Fan Favorite, 'Mr. CIAA' Abraham Mitchell Dies At 95

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 9, 2025

Fan Favorite, ‘Mr. CIAA’ Abraham Mitchell Dies At 95

The committed basketball fan was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame in 2016 because of his dedication to attending games

A man dubbed “Mr. CIAA” because of his continued and committed attendance at Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) basketball games has recently died.

Abraham Mitchell, who was 95 when he died, was so revered as a fan that he was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame in 2016. The organization’s Facebook account announced his death on Wednesday, Jan. 8.

“It is difficult to put into words the depth of our loss with the passing of Mr. Mitchell. Since 2018, his absence at the tournament has been profoundly felt. Mr. Mitchell will forever hold a cherished place in the CIAA family, having created countless beautiful memories for our fans, students, and partners over the span of more than four decades. As a distinguished member of the CIAA Hall of Fame, Class of 2016, his remarkable legacy will endure for generations to come. During this time of honoring and celebrating his extraordinary life, we extend our heartfelt prayers for comfort and peace to the Mitchell family.”

According to QCity Metro, Mitchell was also known for the dazzling suits he would wear to the basketball games, even changing multiple times during the game. His family said the former mortician died in Suffolk, Virginia.

CIAA officials stated that he was inducted into the Hall of Fame after being a regular at the contests for about 30 years when enshrined in 2016. Often seen in fedoras and dark glasses, he spoke to the media outlet when receiving his flowers in 2016.

“Everyone is just so friendly and excited because I was inducted,” he said. “Everyone said I deserved it years before now, but I appreciate what they did for me.”

“I get a joy out of being Mr. CIAA. I don’t find no enemies.”

In 2016, Mitchell said he bought about 27 suits for that year’s tournament. He stated that he often attempted to match the suits he brought to the tournaments to the colors of the teams playing. He bragged about having between 300 and 400 suits, most of them self-made, while he designed the others.

The Charlotte Observer reported that Mitchell started attending the tournaments because his nephew, Peter Mitchell, was playing at Norfolk State. Even after his nephew graduated from college, Mitchell continued attending the tournaments.

No details on the cause of his death were revealed.

by Mitti Hicks

January 9, 2025

Fani Willis Asks Georgia Supreme Court To Reverse Removal From Trump Election Case

In Fani Willis’s petition to the court, she asks the Georgia Supreme Court to review and reverse the lower court's decision.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is asking the Georgia Supreme Court to review a lower appeals court’s ruling that removed her from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump and several others.

Her request comes after the Georgia Court of Appeals ruled in December that Willis and her office could not continue prosecuting the case because of an “appearance of impropriety” created by a romantic relationship she had with special prosecutor Nathan Wade. Willis hired Wade to lead the case.

In Willis’s petition to the court, she asks the Georgia Supreme Court to review and reverse the lower court’s decision.

According to The Associated Press, Willis argued that the 2-1 ruling “overreached the Court of Appeals’ authority,” creating a new standard for disqualification of a prosecutor and disregarding decades of precedents.

Fani Willis Files Petition To Georgia’s Highest Court

With Trump returning to the White House on Jan 20, it’s unlikely that Willis will be able to prosecute him if the Georgia Supreme Court rules in her favor. However, besides Trump, 14 other defendants still face charges in the case.

In August 2023, a grand jury in Atlanta indicted Trump and 18 others for racketeering after authorities accused them of participating in a wide-ranging scheme to try to overturn Trump’s loss in Georgia to Joe Biden, illegally.

Willis is now asking Georgia’s highest court to review if the lower appeals court was wrong to disqualify her “based solely upon an appearance of impropriety and absent finding of an actual conflict of interest or forensic misconduct,” The AP reported. Willis also asked the state Supreme Court to review whether the Court of Appeals erred “in substituting the trial court’s discretion with its own” in this case.

“No Georgia court has ever disqualified a district attorney for the mere appearance of impropriety without the existence of an actual conflict of interest,” Willis’ filing says. “And no Georgia court has ever reversed a trial court’s order declining to disqualify a prosecutor based solely on an appearance of impropriety.”

Black Youth, Incarceration, Racial Disparities

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 9, 2025

Staffers At Virginia Prison Considered Charging Inmates For Self-Inflicted Burns During ‘Intolerable’ Conditions Protest

And, yes, there's an email chain.

Court documents revealed staffers at Virginia’s Red Onion State Prison thought about charging inmates who burned themselves while staging protests of the “intolerable” conditions they face, The Appeal reports.

