pastor, Knoxville, community garden, food apartheid

by Stacy Jackson

March 25, 2025

Atlanta Combats Food Insecurity With Nation’s Largest Free Food Forest In Browns Mill

The free food forest covers 1.7 acres of land and offers locals over 2,500 edible and medicinal plants that are free for anyone to use.

Situated in Atlanta’s Browns Mill neighborhood is the nation’s largest free food forest, a community-driven concept that has called on the contributions of locals to fight food insecurity and raise awareness about sustainability.

The free food forest is the first of its kind in Atlanta and offers residents a new type of public park. According to a press release by The Conservation Fund, the urban food forest is already producing fresh fruits, nuts, and vegetables for the community. “The food forest approaches conservation through the concept of agroforestry — using agriculture that integrates trees and shrubs with food production to create healthy and ecologically resilient landscapes,” the organization stated.

Located four miles south of Atlanta’s city center in an area once identified as a food desert, the urban food forest spans over 7.1 acres and carries more than 2,500 medicinal and edible plants that include large pecan trees, blackberry brambles, and muscadine vines. Food Forest Steward Celeste Lomax said the area is no longer a food desert. “You have everything you need right here in this food forest,” she told The Conservation Fund. “The nuts and the trees and the berries…we have the starch, we have the beans, we have everything right here.” Aglanta noted that the site was formerly a working farm owned by Ruby and Willie Morgan, who left excess produce for neighbors.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hashem Al-Ghaili (@hashem.alghaili)

Still in its early stages, site plans include removing invasive species and restoring and protecting native plants. The forest will also contain community garden beds, a fruit and nut orchard, herb gardens, walking trails, and gathering spaces. Currently, 30 new community garden beds and over 100 fruit trees have been planted, which has been a step in the right direction as the project combats food insecurity in Georgia. According to Feeding America, more than 1,400,000 Georgians are facing hunger, and over 400,000 are children.

The forest is about more than just food. “I want to be able to educate and teach people how to grow their own and how to become self-sufficient,” said Lomax. “We also keep the community involved by using the food forest as an educational space and a holistic health and wellness healing place.” Afternoon yoga and healing programs are hosted under the pecan tree, in addition to aromatherapy sessions.

The urban food forest is a collective contribution between The Conservation Fund, the city of Atlanta’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience, the Department of Parks and Recreation, Trees Atlanta, local residents, and various stakeholders. A partnership with Greening Youth Foundation offers residents paid workforce training to prepare them for green job opportunities and jobs at the park. Educational resources for all ages are also offered on-site.

The food forest has already seen the help of over 1,000 volunteers.

Old Lady Gang, Kandi Burruss, Atlanta, Keith Lee

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 25, 2025

Kandi Burruss Says ‘No Scrubs’ Is The ‘Gift That Keeps On Giving Back to Me’

Kandi Burruss has penned numerous songs, but she has special love for TLC's 1999 mega-hit.

Kandi Burruss has written numerous songs throughout her career, but she has a special love for “No Scrubs.”

The revelation came when the singer/songwriter shared with Entertainment Tonight her Mount Rushmore of songs she’s penned.

Her first choice was “Just Kickin’ It.” Released in 1993 as Xscape’s debut single, the song became the group’s biggest hit, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topping the Hot R&B Singles chart for four weeks.

But her second selection was TLC’s massive hit. “‘No Scrubs’ will forever be my gift that keeps on giving back to me. People keep sampling it,” Burruss said.

The Real Housewives of Atlanta star co-wrote the 1999 smash hit alongside producer Kevin “She’kspere” Briggs and fellow Xscape member Tameka “Tiny” Cottle. The song became TLC’s third No. 1 single and eighth top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, where it held the top spot for four consecutive weeks. It ranked No. 2 on Billboard’s year-end Hot 100 singles chart for 1999, just behind Cher’s “Believe” (1998), and won Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal and Best R&B Song at the 42nd Annual Grammy Awards.

What about Burruss’ other selections?

“‘Bills, Bills, Bills,’ because that one you can just break out in song at any given moment when people start talking about a bill,” Burruss continued, naming Destiny’s Child’s 1999 hit single. Finally, Burruss named her 2000 solo debut, “Don’t Think I’m Not,” which she described as “always a winner.”

