Cheslie Kryst, book, Miss USA
by Stacy Jackson

January 9, 2024

New Book Details Late Miss USA Cheslie Kryst’s Inner Turmoil

The new book, written before the former Miss USA died, details the internal battles and mental illness she faced behind her glittering smile.

Over two years after former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst’s suicide at age 30, one of her lifelong dreams, of becoming a published author, is coming to pass.

On April 23, Forefront Books will release Kryst’s book, By the Time You Read This: The Space Between Cheslie’s Smile and Mental Illness. The work fulfills one of Kryst’s final wishes, according to her mother, April Simpkins. “She left me her final wishes in the text message that she sent to me the morning that she passed … that I see to it that her book get published, and it has been quite a journey doing that,” Simpkins told Extra.

In the first half of the book, the former Extra correspondent shares her incredible story in her own words, spanning her highest achievements, including passing two bar exams, winning Miss USA 2019 and building an entertainment journalism career. It also captures her lowest moments of “heartbreak, betrayal, and persistent depression.” The late beauty queen’s bright public persona often masked profound inner turmoil. “These are her own words. Cheslie, for most people who saw her on TV or saw her at events, she was smiling, and she was bubbly, and she was happy, and that was her true self… but there was still a lot of pain that she felt, and I do feel like the book stands right between that place of what people saw in her smile and her private battle with depression.” Simpkins told Extra.

For Simpkins, shepherding the book to publication brings bittersweet closure while also furthering her daughter’s legacy. She herself picks up the narrative, recounting her shattering experience in the aftermath of her daughter’s death.

Simpkins hopes this firsthand account of the private struggles that led to her daughter’s suicide will inspire more compassion and support for those with mental illness.

“I hope that when people read this book that they promise themselves to seek help when they need it,” she said. “That they work to create a safe space so that their friends can share, and that they learn how to really listen.”

As previously covered by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Kryst, then 30, was found dead on January 30, 2022, on the street after jumping from a 60-story high-rise building in midtown Manhattan. She left her loved ones with an Instagram message that read, “May this day bring you rest and peace.”

Net proceeds from the book will support the Cheslie C. Kryst Foundation, established to honor the late correspondent. The book is available for preorder before its April release.

Earl Graves Sr. Had Something To Say: Cellphones, Text Messages And Social Media Has Devalued Personal Communication
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

January 9, 2024

Earl Graves Sr. Had Something To Say: Cellphones, Text Messages And Social Media Has Devalued Personal Communication

We live in a world of mobile devices and social media, text messages and status updates.

It’s no doubt that Earl Graves Sr. was a forward thinking innovator, having established BLACK ENTERPRISE in 1970 for the greater good of the Black community. As a leader and family man, Mr. Graves reflected on the times. He drop gems around he’s observations of the ever changing world he lived in. Back in 2013, as technology and social media evolved, Mr. Graves recognized how communication and connection devolved and he had plenty to say.

Originally published Dec. 23, 2013:

We live in a world of mobile devices and social media, text messages and status updates. Thanks to amazing advancements in communication tools and technologies, we are sharing and accessing ever-increasing volumes of information.

We actually measure our communications influence over hundreds of thousands–even millions–of people, around the globe. However, in all the ways that matter to developing quality personal and business relationships, many of us are more disconnected than ever. We communicate more then everyone, but we are losing our sense of genuine connection with others. This bodes ill for our relationships, both business and personal.

Before you dismiss this perspective as merely the typical lamentations of the generation that once thought of nationwide phone service as the epitome of communication technology, hear me out. I absolutely appreciate how advances in our ability to move information in larger volumes and faster than ever has helped to drive economies, transform industries, create new job and business opportunities, and even new wealth. In fact, such innovations made BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s evolution from a single magazine publisher to a multi-platform media company both possible and even inevitable. Though I don’t claim to understand or appreciate the nuances of social media, I am proud to know that BE is recognized among the best media companies at using its influence to serve and inform, dramatically extending the reach of our audiovisual, digital, and live event content.

