The news of Marlena Shaw's passing was confirmed by her daughter, Marla Bradshaw, in a post to Facebook on Jan. 19.
Marlena Shaw, known for her hit song “California Soul,” has died at age 81. The R&B singer’s daughter confirmed the news of her death on Jan. 19.
In a video post to Facebook, Shaw’s daughter, Marla Bradshaw, whose name on the app is “MarLa The Messenger Bradshaw,” spoke on the passing of her mother.
“Hello everyone, it is with a very heavy heart that for myself and my family, I announce that our beloved mother, your beloved icon and artist, Marlena Shaw, has passed away today at 12:03,” expressed Bradshaw. “She was peaceful, we were at peace.”
Bradshaw continued, explaining that further information regarding the singer’s death will be relayed in due time.
“Obviously, I’m not going to go into too many details,” the singer’s daughter said. “But as her fans, when its needing to be known it will be. Right now, she’s at peace, she’s in heaven, I do know that.”
Born on Sept. 22, 1939, Shaw’s career in singing started at an early age, performing at the famed Apollo Theater in Harlem at age 10. According to Deadline, she became a household name in the 1960s with her hits “California Soul” and “Woman of the Ghetto,” as her music shed light on Black women’s experiences during the Civil Rights era.
Not only did the singer’s music help embody the time period, but it also revived labels within the industry. The release of her 1986 album It Is Love: Recorded Live At Vine St. under Verve Records helped revive the company, as stated in their own press release following the news of her death.
“We are saddened by the passing of Marlena Shaw, a wonderful singer whose “California Soul” is as popular today as it ever was and whose album “It Is Love: Recorded Live At Vine St.” helped relaunch the Verve label in 1987,” detailed the record label.
Of one of her most notable hits, “California Soul” has transcended its original decade by being a sampling go-to from the dawn of hip-hop, being utilized in songs by Gang Starr, DJ Shadow, and more contemporary artist and producer Diplo.
Resignation Of LA Times’ First Black Executive Editor Sparks Controversy
Less than three years after Merida’s celebrated arrival at the paper, a search for a new executive editor will have to commence.
Kevin Merida, who became The Los Angeles Times’ first Black executive editor, resigned surprisingly on Jan. 19. Despite colleagues praising Meridia, Times employees, speaking anonymously to The Objective, criticized his lack of preparedness in addressing questions about the paper’s decision to cut jobs, particularly those of Black and other journalists of color in June 2023, and a November staff call they deemed “tone-deaf.”
Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who purchased the paper in 2018, consulted with Merida and told the staff that they had “mutually agreed that his (Merida’s) role as executive editor of the L.A. Times will conclude this week.” Less than three years after Merida’s celebrated arrival at the paper, after which he bested 30 applicants to head one of the nation’s premier newsrooms, it appears a new search for executive editor will have to commence.
One of the staffers described an environment that was hyper-focused on profitability, telling The Objective, “I want us to do well as a newsroom…but a lot of the language here is about being profitable, and getting conversions and clicks and getting millions of views, it just rings hollow to me, and I think it honestly rings hollow to a lot of people.
The staffer added, “That’s why there’s some resentment of praising teams like Fast Break [a relatively new team dedicated to fast coverage of breaking news and trending topics] because, you know, are we rewarding the right thing?”
Another point raised by the staffers The Objective spoke with was the paper’s harsh treatment of its employee who were in defense of Palestinians amid the Israel-Hamas war. On this end, Merida clashed with Soon-Shiong’s daughter, Nika, the paper’s self-appointed and unofficial ombudsman, The Hollywood Reporter reported. She has been known to publicly bash journalists when their politics don’t align with her own progressive thinking.
The recent conflict between Nika and Merida revolved around The Times‘ coverage of the Middle East war. Senior editors expressed outrage to Merida with more than three dozen reporters signing a Nov. 9 statement critical of Israel’s invasion of Gaza while downplaying the Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel from Hamas-controlled territory. Merida eventually imposed a 90-day restriction on petition-signers from covering the conflict, a decision reportedly that was not well-received by Patrick Soon-Shiong and Nika, who has expressed pro-Palestinian views on her X/Twitter feed.
