• News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 15, 2024

Woman Celebrates 106th Birthday at Walt Disney Resort

Magnolia Jackson had the birthday of a lifetime after visiting Walt Disney World Resort for the very first time.

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Florida native Magnolia Jackson celebrated her 106th birthday earlier this week at what many consider the most magical place on Earth: Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

Born March 14, 1918, Jackson is the oldest living graduate of the HBCU Bethune-Cookman University in Daytona Beach. She actually met the school’s founder, Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the civil rights activist and former national adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Jackson spent 40 years as an educator, including serving as an elementary school principal.

On March 13, Jackson commemorated the impressive milestone by visiting the Magic Kingdom, where she was personally welcomed by some of Disney’s most beloved characters, Mickey and Minnie Mouse, and Disney cast members, according to Disney PR.

With balloons, cake, and a whole lot of music, Jackson started her birthday off big.

Jackson’s love for Disney is relatively new, having only blossomed after she attended the Florida Classic college football game in Orlando last November. There, she witnessed Mickey Mouse take the field during a drum major routine and was immediately entranced. Her infatuation with Disney has only grown since, making this year’s celebration all the more endearing. 

Accompanied by her friends and family, Jackson toured the grounds of the Magic Kingdom for the first time. She also spent some time with Disney’s very own Princess Tiana, just as the resort gears up for the unveiling of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure later this summer. 

Following the momentous celebration, Jackson visited the EPCOT theme park and its International Flower & Garden Festival, a particularly special occasion due to her love of gardening. She was given an exclusive event tour that showcased varied gardens, Disney-themed topiary, and culinary experiences like no other. 

Though she may have kicked off the festivities early this year, Jackson’s celebration is one for the ages.

• Entrepreneurship

by Sequoia Blodgett

March 15, 2024

Convince High-Profile People To Mentor You

Paul Brunson has some key advice on how to land high-profile individuals as mentors.

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Originally published Jan. 28, 2018

Paul Brunson is an entrepreneur who has been co-signed by Oprah, mentored by Ed Neff, and so on. He has some key advice on how to land high-profile individuals as mentors.

Become Mentee Material

It’s time for some self-reflection. He asks, Are you open, flexible, resilient, and respectful? He believes you must get to that point before asking anyone for mentorship.

Make Sure The Person Shares Your Values

He wants you to make sure the person is in alignment with you.

“Don’t simply see their awards and accolades and believe he or she is the right person to guide you because you aspire for those same things, says Brunson. “It’s critical that you know your potential mentor has the same values you do. Values are essentially your guidebook to life. If your mentor has different values, it means they play by a different set of rules from you, some of which you may consider immoral or unethical.”

Advocate For Their Work

Champion them. “Tweet their posts, comment in a positive way on their blogs, share their updates, start a discussion on LinkedIn about a post they’ve made, promote and attend a live talk they’re giving, and the list goes on. In short, offer your unique voice, perspectives, experiences, and resources to further the action and conversation that these influencers have sparked.” Basically, show up for them if you want them to show up for you.

Elevate Your Value To Them Over Time

Add value to their lives. “Go beyond the comments and offer ideas, refer new clients or business to them,” continues Brunson. “What finally placed me in a position of strength with Ed was when I introduced him to a potential acquirer of one of his businesses. This increased value will move you from someone your possible mentor sees as merely a member of their audience to a member of their network.”

Don’t Ask For Mentorship, Make A Statement

Brunson assures you that you know when it’s right when you don’t have to ask. Sounds a lot like a successful romantic relationship. “You’ll know your relationship is in the right place for formal mentorship when you don’t have to “ask” but simply say—“you’re my mentor.” I recall when I made this same statement to Ed, we were having dinner and toward the end, I simply said “thanks for being such a great mentor.” That was seven years of stellar guidance ago.

RELATED CONTENT: Ask Your Fairygodmentor®

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 15, 2024

50 Cent Files Embezzlement Lawsuit Against Beam Suntory

50's company, Sire Spirits is suing for more than $6 million.

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Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson is suing Beam Suntory accusing it of being involved in an embezzlement scheme involving the products they sell.

