by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 11, 2024

Student Recalls Dragging Slain Teacher To Safety During Georgia School Shooting

One student detailed dragging a slain teacher to safety.

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The classmates of Georgia school shooter Colt Gray recalled their traumatic experience during the fatal shooting. One student detailed dragging a slain teacher to safety.

Bria Jones was one of the first students at Apalachee High School to see Gray pull out the gun he used to kill four people. She told CNN that he first tried to enter her classroom, but her refusal to let him in helped keep her alive—the Neighborhood Talk re-shared footage of the news clip.

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“I went up [to the door], I saw him holding a bag and just pulling the gun out,” detailed the freshman.

“I’m not sure what kind of bag it was, but I [saw] him pulling it out of a bag and the gun was so big.”

Her teacher unknowingly told the young girl to let him back in. However, Jones shared the unfortunate news that Gray had the weapon on him.

“If I would have opened the door, then like he would have gotten every single one of us in that class,” expressed Jones.

“And I don’t want me, my teacher, my friends in the class and my other classmates–I don’t want none of us to get hurt. So I just didn’t go. I thank God that I did not open that door.”

Gray continued on his deadly rampage, headed to another classroom where he took the life of a teacher, Richard Aspinwall. The victim’s student, Malaysia Mitchell, says she will never forget the image of Aspinwall taking his last breath.

“Colt shot my teacher multiple times,” the 17-year-old stated to the news outlet.

“We had to drag our teacher, our teacher’s body and fully into the classroom. We heard him take his last breath.”

While she initially meant to help him, the situation overwhelmed the teenage girl, who ended up needing medical attention herself.

She continued, “I’ve been trained [on] what to do, like give CPR and other stuff. But I couldn’t, because I couldn’t help him. So I ended up having a seizure.”

While the girls are alive to tell their story, they may still carry the traumatic memories that stem from the Winder, Georgia, tragedy. As for the shooter, Gray and his father, Colin, remain detained as they await their next court date on Dec. 4.

RELATED CONTENT: 14-Year-Old Autistic Student Identified As 1 Of 4 Victims In Horrific Georgia School Shooting

Tina McElroy Ansa has died at age 74. A friend of the novelist and filmmaker shared the news on behalf of the author’s family.

Wanda Lloyd posted a message on Facebook on Sept. 11 with a snapshot of McElroy Ansa at a Savannah rally for Vice President Kamala Harris, a moment she said may have been the last photo taken of the journalist before her death. A cause of death wasn’t specified, as Lloyd expressed that the family is still “digesting this loss” of the Georgia native and her former Spelman College roommate.

McElroy Ansa, who described herself in her bio as a “Southern girl” from Middle Georgia, grew up in the 1950s and was inspired by the stories of her grandfather and strangers who visited her father’s jukejoint. Wrapped in her passion, she became a notable storyteller and award-winning novelist in the writing community, establishing several initiatives and organizations to support and mentor emerging and established writers.

The cultural icon is the founder and publisher of DownSouth Press, an independent publishing company she launched in 2007 to promote African American fiction and non-fiction literature and ensure its “beloved and important writers have a loving home for their work.” Dedicated to helping writers sharpen their storytelling skills, McElroy Ansa established the annual Sea Island Writers Retreats on Sapelo Island, Georgia, offering mentorship from professional authors and editors. Within two years of its launch, the retreat expanded throughout the country, in addition to the annual private retreats she held at Spelman College.

The Spelman alum has been a writer-in-residence at her alma mater and a lecturer at the Smithsonian’s African-American Center’s Author’s Series, the Richard Wright/Zora Neale Hurston Foundation, the PEN/Faulkner Reading Series, the Folger Shakespeare Library, the Schomburg Center and the PEN American Center in New York City. Her work extended to writing for magazines and newspapers, which included The Los Angeles Times, New York Newsday, The Atlanta Constitution, the Chicago Sun-Times, the Charlotte Observer, and the Florida Times-Union. McElroy Ansa stood before large audiences to share some of her stories with the Peabody Award-winning organization The Moth.

