Lt. Caron Nazario asked a federal appeals court on Oct. 2 to overturn rulings after the jurors ruled in favor of two police officers he sued—Joe Gutierrez and Daniel Crocker. Nazario claims the court made an error after finding in a pretrial ruling that the officers had probable cause to believe the lieutenant committed the crimes he was being charged with—eluding police, obstruction of justice, and failure to obey an order.
“We believe that the jury’s verdict was in part influenced by some of the rulings the trial court made, and we are asking the 4th Circuit to review those rulings,” Nazario’s lawyer, Jonathan Arthur, said.
The Virginia State University grad went viral in a video from December 2020 showing the Windsor police officers pulling him over at a gas station. The officers said his black Chevrolet Tahoe didn’t have a rear license plate, but the army lieutenant’s lawyers claim the car dealer had temporary tags in the upper right-hand corner inside the back window. With his hands raised, Nazario can be seen complying with the officer’s orders but still receiving rough treatment.
The outlet reports his appeal continues after the court dismissed his claims of unreasonable seizure, excessive force, and First Amendment retaliation. However, Crocker’s lawyer, Anne Lahren, feels justice was served for her client.
“The Judge and the jury saw the videos, heard witnesses, and overwhelmingly ruled in favor of the officers,” Lahren said.
In Nazario’s January 2023 trial, he was awarded less than $4,000 ($3,685) after seeking millions in damages, according to 13 News Now. According to the army lieutenant’s lawsuit, the veteran suffers from anxiety, depression, and PTSD because of the incident. After the Attorney General’s Office conducted a private investigation, they found that the rural town has a 22% population of Black residents but accounted for close to 42% of traffic stops between July 1, 2020, and Sept. 30, 2021.
Their investigation also found more vehicles driven by Black motorists were searched than those driven by white drivers.
Top Pick: Shaquille O’Neal Claims He Is The Best Athlete-Rapper
Athletes and rap music have always crossed paths, as several athletes have even recorded songs and/or made appearances on hip-hop records. Even Snoop Dogg got into the debate of who is the best athlete who raps last month when he christened NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, aka Shaq, the “greatest NBA rapper of all time.” The 7-foot sports commentator agrees.
TMZ spoke to Shaq about who is the best athlete-rapper out here. The debate was renewed due to the recent release of “3 Lokos,” the latest song featuring Shaq Diesel (his hip-hop moniker). The athlete appears as a guest on the song by Coyote, which consists of rappers Ladies Love Guapo and Ricky Blanco.
“It’s all competition for me. So when I hear other people that say, ‘Oh, I’m a better athlete-rapper than Shaq,’ I gotta step up,” Shaq tells the media outlet. “Nothing personal. I just gotta let these people know who paved the way.”
While acknowledging that he never pursued a hip-hop career, he flatly states to TMZ that “there wasn’t enough money in that game for me.” This makes sense since he makes millions from endorsements and business deals without having to step into a recording booth.
Although many people who listen to hip-hop may agree with his assessment, Shaq also gave props to some of the athletes who have chosen to make records.
“When people say they’re better than Diesel, that means you want to compete. I just like competing. So I put stuff out, they put stuff out, and we let the people decide who the number one is. I know who the number one is. I’ma always say myself,” he said. “They got a lot of guys that are coming. Dame Lillard‘s really nice. Iman Shumpert can go. Antonio Brown can go. All these guys can go. It’s all about competition.”
Coyote member Blanco previously said that there is another song the group recorded with Shaq that will soon see the light of day. Looks like we’ll have to stay tuned to hear what’s next from Shaq Diesel.
Prominent Companies Now Embrace Black British Business Awards
In the not-so-distant past, prominent corporations shied away from endorsing the Black British Business Awards.
“When we initiated this awards program, some companies hesitated to join us because the term ‘Black’ was not a part of their corporate vocabulary,” cofounder Sophie Chandauka, MBE, told The Telegraph. “They viewed it as offensive and were unwilling to introduce it, let alone nominate someone.”
Now the Black British Business Awards, in partnership with The Telegraph,boasts support from some of Britain’s largest corporations, including JP Morgan, Barclays and Chandauka’s former and current employers, Baker McKenzie and Meta.
The upcoming October ceremony, the awards’ 10th anniversary, will celebrate the accomplishments of over 350 business leaders, companies, and emerging talents.