Burruss does have some artists she would love to work with.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Rihanna, even though I know she hasn’t put out anything in a minute,” she said. “Like, where’s the album? I would love to work with her and have her finally drop something new,” she said. “And then I want to go back in with Beyoncé too. We’ve already worked together, obviously. But I would love to work with her in this current era.”

For now, Burruss is staying busy behind the scenes as a producer for Denzel Washington’s record-breaking Broadway run in Othello alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. It’s a dream role that would have had her “hitting flips” when she was a performing arts school student.

“I was in the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta for musical theater and theater. And to see that I’ve made it to the point where I’ve produced four Broadway shows, and now the show that I’m producing, Othello, is breaking Broadway records and making history, like, it’s crazy,” Burruss shared.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 25, 2025

Clark Atlanta University Hosts Black Women and Public Policy Symposium To Send Off Women’s History Month

The symposium, which ends Wednesday, features several sessions ranging from Black women in the labor force to mental health wellness.

Clark Atlanta University is ending Women’s History Month with an event to spark change in the Black women community.

The Georgia HBCU is in the middle of its second annual Black Women and Public Policy in the South Symposium. Taking place from March 24 to 26, the event brings together policymakers, game-changers, and student advocates to discuss strategies for improving the plight of Black women.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Clark Atlanta University (@cau1988)

Sponsored by the W.E.B. Du Bois Southern Center for Studies in Public Policy at CAU, the symposium began with remarks from Dr. Nykia Greene-Young, the center’s Domestic Policy Coordinator, and Executive Director Dr. Joseph Jones.

The experience seeks to explain new and current policy frameworks and their impact on this demographic, connecting Black women from all professional levels across academia and generations.

Under the theme of “When and Where We Enter…Black Women Are In Power,” the symposium held several sessions on topics ranging from mental health to political organization. Moderated by Morehouse School of Medicine’s Pilar Jackson, “The Balancing Act: When, Where, and How to Recognize Black Women’s Mental Health Across Generations” explored the evolving landscape of Black women’s wellness.

The “When and Where We Work & Thrive: Black Women in Labor Round Table” also discussed the power of Black women in the labor force and policies they must monitor to ensure a progressing work environment. Other sessions centered on Black women’s leadership in grassroots organizing and creating spaces for diversity in the political realm.

The event also held sub-sessions that focused on art, from dance to spoken word, made possible through collaborations with Sister Song and featured performers. These offered a holistic experience that celebrated Black women while still understanding that the work must continue.

The event will conclude on March 26 with the Advancing Black Strategist Institute’s Black Worker Research and Strategy Presentation, followed by the ABSI Movement showcase.

Ultimately, the symposium aims to leave a message that Black Women are pivotal in shaping public policy through inclusive programming and strategies.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 25, 2025

Malik Yoba Has A Response To Anti-DEI Administration, ‘I’m A Non-White Man’

Malik Yoba is explaining why he no longer identifies as a Black man or person of color, choosing instead to refer to himself as a "non-white man."

Malik Yoba has decided that he is no longer a Black man or a person of color. Instead, you can refer to the actor as a “non-white man.”

The New York Undercover star was taking a stroll through the neighborhood when he decided to share his epiphany in response to President Donald Trump’s administration’s dismantling of DEI efforts.

“America? I’ve decided that I’m no longer a Black man. I’m no longer a person of color, BIPOC, none of that s**t,” Yoba says in the video captured by The Art of Dialogue. “What I am is a non-white man. And I think we should all just start calling ourselves non-white. So, they’re gonna have to figure it out.”

https://twitter.com/ArtOfDialogue_/status/1903486985768951822

“Let them rebuke that. Let them refute it,” Yoba continued. “Let them come up with something that just says we like all non-whites. Excuse me. We don’t like all non-whites.”

His seemingly sarcastic announcement sparked debate and reactions.

“He’s being sarcastic against the anti-DEI anti-”wokeness” of this current administration,” one X user wrote.

There were also many who missed the message.

“Call yourself what you want, but the system of white supremacy will still be here,” one person wrote.

“I was about to jump him until I heard the video and understood the valid point he is making,” added someone else.

Willie D of The Geto Boys took to his YouTube channel to further explain what he took from Yoba’s proclamation.

