by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 21, 2023

SZA Calls Out The ‘White Acceptance’ Dominating The Music Industry And Explains VMA Snub

SZA went to her home state of New Jersey to candidly speak with Princeton students about her challenges as a Black woman in music.

The Grammy award-winning singer was the center of attention at her “SOS: Race, Art, and Activism” presentation held inside Princeton University’s Richardson Auditorium on Tuesday, September 19, the Daily Princetonian reports. SZA sat down for a keynote presentation and a roundtable discussion with scholars and activists who supported her as she discussed feeling boxed into categories set by other notable Black female artists.

“Everybody keeps telling me that I need to make music that sounds like Jennifer Hudson, or I need to make urban music, or I need to look this way,” SZA said, noting how in reality she was inspired by a variety of artists, including the punk rock band Blink-182.

When it comes to the focus of race in music, SZA says it’s most prevalent during awards season. Despite the commercial success of her album SOS, SZA was not featured in MTV’s VMA category for Artist of the Year.

“I was nominated for [eight VMA] awards and only won an R&B award, selling more records than my counterparts,” Sza said.

“That’s a conversation we’re not going to have to have.”

The VMA snub led to SZA pulling out of the performance lineup and her manager calling out the awards show for the “disrespectful” move. The “Snooze” singer addressed those who said she has won many other awards while explaining why she should receive the same opportunities as her white counterparts.

“There’s this pattern of feeling like you have to engage with white acceptance, which includes working with people [who] don’t respect you or artists who don’t respect you,” she said.

When it comes to advocating for yourself as a person of color in the music industry, SZA shared the power of the word “no.”

“It becomes an act of activism just by saying ‘no.’ I felt valuable on my own,” she said. “Everybody needs that reminder if you are a creative of color.”

SZA conducted her roundtable discussion on Black activism with Aisha Beliso-De Jesús of Princeton University, Elizabeth Hinton of Yale University, Megan Ming Francis from the University of Washington, and Scholar-in-Residence Derecka Purnell from Columbia University.

RELATED CONTENT: SZA’s ‘Kill Bill’ Breaks Billboard Record For Female No. 1 Record on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Chart

Biden administration, HBCU
by Sharelle Burt

September 21, 2023

16 States Severely Underfunded Historically Black Land-Grant Universities

The Biden administration just released some triggering facts about HBCUs.

NBC News reports that land-grant schools in 16 states missed out on close to $13 billion in funding over the past 30 years. Letters were sent to the governors of those states from Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and Secretary of Agriculture Thomas Vilsack requesting that they increase funding. According to the Biden administration, Tennessee State University has the lowest funding, with a reported underfunding worth $2.1 billion.

Governors in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and West Virginia received the letters, bashing them for not giving the institutions what they needed to succeed.

“Unacceptable funding inequities have forced many of our nation’s distinguished historically Black colleges and universities to operate with inadequate resources and delay critical investments in everything from campus infrastructure to research and development to student support services,” Cardona said.

Thankfully, data from the National Center for Education Statistics provided the statistics, finding the lack of funding in 16 of 18 states that hold Black land grants. Founded in the 19th century, land-grant universities were created on federal land to advance research and agricultural instruction. According to a new analysis, federal law requires states to distribute state funds equally to all land-grant universities. However, HBCUs have been getting the short end of the stick.

Some affected schools include Alabama A&M University, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Kentucky State University, Lincoln University in Missouri, Langston University in Oklahoma, Florida A&M, and North Carolina A&T, NPR reports.

In Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee, Texas, and North Carolina, the difference between HBCUs and PWIs, predominately white institutions, ranged from $1 billion to $2 billion.

Cardona and Vilsack said this problem can be dealt with if everyone works together.

“This is a situation that clearly predates all of us,” they said. “However, it is a problem that we can work together to solve. In fact, it is our hope that we can collaborate to avoid burdensome and costly litigation that has occurred in several states.”

