• Environment

by Shanique Yates

August 8, 2024

Houston Communities Fight To Recover A Month After Hurricane Beryl’s Impact

Hurricane Beryl continues to have an impact on a disproportionate number of communities in Houston nearly a month after making landfall in the city.

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It has been a month since Hurricane Beryl impacted the Houston community, yet residents are still reeling from the storm’s aftermath.

According to Prism, on July 8, the Category 1 system swept through the Houston area, causing over 2.5 million businesses, homes, and schools to lose power. More than a week after the storm made landfall, hundreds of thousands of residents were still without power, leading to loss of contact with loved ones, no access to food, and fear for their safety.

The Houston area is no stranger to storms like Hurricane Beryl. In fact, the city has been subject to greater storms like Category 4 Hurricane Harvey, which funneled through the Texas city in 2017. One Northwood Manor neighborhood resident, Wilbert Cooper, has survived 24 years of storms. However, he told the outlet that Beryl was responsible for the most damage to his home.

“This was different because of all the trees that fell. And how windy it was,” said Cooper. “We didn’t get much rain. It’s just a lot of wind. And a lot of trees fell.” 

Most of Cooper’s neighbors are Black and elderly, and he admits that civic club leaders did more for the community in the aftermath of Beryl than elected government officials.

“We haven’t saw [Mayor John Whitmire]. We haven’t saw ’em passing through, talking to the people,” he said. “You can never be visual unless you talk to people that’s involved with the situation that’s happening.”

According to a study published by the Urban Insitute in 2018, titled “Measuring Inclusion in America’s Cities,” Houston ranked 273rd out of 274 cities on overall inclusion; it came in 264th on economic inclusion and clinched the 261st spot on racial inclusion.

Alvarex Almendariz, a Harvard University Ph.D. candidate, studies disaster and colonialism in the Texas Gulf Coast. Beryl impacted him in July, and he notes that for the nearly six days he was without power, he worked alongside neighbors to power fans and medical equipment by using small power stations provided by local disaster recovery nonprofit West Street Recovery.

While most of his Black elderly neighbors chose to sit in their air-conditioned vehicles to avoid illnesses caused by excessive heat, Almendariz took it upon himself to make ice deliveries to keep his neighbors’ medicines and food chilled. In the process, he soon discovered that whiter neighborhoods in Houston had access to power well before the problem was solved in his Southside neighborhood.

“We live in a society that is deeply, historically racist, classist, and ableist,” said Almendariz. He further explained that when systemic oppressions are left unaddressed, efforts for recovery will continue to be hard “for people who are already having a hard time accessing basic, life-saving resources—whether it’s food, water, clean air outdoors or cool air inside.”

Local news outlets reported 36 storm-related deaths in the Houston area as a result of Hurricane Beryl. Roughly 16 of those deaths were heat-induced.

Along with civic club leaders and neighbors like Almendariz, Houston natives and entertainers like Megan thee Stallion and Bun B played a role in helping those in need within the community following Hurricane Beryl’s destruction. The hot girl coach donated generators to elders impacted by power outages, and fellow emcee, entrepreneur, and philanthropist Bun B provided the community with free burgers from his Trill Burgers restaurant.

RELATED CONTENT: Megan Thee Stallion Launches Power Move For Senior Citizens After Hurricane Beryl

• Politics

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 8, 2024

D-Nice Will Headline Kamala Harris Rally In Las Vegas

'I am thrilled to support the Harris/Walz campaign in Las Vegas on Saturday. Music has always been a powerful force for unity, and I truly believe that just like music, their vision can bring our country together.'

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Bronx native and popular DJ D-Nice will be the featured artist at the next Kamala Harris rally, taking place on August 10 in Las Vegas.

According to TMZ, The Harris for President Campaign informed the media outlet that the “Club Quarantine” DJ will keep the crowd entertained. Her running mate, Governor Tim Walz, will also be at the gathering.

The man born Derrick Jones also posted on his social media account and acknowledged his support for the hopeful Democratic Presidential tandem.

