by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 5, 2024

Sha’Carri Richardson Takes Silver In Comeback Performance At Paris Olympics

While her redemption fell short of expectations, she did put Team USA back on the podium for the sprints.

Sha’Carri Richardson is finally an Olympic medalist. The track and field star took home silver at the 100-meter finals at the Paris Olympics.

Richardson made her debut on the track Aug 3. The Associated Press reported that the 24-year-old earned silver with 10.87 seconds. She followed St. Lucia’s Julien Alfred, who won with a time of 10.72 seconds. Another American runner, Melissa Jefferson, finished third.

SHA’CARRI RICHARDSON IS AN OLYMPIC MEDALIST 🥈#ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/uWlSzEZXWa
— Team USA (@TeamUSA) August 3, 2024

However, a slow start potentially stripped Richardson of the gold. She took .221 seconds to get off the block, the slowest time out of all eight runners in the final.

The race marked her official Olympic comeback, showcasing a years-long effort for Richardson to make it to this level. She was initially left out of the Tokyo games in 2021 following positive drug test for THC, the active ingredient found in cannabis.

“This time around, I feel as if it was more—definitely still confident, still my exciting, normal self, but more so the overwhelming feeling of joy,” Richardson said during the U.S. Olympic trials in June, as reported by USA Today.

After three additional years of training and waiting, Richardson was determined to make it to the Olympic stage. Now, she has soothed a decades-long drought for U.S. Track and Field, which has not received a medal for the 100-meter sprint since 1996.

While her redemption fell short of expectations, she did put Team USA back on the podium for the sprints. As for earning Olympic gold, Richardson will most likely have another chance to do so in the 4×100 meter relay. The competition, which the USA last won at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, begins Aug. 8.

Former Baltimore Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake , lawsuit

by Daniel Johnson

August 5, 2024

Parents Say Son Not Protected from Racist Bullying in MA School, File Civil Rights Lawsuit

Parents of a student in Brookline, Massachusetts, allege their son experienced racism and the school did nothing about it.

A civil rights lawsuit has been filed against Brookline schools in Massachusetts over allegations that the Public Schools of Brookline failed to properly protect a Black student who was bullied because of his race. The parents of the student claim that the school’s negligence and lack of adequate measures to address the bullying led to a hostile and unsafe environment for their child.

According to WBZ News, a Boston affiliate of CBS News, the 14-year-old student was allegedly called a “cotton picker” by another student in December 2023. On another occasion in April 2024, the student tripped and fell and another student put their knee on his neck and started yelling “George Floyd! George Floyd!”

The student’s parents, who requested that WBZ News only use their first names, said that the school’s officials didn’t do a lot to help their son.

Ricardo, his father, said that the pair just wanted to give their son better opportunities.

“I really just wanted and truly believe that humanity exists,” Wedee, the boy’s mother, said. “Like, caring about people, checking in on them, and that’s what I wanted them to do for my son. By not checking in on him, you are saying a lot.”

“If my son had done something even remotely close to what had happened, he would have been expelled. God knows, he probably would have been in juvenile detention right now, depending on the circumstances,” Ricardo told WBZ News. “What I was more surprised about is the fact that they were very nonchalant about the whole thing.”

Ricardo continued, “As much as it is about him, I find it’s an opportunity to get something done about it, not just for him but for other kids who might be experiencing this or who might be about to experience this.”

Lawyers for Civil Rights, the group representing the parents and their son in the court case, have filed four other civil rights lawsuits over the last two months related to racial bullying in Massachusetts.

“The Public Schools of Brookline condemns hatred and racism in all of its forms,” Linus Guillory, superintendent of Brookline Schools, said in a statement. “Racism and discrimination run contrary to the values of our school district. We are currently working with counsel to review the complaint, and we will put forward an appropriate response within the timeframe allowed by the legal process.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 5, 2024

Harlem Week Celebrates 50 Years Of Honoring The Community’s History

The celebration started in 1974 with Harlem Day.

Harlem Week recently began its 50th anniversary of celebrating the famed New York City community’s history and culture.

It started Aug. 1 with a breakfast at Sylvia’s Restaurant, a famed soul food staple in Harlem. The party will continue through Aug. 18, with a line-up featuring hip-hop artists like Fabolous, Broadway show performances, and delights for foodies. With free admission for all events, this year will also offer health screenings at the Harlem Health Village and a children’s festival providing school supplies.

The celebration started in 1974, with Harlem Day paying tribute to those who considered the area their home despite urban flight. The inaugural ceremony’s attendees included James Baldwin, Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, and Maya Angelou.

