• Sports

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 5, 2023

U.S. Fencer Curtis McDowald Suspended For Misconduct Allegations

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U.S fencer Curtis McDowald has been formally suspended for allegations of misconduct.

The U.S. Center for SafeSport declared that McDowald has been suspended, effective starting Nov. 3. The athlete will be unable to participate in any event sanctioned by USA Fencing, immediately barring him from being a present member of the organization.

USA Fencing released a statement regarding SafeSport’s, an independent body established by Congress, verdict.

Citing confidentiality, SafeSport offered no additional information to USA Today on the matter. McDowald also refused to comment on his current status with the team.

“Once we became aware of the allegations, we immediately informed the U.S. Center for SafeSport, who exercised their ability to take jurisdictional control of the case and upheld our temporary measures,” expressed USA Fencing, as detailed by USA Today. “We take the safety and integrity of our sport seriously and will cooperate fully with the inquiry while maintaining the confidentiality of the involved parties. We also encourage anyone who has been harmed in sport to come forward, and we will support them to the fullest extent of our abilities.”

This is not the first time McDowald has been in the news for bad behavior. In June ,the 2021 Olympic fencer kicked through a free-standing banner at the event in Peru. That action, in conjunction with slapping an opponent who tried to shake his hand, led to the USA men’s épée team being disqualified from the rest of the competition, according to Fox News.

The top-ranked team would have won a bronze medal had McDowald’s actioins not occurred, was crucial for qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. However, the disqualification granted them no eligible points, jeopardizing their entire run for the summer sporting event.

RELATED CONTENT: Simone Biles Wins Her 6th All-Around World Title, Making Her Most Decorated Gymnast In History

• Politics

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 5, 2023

President Biden Removes African Countries From AGOA Trade Program

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President Joe Biden is making changes to the longstanding trade program with sub-Saharan African nations after allegations of human rights violations. The world leader has removed Central African Republic (CAR), Gabon, Niger, and Uganda from the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) in light of these issues.

As reported by BBC News, Biden’s removal of Niger and Gabon stems from their newfound is that they are not progressing in the “protection of political pluralism,” with both countries currently under military rule.

AGOA, established in 2000 during the George W. Bush administration, created duty-free trading with U.S. products.

As for CAR and Uganda, their expulsion stems from their accused human rights infringements, as the president warned the latter nation of its potential removal following its strict anti-homosexuality law. According to Ugandan law, those found guilty of engaging in same-sex acts can receive the death penalty for their illegal action.

Biden released a statement officiating the removal in a letter to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA).

“Despite intensive engagement between the United States and the Central African Republic, Gabon, Niger, and Uganda, these countries have failed to address United States concerns about their non-compliance with the AGOA eligibility criteria,” Biden wrote.

As detailed by the International Trade Administration, the AGOA requires countries involved to adhere to and establish market-based economies, rule of law, and combat corruption in order to receive the benefits.

 “The U.S. Government will work with eligible countries to sustain their efforts to institute policy reforms, and with the remaining nine Sub-Saharan African countries to help them achieve eligibility,” as stated on its website.

The removal will begin next year. Experts, though, are concerned about the impact of the nations’ economies without this support, including in job creation and exporting products. But the United States is considering updated regulations and reform to the trade deal as it expires in 2025, with Biden in support of its expansion with new amendments.

“We would like to see this program be more than just a symbolic one,” shared U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai at a trade forum on Nov. 3, as reported by Reuters. “We would like for it to be more useful and effective.”

• HBCU

by Daniel Johnson

November 5, 2023

Wiley College Rebrands Itself As Wiley University At Homecoming Celebration

Wiley College, an HBCU located in Marshall, Texas announced plans to change its name to Wiley University during its homecoming celebration.

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During its recent homecoming celebration, Wiley College, an HBCU situated in Marshall, Texas, unveiled its decision to rebrand as Wiley University.

This change was accompanied by the introduction of three new Master’s degree programs: a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Arts in Criminal Justice, and a Master of Science in Higher Education Administration, KSLA reported.

Wiley also received a generous gift that wiped out the student debt.