“I am thrilled to support the Harris/Walz campaign in Las Vegas on Saturday. Music has always been a powerful force for unity, and I truly believe that, just like music, their vision can bring our country together. Let’s create a harmonious future where everyone feels included and inspired,” D-Nice said.

@kamalaharris & @timwalz, I’ll see you both in Vegas!”

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by D-Nice (@dnice)

Megan Thee Stallion just took the stage in support of Harris in Atlanta on July 30, when she performed at the campaign rally. People have been rallying behind Harris ever since she was nominated to be on top of the Democratic ticket.

After President Biden’s disastrous debate against former President Donald Trump, party leaders became concerned about losing to the Republican nominee for president. After some prodding, Biden dropped out of the race. But while doing so, he suggested that Harris lead the Democratic ticket, and the nation has rallied behind her in record-breaking ways.

After several weeks of speculation of who would serve as a vice president nominee, Harris selected Governor Tim Walz to join her on the ticket. The pick has added more fuel to an already explosive fervor that has gripped the Democrats as they march toward the 2024 general election.

Harris and Walz will take the stage at the Democratic National Convention, taking place Aug. 19-22.

RELATED CONTENT: Will Smith and D-Nice Team Up With Club Quarantine Hoodie Benefiting COVID-19 Relief

by Black Enterprise

August 8, 2024

Helen ‘Queen Afua’ Robinson Victorious In Fight For Family Home After Brooklyn Judge Cancels Eviction

The community rallied in support to save the family home of "Queen Afua" who has inspired people across the world to embrace holistic healing.

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For renowned holistic health practitioner Helen “Queen Afua” Robinson, home is a place for wellness, and her family can finally continue to live in peace now that a judge of the Brooklyn Surrogate’s Court has canceled an eviction battle brought about due to white-collar criminals who allegedly stole the deed to the family’s home that her grandfather purchased in 1951.

On Aug. 6, Judge Bernard Graham ordered to do away with the eviction attempt that would have forced the “wellness queen” and her daughter, Sherease Torain, out of their family’s Crown Heights home. According to an Aug. 4 petition started by Joel Feingold on Change.org, the Robinson-Torain family was the first Black family to reside on their block of brownstones at 964 Park Place. Robinson, who has influenced over a million people across the world to embrace holistic practices, has been fighting for justice since 2015 after the deed to the home was allegedly forged by a deed theft ring. Court documents filed in 2022 claimed Robinson’s mother, Ida Robinson, was tricked by landlord Menachem Gurevitch, who the petition alleged approached with a request to help her refinance the home.

However, after her 100-year-old mother died in 2023, deed thieves allegedly attempted to attack the family with an eviction warrant, one of several attempts since Gurevitch claimed Ida sold him the home for $800,000, Patch reported. With the latest eviction date scheduled for the morning of Aug. 7, the petition prompted community efforts for the family who “has been a beacon for Black and working-class Brooklyn for generations.” The petition concluded with 3,943 supporters of the family’s demand for justice backed by neighbors, elected officials, and lawyers. Additionally, the Brooklyn District Attorney announced a criminal investigation of the deed forgery.

RELATED CONTENT: Harlem Week Celebrates 50 Years Of Honoring The Community’s History

• Career

by Shanique Yates

August 8, 2024

From Memes to Emojis, Gen Z Workers Are Revolutionizing Professional Communication

Gen Z workers are changing the workplace as we know it through the use of more virtual workplace tools like Slack instead of lengthy emails.

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Gen Z workers are revolutionizing the culture around work, especially regarding communication, Fast Company reports. They have swapped lengthy emails for short-form messaging, adding an emoji or two along the way. 

In a 2020 consulting firm Creative Strategies survey, Gmail ranked fourth on Gen Z’s list of collaboration tools, trailing platforms like iMessage, Google Docs, and Zoom. While these workers prefer faster forms of communication, they have also expressed fatigue from the number of emails cluttering their inboxes. 

Another survey helmed by Babbel, a language-learning platform, discovered that “Gen Z workers considered the volume of work emails they receive stressful.” Moreover, 36% of this group admit to having over 1,000 unread emails in their inbox.

