Mike Tyson Receives $250K Offer After ‘Cheeky’ Display On Fight Night
The vice president of the adult website, CamSoda made the offer that the boxer is most likely to refuse
One company was so impressed with the former heavyweight boxer’s appearance that it offered Mike Tyson six figures, not to fight but to make an appearance based on what was shown in the boxer’s dressing room on the night of his highly-anticipated brawl with Jake Paul.
According to TMZ Sports, after viewing a particular scene before Tyson headed out to fight Paul, an adult website made the 58-year-old a $250,000 offer. While in his dressing room, after an intimate moment with his son, the Netflix cameras revealed Tyson’s bare butt as he walked away. The seemingly innocent shot made noise when viewers witnessed it on Nov. 16.
Apparently, the vice president of the adult website CamSoda saw the display and came up with an idea to offer the popular pugilist a quarter of a million dollars.
In a letter to Tyson, VP Daryn Parker stated, “Now I understand this offer may be a far cry from what you just raked in from the fight, but let’s face it — maybe it’s time to hang up the gloves.”
“I think this offer is the perfect way to still get in front of people and perform in a different, less strenuous way. Plus, you don’t have to worry about anyone biting or going after your ears.”
This is not the first time the website offered to pay the boxer six figures.
Four years ago, Boxing Scene reported that CamSoda wanted to pay Tyson $100,000 to be the Drug Test Coordinator for an event the site was promoting. They made the offer after viewing an episode of his podcast, Hotboxin with Mike Tyson, where he discussed beating drug tests during his earlier career by using a prosthetic penis filled with a child’s urine to avoid testing positive during random tests.
Tyson turned down that offer, and there is no word if he will accept this recent one.
The youngest heavyweight champion of the world lost his recent fight against Paul, which took place in Arlinton, Texas, at AT&T Stadium.
Getty Pledges $1.55M To Preserve Historic Buildings Designed By Black Architects
Getty commits $1.55 million to preserve historic buildings designed by Black architects.
The Getty Foundation has partnered with the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, pledging $1.55 million to preserve historic modernist buildings designed by Black architects and designers.
The funding, made possible through the Conserving Black Modernism initiative, will support preservation planning, training, and storytelling for eight grantees who will be announced in 2025, Philanthropy News Digest reported. In addition to essential preservation efforts, the grants will be used to organize project participants, consultants, and preservationists, encouraging peer-to-peer learning and the development of professional networks.
The initiative will strengthen enduring partnerships among the Action Fund, Getty, Black heritage networks, grantees, and national stakeholders dedicated to preserving Black-designed modern architecture.
“African American architects and designers have been left out of the modern architecture movement for over a century. Because of this, many pioneers of the Black modernism movement remain unknown, despite the incredible work they have done to fuel innovation, experimentation, and push the limits of how people interact with the built environment,” said Action Fund executive director and National Trust senior vice president Brent Leggs.
“With the support of the Getty Foundation, the Action Fund will continue to leverage historic preservation as a force that ensures the contributions of Black people and culture are protected and included in the narrative of our nation’s heritage.”
The funding the Getty Foundation has allocated to Conserving Black Modernism as part of the Action Fund’s National Grant Program, which has invested $27 million in 304 Black historic and cultural sites nationwide. Backed by over $150 million, the Action Fund stands as the largest U.S. resource dedicated to preserving African American historic places.
“By extending Conserving Black Modernism, we get closer to our shared goal of expanding the story of mid-century architecture to include the advances and innovations of African American architects,” said Joan Weinstein, Director of the Getty Foundation.
“Important buildings continue to be threatened, and a third year of Conserving Black Modernism will deliver much-needed project support and critical training in communities across the country to ensure a robust network of professionals are in place to care for this heritage into the future.”
The Action Fund will open applications on January 10, 2025, with grantees set to be announced in July 2025.
‘Men Wearing Brown Make-Up And Wigs’ Are Taking Stunt Jobs From Black Women
The male-dominated entertainment industry continues to hinder women from securing opportunities.
