Woman Arrested After Allegedly Killing Man For $60 To Buy Chicken Wings
26-year-old Kenyetta Hayes has been charged with First-Degree Murder in Perpetration of a Robbery after her alleged victim was discovered dead in Memphis
A man died after allegedly being robbed by a woman who took the money and used it to purchase chicken wings after the incident.
According to News Channel 3, 26-year-old Kenyetta Hayes was charged with “First-Degree Murder in Perpetration of a Robbery” after her alleged victim’s body was discovered at Cherokee Park inMemphis, Tennessee. She is also accused of stealing $60 from him and using the money to buy two wing combos.
The incident took place on April 6. Police officers arrived at the scene after being notified of a shooting and found a man suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was pronounced dead on the scene. On April 7, Hayes’ mother turned her daughter in after the Memphis Police Department posted a video of Hayes leaving the scene of the crime on their Facebook page. She took her daughter to the homicide office and told police officers that Hayes was a person of interest.
In the video, she walks from the scene and then runs away.
Hayes reportedly told police officers that she was offered $60 to give the victim oral sex at a local gas station. She told them that she intended to rob him. When they got to the location, she allegedly shot him and took his money. She then left the scene. The suspect told officers that she was “thirsty for money.” She told them she took the cash and used $47 to buy two hot wing combos for herself and her boyfriend after the interaction.
Brenda Jean Bowen and her family run the sober house, Brenda Jean’s Sober Living Facility, in Bakersfield, California, providing a safe living space for men with mental health and substance abuse issues. They aren’t the most popular in their neighborhood, as Bowen and her staff hand out food every Tuesday, but she never thought something like this would happen. “We got a lot of people that were worried about the guys, they didn’t want them in the neighborhood. We had it hard, but we’re not where we used to be,” the owner said.
“When my husband was unloading the truck, they just happened to look over there, and they see a big sign that says n***r.”
Cameras caught a glimpse of the neighbor accused of the crime on Apr. 23. The family made an attempt to speak to the alleged neighbor but were unsuccessful.
Bowens immediately reported the incident to Bakersfield Police and the NAACP. She said the family has had a previous disagreement with the same neighbor due to trash cans, but this is a different level. “This is some serious stuff. I took it to heart, and my family did, too. She had no reason to do that. If she had an issue, she could come talk to me,” Bowens said.
With her focus being on helping residents rehabilitate themselves, the men receive visits from social workers, drug testing, and mental health counseling.
While the Bowens are moving past the traumatizing incident, Bowens is hoping the community won’t and will help support her work. In addition to distributing food, the facility runs a soup kitchen and internship program in collaboration with California State University, Bakersfield.
Moving past racial slurs, Bowens wants to work on affording food and transportation for residents — not a racially motivated sign. “I love what I do. It’s in my heart. We have a lot of love for them, regardless of what they do I don’t judge them,” Bowens said.
“It’s hard running Brenda Jean’s, I have a lot going on to worry about a sign that says that.”
Numerous issues have been reported with sober living facilities throughout the Golden State. The chaos has prompted California lawmakers to propose a number of bills to address the professionalism of private operators in the industry. According to The Mercury News, the bills will pressure local governments to do more to guarantee safety inside these facilities.
Data shows facilities in what’s described as “quiet communities” can raise issues for neighbors. The Southern California Sober Living Task Force, a bipartisan group of local and state officials, is looking into the data to investigate if the facilities aren’t a cover-up for activities other than to help people who need more protection and support.
New York Jets Sign HBCU Graduate, Brandon Codrington
After a successful rookie minicamp, the Jets welcomed the former North Carolina Central defensive back/kick returner
No HBCU athletes were picked in this year’s NFL Draft. Yet, after attending a rookie minicamp, one has earned a contract with the New York Jets.
The Jets announced that, along with other players, they have signed former North Carolina Central defensive back/kick returner Brandon Codrington to a contract. The future rookie posted the good news to his X account after a successful minicamp with the NFL team.
The current Jets player played his 4-year collegiate career at North Carolina Central, where he started 41 games. He had 93 tackles, ten pass defenses, and two tackles for loss while snagging All-MEAC Third Team honors as a return specialist in 2022, averaging 6.8 yards per punt return and 19.3 yards per kicking return. He earned that honor a year after being named to the Phil Steeler FCS All-MEAC teams as a returner and defensive back.