When Gen Z workers respond to emails in the workplace, they put their twists on the messages to make things feel less strict. It is common for this generation of employees to include everything from memes to abbreviations, emojis, and even slang when communicating while on the clock. 

“Their response to this email just said, ‘Hey boss, let’s f’in go,’” Liz Giorgi, CEO of e-commerce content creation platform Soona, told Fast Company. “I would be lying if there wasn’t like a moment where I thought, ‘Oh God, should I have hired this person?’” she said. “But in retrospect now, I’ve come to realize [Gen Z] wears their emotions on my sleeve, and they were really excited in that moment.”

According to the Pew Research Center, anyone born after 1997 is considered to fall into the Gen Z category. In 2018, the company decided to use 1996, “the last birth year for Millennials, for our future work.”

Giorgi also blames their approach to communication on the influx of messages that Gen Z workers are subject to by way of virtual work tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack. 

“The Slack-ification of work, which is a much more informal kind of communication, has bled into our email style and reduced the intensity,” she explained.

What’s more, a current TikTok trend is exposing the way that Gen Z workers sign off on emails, which is almost just as informal as the way that they communicate via the aforementioned virtual workplace tools.

Young workers are ending emails with phrases like “Lukewarm regards,” “Bless up,” and “Another day, another slay,” according to the viral TikTok clips.

For HR consultant Kate Walker, the shortened messages and slang may be funny on social media, but there is still a duty to “effectively communicate” in a work setting. “Suppose there’s a legal issue and there’s a request for documents,” she told Fast Company. “You’re in the courtroom, and you see emojis and abbreviations. I don’t know if that’s going to be the best look.”

When people quickly had to adapt from working at home during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, the culture of the workplace shifted forever. In addition to Gen Z workers’ love of a shorter, wittier form of communication via email, many companies shifted the attire that employees must wear in the office. 

A Gallup poll confirms that only 3% of workers still wear business professional attire to the office, so it may only be a matter of time before the ways workers are expected to communicate via email could undergo some changes. 

RELATED CONTENT: A Fresh Approach To Gen Z Career Development

by Mitti Hicks

August 8, 2024

Beloved Black-owned Nonprofit in Mississippi Secures $2.2 Million Grant

The Delta Regional Authority and the U.S. Economic Development Administration awarded Higher Purpose Co. a $2.2 million grant.

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The Delta Regional Authority and the U.S. Economic Development Administration has received a $2.2 million grant to Higher Purpose Co., a Black-owned nonprofit in Mississippi that enhances the financial, physical, and cultural well-being of Mississippi Residents. The money will be used to develop the Higher Purpose Hub in Clarksdale

“We are honored to receive this significant grant from the Delta Regional Authority and the Economic Development Administration,” said Dr. Tim Lampkin, founder and CEO of Higher Purpose Co, in a statement. “This funding will advance our mission of improving economic opportunity in Mississippi. The vibrant renovation of the Higher Purpose Hub will not only provide essential services and business resources but will also create jobs, increase access to fresh food, and elevate arts/culture programming. We are excited to continue our purpose-driven work and this grant is a major step in making our collective vision a reality.”

Founded in 2016, Higher Purpose Co. is a nationally recognized nonprofit committed to enhancing intergenerational economic opportunity across Mississippi. The organization focuses on Black communities impacted by poverty and works to increase business ownership, and address food injustices, assist people with learning skills for the workforce.

According to data from Eurasia Review, Mississippi is the poorest state in the United States. In 2023, more than 18% of the population lived below the poverty line—basically one in five residents—compared to the national poverty average of nearly 12%. Mississippi is also the hungriest state in the U.S. In 2022, food insecurity statewide averaged a little more than 15% compared to the national average of 10%. 

Once the historic building is renovated, it will serve as an economic opportunity center. The hub will offer innovative services, create jobs, improve access to fresh food, and amplify arts and culture programming, which staff believes are essential for positive outcomes for Mississippi residents.

According to its website, Higher Purpose Co. has created and retained more than 400 jobs statewide and impacted thousands through its Civil Rights Education programming since its launch.

