Jay-Z, RIAA, certifications, birthday, 54, plaques
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

December 7, 2023

Jay-Z Receives New Gold And Platinum Certifications On 54th Birthday

Jay-Z welcomed 19 new gold and platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Jay-Z had plenty reason to celebrate his 54th birthday on Monday: He welcomed 19 new gold and platinum certifications from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

The billionaire hip-hop mogul received the new certifications for songs he has recorded over the last 23 years. Jay-Z earned 10 new gold plaques, three for tracks off 2003’s The Black Album, including “Lucifer,” “Encore,” “Public Service Announcement (Interlude),” Hypebeast reports.

Other singles include “Oceans” with Frank Ocean; “D.O.A.,” “Bam” with Damian Marley; “Lost One” with Chrisette Michele; “Family Feud” with Beyoncé; and “Girls, Girls, Girls” and “Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love).”

Five of Hov’s singles earned their first platinum certifications, including “Izzo (H.O.V.A.)” and “4:4.” “Holy Grail” is now 5x platinum; “Young Forever” and “Big Pimpin’” are now 3x platinum.

Jay-Z’s Roc Nation celebrated the good news with a tweet shared on the rap legend’s birthday.

“Congratulations to JAY-Z (@sc) on his latest @RIAA certifications,” the tweet read.

It included a video montage of Jay-Z’s music videos for the newly certified and re-certified singles. Hova hasn’t released an album since 2017’s 444, which included six singles he received new RIAA certifications for.

In an interview with Gayle King last month, Jay-Z said his new music would need to have substance rather than be a collection of meaningless “tunes.”

“I already [used the word ‘retirement’], I can’t do that ever again,” he said in a clip shared by CBS Mornings. “I’ll say I wanna make music, but it has to be something important.”

“I don’t wanna just make a bunch of tunes. That’s not gonna serve me. It won’t feed me, first of all. I have to be saying something important. It has to mean something, you know? It has to mean something to a larger society.”

He continued, “4:44, for example, was a personal story, but the amount of vulnerability in there allowed for a lot of people to explore the space.”

Jay-Z recently wrapped his “Book of Hov” exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library, which chronicled his music career through personal memorabilia.

RELATED CONTENT: Jay-Z to Celebrate 20th Anniversary Of ‘The Black Album’ With Re-Released Roc-A-Fella Jerseys

Roc Nation
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 7, 2023

Fat Joe, Charlamagne Tha God, Tamika Mallory Among Speakers At Roc Nation’s United Justice Coalition Summit

The second annual social justice summit took place Dec. 1 at the Javits Center in New York City.

On Dec. 1, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and the United Justice Coalition held its second annual social justice summit at New York City’s Javits Center. More than 3,500 people attended, according to the organization.

Among those who appeared at the event were New York Attorney General Letitia James, radio personality Charlamagne Tha God, Until Freedom co-founder Tamika Mallory, and recording artist Fat Joe, who spread the word on social media.

Complex reported that during his panel, which included the families of Sean Bell and Danroy “DJ” Henry, both of whom were shot by police, Fat Joe discussed the use of rap lyrics in criminal cases and defended Young Thug, who’s in the midst of a RICO trial.

“I’ve been rapping professionally for 30 years. I’ve lied in almost 95 percent of my songs,” Joe stated at the summit. “I’m being honest. I write like I feel that day. I’m just being creative. You couldn’t build a jail high enough for the lyrics I’ve said on songs which are all untrue.”

Some of the nonprofits and national organizations at the event included REFORM Alliance, Last Prisoner Project, Innocence Project, and Gathering for Justice, which provided various programs and resources to advocate for the change needed in their respective communities. There was artwork displayed that told stories of activism, as well as short films and collections of books.

The inaugural United Justice Coalition Summit took place in July 2022. The 45-plus speakers included multiplatinum recording artist Yo Gotti; national civil rights attorney Ben Crump; CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change Dr. Bernice A. King; and U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Rachael Rollins.

The United Justice Coalition (UJC) is an organization that seeks to raise awareness around key social justice issues and the need for criminal justice reform.

RELATED CONTENT: United Justice Coalition to Host Social Justice Summit Aimed at Combating Injustice, Unifying Communities

sean combs, Twitter/X, elon Musk, investor, diddy
by Jameelah Mullen

December 7, 2023

Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs’ Latest Sexual Assault Lawsuit: Accuser, Then 17, Claims She Was Drugged and Raped in 2003

The complaint features a “trigger warning” similar to the lawsuit brought against Combs by singer Cassie Ventura.