“It was supposed to be a onetime event. It was never supposed to happen again,” Lloyd Williams, president of The Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce, told Forbes. “Nineteen seventy-four was the height of what was called ‘urban flight,’ and the urban areas of America, the Detroits and Washingtons and Chicagos, the persons with significant incomes, be they whites, Blacks, etc., were fleeing urban areas, and that which was left were in the main people of color who had nowhere else they could go.”

He added, “A ribbon was cut at 138^th street and 7^th Avenue by (actor and producer) Ossie Davis. He declared this to be the beginning of the second Harlem Renaissance.”

The day became a weekend and the weekend became weeks, all paying tribute to the vibrant community Harlem has fostered. The neighborhood remains a pillar of Black excellence first witnessed during the Harlem Renaissance. Williams touched on the “Harlem State of Mind” that continues to make it a focal point of Black culture.

“Harlem is strategically located like no other community,” he expressed. “Why? Because it’s located in Manhattan and that is the international capital of the world with the United Nations. That is the financial capital of the world with Wall Street [and] the cultural capital of the world with Broadway. That is the historical capital of the world with all of the museums. The media capital of the world. As a result, Harlem has the unique ability that what happens in Harlem resonates and is broadcast around the region, around the nation, and around the world.”

Today, the community remains home for the famed Apollo Theater and the Schomburg Center, known for holding extensive research materials on the African Diaspora and Black experience. Moreover, the celebration of Harlem’s place in the Black community expands year after year.

More information on its extensive programming, discussions, and entertainment can be found on Harlem Week’s website.

Healthcare, Doctor, Health, Hospital, Black Women's Health Imperative, Health Policy Voters Guide, ICHRA plans, AARP

by Jeffrey McKinney

August 5, 2024

Black Healthcare Firms Should Prosper Most From Growing Economy, According To New Report

The second quarter surge in the GDP could create more business activity for Black healthcare and affiliated businesses.

Black firms in healthcare and related industries are among the enterprises that should benefit the most from a growing U.S. economy.

Based on a report by William Michael Cunningham, an economist and owner of Creative Investment Research, those firms account for 28% of all Black-owned firms nationally in any industry, meaning that the Black business community typically does better when that sector expands.

His analysis comes after the gross domestic product (GDP) doubled by surprisingly rising 2.8% in this year’s second quarter from 1.4% in the first quarter. Spending in healthcare and affiliated businesses grew by about $27 billion from the first to the second quarter.

An influential economic indicator, the GDP basically measures the value of the output of all goods and services produced in America during a specific time frame.

Cunningham said that a large component of the GDP gain occurring in healthcare should translate into Black firms doing relatively better. “That’s assuming those firms have costs under control and GDP growth trends continue, which we believe they will.”

Cunningham told BLACK ENTERPRISE that for minority-owned businesses, higher economic growth should lead to greater availability of credit and investment opportunities. He added those opportunities are vital for the sustainability of minority enterprises.

The healthcare sector is critical to minority employment and ownership. “Growth in health care should be especially significant for Black firms, given their overrepresentation in that space.”

Breaking down the potential impact in other industries where Black businesses operate, Cunningham said data for Q2 2024 reveals sector-specific performance that is crucial for understanding the landscape for minority-owned companies. For instance, he said, the data indicated consumer spending increases in services and goods, which should bode well for minority firms.

by Stacy Jackson

August 5, 2024

‘Native Son’ Channel Launches On James Baldwin’s 100th Birthday To Amplify Black, Gay, And Queer Male Life

Stories of Black gay and queer men are being told on the new Native Son Channel thanks to a partnership with LGBTQ+ media company Q.Digital.

Native Son and LGBTQ+ media company Q.Digital officially launched a new content channel, ‘The Native Son’ Channel, led by renowned journalist and Native Son Founder Emil Wilbekin.

The Aug. 2 launch catapults Native Son as a premier platform committed to telling the stories of Black gay and queer men through Q.Digital’s Queerty LGBTQ+ culture and entertainment outlet. According to a press release, Wilbekin is working alongside Queerty’s editorial team to produce news stories, lists, opinion pieces, and video content surrounding politics, lifestyle, culture, and entertainment.

“We are so thrilled to formally introduce our Native Son community to the world through this partnership with Q.Digital and with this new platform on Queerty,” Wilbekin said. “There will be a great mix of engaging video content, strong visual components, fun social elements, and, most importantly, powerful storytelling.” According to Wilbekin, this alliance with Q.Digital supports Native Son’s core mission to serve the Black gay male community, and the platforms have set up a new Queerty Native Son email newsletter.