According to Fox 5 NY, 50 and his company, Sire Spirits, filed a 70-page lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court stating that Beam Suntory, among others, including Julious Grant and Michael Caruso, allegedly embezzled millions of dollars from Sire Spirits when they overcharged and then split the difference. The lawsuit states that the amount is estimated at over $6 million.

In a recent Instagram posting, 50 warns the defendants that he needs his money soon.

“I’m not the guy you want to get started. In nicest way I’m gonna need my money by Monday. 🤨”

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A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent)

Craig Weiner, an attorney for Sire Spirits, spoke to the media outlet about why they are suing the company.

“Because these illicit commissions were baked into the price of the product, Sire Spirits overpaid on taxes, overpaid on customs and duties, overpaid on insurance, which are marked towards the value of the product,” Weiner said.

“Beam Suntory’s role here is extraordinarily troubling. Beam Suntory’s Chief Commercial Officer, a gentleman by the name of Julious Grant, acting as an employee, as an officer of the company, acting under the actual and parent authority of Beam Suntory facilitated the entire fraud as we plead in our complaint.”

A representative relayed a statement to Fox 5 NY denying the charges levied against the company.

“Beam Suntory vehemently denies all allegations of wrongdoing. It had no involvement in or knowledge of the fraudulent activity alleged in the complaint, and any allegation to the contrary has no basis in fact. It is undisputed that we honored all prior obligations to Mr. Jackson and Sire Spirits, and it is very unfortunate that the parties involved continue to misrepresent the facts and misdirect blame in an attempt to recover fees and damages.”

In August 2022, according to The New York Post, 50’s former director of Brand Management for Sire Spirits, Mitchell Green, reportedly siphoned $2.2 million from the company. He sold the products for a higher price while receiving kickbacks from wholesalers. Court records show that he made money by labeling the funds he was given as “agency fees.” Green allegedly admitted to his Get Rich or Die Trying scheme in February 2020. He confessed, “after two years of embezzling from Sire Spirits” due to being extorted by an individual who was aware of his thievery and threatened to expose his past transgressions. Sire Spirits terminated him and took him to arbitration.

• Arts and Culture

by Ida Harris

March 15, 2024

Black Promoters Collective Has Great Success Entertaining 41,000 At ‘Jazz In The Gardens’ Music Festival

In its seventeenth year, with Black Promoters Collective at the helm, the Jazz in the Gardens music festival did not disappoint.

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Up to 16,000 people were expected to attend the 2024 Jazz in the Garden music festival in the city of Miami Gardens, Black Promoters Collective (BPC) co-founder Troy Brown told BLACK ENTERPRISE. That’s twice the previous year’s headcount when Live Nation coordinated the notable event. When it was all said and done, Brown and his eight business partners, Gary Guidry, Shelby Joyner, William Ingram, Shahidi Mausi, Lionel Bea, Sulaiman Mausi, Janice Cotton, and Walter Reeder, partnered with the City of Miami Gardens and pulled off a monumental festival that was well-attended to the tune of 41,000 people. The successful partnership came after one of the members met the city’s Vice Mayor, Katrina Wilson. 

“I was at the Ben Crump law school dedication at St. Thomas University, and [Brown] walked in behind Will Smith,” Wilson told BE. “They say, That’s the guy from the Black Promoter Collective,’ and I ask, what’s the black collector? They say, ‘Oh, they do concerts all around.’”

Wilson continued: “I say, go get him … He’s going to do Jazz in the Gardens.”

That chance meeting led to an unforgettable weekend that kicked off with activations around the city. The first being a tasting event on March 8 at City Hall that showcased culinary businesses that would be on deck at Jazz in the Gardens festival, like Popo’s Seafood, known for its insanely delicious conch salad and sticky wings, TJ’s Southern Kitchen, Grillz on Wheels, Reeds C. Catering, and Reggae Beets Food Truck. 

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A post shared by Ronald beasley | Hybrid Food&Fun Guide (@ron.insight305)

For International Women’s Day, the city of Miami Gardens hosted The Women’s Impact Luncheon with singer extraordinaire Fantasia as keynote speaker. Attendees included local dignitaries, Divine 9 sororities, and Miami Gardens residents. 