The concept for these awards emerged during the 2012 London Summer Olympics. While the world celebrated the achievements of London’s multicultural population, Chandauka and co-founder Melanie Eusebe, MBE, noticed a strikingly different narrative. The severe underrepresentation of Black professionals in senior positions at FTSE 100 companies created a false perception that they were not contributing significantly to the British economy.
Chandauka, head of Americas risk management and intelligence at Meta, shared with The Telegraph, “We possessed the talent, so why weren’t Black professionals reaching the top? Something was happening in the middle that marginalized us. We either felt the need to disengage or believed we couldn’t participate or advance.”
The Black British Business Awards aimed to change this perception, emphasizing the existence of Black talent. The challenge lay in persuading companies to endorse that vision, with the added pressure of potential career repercussions. Chandauka, a corporate lawyer trained at global law firm Baker McKenzie, received grave warnings about the impact on her career.
Nonetheless, Chandauka’s early life in Zimbabwe, a country that gained independence in 1980, provided inspiration. She also drew strength from South African leaders like Nelson Mandela, who dared to challenge the status quo.
“When you have a platform and a voice, you must use it to address issues that benefit everyone,” she said.
Chandauka and Eusebe persevered, knowing they could secure new employment if their employers were uncomfortable with their activism.
It took them two years to secure their first sponsor, EY, where Eusebe worked as an advisory manager for nearly four years until 2013. However, billionaire Richard Branson played a pivotal role. In 2014, the Virgin founder shared an article about the awards on Twitter, which propelled the initiative.
More recently, Chandauka’s mission to elevate and advocate for the role of Black individuals in business received a significant boost following the COVID-19 pandemic and the murder of George Floyd in 2020.
“In the UK, we’ve been quite polite and hesitant to engage in honest discussions about systemic issues that require addressing in the business world—George Floyd changed that,” she said.
After spending the past decade highlighting these issues, Chandauka is now focused on taking action. The Network of Networks (TNON), a sister organization to the awards, equips companies with the skills to help ethnic minority professionals overcome career obstacles.
Her message to employers is clear: “Small, everyday decisions can make a difference. From choosing meeting attendees to buying coffee for someone, or selecting the right individuals for a deal—by consistently making these everyday actions, we can transform systems and cultures.”
Outkast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ Album Becomes Highest-Selling Hip-Hop Album With 13 Million Units Sold
Atlanta hip-hop group Outkast has just dethroned Marshall Mathers (Eminem’s “The Eminem Show”) as the highest-selling hip-hop album in history. The duo’s double album, their fifth studio project, “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below,” was officially certified as having sold 13 million units. No hip-hop album has ever sold that many units before. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) made this distinction on Sept. 29, as reported by chart data.
OutKast’s ‘Speakerboxxx/The Love Below’ is now the highest certified rap album in @RIAA history (13x Platinum). pic.twitter.com/kAnR8jgXIu
The acknowledgment of this accomplishment was not lost on Outkast group member Big Boi. He took to Instagram last week to showcase his latest hardware. The recording artist mentions that the honor hits days after the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the album being released.
“Special delivery just in time for the 20th anniversary 9/23/03 … #speakerboxxxthelovebelow Over 13 Million albums sold. ( Diamond & a 3.5 ) What Are Your Jams? @ outkast is everlasting. Stank You Smelly Much …To All Y’all 🛸”
According to VIBE, the two solo-featured songs on “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” Big Boi’s “Hey Ya!” and Andre 3000’s “The Way You Move” both became No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100. The album, when it came out, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The album also became the second hip-hop album to win a Grammy Award for Album of the Year, five years after Fugee member Lauryn Hill’s The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill did it in 1999. That same year, the duo also took home Grammys for Best Rap Album and Best Urban/Alternative Performance for “Hey Ya!”
It was also recently announced that two Outkast classics are being rereleased, “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below“ for its 20th anniversary, and “Aquemini” celebrating its 25th anniversary. Both albums were released on vinyl in partnership with Get On Down.
Justice Clarence Thomas Recuses Himself in Jan. 6 Case For First Time Ever
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas made the rare decision to recuse himself from a case related to the House Jan. 6 Committee on Monday.
This case marks the first instance of recusal for the embattled justice in a Capitol riot-related matter, amidst increasing public concern over potential ethical conflicts, according to Forbes.
The case in question involved attorney John Eastman, who is closely aligned with former President Donald Trump. Eastman had petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a lower court’s ruling that granted the House committee access to certain emails he argued were protected by attorney-client privilege. However, the high court declined Eastman’s request to review the case without any recorded dissents.