According to a current staffer, another problem with The Times is Soon-Shiong’s pursuit of profit, which they intimate played a part in the abrupt departure of Merida. “The newsroom is being run as a for-profit company owned by a billionaire who wants to steer toward profit,” one staffer said. “And that was his [Merida’s] edict and he had to do it. So, you know, he had a job to do, but I don’t think it was a vision that I could fully get on board with, anyway.”
Legal Drama Unfolds As Atlanta DA Fani Willis Faces Allegations And Inquiry Over Relationship With Prosecutor Nathan Wade
Jocelyn Wade’s accusations mirror those of one of Trump trial co-defendants, Michael Roman. Roman alleges Willis and Nathan Wade were engaged in an improper and adulterous affair.
As part of the divorce proceedings between Jocelyn and Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor in the Georgia election fraud case against former President Donald Trump and 14 others, Jocelyn is alleging that an improper relationship developed between Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney, and Nathan, who was married at the time.
As USA Today reported, Jocelyn’s accusations mirror those of one of the co-defendants in the election fraud case, Michael Roman. Roman alleged on Jan. 8 that Willis and Wade were engaged in an improper and adulterous affair, alleging that Wade spent some of the $650,000 that Willis’s office paid him to fund trips with Willis, which included romantic getaways to the Napa Valley and Caribbean cruises. Roman also claimed that Wade was improperly hired, saying he was unqualified because of a lack of experience.
BREAKING: 🚨🚨
The wife of Fulton DA #FaniWillis alleged paramour, has filed a response to Willis' motion to quash her subpoena
It references travel to:
"..San Francisco and Napa..Florida and even Caribbean cruises, enjoyed a trip to Belize, another to Panama and even just… pic.twitter.com/3rqjwEeYPc
Spokespersons for Willis and the District Attorney’s Office did not respond to USA Today’s request for comments, but they have stated before that Willis would address the claims in a response via the court system. On Jan. 18, Superior Judge Scott McAfee gave Willis a Feb. 2 deadline to respond to the accusations from Roman. Roman wants to have Willis, Wade, and the District Attorney’s Office either dismissed from the case or have it thrown out completely. Roman’s motion, it should be noted, contained no proof of his allegations.
On Jan. 19, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners began an inquiry into Willis’s potential misuse of funds due to hiring Wade and accepting valuable gifts like paid joint trips from him. Bob Ellis, the Audit Committee Chair called the move a “request for information at this stage, not an investigation” in a statement given to USA Today. The request reads, in part: “Separate from any potential inquiry by the State of Georgia, this situation requires confirmation of whether County funds provided for the operation of your office and its prosecutorial function were used in an appropriate manner, and whether any payments of County funds to Mr. Wade were converted to your personal gain in the form of subsidized travel or other gifts.”
Jocelyn’s divorce filing makes the argument that she should be allowed to depose Willis about her alleged relationship with Nathan, but Willis has resisted this, saying that she doesn’t know anything that would be considered relevant in the divorce case. Jocelyn’s lawyer, Andrea Dyer Hastings, filed a motion on Jan. 19, calling Willis’s claims “disingenuous,” “specious,” and claimed that Willis “has information and knowledge directly relevant to the alleged conduct of the Plaintiff that the Court would consider as to equitable division of the marital estate, dissipation of marital assets, and spousal support.”
As it pertains to Nathan Wade, Hastings’ filing claims that he didn’t inform his wife about the appointment nor the “substantial income he has been receiving throughout this divorce case as a result” of his appointment. Hastings also says in the filing that Nathan left Jocelyn “with little means of financial support while simultaneously spending tens of thousands of dollars per month on a very lavish lifestyle.”
The motion reads, in part: “The evidence is clear that Ms. Willis was an intended travel partner for at least some of these trips as indicated by flights he purchased for her to accompany him.” The motion continues, “Defendant seeks to depose Ms. Willis in order to determine details surrounding her romantic affair with Plaintiff, as there appears to be no reasonable explanation for their travels apart from a romantic relationship.”
Finally, the brief states, “Contrary to Ms. Willis’s belief, the Defendant is not utilizing the deposition to harass her,” the motion says, “but rather to seek pertinent information from her husband’s paramour regarding her relationship with Plaintiff and the extent of the Plaintiff’s financial involvement in the same.”
