Christopher Aguwa Announced As Lane Health’s Newest Chief Commercial Officer
by Lauren Nutall

October 20, 2023

Christopher Aguwa Announced As Lane Health’s Newest Chief Commercial Officer

Lane Health, a fintech and healthcare company, has named Christopher Aguwa its chief commercial officer.  

Aguwa is a veteran in the healthcare industry, having previously worked in executive roles at City Block Health, DaVita Kidney Care, Evolent Health, and Aetna. His latest position involves driving business growth and addressing financial challenges that accompany healthcare. 

“I’m proud to join an organization as venerated as Lane Health,” said Aguwa in a press release. “I am a leader inspired to support the team as we enter this new chapter in our evolution. I am an executive with a passion for leveraging my voice, presence, and expertise to maximize commercial success, social impact, health equity, and equal opportunities in the workplace.

“Lane Health sits at the intersection of healthcare and fintech and is transforming the way people spend, save, and think about managing their health costs and benefits because everyone should be able to access and afford the healthcare they need.”

As vice president of Payor Partnerships and Strategy at DaVita, Aguwa was responsible for growing its Integrated Kidney Care business. At Aetna and Evolent Health, he oversaw extensive deal flow evaluating transformative mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and corporate venture capital investments, including the sale of Aetna to CVS Health.

Aguwa has received several awards for his contributions to the field, appearing on Crain’s New York Business Notable Healthcare Leader list in 2022, Becker’s Healthcare Under 40 Rising Star, and being selected as Startup Health’s Health Transformer.

He was also a 2022 nominee for the Modern Healthcare 100 Most Influential People list. He earned his MBA from Oxford University Saïd Business School, J.D. from Howard University School of Law, and his bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.

“Christopher’s comprehensive understanding of and experience with global brands and track record of growing companies through transformational transactions and partnerships will propel Lane Health into an exciting future,” said Brad Gambill, co-founder and CEO of Lane Health. “He understands the power and potential of this space and brings a fresh perspective to our evolving conversation with our partners and clients.”

Judge Justice Robert J. Putorti, New York, Black man, gun
by Mary Spiller

October 20, 2023

New York Judge Fired After Pulling Loaded Gun On Black Man At Hearing

Judge Robert J. Putorti was removed from office after pointing a loaded handgun at a Black man during a 2015 court hearing.

The New York State Court of Appeals made the decision on Oct. 19, the Associated Press reports. 

Putorti was a judge for Village Court and Whitehall Town in New York. The New York State Court of Appeals said Putori tried to justify pulling a gun on the man because the Black defendant allegedly approached the stand too quickly, crossing a designated stop line inside the courtroom.

“He repeatedly emphasized the race and stature of the litigant when recounting the episode, sometimes boastfully, according to an independent review by the New York State Court of Appeals,” the AP reported.

Putori described the defendant as “6 feet 9 inches tall (206 cm) and built like a football player” when he was only 6 feet and 165 pounds. The appellate court ruled that the Commission on Judicial Conduct acted appropriately by removing Putorti from the bench because he “exploited a classic and common racist trope that Black men are inherently threatening or dangerous, exhibiting bias or, at least, implicit bias.”

Robert H. Tembeckjian, administrator for the state’s Commission on Judicial Conduct, said in a statement, “It is indefensible and inimical to the role of a judge to brandish a loaded weapon in court, without provocation or justification, then brag about it repeatedly with irrelevant racial remarks. The Court’s ruling today makes clear that there is no place on the bench for one who behaves this way.”

Putorti’s questionable fundraising methods didn’t help his cause. He reportedly participated in prohibited fundraising events that benefitted another office position at Elks Lodge while he was under investigation for the gun-wielding incident.

The New York State Court of Appeals ruled Putorti repeatedly showed “an unwillingness or inability to abide by the Rules of Judicial Conduct.” 

