U.S. Capitol, Daisy Bates Statue, Arkansas
by Stacy Jackson

May 7, 2024

Daisy Bates Statue Replaces Unpopular Arkansas Figure At U.S. Capitol

Arkansas officials prefer a statue of Daisy Bates to represent the state over a lesser-known white man.

Arkansas is commemorating civil rights icon Daisy Gatson Bates this week by installing her statue, replacing an existing one of a lesser-known historical figure in the state.

Bates, a prominent Arkansas figure who led the state NAACP and mentored the Little Rock Nine during the integration of Central High School in 1957, is being honored with a nearly 8-foot bronze statue. According to NBC News, the sculpture depicts Bates, who co-published the Arkansas State Press with her husband, walking with a folded newspaper in one hand, holding a notebook and pen in the other, and donning an NAACP pin and rose on her lapel.

Artist Benjamin Victor was commissioned for the project. “I hope it really first and foremost inspires them to study Daisy Bates’ life and legacy,” Victor said, sharing that his extensive research process included studying the civil rights leader, reading her 1962 autobiography, and visiting Central High and her Little Rock home. “A big part of it is to capture that spirit of hers and inspire others to do the same and stand up for what’s right,” said the sculptor, whom the public was invited to see work on the sculpture at the Windgate Center for Art+Design in 2022.

Bates’ legacy is already celebrated in Little Rock, with a street named in her honor and Daisy Bates Day observed on Presidents Day annually.

Joining Bates’ statue later this year is one of musician Johnny Cash. The two sculptures will replace those of 18th-century governor and U.S. senator James P. Clarke and 19th-century attorney Uriah Rose. Clarke’s statue drew scrutiny over his racist remarks urging the Democratic Party to preserve “white standards.” There was little opposition to removing the existing sculptures when Arkansas lawmakers proposed replacing the statues. Republican Sen. Bart Hester signed the 2019 legislation to install the new statues. Sen. David Wallace, who sponsored the legislation, said Bates and Cash represent the common people of Arkansas.

A press release from the Arkansas Secretary of State announced Bates will become the 13th woman to be represented in the National Statuary Hall Collection in the U.S. Capitol. The statue will be unveiled in Washington, D.C., on May 8, 2024.

A free local viewing is open to the public at Second Baptist Church, 1709 John Barrow Road, starting at 1:00 pm CST. Local leaders will reflect on Bates’ remarkable legacy, immediately followed by a live viewing of her statue. The ceremony will air on C-SPAN and the Speaker of the House’s website for those unable to join in person.

Car, stolen car, electronics, Mother's Day, Mother, Day, license
by Iman Milner

May 7, 2024

A Few Ways To Have A Magical Mother’s Day

Updated from the originally published post on May 12, 2023.

There’s never a bad day to celebrate the mothers and mother figures in our lives; however, this weekend we’ll be trying to pull out all the stops to make sure they know how truly special they are.

Though Mother’s Day comes every year, it always seems to sneak up on the calendar; leaving many people scrambling for creative ways to show their love. So, we’ve compiled a few out-of-the-ordinary experiences that just may help, even if it’s last-minute. From star-gazing to rocking with the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, there won’t be a dull moment for this special occasion.


Strength of a Woman Festival 

If your mom loves a good concert lineup and also loves to support local Black woman-owned businesses, the Strength of a Woman Festival is calling her name. Featuring an all-star lineup of performances from greats like Lauryn Hill and, the hostess of the event, Mary J. Blige, this weekend is sure to be a TIME! Alongside the live performances will also be summits covering a plethora of topics with guests like Mara Brock Akil, Angela Yee, and Ciara.


Black Girl Art Show

Looking for something creative? If you’re in the Philadelphia area, making a stop at the Black Girl Art Show may be right up your alley. The national exhibition experience celebrates Black women artists using various forms of media. It could be a great pre- or post-dinner stop and a great addition to a special night fit for a queen.