RELATED CONTENT: Delaware Wants To Level The Playing Field For Black Business Owners And Landlords With Grants Up To $25K

by Derek Major

September 21, 2023

Colorado Sells Out of Season Tickets For First Time As Deion Sanders Brings Swag To Boulder

Fans have bought into the University of Colorado, and head coach Deion Sanders, after the team’s hot start. The school has sold out of season tickets for the first time ever.

The excitement around Colorado and Sanders has hit a fever pitch as the Buffaloes are now 3-0 after wins against TCU, Nebraska, and Colorado State. Now, folks are itching to get a glimpse of the black and gold at their home stadium, Folsom Field.

Sanders predicted this weeks after the university hired him.

“Get your tickets now because if you don’t, you won’t have a chance,” Sanders said earlier this year.

Last weekend, the Buffaloes’ 43-35 double-overtime win against Colorado State University was a star-studded affair as Lil Wayne performed. The team walked out to the field with celebrities including rappers Offset and Master P. Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Portland Trailblazers head coach Chauncey Billups, and Miami Heat guard Kyle Lowry attended the game.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfcq9batudM

The game also drew 9.3 million viewers nationwide, making it the most-watched late-night college football game ever on ESPN. Sanders’ sons, Shilo, who returned an interception for a touchdown, and Shedeur, who completed 38-of-47 passes for 348 yards and four touchdowns, were significant to the Buffalo’s victory.

Coach Prime and the Buffaloes face their first true test of the season when they face the No. 10 ranked Oregon Ducks on Saturday at 3:30 pm EST. If Colorado, currently ranked No. 19 in the country, can pull off the upset, it will only add to the two-time Super Bowl Champion’s growing legacy and resume.

Sanders even showed his softer side this week. After Colorado State safety Henry Blackburn received death threats following a late hit against Colorado wide receiver and cornerback Travis Hunter that knocked him out of the game, Sanders condemned the threats.

“Henry Blackburn is a good player who played a phenomenal game,” Sanders said at Tuesday’s press conference. “He made a tremendous hit on Travis on the sideline. You could call it dirty, you could call it, ‘He was just playing the game of football.’ But whatever it was, it does not constitute that he should be receiving death threats.

David Betancourt
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 21, 2023

A Marvel Dream Come True: David Betancourt Pens Latest ‘Avengers’ Book

Afro-Latino writer David Betancourt grew up in a family of comic book readers. After his father, a Marvel fan, introduced him to comics as a youngster, he became intrigued by them.

Betancourt, who now writes for The Washington Post, got to live out a dream. He is the author of the new Marvel book, The Avengers Assembled: The Origin Story of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.

In an interview with NBC News, Betancourt revealed his Marvel origin story. He was on a Zoom call with several authors to write a story based on a new Star Wars publishing initiative. That call also included Lucasfilm creative director Michael Siglain.

“I think he realized that I wasn’t just a writer covering Star Wars, but that I was somebody who was into it, who spoke the language. After the story came out, he reached out to me and said that he had spoken to some people who were looking for someone to write an Avengers novel and that I might be a good candidate for them,” Betancourt said.

He was excited to get this opportunity.

“It floored me because I had never written a book before,” Betancourt said. “I had written a comic book, but writing a 22-page comic book and a 300-page book are completely different worlds. I remember being very excited but also thinking, ‘Can I do it?’ So I took it as a challenge; there was no way I was going to say no.”

The book is about the history of “the greatest superhero team of all time” which includes the back story of the characters.

One of the hardest things to figure out in writing the book, Betancourt said, was what exactly to include.

“There’s 60 years of comics materials, not even counting the movies. We had to think what era we were going to be focusing on because the (Avengers) team is constantly evolving,” he said. “Marvel said it wanted an origin story and I said, ‘Then it has to be the original team and that was the original one that came out in 1963.’ That word ‘origin’ helped me narrow down what to focus on, so we took it back to the very beginning.”

The author is realizing a dream that he hopes other Black kids can also accomplish. He advises aspiring writers to write their own stories because they will never know where it will take them.

