New Orleans City Council Protects Essence Fest With ‘Clean Zone’ Ordinance
This year's Essence Fest should be safe from unauthorized events thanks to another "clean zone" ordinance from the New Orleans City Council.
Thanks to another “clean zone” ordinance by the New Orleans City Council, this year’s Essence Festival should be safe from unauthorized events.
To control the massive foot traffic brought on by non-permitted vendors and illicit events, the New Orleans City Council passed an ordinance on Thursday, June 6, to designate public property within the boundaries of the annual event as a “clean zone,” Fox 8 Live reports. With the clean zone in place, it “temporarily prohibits several permits and the transaction of certain business and/or commercial activity, establishing a special process to approve additional local small business activity within the clean zone as well as fines and penalties for any violations.”
“In creating this Clean Zone, the City hopes to regulate commercial activity, prevent the sale of counterfeit merchandise, assist local small businesses in thriving during the festival, prevent congestion, litter, and traffic obstructions, and ultimately ensure the public health, safety, and welfare of both residents and visitors alike throughout the duration of the event,” the council stated.
While the ordinance allows licensed vendors to sell within the zone during Essence Fest without issue, some residents took issue with the “clean zone” rule and caused a scene at the City Council meeting. Community activist Byron Cole, his wife, Rhadell Cole, and Sean Myles were all arrested after causing a disturbance inside the council chambers.
The New Orleans Police Department reportedly repeatedly asked the trio to stop their outbursts before they were removed and arrested at the scene. This isn’t the first year a “clean zone” ordinance has been put in place to only allow licensed vendors and events during the Essence Festival.
Last year, the “clean zone” rule led to a Black-owned bookstore and coffeeshop being issued a temporary restraining order that shut down the business’s event to promote Black authors during Essence Fest. Baldwin & Co. received a cease-and-desist from Essence Fest lawyers accusing the bookstore of using its trademark to mislead customers.
“Such actions are not only unjust but also tarnish the reputation of Essence and raise questions about its commitment to supporting the Black community as a whole,” store owner Dernell “DJ” Johnson said.
This year’s Essence Festival of Culture celebrates the festival’s 30th anniversary from July 4-7th in the vibrant heart of New Orleans. Headlining acts include Usher and Janet Jackson, as well as performances from Victoria Monét, Birdman & Friends Presents 30 Years of Cash Money Millionaires, Charlie Wilson, and a special tribute to Frankie Beverly & Maze.
Tickets for Essence Festival 2024 can be purchased HERE.
“She’s ripping the sport open and tearing back the layers. Basketball is about work, effort, and energy, and Angel always brings all three,” Parker wrote. “Her tenacity and confidence on the court make her such an exciting player to watch—it’s incredible to see her stand in her power and make such a big impact on women’s basketball, especially this early in her career.”
Parker, who plays for the Las Vegas Aces, noted Reese’s contribution to Louisiana State University’s national title, a major accomplishment that marked the team’s “first-ever” women’s basketball national title. During the road to the title, Reese’s 34 double-doubles set the record for “the most in a single season” in women’s college basketball history.
“There’s really only one time you won’t see me cheering for Angel, and it’s when she plays against my alma mater, the University of Tennessee. It’s all well and good … but I still bleed orange.” Parker said.
Reese has also been named a Harper’s Bazaar Icon of 2023. The LSU star spoke to the outlet about her goals and aspirations, which include playing in the WNBA and modeling.
“I stay firm on what I believe in, and, being a Black woman, I can do whatever I put my mind to. When I was younger, I knew basketball was going to be my avenue of getting through life and getting to college,” Reese said.
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Reese financially secured herself ahead of the WNBA through NIL deals. She continued after entering the league with an Adidas shoe deal. The pro basketball star is well aware of her impact on the community. “…I think a lot of people look at me as a celebrity now because of the impact I’ve had on not just women’s basketball, but sports in general, and Black women,” Reese said.
The owner of Detroit's Woodhouse Spa has spent nearly two decades embedding the essence of the soft life into her business.
