‘Sashay Away,’ City Of Atlanta Declares March 10 RuPaul Day
It was in Atlanta where the entertainer graduated high school, studying performing arts.
The City of Atlanta celebrated RuPaul and his achievements by establishing a holiday in his honor. RuPaul Day was officially declared on March 10.
City officials, including the Mayor’s office, commemorated the occasion, championing RuPaul for his “profound impact on the city’s cultural landscape and his global influence in the LGBTQ+ community.” The entertainer graduated high school in Atlanta, studying performing arts.
He became a main-stage fixture in the city’s nightlife and media scene, making his television debut on Atlanta’s public-access variety show, The American Music Show. As reported byFox 5, he also performed at various nightclubs in the area.
While his career has blossomed internationally, he remains a legendary figure within the city for his work toward LGBT-focused entertainment. His notability as a drag queen helped catapult drag culture to mainstream media.
His hit reality competition series, RuPaul’s Drag Race, has won 24 Emmy awards since its launch in 2009. The eponymous host has also won eight consecutive times for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.
This honor is another highlight in a big year for the 63-year-old. He released his debut memoir, The House of Hidden Meanings, on March 5. The author hosted a special Atlanta event to speak on his work for his proclamation day. Additionally, RuPaul announced the launch of his online book marketplace, Allstora, where diverse authors profit more from their book sales.
RuPaul’s Rainbow Book Bus also came to town to continue the celebration. The nonprofit initiative, which provides books to queer communities, is hitting the southern city to promote literacy and accessibility for all.
A RuPaul Day presentation was held at Atlanta’s Tabernacle concert hall, as the multifaceted legend continues to be a symbol for LGBTQ+ representation.
New Orleans City Council Votes To Evict Mayor From Apartment Amid Controversy
The mayor allegedly continued to use the apartment after the investigation by Fox 8 for personal reasons, such as allowing family members to stay in the unit during Essence Fest.
A dispute over New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s use of an apartment at the Pontalba Building appears to be heading toward a conclusion after the New Orleans City Council voted to allow the French Market Corporation to begin eviction if Mayor Cantrell’s office does not turn in the keys and remove personal belongings from a unit in the building by March 21.
Fox 8 reports that the disagreement has also drawn the interest of federal prosecutors after an investigation conducted by the outlet. After the investigation, the mayor allegedly continued to use the apartment for personal reasons, such as allowing family members to stay in the unit during Essence Fest. Council Vice President and the sponsor of the motion to evict Cantrell, J.P. Morell, told the outlet of his frustration. “This is a clarification of the law that we passed in August of last year, which states how the Pontalba is supposed to be used,” Morell concluded, “The council gave an inch, the mayor took a mile.”
As the Associated Press reports, Morell told the council on March 7 that the mayor has been skirting the law. “To date,” Morrell said, “whether by inactivity or willfulness, the mayor has refused to comply with the law.” Mayor Cantrell’s office, meanwhile, said in a statement on March 6 that the French Market Corporation had keys to the building but did not clarify whether Cantrell had given up keys to the building. According to the statement, eviction is unnecessary because there is officially no tenant at the apartment unit. “We hope that any reasonable person would recognize that initiating an eviction process is unreasonable when there is no tenant to evict.”
Other council members, such as Eugene Green, voiced concerns about the implications of targeting the mayor, particularly for citizens who hold property in the city. “The French Market Corporation has one shareholder: the mayor of the city of New Orleans. She makes every appointment to the French Market Corporation and we have to be careful that we don’t violate the laws that we attempt to uphold relative to other property owners.”
Further complicating matters, the revenue generated by the Pontalba also generates income for the city, which it badly needs. According to Fox 8, the unit could generate up to $2,900 a month for the city if it were returned to commercial use, and Morell told the outlet that the entire situation had become a distraction. “This is a tremendous distraction, and it’s unfortunate that rather than allow us to work through this, the mayor chose to put us in this position.”
Illinois Mayor Tiffany Henyard Sued For Church Discrimination In Another Legal Bout
The news comes after Henyard has already been accused of corruption throughout her tenure as mayor of Dolton, Illinois.