“We’re on the cusp of yet another defining moment for the nation through Wiley College,” Wiley’s President Herman J. Felton said of the changes. “With the unwavering support of our students, alumni, faculty, and staff, we’re setting the stage for the next phase of the Wiley legacy.”

Felton then addressed students gathered at the school’s “Returning To Our Roots” homecoming event.

“Becoming Wiley University is not simply an exercise and a name change, it is an exercise in our ability to embrace our past and see the future,” Felton said. “The past 150 years have been a testimony to our faith in what is possible. We stand proudly today and return to our roots, symbolically as Wiley University, and literally as we embrace the next chapter of excellence.”

According to the Marshall News Messenger, Wiley College was founded in 1873 as Wiley University by the Freedmen’s Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. The school was named in honor of Dr. Issac William Wiley, one of the university’s founders, a Methodist medical missionary and later a pastor in the Methodist denomination.

Tashia Bradley, the school’s operating officer and vice president for administration, told Marshall News Messenger, “When we think about the person who came to this institution at that period of time who were formerly enslaved, living in that particular time period who had a vision and had a dream that they too could have access to education, and to leverage education to radically change their lives.”

Bradley added, “And so, in the 21st Century, the bold and audacious vision continues that tradition, but inspires us and asks us to really focus on how we can achieve that as an institution. It also asks what we can be radical with regards to providing an accessible education and affordable education during these times to any student who would want it at Wiley University.”

According to the News Messenger, the university was presented with some checks from student organizations and staff totaling symbolic amounts of $1,873, $1,929, and $2,023. In addition to these gifts, the university has been able to secure $9.5 million in gifts, grants, and services from partnerships as well as the creation of the Transformation Center and the Kenny Ponder Welcome Center. 

RELATED CONTENT: 16 States Severely Underfunded Historically Black Land-Grant Universities

• Celebrity News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 5, 2023

Simone Biles And Jonathan Owens Show Off Newlywed Bliss In Adorable Fall Photos

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Simone Biles is truly a married woman! The all-star athlete posed for a fall photo shoot with newly wedded husband, NFL player Jonathan Owens, to celebrate the season.

The couple, who were married in April, have been in a honeymoon phase as they have gushed over one another in their social media pages and to the media. In the photo shoot, taken in Green Bay, Wisconsin—Owens plays for the Green Bay Packers—the spread detailed the newlyweds in coordinating outfits in the midst of the autumnal scenery.

The most decorated gymnast ever rocked an all-black look, with an oversized leather blazer. Owens, her partner since 2020, wore a black and white plaid jacket. In one photo that detailed their bling, the superstar couple showcased Biles’ sparkling ring.

The NFL safety shared additional photos, complete with outfit changes, to his own account, captioning his round of pic as “enjoying all seasons with you.”

While both are heavily involved in their own sports, Biles shared with Today in September about supporting her husband at his games.

“It’s been really fun supporting what he loves to do,” the Olympic gold medalist added. “Obviously, he’s in Green Bay right now so my season just ended. I’m super excited to get out there to Green Bay for the holidays to support him.”

While the legendary athlete prepares to gain even more accolades at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, Biles is putting herself first and enjoying all the facets of her life.

“This time around, it’s being intentional, going to therapy, making sure everything is aligned, so that I can do the best in the gym and be a good wife, good daughter, good friend and all of the good things,” she said.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘I Don’t Play Bout My Baby’: Jonathan Owens Fires Back At Fan Who Said His Wife, Simone Biles, Was Rude

• News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 5, 2023

United Nations Body Calls For Reparations Across Black Diaspora

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As the movement for reparations across the United States gains traction, the United Nations has called for a global progression on the matter in a report by the Permanent Forum on People Of African Descent.

On Oct. 30, the United Nations body released the report that urged countries across the world to push for reparations as a way to rectify the injustices plaguing the international Black community for centuries.

The report was detailed in a press conference the following day led by Chairperson of the Forum Epsy Campbell Barr. The rising trend of racialized violence, in addition to the ongoing systemic discrimination, led the group to formally urge countries to enact legislation that promotes the upliftment of this marginalized diaspora, The Root reported.