Originally Published Dec. 19, 2023.
A new era is dawning for Black women: the “soft life” movement, which emphasizes gentleness, self-care, and unwinding deeply rooted expectations of resilience. This shift toward prioritizing mental health and happiness that was once an unattainable luxury is now being embraced as necessary.
The “strong Black woman” archetype has long been a double-edged sword: a testament to fortitude yet also a burden of silent endurance. While admirable, the perpetual resilience described by this narrative has overlooked Black women’s profound need for rest, vulnerability, and gentleness. The soft life movement seeks to restore that balance.
Cheryl Hudson, owner of Detroit’s Woodhouse Spa, has spent nearly two decades embedding the essence of soft life into her business. Situated downtown, the spa offers more than relaxation—it provides a glimpse of escape where Black women can embrace self-care without reservations.
Hudson explained to The Michigan Chronicle that as native Detroiters who appreciated spas, “My husband and I thought, ‘There’s no place like this in Detroit. We should open a spa.'”
Spotting a franchise ad in 2005, Hudson took action.
Under Hudson’s leadership, Woodhouse Spa has evolved as a critical sanctuary supporting the wellness of Black women in Detroit. Hudson recognized that “there’s a brand-new clientele of market here that we need to reintroduce ourselves to.”
Recent renovations and upgrades provide a luxurious embodiment of the #softlife ethos.
Manager Christina Woodall described the spa’s holistic experience: “It’s not just about skincare or waxing…it’s the scent, the feel of every product, the serenity of the music.” This multifaceted environment nurtures Black women rather than depleting them.
Understanding the soft life movement means recognizing self-care is more than indulgence; it’s prioritizing mental health and self-love. Woodhouse Spa invites guests to redefine success on one’s own terms through tranquility and self-compassion.
Pharmacy Closures Impact Minority Communities The Most
When Walgreens decided to close four of its drug stores located in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in 2022, politicians like Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass) Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass) took notice and called for the company to replace the stores, citing the creation of food apartheid areas and pharmacy deserts
In May, Pharmacy Times reported that 2024 might be the year of the pharmacy closure, as Rite Aid, CVS, and Walgreens were expected to close over 1,500 pharmacy locations over the next two years.
In addition, they reported that local pharmacies are also closing, and as those two things combine, patients will end up in a pharmacy desert.
The School of Pharmacy, in collaboration with the @pharmacists & mentioned by @AP has released an interactive map visualizing pharmacy closures to highlight the importance of healthcare access in communities.
— Pitt Pharmacy School (@pittpharmacy) June 3, 2024
"We have unfortunately had a high level of pharmacy closures across PA – that includes rural and urban areas. These are areas where individuals depend on their pharmacist not just for prescriptions, but also for day-to-day advice" @SenatorHaywood#SenDemPolicy#PharmacyClosurespic.twitter.com/0BDwHgmglu
"You’re the smoking cessation counselor, you’re the suicide prevention counselor"—waves of pharmacy closures nationwide take a toll. https://t.co/Af9Q0NlDdU
As Boston University’s paper, The Brink, reported, a pharmacy closure is not like closing a hardware store or a department store; it can worsen existing inequitable health outcomes even worse. When Walgreens decided to close four of its drug stores located in predominantly Black and Brown neighborhoods in 2022, politicians like Sen. Ed Markey (D-Mass), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass), and Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass) took notice and called for the company to replace the stores, citing the creation of food apartheid areas and pharmacy deserts.
“These closures are occurring within the larger legacy of historic racial and economic discrimination that has created significant pharmacy and food deserts and lack of access to transportation in these neighborhoods,” the politicians pointed out to Walgreens CEO Tim Wentworth in a letter.
In St. Louis City, nearly 45,000 people–53% of those Black residents–live in a pharmacy desert.
The latest closure of the North City Walgreens exacerbates this issue and decreases access to healthcare.
