Georgia’s Tybee Island, Black College Student, Beach Party
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 18, 2024

Georgia’s Tybee Island Working To Prevent Black College Student’s Annual Beach Party

The Mayor of Georgia's Tybee Island is hoping to shut down Orange Crush weekend.

Black college students expecting to attend the annual beach party on Georgia’s Tybee Island this weekend will be in for a rude awakening.

Residents of the area located east of Savannah have complained about the April beach party known as Orange Crush for years. Now, after more than 30 years of hosting the party, police officers and barricades will be used to close off neighborhood streets, ABC News reports.

While authorities can’t stop the partygoers from going to Georgia’s largest public beach, they will block access to nearby parking. The party, created by students at Savannah State University in 1988, has become a staple over the decades, with thousands of Black college students attending each year.

However, the 3,100 locals often complain about the loud music, leftover trash, and kids urinating in people’s yards during the festivities. Fear ignited during the 2023 event when more than 48,000 people flooded the small 3-mile island and overwhelmed local police with calls of gunfire, drug overdoses, traffic jams, and fighting. It resulted in 26 total arrests, including one armed robbery with a firearm, four counts of fighting in public, and five DUIs.

Now that Mayor Brian West is in office, he hopes the increased police activity will help do away with Orange Crush for good.

“This has to stop. We can’t have this crowd anymore,” West said. “My goal is to end it.”

However, a Black resident believes locals of the predominantly white town are only singling out events that draw large crowds of Black people and ignoring the Fourth of July and other weekends when visitors are majority white.

“Our weekends are packed with people all season, but when Orange Crush comes, they shut down the parking, bring extra police, and act like they have to take charge,” Julia Pearce, one of the island’s few Black residents and leader of the Tybee MLK Human Rights Organization said.

“They believe Black folks to be criminals.”

Mayor West says race is not a factor; the only concern is the public safety crisis Orange Crush brings to the small town. He also notes how long it’s taken city officials to take action against Orange Crush because they feared being called racist.

“To me, it has nothing to do with race,” West said. “We can’t let that be a reason to let our citizens be unsafe and so we’re not.”

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Hip-Hop, Megan Thee Stallion, Drake, Kendrick Lamar, Nicki Minaj
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 18, 2024

Hip-Hop Reverses Its Decline On The Charts With Major Comeback In 2024

Hip-hop is making a huge comeback in 2024, according to the Billboard charts.

After debates around the decline of hip-hop flooded social media in recent years, the numbers are showing a shift in 2024.

Future and Metro Boomin’s recent Billboard chart-topping success with their collaborative album “We Don’t Trust You” and Kendrick Lamar-assisted Drake-aimed diss track “Like That” set a new standard for single-week units moved in 2024 with 251,000. The album topped the Billboard 200 and the single debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 100 along with four other songs from the project entering the chart’s top 10.

The duo’s success highlights a shift in the fall from grace the music genre has experienced in recent years. “Like That” joins Megan Thee Stallion’s “Hiss” as two rap diss tracks to debut at No. 1 in 2024 while 2023 didn’t see a No. 1 rap song until Doja Cat’s “Paint The Town Red” in September. Other rap songs to top the Billboard 100 in 2024 include Jack Harlow’s “Lovin’ On Me,” and Ye, Ty Dolla Sign, Rich the Kid, and Playboi Carti’s “Carnival.”

2024 has already seen three No. 1 rap albums with 21 Savage’s “American Dream,” Ye and Ty Dolla Sign’s ‘Vultures,” and Future and Metro Boomin’s “We Don’t Trust You,” with their follow-up “We Still Don’t Trust You” among contenders for a No. 1 debut on the Billboard 200. But it wasn’t until June 2023 that fans saw a rap album top the Billboard charts with Lil Uzi Vert’s “Pink Tape.” By the end of 2023, only four rap albums reached the No. 1 spot compared to 12 in 2022.