“Indeed, the legacies of colonialism and slavery and apartheid are still alive today and have a real impact in the life of millions of people of African descent around the world,” Barr told reporters. “It makes them–us–more exposed to violence and death as a result of encounters with law enforcement officials. It also makes them more exposed to wealth disparities, as they also bear the burden of interregional and transgenerational trauma, coped with the profound impact that racism and racial discrimination have on both cyclical and mental health.”

The forum was established in August 2021, as a “consultative mechanism for people of African descent,” according to its website. The advisory body provides recommendations to the Human Rights Council to “improve the safety and quality of life and livelihoods” for all whose racial backgrounds stem from Africa.

In ensuring its recommendations apply to Black people whose diverse identities can be impacted by other forms of prejudice, Barr also detailed that migrants, those with disabilities, and who are part of the LGTBTIQ+ community are especially in need of these same protections and reparations.

For its long-term goals, the forum has also requested the inclusion of reparations in the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, as well as an extension to the International Decade of People of African Descent. As the pressure on governments to facilitate and legalize reparations grows across the world, with U.S. cities such as New York City in support, the ideal may finally come to fruition.

RELATED CONTENT: Former Residents Demand Answers And Reparations For Cold War-Era Military Experiments In St. Louis Housing Complex

• Fashion & Beauty

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 5, 2023

Stormi Steele Finds Success With Body Glaze On TikTok Shop While Handling ‘Love And Marriage Hunstville’ Drama

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Stormi Steele, CEO and founder of Canvas Beauty Brand and star on OWN’s Love and Marriage Huntsville, is again making waves in the beauty industry with her latest creation, Body Glaze.

The new Canvas Beauty product went viral on TikTok over Labor Day weekend and became the platform’s fastest-growing product and creator brand.

“One of my gifts, I can make content that converts,” she tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I’m very good at telling people and showing people in content and video format why they need a product, what it does, and getting them excited about it.”

After introducing Body Glaze to TikTok Shop, hundreds of creators flocked to showcase the product, which resulted in tens of millions of views for Body Glaze across the platform. It’s a new way Steele has reached consumers, but not new to her innovative approach to marketing her self-made beauty products.

At just 35 years old, Steele is a self-made woman who launched Canvas Beauty inside a modest 100-square-foot kitchen in 2018. Through personal formulas and a keen understanding of the ever-evolving social media landscape, Steele has solidified her position as a trendsetter in the beauty industry.

Stormi Steele’s hair products are already a staple in stores nationwide, including CVS, Walmart, Target, and Sally Beauty. With the Body Glaze poised to surpass the success of her hair serum, which has generated over $30 million in sales in just a few years, Steele continues to demonstrate her prowess in the cosmetics industry.

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A post shared by CANVAS BEAUTY BRAND (@canvasbeautybrand)

All the while, she’s become a standout on Love and Marriage Huntsville with an unapologetic approach to handling business while demanding respect from her peers. Season 6 saw her bump heads with Marsau and LaTisha Scott after participating in their Black Business Expo.

Her husband, Courtney Beasley, soon got involved and exchanged a few words with Marsau, which further ignited their feud. But despite all the drama on the show, Steele focuses on the representation and inspiration she provides to women and young girls.

“I’m more so focused on who I want to represent for, and I want to represent girls who are from no-stop towns like me who didn’t think, like, even having the opportunity to do something of this capacity was even possible,” she says.

“I just keep my mind on that and as far as getting into it with my personal life and stuff and making a decision to do it I don’t I don’t regret it. I feel like it’s all good I’ve been through the fire of the other side of Love and Marriage.

Press play below to learn more about Stormi’s success with her Body Glaze on TikTok Shop and how she prepared for the Love and Marriage Huntsville Season 6 reunion she filmed that day.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Love And Marriage Hunstville’ Star Turns Herself In After Forging Ex-Husband’s Signature

• Health and Wellness

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 5, 2023

Guerdy Abraira On Navigating Breast Cancer While Filming “The Real Housewives Of Miami”

Guerdy Abraira gets candid about navigating breast cancer in "Real Housewives of Miami" Season 6.

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Guerdy Abraira is back for The Real Housewives of Miami and has a serious story to share.