According to experts, the closing of major retail pharmacy chains represents a disruption in the healthcare chain, as pharmacies often facilitate everything from vaccinations to over-the-counter medication to baby formula.
Cole Brahim, an associate professor of health law, policy, and management and the coordinator of the Boston University Medicaid Policy Lab, told The Brink that capitalism is the reason for the closures.
“I’m working for free a lot… And I don’t mind. I love to serve the community. But I kind of resent having to do that because of large corporations, huge pharmacy benefit managers, that are making millions of dollars a year.” | @APhttps://t.co/8Ry6LJNHyx
“Often, it’s the whole retail store—Walgreens, CVS, Rite Aid—that shuts its doors because of financial struggles, which are in part due to increased competition. If a store or pharmacy isn’t bringing in enough revenue to cover costs, or if the store could do better elsewhere, it closes. This particularly affects retail stores in low-income neighborhoods, as customers have less money to spend and margins in these stores may be less favorable.”
Brahim continued, “Revenue shortfalls and workforce constraints end up shifting the limited number of pharmacies from lower- to higher-income neighborhoods, which in turn further exacerbates the health inequities that already exist. The impacts of pharmacy closures in low-income neighborhoods are both immediate and long-lasting. Losing a pharmacy—which very well may be the only nearby pharmacy—means lack of access to critical medications, which in turn may mean more patients with uncontrolled chronic conditions, longer courses of illness, and sometimes serious or life-threatening complications.”
As the Associated Press reports, residents of largely Black neighborhoods and Latinx have less access to pharmacies than people who live in majority-white neighborhoods. As Healthcare Brew reports, exacerbating the closures of independent pharmacies is a new rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that has resulted in less reimbursement for pharmacies than they had received from the government programs in the past.
“Nearly a third of independent pharmacy owners may close their stores this year under pressure from plunging prescription reimbursements by big insurance plans and their pharmacy benefit managers,” NCPA CEO and Pharmacist B. Douglas Hoey said.
“This is an emergency. And if Congress fails to act again, thousands of local pharmacies could be closed within months, and millions of patients could be stranded without a pharmacy.”
“If a third of all community pharmacies close, and if more than 90 percent stop accepting Medicare Part D, it will be a catastrophe for seniors, a hardship for most other patients, and a devastating blow to the overall healthcare system,” said Hoey. “This demands immediate action by Congress and the administration.”
In 2023, a study from researchers at the University of Houston documented the impact that these closures had on medically underserved areas. The lead author of the study, Dr. Omolola Adepoju, a clinical associate professor and the director of research at the Humana Integrated Health System Sciences Institute, told the University of Houston, “Pharmacies have always been the frontline healthcare access points for families in medically underserved areas, but that’s going away. In these areas, which are mostly minority communities with serious socioeconomic challenges, it is adding to existing healthcare disparities.”
Adepoju continued, “We must address this issue by considering not just the economic impact of closures but also the broader health outcomes of the affected communities. Our research provides critical insights that can inform policy decisions and improve equitable healthcare access.”
Adebosola Karunwi, a third-year medical student at the University of Houston and co-author of the study, echoed the concerns of Adepoju and said that access to medication is a critical healthcare need.
“That added distance can have serious consequences. A diabetic who faces a long walk or multiple bus rides to get their insulin prescription filled might not do it, instead skipping doses or blood tests. We’re already seeing hospitals using services like UberHealth to deliver medications and get people to their appointments,” Karunwi said. “But more needs to be done. In this day and age, there’s no reason anyone shouldn’t be able to get the healthcare they deserve.”
Donalds made the alarming claims during a Black voter outreach event called “Congress, Cognac, and Cigars” on June 4 in Philadelphia with Rep. Wesley Hunt (R-Tx.) While talking about his upbringing, the congressman from Florida claimed things have gotten worse for the Black community after embracing Democratic ideologies embedded by President Lyndon Johnson, including federal food stamps, housing, and welfare.