The Native Son Channel debut also commemorates the centennial celebration of James Baldwin, the author of Notes of a Native Son, and the inspiration behind Wilbekin’s organization. In recognition of Baldwin’s 100th birthday, a special digital cover story by Darnell A. Moore served as a tribute to the late civil rights activist and acclaimed writer launched with the new content channel. “No one embodies Native Son more than James Baldwin, and we are excited to honor his legacy,” Wilbekin said.

Q.Digital Founder and CEO Scott Gatz believes his media company will “bring scale and drive audiences to Native Son content like never before –- ensuring these vital voices are heard across our network of 11 MM+ monthly readers.” Gatz’s company spearheaded sales for the content channel, which closely partnered with Native Son for its distinguished awards event, The “Native Son’s Awards.” As previously covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the organization’s annual awards ceremony on June 12, hosted by former CNN anchor Don Lemon, honored Black queer men for their achievements and contributions to society.

Upcoming tentpole programming includes the “Black Gay Leadership Forum” on Sept. 19 and “Native Son 101,” scheduled for the end of the 2024 year on Dec. 7.

Native Son’s new partnership elevates underrepresented media and is significant as increasing attacks on DEI efforts have become more prevalent nationwide. According to Queerty, Wilbekin co-hosted a three-hour virtual call on July 25 that included Black gay and queer men and allies in support of Vice President Kamala Harris’s bid for the presidency.

Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff said, “As it related to this wonderful, beautiful community of Black gay men, she has always been beside you, with you, has your back, and will always have your back.”

https://twitter.com/jrmypope/status/1816707539389780382

The launch of the Native Son Channel is an extension of Wilbekin’s efforts to satisfy the needs of the Black gay community. According to the Native Son website, the organization uses social media to connect to its audience, with a current reach of over 69,000 followers across Instagram, x, formerly known as Twitter, and Facebook.

by Daniel Johnson

August 4, 2024

Black Conservative Who Reportedly Organized Trump’s Chick-Fil-A Visit Repeats Lie About Kamala Harris At Rally

Montgomery also reportedly orchestrated his appearance at a Chick-fil-A in Atlanta.

Michaelah Montgomery, a former Georgia Republican Party staffer and coordinator for the organization Conserve the Culture, which engages HBCU students open to conservative ideas, spoke at an Aug. 3 Trump rally in Atlanta, where she rehashed a long-debunked rumor about Vice President Kamala Harris.

According to the Associated Press, Montgomery orchestrated Trump’s appearance at an Atlanta Chick-fil-A in April, which resulted in a few viral videos. It was later reported to be staged with Montgomery acting as a customer at the fast food restaurant. There were photo ops of her hugging Trump at the Chick-fil-A in Atlanta. And he often retells the story of a Black woman who hugged him and praised him during his stop.

According to Real Clear Politics, Trump continued peddling his mythology that he didn’t know who Montgomery was despite her orchestrating the appearance.

“I walked in, she’s behind the counter and she didn’t know I was coming and she goes, ‘It’s President Trump.’ She looks at me. ‘It’s President Trump. You saved my college.’ And I said, ‘How the hell do you know that?’ She said, ‘You are’. This one is so smart, so sharp. She grabbed me,” Trump recounted.

At the recent Trump rally, Montgomery criticized Harris, saying that she hasn’t done anything for the Black community: “Aside from her record as a prosecutor, why don’t we ask Mrs. Willie Brown if Kamala Harris cares about Black families?” The remark was in reference to the widely circulated falsehood that Harris dated former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown while he was married.

https://twitter.com/ofiranet/status/1819954579796070493

In 2020, Reuters fact-checked the rumor about Brown and Harris that had spread on social media. They concluded, “Although the photo appears to be authentic, he was separated from his wife for more than a decade when he and Harris dated in the mid-1990s. Their relationship, which ended in 1995, was not a secret.”

Michaelah Montgomery, who met President Trump at Chick-fil-A in Atlanta, joined @foxandfriends to discuss why she and so many in the Black community are ALL in for Trump!

MUST WATCH ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/3JJ7sc72Jj
— Karoline Leavitt (@kleavittnh) April 12, 2024

Since Montgomery’s comments at the rally, some on X, formerly known as Twitter, have called out her being allegedly arrested for fraud. Others pointed out an association with controversial conservative political activist Charlie Kirk and right-wing podcaster Candace Owens. Trump, meanwhile, called her “incredible.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 4, 2024

Florida Driver Pursued by Police Crashes Into Car, Killing Pregnant Woman And Her Mother

Concerns were raised about the West Palm Beach police officers who pursued the suspect, which led to the crash.