RELATED CONTENT: Diamond White Becomes First Black Teen Superheroine in Marvel’s Moon Girl

Warren Sapp, Deion Sanders, Coaching Staff, Colorado
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 21, 2023

Warren Sapp Wants To Join Coach Prime’s Staff Next Season

Hall of Famer Warren Sapp has been impressed with Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders’s success at two college football teams (Jackson State University and the University of Colorado Boulder).

And he wants in.

According to Sporting News, Sapp told The Rich Eisen Show that he wants a defensive line specialist position on Coach Prime’s staff. The Super Bowl champion has attended the season opener, where the Buffs beat Texas Christian University, and the team’s home opener, a 22-point win over Nebraska.

“Them kids, you know what, for the first time in my life, I was loved on by some defensive linemen, and they wanted to know, like, the keys to the vault,” Sapp told Eisen. “I had five, six young men around me, Rich, that was basically ready to strip search me like ‘I know that there’s a key in there, somewhere, that you’re gonna give me.'”

Sapp knows what he needs to do.

“I want to be there next year,” he added. “I’m going to get everything, the paperwork, and I’m going to go to work. Because sitting on my couch watching tape, making ‘Sapp in the Lab.’ I’m gonna go Sapp into class. I’m gonna go Sapp online. I’m finna go get this degree. Then we’re gonna go out and teach these kids these five steps to the quarterback.”

Sanders revealed that he’s more than willing to bring Sapp into the fold.

“I want him to be [on my staff],” Sanders told Eisen. “It’s different…Guys like that, the only reason they won’t go into coaching is because of the time allocated. I don’t need all that. I know him. I know what I need. You don’t need to come here and sit around all day. Come in the morning, we practice at 9, we’re on the field at 9. Get those kids ready in the morning. Work your butt off on the field. After, watch [the] film with them and go home. You’re home by noon.”

Meanwhile, the next team on the Buffaloes’ schedule is No. 10 Oregon.

RELATED CONTENT: Rival Coach Takes Shots At Deion Sanders; Coach Prime Fires Back, Calls It “Personal”

Ebony Alert, missing Black women, Missing child
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 21, 2023

California Awaits Approval On Ebony Alert Bill That Centers Missing Black Youth And Women

The Ebony Alert bill, aimed at raising awareness when Black youth and women go missing in California, has gained approval from state legislation. Gov. Gavin Newsom must sign the bill to become law.

The legislation was introduced this past March in the State Senate first by Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat for District 35. Sen. Bradford represents communities in the wider Los Angeles area and is vice chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus. In a statement regarding his authorship of the proposed legislation, Bradford said the bill would allocate the necessary “resources and attention” to bring Black missing women and children back home safely. The bill, SB 673, would create the Ebony Alert to ramp up efforts to save lives.

The bill proposes that the designated alerts be issued for Black youth and women up to 25 years of age based on reasons such as “unexplained or suspicious circumstances, at risk, developmentally disabled, or cognitively impaired or who have been abducted.”

The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference also supported the legislative bill, calling the increased number of missing Black women and girls an “epidemic.”

“Black women and girls are at increased risk of harm and make up a disproportionate percentage of all missing people,” expressed Rick Callender, president of the organization. “The NAACP California Hawaii State Conference considers [missing] Black women and girls an epidemic and necessary for its own safety alert.”

Bradford shared the latest update on the passing of the legislation on X, formerly Twitter, where he noted that it is now in the hands of Gov. Newsom to make the groundbreaking law official.

Gov. Newsom, however, has not explicitly stated whether or not he will sign off on the bill, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

A spokesperson on behalf of his offices released a statement that read, “We don’t typically comment on pending legislation, and each bill will be evaluated on its merits.”

The governor is expected todeciden soon, as he must sign the bill into law by Oct. 14.

RELATED CONTENT: Former NFL Player Sergio Brown Missing After His Mother’s Death

 

Martin Lockheed, F-35 fighter jets, scandal, pilot ejected
by Daniel Johnson

September 21, 2023

Where Art Thou $100M U.S. Marines Fighter Jet? Inquiring Minds Want To Know

Defense manufacturer Lockheed Martin bills its F-35 fighter jets as “force multipliers,” but the aircraft has been involved in one boondoggle after another ever since the Pentagon awarded the military contract to the manufacturer.