“Are you picking up what he’s putting down?” Willie D asked. “Malik is trying to say is this Trump administration has rallied white folks to come together against everybody else and that the only way the rest of us individuals stand a chance is to consolidate our individual powers and make a collective effort to get what we want and what we need out of this administration and out of this country. I can dig that.”

by Stacy Jackson

March 25, 2025

Dawn Robinson Says The ‘Car Life’ Is Part Of Her ‘Journey Of Healing And Self-Discovery’

This living situation has been 'crazy, fun, and sometimes scary,' but Robinson says she has space to grow and trust life's process.

Dawn Robinson wants to make one thing clear: she is not homeless, but temporarily choosing to live the “car life.”

The former En Vogue superstar clarified her living situation following a previous YouTube video where she stated she has been living in her car for the past three years.

“I am not homeless,” she told People in a statement released on March 21. “I am temporarily choosing car life as part of my journey of healing and self-discovery.” Living the car life has given Robinson a space to grow and embrace freedom. Jumping headfirst into the “crazy, fun, and sometimes scary” lifestyle pushes her to trust life’s process and find strength in the unexpected.

Robinson’s March 11 video, “Your New Life Is in the Scary,” revealed that she moved out of her parents’ Las Vegas home after a strained relationship developed with her mother. A living arrangement with her co-manager fell through when she moved to Los Angeles and she was depending on his agreement to cover rent for an apartment.

The seven-time Grammy-nominated artist is grateful for the support she has received since she admitted to her current living arrangement but warned fans not to send money to any fundraising campaigns.

“I’ve been made aware that some individuals may be requesting funds on my behalf through platforms like Cash App, GoFundMe or other means,” she said. “I want to be clear: I have not authorized any fundraising campaigns, and I do not want anyone—especially my loyal fans—to be scammed or taken advantage of.”

“Sometimes in life, we end up in situations that we weren’t expecting,” the 58-year-old wrote under “Your New Life is in the Scary.” “There’s something we need to learn or teach, but we’re too afraid to push ourselves out of our comfort zones to do it—so the universe does it for us! During this growth period, we either learn to trust ourselves or give in to fear and fail.”

Robinson’s ex-husband, Andre Allen, offered her a job in the hotel business last week,Allen, a Hilton hospitality salesman, claimed he was unaware of the singer’s recent living situation but has witnessed other artists die in poverty.

In a March 14 post on Instagram, Robinson stated her aim was to inspire. She promised fans she would reveal more details in her upcoming YouTube episode.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dawn Robinson (@dawnrobinsondiva)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 25, 2025

Digital Green Book Launched To Help Black Community Combat Online Misinformation

A new "Digital Green Book for the Culture" aims to help Black people navigate an internet riddled with misinformation.

Onyx Impact has introduced a digital Green Book designed to help the Black community navigate an internet filled with misinformation.

Launched earlier this month, We All We Got: A Digital Green Book for the Culture provides Black users with a platform to navigate the internet safely, protect their data, and access trustworthy news. The new-age Green Book was inspired by the original Green Book, which helped Black travelers find safe spaces during its 30-year run from 1936 to 1966.

This digital-era Green Book serves as a guide to navigating online manipulation and misinformation. Research shows that bots account for 42% of social media traffic, influencing conversations and algorithms—65% of them with harmful intent.

The Digital Green Book for the Culture eliminates barriers and directly addresses the fact that Black users encounter disinformation at a rate 2.7 times higher than the general population.

“The Digital Green Book for the Culture equips Black communities with tools, tactics, and resources to navigate a digital world that is often hostile,” Esosa Osa, founder of Onyx Impact, said in a press release. “Black folks deserve access to accurate, truthful information to make informed decisions and control our digital futures.”

The platform was designed with four key objectives: identifying online manipulation and misinformation, safeguarding Black children from harmful digital content, elevating Black-owned media and businesses, and promoting digital literacy to enhance critical thinking online.

“We are in an information war,” Esosa said. “If we knew almost half of online interactions weren’t real, we’d engage differently.”

The platform offers seamless parental controls, which help Black parents protect their children from racist content. Since misinformation disproportionately impacts those with low digital literacy, the Digital Green Book works to empower young people to serve as “digital navigators” in guiding their communities.

To stay ahead of the latest tech trends, the platform features an easily accessible website equipped with an AI fact-checking tool. Trained with Black-focused news sources, the AI helps users verify information instantly.

“Think of it as a guidebook combined with a Black ChatGPT,” Esosa said.

For those wanting to support the cause, Esosa encourages everyone to support local Black-owned businesses.