Thomas did not provide an official explanation for his recusal, a standard practice among justices. However, one prominent factor in the case is that Eastman had previously served as Thomas’s law clerk.
This move comes amid mounting scrutiny directed at Thomas over his involvement in cases related to the Jan. 6 committee, especially given his wife Virginia Thomas‘s association with efforts to contest the 2020 election results. Virginia Thomas’s engagement in activities, including communication with White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows occurred concurrently with Supreme Court cases related to these matters.
Most notably, Thomas did not recuse himself from a January 2022 case that pertained to whether documents from the Trump administration held by the National Archives should be provided to the House Jan. 6 Committee. In that case, he stood alone in dissent as the court rejected the administration’s plea to prevent the documents from being handed over.
The justice’s involvement in a case from December 2020, which aimed to challenge election results in several battleground states, further fueled concerns. While the Court ultimately turned down Texas’s request to take up the case, Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented.
Moreover, Thomas has faced controversy over accepting gifts from affluent Republican political donors. He has reportedly received expensive vacations, private jet and yacht rides, and significant private school tuition payments for family members from wealthy conservative businessman Harlan Crow, who has made substantial political contributions aimed at influencing the Supreme Court.
Thomas has argued that these gifts did not violate ethical guidelines, as they fell within an exception for personal hospitality from close friends.
Nonetheless, experts have contested this interpretation. ProPublica unveiled that Justice Thomas also accepted at least 38 additional extravagantly costly vacation packages from three other billionaire donors, none of which were disclosed on his mandated financial disclosures.
Furthermore, it was revealed in September that Thomas had secretly participated in fundraiser events for the Koch network, a right-wing political organization founded by billionaire brothers Charles and David Koch.
The nexus between Thomas’s legal decisions, his wife’s political involvement, and his connections to affluent political donors has raised concerns about potential ethical conflicts and their impact on the integrity of the Supreme Court.
Oct 3 (Reuters) – More than 60 Jamaican primary school kids were hospitalized after eating potent rainbow-colored cannabis candy, the Caribbean country’s education minister said on social media platform X, causing them to vomit and hallucinate.
“I feel confident that together we will strengthen our safety and security regime to combat the unconscionable sale of marijuana infused products to children,” Fayval Williams said on Tuesday, noting the “most unfortunate” circumstances under which she met parents and stakeholders of Ocho Rios Primary School.
Late on Monday, Williams had shared an image she said had been reported to her ministry showing a colorful packet of “full throttle rainbow sour belts,” each containing 100 milligrams of THC – considered a strong dose for experienced adults.
“One little boy said he only had one sweetie,” Williams said, adding several of the school children had been given intravenous drips to speed up recovery. “That’s how potent this product is.”
Jamaica decriminalized possession of up to 2 ounces (57 grams) of marijuana for religious, medicinal and scientific purposes in 2015, and set up a licensing agency for the country’s legal medical cannabis industry.
Radio Jamaica reported that the Ganja Growers and Producers Association of Jamaica was suggesting a public education program for responsible consumption by adults and to prevent consumption by children, as well as pushing for more packaging regulations.
Oct. 3 (REUTERS) – Netflix (NFLX.O) is planning to raise the price of its ad-free service after the ongoing Hollywood actors’ strike ends, The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, sending the streaming company’s shares up more than 3%.
Netflix is discussing raising prices in several markets globally, but will likely begin with the United States and Canada, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
It was not immediately clear how much Netflix will raise prices by or when exactly the new prices will take effect, according to the report.
Netflix declined to comment on the report.
Talks between the SAG-AFTRA actors’ union and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents the studios, are ongoing, with their next meeting scheduled on Wednesday.
The writers’ union struck a tentative deal with the AMPTP last week after five months of failed negotiations.
Netflix cut prices of its subscription plans in some countries in February. In the same month, it laid out a plan to crack down on password sharing by subscribers that was rolled out in over 100 countries in May.
Reporting by Yuvraj Malik in Bengaluru; editing by Anil D’Silva
Rachel Spivey, Founder Of Google’s Stay And Thrive, Opens Up About Her Self-Starting Journey
At BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s Women of Power Tech, Rachel Spivey, director of Stay and Thrive (Retention and Progression) at Google, shared with an ambitious audience that her 13-year journey was a slow, steep climb with twists and turns. But she channeled her passions and allowed them to speak for the leader within her.
