Dayjia Blackwell ,Philadelphia police department,

by Stacy Jackson

September 30, 2023

Philly Riot: Influencer Dayjia Blackwell Posts Bail For Looting, Asks Followers For Money

Influencer Dayjia Blackwell, who goes by the name “Meatball,” has posted bail after her arrest for her involvement in the recent Philly looting she live-streamed from her Instagram account.

The looting occurred at City Center shopping area, leading to an Apple Store and Lululemon shutting down for a few days to undergo repairs, according to The New York Post.

Blackwell is requesting money from her hefty following of 200,000 users as a “welcome home gift” and to hire a lawyer. “All I want to do is go treat myself,” Blackwell said.

“Meatball” described her experience of being in a holding cell as traumatizing. The 21-year-old influencer said,

“I’m traumatized, I would never go back in my life,” she told her fans. “They’re trying to make somebody I wasn’t. They really did me dirty because of who I was. That was corny, that was corny.”

The social media star told NBC10 she regrets her looting decision and never wants to go to jail again.

According to law enforcement, Blackwell was charged with causing a catastrophe, criminal mischief, riot, aiding consummation, access to communication, and disorderly conduct.

Blackwell wants the record “expunged” from her record. She said, “I’m a good person. I’m a businesswoman. I don’t like it,” she said. “I didn’t know this s–t would go this far.” She told her followers she is “not a trouble person.”

The influencer has expressed the situation is overwhelming and has stressed her out. “I’m young, I don’t know what’s going on,” she said. “I’m a comedian, this is what I do… This s–t is gonna reflect on my life.”

Since the situation, “Meatball” has changed her profile picture to her mugshot showing tears running down her face.

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In a video uploaded to her Instagram story she said, “I’ve never been through nothing like that in my life. I don’t even know what happened, like I need some sleep. I’m scared, I’m traumatized. Never again in my life, like seriously.”

On Tuesday, protestors rallied together in the city regarding the case of a judge dismissing the charges for a police shooting that killed 27-year-old Eddie Irizarry. However, Interim Philadelphia Police Commissioner John Stanford said the events were unrelated as the riots took place in a different part of the city. He described the looting Blackwell was involved in as the act of “criminal opportunists” and said they were taking advantage of the situation.

Almost 50 adults and three juveniles were taken into custody for the looting.

On Blackwell’s livestream, she was heard shouting, “Free iPhones! Free iPhones!” and “This is what happens when we don’t get justice in this city.”

Most people involved in the looting were young, including two 14-year-olds. The individuals are looking at charges of riot, burglary, and theft. According to law enforcement, 2 guns were found at the crime scene.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 30, 2023

Las Vegas Raiders’ Chandler Jones Arrested In Las Vegas

Las Vegas Raiders player Chandler Jones has been arrested after several incidents that have occurred in the last week.

According to NFL.com, the defensive end was arrested and charged on Thursday, Sept. 28, with two counts of violation of a domestic violence protection order, according to a Clark County (Nevada) Detention Center inmate status report. The 33-year-old was expected to be released on Sept. 29 and is scheduled for arraignment on Dec. 4.

The Raiders released a statement pertaining to his arrest.

“The Raiders are hopeful that Chandler Jones receives the care that he needs. He, his family, and all those involved are in our thoughts. As this is now a legal, we will not be providing further comment,” the statement read.

It was recently reported that Jones alleges he was taken to a mental health hospital against his will by the Las Vegas Fire Department and he claims he was injected with an “unknown substance.”

He posted about the incident, claiming he “don’t know what” he was injected with on his Twitter/X account on Sept. 25. He then claims that he didn’t do anything wrong and that the police officers who took him told him that “people were concerned about” him because of recent online posts.

The Daily Mail reported that the week before this occurred, Jones took to his social media to accuse Raiders owner Mark Davis of protecting the identity of someone who allegedly molested his goddaughter. Before the latest incident, the NFL team placed him on the non-football illness list last week, ruling him out for the team indefinitely.