However, it is important to recognize that phone texts with acronyms and emojis are poor substitutes for a handwritten note, a sincere hug, or a firm handshake. Moreover, our increasing reliance on texting and other less-than-personal communication has resulted in less civility, courtesy, and consideration of others. For example, too many people (including politicians, athletes, and other public figures) choose to publicly blast one another via Twitter or Facebook, rather than speak with one another directly to personally iron out their differences. We are becoming more detached even from our loved ones, as communication via cell phones and tablets replaces more intimate, engaged, and personal conversation, even at family reunions, vacations, and the dinner table.

RELATED CONTENT: 3 Ways Men & Women Communicate Differently at Work

I often say that all business is personal, and that whoever builds the best relationships wins. Similarly, there can be nothing more important on your business agenda than establishing and maintaining healthy personal and family relationships and enjoying real communication with your loved ones. At the end of the day–or more to the point, at the end of your life–this is what truly matters. I am more convinced of this since the passing of my beloved wife, Barbara.

Social media and mobile communications are not going away, nor should they. But we can be wiser in our use of them. Let’s use them to facilitate, instead of replace, authentic personal communication in both our business and personal lives. Have more real conversations and fewer extended exchanges of text messages. Value opportunities to look people in the eye and really listen. Resist the urge to glance at your mobile device. Text fewer heart symbols; instead, call to say “I love you” more often.

When in the company of a friend, family member, or business associate, have the courage and wisdom to turn off your devices, if only for a few minutes. Honor your friend by being fully engaged and present. Trust me: the world won’t end. And all of us, especially you, will be the better for it.

RELATED CONTENT: A Moment in Black History: Earl Graves Sr. and Magic Johnson Close $60M Deal to Create Largest Black Pepsi Franchise

New Jersey, Anchor tax relief program, 2024, 1500, stimulus, payments, checks
by Rafael Pena

January 8, 2024

Qualified New Jersey Residents To Receive $1500 Stimulus Checks

New Jersey residents may receive financial relief in the form of $1,500 stimulus checks, slated for distribution on Jan. 10.

In a development intended to bring hope to New Jersey residents, a fresh round of financial relief is on the horizon, as $1,500 stimulus checks are slated for distribution on Jan. 10, according to Marca. 

This announcement marks the implementation of the ANCHOR Tax Relief Program 2024, an initiative aimed at extending economic support to individuals who meet specific income, residence, and homeownership criteria. The program’s objective is to ease the financial strain many citizens in New Jersey face, especially concerning the weighty burden of property taxes.

As outlined by the program, individuals in New Jersey who owned homes in 2019 and maintained a combined income of $150,000 or below in 2023 qualify for the $1,500 rebate. Homeowners with incomes ranging from $150,001 to $250,000 are eligible for a $1,000 benefit. Following the program’s guidelines, renters stand to receive a $450 stimulus check if their 2019 tax returns show an income of $150,000 or less.

What distinguishes the ANCHOR program is its commitment to inclusivity. It extends its benefits to residents facing unique circumstances, including those in assisted living facilities or individuals who have experienced significant life changes such as marriage or the loss of a spouse. Notably, the program caters to both homeowners and renters without imposing age restrictions or prerequisites, positioning itself as a versatile solution to address the diverse financial challenges encountered by citizens in New Jersey.

The ANCHOR program, part of the Affordable New Jersey Communities for Homeowners and Renters initiative, has received backing from the New Jersey government. To be eligible, homeowners are required to sustain an annual income of $250,000 or below, while renters must have a minimum annual income of $150,000.

ANCHOR provides a welcome form of financial support for qualified individuals in New Jersey. With its inclusive approach and commitment to easing the burden of soaring living expenses in the state, this initiative is a positive step forward in assisting citizens facing economic challenges.