Last year, he returned a punt 81 yards for a touchdown against Winston-Salem State.
HBCU Gameday reported that Codrington returned three punts for touchdowns in his final three seasons before signing his NFL contract with the Jets. As a freshman in 2019, he ranked third in the MEAC with a punt return average of 7.8 yards and 18.8 yards per kickoff return.
In 2021, as the third-leading punt returner in NCAA Division I-FCS, he gained All-MEAC First Team honors with a MEAC-best 15.0-yard punt return average.
HBCU Buzz reported that at least 21 undrafted HBCU players were invited by multiple teams with minicamp invites or as undrafted free agents this summer. The athletes invited as undrafted free agents can negotiate and sign with any team interested in them. Players invited to minicamps are allowed to participate with the teams, and it also provides team personnel a chance to assess the players attending.
The New York State bill would prevent prosecutors from using "creative or artistic expression against" a defendant in criminal cases
Brooklyn-bred rapper Papoose appeared at an important hearing at the New York State Capitol to address support of Assembly Bill A127, which would prevent prosecutors from using “creative or artistic expression against” a defendant in criminal cases (specifically with hip-hop, the rapper’s lyrics in songs).
Papoose posted several clips of him speaking to politicians expressing his thoughts on the new bill. He explained that hip-hop was able to take many rappers out of their environment to make a career instead of falling victim to the struggles they routinely encountered. He wanted the elected officials to hear that using a person’s lyrics against them in a court case was unfair.
“Today, we visited the capital to fight for change on a very important issue. I used my tracks titled “Law Library” as a reference. In New York, the music industry significantly contributes to the economy and culture. With over 202,000 jobs created and a substantial $19 billion contribution to the state’s GDP, music plays a vital role in New York’s prosperity.”
He stated that the bill, introduced by Assemblywoman Cruz and other lawmakers, would ensure that recording artists could express themselves without fear of reprisal. A companion bill, Senate Bill S1738, was passed on March 27.
He also mentioned that studies have proven prosecutors mainly use this method against hip-hop artists.
“Researchers and legal scholars have seen this practice apply almost exclusively to hip-hop and rap. And while the legislation is not genre-specific, it is impossible to ignore the detrimental impact the existing practice has had on certain Black and Brown artists practicing their craft. By providing clear legal guidelines on the admissibility of lyrics as evidence, AB127 aims to prevent the unjust weaponization of creative expression for prosecutorial purposes.”
This method of using rappers’ lyrics against them has been brought up in recent cases, specifically the RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) case against Atlanta rapper Young Thug.
Knicks Player Josh Hart Tells Former Pacer Reggie Miller That Fans Were Flagrantly Dissing Him
Hart told Miller, 'I don't know if you heard but I think they're saying, 'f**k you.'
Knick fans have not forgotten the turmoil that former Indiana Pacers Reggie Miller used to impose on the New York Knicks when the teams were rivals in the 1990s, which is why the New York faithful started chanting, “F**k you, Reggie.” But, just in case Miller didn’t hear it, Knicks player Josh Hart walked up to the scorer’s table to tell him.
According to CBS Sports, as the Knick-Pacers game was winding down, the fans at Madison Square Garden turned their ire at Knick-killer Miller, who was a commentator for the game for TNT. As Hart’s teammate, Donte DiVincenzo, was at the free-throw line, Hart took the opportunity to make sure that Miller knew what was going on. Or, presumably, he went to rub it in that they were cursing him out when they chanted, “F**k you, Reggie.”
With a smile on his face, as he was being told, Miller seemingly acknowledged the obvious discontent being hurled at him. Hart said, “I don’t know if you heard, but I think they’re saying, ‘f**k you.”
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) May 9, 2024
For some who may not know Miller’s history with the Knicks, he had a famed career of causing heartbreak for New York Knicks fans during the 1990s. But during one of the hotly contested playoff series in Knick history, the Pacers pulled out an improbable victory. It wasn’t that the Pacers won; it was how they won.
Miller went hot, scoring an unbelievable eight points in just 8.9 seconds to beat the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in 1995—at Madison Square Garden! Fans may or may not have known that the game occurred almost 30 years ago, on May 7, 1995. The Pacers went on to destroy the Knicks’ championship goals, winning the series in seven games.