Despite the growing presence of women in action roles, Black female stunt performers continue to face challenges in securing work in an industry still dominated by men.
A recent study published in the AmericanJournal of British Cinema and Television highlights how stuntmen in drag are taking opportunities from female stunt performers, the Stratford Herald reports. While the rise of action heroines from women of color and diverse ethnic backgrounds has increased the demand for female stunt doubles from these communities, the study notes that stunt work remains largely “invisible” to the public, resulting in less scrutiny of representation compared to acting and directing roles.
“It is very difficult for stunt women to become part of regular crews,” said Dr. Laura Crossley, a researcher at Bournemouth University. “Because the industry has been male-dominated so long, most stunt coordinators on film sets are men.”
Crossley explains that male coordinators often hire other men and dress them in drag to perform stunts originally intended for female actors.
“As a result, you can end up with male coordinators hiring other men and putting them in drag to perform stunts, or even using men wearing brown make-up and wigs to double for women of color,” Crossley said.
She highlights performers like Marie Mouroum and Belle Williams, who have performed stunts in the Bond franchise as MI6 agent Naomi and Eve Moneypenny, respectively, stating that while they “represent positive steps, they remain exceptions rather than the norm.”
The lack of representation among women stunt coordinators is reportedly worsened by the industry pushing the idea that actors perform their own stunts.
“For an industry that makes a lot of noise about representation and diversity, the reality is that a lot more needs to be done,” Crossley said.
Crossley, who interviewed stunt directors Annie Lees-Jones and Tiger Lilli Rudge for the study, said the lack of female roles dates back to when Hollywood moved to the studio system, and women were “frozen out.”
“One of the things Tiger suggested was that when a male stunt coordinator is appointed, the producers should hire a woman alongside him, training her so that she gets more experience,” Crossley said.
“At the moment the coordinators tend to hire performers who they have worked with in the past, and they are usually men.”
After conducting the study, Crossley believes “Change will only come about if women are given more opportunities.”
The Hidden Cost Of Maternity Leave: How To Reclaim Your Career Momentum
This 'motherhood penalty' is real
Dear FairyGodMentor,
I was slated for a promotion and raise before I went out on leave and was told that we would revisit the discussion once I returned from maternity leave.Well, I’ve been back for about 6 months now and don’t know how to approach the conversation without seeming pushy.
Best Wishes,
Pushing for a Promotion
Dear Pushing for a Promotion,
First off, congrats on motherhood and your newest arrival!
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, working mothers earn about 71 cents for every dollar earned by working fathers. We won’t even get into the fact about how the salary numbers get lower for Black women. That’s a whole other article for another time! This “motherhood penalty” stands in glaring contrast to the “fatherhood bonus,” where men often see increased earnings after having children.
This ‘motherhood penalty’ is real, but it’s not impossible to advocate for career.
It’s one thing to know your value–it’s another thing to show your value. When advocating for yourself after you’ve left the business for a period of time, you’ll want to highlight your results-based accomplishments (that means data that relates to the businesses success.) Ask yourself how many subscribers did you bring in? How much money was made or saved? How many people were hired, recruited, or retained?
Numbers, especially ones that positively impacted the organization, speak to leadership. They want to know that the investment that they’re making in giving you a raise will give them a good ROI (Return on Investment).
You taking time off to grow your family shouldn’t be held against you. If you’re returning to the office after your leave and you want to advocate for a raise, you’ll need to show how you’ve been able to add value to the business before and after your leaves.
Show what you may have done while on leave to keep your skills fresh. Did you assist with marketing, sales, etc. at your child’s school? If you’re a caregiver to elderly or ill parents or a partner out on caregiving leave, there’s a lot of administrative, project management, accounting and legal/patient advocacy work that you’re doing.
The key is to summarize the value that you’ve already brought to the company, additional skills you may have picked up while you were out and what you’ve achieved so quickly after returning to the office.
Don’t equate the time out of the office with doing nothing. You’ve done plenty! You’ve just birthed a human!
You got this!