#FaniWillis has shared how tired, isolated, and emotionally exhausted she has been lately. She shared a conversation she recently had with God and how He told her to hold on. Here’s a small portion of her speech this morning. @theatlantavoicepic.twitter.com/ApF3DzrHyQ
Willis made comments at a church on Jan. 14, which some took as eye raising, but according to the transcript printed by Atlanta News First, Willis appears to have been more concerned with the dangers that she has been facing and how her faith has sustained her instead of the allegations about the affair with Nathan Wade. She did defend Wade’s qualifications as well as those of her team, but that is about as far as her guest sermon went towards any real or material discussion of the trial.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams Vetoes Bills Aimed At Police Accountability And Solitary Confinement Reform
Adams’ vetoes puts him at odds with the City Council, which has said that it has the votes to override his vetoes.
New York Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat, vetoed a bill that would have eliminated solitary confinement in the city’s jail system, as well as another requiring police officers to more thoroughly document stops. As the Associated Press reported, Adams defended his veto by saying that restrictions on solitary confinement would make jails more dangerous and the new requirements for officers would create more paperwork for law enforcement, possibly creating a danger to public safety. Adams’ veto puts him at odds with the City Council, which has said that it has the votes to override his veto.
During a press conference announcing his veto, Adams stated that the mandates would restrict police, saying, “We don’t want to handcuff police. We want to handcuff bad people. That’s the goal,” Adams said. “It’s about making sure we’re not preventing them from doing their job.”
A few hours later, Adams’ office quietly announced that it would also be vetoing the solitary confinement bill, saying that it would have reversed the gains of New York City jails had made to ensure they were becoming safer. “Under our administration, the city’s jails are getting safer — but this bill would have taken us in the wrong direction.”
City council officials expressed disappointment in Adams’ choice to veto the solitary confinement bill and also expressed that they would seek to overturn the veto by Adams’ office. The Office of Council Member Carlina L. Rivera shared a statement with BLACK ENTERPRISEon Jan. 19, saying, “Due to decades of disinvestment and underinvestment, individuals in need of mental health or substance use services repeatedly end up in the jail system, and instead of receiving the treatment they need, they end up in solitary confinement. This bill provides the Department of Correction with procedures to responsibly remove someone from the general population and addresses incidents where a person has caused physical injury or poses a specific risk of imminent serious physical injury to themselves or others.”
Rivera continued, “Int. 549 passed the City Council with a veto-proof majority after a long battle against misinformation in collective efforts to strive for a criminal justice system that leads the nation in reforms rather than settling for the status quo. I will continue to work with my colleagues to ensure that we override this misguided veto.”
In addition to Rivera, City Council Speaker Ariadne Adams, of no relation to Mayor Adams, issued a statement to the Associated Press, saying, “Solitary confinement, by any name, has been proven to cause physical, psychological, and emotional harm, and its use has contributed to continued violence and deaths on Rikers Island.”
Adams continued, “We cannot allow the human rights and safety crisis on Rikers to continue by maintaining the status quo of failed policies and practices.”
The Speaker also spoke against Adams’ veto of the policing bill, insinuating that the lack of transparency from the police will deteriorate public trust. “The false narrative that we cannot have transparency is bad for our city, and belies the fact that accountability is vital to improving public safety by increasing trust.”
New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who introduced both bills, said that Mayor Adams’ office’s prevention of the twin reforms would have the effect of decreasing the public safety of the City of New York. “A full understanding of the legislation makes it clear that enacting these reforms will be good for public safety, while preventing them will make our city less safe.”
Sports Illustrated Publisher Axes Staff, Future In Limbo
The Arena Group, publisher of SI, failed to make a $3.75 million payment to Authentic, the license holder of SI, resulting in Authentic terminating the deal.
The turmoil within the unpredictable journalism industry has now engulfed Sports Illustrated. Most of the magazine’s staff was let go on Jan. 19. This occurred after the Arena Group, a company with Sports Illustrated in its extensive portfolio, failed to fulfill its $3.75 million quarterly payment to Authentic Brands Group (ABG). A dispute between ABG, which holds the Sports Illustrated brand license, and the Arena Group prompted the latter to withhold its payment, Axios reported. Now the future of the magazine brand is in limbo.