The new season will follow the renowned event planner, wife, and mother as she learns that life never goes as planned. The Guerdy Design owner starts she season with grim news about her breast cancer diagnosis.

Faced with the possibility of chemotherapy, Guerdy leans on her husband, Russell, her two sons, and her friends for their support. She soon realizes that some friendships are not as trustworthy and strong as she thought.

Speaking with BLACK ENTERPRISE, Guerdy gets candid about her journey and what it was like navigating the experience while filming a reality show.

“It was surreal. And I was in complete denial, shock, whichever emotion,” she tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Guerdy Abraira #GUERDYFY (@guerdydesign)

Viewers will get an inside look at Guerdy navigating “the discovery phase” of breast cancer, a disease that impacts one in eight women, she says.

“It’s going to affect a lot of people. And I just can’t believe I did it, but I knew I had to do it,” Guerdy says of sharing her journey on the show.

The Haitian-born and Paris- and Miami-raised event planner had never seen someone candidly share a cancer diagnosis on a popular show like Real Housewives. But she was up for the task.

“It made me realize like, ‘If I don’t share, then who is? Who is?’ No one shared this story from beginning to end ever on TV in such a way,” she said. “Or unless you go to a documentary and stream it on Netflix, this is reality TV.”

It gets real at the end of Season 6 episode 1 when Guerdy tries to dismiss a petty verbal spat with Larsa Pippen because of her diagnosis that she is not ready to share publicly with the group just yet. Larsa appeared confused at the time, but Guerdy explains where she was coming from.

“I’m talking to Larsa specifically, but it’s not about, ‘I mean, you, Larsa,'” Guerdy explains. “It was more like, ‘Girl, like stop with this BS because this is nothing compared to what I’m going through.'”

In the end, Guerdy’s breast cancer journey brought her closer to her cast mates, even if she realized some people aren’t that shoulder to lean on in serious situations.

“Closer in the best of ways, whether it being closer than now, I’ve seen you for who you are and I don’t like it, or it’s like, wow, you came through for me and wow, like the commendable type of stuff,” she explains.

Press play below to learn more about Guerdy’s work in raising awareness for breast cancer and be sure to catch The Real Housewives of Miami on Bravo Wednesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT.

RELATED CONTENT: These Organizations Help Before, During And After Breast Cancer Diagnosis

• Business

by Daniel Johnson

November 4, 2023

NiLu: The Harlem Boutique With A Gift For Every Occasion And A Taste Of Community

NiLu contains an extensive collection of merchandise from Black woman owned brands.

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In 2015, Katrina Parris established NiLu in Harlem, a boutique with a mission to create an inclusive environment for creators to collaborate and provide shoppers with access to distinctive and culturally rich products.

“Harlem was a gift desert,” she said in a press release. “Raising a young family, and finding a place for gifts for birthdays or housewarmings outside the drug stores was hard. We needed a place that was local and had quality merchandise but represented the culture.”

In the eight years since the doors of the boutique opened, Parris had built a community and a following. Parris parlayed the features her boutique flower shop gained in O Magazine and New York Wedding to change her business’ focus from flowers to a flagship community store. Parris and her husband also changed the name of her business to reflect their children’s names. From Nigel and Luke, the pair came up with NiLu.

“We love representing Harlem through international gifts, many from local makers in the community and beyond,” Parris said.

NiLu has morphed into a brick-and-mortar location located in the middle of Harlem, selling everything from accessories and gifts to home goods. NiLu contains an extensive collection of merchandise from Black woman-owned brands, including Sheila Bridges, Adjourn Teahouse, and Harlem Candle Company.

The store will host a number of events during the holiday season, including a self-care session featuring Harlem Chi, which is composed of alternative healing and acupuncture, on Nov. 10. On Nov 16, Harlem Candle Company will hold a new fragrance trunk show at the store.

The store will observe National Monopoly Day through an event hosted by the creator of Harlem-opoly, a board game celebrating Harlem and the Harlem Renaissance, on Nov. 19. On Nov. 21, the store will be hosting a shop-n-sip event in addition to promoting Folkus Wrapping Paper, a Black-owned business specializing in gift wrapping needs.

