• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 4, 2024

Lee Daniels Faces Backlash After Calling White Female Character The ‘Fabric’ of The Black Community

Lee Daniels is under fire after referring to the white female character in "The Deliverance" as "the fabric of our community."

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Lee Daniels is under fire on social media after referring to Glenn Close’s character in The Deliverance as “the fabric of our community.”

The film and television producer was active on social media over the weekend following the release of his new Netflix thriller, The Deliverance. The film quickly became the most-watched title on the streaming service and caused quite a stir on social media over its subject matter.

Amid the film’s hype, Daniels took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to explain the inspiration behind Close’s character, Alberta, the white chain-smoking mother of Andra Day’s biracial character.

“Every Black person knows an Alberta. She’s part of the fabric of our community, but we’ve never seen her on screen before,” Daniels wrote. “Thank you, Glenn, for bringing her magnificently to life.”

While Daniels sent the tweet to celebrate his character and Close’s portrayal of Alberta, Black Twitter quickly took offense and blasted the director for the seemingly tone-deaf statement.

“A white woman is “part of the fabric of our community?” one user asked.

“THE FABRIC OF…WHOSE COMMUNITY? WHO IS OUR?” wrote someone else.

Another user applauded Alberta’s character’s styling and Close’s performance but said that’s where it stops.

“The sew-in scene was cute. I enjoyed the movie and Glenn’s acting, but “the fabric of our community” is crazy, Lee,” the user quipped.

It didn’t take Black Twitter too long to mock Daniels’ tweet and start sending out sarcastic and comical tweets criticizing the director of “The Butler.”

The Deliverance tells the real-life story of “the Demon House,” which saw a family in Indiana claim their home was haunted by a demonic presence in 2011. The film stars Andra Day, Mo’nique, and Close, whose characters stole the show.

At one point toward the end of the horror film, a demon-possessed Alberta sniffs and says to her daughter: “I can smell your nappy p***y.”

The clip was shared on X in a now-viral tweet that read, “Lee Daniel’s you will pay for your crimes for having Glenn Close say this,” to which Daniels replied, “Had to do it.”

Daniels is standing by his words about the Alberta types being “the fabric of our community.” He even followed up with a repost of one tweet that noted his love for “a white girl from the hood. First, it was Star Davis, then her heaux-ass grandmother Alberta Jackson.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 4, 2024

Communities In Schools Launches Nationwide PSA To Combat Chronic Absenteeism

A new 60-second PSA was released to raise awareness of the nationwide epidemic of chronic absenteeism in schools.

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Communities In Schools® (CIS®) released a new 60-second roll call to raise awareness of the nationwide epidemic of chronic absenteeism.

The new campaign, released on Aug. 28, shows adults reading a six-foot-tall paper attendance roll with 15 million names representing chronically absent students in the U.S.

“Sophia A grade 4 absent because transportation absent,” one woman says at the start of the video.

“Julio M grade 6 absent because Wi-Fi was absent,” another woman says.

The striking image of this oversized attendance roll winding through a school campus represents the millions of students who are chronically absent from school and missing 10% or more of the school year since the global COVID-19 pandemic.

The initiative emphasizes opportunities to bring students back to school nationwide. Communities In Schools addresses the issue and offers solutions to eliminate it.

“Being present for our students is more than just showing up—it’s about sending a powerful message that they matter and that we believe in their potential,” Rey Saldaña, president and CEO of Communities In Schools, said.

“When we show up for them, we empower them to show up for themselves.”

Research reveals numerous factors that prevent students from regularly attending school, including transportation challenges, the need to provide childcare for younger siblings, housing insecurity, a lack of mental health support, and anti-bullying support. The new PSA emphasizes the crucial role of individual and school-wide support in addressing the diverse challenges students and their families face in securing consistent attendance.

Communities In Schools programs proved their solutions work during the 2022-2023 school year, with 99% of students enrolled in CIS programs having stayed in school through the end of the school year, 97% of K-11 students being promoted to the next grade, and 96% of seniors graduating or receiving a GED.

Now, CIS is working to expand its model to more schools across the nation to help get students back on track. Through the CIS step-by-step-back-to-school pathway, students facing challenges with school attendance receive support from CIS site coordinators, who collaborate with teachers, school administrators, and families to connect students with the vital resources they need to learn and thrive.