• News

by Shanique Yates

August 8, 2024

Milwaukee Hotel Employees Indicted in D’Vontaye Mitchell Death Case

Four Milwaukee hotel employees have been charged in connection with the death of D'Vontaye Mitchell.

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Four Milwaukee hotel employees have been charged in connection with the death of D’Vontaye Mitchell.

Among those charged by prosecutors are hotel security guard Todd Erickson, front desk worker Devin Johnson-Carson, Herbert Williamson, a bellhop, and security guard Brandon Turner. It is not clear if the four individuals have attorneys, but according to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s office, arrest warrants were issued for the employees, NBC News reports.

In a criminal complaint, all four of the Milwaukee hotel employees have been accused of dragging Mitchell out of the Hyatt Hotel on June 30.

The incident occurred after Mitchell entered a women’s restroom and was held on his stomach for roughly nine minutes by the employees. According to one of the employees, Mitchell repeatedly begged for help and could be seen struggling to breathe. 

An official autopsy revealed that Mitchell suffered from morbid obesity and had ingested cocaine and methamphetamine at the time of his death. Moreover, the county medical examiner confirmed that he died of “restraint asphyxia,” and had he been turned on his side during the incident with the employees, he may have lived. 

Mitchell, a Black man, has been likened to George Floyd, who died similarly in 2020 after he was pinned to the ground by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin despite screaming out “I can’t breathe” several times.

Per the court documents, surveillance video pulled from the hotel shows a frantic Mitchell entering the hotel lobby and a gift shop before entering the women’s bathroom. Within seconds, Turner, who was off-duty but visiting staff, is seen dragging Mitchell out of the bathroom by his shirt. As they struggle, Turner is then seen punching Mitchell and knocking him to the ground before punching him six times and dragging him out of the hotel with the help of a bystander. 

Once Mitchell tried to reenter the hotel, Williamson, Johnson-Carson, and Erickson, the security manager working at the time, joined the group. Turner and Mitchell can be seen holding Mitchell down on his stomach for about eight to nine minutes before authorities and first responders arrived on the scene. Mitchell can be seen attempting to break free several times. However, once Erickson hits him with a baton, as seen in the video footage, he stops moving.

According to Erickson, Mitchell was strong, and in addition to resisting them, he attempted to bite them. He stands firm in saying that he never intended to hurt or harm Mitchell.

“All of these facts, the gasping, the actions and words of DM, the distress that he was in, show that all four Defendants were aware that holding DM face first on the ground was ‘practically certain’ to cause impairment of his physical condition,” read the complaint.

At this time, civil rights attorney Ben Crump is a part of the team of lawyers representing Mitchell’s family. He says that a video making its way around social media, recorded by a bystander, shows the security guards placing their knees into both Mitchell’s neck and back.

Mitchell’s wife questions why it took so long for charges to be brought in connection to her husband’s death.

“These people are on camera taking my husband’s life,” said DeAsia Harmon. “They should have been charged the moment they did that.”

At this time, Aimbridge Hotel, the company responsible for managing the Hyatt hotel, says that several employees involved in Mitchell’s death have been fired.

“Our hearts are with Mr. Mitchell’s family and loved ones as this case moves forward,” said the company in a statement released Tuesday (August 6) evening.

All four hotel employees could face up to 15 years and nine months in prison if convicted.

RELATED CONTENT: California Man Convicted Of Murder After Killing Girlfriend And Leaving Her 4 Children To Die

• Celebrity News

by Black Enterprise

August 8, 2024

Future, Metro Boomin’ Turn Up In Atlanta For ‘We Trust You Tour’

The duo is currently on a 22-city tour that will continue until September 9 when it ends in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

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Atlanta-bred rapper Future and Atlanta transplant Metro Boomin took the stage in the Georgia city at the State Farm Arena on August 8 after hitting the road for their “We Trust You Tour.”

Atlanta fans came out in droves—and turned up to the set which lasted shy of two hours.

The 22-city tour kicked off in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 22 and will continue until September 9, when the tour ends in Vancouver, British Columbia. 