Selema Masekela , Lupita Nyong'o , breakup
by Mary Spiller

October 20, 2023

Lupita Nyong’o Says ‘Love Devastatingly Extinguished By Deception’ Caused Breakup With Boyfriend Salema Masekela

In a lengthy, heartfelt statement, actress Lupita Nyong’o took to Instagram on Oct. 19 to announce her split from her boyfriend, Salema Masekela. She told her followers she wanted to share so that she could “face [her] pain so that we don’t spread it.”

In a series of slides, Nyong’o, 40, started by acknowledging that there were much more important things going on in the world, and shared that her “thoughts are with those who are deeply suffering.”

“At this moment, it is necessary for me to share a personal truth and publicly dissociate myself from someone I can no longer trust,” the Mexican-Kenyan actress wrote. “I find myself in a season of heartbreak because of a love suddenly and devastatingly extinguished by deception.”

Nyong’o admitted that all of what had happened made her want to “run into the shadows and hide.” However, she continued, “I am reminded that the magnitude of the pain I am feeling is equal to the measure of my capacity for love. And so, I am choosing to face the pain, cultivating the courage to meet my life exactly as it is, and trusting that this, too shall pass. The promise, they say, is that a tender heart is what gives birth to fearlessness.”

The Black Panther star wanted to share her difficult experience in the hopes that it might help any of her fans going through something similar: “try and escape from the pain and miss out on the wisdom that comes from it. #Breakup.”

Nyong’o concluded the post, “Let’s face our pain so we don’t spread it,” 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lupita Nyong’o (@lupitanyongo)

Nyong’o never mentioned Masekela—a 52-year-old television show host and sports commentator—by name. Still, the pair confirmed their relationship in December of last year with a video on Instagram.

Rosewood, Florida, David Allen Emanuel, hate crime
by Atiya Jordan

October 20, 2023

Florida Man To Serve Jail Time For Hate Crime Against Black Men

David Allen Emanuel, a white Rosewood, Florida, resident, will serve jail time for his racially motivated attack on a group of Black men in 2022.

In July 2022, a jury in Gainesville, Florida, convicted 62-year-old Emanuel on all counts for committing hate crimes on Sept. 6, 2022. He was facing up to 10 years in prison. More than a year later, Emanuel will serve a year and a day for each count simultaneously, the New Miami Times reported.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, a professor emeritus in psychology from Florida International University was with his son and a small group surveying a property he co-owns in Rosewood when Emanuel questioned him.

Dr. Marvin Dunn, his son, Doug Dunn, and six others were called the N-word and other expletives, including” ‘[racial slur] get out of these woods’ before Emanuel drove a pickup truck directly at the group, nearly striking one of them,” according to a press release, from the Department of Justice. The attack took place at the site of the 1923 Rosewood Massacre.

“My neighbor comes out in a pickup and says, ‘What’s going on here?’ Then he makes a U-turn out of his driveway, comes back at us, and almost kills my son,” Dr. Dunn previously told the Miami Herald. “I was afraid to be on the property, so I came back to Miami.” 

A week later, Emanuel was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Emanuel’s final judgment comes after Dunn asked Judge Allen Winsor for a lighter sentence. During sentencing on Thursday, Oct. 19, Dunn said that race is “America’s most indigestible problem” and “for America to become whole, the lumps, thorns, and rocks must be removed.”

“For me, my faith requires forgiveness, and so I must,” Dunn’s statement read. “It requires me to love my neighbor as well, but I have more work to do on that. I am not asking my neighbor to love me or even to apologize to us. I only ask that he assures the court that we can live in peace as neighbors.”

RELATED CONTENT: ILLINOIS LANDLORD ACCUSED OF MURDERING PALESTINIAN CHILD IN HATE CRIME

dj mark the 45 king
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 20, 2023

Mark The 45 King, Who Produced Jay-Z’s ‘Hard Knock Life,’ Is Dead At 62

Legendary music producer Mark Howard James, known to hip-hop heads as DJ Mark the 45 King, died Thursday, Oct. 19, days after his 62nd birthday, according to an Instagram post by DJ Premier.