The Museum for Black Girls

Does your mom love a selfie moment? Well, here’s a great way for her to get a new Facebook profile picture. If you’re in Denver., grab your favorite lady and take her to The Museum For Black Girls’ where she’ll enjoy immersive exhibits, including the floral room and relive nostalgic memories. A great way to make a new memory.

Mother’s Day: An Evening with Atlantic Starr

Who doesn’t love Soul music. If you’re in Atlanta, you can treat your mother to a night with the incomparable Atlantic Starr with special guests Confunkshun. This is sure to be a good ole “oo-wee” time.

RELATED CONTENT: Mother’s Day Gift Guide: 11 Books That Tell A Story Of Black Motherhood

Zadie Smith, New Yorker Essay
by Daniel Johnson

May 7, 2024

Zadie Smith Sparks Controversy Due To New Yorker Essay

In her criticism of Smith's novel, Chu traces the writer’s practice of negative capability, or the practice of articulating the virtue of seeing something from both sides.

After British author Zadie Smith wrote a 3,000-word essay for The New Yorker, the backlash on social media was nearly immediate and thunderous. The essay, equal parts linguistic exercise and philosophy, attempted to argue that a central problem of the campus protests currently engulfing many institutions of higher education across the country boils down to an imprecise employment of language and rhetoric. 

Not long after Smith’s piece was published, on X, formerly known as Twitter, Vulture reposted a 2023 review of Smith’s latest book by Andrea Long Chu, a Pulitzer Prize-winning critic. In that piece, Chu traces the writer’s practice of negative capability, or the practice of articulating the virtue of seeing something from both sides. Chu argued in her piece that Smith’s practice of publicly engaging in negative capability throughout her career as a public intellectual tends to land her in hot water, and the response from the wider literary and academic community to her essay titled “Shibboleth” is emblematic of this criticism. 

https://twitter.com/Thamina_F/status/1787220489229709641?t=303EfTQBVbd-PmJNf2V5Sw&s=19
https://twitter.com/NatalieGDiaz/status/1787236702508949593?t=3FheQbwDZuDA4PPfLg5c3w&s=19

In a 2017 piece for Longreads, writer Danielle Jackson carries the same criticism of Smith as Chu regarding Smith’s lack of engagement. In a piece for Harper‘s Bazaar, Smith argued that a letter calling for a white woman’s abstraction of Emmett Till lying in a casket to be removed was absurd, which Jackson found to be disappointing. Jackson writes, “I wished she had engaged this subject matter with her heart. I needed her to think of the logic of [Hannah] Black’s letter from a place of shared pain, shared experiences, and shared anger. I needed her to really listen to it before dismantling it.” Black’s letter, reprinted in its entirety by ARTNews, is primarily concerned with white artists mining Black pain in the name of art.

“Although [Dena] Schutz’s intention may be to present white shame, this shame is not correctly represented as a painting of a dead Black boy by a white artist — those non-Black artists who sincerely wish to highlight the shameful nature of white violence should first of all stop treating Black pain as raw material. The subject matter is not Schutz’s; white free speech and white creative freedom have been founded on the constraint of others and are not natural rights. The painting must go.”

Smith’s piece and the reactions to it underscore the responsibility of a nuanced discussion to have a point, especially when one side of the debate involves genocide or charges of genocide. The criticism that Smith’s use of language is an attempt to sanitize that genocide is a fair one, and it exemplifies Desmond Tutu’s often-quoted admonishment of neutrality during injustice is a correct analysis.

Despite the reactions from writers and academics, Smith’s place as a literary darling will likely be unaffected by this piece, as it was not affected by her hand wringing over Schultz’s Open Casket and connecting that to the perceived Blackness or lack thereof of her own children. Black writers and academics who are concerned about the plight of the oppressed will likely continue to doubt Smith’s ability to meet the moment, particularly where oppressed people are concerned, because, as The New Yorker piece makes clear, it is more important to her to seem to be an objective philosophical authority than it is to adequately react to objectionable things. 

will.i.am, work-life balance
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 7, 2024

will.i.am Talks Life Changing Investments In Tesla And Beats By Dre

will.i.am shares his early investment in Tesla and co-creating Beats By Dre which "changed" his life for the better.

will.i.am has always been one foot ahead of the game when it comes to engineering and technology. The Grammy award-winning artist even showed belief in Tesla before Elon Musk took over.

