The Academy Award-winning costume designer Ruth E. Carter has teamed up with the Boys and Girls Club of America to champion multicultural artists gaining museum representation.

The history-making Oscar winner became the first Black woman to win two Oscars for Best Costume Design for her work on Black Panther and the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever sequel. She’s also the first person to win for the original and the sequel of a movie, as noted by The New York Times.

Now, Carter is using her celebrity power to help advocate and amplify young, diverse artists alongside the Boys and Girls Club of America (BGCA). As a BGCA alumnus, Carter knows firsthand the importance of the club and the access it provides to inner-city youth.

“It’s been an enriching experience for me to connect with the youth of the year, to connect with young talent like Langston here,” Carter told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

She was joined by a current BGCA member and fashion designer, Langston Howard, who is among the next generation of multicultural artists taking part in a new virtual AR experience created by Chips Ahoy! in partnership with Atlanta’s High Museum of Art and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. The VR experience is in response to the grim reality that while 48% of teens identify as persons of color, only 15% of creative work in museums is made by artists of color.

It’s a number Carter is looking to change and knows the first step in leading the change is by supporting the next generation of diverse artists.

“Because they’re not at museums doesn’t mean that they don’t exist. They exist. And we know them. We know them in our classrooms,” Carter said.

“We know them in our communities. We know them all over our life experiences that we meet them and we know them. So it’s now a part of the initiative to highlight those artists that are less.”

Through the immersive AR experience, artwork from eight aspiring multicultural artists, including teens from Boys & Girls Clubs, can be seen. Anyone nationwide can view, interact, and learn about the teens’ artwork virtually – anytime, anywhere, from their smartphone. Each time, their art is viewed through this virtual experience, Chips Ahoy! donates $1 to fund arts programming, which supports multicultural creativity.

“They’re partnering with the High Museum with this AR experience where this augmented reality,” Carter said. “You’ll see Langston’s work there. It’s actually a really fun way of bringing the community into the museum without having a formal program.”

For Howard, being able to “connect” and “grow” as an artist at such a young age has been a life-changing experience.

“They have put me in positions that have allowed me to meet new people and get connection with new people and that pretty much just it allows you to build in and just grow as a whole,” he said.

The virtual experience can be accessed HERE and includes art from the following teens: Langston Howard, Shawn Woodward from Detroit, Michigan; Amara Aleman from Ridgewood, New Jersey; Natalie Osborne from North Tulsa, Oklahoma; Sarah Inoue from Providence, Rhode Island; Ja’lyn Johnson from Fort Stewart, GA, Jordyn Williams from Wake Forest, NC, and Amari Jones from Atlanta, GA.

RELATED CONTENT: David E. Talbert’ Next Fellowship’ Will Send HBCU Students To USC School Of Cinematic Arts

• Uncategorized

by Daniel Johnson

November 13, 2023

Mark Fisher, A Controversial BLM Leader, Supports Trump

Fisher, who claims not to trust or endorse any political party, seems to believe that contrary to reporting from the mainstream media, that Donald Trump’s policies are good for Black people in general.

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Mark Fisher, an ex-Black Lives Matter leader in Rhode Island, has been a staunch supporter of both the Jan. 6 insurrectionists and former President Donald Trump. According to the Epoch Times, Fisher considers the Proud Boys and other groups comprising the Jan. 6 insurrectionists political prisoners.

“They’re lambs led to slaughter to be sacrificed as an example for all who might want to dissent in the future,” Fisher said. “This is what the government does to those who express independent thought and want to stand up for what they believe.”

Since abandoning his position as Black Lives Matter Rhode Island chapter president, Fisher has established a splinter organization, Black Lives Incorporated. Fisher, who is a former pastor according to the Epoch Times, holds positions that seem to trade in conspiracy theories.

Fisher blames Antifa, a leftist movement of anti-fascists, for inciting violence at protests in much the same way that Trump did when he was in office. Fisher said, “Antifa had a lot to do with the riots of 2020, and there were a lot of anarchist groups who just wanted to take advantage of the moment and were out for destruction.” 

Fisher also believes that the government and the media cannot be trusted; even though he did not use the term “deep state” like some far-right conservatives have, his remarks illuminate a disdain for government in general.