Sean “Diddy” Combs is facing a fourth lawsuit for sexual assault.

The most recent lawsuit was filed Wednesday in federal district court in Manhattan. A woman, listed as Jane Doe, accused Combs, Bad Boy executive Harve Pierre, and a “Third Assailant” of sex trafficking and gang rape. This will be the second filing against Pierre since November. 

The court documents state claim that in 2003, Pierre approached the teen at a Michigan nightclub, told her that Sean Combs would “love to meet her,” and convinced her to take a private jet to New York City. 

According to the lawsuit, the then 17-year-old claims she was given drugs and alcohol and then raped by the three men. According to the document, she was then driven to the airport and flew back to Michigan. 

While at the studio, the plaintiff took a photo sitting on Combs’s lap, which was included in the court documents.

“Unlike many victims who have come forward after decades, Ms. Doe can prove that she not only met Mr. Combs on the night in question but was in his studio in New York City with him on that night. Remember when viewing these, Ms. Doe was 17 years old,” the complaint stated.

The plaintiff is being represented by Douglas H. Wigdor, who represented singer Cassie in her lawsuit against Combs.

“As alleged in the complaint, Defendants preyed on a vulnerable high school teenager as part of a sex trafficking scheme that involved plying her with drugs and alcohol and transporting her by private jet to New York City where she was gang raped by the three individual defendants at Mr. Combs’ studio. The depravity of these abhorrent acts has, not surprisingly, scarred our client for life,” Widgor said in a press release.

The hip-hop mogul maintains his innocence. He took to Instagram to deny the “sickening allegations “brought against him by people who, according to Combs, are “looking for a quick payday.” 

 
 
 
 
 
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RELATED CONTENT: Diddy Allegedly Forced Cassie To Get Breast Implants, Then Have Them Removed

Rikers
by Sharelle Burt

December 7, 2023

Close To 500 Lawsuits Highlight Years of Sexual Abuse Housed at NYC’s Rikers Island

The number of lawsuits that allege sexual abuse at Rikers Island is staggering.

New York’s Adult Survivors Act is uncovering decades of looked-over sexual abuse faced by inmates at the infamous Rikers Island prison, NBC News reports.

Out of over 2,500 lawsuits filed under the law, about 20% hold allegations of sexual violence against current or past prisoners at the facility. The act allowed survivors of sexual assault to sue for one year—regardless of how long the alleged abuse occurred—leading to 479 lawsuits against the city over the alleged abuse at Rikers.

Legal experts have applauded the law for uncovering cases and finally allowing victims to achieve justice.

Attorney Anna Kull has filed hundreds of civil cases related to assaults related to reports of what happened behind bars. “How do I have over 200 women who were sexually abused at Rikers? This is a systemic failure,” Kull said. “It requires comprehensive reform, and you’re never going to see comprehensive reform without accountability.” 

While she finds the number of lawsuits coming from Rikers staggering, Kull isn’t surprised. Rikers has a reputation dating back decades of being “one of the most dangerous prisons in the United States.”

New York’s Gov. Kathy Hochul signed the Adult Survivors Act in May 2022 in an attempt to allow survivors over 18 at the time of the alleged abuse to sue their abusers. As the act expired on Nov. 24, 2023, several lawsuits were filed against some of Hollywood’s and New York’s elite, including actor Jamie Foxx and New York Mayor Eric Adams. Singer/model Cassie dropped a bombshell lawsuit against Bad Boy Records founder Sean “Diddy” Combs, accusing him of years of sexual violence against her.

Both male and female inmates have filed lawsuits against the prison. One of Kull’s clients accused a male correction officer at Rikers’ only women’s facility, the Rose M. Singer Center, of taking her to a bathroom when she was 19 in 2002, groping her and forcing her to perform oral sex on him. When she tried to fight him off, he accused her of assaulting an officer and placed her in solitary confinement for almost a year. The client, named Shanaye to protect her privacy, is now 40 years old.

The lawsuit claims the officer taunted Shanaye for weeks, telling her no one would believe her if she told.

“It’s a very isolating feeling. I really didn’t even know who I could tell, who I could trust,” Shanaye said. “You can’t tell the therapist in the prison because you feel like she works for the prison. They look at you like you’re an inmate. You have no word. You have no honor.” 

Genaro Campos accused a female correction officer of forcing him to perform sex acts on her over a four-month period between 1992 and 1993. When Campos would refuse, he said his abuser retaliated by labeling a “centrally monitored case,” where he would be watched at close proximity and suffered harsh conditions, including being constrained in waist chains and shackles.