Federal Appeals Court Upholds Ruling In Favor Of Zion Williamson
One of Ford’s main arguments revolved around the idea that Williamson, who was one of the leaders of the 2019 Duke University men’s basketball team as a freshman, was in fact, not a student-athlete.
In a ruling released on May 6, Judge Albert Diaz of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a previous 2021 ruling that New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson’s agreement with Florida-based agent Gina Ford was rendered invalid because Ford was not a licensed agent in North Carolina when she entered into a contract with Williamson.
As The Associated Pressreports, Williamson filed a lawsuit against Ford in June of 2019 after he broke his agreement with her and moved his representation to Creative Artists Agency LLC ahead of the NBA Draft. Diaz’s ruling granted Williamson a legal shield against any penalties he would have generally incurred for breaking the deal because Ford was not legally cleared to assume the duties of a sports agent in North Carolina.
One of Ford’s main arguments revolved around the idea that Williamson, who was one of the leaders of the 2019 Duke University men’s basketball team as a freshman, was, in fact, not a student-athlete. As Reuters reported, the National Basketball Association, which filed an amicus brief in the lawsuit, argued that the case was the first appellate case in the country to interpret the definition of “student-athlete” as it had been previously defined in the Uniform Athlete Agents Act.
According to the ruling, “The Act defines “student-athlete” as: An individual who engages in, is eligible to engage in, or may be eligible to engage in any intercollegiate sport. If an individual is permanently ineligible to participate in a particular intercollegiate sport, the individual is not a student-athlete for that sport.”
The court continued, citing their agreement with Williamson’s claim: “We agree with Williamson. If a student is engaged in an intercollegiate sport when he signs an agency contract, he is a student-athlete subject to the Act. The permanent ineligibility clause doesn’t apply to Williamson, who was engaged in a single sport.”
The court also found that their reading of the Act, here the Uniform Athlete Agents Act, was in unity with the spirit of the law and also ruled that Williamson was free to void the contract because Ford was an unlicensed agent.
According to the lawsuit, “Prime concedes that Ford wasn’t registered as an agent in North Carolina, and under the Act, any agency contract between a student-athlete and an agent who fails to register in North Carolina is automatically void. Likewise, it’s undisputed that the Prime contract didn’t contain the requisite warnings. So even if the contract weren’t already void, Williamson was free to void it, which he did both via email and through counsel.”
As Diaz clarified in the opening portion, which summarizes his decision, the court substantiated none of the counterclaims brought by Ford and Prime. “In his case, we interpret the North Carolina Uniform Athlete Agents Act, which governs contracts between student-athletes and their agents.
Prime Sports Marketing, LLC, and Gina Ford argue that their former client, Zion Williamson, wasn’t a “student-athlete” when he contracted with them, so he can’t benefit from the Act’s protections. The district court rejected that argument and granted summary judgment to Williamson on Prime’s contract and tort claims.
As her sentencing hearing approaches on May 23, the NAACP and other organizations, including the National Council of Negro Women and the National Urban League, sent a letter to President Joe Biden in support of Mosby to request her pardon. The five-page letter highlights beliefs that the former prosecutor was unfairly targeted and unjustly convicted for perjury and mortgage fraud as a payback scheme for the role she played in prosecuting officers following the death of Freddie Gray in 2015. “The only thing Marilyn Mosby is guilty of is the desire to provide her family with a better life,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said.
“The sad reality is, as Black women take their rightful places in positions of power, dark forces seek to tear down both their progress and that of our community.”
The juries of two trials found Mosby guilty of lies surrounding a vacation home mortgage and withdrawals from her retirement account related to hardships due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She faces up to 40 years in federal prison, and she told Joy-Ann Reid, host of MSNBC’s The Reid Out, that she has lost everything. “They’ve targeted me. A four-year-long investigation where they’ve combed every aspect of my life,” Mosby said.
“They issued subpoenas to all of the black churches five months before my reelection not only to get me out of office but they’ve done this to demonize me and to vilify me and to break me – break me psychologically, break me professionally, break me spiritually, break me financially. I’ve lost everything.”
"I've lost everything."
Fmr. Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, after her push to prosecute officers whose alleged actions reportedly led to the death of Freddie Gray, saying she was "targeted" by a contested trial.