“It’s a personal situation and a private matter,” Raiders head coach Josh McDaniels stated. “We have dealt with it, and I am not going to talk about it.’”

Jones has not played a game this season and is not allowed in the Raiders facility.

On Sept. 28, Jones posted a troubling video to his Twitter/X account making unsubstantiated claims against McDaniels. He was reportedly arrested soon after the video was posted to the social media platform.

by Daniel Johnson

September 30, 2023

Tiffany Haddish Pushes For Private Arbitration Of Former Friend’s $1 Million Lawsuit

Tiffany Haddish is back in the news; this time she is seeking to have the defamation case filed by a former friend be held by an arbitrator.

The $1 million defamation lawsuit was filed by her former friend Trizah Morris. Morris is the same person whose children filed and later dismissed a lawsuit against Haddish and comedian Aries Spears over a pair of skits, which depicted pedophilic behavior. According to the defamation suit, which was obtained by Radar Online, Spears, who also participated in the skits, was sued by Morris as well. Now, Haddish wants the suit to be settled by an arbitrator, outside of the public eye because she claims she had Morris sign an NDA.

The lawsuit stems from statements Haddish and Spears made publicly, which attempted to establish that Morris was an extortionist looking to gain money from the pair. Haddish says that her former friend signed an agreement containing a non-specific confidentiality clause. Still, a judge has not ruled on her motion to have evidence presented to an arbitrator.

Haddish’s attorney, Shawn Holley, described Morris previously as someone who has been attempting to besmirch Haddish’s name, saying, “Trizah Morris has been trying to assert these bogus claims against Ms. Haddish for several years. Every attorney who has initially taken on her case — and there were several — ultimately dropped the matter once it became clear that the claims were meritless and Ms. Haddish would not be shaken down. Now, Ms. Morris has her adult daughter representing herself in this lawsuit. The two of them will together face the consequences of pursuing this frivolous action.”

Morris’s lawsuit says that she has had her reputation ruined and that she has suffered damages as a result of Haddish’s public statements about her. Following the dismissal of her children’s lawsuit against Haddish and Spears in 2022, Morris’s daughter released the following statement, “My family and I have known Tiffany Haddish for many years – and we now know that she would never harm me or my brother or help anyone else do anything that could harm us. We wish Tiffany the best and are glad that we can all put this behind us.”

According to Morris’s lawsuit, Haddish used her personal history with the children–they called her Auntie Tiffany at one point–to rope them into being groomed for sexual abuse.

Haddish is no stranger to defamation lawsuits over the past few years. As Essence reported, in 2018, her ex-husband William Stewart filed a lawsuit alleging he was the victim of defamation of character when she said he abused her in her 2017 memoir The Last Black Unicorn. Stewart was never named in the book, and similar to Morris, Stewart sought $1 million in damages. The pair had a lengthy court battle that ended in 2021 after Haddish motioned Karin Crump, the Travis County judge presiding over the case, to dismiss her appeal.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 29, 2023

ABPsi And AATBS Partner To Increase EPPP Pass Rates Of Black Psychologists

As a part of its efforts to support the Black Mental Health Workforce, The Association of Black Psychologists, Inc. (ABPsi) has partnered with AATBS, a Triad company, to tackle a significant barrier for future Black psychologists, the Examination for the Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP).

The ABPsi and AATBS partnership includes a substantial discount on EPPP study materials, plus discounted access to continuing education courses for those who have already attained their licensure.

“Triad is committed to promoting a diverse behavioral health workforce. That starts with working towards more equitable outcomes on licensure exams, which historically have seen large pass-rate gaps between white-identifying test-takers and all other populations,” said Brandon Jones, CEO of Triad.

Black psychologists comprise only 5% of all psychologists, despite Black/African descent people representing nearly 13% of the US population. Many factors contribute to this disparity, including the high cost of undergraduate and graduate-level training, high barriers to entry for psychology training programs, hostile learning environments for Black and Brown students, and biased content in addition to the costs associated with the licensing exam, which has been shown to produce racial disparities in pass rates.