There were only 18 rap entries listed on the Billboard 100 at this same time last year, with a number of them being from dated albums like Kanye West’s “Graduation,” Drake’s “Take Care” and “Views,” and Tyler, The Creator’s “Igor.” However, by mid-April 2024, there have been 38 rap entries with albums like “We Don’t Trust You” maintaining their top spot.

With raging rap feuds between big-name artists like Drake and Kendrick Lamar and Megan Thee Stallion and Nicki Minaj filling the social sphere, lyrical warfare is credited for helping reignite interest in the music genre.

“Diss tracks evoke larger conversations not just online but also in real life, and those who need to be up to speed on what’s happening inevitably have to listen to the songs that ignited it all, which have allowed “Hiss” and “Like That” to shoot to No. 1,” Billboard writer Heran Memo says.

“This level of competitiveness and s–t-talking is at the core of hip-hop’s spirit, so I definitely agree with Metro that the genre is alive and well. Rap is off to a great start in 2024, especially compared to where it was at this point in 2023, so I have high hopes for the genre.”

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Black Students, Scholarships
by Jeffrey McKinney

April 18, 2024

CBCF To Provide Black Students $4M In Scholarships With New Contribution

The latest contribution from the Tracking Foundation to the CBCF will help provide scholarships to Black students.

With new funding, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) plans to help Black students pay for college.

The foundation will use a contribution of $4 million in scholarships from the Tracking Foundation to help Black American students nationwide cover education costs.  College costs have been steadily rising for several years, even prompting many individuals to not pursue a degree.

The Tracking Foundation’s contribution will award academically talented and highly motivated full-time Black scholars pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or doctoral degree in all discipline areas, the CBCF told BLACK ENTERPRISE. The scholarships will range from $10,000 to $20,000 annually. Some recipients may get multi-year scholarships.

In 2021, the CBCF announced a previous donation the Tracking Foundation made to the CBCF. The contribution three years ago was a $3.75 million grant from the charitable foundation established by philanthropist Stephen Feinberg to back scholarships and internships that included Black students.

The latest funding help is certainly needed. For instance, this report revealed the graduation rate for Black students was just over 50%, the smallest among non-Black groups. The analysis surmised there could be several obstacles potentially fueling the minuscule number, including financial constraints and campus discrimination.

Another analysis showed that Black college students are less likely to gain degrees than their non-diverse peers due to racial discrimination, costly education, and outside factors like caregiving and working full-time duties. The report added that supplying on-campus childcare and boosting scholarships could be ways to help Blacks complete their degrees.

The Washington, DC-based CBCF calls itself a non-partisan, nonprofit organization that advances the global black community by developing leaders, informing policy, and educating the public. In 2022, 380 scholarships were awarded by the CBCF for over $3.3 million, per its annual report for that year.

The Tracking Foundation is known for its commitment to fostering educational opportunities and promoting equality, according to a news release. It has united with the CBCF since 2021.

CBCF Board Chair, Terri A. Sewell, stated in her comments, “This generous contribution from Stephen Feinberg through The Tracking Foundation will significantly enhance our ability to empower the next generation of Black American leaders through education.”

Nicole Austin-Hillery, the CBCF’s president and CEO, reflected on this as well. “I am thrilled to announce the momentous partnership with The Tracking Foundation, resulting in a transformative $4 million scholarship endowment. This generous contribution underscores our shared commitment to breaking down barriers and empowering Black American students through education.”

Cedric Richmond, former congressman, White House advisor, and chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, stressed how investing in education makes a difference.

“Education is the key to unlocking doors of opportunity and building a brighter future for our communities. The collaboration between The Tracking Foundation and the CBCF underscores the vital role education plays in creating lasting change.”

Visit here for more details.

Elaine Welteroth, Serena Williams, midwife, services
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 18, 2024

Elaine Welteroth And Serena Williams Team Up To Improve Healthcare For Mothers With BirthFUND

Elaine Welteroth and Serena Williams are tackling the Black Maternal Health crisis through the newly launched BirthFUND.

Elaine Welteroth has enlisted the help of Serena Williams and other high-profile celebrities to help provide midwifery services to mothers in need.