The letter calls out the Department of Justice, under former President Donald Trump’s administration, of pushing a “meritless indictment” against the former prosecutor and accuses the Biden Administration of ignoring political motives behind what is described as a “malicious prosecution.” “We expect that political persecutions and malicious prosecutions pursued during the Trump Administration would not continue in the Biden Administration,” the letter read.
“I want to be really mindful here because that is obviously a Department of Justice process and I don’t want to be certainly be speaking to any individual pardon request, that is not something I can do,” Jean-Pierre said.
“The Department of Justice employs a process that is thorough and deliberative when it comes to a process to review executive clemency petitions.”
Civil rights organizations are seeking Mosby’s pardon before May 23 and to “restore her full rights.” A website on her behalf has been created, and a petition has secured more than 16,000 signatures.
Investigation Finds Texas School District Violated Civil Rights After Years Of Racial Discrimination Against Black Students
The U.S. Department of Education wants to negotiate with the Carroll Independent School District (CISD) after four students filed civil rights complaints, prompting lawyers to suggest the agency pushed the allegations aside.
In a letter to the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund (LDF) defending the students, the agency’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) department revealed they have contacted the district in Southlake, Texas, to begin negotiating a resolution agreement in the four complaints, giving them 90 days. All four students have either graduated or left the district after being subjected to a number of racist and homophobic slurs and comments while attending a Carroll school.
One student admitted to being the victim of retaliation after reporting racial harassment to school administrators, while another had suicidal thoughts after being repeatedly mocked by fellow students over his sexual orientation.
His family claims the district did nothing to address the bullying.
According to the letter, members of Cultural & Racial Equity for Every Dragon (CREED) and the Southlake Anti-Racism Coalition (SARC) are concerned about the emotional and mental damage students sustained by CISD’s hostile environment. Both groups, one consisting of Black parents and the other of current and former students with first-hand experience, want the district to be held accountable. “I think it’s good Carroll may be pushed to finally do something for its students of color,” Terrance Jones, a complainant, said.
“Just wish it happened while I was there.”
One Black mother, Angela Jones, has been advocating for years, hoping that changes will be established within the district, adding protections for minority students. As the mother of a former student who filed a complaint, she was ridiculed by board members and conservative parents who accused her and fellow advocates of pushing a far-left political agenda into classrooms. “They’re saying to the district, ‘You didn’t do it on your own, so we’re going to come in and make some recommendations for you to do it differently,’” Jones said.
“I hope they’ll take it seriously and re-evaluate and negotiate.”
Allegations began in 2018 after a video went viral showing white high school students shouting the N-word, forcing dozens of Carroll parents and students to come forward to tell their stories of lingering discrimination. After the controversy began, the school board formulated a committee of volunteers, including Jones, to come up with strategies to address the problem, resulting in the Cultural Competence Action Plan.
The plan pushed for mandatory diversity training for teachers and students, along with adding changes to the student handbook with a focus on banning harassment on the basis of race, gender, and sexual orientation, among other changes.
After the plan was implemented in 2020, conservative parents and activists formed a political action committee called Southlake Families PAC, promising to defeat the diversity plan and elevate “Judeo-Christian values” in the school district. The group received hundreds of thousands of dollars to support conservative candidates, as well as launched ads that attacked opponents and accused them of being radical leftists.
The support allowed them to win majority control of the Carroll school board in November 2021.
LDF Assistant Counsel Katrina Feldkamp said the group “is pleased” that the agency is recognizing the civil rights violations within Carroll ISD schools and hopes that changes will finally come. “After three long years, we are pleased to see that OCR has recognized the longstanding civil rights violations in Carroll ISD schools. Black, brown, and LGBTQIA+ students deserve schools that not only prevent and respond to harassment but that create a safe and supportive environment for all students,” Feldkamp said.
“As the 90-day resolution negotiation period begins, we are hopeful that CISD and OCR will work to adopt the policy changes that CREED, SARC, and Southlake families have demanded for years.”
NOLA’s Highly Recognized St. Mary’s Academy Seeks Donations To Operate Successfully
The nationally recognized academy, which has seen graduating classes with a 100% college acceptance rate, seeks an endowment of $1 billion.
St. Mary’s Academy, a Catholic institution dedicated to educating young Black women in New Orleans, has been making dreams a reality for decades. However, despite its remarkable achievements, the school faces a critical need for financial stability to sustain its excellence.