The world was introduced to Queen Latifah and The Flavor Unit in part because of the production skills of DJ Mark the 45 King.

“Mark is responsible for so many classics and was a member of the Iconic Crew FLAVOR UNIT (Queen Latifah, Latee, Chill Rob G., Lakim Shabazz, Double J, Lord Alibaski, DJ Cee Justice, Apache, Naughty By Nature, Freddie Foxxx, Markey Fresh, Rowdy Rahz, Storm P, Shakim and so many more members beyond whom I’ve mentioned please pardon me if I didn’t post your name),” DJ Premier wrote.

“His sound was unlike any other from his heavy drums and his horns were so distinct on every production.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @djpremier

Latifah’s debut album, All Hail the Queen, was produced almost entirely by DJ Mark the 45 King and included the hit songs that made the rapper a household name, including “Ladies First,” “Wrath of My Madness,” and “Dance For Me.”

The Queen acknowledged him on her Facebook page.

“I love you, Mark❤️ thank you for everything!!! thank you for teaching me taking me under your wing, teaching me about this thing called hip-hop, and so much more!”

DJ Mark the 45 King provided the sound of the Jay-Z hit that catapulted his career: “Hard Knock Life.” Another pop classic that Mark was responsible for was the Eminem hit, “Stan.”

Eminem also thanked the producer on his X account.

The cause of death has not yet been disclosed.

RELATED CONTENT: TOP MUSIC PRODUCER TALKS CAREER PATH, LONGEVITY, AND BUSINESS 101

Issa Rae, Black Tech Week, Tech, STEM, Women In Tech, Keynote, Speaker
by Stacy Jackson

October 20, 2023

Issa Rae Nearly Boosted 5-Year-Old Nephew’s Rival To First Place In Hilarious Fundraiser Mishap

Issa Rae recently shared a humorous yet panic-inducing incident involving her 5-year-old nephew and a school fundraiser during her appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. The actress, writer, and producer, who recently appeared in Barbie, said she had been asked by her sister to help her nephew secure a win in his school’s online fundraiser. Rae said she waited until the last second — literally at 4:59:59 p.m.— to donate what was likely a large amount of money to her nephew for his school’s online fundraiser. Except, she selected the wrong child’s name, inadvertently boosting her nephew’s opponent, who she referred to “Zulu” to protect the anonymity of the young child, to the first-place spot, Entertainment Weekly reported.

She said to Fallon, “He [Rae’s nephew] gets to No. 1 and then, at the deadline, it’s 4:50 and I’m like, ‘I know one of these parents, they’re going to try and get their kid up. So, at 4:59, on the dot, I’m going to just boost [her nephew’s profits] a little bit… I set it all up, I put a little extra money on there, and I hit the purchase button right at 4:59:59. And then I realized… I gave it to Zulu.”

The Awkward Black Girl creator no doubt found herself in an awkward position. Her family members were competitive about her nephew winning the fundraiser but had no clue Rae was the reason Zulu was boosted again to first place.

Rae said, “The family group chat is going crazy. They’re just like, ‘How could this happen? Parents are so greedy! People take this too seriously!’ And I’m dead silent.”

Rae, who played “President Barbie” in the Barbie film, said she tried to right her wrong immediately by calling her bank. The Insecure star shared with Fallon, “I was calling American Express like, ‘Please, can we cancel? This is fraud!'”

She added, “And so it wasn’t until the next day where they were like, ‘Oh, you can cancel it’ that I decided… He got second place. Sorry to Zulu. He dropped down in the numbers.”

Apparently, Fallon didn’t agree with Rae’s decision to contact her bank, which resulted in Zulu dropping in rank the next day. “This is a terrible lesson to teach your nephew!” Fallon said to Rae.

After all the hassle, according to Rae, her 5-year-old nephew didn’t care where he placed in the fundraiser, Entertainment Weekly reported.