The journalist and “Project Runway” star kicked off Black Maternal Health Week on Thursday, April 11, by announcing the launch of her “birthcare revolution” BirthFUND. With a goal of combatting the Black maternal health crisis plaguing the U.S., Welteroth teamed up with Williams to help improve the outcomes for mothers.

“We’re done waiting for someone else to fix what’s broken. It’s on us to save us. One family at a time,” Welteroth wrote in an Instagram announcement.

The same day, Time released an essay penned by Welteroth and Williams where they addressed why “We Shouldn’t Have to be Willing to Die to Give Birth in the United States.” In the op-ed, the former editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue and the tennis champion shared their own birthing experiences and facts about the 3,400 women that have died since Welteroth and Williams gave birth.

With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention research showing that Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, the importance of Welteroth’s BirthFUND is that much greater.

“Having babies in America was a wake-up call for both of us. Like many parents, and first-time parents at that, we never anticipated the harrowing experiences we’d have on the road to becoming mothers,” they shared. “We have both accomplished a lot in our lives and careers—from Grand Slams to history-making career appointments—needless to say, we can do hard things.”

“But nothing made us feel as disempowered as being pregnant and Black in America, left to rely upon a medical system that is statistically failing people who look like us.”

The essay continued. “The CDC reports Black women are three times more likely to die during and after childbirth than white women. Giving birth shouldn’t have made us fearful for our lives, but we both were. And the overall picture isn’t good for any of us. Many people still think of the maternal health crisis as a far-away problem. It is not. Nearly half of mothers in this country label their births as traumatic.”

The BirthFUND is supported by a coalition of Founding Family Funders who raised money to support out-of-pocket midwifery care for families in need. Funders include Williams and her husband, Alexis Ohanian, Savannah James, Ayesha Curry, Kelly Rowland, John Legend and Chrissy Teigen, and Karlie Kloss.

Solving the Black maternal health crisis will take a lot of hard work, dedication, and change from the medical institutions to the government. But Welteroth and Williams are confident that the servicing of midwives will help in leading the charge.

“Our goal with birthFUND is to help remove financial barriers to quality care and to expand both education and choice. No matter where or how they decide to give birth, parents deserve access to safe, dignified care,” they wrote.

“Right now, that human right is out of reach for far too many. It’s taking too long to fix what’s broken. We are ready to tackle this issue, head on. We hope families—and companies—all over the country will join us.”

Those looking to support the BirthFUND can get involved by donating, joining, or following the organization on social media.

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Renowned Chef Ameer Natson Invests Millions To Revitalize Culinary Arts Program At St. Thomas University
by Rafael Pena

April 18, 2024

Renowned Chef Ameer Natson Invests Millions To Revitalize Culinary Arts Program At St. Thomas University

Ameer Natson has taken a major step in his dedication to community empowerment, investing millions to support St. Thomas University programs.

Renowned chef and writer Ameer Natson has taken a major step in his dedication to education and community empowerment by investing millions to support the School of Culinary Arts, Tourism, and Hospitality Management at St. Thomas University, according to BlackNews. Concurrently, he is introducing his newest book, The Relationship Cheat Code, sharing invaluable advice on nurturing lasting connections.

St. Thomas University President David A. Armstrong, J.D., shared his excitement for the partnership, stating, “Chef Natson’s commitment to education and reinvestment perfectly aligns with our university’s values. We are delighted to welcome him to the St. Thomas University family and anticipate the positive impact he will have on our students.”

Reflecting on his partnership with St. Thomas University, Natson remarked, “Partnering with St. Thomas University is a natural extension of my mission to empower individuals and communities. Through this collaboration, I aim to provide aspiring culinary professionals with access to top-tier education and practical training, equipping them with the necessary tools to thrive in the industry.”

In addition to his philanthropic efforts with the university, Natson’s latest literary offering, The Relationship Cheat Code, draws from his extensive culinary and personal experiences to offer readers a comprehensive guide to navigating success through meaningful connections.