The latest debacle involved a $100 million fighter jet that reportedly went missing for more than 24 hours after participating in a training exercise on Sept. 17 with the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing. According to a report from MSNBC, debris from the plane was discovered Sept. 18. At some point during the training flight, the pilot ejected from the cockpit and engaged the autopilot function, which prompted Joint Base Charleston to ask the public for sightings of the jet, as if the military was trying to locate a missing puppy. The bizarre situation sparked memes all over social media, with the public wondering how a fighter jet could go missing.

Debris was located approximately two hours northeast of Joint Base Charleston on the evening of Sept 18, which means the jet had been missing for a day and a half.

United States Marine Corps. Captain Joe Leitner described the situation as a mishap, telling NBC News, “The mishap is currently under investigation.”

While the pilot was located and treated for his injuries at an area hospital, Lockheed Martin’s crown jewel prompted a collaborative effort between the Marines, Navy, the FAA, the Civil Air Patrol, and local law enforcement in Charleston, but whatever circumstances created this situation was not made clear to the public. Authorities also believe that the craft could have remained in the air for an unspecified amount of time after the pilot ejected. 

This prompted a Republican Representative from South Carolina, Nancy Mace, to pointedly ask on Twitter/X,  “How in the hell do you lose an F-35?” Mace continued. “How is there not a tracking device, and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in? 

Lockheed Martin has had a troubled history, dating back to 2001, when the company launched the Joint Strike Program, promising to have squadrons in the skies by 2010 at a bargain price of $233 billion. However, according to Vanity Fair, a decade after this initial promise, the plans for the planes had been marred by lax oversight, a bad development stratagem, numerous design flaws, and ever-increasing costs. The F-35 is, by a wide margin, the most expensive weapons project that the Department of Defense has taken on, costing a total of $1.7 trillion to buy, operate, and keep working. Even this astronomical price tag is under budget, because the program has yet to deliver on an essential combat simulator that is by this point, years overdue.

RELATED CONTENT: Lockheed Martin Invests $6 Million in STEM for Urban Schools

Lindsay Powell, House of Representatives
by Jaimee Ratliff

September 21, 2023

Lindsay Powell Elected To Pennsylvania House Of Representatives, Democrats Retain State Control

Voters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, elected nonprofit leader and former staffer Lindsay Powell to the House of Representatives, further maintaining a narrow 102-101 Democratic majority in the House.

Powell, 32, defeated Republican Erin Connolly Autenreith to replace former state Rep. Sara Innamorato, who vacated her seat in July. Running on issues of affordable housing, strengthening the local economy and infrastructure, and allocating funds toward community assets, Powell is focused on continuing the work she began as a congressional aide for U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

“I’m grateful. As someone who’s been a lifelong public servant, this is the highest honor of my life, and I am so excited to be able to work on behalf of every single one of us,” she said. “I joke, but truly I’ve had the honor of holding every job in government except this one.”

Though Powell’s victory ensured Democratic control in the House, Pennsylvania’s Legislature remains divided as Republicans maintain a majority in the Senate of 28-22. Issues of stricter gun laws and LGBTQIA+ rights remain unsolved, while a proposed $100 million program for low-income students has caused a two-month standoff between the parties. Majority Leader Rep. Matt Bradford welcomed Powell to the House on behalf of fellow Democratic lawmakers saying, “we look forward to continuing our work as the majority to move our commonwealth forward.”

The House is expected to return to the Capitol next week to work on a state budget that boasts $16 million in funding for both education and human services. The third highest funding total belongs to the state’s correctional institutions, with a whopping $2.2 million allocated. Pennsylvania also spends $700,000 on state law enforcement. Currently, the House has 37 Black representatives, of which 11 are Black women. When Powell’s appointment is certified in October, she will join The Pennsylvania Legislature Black Caucus to advocate for an ‘anti-racist, equitable, restorative, and reform-minded approach to legislation.’

beer, craft beef, Black Woman-owned Brewery, Minnesota
by Jaimee Ratliff

September 21, 2023

First Black Woman-Owned Beer Company In DC Seeks $20K Funding To Realize Brick-and-Mortar Vision

Urban Garden Brewing, the first Black woman-owned beer company in Washington, D.C., is looking to plant roots in the city and is fundraising $20,000 to support the effort.