“During Jim Crow, the Black family was together. During Jim Crow, more Black people were not just conservative – Black people have always been conservative minded – but more Black people voted conservatively,” he said.
“What’s happened in America for the last ten years, you’re starting to see more Black people being married, in homes, raising kids. And then you look at the world, and you’re like, ‘Wait a minute, this does not look right.’”
His comments received severe pushback from a number of prominent figures on social media, including NAACP President Derrick Johnson and chair of the Democratic National Committee Jaime Harrison, who Donalds tagged in his video. During an interview on CNN, Johnson said the congressman is seeking “self-benefit using a false narrative.”
“During Jim Crow, a majority of Black people who lived in the South couldn’t even participate and vote because of Jim Crow laws,” he said.
“Here we are now, someone seeking to be a VP nominee, trying to capture national headlines tap dancing, so to speak, just so he can be considered.”
“Johnson’s Great Society saw some of the largest advancements in civil rights for African Americans; Civil Rights Act of ‘64- banned discrimination in employment & accommodations; desegregation of schools, 24th amendment- prohibited poll taxes, Voting Rights Act of 1965…” he tweeted.
“I know history is iffy for you and DeSantis down there in FL… but it is time to brush up. Y’all don’t do much in that GOP House anyway, so maybe walk over to the Library of Congress. They have a lot of comprehensive history books.”
However, Minority House Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) took his thoughts off of social media and onto the House floor. Jeffries called the comments “factually inaccurate.”
“That’s an outlandish, outrageous and out-of-pocket observation. We were not better off,” Jeffries said.
“When a young boy named Emmitt Till could be brutally murdered without consequence because of Jim Crow, we were not better off when Black women could be secually assaulted without consequence because of Jim Crow, we were not better off…How dare you make such an ignorant observation. You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.”
Rep. Byron Donalds made the ignorant observation that Black people were better off under Jim Crow.
“Donald Trump spent his adult life, and then his presidency undermining the progress Black communities fought so hard for — so it actually tracks that his campaign’s ‘Black outreach’ is going to a white neighborhood and promising to take America back to Jim Crow,” Chitika said.
“From touting his mugshot to hawking fake sneakers, Trump and his campaign have shown Black Americans how little they think of us. Black voters are about to show Trump how little they think of him, his allies, and his racist agenda this November.”
Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson Secures Historic $140M NFL Deal And He Isn’t A Quarterback
Just 24 hours before the start of the 2023 season, Jefferson turned down a contract offer from the Vikings that would have put more than $28 million in his pockets annually.
It was one thing for Justin Jefferson to achieve his childhood dreams of playing in the National Football League (NFL), but a whole different testimony now that he is making history as the highest-paid non-quarterback in the sport’s history.
Drafted as an overall first-round pick by the Minnesota Vikings during the 2020 NFL Draft, Jefferson has officially inked a four-year, $140 million contract extension, which includes a guarantee of $110 million, according to a report from ESPN.
Per the deal negotiated by WME Football, Jefferson will receive $88.743 million at signing. During an announcement on Monday (June 3) morning, he agreed to an extension that runs through the 2028 season. No further details on the financial terms of the full agreement have been disclosed.
“The time has finally come. The deal I’ve been waiting for since I was a little kid,” said Jefferson in a clip shared via his Instagram account. “Being doubted my whole career and not being highly recruited. Not being the first receiver off the draft board. This whole journey wasn’t easy for me. To be given a gift to play football at the highest level–it’s a blessing. It’s an honor.”
He also took a moment to acknowledge the support his loved ones had given him throughout the journey to this moment.
“Y’all set the tone. Y’all set the mood. Y’all set the energy,” Jefferson continued. “And I’m definitely excited to set the energy for five more years. … This is the start of it, but we ain’t done yet. Just wait.”
Sources report that many teams inquired about Jefferson during the offseason. However, the Vikings were clear on their intentions regarding a potential trade. The wide receiver, who has had an impressive four-year start in the NFL with 392 receptions for 5,899 yards and 30 touchdowns, is here to stay.