“I do my best to establish a relationship and rapport, so they trust me with any information—whether personal or school-related,” Site Coordinator Marco Mercado from CIS of Southern Nevada said.

“Once they see they are capable of doing things, it keeps me going and gives me confirmation that I’m making an impact, benefiting their lives and providing consistency.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

September 4, 2024

Southern Christian Leadership Conference Elects New President

New president DeMark Liggins has served with the SCLC for over 10 years.

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The Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) has promoted its vice president, DeMark Liggins, to lead the esteemed civil rights organization.

The conference formally elected Liggins as president and CEO after his predecessor, Dr. Charles Steele, announced his resignation. Liggins, who has served in the SCLC for 10 years, was officially voted into his new role during the SCLC’s 65th annual convention on Aug. 10.

Liggins became SCLC’s vice president in 2023 and previously served as the organization’s chief of staff and chief financial officer.

“I find myself humbled and excited about being named the President/CEO of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference,” Liggins said in a press release sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “As the new leader of this historic organization, my vision for the company rests on the SCLC’s Legacy, Leadership, and Love. These pillars of our brand will guide the direction of my presidency.”

Steele, the former president, worked with the SCLC for over 20 years but is not retiring. He spent two terms as president and CEO. In a conversation with WABE’s Closer Look, the 78-year-old shared that he will now focus on affordable housing programming and development.

In his new role, Liggins intends to focus on youth education, criminal justice reform, and voting initiatives for the SCLC. The HBCU alumnus and member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. also hopes to follow SCLC’s founding president, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., as he brings his own vision for the organization to life.

King founded the SCLC in 1957 as a call to action to serve and uplift the Black community and humanity overall. Moreover, its mission to provide economic and racial justice, alongside civil rights, remains ingrained across its local chapters nationwide.

RELATED CONTENT: Historic Black Church Receives $1 Million Donation Ahead Of Juneteenth Celebrations

• Business

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 4, 2024

Red Lobster’s New Millennial CEO Doesn’t Practice Work-Life Balance: ‘My Work Is My Life’

Red Lobster's new CEO isn't the work-life balance type. He says 'work is my life.'

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Damola Adamolekun is the new CEO of Red Lobster. His goal: get the restaurant chain out of the red.

Following a headline-making bankruptcy, the seafood eatery is now owned by Fortress Investment Group and co-investors TCW Private Credit and Blue Torch. Fortress nominated Adamolekun, 35, following his success as the former CEO of Asian fusion chain P.F. Chang’s, Fortune reports.

But while many professionals in Adamolekun’s age group champion having a work-life balance, the executive believes, “My life is my work. My work is my life.”

Adamolekun is always in go mode, starting his day with a 4:30 a.m. seven-to-eight-mile run and ending his day around 6:30 p.m. with a cigar after meetings.

“I never really have been a person that separated work and life,” he said. “It mixes.”

Adamolekun has spent the last few years switching between executive positions and working in finance. After making history as one of the few Black CEOs to lead a major U.S. company and the first to head P.F. Chang’s, Adamolekun returned to investment company Paulson & Co. following three years at P.F. Chang’s. This followed stints at Goldman Sachs and TPG Capital.

Adamolekun admitted to “working all the time” but enjoying the nonstop hustle.

“I thought it was fun. So it wasn’t like I had to go in on a Saturday,” Adamolekun said. “It was like, ‘I got stuff to do, and I want to knock it out, or I want to look at something.’”

He acknowledged that this mindset isn’t the same for everyone and recommended breaks for those who need them. However, Adamolekun has told his restaurant staff to “build in buffers” and take days off on Tuesdays or Wednesdays when the restaurants are less busy.

“Work doesn’t stress [me] out,” he shared.

Red Lobster’s new owner, Fortress Investment Group, will hear if its plan is approved this month during the eatery’s bankruptcy court date.

RELATED CONTENT: Beyoncé’s ‘Formation’ Song Boosts Red Lobster Sales by 33%

by Stacy Jackson

September 4, 2024

Ebony Lumumba Selected 2025 AWP HBCU Faculty Fellow

AWP named Ebony Lumumba, Ph.D., a 2025 HBCU Faculty Fellow for her contributions to Jackson State University's creative writing initiatives.