“While we will continue to fight for fairness in the profession, we are excited to make this support available to our members,” said Donell Barnett, ABPsi President.

Dr. Barnett continued, “We want to see our students and early career professionals succeed, and this is one way we can support them by breaking down barriers and removing stumbling blocks to their success.”

“We are excited to partner with the Association of Black Psychologists to reduce the cost burden of exam prep to achieve licensure, continuing education to maintain licensure, and to work with ABPsi and its members to help more Black professionals attain and maintain their license – and through those efforts, help promote diversity in the workforce and also help those seeking therapy find better representation among therapists,” said Brandon Jones.

This effort to tackle EPPP pass rates stems from ABPsi listening to its members. “For a long time, we have heard our students and Early Career Professionals express frustration about the EPPP and the systemic barriers to entering the field. So we took on the challenge through our Black Mental Health Workforce initiative and by advocating for tangible support, like this partnership. Ultimately, these efforts will translate to a workforce that clients and patients can relate to and get the support they are looking for,” said President Barnett.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 29, 2023

‘The Love Album: Off the Grid’ Marks Diddy’s Return To Top 10 On Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart

Diddy promised to bring real R&B back, and with his latest release, The Love Album: Off the Grid, he has done just that by scoring another Top 10 album on the Billboard charts.

According to Billboard, for the first time in over a decade, the man formerly known as Puff Daddy has returned to the number 5 slot on its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The last time the hitmaker charted within the Top 5 was when his 2011 album, Last Train to Paris, was released on Jan. 1, 2011.

This latest project is Diddy’s sixth Top 10 album on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

The Love Album: Off the Grid also placed at the No. 2 position on the Top R&B Albums chart and No. 19 on the Billboard 200.

Another feat the album accomplished was having six of its songs debut on the Hot R&B Songs chart. “Stay Long,” with Summer Walker, came in at No. 13, while “Moments,” featuring Justin Bieber, appeared at No. 16. “Pick Up,” with Jacquees featuring Fabolous, kept three tracks in the top 20 by coming in at No. 18. The remaining three are “What’s Love,” with NOVA WAV (No. 21), “Need Somebody,” with Jazmine Sullivan (No. 23), and “Tough Love,” featuring Swae Lee (No. 25).

So far, 2023 has been a very successful year for the Combs Global CEO.

He just marked the 10th anniversary of his Revolt network and rebranded the Revolt Summit as Revolt World, the latest taking place Sept. 22-25, 2023. On Sept. 12 he made a triumphant return to the MTV Video Music Awards stage, where he performed and received the Global Icon Award.

In late August, while holding court at InvestFest at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Diddy made a significant donation totaling $2 million. He announced he was giving a $1 million investment fund in partnership with Earn Your Leisure founders Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings. He also fulfilled his commitment from a year earlier to Jackson State University for $1 million.

With three more months to go in 2023, let’s see what else Diddy does to end the year.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 29, 2023

‘The View’ Erupts: Whoopi Goldberg And Alyssa Farah Griffin Get Into It Over Nikki Haley

On Thursday, Sept. 28, The View of the ABC morning talk show hosts showed frustration. Whoopi Goldberg lost her cool when debating with co-host Alyssa Farah Griffin while discussing the Republican Presidential Debate the previous evening.

According to the Daily Mail, Goldberg raised her voice while speaking directly to Griffin about presidential candidate Nikki Haley. The intense discussion was about Griffin’s support for the former South Carolina governor. While the other co-hosts, Sara Haines, Joy Behar, and Sunny Hostin, were talking over each other in opposition to Griffin’s defense of the job Haley did as governor, chaos ensued.

As Griffin stood her ground speaking in favor of Haley, Goldberg interjected by firmly telling her to listen.

Goldberg then lays out the reason she doesn’t like Haley.

“Here’s my problem with Nikki Haley… when people say, “Well, what have you done?” I wanted to know what she had done, really. What policies at the U.N. because that’s her?” Goldberg questioned.