Since beginning her role in 2021, Tiffany Henyard, mayor of Dolton, Illinois, is facing another legal issue. A church in her community is suing Henyard for alleged discrimination.
As reported by Fox 32 on March 7, the Redeemed Christian Church of God Resurrection Power Assembly has filed a lawsuit against the elected official. In the legal filing, the church claims that Henyard did not apply the city’s zoning code, thus prohibiting the religious institution from moving forward with renovation plans.
Its lead pastor claims that the church needed to expand due to its increased number of attendees and should have been allowed to do so under the property’s zoning rules. The church’s attorney stated that the zoning law was unjustly deterred at the mayor’s behest.
“In my all years, I’ve never seen such a blatant disregard for an ordinance and religious civil rights. Religious institutions are permitted in the area under the zoning code. Based on statements from employees, the mayor is calling the shots.”
Mayor Henyard has been known for maintaining a guerilla-style approach to her leadership, described by her constituents as Nino Brown, a character from “New Jack City,” as covered recently on BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Henyard has also been accused of extorting small business owners in the areas, pressuring them to contribute to her campaign or risk losing their companies. She has also allegedly taken millions from the city’s budget to fund her own ventures, such as an extensive security detail and an ice rink that only opens for her events.
Multiple allegations of corruption have been raised against Henyard as the city’s village of trustees struggles to check her power. On Feb. 11, the village trustees passed a resolution for an outside investigation into Henyard’s spending, especially as the city’s debt grows to $7 million. According to NBC 5, Henyard vetoed the resolution at a board meeting on March 4.
The village trustees continue to take action against the public official, imploring the FBI to open an investigation.
Lizzo Wants To ‘Bring Back Gatekeeping’ To Stop White People ‘Talking Like Black People’
Lizzo calls out white people for using, and demonizing AAVE, and urges the Black community to start gatekeeping their language.
Lizzo has had enough of cultural appropriation. The singer went to TikTok to voice her frustrations on white people using African American Vernacular language (AAVE), asking to “bring back gatekeeping” in her rant.
Lizzo went to the social media platform to voice her frustrations on white people using and demonizing cultural slang used within the Black community. In her video, the Grammy winner critiqued a white TikToker for being irritated when she hears her dating prospects saying the phrase “type sh-t.”
“Or even better, why don’t we bring back gatekeeping?” questioned Lizzo. “So that AAVE is reserved for the people who created it and grew up speaking it. So that all these people that are now talking like Black people because they read words on the internet and don’t know the origin and don’t participate in the culture don’t overuse it and then things like this happen.”
Lizzo urged her users to bring back gatekeeping or prohibit others from using AAVE. She emphasized how people who did not grow up within Black culture or identify as Black should abstain from using it.
She then referred to the “ganglish” concept, a portmanteau of gang and English to define slang. The singer noted that the term is a racist dog whistle for how Black people speak.
“Because ‘ganglish’ is definitely the new ‘thug,’” she said. “When police would call someone a ‘thug’ but it’s really a Black person, which is the new hard ‘r’ N-word. I know so many people who have said ‘type sh*t, type sh*t’ their entire lives. I’ve heard them talk like that for years before it became trendy on the internet to say that.”
Lizzo is fed up with others policing and categorizing the language used by Black people within their own spaces and hopes that the appropriators get the hint soon.
“But maybe if these internet people get sick of it we can just continue to use our dialect in peace…type sh-t,” joked the singer.
Lizzo’s call out also touches on the difference between Ebonics and Gen-Z lingo. Other cultural critics have stated previously that they are not one and the same, as reported by the Washington Post. While certain Black slang has become more mainstream, Lizzo is urging it be kept in-house, before the words are used against the very people who created them.
Chick-Fil-A Employee’s Kind Act Turns Into Nine-Year Friendship With Sunday School Teacher Who Lost $1,200
Jacob King found the money that Long dropped on the floor, and worked hard to return it to its rightful owner.