“If you subscribe to mainstream news but not a Black newspaper, start there. Investing in Black media protects our stories,” she said.

by Stacy Jackson

March 25, 2025

Brad Edwards’ ‘Dads To Doulas’ Teaches Black Men To Support Partners During Childbirth Process

The Dads to Doulas Spring 2025 cohort commenced in February. Participants can complete a doula certification at the end of six weeks.

Father and community activist Brad Edwards is continuing to inspire the next generation of Black fathers through his Dads to Doulas program.

Designed to teach Black men everything that goes into the childbirth process, Dads to Doulas’ free, hands-on program provides expectant fathers with doula-level education and essential skills to support their families from pregnancy through infancy.

Not only does the initiative strive to reduce the Black maternal and infant mortality rates that have historically been higher compared to white women and infants, but the program has given Edwards an outlet to recover from his own personal experience.

Edwards’s lost his twin boys, who were delivered stillborn, in 2017. Learning his sons were birthed without signs of life left him and his partner heartbroken, but after expressing his grief to friends, his desire to educate men about pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum grew and sparked the attention of the St. Louis-based Dear Fathers platform in 2020.

By the time Edwards was preparing to welcome his baby girl Carielle, he was fully equipped with the necessary tools to support her mother.

Launched in 2024, the Dads to Doulas educational program was created essentially just to teach Black men about everything that goes into labor, the delivery process, perinatal health, perinatal loss, postpartum, and more.

“We have a maternal health crisis as it relates to Black women and babies, so this [is] something that’s very important, and it’s something that I think a lot of men may not know just because those numbers are out there, but they’re not presented in spaces that men exist in,” Edwards told WSFA 12 News earlier this month.

A study published by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revealed that the maternal mortality rate for Black women was 49.5 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022. Rates for Black women were significantly higher than those of women who identified as white, Hispanic, or Asian. According to the Dear Fathers website, the mortality rate for Black infants in the St. Louis region is nearly twice that of white infants.

Dads to Doulas’ virtual and in-person programming covers such topics as the history of birth, length of pregnancy, anatomy and hormonal changes, home and hospital births, pharmacological pain management, infant care. Participants have can complete a doula certification program following the six-week training.

“We will not solve the maternal mortality crisis without men,” said certified Doula Kyra Betts, who helps with the program.

Dads to Doulas completed its first cohort in November 2024. “I can’t say enough of how much these brothers poured into one another and empowered one another every step of the way,” Edwards wrote on LinkedIn. The Spring 2025 cohort commenced in February.

For more information and updates on the next cohort, register online.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 25, 2025

Kyrie Irving Questions Racist Mindset, Calls It ‘Dumbest S**t’ He Ever Heard

'People really got killed because they were a different skin tone'

Dallas Mavericks superstar Kyrie Irving, who is currently not playing basketball because of a season-ending injury, went online to blast the theories some people use to justify their ignorance when it comes to racism.

The oft-outspoken NBA player was calling the racist mindset the “dumbest s**t” he has ever heard, and he went into details about how the ignorance of people escapes the brain to release the type of thoughts expressed by racist people. He talks about people being biased against others based on their skin tone, which should not play a part in relationships between people.

“Like growing up in this society, and just because you have this skin tone, you have different rules to abide by, or you can’t be proud of your history because you’re this skin tone, because people really got killed because they were a different skin tone,” Irving starts by saying. “Do you realize how stupid that is? You know how ignorant you gotta be to put somebody in a tree and hang them because they’re Black? It’s probably the dumbest s**t I’ve ever heard, bro, to be honest with you.”

He also realizes that he is not judged based on his character, personality, or intellect but on how he looks and/or how people see him through their eyes.

“You can judge me when I’m on a basketball court and say nasty things.”

However, he reiterates the ignorance people have when it comes to prejudging people based on just skin tone and nothing else. He mentions that his mindset is different, and he sees people through different eyes and to be a part of a community where other factors determine how people get along instead of the opposite of not fellowshipping with others because of their skin color.

“I stand up for humanity for being a coexisting community where race, culture, and class, or religion is not always at the forefront of everything you do.”

Kyrie Irving talks about racism being the dumbest thing ever 👀 pic.twitter.com/vAzvOLvHQZ

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) March 23, 2025

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 25, 2025

Ice-T and American Greetings Team Up For The Coolest E-Card Yet

The 25-year 'Law & Order: Special Victims Unit' actor collaborates with the greeting card company.