Before Goldberg finished, Griffin interjected, “She’s a successful two-term governor.”

Goldberg replied, “Wait a minute! She was an OK governor; she wasn’t a great governor, and you may think she’s the cat’s meow, I do not! So that when I listen to her, I want to hear somebody say, ‘And here’s what we’re going to do…'”

To which Griffin interjects: “Did you guys all watch it? I thought she did that!”

Whoopi Goldberg had enough of Alyssa Farah Griffin’s interruptions about GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley on #TheView. pic.twitter.com/bBIkXraVlb

— Decider (@decider) September 28, 2023

The co-hosts then started to speak over each other, and Goldberg stated: “Listen, I listen to Republicans, listen, I’ve been sitting listening to you, and I’ve been quiet for everybody, so I’m just saying…”

“I try, and I didn’t hear the thing I needed to hear as an American, which is, what are you going to do about this and this? I don’t want to know about the wars, the culture wars, I don’t wanna hear anybody else talking about culture wars…”

Apparently fed up, Goldberg then said, “The whole panel talked about culture wars, and that’s the problem for me.”

by Jameelah Mullen

September 29, 2023

Ayesha Curry Looks To Her Jamaican Roots For Ingredients For New Products In Her Skincare Line

Ayesha Curry, the founder and CEO of lifestyle brand Sweet July, added skincare products to her wheelhouse in July and has already expanded the new branch.

Curry, born in Canada and of Jamaican heritage, recently went to Instagram to announce the newest addition to her Sweet July Skin line, Soursop vitamin C serum.

Soursop is a fruit found in tropical regions of the Americas and Caribbean countries, such as Jamaica.

“It’s finally here. Beyond excited to announce our @Sweetjulyskin Soursop Vitamin C Serum,” she posted. “This is a gentle Vitamin C serum infused with soursop extract, ferulic acid, and green tea to visibly brighten, firm, and hydrate to reveal your most radiant-looking skin. “

The Vitamin C serum retails at $65. Other products in this vegan skincare line include the Pava Exfoliating Cleanser ($39), The Pava Toner ($32), and Irie face oil ($60).

The company also offers skincare accessories, including face towels, headbands, and reusable face rounds ranging from $22 to $38.

The entrepreneur told Vogue that her mother and grandmother inspired her to create these products b

“Throughout my life, I’ve learned a lot about skincare and the natural benefits derived from superfoods like papaya and guava from my mother and grandmother. In pairing those ingredients with proven actives, we’ve developed a skincare experience that is great for your skin but also truly enjoyable. I’m excited to share a little bit of my Jamaican culture with everyone through these products,” she told Vogue.

Sweet July Skincare is featured on both Black Is Remarkable and Buy Black Store, which features Black-owned businesses on Amazon.

In an interview with E! News, Curry discussed her partnership with Amazon

“I am so excited to have our “Sweet July” products selling in Amazon’s store, and I’m honored to be a Black business owner selling in Amazon’s store alongside so many other amazing brands,” she shared.

Curry will also support other Black-owned businesses by sharing her favorite products from the Black Is Remarkable storefront and the Buy Black Store.

“Amazon and I are both extremely committed to supporting Black-owned businesses, and they are making it easy for customers to discover and shop the incredible selection these businesses provide,” Curry told E! News. “I also love using the new Small Business search filter, which helps customers filter their searches to discover products from small business brands and artisans while shopping.”

Sweet July Skincare products start at $22 and can be purchased on its website or omazon.com. For more information about the Sweet July Lifestyle Brand, visit www.sweetjuly.com.

by Atiya Jordan

September 29, 2023

New Study Suggests Ways To Counteract Gender Inequalities In Breast Cancer Care

As we raise breast cancer awareness, a new report addressing women, power, and cancer finds that gender inequality and discrimination in society negatively influence women’s exposure to cancer risk factors, access to quality health information and services, and ability to cope with cancer-related financial challenges.