“I don’t trust the federal or state government as far as I can throw them, and the media is trying to stop us from uniting,” Fisher l explained. “It’s the same media that caused the division between all of these marginalized groups in the first place to keep us at each other’s throats.”

Fisher, who claims not to trust or endorse any political party, seems to believe that contrary to reports from the mainstream media, Donald Trump’s policies are good for Black people in general.

Fisher said, “If you look at his policies, what he’s done for our community has gone under the radar, and he doesn’t brag about it,” Fisher said. “He doesn’t try to convince anyone he’s not a racist, just like I’m not going to try to convince you that I’m not a racist. What you see is what you get, and when you know me, you’ll know my heart.”

Fisher also pointed to endorsements from rappers such as Waka Flocka Flame as evidence that Blacks’ support for Trump is on the rise. Fisher also says that there is a silent consensus spreading amongst Black people that will show up at the polls, even if they won’t endorse Trump in public.

Fisher told the Epoch Times, “They won’t say it in public in fear of backlash from the community because they have reputations, businesses, and relationships they don’t want to put in jeopardy, but they’ll speak with their vote.”

According to Reuters, exit polls of the 2022 midterms showed that 20% of Black voters under 50 voted Republican, double the percentage of older voters who voted Republican in the 2022 midterms. In addition, a poll Reuters conducted with Ipsos between July 11 and July 17 showed that support for Trump is modestly increasing. In the 2020 election, Trump carried 12% of the Black vote, but in the poll, 18% of Black voters indicated that they would choose Trump over Biden if those were their options. 

Ahead of the election, Democrats are trying to make sure that they emphasize what they have delivered for Black voters, as Tracy King, the Democratic National Convention’s director of outreach communications, told Reuters via email: “As we head into the 2024 cycle, the DNC is doubling down on our commitment to engaging Black voters with meaningful and sustained investments to make sure they know how President Biden and Vice President Harris have delivered for them.”

However, that may not be enough to motivate some Black voters to turn out and vote for Biden and the Democratic Party. Forty-seven-year-old Chicagoan Andre Russell told Reuters he feels stuck with Biden unless a better candidate comes along. ‘“I’m kind of stuck with Biden until someone else comes along,” Russell said.” As a society, we definitely have to move past the trope of old white men running everything.”

RELATED CONTENT: REP. JASMINE CROCKETT RECEIVES BACKLASH FOR SAYING BLACK TRUMP SUPPORTERS ‘DON’T UNDERSTAND HOW ANY OF THIS WORKS’

A viral video surfacing on social media has viewers tuned into an altercation at a grocery store between a white manager and a Black cashier.

According to the footage posted to TikTok the week of Nov. 5, the incident shows a middle-aged white manager confronting one of the store’s cashiers, who appears to be an older Black woman, over the cashier’s alleged deviation from the work schedule.

“You were scheduled to clock out. Clock out,” the manager could be heard telling the cashier at the beginning of the video. The manager confronted the Black employee about not taking her breaks and claimed she caused her to go over labor hours by six and a half hours. She made the accusation in front of customers while the store was busy.

According to the manager, she told the cashier to clock out on time because her bosses reprimanded her about the employee’s extra hours. “I haven’t cheated you on anything. You were scheduled [for] 29 and a half hours. Why won’t you clock in and out on your time? You got your hours,” the white woman says.

The Black woman tells the manager to move her fingers from her face before she is ordered to “get out of the store.” The cashier sat her bag down on the table and responded to the manager, “Woman, you don’t know who you messing with!”

“Don’t do this to me.”

“I’m not scared of you anymore,” the manager said, to which the cashier responded, “I’m not scared of you.”

The manager recounted an alleged previous confrontation with the Black employee.

“Everybody’s mad because I backed up last time,” the white manager said as she pulled up on the older Black woman to assert that she was not backing up this time.

Spectators in the store attempted to de-escalate the situation by telling both women to calm down. One woman pointed out the manager’s unprofessionalism in handling the situation. The pressure from the customers led the rude woman to storm out of the store.

In the video, the Black cashier never addresses the manager’s complaint. The situation garnered several perspectives from TikTok users. Some believe the manager was wrong in this case, and she should have handled the matter in private. Others understood the manager’s frustration but suggested there was a better way to address her employee.

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 13, 2023

Mike Tyson Travels To Poland To Purchase Pigeons

Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson's love for pigeons took him overseas to Poland to purchase 100 birds.