Victor Long, a Sunday school teacher, was shown kindness by a fast food employee who returned $1,200 that he lost on April Fools Day of 2015 while eating breakfast at Chick-fil-A. That incident has turned into a nine-year friendship.
Long was sitting at a Decatur, Georgia, Chick-fil-A when a stack of cash fell from his pocket. Long, who intended to deposit money in the bank, was unaware of the loss until he visited the bank.
According to The U.S. Sun, Long, a civil rights attorney, didn’t know where he had dropped the money because he had traveled to so many different places that day. So, he accepted that he had lost all of it and didn’t retrace his steps.
“I figured anybody who found the money, the way people need things now, probably never was going to come back,” Long said. “I hoped that whoever got the money would need it and I was satisfied with that. And I thought that if someone who found it needed it, it would be a blessing to me.”
Luckily, a kind Chick-fil-A employee found Long’s cash, which had been not picked up for 14 minutes. The employee, Jacob King, decided to do the right thing. King recalled being worried about whoever had lost so much money.
“I just looked down and I saw a little green square thing on the floor. I picked it up, and I was a little worried that somebody was missing that much money,” King said.
King brought the money to his manager and the two began searching for the cash’s rightful owner. With the help of the local news station, they identified and found Long.
The Sunday school teacher was struck by the kindness of King and the rest of the workers making such an effort to return his money to him. “That shows the goodness in him as well as the goodness in this establishment,” Long said, “that they have good people here. Good honest people who are willing to work and to serve.”
King assured that it was no big deal, as he was just following his principles.
“You only really have two ways to go about things, there’s the right way and there’s every other way. And that’s pretty much all there is to it.”
The incident turned into a friendship.
Following the exchange, Long and King talked. Long invited King and his mother to attend their church as guests and to join him and his wife for Sunday dinner.
Black Alabama Woman Allegedly Assaulted By Police Officer After Complaining About White Neighbor
Twyla Stallworth was arrested and charged with obstruction, resisting arrest, and attempting to elude.
Attorneys representing a Black woman in Alabama allegedly assaulted by a police officer in February have spoken out about the videotaped incident, claiming it was a racist act.
Police arrested Twyla Stallworth, 40, after she filed a complaint against her white neighbor’s loud music. The Andalusia resident had called the police several times to complain about her neighbor’s loud music, AL.com reported, but she was ignored, so she intentionally turned on her car alarm to get their attention.
When her neighbor complained about the car alarm, police appeared at Stallworth’s home. Her attorney, Harry Daniels, claimed Officer Grant Barton “threatened Stallworth when he arrived and did not address her multiple complaints.
Daniels alleged Barton began to get aggressive when Stallworth “pointed out the disparity as Barton was returning to [his] police cruiser, suggesting it was racially motivated.” Barton began asking for Stallworth’s ID. Her 18-year-old son started to record the encounter.
In the video, Stallworth says that she doesn’t have to give the officer her ID. “I’m not arguing with you,” Barton responds. ” Show me your ID, or you’re going to jail.”
Barton then arrested her, and threw her onto the couch, said the attorney, who added that Stallowrth did not have to give her identification. She was charged with obstruction, resisting arrest, and attempting to elude after being detained for 15 hours.
“Never mind that Officer Barton needlessly escalated the situation, forcefully entered Ms. Stallworth’s home, and physically assaulted her over a noise complaint,” Daniels said. “Never mind that he arrested her for exercising her constitutional rights, and never mind that he misquoted a law that doesn’t require a woman in her own home to present an ID.
“He was leaving,” Daniels added. “He was walking back to his car, ready to drive away right up until she called out his racism. Calling out racism isn’t illegal. Using your badge to intimidate a 40-year-old mother is.”
Study: 79% Of Black Americans Polled Had Regrets About Relocating Last Year; Here’s How To Cut Your Moving Costs
Last year, Black Americans typically spent approximately $1,500 on moving to a new residence.
Seventy-nine percent of Black Americans in a recent study said they had regrets about moving to a new home last year.