The commission, published by The Lancet, offers actionable solutions that illustrate just how much more progress needs to be made to improve outcomes for women with breast cancer, especially Black women. The study calls for a “new feminist agenda for cancer care to eliminate gender inequality; where health systems, cancer workforces, and research ecosystems are more inclusive and responsive to the needs of women in all their diversities, therefore reducing the global burden of cancer,” per a news release.

Earlier this year, the American Cancer Society estimated that more than 300,590 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 55,720 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ/stage 0 breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States. All patients with stage 0 breast cancer, considered not life-threatening, can essentially be cured.

“While there has been an overall 43 percent decline in breast cancer deaths over the last three decades—thanks to gains in awareness, earlier diagnoses, and more effective treatments—there is a persistent mortality gap between Black women and white women,” according to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

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Here are some tips through the lens of a feminist approach:

Include sex and gender in all cancer-related policies and guidelines: The intersectionality of gender and race and its impact Black women’s health is also is important. Women who identify as African American of diverse sexual orientation and gender identity reported higher intersectional stigma than any other group. Stigma was associated with a 2.4-fold increased risk of delays for seeking breast cancer care compared to white, heterosexual, cis-women. Multiple studies indicate that gender biases can also lead to women receiving suboptimal care, such as reporting inadequate pain relief and being at a greater risk for undertreatment of pain than men.

Implement strategies to increase women’s awareness of cancer risk factors and symptoms: The Lancet commission states that there must be fair and equitable access to cancer care, research resources, leadership, and funding opportunities for women. Through training programs and leadership, the study suggests creating “accessible and responsive health systems that provide respectful, quality cancer care for women in all their diversities.” Approximately 2.3 million women die prematurely from cancer each year, and 1.5 million lives could be saved through the elimination of exposures to key risk factors or via early detection and diagnosis. An additional 800,000 deaths could be prevented if all women could access optimal cancer care, a press release stated.

There must be equal representation of women in leadership positions within the cancer workforce: Women are undervalued in the cancer workforce. Per data from the American Community Survey, Black women are more overrepresented than any other demographic group in health care, and they are heavily concentrated in some of its lowest-wage and most hazardous jobs. In addition, they are significantly underrepresented as leaders across research and policy organizations. As of 2022, Black women make up 6.9 percent of the labor force in the U.S. and 13.7 percent of the healthcare workforce. Out of these numbers, they also make up the majority of unpaid caregivers.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 29, 2023

Dr. Cornel West Backs Black Entrepreneur Who Alleges DOJ Covering Up Theft of Her Firm’s Multi-Million Dollar Contract

*Originally Reported By Blacknews.com

Nationwide — It is telling that Presidential Candidate Dr. Cornel West, The MPM Group (MPM) independent investigative firm, and Simon Passante, LLC law firm have all been able to discern in short order what the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has not been able to uncover in 23 years, states Jerroll M. Sanders. Sanders is President and CEO of the Black, female-owned business featured in the award-winning documentary on YouTube titled My Empty Chair: The Jerroll Sanders Story. In her film, Sanders alleges that DOJ’s top officials are refusing to acknowledge clear and convincing evidence proving that Democratic presidential appointees terminated her firm’s mega contract and passed it to their non-minority associate who has reaped millions from Sanders’ work.

“Everyone who has reviewed my evidentiary binder finds DOJ’s claim that insufficient predication exists to show that Treasury appointees and other officials violated federal law inexplicable,” states Sanders. She says MPM’s investigators and court-adjudicated experts in federal contracting embarked upon a seven-month independent investigation after reviewing the same documentation she provided to DOJ.

According to Sanders, MPM discovered what DOJ—the most powerful investigative agency in the world—claims it did not. Sanders says the nine-page report MPM directed to the Assistant U.S. Attorney General states that “Based on the facts and circumstances set forth herein, one comes to the unavoidable conclusion that various senior management personnel at IRS and Treasury knowingly breached a legally awarded services contract with a well-established and recognized minority firm and then gave that extremely lucrative contract to a newly-formed, well-connected non-minority firm that had no physical office location, no employee base, no financial base, and no prior federal/state contract credibility (not a single prior federal or state contract as a reference). The obvious questions emerge: How is it that only TWC questioned these events and why has the government turned a blind eye?”