“The true highlight of the day, our main speaker was Fantasia Barino,” Neki Mohan said. 

“There was a group of young girls from an elementary school in Miami Gardens … and she advised them to be confident, to be purposeful, and to put God first. 

“She hugged and loved on them,” Mohan continued: “And for them to see such a powerful woman come down and just give them such life, light and grace. There was not a dry eye in the room. 

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A post shared by Neki Mohan (@nekimohan)

On the evening of March 9, Kid Capri, BoWeezy, DJ Tight, She-J Hercules, and DJ Nasty kept partygoers on their toes, spinning old-school classics and new-school bops for the Jazz in the Gardens opening night party at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s DAER Dayclub. 

Miami Gardens has a storied history as one of the Blackest cities in the state of Florida, the ninth-largest Black populous nationally, and the 65th globally. Its former mayor, Sheryl Gibson, who held office from 2003 to 2012, had a vision for transforming the city from an economically depressed community into a thriving city. 

“We’re very, very proud that Miami Gardens has become a major artery of the Black community in South Florida.” Vice Mayor Wilson shared. 

In its seventeenth year, with Black Promoters Collective at the helm, the Jazz in the Gardens music festival did not disappoint. The two-day event brought a strong lineup of global and national artists, including Babyface, Jaheim, Eric Bellinger, Tink, Omarion, Jeezy, Lil Kim, Jazmine Sullivan, Marsha Ambrosia, Tamia, and Davido, among others.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Promoters Collective Brings An Electric Lineup To Miami’s 2024 ‘Jazz In The Gardens’ Festival

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 15, 2024

BREAKING: Judge Rules Fani Willis Can Stay On Trump Case—If Nathan Wade Steps Aside

Great! Let's get on with the trial now!

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A judge has ruled that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis can continue prosecution in the Donald Trump Georgia election interference case—if the special prosecutor she admitted having a romantic relationship with drops out. 

Judge Scott McAfee said Willis’ relationship with Nathan Wade was a conflict of interest in the racketeering case. One must leave the case for it to continue.

“The established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the State’s selection of one of two options,” McAfee wrote in his 23-page ruling, issued March 15. 

Prosecution in the case halted after Trump’s co-defended Michael Roman issued a probe into Willis and Wade’s relationship. Both attorneys faced grueling questions during a three-day hearing as defense attorneys attempted to prove that Willis benefited financially from lavish vacations after hiring Wade.

However, during Willis’ emotional testimony, she issued a reminder. “You’re confused. You think I’m on trial,” Willis told defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant, according to ABC News. “These people are on trial for trying to steal an election in 2020. I’m not on trial, no matter how hard you try to put me on trial.”

McAfee’s decision is a middle ground for both parties. While Trump and his allies argued the entire district attorney’s office should be thrown off the case due to the relationship, Willis still has grounds to prosecute in this historic case to indict Trump and his co-defendants on racketeering and other charges, arguing they conducted a months-long conspiracy to overturn President Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. 

While “reasonable members of the public could easily be left to wonder whether the financial exchanges have continued,” McAfee said he didn’t find the main witnesses credible to prove any conflict, including Wade’s former divorce lawyer Terrence Bradley.

Bradley sent text messages to suggest the duo’s relationship began earlier than the prosecutors’ claims. McAfee said he wouldn’t put “any stock” on the texts as Bradley said the texts were speculation and not based on actual facts. 

“His inconsistencies, demeanor, and generally non-responsive answers left far too brittle a foundation upon which to build any conclusions,” McAfee wrote. 

But Willis’ legal woes are far from over. She faces threats of contempt from the U.S. House Committee. Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) issued a subpoena, dated Feb. 2, claiming Willis “failed to comply voluntarily” with their requests for documents related to her office’s receipt and use of U.S. Department of Justice grants.

Jordan is also accusing the DA of firing an employee who attempted to interrupt the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office from using a federal grant for outside purposes like travel, computers, and “swag” instead of creating a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention.