Thing could turn around as, according to The City, Lynelle Maginley-Liddie will be named the city’s Department of Correction Commissioner, replacing Louis Molina.

“My hope is that, when others see me in my role, they learn from my journey to get here,” Maginley-Liddie, a woman of color, said. “I want them to envision themselves in leadership roles and know that they can attain any position of power within the agency to effect real change.” 

teen, Tennessee, mother, youth center
by Stacy Jackson

December 7, 2023

Mother Of Teen Who Died After Allegedly Being Attacked By Counselors At Tennessee Youth Center Demands Answers

Attorney Ben Crump said the teen suffered a brain bleed from the counselors' alleged attack, which caused extensive trauma.

Shona Garner, the mother of 17-year-old Alegend Jones, who died after allegedly being body-slammed by a male counselor in a Tennessee group home, is searching for answers.

According to Inside Edition, Garner said Youth Villages in Bartlett, Tennessee, haven’t answered questions about her daughter’s November 2023 death after she sent Alegend to the nonprofit to get help. Alegend had been diagnosed with PTSD, manic depression, and bipolar disorder stemming from a sexual assault she experienced as a child.

Alegend was allegedly asked to remove her clothing in front of two male counselors at the care facility. According to a statement from attorney Benjamin Crump during a Nov. 29 news conference, things turned horrific when the teen refused to undress.

“It is alleged that over a dozen counselors at Youth Villages assaulted and battered this teenage child,” Crump said. “We don’t know if there’s video that captured the interactions between the counselors, who were supposed to be trained to deal with troubled youth, and this teenager, Shona’s baby. But what we do know is whatever transpired ended up with the neurologists telling Shona that they believed the cause of death is that she died from a brain bleed.”

Garner was informed by witnesses that her daughter was body-slammed before the police were called. Witnesses told Crump that Jones was “brutally assaulted, battered and choked” before she was taken to the hospital where she died.

Crump released a statement that demanded a full investigation into the events leading to the death of the teen at the Youth Villages facility. The attorney stated that the girl’s family deserves answers and justice regarding the “heinous acts” that allegedly occurred. He also called for the public release of all footage from Youth Villages related to this incident.

The facility has denied all allegations.

“Many of the statements and comments circulating publicly about this incident are false and inaccurate,” a spokesperson for Youth Villages said in a statement to Inside Edition. “When the child exhibited symptoms of a medical emergency, our staff immediately responded following our protocols for emergency medical intervention. Emergency Medical Services (EMS) was also called and arrived onsite within minutes.”

In addition, according to Youth Villages, “there were no abusive or otherwise inappropriate interactions directed toward the young person” and that “the young person was brought to the health department by two female staff and was never alone with male staff or asked to disrobe in front of male staff.”

According to the Shelby County Health Department, “Patients are never required to remove clothing against their will. Any insinuation that any service would be provided in violation of the patient’s will and consent is inconsistent with SCHD’s core values and policies.”

On a GoFundMe page for Jones, Garner said the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services has agreed to cover funeral costs for Alegend. The family continues to seek donations to cover other costs related to the teen’s funeral.

RELATED CONTENT: Teen Dies After Allegedly Being Body Slammed At Care Facility Near Memphis

Georgia Prosecutor Nominated For TIME Person Of The Year
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 7, 2023

Georgia Prosecutor Nominated For TIME Person Of The Year

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis was nominated among other "Trump Prosecutors" made "TIME's" Person of the Year shortlist.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, the Georgia prosecutor known for the historic Trump Indictment, made TIME Magazine‘s shortlist for its 2023 Person of the Year.

The publication confirmed the news Dec. 4, stating that the shortlist features people who have “had the most influence on the world throughout the previous 12 months.”

Willis is listed among the “Trump Prosecutors” in Florida, New York, Washington D.C., and her state after the four cases led to the indictment of a U.S. president for the first time in history.

Willis has garnered significant attention for her work following Trump and his associates’ alleged role in interfering with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. Launching the investigation in February 2021, Willis followed through on the indictment in August. Trump now faces 13 charges for racketing influenced and corrupt organizations, popularly known as RICO. Despite four others in the indictment having received plea deals, the former leader has pleaded not guilty on all counts.

The prosecutor was among an esteemed list of game-changers in their industries, including Jerome Powell and the SAG-AFTRA strikers.

The increased publicity has not been all positive for Willis, who has faced death threats for her case against the former president. Despite the harassment, her commitment to uncovering the truth was celebrated by TIME, which heralded her as an influential figure in national politics.