“We think he’s the best wide receiver in the league and should be compensated as such,” said Vikings general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah then. “We think he’s one of the best non-quarterbacks in the league and think he should be compensated as such.”
Following the news of Jefferson’s historic deal, Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf said that the soon-to-be 25-year-old sports star has “earned this contract, and we are thrilled he will remain a Minnesota Viking for a very long time.”
“From the moment I arrived in Minnesota, Justin has consistently proven to be one of the best players in the NFL on and off the field, and we are excited about having him as a cornerstone of our team for a long time to come,” said Adofo-Mensah in an official statement.
“He is the living embodiment of our culture with his joyful dedication to process and our goals. We couldn’t be more excited for Justin and his family.”
Just 24 hours before the start of the 2023 season, Jefferson turned down a contract offer from the Vikings that would have put more than $28 million in his pockets annually.
By choosing to bet on himself, the three-time Pro Bowler will now average $35 million per season thanks to the contract extension. Not only will he replace San Francisco 49ers pass-rusher Nick Bosa, who previously held the non-quarterback record salary in the league, but Jefferson’s contract is valued at $1 million more.
Named the 2022 Offensive Player of the Year, Jefferson’s star power, matched with his skill sets, is one to be studied. He has averaged 98.3 receiving yards per game, “the most in NFL history for any career span.”
Additionally, his average of 6.5 catches per game is the “second highest of any receiver in his first four seasons.”
David Hilliard, a former chief of staff of the Black Panther Party, can recall Trump owning the properties they rented out in Harlem during the 1960s. According to Hilliard’s grandson, Eric Jones, these were the only comments the former Black Panther Party member made about Trump when speaking with a woman named Carol D. Mitchell.
“He would absolutely not be aligned with any of Trump’s politics,” Jones told What I’m Reading. “People should understand that he is not a supporter of, or affiliated with anything that Trump has done in this modern era.”
Jones says his grandfather spoke with Mitchell, a new neighbor in their senior community in Oakland, California. After speaking with her, his comments were shared on TikTok and quickly picked up by right-wing platforms.
“Trump is a person who’s a decent man, and he supported the Black Panther Party,” Hilliard, 82, reportedly said. “He was someone who gave us money.”
“Trump’s a friend of African Americans, and I knew Trump from the 1960s in New York, where he comes from, and he’s a friend to African Americans. He’s a decent man. I mean, he’s not a racist. He’s not a racist, fascist white man. He supported Black people.”
BREAKING: Black Panthers founding member David Hilliard is backing Donald Trump for president, calling him an “ally of the black population.” pic.twitter.com/cVsDk0v0b0
However, once the interview went viral, Jones stepped in and cleared up any misconception about his grandfather and his alleged support of Trump.
“My grandfather doesn’t support Donald Trump,” he wrote on social media. “This is just senior abuse. This lady really is awful for doing this.”
Jones followed up with a video where he sat beside Hilliard and allowed his grandfather to explain his real estate-based relationship with Trump during the 1960s.
“The lady who interviewed my grandfather did so without any permission. This was done to take advantage of my grandfather, who suffers from dementia, and create a fake narrative in which he endorses/supports Trump in today’s political climate,” Jones said.
Jones says his grandfather spoke with Mitchell, and only after the interview went viral did they check her social media and see her supportive posts about Trump. Now Jones is warning of a cease-and-desist to prevent her from speaking to his grandfather further.
“What makes my grandpa’s dementia particularly sensitive is the PTSD he deals with from his days with the Black Panther Party,” Jones said. “A PTSD caused by many of the policing policies that the Trump administration wishes to uphold.”
Jeffries and Donalds went at it on the House floor Wednesday, June 5, one day after Donalds claimed “the Black family was together” during Jim Crow, Axios reports. Donalds, a potential running mate for Donald Trump in the 2024 election, was at a Trump campaign office opening in Philadelphia when he made the controversial statement.
