black-owned rideshare company.
— Jill B Gates Founder of HERide™️ (@jillbgates) March 8, 2024
As the platform expands, Anderson and Starks ensure that both HERide riders and drivers are cared for. “There were a lot of women that were hesitant with riding with men at night using Uber and Lyft. I realized that this was just a consistent problem that those platforms did not have any intention of solving. So I decided to solve it myself,” Anderson, 31, chief technology officer, recently told Afrotech.
An upcoming profit-sharing model is in discussion for development once the company exceeds its goal of 1,000 drivers securing a minimum of 10 rides per week. The plan will give drivers a share in the company’s profits. Their share of the earnings would be tied to the firm’s quarterly or yearly profit performance. The amount each driver receives would be determined by their specific tier or level within the driver hierarchy.
Current HERide drivers receive 80% of the rideshare fare as compensation. “We want the drivers to feel valued and understand that they are the backbone of the business but also that they feel a part of the growth that we are in right now,” said Starks, 29, co-founder and chief of marketing and communications officer.
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, which Airport Technologyreported as the busiest airport in the world, began its partnership with the female-focused rideshare company on Sept. 1, 2023. “At ATL, we are committed to providing an inclusive and secure travel experience for all customers,” Deputy General Manager and Chief Commercial Officer Jai Ferrell said at the time, according to Atlanta News First. “The introduction of HERide is a significant step towards fulfilling that commitment and contributes to the welcoming and accommodating environment we provide for everyone who passes through our airport.”
As previously mentioned by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the Atlanta-based company of all-women drivers launched with a mission to provide an empowering and protective experience for women taking public transportation. HERide prioritizes women’s safety through its transportation platform, providing jobs and financial security.
Download HERide on the App Store or Google Play and catch a ride in Atlanta or Athens, Georgia.
New Study Finds ‘Forever Chemicals’ In Major Bandage Brands Like Band-Aid, Curad, Up & Up
The study reported PFAS, which can last for years or decades in the body, have been linked to developmental issues, cancers, fertility issues.
A new study has uncovered signs that “forever chemicals” may be lurking in adhesive bandages from major brands like Band-Aid and Curad and offerings from retail giants CVS, Walmart, and Target.
According to the report published on Mamavation, 26 bandages were found to have detectable levels of organic fluorine, an indicator of the group of chemicals known as PFAS. The levels ranged from 11 parts per million to 328 ppm, with 10 out of 16 bandages with black and brown skin tones showing signs of PFAS contamination.
The advocacy blog unveiled the study’s findings in collaboration with Environmental Health Sciences, which had samples tested at an Environmental Protection Agency-certified laboratory.
Linda S. Birnbaum, a scientist emeritus and former National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and National Toxicology Program director, expressed concern over the findings. “Because bandages are placed upon open wounds, it’s troubling to learn that they may be also exposing children and adults to PFAS,” she said. “It’s obvious from the data that PFAS are not needed for wound care, so it’s important that the industry remove their presence to protect the public from PFAS and opt instead for PFAS-free materials.”
PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are known as “forever chemicals” due to their persistence in the environment. Many of these chemicals can last in the body for years or decades and have been linked to reduced immunity, developmental issues in children, certain cancers, fertility problems, hormone disruption, and more. The report supports mounting evidence of PFAS contamination across consumer goods like athletic wear, bedding, car seats, children’s clothing, food packaging, period underwear, tampons, dental floss, cookware, carpeting, and flooring.
In 2023, BLACK ENTERPRISE covered a study funded by the state of Washington that called attention to toxic chemicals inside cosmetics, findings that could be troublesome for women of color. The report noted products containing lead and arsenic that have been banned in Europe, like CoverGirl’s foundation. States like Minnesota and California have already banned substances containing the chemical PFAS.
While some bandages, including those from 3M and FEBU, were found to be free of organic fluorine and other harmful compounds, the report highlights the need for companies to phase out the use of PFAS in their products. 3M, known for products like Sticky Notes, has announced plans to discontinue using all PFAS by the end of 2025.
Tru Colour, a brand offering a diverse range of skin-toned bandages co-owned by a team including renowned orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Raymond Wurapa and Chief of Digital Marketing Ryan Tolbert, was also found to be free of organic fluorine and other harmful compounds.
Police Allegedly Plant Evidence During Tallahassee Traffic Stop
A routine traffic stop in Tallahassee took a turn for Calvin Riley, sparking allegations of evidence planting by the Tallahassee Police.