Six inmates allegedly intentionally burned themselves during the 2023 protests, and according to emails, staffers at the maximum security prison considered charging the inmates “thousands of dollars for the hospital and medical treatment,” while assistant warden Dwayne Turner recommended prosecuting them for setting fires in their cells.

“I believe on Monday, we pull policy and start charging the inmates thousands of dollars for the hospital and medical treatment,” one officer wrote. “Once we iron through this, we can send the word through the inmate population that they’re going to be changed [sic] thousands for their medical due to intentional manipulation. Just my thoughts on how to prevent this kind of behavior.”

Turner responded with, “Yeah, sounds good. But the first thing we need to figure out is why. Do they think they will get transferred? If so, we need to make sure they don’t…. obviously, they think they can gain something from doing that. We need to make sure they know they won’t gain anything….but making them pay money is good too[.]”

The six listed inmates, along with others, allege being denied necessary medication and suffering from physical torture by correctional officers. Virginia Del. Michael Jones said during a visit to Red Onion, he witnessed injuries on an inmate obtained from a prison dog attack, according to NBC News. Jones also claimed he received a number of complaints from other inmates regarding the quality of food, medical care and racism.

Long bouts in solitary confinement are one of the main complaints heard by the American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia. Former inmate Kenneth Hunter, who was sentenced to 23 years in prison for a nonviolent drug offense at 21, said he spent his first year at Red Onion in solitary confinement. Prior to his sentence ending in 2021, Hunter said there were plenty of “instances of physical abuse and excessive force.”

Ekong Eshiet, one of the prisoners who, in an email to Natasha White, director of community engagement at Interfaith Action for Human Rights, admitted to setting his leg on fire and sustaining burns, said he experienced abuse once he returned from the hospital.

“Plz be notified that I set my leg on fire 09/15/24, went to VCU 09/18/24 and came back to ROSP 09/24/24,” he wrote in the message. “Since I’ve come back, I have faced retaliation and discrimination due to my complaints about all the crookedness I and other inmates continuously have dealt with up here.”

The Commonwealth’s Attorney for Wise County and the City of Norton, Virginia, Brett Hall, said no decision has been made regarding any charges.

“We have a great working relationship with the Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) and will continue to do so,” he wrote. “These matters, just like any others, take time and require extensive review of the facts and the law.”

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 9, 2025

Jasmine Crockett Graciously Checks GOP Analyst For Blaming LA Wildfires On DEI Initiatives

Let em' know, Rep. Crockett!

Rep. Jasmine Crockett (D-TX) once again had to step into school DEI critic Scott Jennings for blaming the devastating Los Angeles-area wildfires on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.

During an appearance on CNN’s NewsNight, Jennings, a frequent commentator, discussed the wildfires, already labeled as the worst in California’s history, as a result of DEI practices by Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) Chief Kristin Crowley, a white woman, and Mayor Karen Bass, a Black woman.

When Jennings alleged that DEI advocates’ efforts to increase diversity in the department, after claims of “too many white men” being hired as firefighters, as the reason for a lack of fire control, Crockett took the wheel to divert the narrative. “Let me be clear: because you are a woman.. because I know some of the rights, I have been sharing these photos of the fact that I believe that the fire chief may be a woman, which has nothing to do with it. We are looking at qualifications where diversity, equity, and inclusion have always been about saying, ‘You know what? Open this up. Don’t just look at the white man. Open it up and recognize that other people can be qualified,’” she said.

“And the fact that we want to, at a time where people are dying, decide that a country of immigrants is failing or people are dying because the same very people that built this country, cause the last time I checked, yall didn’t say anything was wrong with the White House, and I can promise you it was my ancestors that built the White House.”

https://twitter.com/TheTNHoller/status/1877213042632499330

The passionate congresswoman continued to profess, “If we have been good enough to build this country, we are good enough to serve and die overseas; we are good enough to serve in other ways.” “And the fact that people actually decide that they want to engage in public service, whether it’s sitting in Congress or whether it’s serving in the fire department or the police department, should not be an issue,” Crockett said.