RELATED CONTENT: Poll Shows Majority of Republicans In Favor of Biden’s $1400 Stimulus Checks

Domestic Violence Network Launches ‘Beyond Equity’ Plan For Black Women 
by Atiya Jordan

January 8, 2024

Domestic Violence Network Launches ‘Beyond Equity’ Plan For Black Women 

Black women are three times more likely to be fatally shot by an intimate partner compared to white women.

The Indianapolis-based Domestic Violence Network is addressing generational trauma among Black women with a three-year, communitywide plan.

Named the Beyond Equity plan, the family approach to healing and resources will debut its pilot program in March 2024, WRTV reports. Thanks to support from the community, including conversations with Black women and trans women students at Indianapolis’ Arsenal Tech High School, the Domestic Violence Network is offering support to survivors like Jimmie Bridges.

“I want women of color to know that they do have a voice,” Bridges told the outlet.

A mother of five, Bridges was married to a man who inflicted verbal and physical abuse on her for more than a decade. She also disclosed that she was beaten in her sleep by her husband when he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

“I had to choose my children, also. I didn’t want them to keep growing up in the environment of abuse because it trickles on down. It had to end somewhere, and it had to start with me,” said Bridges.

The Beyond Equity plan provides support groups, training of service providers and community members, and a “restorative justice program.” Domestic abusers can put themselves on the invite list.

Domestic violence disproportionately devastates communities of color, with some advocates calling it a racial justice issue. Black women are three times more likely to be fatally shot by an intimate partner in comparison to white women.

Rebecca Berry, director of strategic initiatives with the Domestic Violence Network, told WRTV that the plan will examine the actors behind these disproportionate rates. With that, DVN can uncover societal impacts on the culture.

“This is something the survivors have asked for, like ‘I want to find my own justice, I want to speak my own truth, I want to find my own healing,’ and they weren’t finding that in the ways the criminal justice system is structured,” Berry said.

On Jan. 9, a communitywide launch event will take place at the Martin University Gathertorium in Indianapolis from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. EST.

National Women’s Political Caucus
by Atiya Jordan

January 8, 2024

National Women’s Political Caucus Foundation Elects 2024 Executive Board Of Directors

The National Women’s Political Caucus Foundation, led by a Black woman, is dedicated to "identifying, recruiting, training and supporting women candidates for elected and appointed office."

The National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC) Foundation has elected its 2024 Executive Board of Directors, leaders who are paving the way for the next generation of women in politics.

The non-profit organization, which was created to build an endowment fund while “identifying, recruiting, training and supporting women candidates for elected and appointed office,” announced its new team of officers in a press release provided to BLACK ENTERPRISE.

The new board consists of Paula Owen Willmarth, president; Dr. Carmen Estrada Schaye, vice president of grants, California; Margo McNeil, treasurer, Missouri; and Laura Goettsche, secretary, Texas.

Owen Willmarth has been a member of the National Women’s Political Caucus for several years with numerous state and national-level positions within the National Women’s Political Caucus, Inc. Notably, she transitioned from her previous role as vice president of political planning and appointments for NWPC, Inc.

“It is indeed an honor to be leading this organization. Given the state of women’s rights today, we are called to do whatever we can to empower more women to elected office,” Owen Willmarth said in a press release.  “NWPC Foundation, since the inception, has been a leading organization in the important work of getting more women involved in the political process.”

Other general board members include Belinda Anderson of Tennessee, Donna Lent of South Carolina, Cindy Wu of California, Shicagolyn Hams Scroggins of Missouri, Dawn Lott of New York, and Deidre Malone of Tennessee.

Malone is the 15th president of the National Women’s Political Caucus, according to the organization’s website.

RELATED CONTENT: Michigan Senator Is Now First Black Woman To Oversee Spending

Madison Lewis, burns, 90%, teen, Texas
by Stacy Jackson

January 8, 2024

Texas Teen Recovering After Holiday Explosion Burns 90% Of Body

The severely burned teen has shown some signs of improvement after multiple surgeries, but she was placed back into the coma as she heals.