According to Our Tallahassee, a routine traffic stop on a tranquil May evening in Tallahassee took a harrowing turn for Calvin Riley, sparking allegations of evidence-planting by the Tallahassee Police Department and raising questions about the thin boundary between law enforcement and misconduct.
The saga unfolded when Riley, behind the wheel of his white Mercedes Benz, was pulled over by a 26-year-old TPD recruit on South Monroe Street. What transpired next would plunge Riley into a legal quagmire, culminating in accusations of planted evidence by Tallahassee police and a nightmarish encounter with the law.
Following the traffic stop, Riley found himself accused of driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license after officers allegedly planted an empty liquor bottle in his vehicle. “The night nearly ruined my life,” Riley said.
In a 44-minute-long body camera footage, officers appear to maneuver through potential charges, seeking grounds for Riley’s arrest. The video captured discussions between officers about concocting a plan to arrest Riley, including the decision to administer a voluntary field sobriety test.
Despite Riley’s refusal to undergo the optional test, Tallahassee police officers purportedly shifted their focus from marijuana to alcohol, with one officer pouring out a liquid onto the street outside Riley’s car. Subsequently, they claimed to have found an open bottle of vodka inside his vehicle, which Riley vehemently denied.
After initially asserting that Riley emitted the odor of marijuana, officers subsequently alleged that Riley now emanated the scent of alcohol once they had secured him in the back of Oliver’s patrol vehicle.
“Is there enough, like before that?” After seating Riley in the back of her squad car, Oliver inquired of Mueth.
“There’s nothing we can do for the signal one portion of it? Because he refused?” Oliver inquires of Mueth whether they could charge him with a DUI. Mueth clarifies that since the field sobriety test was voluntary at the time, they couldn’t charge him for refusing it.
As Riley sat in the back of Oliver’s squad car, officers combed through his vehicle, but their search turned up empty-handed for any marijuana.
“Oh, there’s vodka in his seat… vodka was found,” Officer Oliver narrates to her body-worn camera. While rifling through Riley’s car, Officer Mueth’s body camera captures Oliver displaying a full bottle of cognac. Oliver also indicates an insulated stainless steel tumbler-style cup in the center console, alleging it “smelled like alcohol.”
Yet, the body-worn camera footage doesn’t depict the officers sniffing the cup or removing it from the center console. Riley refutes their claims, asserting the cup contained Arizona Green Tea, his beverage of choice. Additional footage showed multiple Arizona Green Tea bottles in his backseat.
Amidst the chaos, officers orchestrated a strategic maneuver, transferring Riley to a different patrol car to shift responsibility for drafting the arrest report. However, questions about the legality of their actions linger, with allegations that Officer Oliver’s actions violated TPD policy, despite her claims to the contrary.
As Riley’s case unfolds in court, Judge Jason Jones presides over pretrial motions, grappling with the admissibility of evidence and the officer’s conduct during the traffic stop. Despite attempts to strike certain evidence, the road ahead for Riley remains fraught with uncertainty as his trial date looms.
Shook! New York, Tri-State Area Hit With 4.8 Earthquake
The epicenter was in Lebanon, New Jersey, about 50 miles west of Manhattan, according to the United States Geological Survey.
An earthquake hit the New York City/New Jersey area on April 5 at approximately 10:20 a.m.
According to The New York Times, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the magnitude registered at 4.8 on the Richter Scale. The epicenter was in Lebanon, N.J., about 50 miles west of Manhattan, and was felt as far south as Philadelphia and up north up to Boston. The New York City Mayor’s office sent a message informing New Yorkers about the earthquake.
New York City just felt the impacts of a 4.8 magnitude earthquake with an epicenter of Lebanon, New Jersey. @NYCMayor is being briefed. While we do not have any reports of major impacts at this time, we’re still assessing the impact.
— NYC Mayor’s Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) April 5, 2024
CNBC also reported that incoming flights at the three major airports in the area (JFK Airport and LaGuardia Airport in Queens, New York, and Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey) were being diverted from landing, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The agency also grounded all airplanes at the airports.
A spokesman for New York City Mayor Eric Adams confirmed that the earthquake had no major impact. New York State Gov. Kathy Hochul also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to inform New Yorkers that the state is assessing the earthquake’s impact to see if any damage was caused.
A 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit west of Manhattan and has been felt throughout New York.
My team is assessing impacts and any damage that may have occurred, and we will update the public throughout the day.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) April 5, 2024
As rare as earthquakes are in the region, this was the second one this year. In January, a magnitude 1.7 earthquake struck near Astoria, Queens, according to USGS.