The Black Eyes Peas frontman brought his wealth of knowledge across music, business, and technology to N.O.R.E’s “Drink Champs” recently. While there, will.i.am spoke on the early investments he made in two companies that “changed” his life for the better.

According to the “Let’s Get Started” hitmaker, he received a stake in Tesla two years before Musk joined the company as CEO in 2008. By the time Musk took ownership of the automobile and clean energy company, will.i.am was already on to his next venture co-creating Beats By Dre years before Apple’s acquisition of the brand.

“I invested in Tesla in 2006 before Elon took over [the company] — around the same time,” he told N.O.R.E. “And then, I was a part of Beats. And then, Apple bought Beats from us. So you’re talking about two companies that changed my life. So, I say both.”

will.i.am was playing “Drink Champs” signature game of “This or That” when he answered whether he prefers Elon Musk or Steve Jobs in the tech innovation category. His interest in the industry is natural for the Los Angeles native who attended a high school that specialized in science, engineering, and mathematics.

He has been earning big bucks from his natural passion in tech and business. His role in a private investment group has aligned him with a stake in companies with billion-dollar valuations like OpenAI, Anthropic, Runaway, and Hugging Face.

The “Scream and Shout” rapper/producer doesn’t just invest but also invents his own tech products. will.i.am became an early entrepreneur in Viv Labs which Google acquired for around $500 million. By 2015, he invested in OpenAI when it was funded by billionaires Reid Hoffman, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Amazon Web Services, and other tech magnates.

Most recently, will.i.am got behind FYI, an AI-powered productivity app that allows creatives to collaborate and communicate on digital asset management projects.

“Everything’s about to change, and we’re going to witness a societal redefining that will balance inequities,” he says about the evolution of AI.

“Folks that have been underserved will be able to use these new tools and technologies to solve their problems and create new industries, and yesterday’s industries will topple with the wave of transformation.”

RELATED CONTENT: Mark Cuban’s ‘Shark Tank’ Investments In Black-Owned Businesses Pay Off Big

Greg Tate, Pulitzer Prize, Journalistic Work
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 7, 2024

Music Critic Greg Tate Receives Posthumous Pulitzer Prize For Journalism

Renowned writer and music critic Greg Tate received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his contributions as a journalist.

Renowned writer and music critic Greg Tate received a posthumous Pulitzer Prize for his contributions as a journalist.

The Pulitzer Prize jury awarded the late musician, writer, and critic with the optional citation more than two years after his passing in December 2021. In addition to being celebrated for his music journalism, Tate also received the honor along with journalists covering the war in Gaza, Hot Press reports.

The jury praised Tate’s journalistic ability, which it described as “cribbed from literature, academia, popular culture, and hip-hop and as influential as the content of his ideas.”

“His aesthetic, innovations and intellectual originality, particularly in his pioneering hip-hip criticism, continue to influence subsequent generations, especially writers and critics of color,” the jury added.

Tate gained recognition for his pieces that explored the intersectionality of race, culture, and music and appeared in publications like The Village Voice, The New York Times, and Rolling Stone. His focus on Black musicians likely stemmed from his music career as a guitar and bass player in various bands, including the Black Rock Coalition.

The Pulitzer Prize board celebrated Tate’s work, which “broke new ground in music criticism, exploring the connections between race, culture, and music in a way that had never been done before.” They also commended his ability to “capture the essence of an artist’s work and its impact on society.”

His family members have expressed gratitude for Tate’s posthumous receiving of the prestigious accolade.

“Greg was a true pioneer in music journalism, and this award is a testament to his talent and dedication to the craft,” his sister, Constance Tate-Duncan, said.