Law & Order: Special Victims Unit show veteran Ice-T has taken on another role as pitchman for a new product released by American Greetings.

The company has just announced that Tracy Marrow, known as Fin in the long-running series and more popularly recognized as hip-hop recording artist Ice T, is collaborating with American Greetings for a new online greeting card called a SmashUp™ video e-card. It’s a customizable video card featuring Ice-T for people celebrating the birthdays of friends, family, or anyone you want to acknowledge.

“Birthdays have always been a reflective time for me,” said Ice-T in a written statement. “I appreciate every day throughout the year but hearing from so many friends and family on my birthday reminds me of just how lucky I am. Knowing I can now be a small part of someone’s birthday celebration is truly a gift.”

The SmashUp video e-card is inspired by the classic “Mister“Rogers’ Neighborhood” television show. In it, customers will see the veteran actor wearing a bright purple cardigan as he transforms from Ice-T to Nice-T. You will see him in various scenarios, playing the clarinet, wrapping presents, blowing up balloons, and working on an ice sculpture. You can also witness a scene where the rapper brings together a group of puppies before transforming back into the actor we know as Ice-T.

“Ice-T has been a superstar since day one with his iconic music and his popular television roles,” said Rob Matousek, executive director of Direct to Consumer Business at American Greetings.

“We are excited to welcome him to our neighborhood and know this new card will bring happiness to fans of all ages.”

You can purchase the e-cards on www.americangreetings.com or www.bluemountain.com or via the American Greetings and Blue Mountain e-card apps available for iPhone and Android phones. The SmashUps can be shared via email, text, or social media. There are different levels of membership, ranging from $6.99 to $39.99.

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 25, 2025

Target Announces Decreased Bonuses For Salaried Employees Following DEI Pullback

Target’s CEO Brian Cornell warned fresh produce imports from Mexico would take a direct hit from the tariffs, heightening price increases.

Target’s decision to reduce its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives has resulted in lawsuits, boycotts, and decreased salary bonuses.

Concerns over President Donald Trump’s tariff plans and a decrease in foot traffic from boycotts led Target to announce a reduction in salary bonuses, with employees receiving 87% of their eligible 2024 bonuses compared to 100% in previous years. Target’s CEO Brian Cornell warned that fresh produce imports from Mexico, specifically bananas, avocados, and strawberries, would be a direct target of the tariffs and would heighten price increases.

Nasdaq reported a decline in Target’s fourth-quarter earnings compared to 2023, with a 3.1% decline in revenues. Shares dropped 1.16% to $102.99, with a 2,702,662 volume.

Target isn’t the only popular company to dial back on DEI, as McDonald’s and Walmart have made similar moves. The company’s decision resulted in a 40-day boycott supported by civil rights leaders like Pastor Jamal Bryant, advocacy groups, and African-American consumers.

In addition, the company faces litigation including one from shareholders, who in a discrimination lawsuit allege company directors “betrayed both Target’s core customer base of working families and its investors by making false and misleading statements concerning Target’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) mandates that led to its disastrous 2023 children-and-family themed LGBTPride campaign.”

The state of Florida launched another suit.

The popular retailer has faced financial scrutiny. In November 2024, Target reported its most considerable earnings miss in years, revealing its stock had fallen by more than 20%. Despite the decrease in numbers, Target initiated a plan to reel customers back in by dropping prices on non-essential items such as apparel and home goods.

The change in salary incentives provided is a vast turnaround from Target’s announcement in 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. On then-Twitter, now known as X, the company was celebrated for investing more than $300 million in increasing hourly wages, adding a new paid leave program, and providing bonuses and community assistance. Several responses expressed gratitude and called for other companies to take similar actions.

Target’s investing more than $300 million, including increased hourly wages, a new paid leave program, bonuses and community assistance for local, national & global organizations responding to the pandemic. More here: https://t.co/bu1y3JjMPC pic.twitter.com/lKc9beRxkU
— Target News (@TargetNews) March 20, 2020

In hopes of returning its reputation to what it once was, Target announced a plan to revitalize the brand with an investment between $4 billion and $5 billion to upgrade existing stores and open close to 20 new locations, some already opening in California, Texas, and Arizona. To open roughly 300 new stores in the U.S. over the next 10 years, Target plans to expand its private-label food line, Good & Gather, with 600 new food and beverage choices.