The novelist has published several works, which include Baby of the Family, which former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama quoted from during her 2011 commencement remarks at Spelman; Ugly Ways, her Blackboard Bestseller and lead title on DownSouth Press’ first list which gained her a nomination for an NAACP Image Award; fiction novels The Hand I Fan With and You Know Better; and Taking After Mudear, which was listed as one of the “25 Books Every Georgian Should Read” in 2008. McElroy Ansa adapted Baby of the Family as a feature film with her late husband, Joneé Ansa, an award-winning filmmaker who died in 2020.

According to Lloyd’s Facebook post, the family will share more details and plans to commemorate McElroy Ansa’s life.

RELATED CONTENT: Farewell Frankie Beverly: The Soulful Icon Becomes An Ancestor At 77

• Food

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 11, 2024

Red Lobster CEO Details Dining At Struggling Restaurant Before Starting Role

Damola Adamolekun is spearheading a new era for the struggling seafood restaurant, but he first needed to witness the establishment himself.

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Red Lobster’s CEO got an inside scoop on the bankrupt restaurant chain before taking over. He revealed that he dined at some locations as he considered the job.

Damola Adamolekun is spearheading a new era for the struggling seafood restaurant, but he first needed to witness the establishment himself. As his company, Fortress Lending Group, closes on owning Red Lobster, he spoke with customers and staff about their experiences. According to the Wall Street Journal, the three-month venture proved eye-opening for Adamolekun.

As he dined, he noticed that the quality of the food depended on how well it was cooked, such as crab legs and surf and turf meals. As he talked to other patrons, they came to the same conclusion.

He claimed customers “just want quality food in a comfortable setting and to connect with the history of the brand. That’s the first step.” 

What Adamolekun noticed among customers and staff alike was their loyalty to the restaurant and the dining experience offered. Building upon that, the executive, with his diverse childhood across Africa and Europe, believes his overall expertise and boldness will bring new life to Red Lobster. He and his family immigrated to the United States when he was nine, and he remembers dining at the eatery during his Illinois upbringing.

“It’s all about being the best at whatever you choose,” said the Harvard Business School alum in an interview. “So that’s kind of my attitude.” 

In August, Red Lobster’s lenders appointed the former CEO of P.F. Changs to lead the company. Under Adamolekun’s leadership, which began in 2020, the Asian restaurant improved its sales in one year to pre-pandemic levels.

Given his proven success in reviving popular eateries, the young CEO, 35, hopes to turn around Red Lobster. After declaring it in May, the restaurant plans to exit Chapter 11 bankruptcy, reportedly owing $300 million in debt.

According to the news outlet, he plans to simplify operations inside the restaurant while promoting cleanliness and safety without skimping on comfort. Moreover, fewer menu options and higher pay can combat high turnover rates, cushioned by Fortress’s expected $70 million investment.

However, one of the most significant changes will be small but mighty. Their year-round unlimited shrimp, a move that contributed to their financial woes, will face removal.

Despite casual dining taking a hit in general, Adamolekun remains determined to keep the brand and its signature cheddar bay biscuits around.

• News

by Mitti Hicks

September 11, 2024

Parent Banned From School District After Defending Her 7th Grader She Claims Was Bullied By 10th Grader

Christian County Public Schools informs parent that she's banned from school grounds after defending her seventh-grade student from alleged high school bully.

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Christian County Public Schools informed Yasmine Payne that she is banned from school grounds for one year after defending her seventh-grade student, who she alleges was bullied by a tenth-grade student while riding on the school bus.

In a viral video that has more than 16 million views, Payne is defending a previous video she posted of confronting her daughter’s older bully after she says her child was afraid to get on the bus.

@bigyammip

♬ original sound – YammiP

“My daughter and her friend on the bus at the end of the day [were] on their way home, and her friend showed her a jump scare video. My daughter screamed. The tenth grader told her, ‘If you scream again, I’m gonna come over there and slap the f**k out of you and take your phone,’” said Payne, explaining the events leading up to her confronting the alleged bully.

Luckily, her daughter’s friend pulled out her phone to start recording the incident, which she claims shows the tail end of the older student yelling at the middle schoolers.

The mom explained that before exiting the bus, her child, her child’s friend, and other students told the bus driver what happened, but the bus driver allegedly shrugged it off.