RELATED CONTENT: Issa Rae Taps Into Wine Industry With New Viarae Prosecco

Kevin Porter Jr.
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 20, 2023

Houston Rockets Trade Kevin Porter Jr. To Oklahoma Thunder, Who Promptly Release Him

After the Houston Rockets banned Kevin Porter Jr. from the team following his arrest on Sept. 11 for allegedly attacking his former girlfriend, he was traded to another NBA team on Oct. 17.

The Oklahoma Thunder acquired the troubled player and immediately released him after receiving two future second-round picks and sending the Rockets Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl.

ABC 7 reported that the shooting guard was taken into custody by the New York Police Department, where he was initially charged with assault and strangulation. Porter was arrested for an alleged domestic violence assault on Kysre Gondrezick at the Millennium Hilton Hotel in September. Prosecutors said the attack on the former WNBA player left Gondrezick with a fractured neck vertebra and a deep cut above her right eye.

Porter Jr. was originally thought to have fractured Gondrezick’s vertebra, but Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Mirah Curzer stated the charge of second-degree assault was thrown out because there was “insufficient evidence” after it was shown that he did not break Gondrezick’s neck.

The 23-year-old baller pleaded not guilty and is expected back in court in Manhattan on Nov. 27.

Porter was also arrested in Nov. 2020 after being involved in a car crash when police found a loaded handgun and marijuana in his car. Porter claimed he didn’t know the gun was there, and the charges against him were dismissed.

He was traded to the Rockets on Jan. 21, 2021. In March 2022, the NBA fined him $50,000 for violating the league’s COVID-19 health and safety rules when he went to a Miami strip club. Last January, he was suspended by the Rockets for a game after then-head coach Stephen Silas said Porter had a “spirited debate” and “lost his temper” at halftime.

RELATED CONTENT: Kysre Gondrezick Denies Assault By Rising NBA Star Kevin Porter Jr.

Leonard Cure’s Mother Speaks Out After He Was Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop In Georgia
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 20, 2023

Leonard Cure’s Mother Speaks Out After He Was Fatally Shot During Traffic Stop In Georgia

Leonard Cure’s mother is speaking out in the wake of his fatal shooting during a traffic stop with a Georgia deputy.

Mary Cure spoke at a news conference Oct. 18, two days after her son was killed on Interstate 95 near the Georgia-Florida border during an altercation with a Camden County sheriff’s deputy, NBC News reports.

“My heart is disconnected and my soul aches,” she said.

Leonard, 53, had visited his mother in Port St. Lucie, Florida, and was returning to Atlanta when the deputy stopped him. Dashcam video showed Cure complying with the officer until he was told he was being arrested for speeding and reckless driving.

A scuffle ensued after the deputy fired a stun gun. Cure grabbed the deputy by the neck and pushed his head backward, knocking him to the ground, the video revealed. Once the deputy got free of Cure’s hold, he allegedly shot the stun gun twice and hit Cure with a baton before seemingly shooting the man at point-blank range.

You can read the report from the George Bureau of Investigation here.

Cure’s family believed his 16 years in prison for an armed robbery conviction he was exonerated from in 2020 likely played a role in his aggression toward the deputy.

“I believe there were possibly some issues going on, some mental issues with my brother,” his brother Michael Cure told The Associated Press.

“I know him quite well. The officer just triggered him, undoubtedly triggered him. It was excitement met with excitement.”

Mary Cure recalled her last conversation with her son early Monday morning.

“He said, ‘I love you and I’ll see you soon,’ that’s the last I heard from him,” she said.

“I was uneasy every time he left because I was like, ‘Will he get a traffic stop? Is he going to be a victim of that?'” Mary said.

“From the time that he was released, he was never set free,” she continued. “Lived in constant fear … is this going to be the day that they’re gonna lock him up, beat him up, or kill him? I lived with that. That is torture.”

