Outfielder Andre ‘The Hawk’ Dawson Wants Cap On Hall Of Fame Plaque Changed
Hall of Fame outfielder Andre "The Hawk" Dawson wants to change the logo on the cap of his Baseball Hall of Fame plaque from the Montreal Expos to the Chicago Cubs.
Outfielder Andre “The Hawk” Dawson, who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball, wants to change the logo on the cap of his Hall of Fame plaque from the Montreal Expos to the Chicago Cubs.
Fox News via TheNew York Postreports the Baseball Hall of Fame, located in Cooperstown, NY, selects the team logo that goes on the hat of each player’s plaque. Therefore, the Hall put the Expos logo on Dawson’s plaque when he was inducted in 2010, making him the second Expo in the Hall of Fame along with Gary Carter.
Dawson expressed his disappointment when the decision was initially made and recently brought the issue back up, saying he had always thought of himself as a Cub rather than an Expo.
“I just felt my preference all along was as a Cub, despite playing (11) years in Montreal,” he told The Chicago Tribune. “I had my reasons, and I think that should’ve been something we sat down and discussed.”
Dawson added that although he was one of the more popular players in Montreal, he doesn’t consider himself an organizational icon. When Dawson became a free agent, he was basically forced out of Montreal. According to Dawson, landing in Chicago rejuvenated his career.
The 1987 National League MVP and eight-time Gold Glove Award winner played the first 11 years of his career with the Montreal Expos, now known as the Washington Nationals, before signing with the Chicago Cubs after the 1986 season
In addition to winning the MVP as a Cub, five of Dawson’s eight All-Star appearances came in Chicago. However, Dawson won six of his eight Gold Glove awards with the Expos, as did his only postseason victory. Dawson’s No. 10 was also retired by the Expos, although seven players have worn it since the team moved to Washington.
Dawson had a lifetime batting average of .287, collecting 438 home runs, 1,591 RBI, and stealing 314 bases. He was also a four-time Silver Slugger award winner and was voted the 1977 National League Rookie of the Year.
Alicia Keys, Swizz Beatz Bring Art Collection To Brooklyn Museum
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz are sharing pieces of their art collection for an exhibition at the Brooklyn Museum in 2024.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz are now expanding the audience for their own expansive art collection. The assortment of pieces, known as the Dean Collection, is coming to the Brooklyn Museum for a public display.
The collection, acquired by the powerhouse couple over a 20-year span, will be showcased for the museum’s Giants exhibition in February. The exhibition, aided in curation by the married duo, will feature artists across the Black diaspora, including American and African artists. The works will be derived from “giants” such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson, and Kehinde Wiley.
According to the Brooklyn Museum’s website, “Giants” holds a multifaceted meaning for the exhibition.
“The term also evokes the strength of the bonds between the Deans and the artists they support and among the artists themselves. Along with examining these links and legacies, the exhibition will encourage ‘giant conversations’ inspired by the works on view—critiquing society and celebrating Blackness.”
The collection will also showcase the work of multi-generational artists like Esther Mahlangu, whose work evolves the traditional art form of South African Ndebele house painting, and photographer Gordon Parks, whose photojournalism heavily documented the livelihoods of Black Americans during the civil rights movement.
Despite being known for their musical accomplishments, Keys and her producer husband, also a former board member of the Brooklyn Museum, are well known in the art collectors’ sphere, especially in their advocacy for the upliftment of Black visual artists.
According to Observer, over 100 works from the Dean Collection will be displayed at the establishment, including the massive Big Wheel 1, an 8-foot-tall tired unveiled in 2018 by Arthur Jafa. With the cultural emphasis on the artistic achievement of Black creatives, Keys and Beatz also advocate for ensuring artists are better paid through royalties for re-selling their acclaimed pieces.
The exhibition will run from Feb. 10 to July 7 as a triumph for “Black artists supporting Black artists.”
Atlanta Named Second-Hottest Rental Market In U.S.
Atlanta lands at #2 in a ranking of the most in-demand cities for housing rentals.
Atlanta is a growing hub for apartment rentals across the United States. Georgia’s capital has landed at #2 for the hottest rental market in a new ranking by a popular housing search platform.
The city took second place out of 150 city contenders for November, up three spots since its last ranking. The cities are considered to hold the largest populations in the country, as RentCafe.com users placed Atlanta as one of the top “most desired” locations for renting. The city of almost half a million residents made the top of the list in April.