“In The Relationship Cheat Code, I distill my wealth of knowledge and experience into a comprehensive guide for anyone seeking success through genuine connections,” Natson explained. “My journey serves as a testament to the transformative power of perseverance and resourcefulness, and I am thrilled to share my insights with readers worldwide.”

With a culinary career that has catered to luminaries such as Beyoncé, Jay Z, Oprah, and LeBron James, Natson has not only achieved culinary excellence but also remained dedicated to uplifting communities, emphasizing the importance of relationships and perseverance in attaining success.

Through his partnership with St. Thomas University and the release of his latest book, Ameer Natson continues to exemplify his commitment to education, leaving a mark on both the culinary world and the realm of personal growth.

Segregated, Supreme Court Affirmative Action, debt, debt-free, degree, loans, scholarships
by Sharelle B. McNair

April 18, 2024

Colleges Push For ‘Segregated’ Graduation Celebrations After Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling 

Separate graduations started in the 1970s for Black students, but now they're available for Arab students and even low-income scholars.

Several prestigious colleges and universities are presenting options for graduation celebrations segregated by race, sexuality, and income for the spring commencement season following the Supreme Court’s overturning of affirmative action. 

Pennsylvania State University, Harvard, Columbia, American, and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis are just a few schools holding ceremonies for Black graduates in May 2024. In recent years, other ceremonies were held for LGBTQ + students, undocumented immigrants, Arab students, and even low-income scholars. 

While conservative lawmakers continue to lobby for the closure of the diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) offices that host these ceremonies, supporters argue the ceremonies permit disadvantaged communities to express cultural norms freely.

“Students who do not represent White, Christian, cis-gendered, heterosexual males have not felt safe on college campuses,” Omekongo Dibinga, professor of intercultural communications at American University, said. “Every space in America where non-White people seek to gather or even advance themselves is being challenged in the wake of the Supreme Court’s actions to end affirmative action.”

However, the gatherings that started for Black students in the early 1970s are optional and open to anyone.

American University, located in Washington, D.C., ​​started offering separate graduations in 2017, but not in place of commencement. The event typically includes speakers, robes and other graduation measures. Dibinga pointed out that, legally, the events don’t meet the definition of segregation as “setting someone or something apart from others,” but nothing should stop people from congregating with members of their own community.

“There is nothing in the Constitution that prevents people choosing to gather with members of their own community,” he said. “It is a travesty that there is a push to stop people from celebrating themselves.”

The Multicultural Affairs office at Columbia College and Columbia Engineering are scheduled to host “Multicultural Graduation Celebrations,” with a goal to provide “more intimate settings for students who self-identify in a variety of ways,” according to the school’s website. “Multicultural Affairs recognizes that identity, social responsibility, allyship, and equity must be addressed at multiple interconnected levels to best support students’ various developmental stages,” the website states. 

The school held similar ceremonies in 2021, announcing virtual graduations “segregated by race, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status,” which garnered criticism from GOP legislator Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR). “The endpoint of critical race theory: segregation,” he wrote on Twitter. 

Harvard, which has had its share of controversy between 2023 and 2024, also scheduled affinity celebrations but not publicly. Published internal documents revealed the Ivy League school’s DEI office would host graduation events for Black, gay, Jewish, Asian, Latinx, “first generation-low income,” and military veteran graduates during the upcoming commencement season. The Jewish ceremony was added after the school faced allegations of antisemitism during anti-Israel protests, resulting in the resignation of the first Black president, Claudine Gay.

Benard McKinley, Northwestern Law School, incarcerated, students, accepted, inmate, former
by Rafael Pena

April 18, 2024

Former Inmate Benard McKinley Accepted Into Northwestern Law School

Benard McKinley's journey from incarceration to academia has culminated in a remarkable achievement, acceptance into Northwestern Law School.

The journey of Benard McKinley from incarceration to academia has culminated in a remarkable achievement: acceptance into one of the nation’s most prestigious law schools, Northwestern Law School, according to Good Morning America.

McKinley, who was released from prison just four months ago, defied the odds to pursue his dream of studying law and advocating for justice.