A North Texas teen suffered burns on over 90% of her body after a holiday gathering with friends took a tragic turn.

Madison Lewis, 17, has undergone multiple surgeries at Dallas’ Parkland Hospital in a medically induced coma following the Dec. 23 incident, Fox 4 News reports.

The Jacksboro High School senior was socializing around a burn barrel, when, according to her mother, Ericca Hammond, a boy threw “an actual pan full of gasoline” into the fire.

“It just exploded and went in her direction,” Hammond told Fox 4. “It was devastating. Completely burned her whole body.”

She added, “There’s nothing in the world more that I want and need than for my baby girl to be OK and to live a life. She’s 17 years old.”

Lewis is slated to graduate this May and attend college in the fall. “She has so much more to do out here…I mean, she’s a warrior. She is a fighter,” Hammond said.

Jacksboro is about an hour and 40 minutes from Dallas. Hammond has traveled back and forth, received help from the Ronald McDonald House.

“Which is wonderful,” she told Fox 4. “They have just been the best to me and to my family. You know, just open arms and hugs and prayers and so much compassion that it just filled my heart full of love.”

Lewis was taken off pain medication Jan. 2 to check for responses and underwent a fourth successful surgery this week to treat her extensive burns.

“She made some small movements with her tongue,” after doctors took her out of the coma. Lewis’ mother said. This sign was positive, but doctors remain concerned about lost function in her left eye.

Lewis was placed back in a coma as her body continues to heal.

“This is the first year since I’ve been a mom that I didn’t wrap one Christmas gift,” Hammond said. “Not one.” Her sole focus now is on her daughter’s healing.

RELATED CONTENT: Dallas Leads Texas In Alarming Backlog Of Untested Rape Kits, Some Decades Old

Jay-Z, old west, black folks, book of Clarence, new testament, film, produce, movie, Reebok, super bowl
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 8, 2024

Jay-Z Talks ‘Putting Ourselves’ In The ‘New Testament As We Should Be’ In ‘The Book Of Clarence’ Film

Jay-Z and Jeymes Samuel have teamed back up for "The Book of Clarence," which takes viewers to the New Testament.

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Jeymes Samuel have teamed back up for another film, and this time they’re taking viewers from the Old West, in 2021’s The Harder They Fall, to the New Testament, in The Book of Clarence.

The hip-hop mogul and music producer turned director came together for the Los Angeles premiere of the film on Jan. 5, where Jay, also known as Hova, talked about the inspiration behind the new Lakeith Stanfield-led film, which he co-produced.

“I just want to have fun. I want to put out a product that I believe in. I want to represent my culture, obviously, you know, we put ourselves in the Old West rightfully. And now we’re putting ourselves, you know, in the New Testament as we should be, you know, so that’s it,” Jay-Z said on the red carpet, per Africanews.

Their new film tells the story of Clarence, a down-on-his-luck man who’s struggling to find a better life for his family while also fighting to free himself of the debt he’s in. After witnessing the power and glory of the rising Messiah, Clarence decides to risk it all by carving his own path to a divine existence and presenting himself as another Messiah figure.

It was a labor of love for director Samuels, who spent decades writing the film and put it on pause to release The Harder They Fall in 2021.

“Do you know what? It was always time to tell the story. But no one was going to make it. I had to be in a position where I could get it made. But it was always time. I wrote it, I formulated it in like, early 2000s, formulating the idea. Worked on a couple of the songs in 2005,” he revealed.

“But I wrote it in 2017, and then ‘The Harder They Fall’ came out, and I just knew I had to go to the Old West, and then the New Testament, you know what I mean? So, I suppose it was just time in my life, but really, it’s always been time.”