Crockett’s sentiments were celebrated on social media, while Jennings was seemingly dragged for his thoughts. “Scott Jennings needs to take his toys and go home. @JasmineForUS is in the house, and she can our word-wrestle him any day, any time,” @MairseyDotes said on X.

https://twitter.com/MairseyDotes/status/1877233760057356751

“Someone needs to send firefighters to CNN because Jennings got BURNED!” @ajdiva99 said.

https://twitter.com/ajdiva99/status/1877225809452072969

However, the commentator is simply following the lead of President-elect Donald J. Trump, who blamed the fires on California Gov. Gavin Newsom for embracing environmental issues. Trump said the focus led to LAFD’s inability to contain the fires. “Governor Gavin Newscum refused to sign the water restoration declaration put before him that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snowmelt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way,” he wrote on his Truth Social platform, according to Wired.

“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt by giving it less water (it didn’t work!), but didn’t care about the people of California.”

Sirius XM’s Megyn Kelly sounded off, stating that DEI programs distracted them from firefighting duties. “In recent years, LA’s fire chief has made not filling the fire hydrants top priority, but diversity,” Kelly said during a segment on The Megyn Kelly Show. “Diversity is at least among the top priorities for the department.”

Bourbon Street , Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar, New Orleans, New Year's Eve,

by Kandiss Edwards

January 9, 2025

United Way Will Begin Dispersing Payment For Victims Of New Orleans Terror Attack

Victims of the New Year’s terror attack in New Orleans will begin receiving payments from the United Way of Southwest Louisiana, WDSU reported.

The United Way began taking donations to help those directly impacted by the Bourbon St. attack that killed 14 people and wounded 35 others. To date, the fund has raised $360k. After the fund’s expenses were vetted by the FBI, the organization was given the approval to begin distribution.

The allocation of the funds is as follows:

Up to $15,000 per family to assist with funeral and trauma-related expenses for the deceased victims
Up to $3,500 to each of the injured victims for medical and trauma-related expenses
A $10,000 grant to the New Orleans Family Justice Center to provide essential needs to impacted individuals through the FBI’s Family Assistance Center

Following the attack, the President and CEO of the United Way, Micheal Williamson, conveyed his sympathies and vowed to assist in any way possible. The organization began soliciting donations on Jan.2.

“Our hearts are heavy as we grieve with the victims and all those affected by the tragic attack in New Orleans,” he said. “In times like these, we must come together as a community to support one another. We stand United with our city.”

The organization has set up a resource page for victims in need of more than monetary assistance. For those in need of mental help, there is a Disaster Distress hotline, trauma recovery center for those in need of physical help, and donation relief.

The remaining funds will be used to support victims’ long-term needs to help them recover from the trauma they experienced. To request assistance from the fund, contact the FBI at 504-355-0846.

Click here to access other available resources.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

January 9, 2025

U.S. Virgin Islands Breaks Tourism Record For 2024 As Visitors Arrive In Unprecedented Numbers

The Virgin Islands saw a near 16% increase in passenger arrivals since 2023.

The U.S. Virgin Islands had a busy 2024, with the territory setting a new tourism record for the year.

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism shared the groundbreaking news on Jan. 8. It noted that passenger arrival numbers for the past year totaled close to 1 million people.

According to a press release obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE, travelers who arrived at airports in St. Thomas and St. Croix amounted to just over 927,000. This figure marked a 15.9% increase from 2023. However, it is not the only record broken in passenger arrivals for the year.

The Virgin Islands also surpassed its weekly arrival record, allowing over 24,000 travelers into the area during late December. On Dec. 28, as travelers prepared to celebrate the Crucian Christmas Festival, a record was broken for single-day arrivals previously set in March. The new record boasted 4,606 people entering the territory.

Virgin Island Department of Tourism Commissioner Joseph Boschulte said the numbers reflect its initiative to “elevate” the islands.

“As a destination, we continue to explore, elevate, and improve, which further supports the ongoing goal to build upon our commitment to be a premier Caribbean destination,” stated the commissioner in the presser.

The U.S. Virgin Islands are 40 miles east of Puerto Rico in the Caribbean Sea. Of its popularity, the territory has earned numerous awards for its pristine coast and optimal choice as a domestic summer getaway. Its three islands, St. Croix, St. Thomas, and St. John, have emerged as popular beach destinations for American travelers, as the territory does not require a passport for U.S. citizens to enter.

The arrival influx also stemmed from expanding flight routes by multiple airlines. Furthermore, more cruise passengers stopped in its ports. Through this channel, cruises brought in over 1.7 million visitors, a 10% increase from last year.

Boschulte also hopes these numbers indicate an even busier 2025 as the Virgin Islands becomes a go-to hotspot for Caribbean vacations.

The commissioner added, “As we look to 2025, we will continue to push the creativity of our marketing strategies, which includes advertising, social media, public relations, and partnerships to connect with and keep the U.S. Virgin Islands top of mind for new and returning travelers.”