‘Tis The Season’ For Mega Music Festivals That Are Black AF
Nowadays, music festivals are serving up more than just food and music.
As the weather heats up, so do outdoor music festivals. The spring and summer seasons are ideal for music lovers and concertgoers to kick it in the elements with a community of people looking to share good vibes and vibe out to their favorite acts. Music festivals are also a hub for outdoor dining. Food and beverage vendors pull up to feed the masses with an array of mouthwatering bites.
Nowadays, music festivals are serving up more than just food and music. Retail vendors can often be found on the premises selling a variety of merchandise. Don’t be surprised by cool activations like roller skating, picture booths, and outdoor games like hopscotch, horseshoes, or jump rope.
It’s going down in Washington, D.C., July 27-28 at Audi Field. The Broccoli City festival is a millennial moment boasting young rising acts like Baby Tate, Sexyy Red, and Victoria Monét. Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Yachty, and PartyNextDoor are popping out as featured headliners. Festivalgoers will be entertained by the likes of Desi Banks and Funny Marco, and get a taste of Bryson Tiller and Issa Rae.
Rapper J. Cole blessed the hip-hop community with Dreamville, and for music lovers overall, it is a dream. On April 6-7, Raleigh, North Carolina, will be the host city for this festival. Of course, J. Cole will headline his own event along with Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, and SZA. Jeezy and Jeremiah will take the stage during the two-day event. Songstress Monica will also bring her vocal strength to the incredible lineup.
Las Vegas is the host city for this supersized event on May 4. Lovers & Friends is a solid festival with all your faves performing in one day. Though it is officially sold out, there is a waitlist for those who want to shoot their shot in the dark.
Mary J. Blige conceived a festival that celebrates women and lifts them up through a variety of activations, panel discussions, fellowship, and entertainment. This year’s event takes place in New York City during Mother’s Day weekend, May 10-12.
The two-day jumpoff is a Southwest spinoff of the ONE MusicFest in Atlanta. The inaugural TwoGether Land Festival takes place in Downtown Dallas’ Fair Park May 25-26 with a heavy-hitter lineup that includes Lil Wayne.
Disney’s Princess Tiana Welcomes New Animatronics At Her Bayou Adventure
The attraction is set to open this summer.
Princess Tiana’s upcoming attraction at Walt Disney World and Resort has welcomed some familiar faces to the bayou, according to a recent video from Disney. The company showcased new audio-animatronics of iconic characters from the movie including Mama Odie and Louis as part of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure.
“When we start working on audio-animatronics for any attraction, you start back at the story because the story is key and we figure out what a character will do and each individual scene is built off of that.,” said Avi Tuchman, principal show programmer at Walt Disney Imagineering.
Disney released a first look at the creations in a new series titled “We Call It Imagineering,” which premiered on April 4 on YouTube and offers fans a glimpse of what goes into bringing these characters to life.
“When you see the character in person, you believe they are the character you’ve seen on screen, and they could and can do anything that you’ve seen there to really make you feel fully immersed in that world and in their story,” Tuchman continued.
The characters’ realistic designs and animated movements are essential parts to crafting the whimsical illusion that has captivated visitors since Disney first introduced animatronics in 1963.
“We really try to think of what Louis is as a character. He’s a very jolly character. We want to make him appear as happy as possible and a big part of that is having his belly joyfully move up and down,” explained Jessica Baskergow, who is also a show programmer at Imagineering.
“To think of all of the people that will see this piece really means, for me, to amplify the sort of message and love of our ancestors that have given us these symbols through ironwork so long,” said Karina Roca, a welder who is Reeves’ apprentice and helped pay homage to both Louisiana’s heritage and Tiana’s legacy with the weathervane.
Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is scheduled to be unveiled in summer 2024.
The Humility People Want From Angel Reese Is A Disrespectful Demand For Black Women In General
Forcing humility on Black women is an American practice
Written By Dr. Stacey Patton
Forcing humility on Black women is an American practice.
A lot of people hate LSU basketball star Angel Reese because they despise Black girls and women who don’t get crushed by the societal pressures of humility.
Forty-five years ago, the late Maya Angelou explored this phenomenon in one of her most famous poems. In “Still I Rise,” she posed a series of rhetorical questions to people who harbor resentment at Black women who have the gall to revel in their own magnificence.
Let’s read these powerful lines together:
Does my sassiness upset you?
Why are you beset with gloom?
‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells
Pumping in my living room.