“She didn’t want to go to school Thursday […] she went and told the principal that it was somebody bullying her on the bus and a tenth-grade student in high school. The principal still didn’t call me. I found this information out because the principal also told me to confirm what my daughter said,” says Payne.

She said the adults failed to protect her daughter, so she took matters into her own hands and told the 10th-grade student to stop messing with her daughter in the now-viral video.

@bigyammip Replying to @Tummy Hurts ♬ original sound – YammiP

She met with the high school and school district on Sept. 9, when she found out she was banned from the school district. However, she explains on TikTok that there were no rules or protocols regarding the bus conduct she signed at the beginning of the year.

“I was told it’s because I stepped on the bus, and it’s an offense because the bus is a part of the school,” she says. “I cannot come near the bus or school grounds for a year.”

Payne is devastated by the decision. She hopes the school district disciplines the tenth-grader.

“The district hasn’t been able to locate the high schooler, and I want the bully to be taken off the bus,” she says. “I’m scared for my child’s safety.

Black Enterprise reached out to the school district for comment on what went into the school district’s decision, but the district did not readily respond to our request for comment.

Payne tells Black Enterprise that she and the district are planning a follow-up meeting on Sept. 11 following her video discussing the school ban.

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 11, 2024

Kamala Harris Reminds Voters Of Trump’s Role In The Case Against The Exonerated Five 

Hope the voters hear her loud and clear!

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Vice President Kamala Harris took the time to remind voters of former President Donald Trump’s role in trying to keep the now-Exonerated Five behind bars during the second presidential debates, NBC News reports.  

Harris and Trump faced off for the first time during a debate on Sept. 10 in Philadelphia, where moderators and ABC Correspondents David Muir and Linsey Davis posed numerous questions concerning Americans nationwide. During the segment surrounding race relations and Trump’s controversial disputes against Harris’ Black identity, the VP used her time at the podium to point out that the four-time indicted businessman has had a bumpy history with race, describing it as “tragic.” 

She highlighted one major factor against her opponent, looping in how he called for the “Exonerated Five,” previously known as the “Central Park Five,” to face the death penalty during the 1989 case that rocked New York City and the nation. “Honestly, I think it’s a tragedy that we have someone who wants to be president, who consistently, over the course of his career, attempted to use race to divide the American people. You know, I do believe that the vast majority of us know that we do have so much more in common than what separates us…,” Harris said. 

“And let’s remember how Donald Trump started. He owned land…he owned buildings. And he was investigated because he refused to rent property to Black families. This is the same individual who took out a full-page ad in the New York Times, calling for the execution of five young Black and Latino boys who were innocent…the Central Park Five.”  

More than 30 years ago, Trump took out a full-page advertisement to be circulated in NYC-based newspapers calling for the return of the death penalty for the teenagers falsely accused of raping a white jogger in Central Park. All five convictions were overturned. 

During the debate, he continued his refusal. “They admitted, they said, they pled guilty, and I said, ‘Well if they plead guilty, they badly hurt a person — killed a person ultimately,” he said, adding that “a lot of people,” including former NYC Mayor Mike Bloomberg, agreed with him. 

The former president never apologized and has openly refused to backstep from his actions, even when he was face-to-face with a member of the exonerated group. According to The Independent, Yusef Salaam was backstage in the spin room at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, used by the candidate’s campaign surrogates. As Trump turned toward Salaam, now an elected member of New York City’s Council, a host of reporters asked him if he would apologize. In response, the GOP candidate grinned and pointed at Salaam, saying, “That’s good, you’re on my side!”

The council member shot back with, “No, no, I’m not on your side!”

RELATED CONTENT: With ‘When They See Us’ Defamation Case Dropped, Ava DuVernay Blasts Central Park Five Prosecutor

• Sports

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 11, 2024

Stephen A. Smith Claims NFL Player Tyreek Hill Has Some Fault In Viral Police Incident

The sports commentator argued that both the NFL player and law enforcement have lessons to learn from the viral incident.

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Stephen A. Smith thinks Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill should take responsibility for his recent interaction with Florida police officers.