Yours truly,
Your FairyGodMentor®
(Photo: Kirten White Photography/BE)
Joyel Crawford is an award-winning career and leadership development professional and the founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies, a consultancy that develops empowered, results-driven leaders through engaging leadership development coaching, training, and facilitation. She is the author of the best-selling book and audiobook “Show Your Ask: Using Your Voice to Advocate for Yourself and Your Career.”
Have a question about handling a micromanager, are you having difficulty navigating spaces because of your hair, is work stressing you out, do you need support coaching poor performance or are you wondering how to negotiate and get the job offer you desire effectively? Do you have any questions about career and leadership development?
Meet The People Behind The Newest Documentary On Black Land, Wealth, And Housing
Meet Kristen LaRue Bond and Pierre Bagley, the two faces behind LEXINGTON… Resilience in the Redline, an award-winning documentary about Black land, wealth, housing, and the resilience of a small-town community.
Kristen LaRue Bond and Pierre Bagley are the two faces behind LEXINGTON… Resilience in the Redline, an award-winning documentary about Black land, wealth, housing, and the resilience of a small-town community. In a historic move, Kristen, who is President and Co-Founder of Black Yarn Inc., in collaboration with Pierre, esteemed writer, producer, director, and former D.C. Film Commissioner, with the support of the French government, will hold the international premiere of the documentary in Bordeaux, France, in April 2025. The U.S. premiere will follow in Lexington, Kentucky, in June 2025.
“Acknowledging and understanding the nuanced journey of the American Black identity is not just a matter of enlightenment; it is a pathway to fostering inclusivity, dismantling systemic inequalities, and building a more equitable future for all.”
These words underpin the vision driving Black Yarn Inc., a Black female-led nonprofit based in the conservative state of Kentucky, dedicated to exploring, celebrating, and amplifying Black experiences through the lens of film and data-driven research. Black Yarn Inc. has set a new standard for data inclusivity and storytelling, shining a light on the complex social, political, economic, and cultural dynamics that exist between “two Americas.”
A Bold Cultural Collaboration Across Borders
“The stories we accept drive the decisions we make. Through our Black-led advocacy, we strive to repair systemic economic harms, foster equity, and connect Black experiences with those of all Americans using film, research, and collaboration,” said LaRue Bond, President and Co-Founder of Black Yarn Inc. “As the world and the U.S. examine and challenge the leadership of Black women, it is imperative that we own our narrative to bridge the widening divides that seek to separate us. This opportunity for cultural exchange in Bordeaux allows us to spotlight issues of racial equity, social justice, and the multifaceted nature of the Black experience on a global stage.”
Bagley, known for his work with top-tier talent including Taraji P. Henson, Tom Felton, Justin Chon, LeToya Luckett, and the late Michael Clarke Duncan, described LEXINGTON… Resilience in the Redline as “an ongoing American story chronicling Black America’s journey to overcome adversity through perseverance, resilience, courage, and faith.” He continued, “As we see efforts to distort and erase Black Americans’ unique journey to freedom and opportunity, it becomes even more crucial to craft and preserve our narratives ourselves.”
Historic Premieres in the Heart of Wine and the Home of Bourbon
Set to premiere in the heart of Bordeaux, the “wine capital of the world,” the documentary screening will be a groundbreaking event taking place in April 2025. Dignitaries from France and the U.S. are expected to attend a week-long program that will include screenings, forums on racial justice, and economic equity, along with discussions on Bordeaux’s historical role in the slave trade. The event will also feature local music, entertainment, and exclusive wine tours, further enhancing the cultural exchange.
The U.S. premiere of LEXINGTON… Resilience in the Redline will be held in Lexington, Kentucky, in June 2025, perfectly timed with the city’s celebration of Black Restaurant Week and its historic 250th anniversary.
This landmark event will anchor a state-side racial equity summit, bringing together distinguished community members, advocates, and thought leaders from across the nation who will explore the pressing topics of racial equity and social justice. Attendees will experience firsthand Lexington’s storied history, diverse culinary offerings, hospitality, and, naturally, plenty of Kentucky bourbon. This gathering promises a unique blend of cultural pride and critical conversation, underscoring the city’s commitment to equity, inclusion, and the enduring spirit of community resilience.