Did you want to see me broken?
Bowed head and lowered eyes?
Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
Weakened by my soulful cries?
Does my haughtiness offend you?
Don’t you take it awful hard
‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines
Diggin’ in my own backyard.
Does my sexiness upset you?
Does it come as a surprise
That I dance like I’ve got diamonds
At the meeting of my thighs?
Angelouwasn’t interested in getting direct answers. Her bold questions were a dareto anyone who tries to diminish the spirit of Black women to confront their own biases, insecurities, and projections. She was also promptingpeople to reflect on why the presence of confident, defiant, and self-loving Black women offends them like so.
“Still I Rise” has been echoing in my thoughts over the past couple of days as I witness the vitriol, once again, directed at collegebasketball superstar Angel Reese, whose unapologetic assertion of beauty, confidence, sassiness, resilience,and greatness are offending so many haters taking pleasure in her recent defeatand post-game tears.
Reese, who plays forward for the LSU Tigers, became a celebrity when she led her team to a national championship over Caitlin Clark and the University of Iowa Hawkeyes in 2023. The two faced off again in Monday’s NCAA Elite Eight Championship game. This time, Clark led the Hawkeyes to victory over Reese and the Tigers.
“I’ve been through so much. I’ve seen so much. I’ve been attacked so many times, death threats. I’ve been sexualized, I’ve been threatened. I’ve been so many things and I’ve stood strong every single time.”
She’s often described in media as “an unapologetic trash talker.” But trash talking is commonplace in sports. As a former basketball player, I used trash talk as a strategic form of psychological warfare in high-stakes matchups. Talking trash to your opponent isn’t some kind of character flaw. It’s about asserting your presence, getting inside their head, demonstrating confidence in your skills, and letting your opponent know that you refuse to back down. The fixation with Reese as a trash talker in part of a larger effort to undermine her confidence and assertiveness.
The work to humble Reese started early, when she was a teen baller.
Back in 2018 during her junior year at Saint Francis Academy in Baltimore, she got into a fight with an opposing player during a pre-season scrimmage. Not only was she benched for three games,shewas also forced to apologize in front of the entire school. Mandating a public apology amplified the consequences beyond the typical disciplinary measure. It was not only excessive, but it was clearly an attempt to shame and humiliate the towering 6’3 Black female superstar and allow the administration to assert authority and dominance over her. The public display of contrition was about undermining a young Black girl’s sense of autonomy and self-worth, and reinforcing the narrative that Black female must be humbled and complaint.
During her senior year,a coach at another high school wrote nasty comments about the then-17-year-old on social media.
“She’s not the greatest player that’s ever come out of this area. She’s genetically blessed. And lacks any humility,” wrote Lisa Smith, former coach of the Archbishop Spalding High School team. “Celebrating a player (w god given height and talent) and zero humility or impulse control. As a female coach of female high school ballers, I find this behavior repulsive, unacceptable, unflattering and unnecessary. You can have swag while not acting like a punk. Highlight some other girls in the conference who aren’t as genetically gifted.”
After winning the NCAA national championship last year, businessman and social media personality David Portnoytook to Twitter and posted a video clip of Reese wagging her ring finger at Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and called her a “classless piece of sh*t.“
Another Twitter user wrote: “Why, Angel Reese? Why was showing up your opponent after the NC game necessary? What a ‘poor winner.’ Obviously didn’t grow up with parents that instilled any kind of humility.”
Why, Angel Reese? Why was showing up your opponent after the NC game necessary? What a “poor winner.” Obviously didn’t grow up with parents that instilled any kind of humility. Just a bad look for the entire #LSU Athletic Department #Shame#PoorSportsmanship#WomensFinalFourpic.twitter.com/M9l12fQ4lP
A year later, more of the same: “Angel Reese was destroyed by Caitlin Clark and Iowa… she is a sore loser and lacks humility. Playing the victim with fake tears.”
Enter “Angel Reese” and “humility” or “humble” in a keyword search on Google and you’ll get more than 100,000 results. Do the same on X, Facebook, or other social media platforms and you’ll find a whole trove of commenters griping about her big ego, trash talking, lack of maturity, and now celebrating her being humbled by a loss. This is all just another way to call outstanding Black women negligent, stupid, and the ubiquitous “unprofessional.” What does it mean when Black women are asked—no demanded—to be quiet, to dim their light, shrink their shine, and lessen themselves for fearing of triggering others.