“Greg’s writing was always ahead of its time, and it’s wonderful to see him receive this recognition,” musician and friend Vernon Reid said.

Tate’s Pulitzer Prize joins his list of honors, including a Grammy nomination for his liner notes on the album “Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber’s Making Love to the Dark Ages” and his books “Flyboy in the Buttermilk: Essays on Contemporary America” and “Everything But the Burden: What White People are Taking from Black Culture.”

RELATED CONTENT: Tiger Woods Makes History With His 24th Consecutive Masters Cut

Jennifer King, Washington Commanders
by Stacy Jackson

May 7, 2024

Jennifer King Talks To Cornell Students About Breaking Barriers As A Woman NFL Coach

Jennifer King says she's thriving as an NFL coach by being herself everyday.

Jennifer King, the trailblazing coach who became the first Black woman to coach full-time in the NFL, reflected on her groundbreaking journey in sports during Cornell University’s “Breaking Barriers: The First Black Woman to Coach in the NFL” event on May 3.

Throughout the conversation sponsored by Black Student Empowerment, which King previously prepared to discuss diverse topics, she delved into the importance of diversity and representation and the growing opportunities for women in athletics. Cornell’s Student and Campus Life stated that the coach acknowledged the “tremendous growth that women” have witnessed in the NFL, recounting her attendance at the 2018 NFL Women’s Forum, where she met over 40 women holding outside jobs, in stark contrast to the number already working in football at this year’s forum.

“That’s something that the other women coaches in the league, and I take very seriously…just to be great [role] models and be the representation that we didn’t have, for the people coming behind us,” the former Guilford College athlete said.

King’s journey spanned 13 years playing in the semi-pro, full-contact Women’s Football Alliance league. She embarked on her coaching career in college basketball, often juggling additional jobs to supplement her income. King’s relentless pursuit led her to Johnson & Wales University, Charlotte, where she guided the team to a remarkable 22-4 record and its first United States Collegiate Athletic Association Division II championship in 2018.

The coach resigned from coaching basketball to chase her dream of working in football. “Don’t be afraid to make that leap into the unknown,” she advised attendees.

King, who is a staunch advocate for expanding opportunities for women in sports, stands as one of only 12 women holding full-time coaching positions in the NFL. Her breakthrough came as an assistant coach at Dartmouth College and with the now-defunct Arizona Hotshots of the Alliance of American Football. She coached as an intern for the NFL’s Carolina Panthers prior to her transition to the Washington Commanders with coach Ron Rivera. She made history after she was promoted to assistant running backs coach in Washington. King made history again in a recent assistant coaching position with the Chicago Bears. She became the franchise’s inaugural female coach in its 104-year history.

“I think we’re entering a new era in sport, where for a lot of these guys now in control, it’s not new for them to have women in these positions anymore,” she said. “We have a lot of work to do, but I haven’t experienced a lot of the [negative] things you probably think I would have because people are so much better, and we’re moving into a new generation.”

She has dedicated her platform to closing the gap in sports and building community programs for kids through her involvement with the NFL’s Women’s Forum, Women’s Sports Foundation, and her own King Group organization.

Toronto Home, Drake, Canada, non life threatening, shot chest
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 7, 2024

Drake’s Security Guard Shot At Toronto Home

A drive-by shooting has occurred at the home of the Canadian superstar. Security guard hospitalized in the incident.

A shooting has been reported at the home of Canadian hip-hop superstar Drake, and a man was taken to the hospital with serious injuries.

The alleged shooting took place after 2 a.m. on May 7 outside the Toronto home of Aubrey “Drake” Graham. A social post on X, formerly known as Twitter, by the Toronto Police Operations said that the victim who was shot was a security guard stationed outside and that he had been hospitalized. The alleged shooter fled the scene in a vehicle.

The security guard suffered serious injuries, but none were life-threatening, and he remains in the hospital. Duty Inspector Paul Krawczyk described the shooting as a driveby, and there are currently no suspects or descriptions of the shooter or the vehicle at this time.