At the age of 16, Benard McKinley found himself entangled in a gang-related murder case that led to a daunting 100-year prison sentence. However, McKinley remained determined to turn his life around. “I promised myself … that I was just going to try to do better for myself,” McKinley said.

During his time behind bars, McKinley embarked on a journey of self-improvement. He earned his General Educational Development diploma (GED) and delved into the study of law, ultimately representing himself in court and securing a reduction in his sentence to 25 years. He also took the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) and applied to law schools while still incarcerated.

He is the first graduate of Northwestern’s Prison Education Program (PEP) to gain admission to a law school.

PEP, launched in 2018, is a pioneering initiative that offers bachelor’s degrees to incarcerated students from a top-tier university. Program director Jennifer Lackey emphasized the significance of education in breaking the cycle of recidivism, citing studies that demonstrate the positive impact of correctional education programs on reducing reoffending rates.

McKinley’s acceptance into Northwestern Law School not only represents a personal triumph but also highlights the potential for rehabilitation and reintegration within the criminal justice system. As he prepares to embark on this new chapter of his life, McKinley serves as an inspiration to others who may be seeking a path to redemption and opportunity after incarceration.

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Cheryl Watson-Harris, DeKalb County, School Board, fired, 300k, settlement,
by Stacy Jackson

April 18, 2024

DeKalb County School Board Votes In Favor Of $300K+ Settlement With Terminated Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris

The board announced the settlement with the former superintendent after a 6-1 vote during a regular business meeting.

The DeKalb County School Board has approved a substantial settlement of over $300,000 for former Superintendent Cheryl Watson-Harris following a contentious dismissal in 2022.

With a final vote of 6-1, the board announced the settlement, which according to 11 Alive, includes $325,000 based on Watson-Harris’ original contract terms, along with an additional $16,000 in attorney fees.

Watson-Harris’ tenure with DeKalb County came to an end in April 2022 after she was unexpectedly fired during an executive meeting. She expressed that she was “blindsided” by the school board’s decision to authorize a separation agreement, effective immediately. The dismissal unfolded amid friction surrounding the renovations at Druid Hills High School, in which 2022 videos went viral of students showcasing the disturbing conditions that included mold, a sewage leak, and crumbling walls.

On April 25, 2022, State School Superintendent Richard Woods addressed members of the DeKalb County Board of Education concerning the school’s toxic conditions and questioned “why these issues were only addressed after they were raised by students — rather than being identified and promptly addressed by the adults responsible for them.” His statement continued, “In reality, there has been a lack of leadership, responsibility, and urgency regarding this core responsibility of DeKalb County Schools: providing safe and fully functioning facilities.” Watson-Harris was prompted to take immediate action.

Vickie Turner, the DeKalb School Board Chair, defended the dismissal of the former superintendent, as reported by 11 Alive. “We have been plagued by a lot of negative press. And it was time to make an adjustment, make a change, and not be afraid to look into the lion’s den, and this is what it looks like,” Turner stated in 2022. “We are not afraid; we are running in. So, will everyone agree with us? No, but that’s OK. We are doing it with a heart for our children.”

However, the decision faced dissent from some DeKalb School Board members, who criticized it as hasty and lacking transparency. Marshall Orson expressed disappointment over the decision in 2022, stating, “We had an exceptional leader in Cheryl Watson-Harris.”

In the wake of Watson-Harris’s departure, Dr. Vasanne Tinsley assumed the role of interim DeKalb County Schools Superintendent. Following a search for a permanent replacement, Dr. Devon Horton was appointed to the position, with his contract spanning until June 30, 2025, and the option for a third-year extension.

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Bethune Cookman Faculty, Stereotypes, Black Women
by Stacy Jackson

April 18, 2024

Bethune Cookman Faculty Present Research On Myths And Stereotypes Surrounding Black Women

During the 2024 CLA Convention, Dr. Clarissa West-White and Dr. Rondrea Mathis discussed Black women taking on the "superhero role."