“Atlanta has ranked among the top 10 cities ever since [April] as renters have been intensely searching for apartments here all through the year,” a RentCafe.com spokesperson told Urbanize Atlanta.
According to RentCafe’s analysts, the Southern hot spot is in high demand due to its small increase in available apartments, a factor given the most consideration when completing the rankings. Its reasoning for the demand includes the city’s rise as the “most dynamic” tech hub in the South and notes that the city has maintained itself as a fast-growing apartment rental area even in the midst of steady living development growth.
Not only is the search for prime rentals occurring in-state, but residents from urban places such as New York City and Chicago were also searching to make the move to the Peach State.
Atlanta was also the highest-ranked city in the Southern region. In addition to making the top 10, the city was one of two from that area to reach the status. Orlando claimed the eighth spot, with Minneapolis currently at #1 for its rental demand. (Kansas City, MO, and Queens, NY, also made the list.) However, Atlanta remains a consistent place of priority renting for apartment hunters across America, with new developments already on the horizon to keep up with the peak demand.
Having a mentor increases access to business opportunities and company profits
Originally Published July 7, 2015
All new business owners or entrepreneurs should find a mentor to guide them in their business journey. It is a harsh reality that only half of all small businesses survive more than five years after launching, according to the Small Business Administration. However, there is growing evidence that connecting businesses with mentors can change this statistic.
Research shows that businesses receiving three or more hours of mentoring have witnessed a boost in revenues and market share. According to a 2014 survey by THE UPS Store, 70% of small businesses that gained mentorship survive more than five years, double the survival rate of businesses that don’t receive such counseling. Moreover, 88% of business owners with mentors maintain that having one can prove to be invaluable. Learning from their mistakes and rebounds offer insight and guidance on making more informed business decisions.
Necole Parker, founder and CEO of The ELOCEN Group in Washington, DC. She attributes mentoring to her company’s solid growth trend as a small business. “I recognized very early on the importance of seeking out those who were where I desired to one day take my business, she adds. “More importantly, being granted the opportunity to tap into the collective wealth of knowledge mentors possess, is an invaluable experience. I’m afforded the opportunity to gain insight from their cumulative lessons-learned, failures, and setbacks, which provides greater clarity when I encounter similar challenges. Achieve revenues and increased business.
Adhering to a mentor’s advice helped Parker to directly land her company’s largest contract ever, which was a five-year $50 million dollar Food and Drug Administration contract in 2013. “Two of my mentors (who are on the BE 100s Industrial/Services Companies list), avail themselves regularly to share ideas, offer advice, and just to listen. Finally, after diligent persistence, my company gained entry into the Georgia Mentor Protege Connection program, where Coca-Cola is our mentor company. As a result, we are receiving strategic guidance on how to grow both in scale and capacity,” adds Parker, who shared her experience on finding mentors as a speaker during the 2015 BLACK ENTERPRISEEntrepreneurs Summit at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta.
“I started a business in 2002 knowing very little about running a business. But I stuck with it, through post-partum depression, angst, lack of resources, failures, and more,” she recounts. “There are so many people out there who have great business ideas… but zero confidence. Mentors can be the key to building confidence in yourself and your business.”
Dellinger cites SCORE, an organization supported by the U.S. Small Business Administration, as a valuable resource. Its national network of more than 11,000 mentors delivers free and confidential advice to entrepreneurs.Business mentors are available for one primary reason — to help you succeed. But it’s a two-way street. Since business mentors can learn from mentees as well, the experience is usually mutually beneficial.
Below are just five key reasons how mentors can give small business owners a competitive advantage. They provide:
A Valuable Resource
A great mentor can be your indispensable adviser and life coach since he or she has traveled the same road and can guide you to your intended destination faster than if you take that trip solo, asserts Dellinger. Common mistakes and business-damaging pitfalls can be avoided. “I was able to tap into key contacts, vendors, expensive industry reports that were out of my reach due to my mentor. A great mentor will enable you to dramatically cut your learning curve,” she adds.
A Support System
You will invest a lot of time and resources into your new business venture. To be successful, you must have a support system for counsel and, in some cases, a motivational boost, says Dellinger: “A mentor in your industry–or even not in your industry–who can listen to the latest startup crisis sympathetically is invaluable. When you’re starting a business, having experienced guidance is the best support system of all.