On Sept. 27, the pioneering Googler dedicated her morning on the technology giant’s 25th anniversary to grace us with the space and opportunity at the inaugural in-person tech conference for women. She led us on a wild, self-starting exploration of her career at the place where she’d grown from an L2 employee to founding the retention and progression program. BE Deputy Digital Editor Selena Hill moderated the captivating conversation.
Spivey admitted to the audience that she wasn’t happy during her first five years at Google. “What lifted me up is that I had a couple of people pour into me at the right moment,” she said, adding that “finding your people and your place soon” is vital for your mental health.
Since then, Spivey has walked in her power, using her voice for passionate change and empowering all Googlers and women in tech to stay and thrive. Today, she oversees her department to ensure retention and progression rates are at parity across the company.
When there is passion, promotions come later.
“I always had a voice,” Spivey recalled about the lessons she had learned from navigating her first-ever corporate culture. “Once I learned how to combine my voice with the right moment, things really took off.”
She continued: “I did stop chasing promotions a long time ago, and they started following me.”
A pivotal moment for Spivey occurred in 2013 when Trayvon Martin’s shooter, George Zimmerman, was found not guilty of second-degree murder and acquitted of manslaughter. “I decided I wanted to do something,” she said. She leveraged her resources to spearhead a “hoodie march” during Google’s all-hands meeting on its TGIF stage. This solidarity moment sparked Google’s investment in racial justice efforts.
As Google began to increase HBCU engagement, Spivey, a proud Hamptonian, found her lane by following her desire to share a unique perspective as a marketing student at Hampton University. She devoted the last 11 years to the diversity team, which would propel her journey to help underrepresented Googlers and beyond find their happy place.
From working with challenging peers and partners to speaking up in meetings, Spivey acknowledged that one of her biggest challenges is how people respond to her. “I find that just creating a personal connection with them and trying to also understand the climate around them” is useful, she said. “Instead of backing away, I lean in.”
As a Black director, Spivey was proud to announce that her powerhouse team of people of color makes a difference in progression. Google is now standing at an average of 86% retention rate.
“Over time, we see that it really makes a difference in terms of representation, not just to bring people in but to make sure that they’re staying,” Spivey said. “We stay with them until it is resolved.”
Why does it matter? Generational wealth matters.
“The Google stocks that I have been granted have not only changed my life. It’s changed my immediate family’s life. It’s changed my extended family’s life,” she explained. “And we get to help Googlers stay and start creating generational wealth.”
First U.S. Black Franchise Symposium And Trade Show Debuts In Plano, TX
On Sept. 15, Tarji Carter, founder and president of The Franchise Player, a firm created to increase franchise ownership and wealth across the African American community, spearheaded The Franchise Game, becoming the first U.S. Black franchise symposium and trade show.
The Franchise Player’s Tarji Carter (right) and Shawn Caric, VP of franchise development for Smoothie King
Carter created the event alongside marketing expert Dessie Brown, Jr., head of digital programming at Genius Entertainment, a Marsai Martin company. and
The event, fueled by JET magazine, took place at Yum! Brands’ corporate campus in Plano, Texas, featuring sessions from franchisees, lawyers, business development officers, and operation managers. The symposium brought together experts and industry leaders to discuss the secrets to success, challenges, and opportunities in franchising. The theme for the inaugural event was “Doing the Work!”
Damon Dunn, former NFL player and multiunit franchisee, Dunkin’ Brands
The day kicked off with a keynote address from Damon Dunn (a former NFL player who now has 40 Dunkin’ Brands franchises across the United States and is establishing a private equity fund to help minority franchisees expand their businesses), followed by an explosive lineup of panel discussions led by franchise subject matter experts including Mike Quinn (franchisee, Pizza Hut), Tim Williams (director of operations, Williams Chicken), James Fripp (chief equity, inclusion and belonging officer, Yum! Brands), Delmas Arthur (operations manager, Dunkin’ Brands, Starbucks, Five Guys, McDonald’s, and Hardee’s), and Carter herself on behalf of The Franchise Player.
Sessions included “A Day in the Life of a Franchisee,” where attendees learned from some of the industry’s best multiunit franchisees; “Talk to My Attorney!”, providing tips about the legal rights and responsibilities of franchise attorneys; “Bag Secured,” designed to address the bottlenecks of business ownership; “Operational Excellence,” showing attendees how to grow from an owner-operator to owning a large enterprise; and “How to Get Started and Approved,” the official guide to franchise ownership.