A Call to Action Through Storytelling
“We believe the unifying power of storytelling can invigorate a shared commitment to equity and leave a legacy that benefits everyone,” said Bond. “Some might look at the challenges we face and say it’s impossible. We say GREAT! It’s an opportunity to do something incredible. Let’s write the future together – our story is your story, too.”
For screening events in Bordeaux & Lexington, please contact Kristen LaRue Bond, Black Yarn President and Co-Founder, at Kristen@Black-Yarn.com or Roy Brannon at royleebrann@gmail.com or 615-818-4215 or 214-724-6892.
Founder Of Black-Owned Doll Company Celebrates 2 Years, Thousands Of Dolls Sold
Shaneisha Dodson, the Founder, and CEO of Brilliant Girl, a Black-owned company that sells dolls, books, and other inspirational educational products for girls of color, is celebrating just two years in business with thousands of dolls already sold.
Shaneisha Dodson, the Founder, and CEO of Brilliant Girl, a Black-owned company that sells dolls, books, and other inspirational educational products for girls of color, is celebrating just two years in business with thousands of dolls already sold.
Her brand’s mission is to spark confidence, imagination, and love for learning, and she is making big waves in the world of children’s products with her unique focus on fostering positive self-image, creativity, and curiosity.
Brilliant Girl offers an inspiring lineup of high-quality, affordable products, including dolls, picture books, positive image puzzles, coloring books, and STEM-themed paint sheets that captivate young minds and hearts.
In an era where representation, education, and empowerment are more important than ever, Brilliant Girl stands out as a brand with a purpose: to create products that reflect diversity and promote confidence in children of all backgrounds.
“We created Brilliant Girl to create more representation within the doll industry,” said Shaneisha. “Our goal is to empower children with toys and educational materials that inspire them to see themselves as brilliant, capable, and ready to make a difference in the world. We’re here to show them that they can achieve anything they set their minds to.”
The Brilliant Girl collection is not only charming and thoughtfully crafted but also purposeful. With an emphasis on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) through innovative paint sheets, Brilliant Girl is helping to inspire a new generation of young scientists, engineers, and creative thinkers. The company’s positive image puzzles and dolls provide young children with tools that foster self-love, resilience, and confidence, reinforcing the message that every child has a unique brilliance.
By offering high-quality products at accessible prices, Brilliant Girl makes it possible for families everywhere to access empowering educational resources. The company’s commitment to affordability reflects its belief that all children deserve to feel seen, valued, and inspired.
For more information about Brilliant Girl and to explore its range of inspiring products, please visit TheBrilliantGirl.com
WIT Wade Scholarship Program Offers Black Students $50K Toward A STEM Master’s Degree
Wade Institute of Technology (WIT), an experiential Silicon Valley-based college for students of African descent pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, announced that it is accepting applications for the 2025 Wade Scholarship Program (WSP).
Wade Institute of Technology (WIT), an experiential Silicon Valley-based college for students of African descent pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, announced that it is accepting applications for the 2025 Wade Scholarship Program (WSP).
To qualify for the scholarship, applicants must be admitted to a master’s degree program ranked within the U.S. News & World Report Top 30 U.S. graduate schools of engineering and/or the graduate engineering program of any of the historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).
“There has been an alarming drop in the number of Black STEM professionals, who were already woefully underrepresented in these fields,” said WIT Executive Director Booker T. Wade, Jr. “This scholarship helps ease the financial burden that is often a contributing factor to the drop-off of Black students in the educational pipeline. We are committed to the goal of promoting increased diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM through expanded educational opportunities.”
WSP Scholars receive up to $50,000 for tuition, on-campus housing, food, and other expenses or fees. Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM discipline from an accredited college or university in the U.S. or the equivalent from an international institution.
Minority Television Project Inc. (MTP), which owns and operates the San Francisco Bay Area public television station KMTP-TV 33, provides funding for the scholarship. Through its support of both WIT and WSP, MTP is working to make transformative changes in the technology ecosystem.