Finally, on Dec. 5, the store will host a Kwanzaa shopping and educational event. 

RELATED CONTENT: AT&T Partners With Silicon Harlem To Open A Unique New Digital Learning Lab

• Sports

by Daniel Johnson

November 4, 2023

Coach Prime’s Week: A Buffalo Stance and a New OC

Colorado has struggled mightily to run the ball all season long. The team's leading rusher, freshman Dylan Edwards only has 262 yards on 58 carries

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Deion Sanders, the head football coach at the University of Colorado Buffaloes, took a different approach to motivate his team: a wildlife video of buffaloes.

According to Sports Illustrated, Sanders encouraged his players to embody the spirit of buffaloes rather than cattle, drawing a distinction between the two by emphasizing the buffalo’s remarkable ability to run toward a storm, not away from it. This analogy was aimed at instilling a sense of resilience and determination in his team.

It was a sure sign of coach searching for anything to motivate his team, including making a mid-season switch to a new offensive coordinator.

Colorado has struggled mightily to run the ball all season long; the team’s leading rusher, freshman Dylan Edwards, only has 262 yards on 58 carries. Shedeur Sanders, meanwhile, has thrown the ball 346 times for 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns. This indicates either one of two things usually. Either the team is often playing catch-up, or it is a team that is so ineffective at running the football that it has abandoned the run game altogether.

Typically, this might work if you have better athletes than your opponents, but at the Power Five level, everybody has good to great athletes. It’s not going to work for long, if it works at all. 

Compounding these issues are the problems defensively; the team has given up 279 points on the year, the third-worst total in college football. Colorado’s inability to get pressure on opposing quarterbacks has only magnified the issues present on its back end, with the general exception of Travis Hunter. As a result, Colorado has had problems in the second halves of games, either closing a gap once it gets beyond two or three scores or holding opposing teams at bay using their running game. 

Sanders called a private meeting with the offensive line on Nov. 1, which he said was productive.

“I have the utmost thought process that those guys are going to step it up tremendously,” he said. You’re going to see a more cohesive, more aggressive, more physical and well-prepared group than ever before this weekend. I really do believe that.”

RELATED CONTENT: Deion Sanders Wants NCAA Or The Rose Bowl To Reimburse Players For Stolen Jewelry

• Politics

by Daniel Johnson

November 4, 2023

Former President Obama Weighs In On The Israel-Hamas Conflict

In a tone similar to the one he assumed throughout much of his presidency, Barack Obama tried to strike the middle ground on a polarizing topic.

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Barack Obama called the Israel-Hamas war a “moral reckoning for all of us.” In a tone similar to the one he assumed throughout much of his presidency, Obama tried to strike the middle ground on a polarizing topic.

“All of this is taking place against the backdrop of decades of failure to achieve a durable peace for both Israelis and Palestinians,” he said at the Obama Foundation’s Democracy Forum. “One that is based on genuine security for Israel, a recognition of its right to exist, and a peace that is based on an end of the occupation and the creation of a viable state and self-determination for the Palestinian people.”

As The Hill reported, Obama did acknowledge that it is difficult for people not to have strong feelings given that we live in the age of social media.

“Now, I will admit, it is impossible to be dispassionate in the face of this carnage,” Obama said. “It is hard to feel hopeful. The images of families mourning, of bodies being pulled from rubble, force a moral reckoning on all of us.”

President Joe Biden has been less than willing to embrace a ceasefire, which many humanitarian organizations have been calling for so aid can reach Gaza. Fourteen senators have already called for Biden to speak out for a ceasefire. 

A joint statement released by the senators, who included Ed Markey, Mark Warner, and Chris Murphy, echoes the statement of former President Obama, “The failure to adequately protect non-combatant civilians risks dramatic escalation of the conflict in the region and imposes severe damage on prospects for peaceful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians.”

On Twitter, users were critical of Obama’s remarks, and they have been extremely critical of Biden’s response.

RELATED CONTENT: DRAKE SIGNS LETTER CALLING FOR CEASEFIRE IN ISRAEL-HAMAS WAR