Brotherhood Awards To Celebrate Black Leaders During Men’s Mental Health Month
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 25, 2024

Brotherhood Awards To Celebrate Black Leaders During Men’s Mental Health Month

The Brotherhood Awards to honor nine remarkable Black male leaders in augural awards show during Men's Mental Health Month.

This Men’s Mental Health Month will feature a new awards show celebrating Black men committed to empowering Black men and boys.

Value Partnerships is using its What’s Good platform to introduce the inaugural “Brotherhood Awards” on Tuesday, June 25th. The ceremony will honor the exceptional men behind inspiring work in Black communities nationwide and honor those who set a remarkable example through their unwavering commitment and service.

The Brotherhood Awards will celebrate nine remarkable men whose profound dedication and visionary leadership have significantly uplifted and transformed their communities. The honorees encompass a wide array of professions and sectors, including innovative nonprofit leaders and influential digital creators to dedicated mental health experts and renowned celebrities.

Through their work, the awardees have presented transformative efforts that showcase the enduring strength and resilience of the Black community. Together, their steadfast dedication and transformative efforts have not only nurtured a supportive and thriving environment but also sparked a healing movement that has impacted millions.

Get to know the inaugural honorees below.

The Brotherhood Awards will be featured on What’s Good, a monthly digital town hall series spotlighting what’s next, what matters, and positive developments worldwide, reaching a monthly audience of over 2,000 community leaders.

Pizza, Black-Owned, Bird Pizzeria, food, TNT Pizza, Dough Boy Pizza, Clark Atlanta Grads
Photo Credit: Getty Images
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 25, 2024

Black-Owned Bird Pizzeria In Charlotte Among New York Times Best Pizza Places

It was one of the 22 places the media outlet picked in the United States

The New York Times just released a list of 22 of the best pizza places in the United States, and a Black-owned pizzeria in Charlotte, North Carolina made the list.

The media outlet did not list it by numbers but in alphabetical order. Bird Pizzeria, which is located at 510 E. 15th St. is only open from Wednesday to Saturday, according to its Instagram page, with the hours being from 4-8 p.m. The restaurant is owned by Nkem and Kerrel Thompson and opened its doors in December 2021.

 

The media outlet reported that Bird Pizzeria started as a pop-up restaurant before becoming a takeout business and, as of next month, will be a sit-down restaurant. Kerrel’s pizza is a “New York style reminiscent of what he grew up eating in Cleveland.”

QCity Metro reported that Bird Pizzeria is one of the city’s most popular pizza spots. It was named Best Pizza by Queen City Nerve last year. With the expansion of the restaurant to allow dine-in seating as they obtained a space next door, the Thompsons are excited about the growth of the restaurant.

“We’re really excited to open our dining room literally as if it was, you know, an extension of our house,” Nkem said in an interview with The Observer.

In an interview right after Bird Pizzeria opened, Nkem said that she and her husband’s first date was over pizza. They were inspired to open the shop as they reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic. She also mentioned that the restaurant was named Bird Pizzeria due to Kerrel’s love of birds.

“He can name like all of the birds in North America, so it’s kind of like always been a thing with us,” Nkem said.

When the restaurant opens the expanded space, it will have longer hours and a lunch menu.

RELATED CONTENT: NPR’s Tiny Desk Is Putting On For The Ladies For Black Music Month

Devin Haney, Lawsuit, Ryan Garcia, Boxing
(Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc. via Getty Images; Inset: Al Bello/Getty Images)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 25, 2024

Devin Haney Reportedly Plans To Sue Ryan Garcia After Boxer’s Suspension For Drugs

Haney stated that due to the fight with Garcia, his reputation has suffered and he had to take less money for his next fight.

Although the fight is over, the saga continues between boxing opponents Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia. The latest news is that Haney is pursuing legal action against his last opponent.

According to SB Nation, after news that Garcia accepted a one-year suspension after two positive drug tests revealed he tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance, Ostarine, Haney threatened to sue the boxer because he ended up losing money after the defeat despite the subsequent “no contest” decision.

Haney experienced his first defeat at the hands of Garcia, who came into the fight over the weight limit required for the boxing match. Garcia dropped Haney three times during their fight on April 20 and won the contest by a majority decision (112-112, 114-110, and 115-109). Garcia weighed 143.2 for the 140-pound match, according to Yahoo! Sports.

After the suspension, Garcia forfeited his $1.1 million purse and paid an additional $10,000 fine.

Due to Garcia’s missteps, Haney stated that the public witnessed him losing the fight. Although that defeat is now off his record, his reputation has suffered because of it. He claimed he had to take less money for his next fight due to the last bout.

Haney discussed the possible litigation with Title Sports Network.

“[The bout] definitely had a major impact,” Haney said. “I haven’t made a million and a half since my beginning days of signing with Matchroom. So it affected me. My lawyers and my team will do what they gotta do to prove that in court against Ryan Garcia, and we will take legal action because it has affected me. Not only financially but mentally and everything.”

Haney’s record was 31-0, while Garcia posted a record of 24-1. After the latest decision, Haney is back to being listed as an undefeated fighter.