Former government figures bestowed this title have been President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Martin Luther King Jr. Willis, sadly, didn’t get the top prize. TIME announced on Dec. 6 that Taylor Swift was its Person Of the Year.

Students in class, Black Student, Classroom
by Sharelle Burt

December 7, 2023

In Durham, NC, A Troubling Study On Black Students’ Suspensions And Expulsions Prompts ‘EPiC’ Response

Black students were shown to be punished at a much higher rate.

After a study showed the difference in suspension and expulsion rates between Black students and white students in Durham, North Carolina, a local nonprofit decided to take action.

Empowered Parents in Community (EPiC) hosted a forum Dec. 5 to discuss the discipline disparities Black students experience in Durham County. During the meeting, community members shared their stories of the discipline they faced in the school system.

The study, by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, found that out of the 217,000 students suspended from the North Carolina Public Schools during the 2021-2022 school year, 51% were Black. In Durham County, over 2,400 of the 3,424 students were suspended, and close to 80% of students serving long-term suspensions were Black. During the same year, 65% of students who were expelled were also Black.

Brittani Clark, program manager at EPiC, believes part of the reason is the lack of diversity among the staff.

“There is a clear pattern here in North Carolina as to how students are excluded from school and learning through discipline and suspensions. This pattern is consistent with racial disparities,” Clark told WRAL.

EPiC’s leader, Jovonia Lewis, hopes to change the narrative of behavioral practices through their program so that these numbers aren’t so staggering in years to come.

“We believe that our schools must treat every child as equal, especially in situations of conflict and disagreement,” Lewis told WRAL. “Our unique programs focus on parent empowerment and advocacy…With the goal of disrupting the school-to-prison pipeline, our monthly community forums bring those with lived experiences together to find solutions.”

Lewis and her team are leading the fight to close the diversity gaps in all aspects of the school systems, aiming for every child to have specific opportunities. A few years back, Lewis learned her son was gifted in math and science and believed he wasn’t being challenged enough at school. It wasn’t until she started talking to other parents that she learned about North Carolina’s Academically or Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Program.

“I got that information on a playground. But when I looked around, there were no other parents that looked like me out there,” Lewis said, according to Spectrum News. “There’s things that we also take for granted or what’s happening in the school system. And you don’t know. You just don’t know.”

Out of all the students enrolled in the state program, data from April 2022-2023 pulled by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction shows only 10% were are Black, compared to 65% being white.

Reality TV Star Brandi Mallory’s Cause of Death Released
by Jameelah Mullen

December 7, 2023

Reality TV Star Brandi Mallory’s Cause of Death Released

Mallory appeared on Season 4 of the reality show in 2014.

According to the autopsy report obtained by TMZ, Brandi Mallory, the former Extreme Weight Loss contestant, died from complications of obesity. The medical examiner’s report found no signs of foul play.

Mallory, 40, was found dead in a Chipotle parking lot in Stone Mountain, Georgia, on Nov. 9. The influencer was last seen on Nov. 8 in surveillance footage around 5:53 p.m. She entered the restaurant, then returned to her car, but never left the parking lot. 

The next morning, a man who worked in a nearby restaurant told police he’d noticed a woman who appeared to be sleeping inside a white Jeep. When he saw the vehicle was still there a few hours later, he called the police. 

The makeup artist appeared in Season 4 of Extreme Weight Loss, which follows participants in intense diet and exercise routines. Mallory was paired with trainer Chris Powell, who assisted her in losing approximately 150 pounds over one year.

“She was so spunky right off the bat, and she just danced everywhere. She was always just enrolling everyone in her positivity,” Powell told People.  

The Clark Atlanta University alumna later competed in the Half Iron Man competition, a fitness challenge that includes running, swimming, and biking more than 70 miles in eight hours.    

In 2017, The Dance Your Pounds Off instructor went viral after appearing in a video entitled “Body Positivity over Perfection.” 

In an interview with Stirred Up, the social media influencer said she found her “happy place” in dance and hoped to inspire others by sharing her weight loss journey. 

“I knew that it was important for me to share what I learned,” Mallory said. 

Fellow makeup artist and actress Nzinga Imani took to Instagram to pay tribute to her friend. 

“I’m grateful I got the chance to tell her how incredible she was to me, but sad we didn’t get more time together,” Imani said. 