Former Arena Group CEO Ross Levinsohn told Axios that what he was witnessing was professionally disappointing, saying, “The actions of this board and the actions against Sports Illustrated’s storied brand and newsroom are the last straw. An incredible team spent years rebuilding great brands like SI through very challenging times. To watch in horror what is transpiring now is one of the most disappointing things I’ve ever witnessed in my professional life.”
According to Axios, ABG is in discussions with the Arena Group to renew its license, as well as other suitors who may want to license the brand. The Arena Group issued a statement to Axios explaining that it would support whatever ABG chose to do with the Sports Illustrated license.
“Even though the publishing license has been revoked we will continue to produce Sports Illustrated until this is resolved. We hope to be the company to take SI forward but if not, we are confident that someone will. If it is another business, we will support with the transition so the legacy of Sports Illustrated doesn’t suffer,” the statement read.
NBC News reported that the union representing Sports Illustrated staff issued a statement on Jan. 19 regarding the layoffs. The statement, which was released on the union’s X/Twitter account, revealed that the union expected the Arena Group to abide by their contract and treat their members fairly.
“Earlier today, the workers of Sports Illustrated were notified that The Arena Group is planning to lay off a significant number, possibly all, of the Guild-represented workers at SI, a result of Authentic Brands Group (ABG) revoking Arena’s license to publish SI. This is another difficult day in what has been a difficult four years for Sports Illustrated under Arena Group (previously The Maven) stewardship. We are calling on ABG to ensure the continued publication of SI and allow it to serve our audience they way it has for 70 years,” the statement read. “We expect The Arena Group to honor all the terms of our union contract and will fight for every one of our colleagues to be treated fairly.”
Sports Illustrated has undergone a number of ownership changes in recent years. It was published under the Time Inc. umbrella from its inception in 1954 until 2018 when Time Inc. was purchased by The Meredith Corp in January 2018. Meredith, at the time, according to NPR, was looking to sell off assets that were misaligned with its core readership of women. Sports Illustrated was sold in 2019 to Authentic Brands for $119 million, while Meredith retained publishing rights to the magazine until 2021.
The potential downfall of Sports Illustrated comes amid the worst year, 2023, for media layoffs since 2020. Nieman Lab suggests that the continuous acquisitions in journalism, exemplified bySports Illustrated, are indicative of how the flaws of capitalism contribute to the decline of news media.
Congresswoman Barbara Lee Calls Out Nikki Haley For Saying America ‘Has Never Been A Racist Country’
Lee called Haley's opinions 'clueless' and 'dangerous.'
California Democratic representative Barbara Lee slammed presidential candidate Nikki Haley for her shocking comments about racism in America. During an interview with CNN on Jan. 19, Lee unpacked Haley’s statement that America is not racist–and “has never been.”
During a Jan. 16 interview with Fox News, Haley was asked to respond to an MSNBC host’s comments about the Republican Party.
Fox News host Brian Kilmeade asked Haley if she was “involved in a racist party.”
Haley answered, “We’re not a racist country, Brian. We’ve never been a racist country.”
“Our goal is to make sure that today is better than yesterday. Are we perfect? No. But our goal is to always make sure we try and be more perfect every day that we can. I know I faced racism when I was growing up. But I can tell you, today is a lot better than it was then. Our goal is to lift up everybody. Not go and divide people on race or gender or party or anything else. We’ve had enough of that in America.”
Congresswoman Lee took offense at Haley’s remarks.
Lee began, “Racism, institutional racism, is in the DNA of this country. When you look at what has taken place, look at our Native Americans, the genocide of Native Americans. When you look at what has taken place as it relates to African Americans, 250 years plus of enslaving African Americans, and then you look at the disparities now in our community in terms of healthcare, unemployment, the wealth gap, housing. You can’t tell me that systemic racism does not exist. It’s not just a little kink.”
She continued to recall a racist incident that she experienced while working in Congress. She explained that a white male stopped her when she was attempting to get onto a “members only” elevator before voting. He accused her of stealing her Congressional designation pin.