“During Jim Crow, more Black people were not just conservative — Black people have always been conservative-minded — but more Black people voted conservatively,” Donalds said, as quoted by the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“And then [the now-defunct Department of Health, Education and Welfare], Lyndon Johnson — you go down that road, and now we are where we are.”
Donalds was calling out the welfare policies put in place during the 1960s that he claims the Biden administration has continued. But once back on the House floor, Jeffries tore into his “out-of-pocket observation.”
“It has come to my attention that a so-called leader has made the factually inaccurate statement that Black folks were better off during Jim Crow. That’s an outlandish, outrageous, and out-of-pocket observation,” Jeffries said.
“We were not better off when people could be systematically lynched without consequence. … How dare you make such an ignorant observation. You better check yourself before you wreck yourself.”
Rep. Byron Donalds made the ignorant observation that Black people were better off under Jim Crow.
Democratic National Committee spokesperson Marcus Robinson followed up Jeffries’ speech by accusing Donalds of “praising” Jim Crow.
“This is Donald Trump’s MAGA Republican Party: VP contender Byron Donalds is praising Jim Crow,” he said.
However, Donalds took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to get ahead of the narrative he claims Democrats are trying to portray of him.
“@JoeBiden @RepJeffries @harrisonjaime & @DerrickNAACP are gaslighting Black America,” he wrote. “I was talking about Black families, conservative mindsets, and conservative voting. Receipts are a beautiful thing! And don’t clip my words to keep lying. I’m watching 👀👀”
A separate video post shows Donalds speaking directly to the camera to explain his Jim Crow comments, which he claims were purposely misworded in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
“America, Joe Biden’s campaign is lying to you once again, and they’re gaslighting. Now they’re trying to say that I said Black people were doing better under Jim Crow. I never said that. They are lying,” Donalds explained.
“But why would you be surprised? Because they always lie. This is the same Joe Biden that said, if you don’t vote for him, then you ain’t Black. The man is a liar. Sorry, just call it what it is.”
According to Donalds, there were “more Black families under Jim Crow,” he said.
“And it was the Democrat policies under H .E .W., under the welfare state that did help to destroy the Black family. That’s what I said. And I also said you’re seeing a reinvigoration of Black families today in America. And that is a good thing.”
“So don’t listen to the lies from the Biden administration. I know what I said, and I’ll say it straight to camera. They got to run to the Philadelphia Inquirer to move their lives,” Donalds concluded.
Social Media Chimes In On Sexyy Red’s MAGA Performance At Roots Picnic
One social media user said the narrative is a bad look for the Black community while another said the rapper “is the last person I’d take political advice from.”
Rapper Sexyy Red made headlines on and off the stage after receiving pushback for performing at a festival with a giant “Make America Sexyy Again” hat.
The St. Louis native made her debut at the Roots Festival on June 2 in Philadelphia, performing alongside a huge hat, mimicking the infamous “Make America Great Again” hats worn by many Donald Trump supporters. While some fans enjoyed her performance, the hats’ presence caused some to question whether she is, in fact, a Trump supporter.
After the video of her performance circulated on Instagram, fans jumped into the comments section to call her out, feeling she was making some “not-so-intelligent decisions.” “I feel like when folks say, ‘Sexxy represents for the girls in the hood,’ they really ain’t never actually been in the hood,” @dizturbdwun wrote.
“Sexxy represents herself and herself only. None of the girls that I grew up with on my block act like her. She is very, very extra and says and does a lot of no-so-intelligent things. Being from the hood has nothing to do with it.”
Another social media user said the narrative is a bad look for the Black community. “I just feel like this is very distasteful to the black community! Trump don’t care nothing about us,” @thurzday__ commented.
Other users are looking at it from another narrative, feeling it really isn’t that serious, and it’s all for show.
“I thought MAGA for her was make America ghetto again,” @ms.shymoney_ wrote. Another person said the rapper “is the last person I’d take political advice from.” @kassidybanks called out the hypocrisy of some people’s feelings as she remembers a lot of people spoofing the MAGA rhetoric. “Lmao like BFFR wasn’t everybody putting they slogans on caps, saying make America something again spoofing his hat,” she wrote.