“I’m always excited to connect with my fans. We’re ecstatic to bring our latest project to life through this tour. The “WeTrust You Tour is an opportunity to share all the music Metro and I have collaborated on with our fans…and much more,” said Future in a written statement.

With many tracks that the duo has collaborated on, there will be a plethora of songs performed from the projects, “We Don’t Trust You,” which was released on March 22, 2024, and the April 12, 2024 release of “We Still Don’t Trust You.”

The first album featured the single “Like That,” which spawned a Kendrick Lamar line that ignited the recent beef between the Compton rapper and Canadian superstar Drake. In the featured verse from K-Dot, he responded to a line that fellow rapper J. Cole stated in the Drake and Cole collaboration, “First Person Shooter,” that placed Drake, Cole, and K-Dot as the top three rappers in the game. On “Like That,” the “Not Like Us” rapper disagreed, sparking perhaps the biggest hip-hop beef in history.

Tickets for the “We Trust You Tour” can be Not Like Us through Ticketmaster. V.I.P. packages could also be bought onlivenation.com, Freebandz.com, and Ticketmaster.com.

The remaining shows for the tour are listed below:

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

August 8, 2024

President Joe Biden Has ‘No Confidence’ In Peaceful Transfer Of Power If Trump Loses Again 

You have been warned, voters!

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President Joe Biden admitted that he has “no confidence” in a peaceful transition of power if former President Donald Trump loses – again – in November 2024, CBS News reports. 

In a sitdown interview with chief election and campaign correspondent Robert Costa, the President warned voters of Trump’s past words, claiming there would be a “bloodbath” if he were to lose and how he means what he says. “He means what he says. We don’t take him seriously. He means it. All the stuff about ‘If we lose, there’ll be a bloodbath, it’ll have been a stolen [election],'” Biden said. 

Biden referred to the “bloodbath” comments made by the indicted businessman during a rally in Ohio in March 2024. While the President and his team sounded the alarm on his remarks, Trump doubled down, saying they were geared toward an economic fallout of U.S. trade policy. “Now, if I don’t get elected, it’s going to be a bloodbath for the whole — that’s gonna be the least of it,” he said.

At the time, Biden campaign spokesman James Singer professed sentiments of Trump wanting another January 6 insurrection; however, he believes “the American people are going to give him another electoral defeat this November because they continue to reject his extremism, his affection for violence, and his thirst for revenge.” 

During the June 2024 presidential debates, Biden asked Trump if he would accept the results if he were defeated since he continuously claims the 2020 election was “stolen” from him. Instead of a simple “yes or no” answer, the former president said, “If it’s a fair and legal and good election,” and said there’s “nothing [he’d] rather do.” Biden called his bluff, saying since he is a “whiner,” a peaceful shift of power won’t happen. “I tell you what, I doubt you’ll accept it because you’re such a whiner,” Biden said during their only debate. 

“The idea that if you lose again, you accepting anything, you can’t stand the loss, something snapped in you when you lost the last time.”

The interview, scheduled to air on Aug. 11, will be Biden’s first public interview since his Vice President Kamala Harris has taken over as the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee. According to CNN, Biden has remained out of the spotlight outside of duties, including announcing a successful prisoner exchange with Russia and a trip to Texas to celebrate the life of the late Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee and to mark the anniversary of the Civil Rights Act. 

However, as Election Day is less than 100 days away, the President took the time to remind American voters of Trump’s slick power attempts to overturn elections — including adding sympathetic local election officials. “Look, what they’re trying to do now in the local election districts where people count the votes … they’re putting people in place in states that they’re going to count the votes, right?” he said. 

“You can’t love your country only when you win.”

RELATED CONTENT: Biden Outlines Proposal For Supreme Court Changes, Including Term Limits

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

August 8, 2024

Kamala Harris Checks Pro-Palestine Heckler Trying To Interrupt Her Rally, ‘I’m Speaking’

Now check that!

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Vice President Kamala Harris had to let a rally protestor know that interrupting her while speaking will not be tolerated, USA Today reported. 