“He blocked me from getting into the elevator and told me I was not a member of Congress and it was for members only,” Lee told the outlet. “I said, ‘Sir, I’m a member of Congress.’ And I showed him my pin, and he said, ‘Whose pin did you steal?’ This is an example of what personal racism is and how people of color constantly have to deal with this each and every day.”
Lee also referenced other comments that Haley made at a New Hampshire town hall three weeks ago. The former UN ambassador said that America was no longer a racist country. When talking about the cause of the Civil War, she neglected to talk about slavery.
When pressed on the issue of slavery, Haley said, “What do you want me to say about slavery? [It was about] the freedoms of what people could and couldn’t do.”
Lee, who is currently running for a seat in the Senate, called Haley’s words “very dangerous [and] clueless.”
Dawnavyn James, Ph.D. Candidate, Empowers Educators With ‘Beyond February’—A Guide To Teaching Black History
Meet Dawnavyn James, an educator who advocates for year-round Black History teaching.
Dawnavyn James is the author of Beyond February: Teaching Black History Any Day, Every Day, and All Year Long, a 160-page instructional guide that assists teachers seeking to teach Black History students from kindergarten to third grade.
According to the book’s description, Beyond Februaryteaches educators how to center Black History in their classrooms.
“Drawing on her experiences as a classroom teacher and a Black history researcher, James illustrates the big and small ways that we can center Black history in our everyday teaching and learning practices across the curriculum using read-alouds, music, historical documents, art, and so much more,” the description reads.
The book came out of a blog post where James shared her experience teaching Black history in schools. The post caught the attention of an editor, who motivated the educator to write the book.
Beyond February features five sections: Beyond the People, Beyond the Books, Beyond the Curriculum, Beyond the Month, and The Work Doesn’t Stop Here. It lists picture book recommendations and lesson plans to help teachers provide a more holistic approach to teaching Black history.
“I’m really looking at how teachers analyze picture books and teach Black history based on what they know about Black history,” she told UB Now News.
James she grew up having limited exposure to Black history, mainly centered around Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I didn’t want my students to share my own experience without Black history, so I made it a point that it would be highlighted in my classroom year-round instead of once a year during Black History Month,” James said.
The self-proclaimed “Lover of Black Histories” uses her Instagram platform page to discuss her research and to share Black history-centered books and educational tools with her audience.
NYC Tenement Museum’s Black Migration Exhibit Premieres In February
Visitors can explore the Black migrant experience in post-Civil War era New York City through a 75-minute guided, multimedia tour.
Calling all museum-goers!
On Feb. 1, the Tenement Museum in Lower Manhattan, NY, will open its first exhibit in several years, amplifying the stories of Black New Yorkers in Lower Manhattan’s tenements in the 1860s and 1870s.
Last fall, the museum reopened its National Historic Landmark tenement at 97 Orchard Street on the Lower East Side of New York, but in February visitors can explore the Black migrant experience in post-Civil War era New York City through a new 75-minute guided, multimedia tour, “A Union of Hope: 1869,” according to a press release.
“For the first time in its 35-year history, the Museum is sharing the story of a Black family, who lived in a nearby tenement. Departing from its traditional focus on the stories of families that lived in its historic buildings, the Museum is fulfilling its goal to explore the full breadth of immigrant and migrant experiences,” the release stated.
The interactive exhibit, which took years in the making, tells the story of Joseph and Rachel Moore story and “200 never-before-seen” historical artifacts. From Joseph’s free Black community of Belvidere, New Jersey, visitors will journey in Joseph’s family’s footsteps to New York City. Then, the tour will bring visitors to a recreated version of Joseph and Rachel’s rear tenement at 17 Laurens Street. The couple lived less than a mile west of 97 Orchard Street in a neighborhood called the 8th Ward, today’s SoHo.
“The story of Joseph and Rachel Moore, who made their way to the city during one of the most tumultuous decades in U.S. history, shines a light on how the first generation of free Black Americans confronted the limits and expanded the promise of this nation’s evolving ideals during the revolutionary Civil War Era,” said Leslie Harris, a consulting scholar on the development of the new exhibit and a professor of History and Black Studies at Northwestern University.