The sports commentator argued that the NFL player and law enforcement have lessons to learn from the viral incident. The Miami-Dade police department released bodycam footage of Hill’s arrest, which revealed the heated exchange between the two parties. Police initially pulled Hill over for a traffic stop violation. However, the ordeal escalated into an officer snatching Hill out of his car and onto the ground before handcuffing him.

While agreeing that the police’s treatment of Hill was excessive, Smith also focused on what the athlete could have done better. He detailed his thoughts on the situation on the Sept. 10 episode of ESPN’s “First Take.”

“When it comes to Tyreek Hill, we also can’t let him completely off the hook based on the statement that was made by the police department in Florida,” expressed Smith. “They said he was ‘uncooperative.’ We have a responsibility on this show and any kind of platform we can do make sure we’re doing anything we can to save lives, to make sure we’re doing what we can to ensure that somehow, some way, you get to live another day and fight that battle. We know how wrong they were. The police were excessive. No excuses. They should be ashamed of themselves, the way they acted. They just went overboard. Totally true.”

However, Smith emphasized that Hill’s first response to the officers suggested his privilege as a celebrity.

“Here’s the problem – we all came on the air seeing the initial footage in complete unadulterated support for Tyreek Hill,” shared Smith. “You pull over. They tell you to roll down your window. What’s the first thing Shannon (Sharpe) just talked about? The first thing they do when they pull us over. They pull me over. All my windows are down. My hands are on the steering wheel. That is not what Tyreek Hill did.”

He continued, “Tyreek Hill had his window up. The officer knocks on his window. He didn’t bang on his window. He knocked on his window. You hesitate to pull it down. The first thing you say is, ‘Don’t bang on my window like that.’ He asked you for your driver’s license. You hesitated to give him your driver’s license. You said in the postgame conference, ‘Hey, y’all, what if I wasn’t Tyreek Hill?’ What if you aren’t Tyreek Hill? What would have happened to you if somebody wasn’t Tyreek Hill? Kept the windows rolled up, hesitated to roll it down, didn’t give the license immediately when asked for it, and then hesitated to get out of the car when they told you to get out of the car?”

According to Smith, despite Hill’s wrongful treatment by the police, his own actions did not help either. He urged everyone to be “responsible” when engaging with the police, noting they “do have the power. “

“See, we gotta be responsible,” he added. “The point I’m trying to make is this – in no way should the officers be excused for what they did… But I also am saying, ‘Yo, Tyreek, yo, bro, you didn’t deserve that. I’m not implying that you did. But the police officers do have the power. When they pull up on you, and they tell you to roll down that window, and they tell you to give them your driver’s license, and they tell you to get out of that car, that’s what you gotta do.'”

According to the New York Times, Hill has publicly asked for the officer involved’s firing as the situation wages on. The man, Danny Torres, has been on administrative leave since the incident came to light.

• Health and Wellness

by Shanique Yates

September 11, 2024

Tenant Protection Laws Proposed As Heat-Related Deaths Double In The U.S.

Lawmakers propose maximum indoor temperature during hot days to combat growing issue of heat-related deaths across the U.S.

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Following another record-hot summer in the United States, lawmakers are considering implementing tenant protection laws to safeguard residents from extreme and often deadly heat.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heat-related deaths in the country more than doubled from 1999 to 2023, with more than 21,500 occurring within that time frame. The study, published in the medical journal JAMA, also reflected a year-over-year increase from 2016 on, Bloomberg reports.

Tenant Union Federation, a national “union of unions,” was launched in August. The organization plays a pivotal role in advocating for change, starting with tenant protection laws that require a maximum indoor temperature during hot days.

“Things are changing because they have to; something’s got to give,” said Tenant Union Federation founding Director Tara Raghuveer. “The emergency in our homes is at a level that is actually untenable.”

A 2023 report revealed that Black New Yorkers “have an age-adjusted heat-stress death rate that is twice as high as that of white New Yorkers,” suggesting that this is much more than a climate issue but one that is reported to be rooted in systemic racism.