A Sounding Board
Every idea you come up with won’t be golden. Mistakes are part of the game. Don’t be afraid to question yourself, or allow others to question you. You’d be amazed at what talking through an idea can do. A good mentor can be that much-needed sounding board to assist you in thinking through your idea and helping you find effective solutions.
A Point of Access
Along with decades of experience, valuable mentors come with a vast network of industry connections and decision-makers in your target market. Among one of the key benefits to having a mentor can be to provide access to greater business opportunities. “Key partnerships and introductions will be more difficult to secure, as will gaining the trust of key brands and influencers you may want to work with to accelerate growth,” Dellinger says. “A mentor can put their own reputation on the line for you should they decide you’re worthy of it. Without a mentor you will have to create your own opportunities. This will prove to be a much longer, slower road.”
CDC Says Life Expectancy In The U.S. Rose In 2022 Due To Fewer Covid-19 Deaths
The CDC says life expectancy in the US. increased between 2021 and 2022 after two years of declines related to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows life expectancy in the United States increased between 2021 and 2022 after two years of declines related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to a CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics report, the life expectancy, defined as the average age a person is expected to live, increased from 76.4 in 2021 to 77.5 in 2022
Although the increase is substantial, it does not compensate for the 2.4 year-drop in life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the report.
ABC Newsreported that before this new increase in life expectancy, it had fallen to its lowest levels in 26 years.
When the pandemic started in early 2020, then-President Donald Trump predicted less than 100,000 people would die due to COVID-19. However, more than 1.1 million people have succumbed to the virus since the first lockdowns began.
The authors of the CDC report noted that although both sexes saw an increase in life expectancy between 2021 and 2022, men had a life expectancy increase of 1.3 years while women saw an increase of 0.9 years.
Life expectancy increased for every racial/ethnic group as well. The life expectancy of American Indians/Alaska Natives increased by 2.3 years. For Hispanic people, the life expectancy increased by 2.2 years, 1.6 years for the Black Americans, 1.0 years for Asian Americans and 0.8 years for White Americans.
In 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 Pandemic, 350,831 Americans died from the virus, while 460,000 people died in 2021, and in 2022, 244,986 people died, according to the CDC.
The CDC additionally noted decreases in deaths from heart disease, unintentional injuries, cancer and homicides have helped increase life expectancy and life expectancy would have been even greater if not for increases in deaths due to influenza and pneumonia, perinatal conditions, kidney disease, nutritional deficiencies, and congenital malformations.
Biden Administration To Overhaul TANF Program Following State Mismanagement
The Administration for Children and Families is preparing to overhaul the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF).
Following a 2021 ProPublica investigation into how state governments abused a federal program designed to assist people in poverty, the Biden administration is moving to close the loopholes that made it possible. A new report from ProPublica detailed the changes that the Administration for Children and Families is drawing up to overhaul the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF).
One of the biggest changes spurred by reporting from ProPublica, is that states will no longer be allowed to take credit for charitable giving done by private organizations like churches or food banks. In Utah, over the past 10 years, the Mormon Church was allowed to basically run its own aid programs, wherein they often forced people who did not follow the religion to partake in their religious rituals. Under the new rule, the State of Utah has to take credit for what it does and spend its own money instead of using the church to take credit for work the state did not perform.
Child protective services funding would also see a reform, as several states, including Arizona, which runs aggressive child protective services investigations, used funds intended to help poor families to perform surveillance of them. New TANF spending rules prohibit the funds set aside by TANF from being used on anything aside from programs that help keep struggling families together.
According to Ashley Burnside, a senior policy analyst and TANF expert at the Center for Law and Policy, the new rules are a good start, but she cautions they won’t stop the problem completely.
“This will not completely solve the problem of the leakage of TANF funds,” Burnside said. “But it will create guardrails so that more money actually gets to poor families.”
One of the biggest scandals involving misappropriation of TANF funds comes from Mississippi. According to Mississippi Today, NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre allegedly conspired with former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant and other state officials to funnel money from TANF to help the University of Southern Mississippi build a new volleyball facility. Allegedly, the pharmaceutical company Favre was funding, Prevacus, received $2.15 million in funds from the Mississippi Department of Human Services, informally known as the welfare department.