Why are so many people obsessed with trying to make Reese and other young Black women athletes like Sha’Carri Richardson, Venus and Serena Williams, and others eat humble pie? Why are so many Black people bothered by those of us who make it big but don’t aspire to “upper” class aspirations and values?
The answersare rooted in a complex interplay of societal attitudes, history, and racial stereotypes. Let me make it plain.
Women, especially Black women, are expected to be modest, prim, self-effacing, and humble. Any display of confidence or assertiveness is considered a deviation from these social norms. While Black women have long been stereotyped as aggressive and loud, they are also expected to downplay their accomplishments and show zero self-assurance, not only in sports but in all arenas of life. In contrast, white female athletes like Iowa’s Clark are celebrated for similar displays of confidence, dubbed swaggy, passionate, a breath of fresh air and some such.
Confident Black women make people feel threatened. That’s because Black women in America have been traditionally marginalized. We were enslaved for centuries. Beaten. Tortured. Raped. Lynched. They stole our breast milk and children from us. We’ve been excluded and used as demonstration projects in narratives about inferiority. So, a self-assured, autonomous Black woman like Angel Reese disrupts long-existing power dynamics.
When I see Black people on social media talking about how Reese and other Black women athletes need to be humbled, it tells me they are suffering from internalized racism. Thesecritics have normalized seeing Black women in a space of chronic long suffering and struggle.
They resent the hell out of Black women who reject the belief that their worth is inextricably linked to their ability to conform to white-dominated standards of gender, beauty, education, behavior, and financial success. These people stupidly believe that Black women must prioritize humility as a strategy for acceptance and validation in a racist capitalist world. We must suppress our own talents and never openly display confidence, pride, joy, or give a gel-manicured middle finger to the politics of respectability that were forged in a system committed to hating us regardless of what we do.
If we think about the questions raised in Maya Angelou’s poem, the people who demand humility from Black women are reflecting their own feelings of inadequacy and inferiority. They are struggling to reconcile with free Black women who brazenly embrace self-love and autonomy, and their own subconscious pathetic yearning for white acceptance and validation.
Let’s be honest: Black people have been bullied and pressured into respectability for generations and it hasn’t liberated us. And while some measure of that forced “respectability” served as a survival mechanism during Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement, we’re in a very different era now.
These young Black women enter the sports arena with unabashed swag repping a ‘hood aesthetic—weaves, eyelashes,tattoos, long elaborate fingernails—that telegraphs pride in their roots, their upbringings, their unfiltered culture. They’re not remaking themselves for the white gaze. They’re not toning themselves down in appearance or behavior to make themselves palatable.
Recall Reese’s famous declaration on the heels of winning the NCAA championship last year: “All year I was critiqued about who I was. I don’t fit the narrative. I don’t fit in a box which ya’ll want me to be in. I’m too hood, I’m too ghetto.”
In response, Reese and others are hit with the weapons of intersectional indignation: How DARE you acknowledge your greatness? Who do you think you are, loving yourself despite our disapproval? How dare you love your blackness more than the white gaze?
All of this reminds us that we’ve tried every version of respectability and where has it gotten us collectively?
As a 90s kid I endured the same criticism. I attended a wealthy boarding school on a scholarship and played ball there. The opportunity helped me escape New Jersey’s foster care system. White folks were always in my face griping about my ego, my mouth, my cockiness, that invisible chip on my shoulder, and they were deeply concerned that I cared less about other people’s perception of me. They didn’t know my story. They didn’t know where I had come from and about all the losses, pain, and trauma living in my body. Sports was all I had to bring me joy and to help me realize my power and potential. From high school to college, there was always a coach literally telling me how much they wanted to break me, or they were comparing my playing style some kind of animal or manipulating me with the lie that their players were “like my children” or the team “was like family.” They made me hate the game and the emotional violence took a toll on my mental health.
Now we’re in this redemptive moment where these Gen Z Black women are embodying the characteristics that we’re taught are wrong, bad, unacceptable. And I’m here for it—cheering them on, glorying in their sense of unfettered freedom in a world that can’t stand to recognize and celebrate their shine.
They’re not just breaking the rules of Proper Negro Decorum—they’re rewriting the playbook on their own terms. They’re rewriting Zora Neale Hurston’s “Black women are the mules of the earth” narrative into a more empoweredvision of lives not defined by being long suffering. They’re creating powerful possibilities for the little Black girls who are watching and taking notes. And, to be honest, for little Black boys who are also liberated by new ways of considering Black girlhood and womanhood.