In July, New York City Council member Lincoln Restler, a representative for parts of downtown neighborhoods in the Brooklyn borough, proposed legislation requiring landlords to install and maintain air conditioning units in all rental units. According to the bill, temperatures inside units between mid-June and mid-September would be required to stay below 78 degrees when outdoor temperatures surpass 81 degrees. Should the law be implemented, landlords would have four years to change their units or could face a fine of up to $1,120 per day for non-compliance.

Similarly, in Los Angeles, county officials approved a January motion to create a law establishing a “safe maximum temperature threshold,” requiring residential rental units to be “cooling ready,” which would allow residents to install their own units.

Recently, the heat wave in Southern California broke its previous record of back-to-back days of 114-degree heat, which was on Sept. 5 and Sept. 6, 2020, with temperatures that caused power outages and school closures.

Currently, hotter parts of the country, including the Texas cities of Dallas and Houston, Montgomery County in Maryland, and California’s Palm Springs, have laws in place that require landlords to “provide adequate cooling to avoid exceeding a temperature threshold,” which varies from 80 to 85 degrees. 

In Phoenix, landlords are required to repair A/C units within 10 days of tenants’ written complaints. 

While some landlord groups oppose the proposed maximum temperatures, citing that the cost of installing the cooling systems may cause them to raise rent or even drive out landlords who can’t afford to implement the changes, others say they aren’t against it.

Instead, their concerns are around the proposed deadlines for them to do so.

“What is more up for debate is: Realistically, what is possible and reasonable for property owners to do in that timeframe?” said Alexandra Alvarado, director of marketing and education at the American Apartment Owners Association. “The other aspect is whether or not the landlord can bill the tenant for utilities.”

At this time, air conditioning is present in roughly 90% of American homes, which means about 35 million are living without it. A recent report from the Kaiser Family Foundation revealed that those without air conditioning are likely to be older, from a lower-income background, and non-white. 

RELATED CONTENT: How to Stay Cool Without an Air Conditioner: A Beginner’s Guide

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 11, 2024

Harlem’s Apollo Theater To Host ‘Fatman Scoop Forever: Celebration of Life’ Memorial

The beloved hip-hop artist died while perfoming at a Connecticut event.

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On Aug. 30, hip-hop lost one of its greatest voices when Harlem’s own, Fatman Scoop, died after he collapsed doing what he loved: performing on stage. His family just revealed a public memorial that will acknowledge and celebrate his life at the world-famous Apollo Theater in his hometown in New York City on Sept. 12.

“Please join the Freeman family in the celebration of Isaac “Fatman Scoop” Freeman at the Apollo this Thursday.“

 

 

 

 

 

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People who are in the New York City area can go to the Apollo Theater website to RSVP for tickets to attend the “Fatman Scoop Forever: Celebration of Life.”

The Freeman family is asking that instead of flowers or gifts, donations be made to the charity-based MusiCares. The organization labels itself as a “safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community.” Gifts won’t be allowed at or near the Apollo.

The popular recording artist got his start in the entertainment industry by promoting records for Tommy Boy Records, even being featured in promotional ads before he was known for his booming voice and the ability to hype crowds. He released a record, “Be Faithful” in 1999, that can still be heard on radio stations and clubs around the world. He was also a featured artist on two songs in 2005, “Lose Control” by Missy Elliott and “It’s Like That” by Mariah Carey.

On the day he died, Fatman Scoop released two records, Bingo Players and Disco Fries, “Our House” and “Let It Go” with Dyce Payso. The video for “Let It Go” also debuted on Aug. 30.

Fatman Scoop was performing at the Green and Gold Party in Hamden, Connecticut, and after shouting out one of his signature phrases to the crowd, he collapsed at the performance and died later at a local hospital.

RELATED CONTENT: Hip-Hop Legend Fatman Scoop Dies At 53 Following Collapse On Stage

by Stacy Jackson

September 11, 2024

Indiana Family Demands Justice After Mother Of Six Fatally Struck By Stray Bullet

The mother of six was shot in the head by a stray bullet as she passed a McDonald's on her way home to cook for her children.

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A family is seeking answers after their loved one, Kia Tidwell, a 42-year-old mother of six, was killed by a stray bullet while she was driving in Gary, Indiana, Friday night.