A letter from a representative of Simon Passante, LLC law firm also calls into question DOJ’s claims that it found no improprieties on the part of federal officials who stole Sanders’ contract and destroyed the firm she labored a decade to build. Passante’s letter states, “I’ve reviewed the notebook you sent me entitled Request for Investigation: IRS Notice Redesign. I will not be able to represent you, or to produce any report or analysis, on the matter discussed therein. This is not because I believe you were treated fairly. The evidence you include, and the manner in which it is presented, make it clear to me that you do your job with great skill, and that if you were removed from a job, there certainly were other considerations besides the quality of your work. That said, this is an issue our office is not equipped to handle.”

Sanders says noted scholar and current Presidential Candidate Dr. Cornel West also concluded her claims had merit. Sanders reveals that Dr. West rendered to her the ultimate grant of his authority in a message that said, “I support your efforts – Please use my name any way you wish.” Sanders adds that West concluded his message by urging her to “Stay strong!”

Sanders says she is asking the public to help by using the Contact Form on DOJ’s website to send Attorney General Merrick Garland the following message: “Dear AG Garland—Please appoint a Special Counsel to investigate allegations made by Jerroll Sanders pertaining to the IRS Notice Redesign Contract.” Sanders says she is also asking citizens to send President Biden a message via the White House website asking him to endorse Sanders’ call for an investigation by special counsel.

Finally, Sanders says she is asking citizens to contact Michigan Senator Gary Peters via his website to request that he, in his role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, use his broad oversight powers to launch an investigation into Sanders’ contract and federal contracting operations in general. Sanders says an investigation will help reveal tactics federal officials are using to pillage and destroy Black contractors.

For press inquiries, contact Jireh Consulting, Inc. at 202-817-1331.

by Jameelah Mullen

September 29, 2023

Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour Makes Ticket Sales History—Again

As Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour comes to a close, it continues to make history. In July 2023, the 42-year-old set a new record by grossing $127.6 million in ticket sales in one month, making The Renaissance World Tour the highest-grossing tour for a woman ever since Billboard began recording concert sales for Boxscore in 1985.

The superstar broke her own record in August 2023 by selling $179.3 million in tickets, according to Boxscore.

The critically acclaimed tour launched on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm and will conclude Oct. 1 in Kansas City, Missouri.

Once the Renaissance World Tour was announced, Billboard estimated it to gross between $275 million and $428 million; it now estimates it to gross at $560 million. If Billboard’s predictions are correct, Mrs. Carter will be the first Black person and the only woman on Billboard’s top ten list for ticket sales.

The three-hour concert has received accolades for its costumes, choreography, and Beyoncé’s pristine vocals. The concerts have featured surprise guest performances by such artists as Megan Thee Stallion, who joined Bey on stage in her hometown of Houston. The Los Angeles shows featured surprise appearances by Kendrick Lamar, DJ Khaled, 2 Chainz, Roddy Ricch, Coi Leray, Offset and Quavo of Migos, and Lil Wayne.

Beyoncé herself was surprised in Los Angeles when the iconic Diana Ross appeared onstage to serenade her with the Happy Birthday song. But arguably the most notable guest performer has been Beyoncé’s 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, who joins her mother for a dance medley during the song “My Power.”

The Renaissance World Tour also featured a star-studded audience, with Oprah Winfrey, Jill Scott, Nicole Ari- Parker, Boris Kodjoe, Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, and Keke Palmer all in attendance. In Houston, the audience consisted of her former Destiny’s Child bandmates Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, LaTavia Roberson, and LeToya Luckett, who added flames to the rumors of a Destiny’s Child reunion tour.

Beyoncé also made history earlier in 2023 when she became the most awarded artist in Grammy history with a total of 32. The artist won four Grammys for her Renaissance album. It debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and was her seventh consecutive album to do so.