William McNeil, viral video, Recording The Police

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

January 9, 2025

St. Louis Police Officers Terminated For Refusing To Help Dying Man Because Their Shift Was Ending

Austin Fraser and Ty Warren didn't help because their shift was over in 30 minutes.

Two St. Louis men who were once police officers for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department are no longer employed after body camera footage revealed that they refused to help a dying man because they were about to be off shift.

According to First Alert 4, the incident took place on Sept. 23, 2023, in Forest Park, when the two former police officers, Austin Fraser, and Ty Warren, were summoned to a 911 call from a man, Urayoan Rodriguez-Rivera, who stated he was going to harm himself. When arriving at the scene, the two former cops found Rodriguez-Rivera in the park, but instead of assisting him or calling for help, they walked away from the man who had a gunshot wound and was still breathing.

Their reason? The two men’s shift was about to end, and they did not want to deal with the issue.

Footage from Warren’s body camera shows the men’s lack of concern for the victim. Fraser stated that they were about to leave in 30 minutes. After finding Rodriguez-Rivera, Warren tells his partner they must take the call, but Fraser remarks that they will leave shortly.

“We need to take this sh** then,” Warren says.

Fraser responds by saying, “We aren’t taking this sh**. I get off in 30 minutes. Let’s cruise around and come back.”

The officers leave the wounded victim, and as they walk away, Fraser says, “They’re gonna find this sh**, and we’re gonna be like, ‘Oh sh**, you found him.’”

Then, both officers laugh as they continue to walk away.

The former police officers returned less than 10 minutes later, pretending to search for Rodriguez-Rivera as another officer arrived. When seeing the two, that third officer contacts dispatch to have them call emergency personnel to come to the scene after finding the victim with the gunshot wound, still breathing on the ground.

When other police officers got to the scene, they roped off the area and, while checking the victim’s pulse, determined that it was “super weak.” Several minutes later, the two former cops are seen leaving the area as the other officers search for a gun and render first aid to Rodriguez-Rivera. As that officer searches the area for a firearm, another officer tries to render first aid.

Other officers mention the two leaving.

“You know what’s fu**ed up? Warren and Fraser just left,” one of the officers is overheard saying in body camera audio. When asked why, he responded, “I don’t know.”

Another officer complained that they “can’t just leave.”

Rodriguez-Rivera later died at the hospital. The St. Louis Medical Examiner’s Office determined the death a suicide by gunshot to the head.

After police administrators discovered the footage during a routine review, both men were terminated.

“The two individuals are no longer employed by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department,” spokesperson Mitch McCoy said in a written statement. “While we are unable to comment on specific personnel matters, SLMPD holds its officers to the highest of standards. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken if an officer is found to have violated policies.”

by Jameelah Mullen

January 9, 2025

Airbnb Offers Free Temporary Housing To Residents Displaced By L.A. Wildfires

Approximately 130,000 Los Angeles area residents have been advised to evacuate their homes.

As multiple wildfires continue to spread throughout the Los Angeles area, Airbnb will offer free temporary housing for residents.

The company said its primary focus is on residents of Altadena, Malibu, Pacific Palisades, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and Sylan who have lost their homes or been forced to evacuate.

“To support residents who have been displaced from their homes or forced to evacuate by the wildfires, Airbnb.org is working with 211 LA, which serves Los Angeles County, to offer free, temporary housing,” Airbnb said in its announcement.

To support this effort, the company is accepting donations, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to fund emergency housing. Impacted residents are encouraged to apply for assistance on the 211 LA website.

Those who wish to provide free or discounted housing for displaced residents can visit Airbnb.org to find information on signing up.

Additionally, Los Angeles Tourism has compiled a list of hotels offering discounts to displaced residents.

World Central Kitchen has assembled a team to bring meals to evacuees and first responders.

“Our teams have mobilized across the region to provide immediate relief in the form of sandwiches and water as we identify all areas of need. Several WCK Chef Corps members are on standby, ready to offer comforting meals,“ the organization’s website reads.

People outside of California can donate to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund. ABC 7 Los Angeles reports that the Salvation Army is accepting work gloves, protective clothing, bottled water, nonperishable foods, cleaning items, First Aid kits, flashlights, batteries, infant care items, and monetary donations.