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Anyone who is a fan of former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson probably knows that as a youth, he was a great fan of pigeons, even taking solace in caring for them in his Brooklyn neighborhood. It’s really no surprise that he traveled to a foreign country to obtain a handful of them.

An Instagram post revealed the boxer-turned-podcaster reportedly traveled to Poland to purchase some pigeons. The post, written in Polish and translated to English, said: “Mike Tyson came specially to Pi żytnica (next to !om ća) to buy 100 pigeons from the local trader!

“No one would have predicted such a turn of events today.”

In the post, Tyson is seen posing with one of the local breeders there.

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The Daily Mail posted quotes attributed to Tyson in earlier years when he spoke of his love for pigeons and why he was drawn to them as a youngster.

Growing up in New York, he found that caring for pigeons during a traumatic childhood brought him solace. The publication stated he said, ‘I was fat, and ugly, and kids teased me all the time. The only joy I had was pigeons. I’ve loved them since I was nine. They were my escape.’

Tyson may have learned that Poland reportedly gained a reputation for pigeon breeding. It was reported last year that it has become Europe’s largest community of pigeon breeders. The pigeons are ‘good enough to compete in international tournaments.’ Earlier this March, the Polish government announced it intended to place traditional pigeon breeding on the country’s List of Intangible National Heritage. Deputy Culture Minister Jaroslaw Sellin has gone on record saying: ‘Polish mail pigeons are world-class.’

While we are on the topic of overseas businesses, in March, Tyson launched his Tyson 2.0 cannabis brand in a brick-and-mortar coffee shop in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Coffeeshop Tyson 2.0 offers a selection of the brand’s products and accessories and serves as a lounge for visitors to receive the full Tyson 2.0 experience, according to Global Cannabis Times. It sits on 1,200 sq. ft. in the centrally located Spuistraat 222 near Soho House, the W Hotel, and Central Station.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

November 13, 2023

Virginia State Legislator Urges Universities To Address Displaced Black Communities

The call for a legislative commission aims to uncover the impact of public universities on the seizure and displacement of Black communities.

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The call of a legislative commission aims to uncover the impact of public universities on the seizure and displacement of Black communities. Delores McQuinn, a Virginia state representative, and other legislators were “troubled” by recent reports of how Virginia universities have dislodged Black families, according to ProPublica. She is now sponsoring a commission to not only research uprooted Black communities but to explore cases of families who were allegedly forced to sell their homes.

McQuinn, who was reelected this past election, said she hopes that “these efforts will result in solution-oriented steps toward addressing past inequities,” the news outlet reported.

I appreciate and thank the members of the Virginia Education Association for stopping by my office to share their 2023 legislative agenda. pic.twitter.com/41DHPd6Q70

— Delegate Delores McQuinn (@DelegateMcQuinn) January 20, 2023

FROM SHOE LANE TO EMINENT DOMAIN

The outlet reports that McQuinn’s call for action was partly motivated by the story of Shoe Lane in Newport News, Virginia. It was a Black community eradicated by the expansion of Christopher Newport University. Around 1960, before the seizure, 20 Black families, including teachers, dentists, a high school principal, and a NASA engineer, owned ranch-style houses along Shoe Lane and three other streets. The 110-acre area and farmland were expected to thrive with incoming Black owners, but the Newport News City Council had other intentions.

In 1961, a branch of the College of William & Mary system was built on Shoe Lane as a result of eminent domain. The government wielded its right to forcibly purchase the private property of Shoe Lane residents for public use. The home of white, affluent neighborhoods and a segregated country club was just a drive away.

“Historically, the city has to own up to the fact that this was a deliberate attempt to get rid of a Black community because there were many places that the school could have been built,” according to Anthony Santoro, Christopher Newport’s president from 1987 to 1996.

Today, according to the outlet, only five Black households remain in the Shoe Lane area, including James and Barbara Johnson and Katie Luck. A dorm, student center, sorority and fraternity houses, and a residence hall occupy the land. For street access, residents have to navigate through a university parking lot.

“Universities should take it upon themselves to revisit and address these inequities and injustice that occurred at monumental levels,” said McQuinn, a Democrat who represents part of the city of Richmond and adjoining counties.

“Many universities have profited for years based on the injustice that prevented Black families from progressing financially.”