The proposal from the Biden administration would require real proof that the money states are allegedly spending on TANF actually goes to the people and families it is supposed to.
“We remind states that there is a large body of research that shows that cash assistance is a critically important tool for reducing family and child poverty,” the statement reads. “Studies have found that when families receive TANF and are more financially secure, they are less likely to be involved in the child welfare system.”
DA Charged With Misconduct In Ahmaud Arbery Case To Stand Trial, Judge Denies Request To Dismiss
Johnson was accused of tampering with the case in favor of one of the suspected killers.
Former district attorney Jackie Johnson will stand trial for charges of misconduct related to the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. Johnson filed a motion to have the case dismissed, but a judge denied the request, The Root reports.
Johnson was accused of tampering with the case in favor of one of the suspected killers, Greg McMichael, who worked for the district attorney’s office at the time. Investigators found over a dozen calls made between McMichael and Johnson following Arbery’s killing and accused the Johnson of using her authority to influence law enforcement not to order the arrest of McMichael, his son, and their neighbor.
More than two months passed before the men were apprehended by authorities for their involvement in the death of Arbery. Their arrest was spurred by video of their harassment and subsequent murder of the 25-year-old Black man being released, The Associated Press reports. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation took over the case from local jurisdiction and charged Johnson with a felony count of violating her oath of office as well as a misdemeanor charge of tampering.
McMichael, his son Travis, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan, followed Arbery as he jogged through their Glynn County, GA, neighborhood before gunning him down. The trio later told police that they assumed Arbery was “a burglar” and pursued him in an act of vigilante justice.
The McMichaels were sentenced to life with no possibility of parole plus an additional 20 years on Jan. 7, 2022. Bryan, who recorded the killing on his cellphone, was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 30 years. On Feb. 22, 2022, all three men were found guilty of attempted kidnapping and a hate crime identified as “interference of rights.”
Johnson was voted out of office in 2020 following claims of misconduct in the Arbery case.
Iconic Michael Jackson ‘Thriller’ Polaroids And Camera Head To Auction
Blackwell Auctions in Clearwater, Florida, will unveil a collection of original Polaroid test shots for Michael Jackson Thriller album cover.
In a rare and historic auction set for December 9th, Blackwell Auctions in Clearwater, Florida, will unveil a collection of original Polaroid test shots and the Hasselblad camera used for Michael Jackson during the Thriller album cover shoot, according toDaily Mail. These items, part of photographer Dick Zimmerman’s archive, will be presented for auction for the first time, providing fans and collectors with a unique opportunity to own a piece of music history.
The Thriller album, released in 1982, went on to become one of the best-selling albums globally, with an estimated 70 to 110 million copies sold. The chosen cover photo, depicting Michael Jackson in a white jacket and trousers with a black top, has become one of the most recognizable images in music history.
Zimmerman, the celebrity photographer behind the iconic shoot, is offering five Polaroid test images for auction, each providing a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the creation of the album cover. Among these, the selected test photo capturing the pose recommended by producer Quincy Jones is expected to fetch $19,000. Additionally, four alternate cover shots, including Jackson with a tiger cub, will be available individually for $6,350 each.
The Tampa Bay Times reported the auction will also include the Hasselblad 500ELX camera Zimmerman used on the day of the shoot. The camera, valued at $19,000, played a crucial role in capturing the moments that would define the Thriller album cover.
Edwin Bailey, owner of Blackwell Auctions, emphasized the cultural importance of these items, stating, “The Thriller cover is one of the most widely distributed and immediately recognizable photographs ever taken.” Bailey highlighted the privilege of offering these Polaroids and the camera, all of which have been part of Zimmerman’s personal collection since 1982.
The items come with a letter of authenticity from Zimmerman, and the winning bidder will receive copyright ownership, allowing for commercial reproduction.
“As an artist, I’m proud to have played a part in creating the best-selling album ever,” Zimmerman remarked. He sees the auction as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” for collectors and fans of entertainment memorabilia to bid on pieces that hold significant value in music history.
Ye Faces More Backlash From Jewish Orgs After Rap About ‘Sex With Jewish Bi*ch’
Kanye West has reignited his feud with the Jewish community after rapping about a sexual encounter he had with a "Jewish bi*ch."
Kanye West has reignited his feud with the Jewish community after rapping about the sexual encounter he had with a “Jewish bi*ch.”