In Florida, a suspect pursued by police in a car chase crashed into another car, killing a pregnant woman and her mother.

The incident occurred on July 30, killing 27-year-old Jenice Woods and her 57-year-old mom, Marcia Pochette.

Police told CBS 12 that Neoni Copeland crashed his Kia Stinger into Woods’ Toyota Corolla around 8:30 p.m. in Boynton Beach. Woods was attempting to make a turn. Immediately after the crash, police said, Copeland fled on foot. However, police quickly caught up with him and arrested the 23-year-old.

The two women were pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital. Woods’ unborn child also did not survive.

“Two and a half lives were taken away from me: my daughter, my wife, my future grandchild,” explained Junel Pochette, Woods’ father and Pochette’s husband, to the news outlet. “We were looking forward to a new grandbaby.”

Additional concerns were raised regarding the West Palm Beach police officers who pursued Copeland. Questions remain on whether they followed the correct pursuit procedure, as the chase ultimately led to the fatal crash.

Copeland initially fled a traffic stop, which does not require a pursuit. Despite this, three units proceeded to chase the man for two and a half miles. West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderly confirmed the launch of an internal investigation into the incident. The department has also placed several officers on administrative leave.

“While there are many questions and few answers at this time, we need to let the facts lead us to the outcome of the investigation,” Adderly said. “We are cooperating with the Boynton Beach Police Department and are committed to full transparency.”

Moreover, Boynton Beach officials are reviewing GPS trackers to see whether the West Palm Beach officers made it to the crash scene and did not administer help, instead returning to their domain. Their investigation is underway alongside one conducted by the Palm County State Attorney’s Office.

by Stacy Jackson

August 4, 2024

North Carolina GOP Candidate Mark Robinson, A Vocal Abortion Critic, Reveals Wife’s Past Abortion In New Ad

After recalling his wife's abortion 30 years ago, the Republican gubernatorial nominee said North Carolina's 12-week policy is helpful for mothers.

In a recently released ad, Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for North Carolina governor, who previously declared “there is no compromise on abortion,” shares his wife’s personal abortion story, signaling what appears to be a shift in his stance.

In the ad, published on Aug. 2 across the politician’s various media channels, Robinson and his wife, Yolanda Hill, sit hand-in-hand as the gubernatorial nominee recalls him and his wife’s difficult decision 30 years ago to have an abortion, explaining his reasoning for standing by the state’s current law to allow abortions up to 12 weeks. Robinson says the current law “provides common sense exceptions for life of the mother, incest and rape.” He believes the law is helpful for mothers and avoids “cruel late-term abortions.”

However, the politician’s empathetic gesture doesn’t seem to align with statements he previously vocalized on the issue, and Democratic nominee Josh Stein, who supports abortion rights, has reminded voters of that in his ads this year.

“Abortion in this country is not about protecting the lives of mothers. It’s about killing the child because you weren’t responsible enough to keep your skirt down,” Robinson previously stated, according to an ad published on Stein’s YouTube channel.

According to the Associated Press, the GOP candidate’s impression that he is comfortable with the current law comes after the country has seen a rise in support for legal abortion ahead of the November elections, posing a potential risk for Republicans on the election ballots.

Some voters fear Republicans may push for a national abortion ban if they win government seats, and as previously noted by BLACK ENTERPRISE, former U.S. President Donald Trump has left decisions on abortion rights up to the states, declining to endorse a national ban.

Robinson concluded his ad by reassuring mothers they would have the support they needed if he won the governor’s seat. On Instagram, the gubernatorial nominee stated that one of his priorities is to “do more” for mothers and families.

by Daniel Johnson

August 4, 2024

EEOC Faces Furlough Due To Budget Shortfalls, Extending Wait Times For Discrimination Cases

EEOC employees were notified that they would all have to take one work day's worth of unpaid leave.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission announced to its estimated 2,200 employees that they would be furloughed for one day in August due to a budget shortfall.

According to USA Today, the employees were notified that they would all have to take one work day’s worth of unpaid leave on Aug. 30 due to an unplanned shortage in funding from the Congressional budget.

According to the EEOC website, while the furlough is in place, “The agency will ensure that no private sector charging party loses their right to file a timely charge of discrimination or federal complainant loses their right to file an appeal or request for reconsideration. Additionally, the agency will continue to litigate in cases where an extension has not been granted.”