 
 
 
 
 
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Atlanta Man Avoids Jail Time After Setting Fire to Wendy’s Where Rayshard Brooks Was Killed By Cops
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

December 7, 2023

Atlanta Man Avoids Jail Time After Setting Fire to Wendy’s Where Rayshard Brooks Was Killed By Cops

Chisom Kingston has now gradujated from college. We hope he stays on track.

An Atlanta man will not face jail time after being found guilty of arson at a Wendy’s in the city. Chisom Kingston, 23, committed the act in light of the police killing of Rayshard Brooks, which occurred at the fast food location in June 2020.

Due to the restaurant being destroyed, Kingston was sentenced to five years probation on Dec. 5, in addition to paying a $150 fine and having to do 150 hours of community service. Kingston admitted to committing the act and that Brooks’ murder at the hands of law enforcement one day before the incident was the catalyst.

Brooks was killed at the restaurant by former Atlanta police officers Garrett Rolfe and Devin Brosnan. On the night of June 12, 2020, Brooks was asleep behind the wheel of the drive-through line until the officers approached his vehicle. After failing a sobriety test, Brooks resisted arrest, prompting an altercation with the police and him running away with a stun gun.

Brooks was shot in the back by Rolfe as he pointed the nonfatal weapon at the officers.

The murder occurred during the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, leading a crowd to flood the streets to express their frustration with another instance of police brutality.

“While some have done their best to portray Chisom Kingston as an unhinged boogeyman to help them advance some their own agendas, that’s disgusting, it’s irresponsible, and it’s just not who he is,” said his attorney, Khalil Eaddy, in a statement. “This is a good young man committed to his family and his community. Since that night three years ago, he’s not only graduated from Georgia State University with plans to begin graduate school. He has kept the faith with our courts and with justice itself.”

Last year, the Atlanta City Council gave $1 million to Brooks’ widow as part of a settlement for his death, The Atlanta Black Star reported.  

Austin Police
by Daniel Johnson

December 7, 2023

Austin DA Drops Charges Against Officers Accused Of Assault

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza dismissed most of the charges against the 21 officers he initially charged with aggravated assault

Travis County District Attorney José Garza dismissed most of the charges against the 21 officers he’d initially charged with aggravated assault related to their actions in 2020 protests over police brutality and social justice issues. The Texas Tribune reports that 17 of the officers had their cases dismissed.

Instead of prosecuting the officers directly, Garza’s office and the City of Austin requested that the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division step in and review how the police responded to the protests.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said, “These announcements will allow police officers, whose lives were upended by the indictments, to return to their services to our community.

“And the request for a targeted third-party performance review is meant to enhance transparency for our community and inform future actions as we continue our focus on building respect and trust for our police.”

Garza explained in a statement to the Austin-American Statesman that he believed the best way to cement systemic change in the police department was through an independent review. “The responsibility of our office is to seek just outcomes,” he said. “During the two-year investigation into the Austin Police Department and the city of Austin and their conduct during the 2020 protest, it became clear that systemic change is essential to make sure this never happens again in our community, and the best way to achieve that outcome, to achieve systemic change, is through an investigation by the Department of Justice.”

Following the April 2020 shooting death of a Black Latinx man, Michael Ramos, by Austin police officer Christopher Taylor, Ramos became part of the city’s protests over the murder of George Floyd one month later in May. Garza charged Taylor with murder, which ended in a mistrial in November after the jury disagreed on whether or not Taylor murdered Ramos. 

During those protests, officers used beanbag rounds and rubber bullets, which resulted in traumatic brain injuries and broken bones for some protesters. Austin has paid out $18 million in civil lawsuits, with eight more pending. Since then, the city has stopped using alternative crowd-control methods and cycled through two police chiefs. Garza and Watson asked the federal government to perform a “pattern or practice” investigation in the letter. The federal government has not yet confirmed a launch of an investigation. 

Garza, who was elected in Austin after campaigning on a platform of holding the police accountable, is still proceeding with the prosecution of four other officers. While the indictments have widened the gap between Garza and the police, prosecutors and the police typically have a cozy relationship as long as prosecutors do not attempt to hold the police accountable for misconduct, according to the Austin-American Statesman. 

Some officers accused Garza of making a political statement with the indictments, calling him anti-police. Garza has also indicated that he will pursue charges against Taylor again, even though the jury has been deadlocked twice. The Austin Police Department was last investigated by the federal government in 2007 after the Texas Civil Rights Project and the Austin NAACP requested an investigation.

It closed in 2011 after investigators determined there was “no reasonable cause to believe that APD has engaged in a pattern or practice that violated the Constitution or laws of the United States.”

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