RELATED CONTENT: Mike Tyson-Jake Paul Boxing Match Rescheduled Following Tyson Medical Emergency

Ice Cube, Last Friday
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for BIG3)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 24, 2024

Ice Cube Reveals ‘Last Friday’ Movie Might Be On The Way

'We finally got some traction with Warner Brothers. They have new leadership,' said Cube.

After the success of the fourth installment of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence’s “Bad Boys” series, we might be in line for the sequel to Ice Cube’s “Friday” series after years of setbacks and false hope.

In a recent episode on Public Enemy’s Flavor Flav’s Sirius XM show, “Flavor of the Week,” Cube discussed the possibility that the fourth “Friday” movie is closer to fruition.

Less than two years ago, Cube was on “Drink Champs” talking about how Warner Bros. rejected the script for what is tentatively titled “Last Friday.” Now that there is new leadership at the studio, Cube has revealed that it should happen soon.

“We finally got some traction with Warner Brothers,” Cube stated. “They have new leadership. My man Mike DeLuca, who used to be at New Line [Cinema] when I first started, when I first did the first ‘Friday’ and ‘Players Club’ and ‘All About the Benjamins.’ Mike DeLuca was there, so now he’s running Warner Brothers.

“Mike DeLuca was there, right, so now he’s running Warner Brothers, and him and my man Michael Gruber was like, ‘Yo, what the f**k is going on with Friday? Man, let’s get this sh*t back online.”

Cube reiterated his frustrations with Warner Bros. and stated that some key actors from the movie passed away over the years, such as John Witherspoon, Tiny “Zeus” Lister Jr., and Anthony Johnson.

“I was a little hot ’cause they had took so long,” he continued. “Because John Witherspoon passed away, Tiny passed away, A.J. Johnson passed away. Man, we keep losing people. And y’all keep d**king around not doing the movie the way it need to be done.”

But it looks like that barrier has been broken, and we could be viewing “Last Friday” soon.

“They want to do it. But the key is it gotta be done,” he said. “So, they finally came to their senses.”

The original “Friday” was released in theaters back in 1995. The sequel, “Next Friday,” came out in 2000, and two years later, in 2002, the last movie in this series, “Friday After Next,” was seen by the world.

RELATED CONTENT: Ice Cube Sells First Big3 Team In ‘Historic’ Deal

Charleston Slave Badges, The National Museum of African American History
(Photo: Travis/Flickr)
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 24, 2024

The National Museum Of African American History And Culture Acquires Charleston Slave Badges For Searchable Exhibit

'It is a story that involves the juxtaposition of profit and power versus the human cost.'

The Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture will display the largest and most complete set of historic Charleston Slave Badges available through an online search.

The collection features 146 rare badges dating back to 1804, including those with makers’ marks and two with personalized inscriptions, The Smithsonian reports. To share the badges and their history with a large global audience, the museum has launched a Searchable Museum feature at SearchableMuseum.com/SlaveBadges which details the historical significance of Charleston Slave Badges and the museum’s recent acquisition.

“We are honored to share the story of enslaved African Americans who contributed to building the nation,” Mary Elliott, NMAAHC museum curator, said.

“It is a story that involves the juxtaposition of profit and power versus the human cost,” Elliott added. “The story sheds light on human suffering and the power of the human spirit of skilled craftspeople who held onto their humanity and survived the system of slavery, leaving their mark on the landscape in more ways than one.”

The digital exhibit allows visitors to interact with the artifacts and explore the legislated system of leased enslaved labor in Charleston, South Carolina. It highlights those who benefited from this system and explores how enslaved African Americans navigated slavery using their abilities, skills, and intelligence. The new Searchable Museum feature also offers insights into collecting, archaeology, vocational training, and the concept of freedom beyond detailing the history of Charleston Slave Badges.

Established in Charleston in 1783, the Charleston Slave Badge system was used as a form of control and profit. Enslaved African Americans leased out by their owners were required to wear registered badges identifying their occupation, whether as skilled craftsmen or servants.

This system imposed strict surveillance and limited their self-government within the city while working. Today, these badges serve as reminders of the enslaved people’s skills and contributions to building the city of Charleston.

It was a legal system between enslavers and city government where slave owners paid a registration fee to the city for each enslaved person whose labor they leased out. In return, the city issued badges, most often made of copper, that identified these leased laborers. Enslavers profited from leasing the skills of African Americans, while the city benefited economically and from the skilled labor that helped shape Charleston’s urban development.

Those wearing the badges had some freedom to move about the city while working, allowing them to interact with a broader network of enslaved Black individuals. In certain cases, they also retained portions of their earnings and could use the funds to secure freedom for themselves and their families.

The collection was compiled by Harry S. Hutchins Jr., a renowned collector who worked with co-authors Brian E. Hutchins and historian Harlan Greene to write and publish the book, Slave Badges and the Slave Hire System in Charleston, South Carolina, 1783–1865.

“Partial Gift of Harry S. Hutchins, Jr. DDS, Col. (Ret.) and his Family, dedicated to the individuals these Slave Hire Badges represent, and their descendants,” Hutchins wrote in his credit line for the collection.