The Republican congressman claims “a whistleblower has come forth” with receipts of mismanagement of alleged federal grant dollars.” A spokesperson from Willis’ office has called the allegations false and that the whistleblower was from a previous administration.

• Money

by Daniel Johnson

March 15, 2024

Gender Wage Gap Persists Despite Education And Varies By State

According to the Center for Public Integrity, simply forcing companies to be open and transparent about what they pay would give women a more equitable playing field and help to close the gender wage gap.

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There is a new wrinkle to the fight for equal pay for women in the United States of America, and it is not a progressive development. According to research from the Census Bureau, not even education, generally seen as an indicator of greater financial rewards in the workforce, can bridge the gender pay gap. 

The Associated Press reports that the pay gap between women and men with either a post-secondary certificate or a graduate degree from an elite university sits at 29 cents. For every dollar a man makes, a woman makes 71 cents. According to co-author and Census Bureau economist Ariel Binder, the report indicates a significant income gap.

Binder told the AP, “The main point here is that there’s a substantial gap at every single level.”

Chantel Adams, a Black woman who is a senior marketing executive with an MBA from the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flager Business School, told the AP that she believes the lack of progress in her career is due to both her gender and her race. 

Adams said she was told, “I was so articulate and sharp that it was intimidating to some people. I have nearly $300,000 of post-high school education. It would be surprising if I weren’t articulate and sharp,” Adams said. She also told the outlet that a company she previously worked at promoted others without MBAs while she went without a promotion for two years.

“It’s unreasonable and unfair to hold someone’s strengths against them,” Adams said. “I would consider that as something that is race-based.”

Adams’ story is borne out in other data, including an updated Chamber of Commerce post examining the gender pay gap by state. In New Hampshire, the median gap was more than $18,000.

That gap shifted to $6,450 in nearby Delaware, the lowest gap between men and women in the nation. This dataset, in contrast to the data taken from the Census Bureau, is of median earnings for full-time, year-round workers regardless of education level. 

According to the National Women’s Law Center, this dataset paints an incomplete picture of the actual wage gap for women in America. In another dataset, they focus on the inequality in pay for Black women in America. 

“However, the wage gap for full-time, year-round workers doesn’t fully reflect the economic disparities faced by Black women. The full-time, year-round wage gap leaves out those who were unemployed or out of the labor force for part of 2022 or who worked part-time, even if they wanted full-time work. When part-time and part-year workers are included in the comparison, Black women were typically paid only 66 cents for every dollar paid to white, non-Hispanic men in 2022. This disparity varies widely by state.”

According to the Center for Public Integrity, simply forcing companies to be open and transparent about what they pay would help give women a more equitable playing field and help to close the gender wage gap that has persisted in its current state since 2004. Colorado could be an example of the positive impact such pay transparency laws could have nationwide. After they instituted a pay transparency law in 2021, wages immediately increased by 3.6%. 

According to a study by Zoe Cullen of the Harvard Business School, “Cross-firm pay transparency policies have recently gained traction among policymakers. In January of 2023, California and Washington became the second and third states in the U.S. to mandate that employers include a salary range in the job postings external job candidates see, following on the heels of Colorado and New York City. This is a big step toward making pay information available at the time workers are choosing where to direct their applications, and employers expect that this will lead applicants to direct their applications toward higher-paying firms, increasing wage competition.”

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 15, 2024

New Jersey Father Arrested After Confronting Teenager In High School Classroom

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A New Jersey man was arrested after he confronted a student in a high school classroom after accusing him of harassing his daughter.

According to NJ.com, 38-year-old Aaron Thomas entered Paulsboro High School on Monday, March 11, at around 11:30 a.m. to take his daughter out of class. But once he arrived at the school, he looked for the boy instead. A video showed Thomas approaching the student and demanding that he apologize to his daughter.

“You got a problem with my daughter? Apologize to my daughter,” said Thomas.

“I didn’t do nothing to her,” the student said to him.

“You heard what the f**k I said. Apologize to my daughter… Now,” the father told the student.