The rap/fashion mogul has ended his music hiatus with the release of his new single, “Vultures.” The song features Ty Dolla Sign and Lil Durk and is expected to be included on his upcoming album.
The song was released earlier this month and reveals Kanye’s response to being canceled in 2022 for making antisemitic remarks.
“How am I antisemitic? I just fu*ked a Jewish bi*ch,” Kanye can be heard rapping.
Ye also performed the new song last week alongside Ty and Durk at a club in Dubai where he rapped his controversial lyrics in person. He and Chris Brown faced criticism for dancing to the song.
With the song’s release and Kanye’s recent performance, Jewish organizations are calling out the “New Slaves” rapper for making the controversial statement during the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict.
“At a time of rising antisemitism worldwide, it’s disgusting to see Kanye once again use his platform to spew Jew hatred,” the Anti-Defamation League told TMZ. It also accused Kanye of being an “unrepentant antisemite and clearly a misogynist.”
Richard Hirschhaut, a spokesperson for the American Jewish Committee, noted how public Kanye has been in the past about his “pathetic and sad” remarks about the Jewish community. “To fuel the flames of antisemitism and promote such bile to his millions of followers, especially at this fraught and dangerous time for the Jewish community, is unforgivable,” Hirschhaut said.
Kanye saw a swift fall from grace last year after making controversial statements across social media and appearing on Alex Jones’s Infowars, where he praised Adolf Hitler and made antisemitic jokes about Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As a result, Kanye was banned from Twitter, dropped from the CAA, and lost his deals with Adidas, Balenciaga, and The GAP.
Kanye went from a billionaire to a millionaire as a result. Now, as Kanye works to pick up the remaining pieces of his career, he’s making more outlandish statements about Jewish people.
Special Ed Stands Firm In Statement That N.W.A Brought Destruction To Hip Hop
Special Ed stood firm on stating that California group, N.W.A. brought destruction to hip-hop when they came out.
After Brooklyn-bred lyricist Special Ed stated in a Drink Champs interview earlier this year that N.W.A. brought destruction to hip-hop, he was met with skepticism from other West Coast rappers. When questioned about the statement on a recent episode of Vlad TV, he did not back down or alter his words.
After Vlad brought up the topic, Ed, born Edward Archer, acknowledged his statement and said that he even spoke to one of the members of the hip-hop group, Ice Cube, and the West Coast rapper didn’t have objections to what Ed had said. He did respond to the artists who came out against his theory that the self-proclaimed gangsta group did bring that to hip-hop.
“I would first like to say that none of those people were actual members of N.W.A.,” he told Vlad. “So for them to have an opinion was just like me having an opinion. So, let’s start there. Secondly, I did have a discussion with Cube, and he understands where I’m coming from.”
Ed went on to explain that the group’s songs were made more for the “hood” and not specifically for the general public at the time.
“They say that they were just making, I wouldn’t say parody, but records for the hood. Selling out the trunk. It wasn’t intended for global-scale marketing. But that’s where it was taken.”
The “I Got It Made” rapper didn’t hesitate to stand on what he said before.
“They have to take some accountability, but at the end of the day now, once again, we go back to the labels.”
He added that the destruction continues today due to these labels encouraging artists to put out that type of music and that when it’s positive, it’s not promoted as much as the negative.
“So, yes, music does affect people. It does contribute to people’s behavior and the outcome and it’s the same thing we’re saying now it has evolved. So from that point until now, it’s no longer just that simple. Now it’s straight murder music, now it’s drill music, now it’s people directly attacking each other through the music and that music being supported by these same labels and record companies. So there has to be accountability, like I said, I stopped.”
“I started dealing with reality, and I stopped lying to myself for one, and then with that being said, if you’re not lying to yourself, then you shouldn’t be lying to nobody else, so if we’re all dealing with reality and our conscience and facts, then we have to look at it for what it is, they are encouraging us and paying us to be destructive, you know and that’s systematic. I think that’s part of, you know, a plan of sorts that’s part of an agenda, is for us to take ourselves out, so we don’t have to do it. You understand that’s real; programming is systematic, and it has been going on for decades now over 30 years now, we’ve been getting more and more destructive.”
For not backing down or trying to appease the people who complained, he definitely believes the N.W.A. helped bring destruction to hip-hop, commercially.