OTHER EFFORTS TO MAKE AMENDS, reported by ProPublica:

• Old Dominion University: A part of Lamberts Point neighborhood in Norfolk, Virginia Point, was “leveled in the 1960s and 1970s, when it was a predominantly Black neighborhood, to make room for what is now Old Dominion University’s main campus.” From community outreach to changes to admissions policies, enrollment for students of color has increased by 33%, and hundreds of thousands of scholarships have been awarded since 1999. Free children’s summer camps and seasonal employment opportunities have been made available.
• The University of Virginia: Charlottesville’s communities of color faced the threats of displacement and erasure from the moment UVA began to expand. Vinegar Hill, Gospel Hill, and The Sequel were former downtown Black business and residential districts destroyed by the city as part of urban renewal projects. In response, the University has appointed two executive commissions within the last decade to study its historical support for racist policies. By 2030, UVA’s president looks forward to “building up to 1,500 affordable homes and apartments by 2030 for Charlottesville residents on property owned by the university or its affiliates.”

Though some colleges are making efforts to right wrongs, McQuinn wants the movement to continue.

Chick-fil-A has announced its commitment to another round of funding for Morris Brown College.

The fast food chain has awarded $500,000 to fund the Atlanta HBCU’s leadership development initiative for its students. According to a press release obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the award marks the continuation of its partnership with Morris Brown College and the second round of funding from the restaurant company.

Through the flagship initiative, student leaders at the liberal arts college will be selected to participate in the program that will provide the tools and skills needed to thrive in hospitality and organizational leadership careers.

“I look forward to Morris Brown being a direct pipeline of diverse leaders within the career fields of hospitality and organizational leadership for organizations like Chick-fil-A,” said Dr. Kevin James, president of Morris Brown College. James’s goal is to accelerate Morris Brown as a leading institution in the US for Black and Brown people to own and operate restaurants and hotels.

According to Carol Waddy, director of Community Affairs and Corporate Social Responsibility for Chick-fil-A, Inc., the initiative will grant Morris Brown students industry experience and exposure to service concepts and practices from successful corporate leaders. “Our goal is to give students access to opportunities and tools that will help them advance their skills, network, and prepare for success in their college journey, business, and life,” Waddy said.

The initiative celebrates the continued success of Morris Brown College in its pursuit to produce top-performing leaders in the workforce. Selected scholars will build the confidence, skills, and presence that will be significant when applying for real-world positions.

Chick-fil-A pledged $500,000 to the historically-Black institution on May 3, 2021. The Associated Press reported that the gift came before constructing a 150-unit hotel on the campus near downtown Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The hospitality project, which included an instructional space for the school’s hospitality students, named Morris Brown the only HBCU in the country to launch a national hotel chain and offer an on-campus hospitality management training program.

• Sports

by Derek Major

November 13, 2023

ESPN Host Stephen A. Smith Shares Career Advice At 9th Annual Black Professionals Summit

ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith shared career and life advice to an audience at the ninth annual Black Professional Summit last weekend

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ESPN analyst, podcaster, and First Take host Stephen A. Smith delivered the keynote address Friday afternoon at the ninth annual Black Professionals Summit held at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino last weekend.

The conference brought together chapters of the Black Professionals Network, a nonprofit seeking to equip Black professionals with the tools and relationships necessary to build generational wealth. 

The theme of this year’s Summit was “MVP: Mastery, Value, Performance,” a concept that Smith personifies, according to BPN Founder and CEO Kenasha Paul.

The former Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, who has been in the world of sports for more than 30 years, fed the audience nuggets of career advice, including the topic of ownership, as his production company, Mr. SAS Productions, is set to open its first studio in New Jersey this month.

“Hire people that have access to data to give you the intel to bolster your knowledge about your business,” Smith said, according to the Miami Herald.

“That’s why I love being an owner: because you don’t get to hide it as easily. Now you have to deal with the fact that I have more access to more intel than I ever had before.”

Smith added that his production company will produce content on sports, pop culture, politics, and entertainment on streaming platforms as streaming and social media growth continues.

Smith also discussed the downsides of his career, including when he was fired from the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2009, which fueled his going from an employee to an owner.

“Don’t ever feel like you’ve arrived,” Smith said. “That was the mistake I made: believing that I was house money, I was good, I was straight, and I had nothing to worry about. That was far from the truth. And I’ll never make that mistake again.”