This shooting took place after one of the biggest battles on record over the past week, which saw Drake go back and forth with Compton-bred lyricist Kendrick Lamar. With Lamar’s latest release amid the beef, “Not Like Us,” there is a Google Maps photo of Drake’s residence on the cover art. Krawczyk did not comment on the motive, but he did state that authorities would consider speaking with United States investigators.

Although that picture appears on the cover, Drake has also been known to expose his location. On one of his records released in 2021, “7 a.m. on Bridle Path,” he reveals where his home is located.

The inspector stated that Drake’s team is cooperating with the investigation, but it is unclear if Drake was present when the shooting took place.

KTLA has reported that the neighborhood, The Bridle Path, where his 50,000-square-foot estate is located, is an upscale Toronto neighborhood with several multimillion-dollar mansions.

On May 5, Drake dropped the latest diss record, The Heart Pt. 6.

RELATED CONTENT: Tupac Shakur’s Estate Threatens Lawsuit Against Drake For AI-Assisted Diss Track The Late Rapper Would Have ‘Never’ Approved

Ohemaa Nyanin, WNBA Golden State, Warriors co-executive Chairman and CEO Joe Lacob
by Stacy Jackson

May 7, 2024

WNBA Golden State Team Names Ohemaa Nyanin As General Manager

Nyanin is looking to recruit the best basketball, artistic, and eclectic minds "to build the strongest team in the WNBA.

The WNBA’s newest franchise, the Golden State team, has tapped Ohemaa Nyanin to spearhead its operations as the inaugural general manager.

This strategic appointment marks a crucial milestone as the organization gears up for its highly anticipated debut season in 2025. According to ESPN, Nyanin will begin her tenure on May 13, overseeing all basketball-related matters and reporting directly to Warriors co-executive chairman and CEO Joe Lacob.

“The investment that has already been committed to building an incredible WNBA franchise is nothing short of amazing,” Nyanin said during a May 6 news conference. “I’m just really excited to collaborate with the current and future incredible minds to build a winning culture.” Confident in Nyanin’s capabilities, Lacob expressed that he knew from their first interaction that she was the right fit for the position, citing her basketball knowledge, experience, and gut-level understanding of the game as assets aligning with the team’s culture.

Nyanin brings a wealth of experience from her recent position as assistant general manager with the New York Liberty and previous roles as director and manager of basketball operations. She expects her five-year stint with the New York team to aid her transition to the Bay Area. The team congratulated its former employee for her new role on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The WNBA manager also served as assistant director of the women’s USA Basketball team and the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifier Technical Delegate and Manager.

The new hire is looking to recruit the best basketball, artistic, and eclectic minds “to build the strongest team in the W.” One of Nyanin’s pivotal tasks will be hiring a head coach. “We are thrilled this opportunity has finally come to fruition,” Lacob stated on Golden State’s website. “We have been interested in a WNBA franchise for several years, due in part to the rich history of women’s basketball in the Bay Area, and believe now is the ideal time to execute that vision and build upon the legacy. The WNBA continues to solidify itself as the preeminent women’s professional basketball league, and we look forward to supporting the best women’s basketball players in the world.”

ESPN noted that alongside President Jess Smith, Nyanin will play a pivotal role in introducing the WNBA’s 13th franchise and first expansion team since 2008. While the franchise’s branding identity remains under wraps, an expansion draft will be conducted later this year to commence the roster-building process. Notably, the team has already garnered a remarkable 7,000 deposits for season tickets, underscoring the excitement surrounding its inception.

Slated to take the court at San Francisco’s Chase Center, Golden State’s entry paves the way for potentially welcoming a 14th team by 2026 and ultimately expanding to 16 teams by 2028.

Kenny Leon, Tony Award, Clark Atlanta
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 7, 2024

Clark Atlanta Alum Kenny Leon Earns 2nd Tony Award Nomination For “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch” 

Distinguished Clark Atlanta alum Kenny Leon receives second Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play.