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The Association of Writers & Writing Programs (AWP) has announced Jackson State University’s Dr. Ebony Lumumba as one of its 2025 HBCU Faculty Fellows.

Lumumba is the chair of the Department of English and Modern Languages at Jackson State and an associate professor of English. According to the university, the educator’s dedication to the creative writing space and her efforts to introduce several literature-focused initiatives as part of the HBCU experience reflect the AWP HBCU Faculty Fellowship’s mission to support the work of faculty who strive to promote creative writing at their HBCUs.

According to AWP, 2,025 faculty fellows will receive a $4,000 honorarium, paid travel and lodging to participate in AWP’s Annual Conference & Bookfair in Los Angeles, access to private group discussions, a complimentary one-year AWP membership, and publication in the Writer’s Chronicle about the 2025 AWP experience.

“It’s a tremendous honor to have been selected,” said Lumumba, one of the creators of her department’s program at Jackson State, which offers a minor and concentration in creative writing. “Black writers and Black schools deserve this support and attention. Some of the most brilliant stories of our time were crafted by minds educated at HBCUs.” Support for the program has accumulated over $100,000 in donations in addition to a writer’s series she launched with colleagues that has introduced students to authors like Imani Perry, Ibram X. Kendi, Crystal Wilkinson, Jamila Minnicks, and Michelle Duster.

The college educator earned her Ph.D. in English literature from the University of Mississippi after completing her Bachelor of Arts in English at Spelman College and a Master of Arts in English at Georgia State University.

This year, the HBCU alum is an official panelist for the Mississippi Book Festival scheduled for Sept. 14. As a board advisor with the nonprofit, she is part of a group of literacy advocates reaching thousands of book lovers and authors during their annual festival in the South. She was honored by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History and the Eudora Welty Foundation as the 2013 Eudora Welty Research Fellow before receiving Tougaloo College’s Humanities Teacher of the Year in 2014.

In March 2025, Lumumba and Jackson State’s Department of English and Modern Languages plans to host a screening of “Below the Belt” and a discussion with the filmmaker as part of the Film and Visual Culture Series she previously launched with a screening of “Emmett Till: White Lies Black Death,” which featured a discussion with filmmaker Loki Mulholland. Her advocacy for education and the arts has led to her board roles with the Foundation for Mississippi History, the Mississippi Humanities Council, The International Ballet Competition, and national advisory roles with the Eudora Welty Foundation and the Mississippi Museum of Art.

As the 2025 AWP HBCU Faculty Fellow, the professor is excited to work with and support the new wave of writers as they embark on their writing journeys and pursue the field.

• News

by Daniel Johnson

September 4, 2024

Black Maryland Couple At Center Of Legal Battle Over Throwing Home Parties

The Floyds say that this hypervigilance from their neighbors is concerning in a world where Black people are routinely killed by the police.

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Prince and Angela Floyd, a Black Maryland couple, have found themselves at the center of a legal dispute over the regular parties at their Accokeek, Maryland, home, which the pair refers to as “Floyd Estates.”

According to the Washington Post, the Floyds’ 2023 Father’s Day party, led to 18 noise complaints from neighbors to the police. That wasn’t all. Between June 2020 and June 2023, police received 41 requests for service at the Floyd residence, with officers appearing at their doorstep 24 times. 

The Floyds say that this hypervigilance from their neighbors is concerning in a world where Black people are routinely killed by the police. 

Prince Floyd, a 53-year-old Black man, told the Post, “It makes me feel threatened like my life could be taken.”

The Floyds are simply bad neighbors, neighbor Margaret Littlejohn, who is Black, told The Post. Her fiancé is a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the Floyds.

The couple, according to the Post, “is demanding a jury trial, membership to the Calvert Manor Civic Association, which represents 100 homes, and an unspecified amount of damages from eight defendants, including Prince George’s County, a county police officer, the local civic association and five of their neighbors.”

“Are they targeting me by going after my fiancé, who happens to be a White male, to make the narrative sound really good? So it’s all evil white people against the Floyds because they’re Black?” Littlejohn said.