Founder Eamoni Collier is close to signing a lease on Urban Garden Brewing’s new home in the Fort Trotten area but she’s in need of a significant amount of financial backing to help make her dream a reality, WTOP News reported.

“To support that process, we’re looking to raise $20,000 in order to help with our legal requirements and permitting to help speed the process along,” said Collier. “So we’re just reaching out to our community like, ‘Hey, you’ve seen what we can do, you see the passion behind this, the people behind this.’ Now we’re just asking for the help to get us to that next point so we can make this dream come true.”

Urban Garden Brewing has made waves in Chocolate City by collaborating with breweries around town and hosting “lots of events” to get its handcrafted beers into the hands of potential customers, the outlet reported. Though the reception for her one-of-a-kind brews—made with ingredients found in her uncle’s District Heights, Maryland, backyard—has been warm, Collier has found it challenging to keep up with the demand for them.

“Very difficult, extremely difficult. And it’s also very expensive,” she said.

The costs related to home brewing large batches of beer can be relatively low, with the average price of a five gallon batch being around $40; however, the costs associated with opening a business in the Fort Totten area, Collier has her sights on are much more expensive.

Still, she believes the beer industry needs what she’s bringing to the table.

Infusing her beers with creativity and unique flavor, Collier’s goal is to appeal to more women customers, thus broadening the consumer base of the popular beverage.

“I think a lot of people aren’t aware of how beer even started,” she said. “Beer started with women. We were the first brewers. And I think beer has come a long, long way from its roots and it’s left a lot of people out. So I think it’s just important because there’s a whole world in craft beer and I think it’s important that people are welcomed into the community to find their own passions.”

By and large, those left out of the beer industry are both Black and woman. Collier claims that about 99% of the craft beer industry is white, the outlet reports.

“Diversity and inclusion is important, especially when we’re talking about ownership and equity. We deserve a piece of the pie,” she said. “Those numbers have to change. And we have to begin the process starting here, right? You know that this is the nation’s capital.”

RELATED CONTENT: NBA Legend Kevin Johnson Partners Up With Black-Owned Brewery to Release Beer Honoring Ray Charles

 

Elon Musk Eyeing Monthly Fee for Everyone to Use X
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 21, 2023

Elon Musk Eyeing Monthly Fee for Everyone to Use X

Another change may occur on the social media platform X (previously known as Twitter), which may not sit well with current users.

According to TechCrunch, during a recent interview with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sept. 18, the owner of X, Elon Musk, said that sometime in the future there is a possibility that users on the platform will have to pay to continue to use the website.

The discussion between Netanyahu and Musk was primarily focused on artificial intelligence (AI) technology and its regulation. Yet, Musk said the company was “moving to a small monthly payment” for it to access the website. The decision was to combat the platform’s issues with bots.

“It’s the only way I can think of to combat vast armies of bots,” Musk said, “because a bot costs a fraction of a penny—call it a tenth of a penny—but even if it has to pay…a few dollars or something, the effective cost of bots is very high.”

He added that whenever someone wanted to create another bot, they would need another new payment method.

Yet, when news of the intended plan got out, X users were not thrilled and made sure to air their grievances on the platform.

The Tesla owner did not give a specific payment price or even when this new payment system might start. It has been widely reported that the platform has been losing money since Musk purchased X.

X users can currently pay $8 a month or a yearly subscription of $84 for access to X Premium (originally called Twitter Blue). Musk mentioned placing the social media platform behind a paywall when he initially purchased Twitter.

If Musk goes through with the plan to charge a monthly subscription price, then there may be a great exodus from the platform.

RELATED CONTENT: Ice Cube Ethers Elon Musk In Twitter/X Meme Battle

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