The Georgia deputy who allegedly shot Cure hasn’t had his name released and remains on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.

Suspect Arrested In Connection to Random Shoving In New York City Subway
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 20, 2023

Suspect Arrested In Connection to Random Shoving In New York City Subway

A man who is suspected of pushing a woman into a moving subway train in New York City has been apprehended and may have shoved another passenger before that attack.

According to The New York Post, 39-year-old Sabir Jones is suspected of being the man who shoved a 30-year-old woman onto the path of a train at the Fifth Avenue/53rd Street station in Manhattan. The woman was pushed in front of an F train on the downtown side around noon on Oct. 18. She hit her head on the train and then fell onto the tracks, the injuries she suffered required brain surgery.

Jones was caught in Newark, NJ, about a day after he allegedly committed the crime. Police officers detained him after he was seen at McCarter Highway and Raymond Boulevard in Newark, according to Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé.

Law enforcement officials believe the suspect may have attacked someone else at the same subway station. Jones allegedly hit a 26-year-old male passenger who was leaving a southbound E train in a random attack. That victim reported the crime nearly eight hours later, after he saw video footage of Jones on the news.

They also believe that he has at least two dozen prior arrests dating back over ten years.

The suspect appears to be the same Sabir Jones who had at least 40 criminal cases in Essex County, NJ. Some of those cases included charges of weapons possession, drug, assault, and sex crime charges that took place between 2012 and 2020, according to Robert Florida, spokesperson for the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office.

Police sources stated that Jones was previously arrested in New York City in December 2022. He was allegedly riding between subway cars on a J train at Norwood Avenue in Brooklyn and refused to leave the station. Officers charged him with obstruction of governmental administration, resisting arrest, violation of local law, and disorderly conduct.

RELATED CONTENT: New York Subway Shooting Suspect Arrested On Mass Transit Violence Charge

DuVernay, Ava DuVernay, Orgin, 16
by Stacy Jackson

October 20, 2023

Ava DuVernay Sponsors Free Tickets For 16-Year-Olds To Watch New Film ‘Origin’

If you’re a 16-year-old in America, Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay wants you to see her new movie, Origin, Seat16.com reported.

In an effort to make this happen, the director is working to give 10,000 teens across the U.S. free access to see the movie when it premieres in theaters in December. DuVernay launched Seat16.com, a website where supporters can gift $16 to sponsor a teen’s ticket.

Origin, written and directed by the 2018 NAACP Image Award recipient, is inspired by Isabel Wilkerson’s New York Times best-seller Caste. The narrative film follows the storyline of the journalist as she experiences loss and love while exploring the origins of injustice in America.

“I need to make sure [the film] gets to the audience, that it reaches folks, that it’s understood, that it’s interrogated, that it’s shared,” the Emmy-winner said during TEDWomen 2023, according to Good Good Good. “So, I have this crazy idea that I want every 16-year-old in the country to see the film for free if they want.”

DuVernay clung to the storyline of Wilkerson’s book. “I read it three times, and I started to feel really connected to some of the stories and some of the characters the author uses to bring us into this idea she has; this thesis that so much of our oppression is linked,” she shared. “And if we embrace some of the commonalities of our challenges, that there was a way forward. A blueprint to combat some of our social ills.”

According to the donation page, DuVernay has already raised over $50,000 out of her $160,000 starting goal. Good Good Good reported that the donations will be distributed upon the release of the film through DuVernay’s Array Alliance, Inc. As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the filmmaker made history with Origin on Sept. 6 and became the first African American woman to be selected in the lineup to compete for the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

On Sept. 5, NEON released an official teaser for the film, which stars Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, Vera Farmiga, Audra McDonald, Niecy Nash-Betts, Nick Offerman and Blair Underwood.

RELATED CONTENT: AVA DUVERNAY MAKES HISTORY AT VENICE FILM FESTIVAL; RECALLS BEING TOLD ‘YOU WON’T GET IN’

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