Some of the top regrets reported by respondents included missing their old home (20%), wishing they had decluttered before moving (19%), and wishing they had chosen a larger place (15%). These findings were provided by Jaime Seale, the author of this report conducted by Clever Real Estate
Two thousand American adults who relocated in 2023 shed light on their experiences.
At the same time, the top reasons Blacks moved were a lower cost of living/home prices (23%), a better quality of life such as better weather and recreational opportunities (20%), and living closer to friends and family (18%).
Another discovery: 40% of Black Americans shed tears during the relocation process; 35% of them experienced conflict with loved ones during that activity.
On the cost front, 47% of Black Americans polled spent $1,500 or more on their move. That was less expensive than the (50%) respondents who spent $2,000 or more to do the same last year.
Roughly 53% of participants had unexpected costs during their move, and 54% say the total moving outlay was higher than expected. Not considering those costs more closely perhaps explains why 33 percent said they didn’t budget correctly for their move.
To help reduce moving costs, Seale offered some tips:
“Prices can vary widely among companies, so get multiple estimates to make sure you’re getting the best deal.”
“Movers usually charge by weight or volume, so getting rid of some items that you don’t need or want in your new home can help reduce the cost.”
“Before buying boxes and packing materials, use items you already have. For example, fill up suitcases or plastic tubs you already have and use clothing or blankets to wrap any breakable items.”
How Sylvia Rhone’s Pioneering Career Broke Barriers And Shaped The Music Industry Landscape
She went on to manage the careers of artists like En Vogue, Brandy, Miki Howard, Busta Rhymes, Tracy Chapman, and MC Lyte.
There are few people more accomplished in the music business than Sylvia Rhone, whose 40-year career in the industry has seen her launch the careers of MC Lyte, Missy Elliott, and Nicki Minaj, and revitalize many others.
Rhone began as a secretary for the now-defunct Buddha Records in 1974, eventually parlaying that into positions at ABC Records and Ariola Records before being promoted to northeast regional promotion manager for special markets with Electra (now Electra Entertainment) in 1980.
This eventually led to Atlantic Records promoting her to the position of director of national Black music marketing, where she would manage the careers of artists like En Vogue, Brandy, Miki Howard, Busta Rhymes, Tracy Chapman, and MC Lyte.
MC Lyte became the first woman rapper to release a full-length album under the direction of Rhone in 1988. Upon being named the chairperson and CEO of Epic Records in 2019, Rhone simultaneously became the first woman CEO of a major record label owned by a Fortune 500 company, as well as the first Black woman to be both chairperson and CEO of a major label.
In a 2023 profile, Billboard Magazine spoke to Rhone, one of the few women in the music business—and the only Black woman—to lead multiple major labels. Rhone, according to the magazine, was “a role model for women seeking their own seats at the table.” That year, Billboard named her its Women in Music Executive of the Year, but one could argue that it was really more of a lifetime achievement award.
“Since the beginning of her career, Sylvia has been an industry trailblazer, breaking down immeasurable barriers and paving the way to expand music’s influence across every genre,” said Sony Music Group chairman Rob Stringer. “She has shaped the career of countless artists, supporting them at all points in their journey, and she has opened doors for so many people in our industry.”
Despite her groundbreaking success, Rhone remained clear-eyed about the music business landscape and told Billboard that there is no magic pill for her success.
“When I was first appointed chairman in 1994, I was very focused on opening doors for people like me whether they were women or people of color by giving them an opportunity they may not have received before,” she said.
Rhone continued, “Now that we have better representation—Epic’s staff is close to 54% female and 57% people of color—I am focused on creating power by creating a culture where the creativity of artists on our roster can flourish and there is an exchange of ideas, culture and information from a diverse group of creatives and executives.”
Rhone’s career has shaped and in many ways reshaped the music business, which led to the Black Music Collective, a branch of the Recording Academy, naming her in its initial group of Global Impact Award winners. Rhone, the only Black woman to have held the title of CEO at two record labels, was instrumental in making sure hip-hop received its seat at the table, and on the night she was honored, she spoke to the enduring power of the art form.