The fires’ preliminary damage and economic loss is estimated to be at least $52 billion, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. The Palisades wildfire has destroyed at least 17,000 acres since Tuesday, making it the most destructive fire in Los Angeles County’s history.

by Mitti Hicks

January 9, 2025

Louisiana Mayor Tyrin Truong Responds After Arrest On Drug Charges, Soliciting Prostitute

Warrants have been issued for seven people in connection with the investigation, including Bogalusa Mayor Tyrin Truong.

Bogalusa, Louisiana, Mayor Tyrin Truong returned to work on Jan. 8, just hours after posting a $150,000 bond following his arrest on multiple charges, including drug-related charges. Truong, 25, is being accused of soliciting prostitutes and involvement in a drug trafficking network.

According to multiple media outlets, Truong has declined to speak to local reporters but took to social media to defend himself.

“When you’re cutting contracts, shutting down favors and exerting influence—shaking up things and exposing truths—you become a target,” Truong wrote in a Facebook post.

“I pray that God reveals every person that had a hand in this, and there are many. If you think I ran a drug operation (and all those other accusations), you’re sadly mistaken. Those who know me, KNOW me, and I’ll let God and my attorney handle the rest!”

Mayor Arrested on Drug Charges, Soliciting Prostitute

Louisiana State Police allege that Mayor Truong solicited a prostitute while attending a conference in Atlanta. Authorities also claim he is tied to a drug trafficking scheme. State Police told WDSU the profits from the drugs were used to purchase firearms. Some of the weapons police allege were purchased have been linked to some of the area’s most recent violent crimes.

According to Nola.com, the allegations are part of a multi-agency drug trafficking investigation conducted by the 22nd Judicial District Court District Attorney’s Office, Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill’s office, and the Department of Environmental Quality.

Bogalusa is located in Washington Parish, about 75 miles north of New Orleans. Known as “Magic City” for its explosive growth in the 1920s, where the population hovered over 20,000, the latest U.S. Census Bureau data shows a little more than 10,000 residents.

Elected in 2022 at 23, Truong is the youngest mayor in the city’s history and one of the youngest mayors in Louisiana ever. He unseated the previous mayor with at least 56% of the vote after he promised to reduce crime in the area, which has been plagued with gun violence.

Warrants have been issued for six other people in connection with the investigation.

by Sharelle B. McNair

January 9, 2025

James Barton Accuses Correction Officers Of Beating Him During A ‘George Floyd Challenge’ While Incarcerated In NY Prison

James Barton, an incarcerated man at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, filed the lawsuit.

Two New York state corrections officers are accused of participating in a “George Floyd Challenge” that left an inmate severely injured, Democrat and Chronicle reports.

In a lawsuit filed by James Barton, an incarcerated man at the Mid-State Correctional Facility, Barton alleges he was choked in April 2023 by correction officers Michael Williams and Rohail Khan, who pleaded guilty to assault charges in federal court.

The civil litigation alleges Barton was beaten shortly after midnight after hearing an officer say, “Let’s give him the George Floyd challenge.”

He was then placed in a chokehold while others beat and kicked him.

Floyd was murdered in May 2020 by a white police officer after being pinned down on the neck by the officer’s knee for nine minutes. His killing sparked national attention and sparked the Black Lives Matter movement, resulting in floods of protests amid allegations of police brutality against Black people.

Barton’s lawyer, Andrew Plasse, said the incident was unprovoked. His client was woken up and taken to a hallway outside his unit.

“Hold your ID with your right pinky against the wall and if the ID falls, you’re dead,” one officer allegedly said.

According to Law & Crime, Barton, who has been behind bars since 2008 for the sexual assault of a child, is seeking $10 million in damages and said one of the officers accused him of rape of a woman.

“Do you think you was going to get away with raping a white woman?” one of the officers allegedly told him, according to the documents. “Since you want to play games I got one for you.”

The officers then allegedly assaulted him by punching him in his head, face, eyes, chest, stomach, legs, rear end, and groin for 10 minutes. At the time, officers agreed to lie if they were questioned by internal affairs investigators.

After an investigation by the state’s Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS), the findings were sent to the labor relations division and for criminal prosecution. The department also assisted in helping federal prosecutors build the case.

“Discipline has been initiated with some staff terminated already and two people have been convicted of federal crimes so far,” DOCCS officials said in a statement.

New York’s prison system has been riddled with similar allegations for months. Notably, in December 2023, Robert Brooks was beaten and killed by corrections officers while incarcerated at Marcy Correctional Facility, which is about a mile away from Mid-State in Oneida County. The incident was captured by the body cameras worn by the accused officers.