Throughout Black History Month, the museum will offer virtual programs designed to help visitors more deeply explore the Joseph and Rachel Moore’s story during the Civil War era.
Tickets to “A Union of Hope” tours are available here.
Former ESPN Sportscaster Thrown From RV Driving On California Freeway
Cordell Patrick was left in critical condition after the accident.
Cordell Patrick, a former ESPN sportscaster, was ejected from his RV on Jan. 15, while traveling on a California freeway.
According to KTLA, while in the RV with his wife and their beagle, the vehicle drove over the center median, causing Patrick to be thrown through the front windshield and onto the opposite side of the 14 freeway.
The entire incident was caught on a nearby dashboard camera. Patrick rolled over several times on the street before stopping. The sportscaster and his wife were heading home after a Menifee camping trip. Patrick had only unbuckled his seatbelt to go to the bathroom in the RV before he was ejected.
“So instead of going straight, we were headed toward the median,” he said, “I tried grabbing the steering wheel, but before I could grab it we already had an impact.”
Despite being flung from the car, Patrick survived but was hospitalized. His wife and their beagle were unharmed.
“It was divine intervention,” he said. “If you didn’t think there was a higher power before this, I’m a living witness and I’ve got a living testimony to tell.”
He did not get away unscathed though. According to KTLA, Patrick broke several bones, hit his head, and got road rash on over 50% of his body. He recalled, “All I’m thinking about is that I’m going to get hit by a car. I’m on one of the busiest freeways in L.A. County.”
“I do know how I am alive, by the grace of God. That was divine intervention and nothing else.”
Even after flying out of his own vehicle, a passerby who stopped to help Patrick admitted that the sportscaster was only worried about his wife.
He told the outlet, “His biggest concern was, ‘How was my wife?’ I was like, ‘You’re the one who flew out of the vehicle.’ He was more concerned about her.”
Workers, Feeling Pressured By Office ‘Sick Shaming,’ Overuse Cold Medications
An alarming 3 in 10 managers are convinced workers with severe colds should not take a day off.
Another type of affliction called “sick shaming” reportedly entrenches the workplace.
Known as a method of pressuring employees to work while ill but then degrading them for appearing not well, sick shaming has resurfaced as an office issue. The practice is spurring increased sales of cold medications and purportedly causing many people to over-medicate.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck and compared to 2019, sales of over-the-counter medications for upper respiratory infections rose 23% last year to $11.8 billion, according to the consumer intelligence firm NIQ, the New York Post reported last December. It was shared that cold and flu medications rose more rapidly, with a 30% increase.
An alarming 3 in 10 managers are convinced workers with severe colds should not take a day off, new Resume Builder data shows. Some 24% of managers think workers who take sick days often lie or exaggerate their illness. And 20% of them encourage employees under the weather to still come to work.
Resume Builder surveyed 1,000 managers this month to learn their thoughts on workers taking sick time off and whether they are engaging in sick shaming. Other top discoveries showed that 27% of managers believe a culture that inspires sick employees to work is good for productivity. Some 11% of the bosses admit to sick-shaming workers.
Observers contend that sick shaming could harm employers’ efforts to attract talent and retain employees and overall productivity.
“Having a culture where workers are asked to work or just expected to work when sick is bad for companies because it enforces the view that companies only see you as a number versus a human being,” stated Resume Builder’s Resume and Career Strategist Julia Toothacre.
She added, “It creates a culture that lacks empathy and ultimately doesn’t care for its employees’ health, well-being, or productivity. People who are sick are more likely to make mistakes and can be slower to comprehend. It doesn’t make sense to encourage sick people to work when they aren’t 100% ready to work.”
If you haven’t heard about this, sick shaming is the act of being told by a co-worker to get out of the workplace with your cold, flu, and germs. Sometimes the message is delivered subtly, with a co-worker offering up a bottle of hand-sanitizer; while other times it is much less subtle, such as the “neighbor” who yells out from their cube: “go home”, after you’ve finished a fit of coughing.
All told, 65% of managers declare more clear sick leave policies are definitely (32%) or probably (33%) needed in their workplace.