Smith has found a home at ESPN, where he’s been a basketball and football analyst for more than two decades, in addition to being the host of First Take and his own podcast. Smith even hosted his own late-night sports talk show on the network from 2005-2007.

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 13, 2023

Questlove And Black Thought Sell Major Stake Of Production Company

The Roots frontmen are locked in with The North Road Company.

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The Roots frontmen, Questlove and Black Thought, owners of the production company Two One Five Entertainment, are now in business with The North Road Company after selling a significant stake to the burgeoning content studio.

According to Variety, The North Road Company, which produces scripted and non-scripted content for film and TV, will provide financial assistance for future film, TV, and other projects under the Two One Five umbrella.

“Building our production company Two One Five has been a major priority and the next chapter of creative evolution for Tarik and I,” Ahmir’ Questlove’Thompson said in a written statement.

“Although we’ve had success thus far, finding an investor and strategic partner like North Road will have an immediate impact on our business, as their superior production capabilities will help us significantly increase our output. Additionally, the capital they are committing provides us the flexibility to independently fund creative ideas, grow our executive team, and truly scale the business.”

The duo’s production company was responsible for the Oscar-winning documentary Summer of Soul and The League and Descendent. Under the new partnership, North Road will help Two One Five expand on its scripted slate after years of focusing on unscripted content.

“Questlove and Black Thought have long been not only iconic musicians but also beacons for talent,” North Road CEO David Nevins said. “They are visionaries who have been behind some of the most impactful stories about music and Black culture and how they shaped America. We are thrilled to partner with such a uniquely creative team as they enter their next phase of growth, supporting them as they continue their excellent track record in the nonfiction space and seize the opportunity to achieve similar success in scripted film, television, and beyond.”

The North Road Company was launched in 2022, and this is the latest move the company has made to expand its reach in the film and television space.

This news comes right as Black Thought’s book, The Upcycled Self, is being released under the One World imprint of Random House Books.

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The book is available on Amazon for $24.95 for the hardcover and $14.99 for the Kindle version.

• News

by Iman Milner

November 13, 2023

Migrant Families In NYC Refuse To Move To Tent City At Brooklyn’s Floyd Bennet Field

Migrant families being bussed to remote Brooklyn location refused to stay at the "tent city" site amid growing crisis in NYC.

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Migrant families being moved to a tent city at Brooklyn’s remote Floyd Bennet Field on Nov. 12 refused to remain on the temporary site, citing the accommodations to be “inhumane,” Daily News reports. As New York City has become flooded with migrants, officials have started to seek alternative options to the area’s hotels, shelters, and places of worship that have acted as spaces of refuge.

Nearly 100 people were bussed to the “tent city,” the outlet reports.

Brooklyn Assemblywoman Jamie Williams was on site as the MTA bus arrived to drop off migrants, who then boarded the vehicle again, demanding to be taken elsewhere.

“Families got off of the bus and saw the accommodations,” she said. “When they realized they wouldn’t be staying at a hotel they refused to stay and demanded to be taken somewhere else. They were not told in advance that they would be going to a tent city.” Williams reportedly told workers at the Floyd Bennet Field to inform Mayor Eric Adams that his treatment of migrants in the city was unacceptable. “No woman or children should be having to be bussed around like this,” she said. “Let them know that this is not the place for you guys to be — in an isolated area.”

NYC officials have called the influx of migrants a crisis as space was already limited in the city. With an estimated 61 million tourists expected to visit the Big Apple by the year’s end, migrants have few options as the temperatures rapidly decrease.

“With more than 65,600 migrants still currently in our care, and thousands more continuing to arrive every week, we have used every possible corner of New York City and are quite simply out of good options to shelter migrants,” mayoral spokesperson Kayla Mamelak said. City officials have openly opposed Mayor Adams’ treatment of migrants in the city, with the Floyd Bennet Field decision being the latest to draw ire from leaders. Williams and Queens Councilmember Joann Ariola have sued the city and the state and asked a judge to shut down the site.

“This is a remote location, far from any transportation hubs, and lacking in any real infrastructure, and it is simply not suitable for habitation,” she said. “We’ve been told that, of the handful that initially opted to stay, most of them are now requesting to be transferred as well.