The film, which runs a little over two hours, premieres in theaters on Jan. 12.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘The Book of HOV’ Jay-Z Exhibit Sets Record For Attendance At The Brooklyn Public Library

Pastor Eboni Marshall Turman
by Lauren Nutall

January 8, 2024

Former Pastor Eboni Turman Files Lawsuit Against Harlem Megachurch, Alleging Gender Discrimination

A Harlem megachurch has come under scrutiny after allegations of gender discrimination in its hiring process.

Abyssinian Baptist Church in New York City is facing a gender discrimination lawsuit after rejecting Eboni Marshall Turman for the role of senior pastor. 

Renowned for its prominent leadership and rich history — former Congressman Rev. Adam Clayton Powell Jr. served as pastor between 1937 and 1972 — Abyssinian Baptist has been a staple in the Black Harlem community since its inception in 1808. In its 216-year history, the megachurch has never had a woman senior pastor, and Marshall Turman, who currently resides as a professor at the Yale Divinity School and formerly served as a pastor at the church, believed that she would be the first following the death of Rev. Calvin O. Butts III in 2022. However, she did not make it to the final round, a decision that she claims was due to her gender, according to AP News.

On Sept. 23, she published a post on Facebook, where she alluded to the alleged discriminatory practices. 

“A vocal contingent of Abyssinian deacons has worked tirelessly with an energized group of Morehouse supporters and committee leadership to systematically eliminate all female applicants from the pool of candidates,” she wrote.

“Even as the desired outcomes of the identified groups are distinct, they converge on one significant matter: gender bias. In addition, other activities of the committee are in direct conflict with the church bylaws. Will this and other key information be disclosed to the congregation? Curiously, the congregation will be updated on the committee’s ‘progress,’ even as such progress is castrated by an all-male slate of ‘finalist’ candidates.”

Filed on Dec. 29, Marshall Turman’s lawsuit specifically names acting search committee chair Valerie S. Grant, who she says behaved unprofessionally during the interview process and questioned her harshly compared to the male applicants.

“Gender discrimination motivated the decision not to hire (Marshall Turman), a fact discussed openly during meetings of the Committee, including by Grant and another committee member, who said that Abyssinian would only hire a woman as its Senior Pastor ‘over my dead body,’” the suit states. 

Both Grant and the church have issued statements denying Marshall Turman’s allegations. Grant shared that Marshall Turman was selected along with 11 other people from a pool of 47 applicants but did not receive the sufficient votes to advance to the final round. She also stated that each candidate was asked a series of questions, some tailored specifically to each individual. Because Marshall Turman was the only woman who had made it to that stage, her questions mirrored that. 

Abyssinian spokesperson LaToya Evans also refuted the accusations, saying that although Marshall Turman was a competitive applicant, was was denied because she lacked certain necessary qualifications.

“While she and others were considered for the role because of their impressive backgrounds, she ultimately fell short of some key requirements for the role, where other finalist candidates prevailed and moved forward in the process,” Evans said. The remaining finalists are all men. 

Marshall Turman’s career has largely centered on the role of women in Christianity, a subject she explored extensively in her written work Black Women’s Burden: Male Power, Gender Violence, and the Scandal of African American Social Christianity. She seeks monetary damages for “lost wages, benefits, other economic damages, shame, humiliation, embarrassment, and mental distress.” 

RELATED CONTENT: Harlem Pastor, Major Political Force, And Influential Figure Rev. Calvin Butts III Dies at 73

Taraji P. Henson, BET Awards
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

January 8, 2024

Taraji P. Henson Called Oprah To Advocate For ‘The Color Purple’ Cast

Taraji P. Henson hasn’t been holding back these days when it comes to demanding her worth as an actress. Now she’s revealing the advocacy she had to do behind the scenes for The Color Purple cast.