Sexyy first sparked controversy in October 2023 after she appeared on a podcast stating Black people started supporting Trump after he pardoned Black people from jail and released stimulus checks. “Yea, they support him in the hood because I don’t think people were fucking with him because he was racist and was against women,” she said.
“But once he started getting Black people out of jail and giving people their free money, oh baby, we love Trump. We need him back in office.”
Words are powerful and declarations? Even more so. When folks “say it with their chests”, loud and proud…it must be true, RIGHT?!
NAH. Donald Trump is no different than Christopher Columbus. Two lost white men telling you they accomplished something the didn’t.
The “Pound Town” artist performed with the same hat during the Dreamville Festival in Raleigh in April 2024, causing a similar backlash. After questioning whether her marketing strategy was an insight into who she was endorsing in the November 2024 election, the mother of two defended herself, stating she was not endorsing anyone. “It’s Sexyy Red 4 President,” she wrote.
“I’m my own candidate. I’m not endorsing anybody, period.”
It’s Sexyy Red 4 President 🇺🇸 I’m my own candidate I’m not endorsing anybody period 💋
Antonio Coleman, his cousin Kameron Kennon, and friend Kataurio Grigsby told KTAL News Louisiana it is their mission to catch grown men trying to have sex with underage girls. “What we do is like we catch child predators,” Coleman said. The self-described predator hunters have been playing catfish since May 2024 by pretending to be an underage girl online.
They were surprised when it was revealed one of the men they were chatting with was allegedly a former KTBS news anchor and the station’s news director, Bill Lunn.
The three men created a fake profile on the “Meet Me” app using the photo of an underage girl. Lunn sparked a conversation on May 28th. Coleman says he exchanged dozens of text messages, that quickly turned sexual, for hours. “He was like sending pictures to her. He was saying like he wanted to do this to her,” Coleman said. “Explicit things that I can’t say on camera.”
Three Louisiana predator hunters caught news anchor, Bill Lunn, attempting to meet up with a 15 year old girl.
To confirm it was Lunn, the trio allegedly cross-checked Lunn’s LinkedIn account to find the same number he was texting. After allegedly sending sexually explicit photos of himself, Lunn set a date and time for him and the girl to meet on May 29th. Coleman said that as soon as he, his cousin, and his friend jumped out of the car, Lunn ran. “As soon as he saw us, he just darted out,” Coleman said.
“You could see the guilt in his eyes. He knew like, ‘Oh, I’m done.’”
On May 29, Shreveport Police received a call from Lunn claiming he was the victim of an assault and battery. However, a case report painted a completely different story, as the alleged offense was computer-aided solicitation for alleged sexual purposes. Coleman, Kennon, and Grigsby waited for police to arrive, and Grigsby remembered what Lunn was saying as he ran away. “As Bill was running off, he yelled, ‘I have a wife and kids,’” he said.
“I’m sitting there as he’s running off, like in my head, how can you say that when you literally walked yourself in the house expecting to meet an underage teenager.”
According to The New York Post, Lunn resigned from his role at the news station on June 3, and his profile was immediately removed from the website. His attorney, Dhu Thompson, released a statement saying the former media personality “vehemently denies” all the allegations pushed against him. “It is our preliminary understanding that this incident was not the result of a law enforcement investigation, but rather one done by private individuals,” Thompson said.
“Our primary concern at this time is that law enforcement receives all evidence surrounding this incident so that they can make a thorough and complete review. Mr. Lunn has cooperated with authorities and vehemently denies any allegations of wrongdoing.”
The trio claim Lunn was handcuffed and put in the back of a police car for hours. However, no charges have been filed against Lunn or the men involved so far. The former news anchor is one of ten men the hunters have allegedly caught in a matter of three weeks. “It’s just crazy how fast, like how fast, they are willing to meet young females,” Kennon said.