Two esteemed Bethune-Cookman University (B-CU) faculty members, Dr. Clarissa West-White and Dr. Rondrea Mathis, presented their research on the impact of myths and stereotypes surrounding Black women at the 82nd Annual College Language Association Convention.

West-White, an archivist at the university and an assistant professor at the Carl S. Swisher Library, jointly discussed the pervasive notion that Black women must shoulder the burden of being all things to all people, with Mathis, an assistant professor of English at B-CU.

West-White stated her observations of Black women donning “the cape” to play superheroes in the home, workplace, and society. “When African American women believe they must handle everything…it becomes an obstacle to seeking any form of support.” She emphasized the importance of balancing self-care and extending care to others.

Mathis shed light on the duality Black women in America confront as they navigate the intricate dynamics of race and class. She uncovered the often-obscured facets of Black female identity, underscoring how Black women find themselves torn between conflicting interests while striving to define and redefine their personal and professional truths, identities, and desires.

The licensed Baptist minister shared her own experiences of being recognized in rooms first as a Black woman before being acknowledged by her professor, Ph.D., or preacher titles.

“Through languages and literature, I recognized how many other Black women also find themselves at odds with their identities, trying to find authenticity in spaces that seek to define who we are before we are able to even say who we are,” she said.

West-White delved into the “Superwoman Schema,” a concept coined by Dr. Cheryl L. Woods-Giscombé of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, which examines the links between stress and health disparities faced by African American women. In 2010, Woods-Giscombé asserted that sociopolitical factors like the climate of racism, race- and gender-based oppression, disenfranchisement, and limited resources, both during and after the era of legalized slavery in the United States, forced African American women to assume roles of mother, nurturer, and financial provider.

West-White and Mathis co-edited the compelling work “Mamas, Martyrs, and Jezebels: Myths, Legends, and Other Lies You’ve Been Told About Black Women,” released in February 2024, alongside B-CU’s Dr. Jan Boulware and Dr. Kideste Yusef.

This year’s College Language Association Convention was held in Memphis from April 10 to 13.

Police
by Rafael Pena

April 18, 2024

Georgia ‘Peace Officers Standards and Training’ Council Revokes Fired Detective Darryl Repress’ Certification

News has surfaced regarding Darryl Repress, a former SPD detective whose actions have affected both law enforcement and the judicial system.

New revelations have surfaced regarding the termination of Darryl Repress, a former Savannah Police Department (SPD) detective whose actions have affected both the law enforcement community and the judicial system, according to WTOC11.

Following a comprehensive investigation into Repress’s misconduct, Georgia’s Peace Officers Standards and Training Council (POST) revoked his certification, effectively barring him from future employment as a police officer in the state.

Repress’ fall from grace began with a series of alleged violations of SPD policies and ethical standards, culminating in his dismissal from the force in September 2023. The investigation unearthed a litany of transgressions, including engaging in a sexual relationship with a felon, divulging confidential police information, participating in the purchase and sale of stolen goods, and fabricating information during internal inquiries.

The ramifications of Repress’s misconduct have cast a shadow over ongoing criminal cases, most notably a triple murder trial from 2015, in which Repress played a pivotal role. Jerrell Williams, a defendant in the case, faces murder charges stemming from the deaths of Anderson Mells, Gary Mells, and Johnny Green. However, recent developments have called into question the integrity of Repress’s testimony.

“If Repress’s integrity is questioned, my client could potentially walk free,” said Jonah Pine, Williams’s attorney.

POST initiated an investigation into Repress’s certification status immediately following his termination from the SPD, meticulously reviewing the evidence and testimonies gathered during the inquiry. On March 20, POST vote to revoke Repress’s certification effective immediately.

According to the Savannah Morning News, “SPD disciplined Repress at least six times for eight incidents, including two written reprimands, one counseling form, one written counseling, one discussion, and one 40-hour suspension. He was exonerated by police supervisors from one use-of-force incident.”

The revocation of Repress’s certification serves as a clear message that misconduct will not be tolerated, and those who betray the public trust will face severe consequences.

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