“A Raisin in the Sun” director and Clark Atlanta alum Kenny Leon received his second Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play.

The 2024 Tony Award nominations were announced last week, and Leon joined the likes of Alicia Keys as nominees for this year’s ceremony, Fox News reports. The 1979 CAU graduate earned his nod for his latest play adaption, “Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch.”

The nomination comes exactly 10 years after Leon won his first Tony for his 2014 adaptation of Lorraine Hansberry’s “A Raisin in the Sun,” starring Denzel Washington. Anika Noni Rose, and more. Leon is celebrated for bringing Black stories to the stage with star talent like the award-winning “Fences.”

Leon’s work with the likes of Viola Davis, Angela Bassett, Danielle Brooks, and Kerry Washington has earned him several nominations, including three Primetime Emmys, two Tonys, a Drama Desk award, two Drama League awards, and an NAACP Award, among others.

In his 2018 memoir, “Take You Where You Go,” the Tallahassee, Florida, native credits his time at Clark Atlanta (then Clark College) for being the experience he needed ahead of pursuing a career in theater.

“I went to visit the school [Clark College] and see Atlanta. It was everything I was looking for—a big, international city, away, but not too far away, from home, and a very good school. I got in,” he wrote.

The school celebrated his latest Tony Award nomination and Leon’s contributions to the arts and theater world.

“We are immensely proud of the achievements of our distinguished alumnus, Kenny Leon, and his significant contributions to the arts and theater industry,” Charlene Gilbert, Ph.D., the provost and senior vice president of Academic Affairs, said. “Mr. Leon’s exceptional career is a testament to creative excellence and an inspiration for all of our students who aspire to a career in the arts.”

RELATED CONTENT: The Tony Awards As Two Black Non-Binary Actors Win Major Categories

Freedom To Learn Coalition, Education, Racial Justice
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 7, 2024

Freedom To Learn Coalition Rally Country-Wide For National Day Of Action

The Freedom To Learn Coalition launched a day of rallies to advocate for education, racial justice, and democratic principles.

The Freedom To Learn Coalition launched a day of rallies to advocate for education, racial justice, and democratic principles.

Held on Friday, May 3, activist groups within civil rights, LGBTQ+, education, and social justice joined with scholars and students to hold marches across the country, ensuring the safeguarding of the freedom to learn. The rallies took place in New York City and Washington D.C. as declarations for multiracial democracy and combatting assaults on antiracist ideology and racial justice.

As part of the rallies, Freedom Summer 2024 was launched in honor of the first Freedom Summer in 1964, a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement. At the time, nationwide attention was brought to the injustices Black people in Mississippi faced in education and community engagement.

Freedom Summer 2024 also commemorates 70 years since Brown v. Board of Education. Campaign supporters joined with Professor Kimberlé Crenshaw, co-founder and president of the African American Policy Forum, in rejecting ongoing efforts to suppress Black and diverse history and stifle inclusive democracy for all.

“The freedom to learn is the freedom to live. We cannot survive our current political moment or unlock the promise of our future without the tools to understand and make sense of our past,” Crenshaw said.

“And that’s precisely why those opposing democracy and equality are trying to take away our books, our concepts, and our knowledge. Ignorance about our past is the Achilles heel of democracy. And we can’t save this democracy without confronting its weakest link. That’s why we have to fight for the freedom to learn.”

Speakers at the rallies called out the existing dangers to our democracy, such as targets on books written by Black and LGBTQ+ authors, curriculum limitations in schools, voter suppression efforts, and other regressive policies promoted by The Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025.

“Less than a century ago, the NAACP won the battle to desegregate our nation’s schools. Seventy years later, we are battling for Black history to be taught in the same classrooms,” Wisdom Cole, national director of Youth and College Division, NAACP, said.

“Make no mistake — the war on wokeness is a war on Black America. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are the future. We refuse to live in the past.”

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