There have been 26 WSP Scholars since the program launched in 2021. Applications for the 2025 scholarships are due no later than Jan. 17, 2025. International students may apply but must already have U.S. residential or visa status.
Prospective WSP Scholars will be evaluated on independent thought, purposeful leadership, civic mindset, and undergraduate achievements. Additional information on requirements and a link to the application portal can be found at wadescholarship.org
How Trump’s Administration Will Possibly Impact Black Americans
Alvin Tillery has been sounding the alarm to Democrats since October 2023 after he saw the party starting to lose one of its significant voting blocs: Black voters, particularly young Black men under the age of 40.
Alvin Tillery has been sounding the alarm to Democrats since October 2023 after he saw the party starting to lose one of its significant voting blocs: Black voters, particularly young Black men under the age of 40. With President-elect Donald Trump heading back to the White House for a second term, Tillery says his administration will impact Black Americans.
“We did 11 tracking polls of Black voters starting in October 2023. We first began sharing our data with the Biden-Harris campaign, showing them they had this problem. Nobody believed us because they thought this couldn’t be real,” Tillery, a political science professor at Northwestern University, tells Black Enterprise.
But exit polls suggest Tillery wasn’t wrong in his assessment. According to NBC News exit polls, 77% of Black men voted for Vice President Kamala Harris.
“We calculated last fall that in order for them to win, they would need 83% to 84% of Black men to [turn out]. “Three weeks out from the election, she was only at 71% with Black men,” says Tillery. “The story of the election is that not only did young Black men vote significantly more for Donald Trump but also that Black voter turnout was down.”
There were some areas where this wasn’t the case. Tillery co-founded the Super PAC Alliance for Black Equality. He says it’s the only group that has Black male-centered content. Three weeks before the election, he placed political ads in major cities in critical battleground states: Atlanta, Philadelphia, and Milwaukee. The Super Pac invested $250,000 in advertisements that targeted Black voters on the issues of policing and what policing could look like under Trump’s administration. The president-elect has been very vocal about granting police officers full immunity during his campaign and implementing the controversial policing tactic known as stop-and-frisk.
Tillery found that in the places where he targeted those advertisements, Black voter turnout was much better than in cities without the political ads.
“Just by putting a little bit of attention that she did in the last three weeks, she grew by eight points, but what if they had actually spent money to either take our ads or run them?” he says. “The point for us is that if we had been funded at the $1 million or $2 million level to put more ads out, the margin of victory for Harris is in our neighborhoods […] and they refused to invest.”
What Trump’s Second Term Could Mean For Black Americans
Tillery tells Black Enterprise that one of Trump’s priorities will be overturning the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“[This administration] is going to reconstitute the Jim Crow hierarchy almost immediately,” says Tillery. “He has plans to overturn the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
The next four years will be critical for Democrats, as Tillery says they must strategize and prioritize Black men specifically.
“If there is [voting] in 2028, what we’re thinking about right now is trying to convince the Democrats not to abandon us […] because what the Democrats are now saying is that Harris lost because she ran on wokeness, which is not true,” says Tillery. “I think more Black and Latino men voted for Trump because they were upset about prices, and they believe he is going to bring prices down.”
Post-election, Tillery is on a mission to ensure Democrats do not go into the next election cycle abandoning the Black community, which he says is still a significant voting bloc within the party. In case Democrats abandon Black voters, Tillery says he is also setting out on an initiative to wake Black people up to realize that they may have to go alone in advocating for our priorities.
“That means consolidating power in all the places where we have the football in Blue states where we have mayorships, and we have a large representation in state legislatures in places like Illinois, California, and New York,” Tillery adds. “It also means trying to pass local laws to protect our community. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but in all the talk that governors are making about protecting freedoms, they’re not talking about protecting Black people at all. That’s very concerning.”
50 Cent Spends Time With Big Meech Amid BMF Founder’s Prison Release
50 Cent and Big Meech connect following the BMF founder's prison release.
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has linked up with Demetrius “Big Meech” Flenory amid the BMF founder’s release from prison.