The EEOC continued, “While charges will be accepted, they will not be investigated, Staff will not be available to answer questions from the public, or to respond to correspondence, emails, or faxes from the public; Insofar as the courts grant EEOC’s requests for extensions of time, EEOC will not litigate in the federal courts; Mediations will be cancelled; Federal sector hearings will be cancelled, and federal employees’ appeals of discrimination complaints will not be decided; Outreach and education events will be cancelled; No FOIA requests will be processed.”

According to the letter from the EEOC’s human resources department, “Despite efforts to reduce funding requirements by executing across-the-board program reductions and implementing a hiring freeze, we currently anticipate expenditures to cover necessary agency operating costs will be in excess of our authorized budget.”

According to The American Federation of Government Employees Council President 216 Rachel Shonfield, the EEOC’s furlough is happening because of Congressional budget freezes. She told USA Today via a statement, “EEOC employees will be forced to lose up to a day’s pay at the end of August unless the agency can scrimp together enough money to make payroll and keep the lights on.”

Shonfield continued, saying that Americans who are facing discrimination would be negatively impacted by the furlough. “Workers facing discrimination on the job are facing longer wait times for appointments because the agency does not have enough front-line staff, and effectively shutting down operations for a day will only make those wait times longer.”

EEOC Chair Charlotte Burrows told USA Today in a statement that she would continue to advocate for funding but did not address what was causing the agency its budget deficiencies. “I will continue to advocate for funding that will enable the EEOC to meet the public’s increased demand for our services and enforce all of the laws entrusted to us by Congress.”

According to HRDive, Burrows and the EEOC are still searching for ways to reduce the furlough to half a day or eliminate it altogether. Although affected employees can appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board or file a grievance, the process, according to USA Today, has an extensive backlog of cases. Unless the furlough can be avoided, this would mark the first furlough for the agency since 2013.

howard basketball, investment, Kaleena Smith, Wilberforce University, Unrivaled,

by Daniel Johnson

August 4, 2024

Howard University Basketball Coach Seeks $100M Investment

Coach Kenny Blakeney hasn’t spoken to school officials about his plan yet.

According to reports, Howard University head basketball coach Kenny Blakeney is looking for a buyer or a group of buyers to purchase up to one-third of the Howard University basketball program for $100 million.

According to the Washington Post, Blakeney is looking for a way to give the HBCU any advantage in the new post-NIL collegiate marketplace.

As he told the outlet, “College athletics is full-fledged business now. The whole idea is to not get left behind. It’s, ‘How do we include ourselves in this?’ I don’t want to have a two-tiered system where we’re not able to compete for the NCAA tournament or the national championship.”

Blakeney continued, “And from what I’m hearing right now, that is a real possibility, that there’s going to be an NCAA tournament that isn’t going to include everyone else, it’s just going to include those Power Four universities and maybe the Big East. That’s not what I signed up for.”

To that end, Blakeney has spent most of the summer pitching potential investors. However, Ricky Volante, a lawyer and former chief executive of the Professional Collegiate League, says such a deal would be a problem unless the coach can prove he can give investors a return on investment.

“As for the revenue part, that is the chicken and the egg,” Volante told Front Office Sports. “Coach is going to have to show in which someone is viewing this as a true investment and not altruistically driven. He’s going to have to show how this person gets their return, and in college sports, ultimately, that’s driven through media revenue. Outside of Notre Dame and Texas everyone else’s media revenues are driven through the conference.”

Volante continued, saying that how the NCAA’s settlement resolves will greatly influence how or even if Blakeney’s plan will be implemented.

“The potential unknown here is how any of this may be impacted by the House case and the settlement. If that settlement is truly approved and is enforced by the court as a piece of federal legislation, would the NCAA have the legitimate authority to look at this and say, ‘Absolutely not?’” Volante told Front Office Sports.

According to the Post, Blakeney has not discussed the matter with his bosses at Howard; he is waiting to see if he can get any potential investors to bite. Blakeney told the paper he wants to get ahead of this opportunity before it’s too late and sees it as vital to the Howard University basketball program.

“We’re just at the beginning of it,” Blakeney said. “But I do feel like there is a short window of opportunity because the speed that NIL is moving, the transfer portal is moving, the professionalism of our business is happening. This s— has to take place fast. There has to be some conversations.”

Blakeney continued, “I don’t care (what others think.) This is what we’re dealing with. And if we’re not going to turn our eye to what’s hitting us in the face, then we’re not looking at this thing the right way.”