This kind of dispute is a feature of the litigation involving the Floyds and their neighbors. Basically, every aspect of the lawsuit is contested by both sides, and those in the community say that the contentious nature of the disagreements between the Floyds and their neighbors is unprecedented for the neighborhood. 

Regarding that 2023 Father’s Day, the Floyds feel as though their neighbors could have just called them directly if they had a problem with the noise level instead of involving the police. 

The Floyds’ home is lavish, even by the community’s standards. The 9,000-square-foot home sits on almost two acres near Piscataway Bay. The couple purchased the home in 2020 for $700,000; the average home in the area was valued between $350,000 and $400,000. After renovations, the Floyds’ home is now valued at $920,000. 

Angela, Prince’s 49-year-old wife, told the Post that the home, for her and her family, represents the possibility of what Black people can gain access to in America. 

“It’s only by God’s grace and mercy that we have this space,” said Angela Floyd, who was raised in a trailer in Wendell, North Carolina. “I believe that this space gives others hope. And [relatives] travel from many states because we represent a family member who actually realized what our ancestors have foreseen for us.”

The Floyds have received some support from Black neighbors after they filed their lawsuit in June 2024. Monique Hagler told the Post that she has been harassed by the police, which she said has appeared at her home over 20 times since 2020.

“I really regret buying this house,” Hagler said. “You should be able to at least enjoy your own backyard with your family and friends.”

The battle has taken its toll on the Floyds, according to the Post. Angela’s hair has begun to fall out from stress. They no longer host family celebrations, a reason why they purchased the home. According to the couple, they have heard the community’s message loud and clear.

It doesn’t want them here.

RELATED CONTENT: Washington State Program To Combat Historical Housing Discrimination

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

September 3, 2024

Donald Trump Bypasses Kamala Harris In Election Gambling Polls, Harris Still Leads In Swing States

Donald Trump is beating Kamala Harris on the gambling polls.

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Kamala Harris’s recent interview with CNN wasn’t enough to impress gamblers who still have Donald Trump beating her in the November election.

According to gamblers making bets on the presidential election, Trump has a 49.7% chance of beating Harris, who’s losing by 0.9 percentage points, Daily Mail reports. According to gambling sources aggregated by Real Clear Polling, Trump has been either tying or beating Harris in gambling polls since Harris took over for Joe Biden in July.

Trump’s current lead is his first since Aug. 22, despite election polls showing Harris has a clear lead in taking the White House. There was a tie on Aug. 31, but Harris took a dip in the betting odds following her interview on CNN last week.

Harris’s last lead over Trump was on Aug. 15, when she obtained an 8.8% lead. Following Harris’ brief lead, there was another tie, and Harris led again following the Democratic National Convention in Chicago when she opened up a 2.3 percentage point gap.

Betting markets hold some weight regarding election odds due to gamblers focusing on profits rather than influence from the government or media when voting. Some election forecasters view betting markets as a valuable indicator due to the lack of bias in a gambler’s decision-making.

According to the outlet, only PredictIt (53%) shows Harris in the lead among the six bookmakers in RCP’s aggregate. Polling still shows Harris with a slight edge, as she holds a 1.8% lead over Trump in RCP’s polling averages. But, Trump still leads the polling averages in Arizona, Georgia, and North Carolina and is tied with Harris in Nevada.

For swing states like Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Harris takes the lead. Both campaigns are focusing on independent and undecided voters in the seven key swing states: Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

Harris and vice presidential nominee Tim Walz spent Labor Day in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, including one event with Biden, while Trump made no public appearances. Surveys indicate that Trump holds a lead on key issues voters care about as the election approaches, including an 8-point advantage in trust to address the economy and rising inflation and a nine-point lead on handling immigration at the southern border.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

September 3, 2024

Disturbing Body Cam Video Shows Ohio Police Officer Assaulting Black Man As He Complied With Orders

Justice for Jaemiier!

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Body cam video released by the Canton Police Department in Ohio shows a police officer allegedly kicking a Black man while he was kneeling on the ground with his hands in the air, WKYC 3 reports. 

The disturbing video, which went viral on social media, shows Officer Brandon Momirov kicking 21-year-old Jaemiier McElroy on Aug. 31 after police were called to an apartment complex. Someone called to alert officers of an alleged argument involving approximately 10 to 15 people. Authorities claim a number of individuals fled once police arrived. Others were located and ordered to the ground. 