The G-Unit founder and executive producer of Starz’s BMF series took to Instagram on Sunday to share a photo of him and Big Meech from a recent hangout session. While it remains unclear what the two could be working on, fans expressed their support in the comment section.
50 Cent has played a key role in bringing the BMF story to the forefront in recent years through the BMF series, which premiered in 2021, and the BMF: Blowing Money Fast docuseries, which aired on Starz in 2022. Both the show and the documentary explore how Big Meech and his brother, Terry “Southwest T” Flenory, built one of the largest cocaine empires in America. Later, they used the wealth from their drug trafficking and money laundering operations to break into hip-hop with BMF Entertainment.
Founded in the early 2000s, the label was eventually revealed to be an alleged front for money laundering and cocaine distribution. Despite this, the Flenory brothers used the label to conduct legitimate business, with the company being involved with several high-profile hip-hop artists, including Jay-Z, Young Jeezy, T.I., and Fabolous.
Their infamous story, coupled with their flashy lifestyle, helped the brothers become icons within hip-hop culture. In 2005, the pair were indicted by the DEA under the Continuing Criminal Enterprise Statute and sentenced to 30 years in prison. In court documents, Big Meech was described as “a leader of a vast, multi-state drug-trafficking operation with an extensive criminal history, including prior convictions for drug, weapons, and assault offenses.”
Big Meech was released from a Florida prison last month and transferred to a halfway house to serve the remainder of his sentence. His projected release date is Jan. 27, 2026, after which he will be placed on supervised release.
Cybersecurity Expert Labels Black Friday As ‘Black Fraud Friday’ Thanks To Scammers
Shop with caution everyone!
Cybersecurity experts say the days of safe online shopping for Black Friday are long gone, thanks to scammers, The Guardian reported.
Richard Horne, the chief executive of GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) in the United Kingdom, now calls the retail holiday “Black Fraud Day,” as scammers look at it as the prime time to trick hopeful shoppers looking for a deal. “The festive season had become ‘prime time for cybercriminals’ as consumers hunted for deals,” Horne said.
“Fraudsters were targeting bargain hunters with increasingly sophisticated scams, sometimes crafted using AI, making them harder to detect.”
While consumers are eager to save money, scammers cashed in during the 2023 holiday season. Data shows shoppers were scammed out of more than $11.5 million and roughly $1 million in 2022. With more than 16,000 claims of online shopping fraud reported between November 2023 and January 2024, 43% were reported to Britain’s scam reporting center, Action Fraud, with online marketplaces mentioned in 18.9% of reports.
The most common scamming targets were listed as fake clothing or high-end tech gadgets. The data was supported by an analysis from the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau, which added the most common age demographics being targeted. People aged between 30 and 39 accounted for the largest number of victims who submitted a report at 23%. Victims aged 40 to 29 followed close behind at 20%. Forty-two was the average age of victims.
Experts of consumer fraud encourage shoppers to be vigilant during the 2024 holiday season, especially since Black Friday has expanded from a single-day sale into weeks of promotional offers. “Never feel pressured into making a purchase online. A false sense of urgency is a classic tactic used by fraudsters,” Action Fraud’s Deputy Director, Adam Mercer, said, according to The 420. He continued to push shoppers to use credit cards over direct bank transfers as credit card companies offer better protection for consumers if a fraud needs to be disputed.
In addition, shoppers are urged to take caution when looking for online deals, as some can be deemed sophisticated scams. Gift cards, false delivery alerts, and social media ads are listed as some of the most popular. Faulty websites have been added to the top four. One website that looks like a popular retailer can be thrown off using a specific word like “the” in the beginning or adding “.shop” at the end.
To help fight these scam threats, NCSC is launching a public awareness campaign that equips and prepares consumers with the resources needed to protect themselves. Some of the campaign guidelines include implementing two-step verifications for online accounts, avoiding suspicious links, and doing research on the sellers, such as seeking reputable review platforms prior to making purchases.