Another student came to the teenager’s defense, and Thomas reportedly argued with him and challenged him to a fight. A teacher finally intervened and escorted Thomas out of the classroom.

The altercation occurred because the daughter claimed the student was sharing photos with others. It is unclear what kind of photos were shared.

A police affidavit stated that the teacher did not have his school radio within reach, so he could not contact school security while the incident was playing out. He didn’t attempt to reach for it and instead tried to de-escalate the incident by talking to Thomas. The school’s head of security was not told about the incident until Thomas had left the school grounds.

Police officers were called to Paulsboro High School around 2:15 p.m., nearly three hours after the incident occurred.

Thomas was arrested later that afternoon and charged with two counts of third-degree terroristic threats, along with simple assault, trespassing, and disorderly conduct.

The school district and the Paulsboro Police Department are investigating the incident. Its statement read, “Due to the ongoing nature of this investigation, additional details about the situation cannot be released to the public.

“Safety and security of our staff and students is paramount. Unfortunate situations such as these gives us an opportunity to reflect and analyze current practices to further strengthen the district’s safety and security procedures to ensure that our schools are a safe place for all students and staff.”

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 15, 2024

A Georgia Man Will Be The First Post-Pandemic Execution

The execution will take place this month.

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An execution of a prisoner is being planned in Georgia, which would be the first one taking place since the coronavirus pandemic halted the procedure of using lethal injections.

According to the Associated Press, on March 20, 59-year-old Willie James Pye is scheduled to be put to death after being convicted of murder and other crimes after killing his former girlfriend, Alicia Lynn Yarbrough, in November 1993. This execution would be the first performed since January 2020. The state attorney general’s office agreed with attorneys who represented death row prisoners to hold off executions for a particular group of prisoners and to establish conditions under which they could resume. This was done in April 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The agreement made between the attorneys and the state stipulated that executions would not take place until six months after three prearranged conditions had been met. Those conditions were: “the expiration of the state’s COVID-19 judicial emergency, the resumption of normal visitation at state prisons, and the availability of a COVID vaccine ‘to all members of the public.'”

These conditions only applied to prisoners on death row whose appeals requests were denied by the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals while the judicial emergency was in place. The agreement was to continue through August 1, 2022, or one year from the date on which the aforementioned conditions were met—whichever was later.

Last month, on Feb. 28, the day before the state got an execution order for Pye, his attorneys filed a motion for him to join the litigation over the agreement. The lawyers claimed that the visitation and COVID-19 vaccine requirements had not yet been fulfilled.

“We are beyond shocked and outraged by the fact that, in the midst of settlement discussions, the Attorney General’s office was simultaneously acting to pursue the execution of Willie Pye, one of our clients included in those talks, and doing so without informing us or the Court,” said Nathan Potek, an attorney for the death row prisoners for the Federal Defender Program.

The 11th Circuit denied Pye’s appeal in March 2023, nearly two years after the judicial emergency ended. The state said the agreement was “expressly limited to a small subgroup of death-eligible inmates.” Since he is not included in that group, he is not exempt from execution while the litigation over the agreement is pending, the state says.

Pye’s attorneys also filed a new lawsuit accusing the state of violating the contract. On March 11, another federal lawsuit was filed saying that the state unconstitutionally created two classes of death row prisoners: those who are covered by the agreement’s protections and those who are not.

• News

by Stacy Jackson

March 15, 2024

Ousted Civil Rights Director Andrea Dorch Sues Kansas City For Alleged Discrimination

The lawsuit filed by Andrea Dorch alleges selective enforcement of residency rules and a pattern of retaliation against Black employees.

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The former director of civil rights and equal opportunity for Kansas City, Andrea Dorch, has filed a lawsuit against the city and City Manager Brian Platt, alleging discrimination.

The lawsuit points to systemic bias, selective enforcement of residency rules, and a pattern of retaliation against those who dare to challenge the status quo. Dorch alleges that Platt threatened to fire her in April 2023, citing a violation of the city’s residency rule as a “pretextual” excuse. Dorch, 47, says it was part of a larger scheme to oust certain employees, particularly Black women like herself, through selective enforcement of the rule.