During a fiery campaign rally in Detroit on Aug. 7, the presumptive Democratic nominee stood in front of supporters for a speech when suddenly pro-Palestinian protesters attempted to overtake the event. Harris immediately fired back and reminded the protestors why they were there.

“You know what? If you want Donald Trump to win, then say that. Otherwise, I’m speaking,” Harris said before an intense staredown. 

While giving the crowd the now dubbed “Black woman stare,” the crowd erupted with chants of, “Not going back!”

The group continued to heckle Harris, shouting, “Kamala, Kamala, you can’t hide! We won’t vote for genocide.” However, the Vice President came prepared with responses to keep things going. “I’m here because I believe in democracy. I believe everyone’s voice matters. But I’m speaking now. I am speaking now.” 

More than 15,000 people attended the rally at an airport in Dearborn, Michigan, home to a large Muslim population that openly criticized President Joe Biden’s support for Israel’s war against Hamas since the violent attacks on Oct. 7. With Air Force Two in the background, the rally was the most well-attended one yet, just two days after announcing her VP running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. 

Her protestor clapback received praise on social media, labeling her response as true leadership, especially from a woman. “Oh my god I started crying, ugly crying, I have waited all my life to see a powerful woman taken seriously, standing tall ready to lead this powerful country,” @lulucaliente said. 

“It was an emotional moment after so many years of wishing and waiting, I hear that glass shattering. It’s a beautiful sound.” 

Others compared her facial expressions to the same ones a mother would give her child before being punished. “That look right there was the look my mother used to give me right before she started counting: 1…..2…..by 3, my ass was gone,” another user wrote. 

Her clapbacks and decisive leadership are helping her campaign thrive. According to Newsweek, Harris is up 8% in the polls over Trump. A survey conducted by Marquette Law School between July 24 and Aug. 1 revealed that when third-party candidates are included, Harris takes a 50% lead for likely voters over 42% for the former President.

RELATED CONTENT: Kamala Harris Secures Democratic Nomination With Required Votes

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 8, 2024

Luther Vandross Documentary Hitting Theaters Later This Year, Will Debut on CNN, OWN, Max in 2025

The documentary was done by award-winning filmmaker, Dawn Porter, who previously worked with CNN Films on the film, John Lewis: Good Trouble.

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The documentary about soulful singer Luther Vandross is hitting the airwaves in 2025 as Giant Pictures has announced that Luther: Never Too Much will premiere across CNN, OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, and Max. The documentary is expected to have a theatrical release later this year.

There hasn’t been an exact date disclosed for the film’s debut, but it will air 20 years after the balladeer died. Vandross died from complications of a stroke on July 1, 2005, at the age of 54 in Edison, New Jersey.

The documentary was done by award-winning filmmaker Dawn Porter, who previously worked with CNN Films on John Lewis: Good Trouble.

“It was a joy to work on this film. Luther was a spectacularly talented performer, composer, and producer,” Porter said in a written statement. “His influence was found in multiple genres, and it was a delight to discover each one.  It has been so much fun to see longtime fans remember why they love him, and new fans come to understand his brilliance.”

The film showcases the life and career of Vandross, one of the most gifted singers to hit the stage. The documentary received rave reviews when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It was also shown at the Tribeca Festival, Hot Docs International Film Festival, and Nantucket Film Festival.

Along with archived footage from over the years, various esteemed artists spoke of him, his work, and his impact on the industry. Fellow entertainers and talented individuals like Mariah Carey, Jamie Foxx, Richard Marx, and Dionne Warwick are a few of the notables who spoke about Vandross in the film.

“The whole Giant Pictures team fell in love with Luther: Never Too Much following its stellar film festival run this year. The film is a huge crowd-pleaser and a must-see, not only for existing Luther Vandross fans but also those discovering his incredible talents for the first time. We are excited to partner with Sony Music, Raindog Films, and CNN Films on this nationwide theatrical release,” said Nick Savva, General Manager of Giant Pictures.

Vandross was nominated 31 times for a Grammy Award and won eight times. The vocalist also won eight American Music Awards, while releasing 11 consecutive platinum/double platinum albums (13 overall). Eight of his albums were Billboard Top 10 albums.