McElroy was one suspect whom the department admitted to appearing to be complying before he was kicked. Police said McElroy and two others, who can be heard in the video expressing concern, were arrested and claimed to allegedly have two handguns and a backpack containing “a large amount of marijuana” that were found at the scene. 

The footage shows angles from two officers, including Momirov, which shows a brief chase of a suspect accused of carrying a gun. One officer finds McElroy and four others in a parking lot. As the officer shouts for the suspects to stop walking, he then calls for backup.

“I got five at gunpoint in this parking lot, not really complying. I could use more units,” he is heard saying.

The call for backup prompts the Ohio officer to begin running to the area, but when he arrives, four of the men are already lying on the ground, including McElroy, who is on his knees with his hands up. Momirov runs right for him and kicks him. After the shock of the kick, the officer can be heard saying, “That’s why you gotta comply.” 

McElroy was charged with obstruction and resisting arrest, despite authorities’ admission of him omplying with officers’ orders.

A statement from the Canton Police Department said Momirov is “working in a restricted capacity” and “the incident is under review,” McElroy’s attorney, Bobby DiCello, was more candid.

“This is disgusting. This is disgusting. What I just saw was renegade, rogue, gang-style policing,” DiCello said. “There’s a double standard in law enforcement. That’s what this shows me. We have one, two, three, four African American young men who are standing by a car, and they call that resisting. When law enforcement fails to see us as human beings, anything is possible. Anything.”

DiCello said his client suffered a concussion, according to the Atlanta Black Star. After Canton Police Chief John Gabbard defended Momirov, claiming “our officers frequently face stressful, dangerous situations and confrontations with armed suspects,” DiCello labeled the comments as laughable.

“There’s a group of people in Canton that are law enforcement officers who are treating ordinary civilians like enemy combatants,” he said. “If this was in another context, you’d say that’s a crime spree.”

Canton NAACP President Hector McDaniel said he is disappointed in the officer’s actions and is “always alarmed” when incidents like this occur.

“Solutions for us are going to center around an oversight committee and or a board that we believe can bring assistance in terms of bringing policing in line with the written mission and goals that it already has,” McDaniel said. “It is about making sure that policing does not drift too far to the left. We believe that that’s what’s occurred here in Stark County, specifically in Canton.”

RELATED CONTENT: Body Cam Footage Released Of North Carolina Police Punching Black Woman

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 3, 2024

High School Police Officer Accused Of Ongoing Inappropriate Behavior With Students May Evade Prison Time

Deputy Jamel Bradley has five complaints of sexual misconduct in nine years at Spring Valley High School

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A high school police officer who works at a South Carolina school has been the subject of several complaints about alleged inappropriate contact with teenage girls. Those issues came from school staff members, yet that person is still on the job despite authorities knowing about the purported behavior.

According to The Washington Post, that high school officer is 38-year-old Deputy Jamel Bradley. Five complaints have been lodged against him at Spring Valley High School in nine years. Although other officers, parents, a school administrator, and a coach have reported the alleged misbehavior, Bradley has not been removed from his position at the school; although he was reassigned temporarily, he returned to Spring Valley.

The sheriff’s department would not arrest Bradley, in part because of his past as a former star basketball player at the University of South Carolina. He was seen as a role model in the community.

The school was under scrutiny due to a video showing another officer forcibly arresting a Black student, which placed the school under the watchful eyes of the Justice Department. Yet, even with that issue, officials in Richland County did not investigate the complaints against Bradley.

A student who made a complaint against Bradley was told by officials that nothing could be done about Bradley facing the music of his alleged acts. She was told that the department had “prematurely” closed the investigation.

It was revealed that Bradley is now facing sex crime charges, not for the previous accusations, but for allegedly abusing two other female students. He is facing maximum prison time of 15 years in prison as well as being required to register as a sex offender. Yet, it has also been revealed that Bradley may not receive any prison time as prosecutors have offered Bradley a deal. If he pleads guilty, they will recommend only probation and no requirement to sign as a sex offender. The proposed deal is slated to be presented to a judge.

RELATED CONTENT: Ex-Teacher Under Investigation For Allegedly Recording Sexually Explicit Videos Inside Elementary School