The lawsuit highlights alleged specific instances of selective enforcement of the residency requirement involving white employees. It cites Kathy Nelson (CEO of the nonprofit Kansas City Sports Commission) and Tim Dupin, Kansas City fire captain) were granted waivers or special arrangements, while Dorch, who owned a house in Lee’s Summit but maintained a Kansas City address, was targeted.

The lawsuit further states that Dorch’s efforts to ensure fair participation of minority- and women-owned businesses in city contracts, including an $800 million Meta data center development, were met with resistance and reprimand from Platt and other officials. Dorch claims that the city allowed the Meta project to proceed without the ordinary requirements for minority- and women-owned business participation despite her advocacy for compliance.

Dorch also says that private investigators hired by the city began to shadow her in January 2023, just three days after she’d received a reprimand letter from Platt. The lawsuit states that Dorch, unaware of the surveillance, became increasingly fearful as she noticed someone following her.

The single mother says in the lawsuit that it caused her distress and emotional anguish, according to The Kansas City Star: “As a single female with children, Plaintiff told her friends and others around her that she was fearful she was being followed and that someone was sitting outside her residence.”

Black civil rights leaders publicly denounced the surveillance and Dorch’s job loss last May in 2023, demanding Platt’s resignation for allowing a culture of discrimination to exist in city government. Platt has denied the accusations, while the city council recently voted to authorize the mayor to negotiate a renewal of Platt’s employment agreement.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Workers Can Now Sue Tesla For ‘Hotbed’ Of Racism At Factories

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 15, 2024

Georgia Governor Signs Law Disciplining Prosecutors, Democrats Fear Fani Willis Is The Target

The timing is impeccable...

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A new law signed by Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) will grant a state commission the power to discipline or remove prosecutors. Democrats fear it could disrupt Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ prosecution of Donald Trump.

Senate Bill 332 adds rules and procedures for the Prosecuting Attorneys Qualifications Commission (PACQ) to guarantee DAs and general counsel “fulfill their constitutional and statutory duties.” “This legislation will help us ensure rogue and incompetent prosecutors are held accountable if they refuse to uphold the law,” Kemp said on March 13. Stating that his “no. 1 priority is public safety across our state,” Kemp said the bill is pushed towards fighting the rise of crime in the Peach State. 

“As we know all too well, crime has been on the rise across the country and is especially prevalent in cities where prosecutors are giving criminals a free pass or failing to put them behind bars due to lack of professional conduct.”

But the timing of Kemp’s support is interesting. Only a year after the agency’s creation, they could not begin operation after the state Supreme Court refused to approve. The high court stated it had “grave doubts” about the PACQ’s ability to regulate the duties of DAs beyond practicing law.

The new measure removes the requirement for Supreme Court approval.

SB 332 would require district attorneys and general counsel who prosecute lower-level cases to evaluate each case independently instead of declining to prosecute classes of offenses. Opponents feel this measure would restrict prosecutors from using their own discretion. 

Other opponents, including state Democrats, feel this is a move against Willis, calling the bi-partisan legislation a “witch hunt” against her, according to Atlanta News First. Willis is facing efforts to have her removed from the case over her romantic relationship with a colleague. 

However, Republican House Speaker Jon Burns said the measure has nothing to do with Willis. Instead, he claims, it stems from other instances of alleged prosecutor misconduct, including when Democratic lawmakers pushed the idea of a prosecutor oversight panel following the murder of Ahmaud Arbery. “For us in the House, our focus is not on any one person, not on any one situation,” Burns said.

“It’s about asking the folks that are elected, just like me, to do their jobs and protect the citizens of this state.”

The move is likely to face some legal challenges. After the Supreme Court failed to approve the previous measure, four district attorneys, including DeKalb Country’s Sherry Boston, dropped a challenging lawsuit, but things have changed. Boston now plans to refile as she describes the agency as a “group of political appointees chosen solely by Republicans.”

“It has unchecked power to remove prosecutors whose decisions they disagree with, no matter how well a district attorney or solicitor general represents the voters who elected them in the courtroom,” Boston said.