No arrests have been made since Tidwell was struck in the head while passing a McDonald’s on the way to her home in Portage. According to ABC7 Chicago, the woman’s family joined elected officials on Monday to demand justice as police continue to investigate what the city of Gary stated as “the tragic death of Ms. Kia Tidwell, mother of six, who was caught unexpectedly in gunfire near the Grant Street and 5th Avenue in Gary on Friday, September 6th.”

“This is a call to action for the community to step forth to figure out what can we do collectively as a community so we can prevent this from happening again,” said Gary Mayor Eddie Melton. “We stand right with them, with stand by them. This is not just their loss. It’s the city of Gary’s loss.”

The Gary Police Department and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Homicide Task Force are reviewing details from the incident ABC7 Chicago reported; it happened after Gary police were already dispatched to a McDonald’s on Friday near West 5th Avenue and Lincoln Street due to an altercation between a group of young people who fled the scene. After shots were fired from the northeast side of the building, police discovered Kia inside her vehicle with a gunshot wound to her head.

Her eldest daughter, Islynn Tidwell, who was on the phone with her mother at the time of the shooting, stated, “I just heard people shooting, and she cried, ‘Oh, Jesus!’ And that’s when I heard her car skirt off, and she crashed into the tree right there, and the phone call ended.”

Kia’s mother, Charlotte Tidwell, shared that her daughter, whose youngest child is barely five years old, had just left her house to go home and cook for her children. The victim is also the grandmother of a two-year-old. “[We’re] going to take it further,” Charlotte said. “We’re going to take it as far as we can. It don’t stop here. We can’t allow it to stop here.”

A GoFundMe set up for her family has raised over $16,000 to date. Police urge witnesses to respond with any details on the incident by calling 219-755-3855 or leaving an anonymous tip at 219-207-8477.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 11, 2024

FedEx Accused Of Discriminating Against Disabled Employees, Requiring Them To Be ‘100% Healed’   

As if its not hard enough out here....

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The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is accusing delivery service company FedEx of discrimination against employees with disabilities, claiming they need to be “100% healed,” HR Dive reports. 

A lawsuit filed on Sept. 6 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota says FedEx violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by requiring transport drivers with medical restrictions to take unpaid medical leave after a temporary reassignment period until they are healed. The company allegedly placed employees on leave even when they could perform their job functions with or without feasible accommodations while medical restrictions were still in place. 

The agency also accused FedEx of failing to provide accommodations to affected employees.

According to Reuters, the complaint stemmed from a Minneapolis-based driver who claims she was fired in 2021 due to chronic back pain. Another driver from Las Vegas allegedly fractured her vertebrae in a work-related accident and has been on unpaid leave since November 2022. Regional attorney for the EEOC’s Chicago office, Gregory Gochanour, released a statement saying employees suffer from “100% healed policies,” costing workers their livelihoods without any consideration: “100%-healed policies, like the one FedEx has, cost qualified workers their livelihood without giving them individual consideration,” Gochanour said. 

“Under the ADA, employers have an obligation to explore reasonable accommodations and not to screen out qualified individuals with disabilities who can do their jobs.”

Such policies have been linked to EEOC litigation. In 2022, gas station Circle K reached a $8 million settlement after being accused of maintaining a 100% healed policy, among other alleged violations. A medical center in Louisiana had similar issues with the agency and settled over accusations of requiring employees to be “fully fit for duty” or 100% healed if they needed more fixed leave or light duty.

The suit seeks back pay and other monetary damages for an unidentified number of workers affected by FedEx’s alleged policy. The EEOC is also seeking an order requiring FedEx to overhaul its employment policies to comply with the ADA.

This isn’t the first time FedEx has been tied to issues with the EEOC. In 2020, the company paid $3.3 million to over 220 deaf and hard-of-hearing people after the agency accused FedEx of denying employment or accommodations in violation of the ADA. The company denied any wrongdoing but was required to provide pagers and package-scanning devices with non-audible cues to employees with hearing issues.

RELATED CONTENT: First Black Woman CEO of FedEx Talks About Her Rise From Being a Teen Mom to Landing In the C-Suite