The Debutants, Cotillion Experience
(Photo: Black History Album/Flickr)
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 24, 2024

New Documentary ‘The Debutants’ Celebrates Black Girlhood Through The Cotillion Experience

The movie premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival.

A new documentary, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival, celebrates the beauty of Black girlhood through the age-old cotillion experience.

The Debutants follows three “debs”—Teylar Bradley, Amelia Boles, and Dedra Robbins—as they navigate the challenges of coming of age and make their transition into adulthood, NBC News reports. The film is directed by Contessa Gayles and produced by NBC News Studio.

The Debs wrestle with paying bills and financial management, family tension, and self-discovery in a judgmental world where adulthood comes all too quickly.

“I know a lot of times Black girls, in particular, are adultified at a young age,” Gayles said. “It kind of doesn’t allow us the opportunity to live fully in our girlhood and then to make that transition, and then have that transition be celebrated.”

It follows the 2022 Stark County Debutante Cotillion in Canton, Ohio, a Black debutante ball was revived to offer the cotillion experience as a program for Black girls, many of whom live below the poverty line. With cotillion experiences being predominantly white since their U.S. inception in the early 1800s, the documentary initiates a dialogue at the intersection of class, race, and gender.

Archival footage and personal video blogs recorded by the Debs were combined to craft the documentary. Also, archival footage was used to create “intergenerational dialogue between the older generation and the current generation of Gen Z girls,” she said.

Considering the skipped generations of debutante balls, the documentary captures the divide Gen Z has with the traditional cotillion experience, which includes the girls twisting up their faces during waltz lessons where their male dance partners are told to handle the girls like “you’re holding a delicate flower.” Other scenes show the traditional debutante dance between father and daughter where Robbins, who does not have a relationship with her father, wonders why she couldn’t share that moment with her mom instead.

Gayles aimed to document an intergenerational conversation in which cotillion co-chair Nicole Bush openly discusses the heavily gendered aspects of the traditional debutante ball. With how much times have changed since debutante balls were introduced in America in the 19th century, Bush admits to struggling with how to “rethink” tradition.

“That would make a better program for us, I know it would, to the community. But it’s just not within my values system; I’m old-school,” she told NBC News.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Black Barbie’: A New Documentary Showcases Doll’s Creation And Impact On Diversity

Mrs. Alberta Williams King, Ebenezer Baptist Church
(Photo: Ebenezer Baptist Church)
by Stacy Jackson

June 24, 2024

Remembering Mama King: Ebenezer Baptist Church Honors Resilience And Love In The Face of Tragedy

The event will commemorate the tragic 1974 shooting that claimed the life of Martin Luther King Jr.'s mother, Alberta Williams King.

On June 30, 2024, a commemoration event titled “Faith Over Fear, Love Over Hate” will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1974 shooting at Ebenezer Baptist Church.

The program, set for 4:00 p.m. in the church’s Heritage Sanctuary, will honor the lives of Martin Luther King Jr.’s mother, Alberta Williams King, and the faithful Deacon Edward A. Boykin, killed during the devastating event.

Half a century before, on June 30, 1974, an armed assailant entered the church during a service, a press release details. In the wake of this senseless violence, Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., despite losing his wife, delivered a profound message of love and forgiveness. Dr. Angela Farris Watkins, granddaughter of the Kings, reflected, “Grandaddy’s message of love in the face of that tragedy continues to inspire us today. We honor his legacy as well as the legacy of our grandmother, Mrs. Alberta Williams King, and of Deacon Edward A. Boykin, by reaffirming our commitment to building a world where all people can live together in peace.”

“…What was not taken that day is the living legacy of Mama King, Deacon Boykin, and the enduring faith of “America’s Freedom Church” and its commitment to bearing witness to God’s Kingdom,” said Rev. Dr. Raphael G. Warnock, the senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was previously vandalized following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

This commemoration event serves as a testament to Ebenezer’s ongoing legacy of faith, love, and resilience. It offers an opportunity for the community to unite in remembrance, healing, and renewed commitment to the power of faith and love over fear and hate. The event will feature addresses from Rev. Warnock, Congresswoman Lucy McBath, King family members, and Leonard Dungee, CEO of Hope Hustlers. Survivors from that fateful Sunday will also share their experiences along with musical tributes from the Christine King Farris Memorial Choir.

The event, organized by Ebenezer Baptist Church, The King Center, The King Family, and The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historical Park, is open to the public and will be live-streamed. The Heritage Sanctuary is located at 407 Auburn Avenue, NE, Atlanta, GA 30312.

RELATED CONTENT: Youth, Women’s Activist Naomi Barber King Dies At 92

In honor of Men’s Mental Health Month and Father’s Day, we are introducing the inaugural “Brotherhood Awards” to celebrate the exceptional men who have made significant contributions to the empowerment of Black men and boys. Presented by Black Enterprise Magazine and Values Partnerships, The Brotherhood Awards aim to amplify the inspiring work being done in our communities and highlight those who set a remarkable example through their steadfast commitment and service.

   

WATCH THE LIVESTREAM Tuesday, June 25 at 8 PM ET