“This is a whole room filled of leaders of hip-hop, and I appreciate more than you could ever know to be recognized with these cultural icons,” Rhone said. “But it’s nights like these that keep me revitalized. They serve as a powerful reminder that hip-hop was a calling. As we celebrate its 50th anniversary, it’s gratifying to see how far we actually have come….We have made history. We have changed lives. We are mighty. And we are worldwide.”
Rhone is still fighting for hip-hop, and she sees a clear and present danger in the push from legal teams to use rap lyrics as the basis for prosecuting artists. She signed a petition created by Electra Entertainment CEO Kevin Liles because she sees the art form of hip-hop, one she helped elevate to its current position, as one that should be protected.
“We’ve seen this cultural backlash before and we have to remind ourselves that rappers are storytellers. Their lyrics are stories, not reality, and their First Amendment rights must be protected,” she explained. “It feels like a continuous political attack on a genre of music that has been singularly enduring these attacks for years…Using the art of young Black men to imprison them is just one example of the latest attacks on our freedoms.”
Rhone’s legacy in the music business is unparalleled and embodies the spirit of hip-hop, an embrace of change and the determination to keep going in the face of obstacles.
Flint Residents Still Waiting To Be Paid From The $626.25 Million Legal Settlement, A Decade After Water Crisis
Residents were subjected to nearly a decade of lead-poisoned drinking water by the city.
Many Flint, Michigan, residents haven’t received their money from the $626.25 million legal settlement owed them after they were subjected to nearly a decade of lead-poisoned drinking water provided by the city.
City officials in charge of distributing the claims on the administrative end said that the money should have been paid out by March 2023. Once the deadline passed without word on when the legal settlement would be given out, Flint residents were told it would be by Christmas. On Feb. 28, attorney Deborah Greenspan said the initial review of the claims would be completed by the end of June.
However, USA Today reported that Flint residents’ payments are likely to be delayed for many more months. Court records from the settlement case show that the payout structure has made it difficult for residents to get paid.
Many complained that lawyers would collect their money before victims, and that there would be a lot of paperwork for everyone to get what they’re owed.
Ted Leopoldz, an attorney who is acting as co-lead class counsel in the Flint case, said, “We would have preferred a streamlined process that allowed claims to be processed and paid out as they were completed and ensured everyone impacted by the crisis was paid and as quickly as possible.”
He continued, “The state insisted on a grid in which the amount of every claim was dependent on every other claim and fairly high levels of documentation were required for each claim.”
According to the terms of the settlement, “No Flint claimant gets paid until all of the roughly 90,000 claims on behalf of about 46,000 Flint residents are fully resolved, including appeals.”
Adding to the difficultly is that many claimants have moved out of state or have died. This has caused extreme delays that aren’t normal for class action suits.
Biden-Harris Administration Releases Campaign Ad Featuring Images Of Donald Trump And The KKK
President Joe Biden dropped a fiery campaign ad onto social media on March 8.
Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ campaign released a provocative new advertisement March 8 that features images of Donald Trump, the Ku Klux Klan, and white supremacist rallies.
The well-timed ad was released to social media sites soon after Biden’s State of the Union, reports Mediaite.
The Biden-Harris campaign ad, which shows KKK meetings and speeches from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., starts out by showing footage of Biden’s speech delivered on March 7.
Former President Donald Trump’s picture is also included, with Biden saying, “I know the American story. Again and again, I’ve seen the contest between competing forces in the battle for the soul of our nation. Between those who want to pull America back to the past and those who want to move America into the future.”
Biden then offers a rebuttal to those who cite his age as a reason he shouldn’t be re-elected. “This issue facing our nation isn’t how old we are. It’s how old our ideas are. Hate, anger, revenge, retribution are the oldest of ideas.”
The ad also sows images from the deadly “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017, where white supremacist marchers got violent, and from the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection, interspersed with images of Trump meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on a golf course.
The advertisement concludes with Biden discussing issues like climate crises, rights infringements, and economics.
“I see a future where defending democracy, you don’t diminish it. I see a future where we restore the right to choose and protect our freedoms, where the middle class finally has a fair shot, and the wealthy have to pay their fair share in taxes.