Seeing these young stars makes me flash back to my days in foster care when my outlet for survival was playing ‘hood hoops with the boys. We played hard because our circumstances were tough, our futures uncertain. And we peppered our moves with trash talk, bringing the tradition of signifyin’ to games to liberate our language and give us a space to feel free.
I’m also inspired by the beautiful way that Reese’s teammates, Flau’jae Johnson and Hailey Van Lith, have had her back. “Man, let me tell you something,” Johnson said, sitting next to Reese at Monday’s post-game press conference and gently wiping herteammate’s tears. “Everybody can have their opinion on Angel Reese, but y’all don’tknow her. I know the real Angel Reese, and the person I see every day is a strong person, is a caring, loving person. But the crown she wears is heavy.”
Van Lith, who described the racism her teammates face, said of Reese, “People speak hate into her life. I’ve never seen people wish bad things on someone as much as her, and it does not affect her. She comes to practice every day … She lives how she wants to live, and she don’t let nobody change that.”
In that press conference, Reese made it clear that she has her village. “I have great teammates. I have a great support system. I’ve got my hometown. I’ve got my family that stands up for me.”
She used her time at the mic to affirm her realness. “I would still sit here and say, ‘I’m unapologetically me. I’m going to always leave that mark and be who I am and stand on that. The little girls that look up to me, hopefully, I give them some type of inspiration … Keep being who you are.”
Speaking of audacious style and gutsy glam, Reese chose to share her plans to take her talents to the WNBA with Vogue: “She could have dialed up a sports outlet or simply mentioned her decision in a press conference, but ‘I didn’t want anything to be basic,’ she says, speaking via Zoom from her off-campus apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Reese says she was inspired by Serena Williams to break the news with a fashion shoot. (The tennis legend, of course, announced her retirement in the September issue of Vogue in 2022.) ‘I’ve done everything I wanted to in college,” Reese says: “I’ve won a national championship, I’ve gotten [Southeastern Conference] Player of the Year, I’ve been an All-American. My ultimate goalis to be a pro—and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I’m ready.’
Oxford Economic Report Reveal Black SMBs Added To TikTok’s $24B Economic Impact
Keep TikTok alive!
Black business owners took full advantage of TikTok in 2023, causing their small and medium businesses (SMBs) to reach new heights.
According to a report from Oxford Economics, more than 7 million businesses assisted in supporting more than $24 billion in gross domestic product (GDP) and over 224,000 American jobs. In fall 2023, research found that paid advertising and marketing from business owners on TikTok was the driving factor for nearly $15 billion in U.S. revenue. Some SMBs also grew the value of the free services provided by TikTok, helping them grow organically.
Business owners like Felicia Jackson, owner of CPR Wrap, say TikTok is the reason their situation changed for the better. “I could not have done this without the help of TikTok, and I say that, and I mean that, and I tell people that all the time,” Jackson said. “It’s amazing. And best yet, two lives have been saved using our product because they saw it and bought it off TikTok.”
The patented and disposable CPR template allows anyone, trained or untrained, to perform CPR to the best of their capabilities. With 120,000-plus followers on the app, Jackson reported she made “over $300,000 in just two days.” “I was able to pay myself, pay my employee, and hire another person,” she said proudly. “TikTok literally saved my company.”
The study covered all industries that contributed to the GDP from SMB use of the platform. Support from the health and wellness space was $3.9 billion, while the business services sector contribution was $3.6 billion. The food and beverage industry was the highest, supporting $6.4 billion and 73,000 jobs in 2023.
Reco Taylor, owner of TaylorMade BBQ in Shreveport, Louisiana, started selling barbeque plates out of necessity during the COVID-19 pandemic. After after his daughter convinced him to post his on TikTok, his mouth-watering food soon attracted customers from around the world.
In just four years, the former barber has gained over 63,000 supporters, with his most popular video securing more than 5 million views. Thanks to TikTok, Taylor said, he’s ready to expand his small business with a brick-and-mortar location.
As United States legislators are threatening to ban TikTok if its China-based owner refuses to sell its stake, app leaders are excited about how the platform is helping the growth of businesses. “Businesses across America depend on TikTok’s unique ability to help them reach otherwise unreachable customers, generate new revenue streams, and drive awareness of their brands, products, and services,” said Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s president of global business solutions.
“This study demonstrates what we at TikTok already knew: it’s a game changer for small businesses and has a significant impact on the U.S. economy.”
In the age of influence, the app has also added Black influencers to prominent lists, such as Forbes‘ 30 Under 30 honoree Olamide Olowe.