The academy, which has seen its graduating classes achieve a remarkable 100% college acceptance rate for the past two years, is desperately seeking donations, with an ambitious goal of reaching a $1 billion endowment, as reported by nola.com. “We’re trying to operate a well-oiled machine without the oil,” lamented President and Interim Principal Pamela Rogers, who has been with St. Mary’s for 19 years. “People who work here work because it’s a calling. They’re not compensated for their value.”
The school was founded in 1867 by Mother Henriette DeLille’s Sisters of the Holy Family, an order of African American nuns in New Orleans. Upon assuming the school’s leadership, Rogers revealed that the sisters lacked a substantial endowment.
During an episode of 60 Minutes, Rogers shared how St. Mary’s Academy narrowly escaped complete closure after Hurricane Katrina’s devastating impact in 2005. The school’s original site was submerged under seven feet of water, necessitating the complete demolition of the building.
The episode also delved into the academy’s profound history. DeLille, a Creole nun born in 1812 to a White Frenchman father and a mother who was a free person of color; she was the great-granddaughter of a West African slave, and defied anti-literacy laws to educate slaves and free people of color, inspired by her Catholic faith and desire to help others. “We continue to move forward with her vision,” Rogers affirmed, echoing the school’s founding principles. “We teach young women to give service, to empower themselves, [and] to be in the community. We teach them to grow spiritually, intellectually…to be good people and give to one another.”
The “60 Minutes” episode has garnered major attention for the school, including from civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who stated, “WOW,” expressing excitement about its achievements on X. As previously covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, St. Mary’s students Calcea Johnson and Ne’Kiya Jackson made mathematical history during their senior year in 2022 by independently proving the 2,000-year-old Pythagorean Theorem using trigonometry.
The two mathematicians aren’t the only known scholars to formerly walk the halls of the academy. Nola.com noted that St. Mary’s boasts an illustrious list of alumni, including U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Dana Douglas and state Rep. Candace Newell (both Class of 1993); Criminal Court Judge Tracey Flemings-Davillier (Class of 1987); and former Interim NOPD Chief Michelle Woodfork (Class of 1988), among others.
While enrollment hit around 800 in the 1980s when the institution had grades 7-12, today’s enrollment stands at 615 with K-12 classes. The academy urgently needs donations to sustain its mission and expand resources for its students. To donate, visit the St. Mary’s Academy website.
The Hoorae Media founder recently launched her branded entertainment company, Ensemble, to help creators and brands build “deeper relationships” with major companies and corporations, Business Insider reports. The newest endeavor to Rae’s growing business portfolio already has a network of 50 content creators, including Mark Phillips, Drew Afualo, and Leo González, who are all on the right track to aligning themselves with reputable companies like Pepsi, Chili’s, and Popeyes.
“The brands I’ve had the privilege of collaborating with understand that quality matters, inclusion works, and curation is essential,” Rae said in a press release. “That’s why we’ve built Ensemble with an ambitious and growing group of executives, creators, brands, publishers, and platforms who will all work together to build a more equitable and sustainable creator economy.”
Joining Rae on the management side are a trio of advertising veterans: Co-founder and President Ian Schafer, Head of Revenue Matt Berger, and Head of Revenue Operations Keith Lee. Together, the group works to aid their creators with properly packaging themselves to attract big brand deals.
“The proposition is that we have deeper relationships with the partners,” Montrel McKay, the president of development and production at Rae’s studio, Hoorae, said.
“A lot of people are just selling media impressions and matching them with creators. We’re going to teach you how to sell media to these brands and do it in a way that allows you to service your audience.”
Ensemble also works with up-and-coming content creators who are building their audiences and preparing for high-profiting sponsorships.
“We just see it as an evolution of the next generation of talent discovery, and the path is not obvious,” Schafer said. “People used to look at digital as the minor leagues. It’s very much the major leagues, but the thesis is that the future talent is much more likely to be discovered by audiences and financed by brands.”
Equity and inclusion are central to Ensemble’s deals, as the company aims to close the pay gap between white creators and creators of color.
“We want to go after media budgets. We don’t want to go after small allocations that are for diversity buys. That’s why it’s important to work with Pepsi out of the gate,” McKay said. “[W]e want to show the world, we’re just trying to drive popular culture.”
The new venture adds to Rae’s growing business portfolio, including her studio, Hoorae Media, talent management firm, ColorCreative, marketing company, Fête, and audio platform Raedio.