Adrian Archie, CEO of petNmind, the first Black franchisor in the pet industry
“With this event, we attracted multiunit franchisees, owner/operators, potential investors, athletes, entertainers, and industry influencers,” said Carter, who has worked with some of the world’s most delicious brands including Cinnabon, Carvel, Baskin Robbins, Dunkin’, Wingstop, Edible Arrangements, Fuddruckers, and Bojangles. “Moving forward, we are looking to increase franchise ownership and wealth across the African American community by providing education, resources, and opportunities to aspiring franchisees and small business owners. We believe successful franchise ownership can serve as a low-risk vehicle for creating wealth for Black and other marginalized groups in America.”
Black Franchise Symposium Exhibit Hall, Plano, TXBlack Franchise Symposium Exhibit Hall, Plano, TX
2023 was the inaugural event for The Franchise Player. Carter is already planning next year’s event at the same location, along with other events catering to African American franchisees throughout the year. To stay informed about these events, follow The Franchise Game on LinkedIn and on Instagram.
Tim Scott Visits Eric Johnson In A Show Of Support After His Party Swap In September
Tim Scott came to Dallas to visit the newest member of the Republican Party, Eric Johnson, on Oct. 3. As reported, Johnson flipped his party allegiance from Democratic to Republican in an open letter, calling for more Republican mayors nationwide. According to The Dallas Express, Scott is enthusiastic about what the mayor of Dallas represents for the Republican Party.
“The Republican Party is the Grand Opportunity Party,” Scott said.
“Common sense values — lower taxes, safer communities, and empowered parents and families are what we are about. These are American values, and we are happy to have Mayor Johnson.”
Johnson, for his part, reciprocated the support in a statement he posted on his X account:
“I’m looking forward to meeting Sen. Tim Scott during his visit to Dallas and showcasing our city’s successful efforts to lower violent crime. As I’ve previously stated, I don’t endorse candidates in partisan elections as mayor, but I certainly endorse Senator Scott’s interest in the Dallas Miracle.”
I'm looking forward to meeting @SenatorTimScott during his visit to Dallas and showcasing our city’s successful efforts to lower violent crime. As I've previously stated, I don’t endorse candidates in partisan elections as mayor, but I certainly endorse Senator Scott’s interest…
I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Senator @votetimscott this morning. We agreed on the need for more fiscally conservative, pro-public safety Republican leadership in America’s cities and the lingering negative effects of the radical left-led “Defund the Police” movement. I… pic.twitter.com/g94z3pvJcr
One of Sen. Tim Scott’s first post-debate agenda items: a meeting with Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who made headlines last month after switching parties to become a Republican despite serving in a non-partisan position. pic.twitter.com/lUwym7fW1f
Since Johnson switched parties, a movement to have him recalled is slowly building. The Dallas Democratic Party called for the mayor to resign, launching a petition to achieve that goal. Thirty-three-year-old Kardal Coleman, who is at once the youngest party chair in Dallas and the first Black chairman of the Dallas County Democrats, told the Dallas Morning News what drove him to seek Johnson’s resignation.
“Dallas voters are frustrated; they feel deceived and feel they have been defrauded,” Coleman said. “We’re creating a space for Dallas voters to be heard.”
Dallas’s city offices, like the position of mayor, are nonpartisan by design, so candidates run without having to declare their party affiliation. According to the National League of Cities, those who support nonpartisan elections believe that it fosters communication between members of different parties and that ultimately political affiliation is irrelevant to whether or not an elected official can serve a populace. Dallas is the only major city in Texas with nonpartisan elections; Houston, Austin, and San Antonio all practice partisan elections for its municipal elections.
In their petition, the Dallas County Democrats wrote, “He knowingly portrayed himself as a lifelong Democratic voter and representative throughout his re-election campaign for mayor. Now, less than four months after being re-elected to his final term in office, he has declared that he will govern the city as a Republican. This switch is the launch of a selfish and cynical strategy to get his next job at the expense of his current job, the one Dallas voters elected him to do. He is putting politics and his resume ahead of the people.”
Jerry Hawkins, director of Dallas Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation, told Texas Public Radio that Johnson’s jump to the right should be a wake-up call to Dallas voters to be more engaged about who they vote for.
“He has been spewing right-wing catchphrases and conservative policies since 2020, and I have been ringing the alarm,” Hawkins said.
“He has betrayed every Democratic voter that cast a vote for him, including me. … I hope this is a wake-up to City of Dallas voters to be more vigilant and to be more engaged.”