The musical remake of Alice Walker’s landmark novel hit theaters on Christmas Day and made over $18 million in ticket sales. It was a given that the movie would do well, being a star-studded musical remake of the 1985 original directed by Steven Spielberg that starred Whoopi Goldberg, Oprah Winfrey, and Danny Glover.

This time around, Spielberg added Winfrey and Quincy Jones to the production team of the 2023 film that starred Fantasia Barrino, Danielle Brooks, Taraji P. Henson, Colman Domingo, Corey Hawkins, Deon Cole, Halle Bailey, H.E.R., and Ciara. Many would assume that with a lineup of A-listers on the cast and crew, all their basic necessities would be met during filming.

According to Henson, that wasn’t the case, and she had to speak up in order to see change. There were “a lot of things” the cast ended up receiving only after Henson advocated for them.

One example was the rides they were given after initially being given rental cars that they were responsible for driving themselves to and from the Atlanta set.

“They gave us rental cars, and I was like, ‘I can’t drive myself to set in Atlanta.’ This is insurance liability, it’s dangerous. Now they robbing people. What do I look like, taking myself to work by myself in a rental car?” Henson told The New York Times.

“So I was like, ‘Can I get a driver or security to take me?’ I’m not asking for the moon. They’re like, ‘Well, if we do it for you, we got to do it for everybody.’ Well, do it for everybody! It’s stuff like that, stuff I shouldn’t have to fight for. I was on the set of ‘Empire’ fighting for trailers that wasn’t infested with bugs.”

The behind-the-scenes slipups are issues Henson can only credit to the film consisting of an all-Black cast.

“I’m not the person that pulls the race card every time, but what else is it, then? Tell me. I’d rather it not be race, please give me something else,” she said.

Elsewhere, Henson recalls calling Winfrey to tell the billionaire media mogul “We gotta fix this” after learning the cast had no dressing rooms and were not being provided food on set.

“I remember when we first came and we’re doing rehearsals, they put us all in the same space,” Brooks told The Hollywood Reporter. “We didn’t have our own dressing rooms at the time. We didn’t have our own food…[Oprah] corrected it for us. [Taraji] was our voice.”

It’s the latest reveal Henson has made about advocating her worth after breaking down during an interview with Sirius XM last month over the pay disparities she continues to face despite being an Academy Award-nominated actress. In fact, Henson almost turned down The Color Purple due to the initial pay offer and after being told she had to audition for the role of Shug Avery despite being the director’s top choice, Variety reports.

Capitol Rioter Jacob Chansley Wants His Viking Headgear Back From FBI
by Sharelle B. McNair

January 8, 2024

Capitol Rioter Jacob Chansley Wants His Viking Headgear Back From FBI

It's been two years—let it go, man!

Jacob Chansley, infamous for the Viking headgear with horns worn during the Jan. 6 riots, told The Daily Beast he wants his horns back.

Also known as the “QAnon Shaman,” Chansley spent 27 months in prison for his role in the notorious Capitol Hill attack, where he was spotted in many pictures wearing his animated headpiece. The FBI confiscated the horns when he turned himself in on obstruction charges. Now Chansley feels that since his time is done, it is time for his belongings to be returned.

“The case is over, so there’s no reason for them to continue holding onto it,” he said. “They’re keeping it like it’s evidence.”

The Phoenix native was one of 30 rioters who made it inside the Capitol building first, according to prosecutors. Once there, he made his way to the Senate gallery alone, shouting “Time’s up, mother*******,” along the way. He missed former Vice President Mike Pence, who had been sitting at the dais preparing for a peaceful transfer of power, by an hour. Chansley took selfies and wrote Pence a note saying, “It’s Only A Matter of Time. Justice Is Coming.”

Chansley has since apologized for his actions but continues to admire the now four-time-indicted Donald Trump.

Even if his property is returned to him, Chansley doesn’t know if he will wear it at campaign events. “There’s been mixed emotions about it,” he said. “People say that I’m not being taken seriously. Other people are like, ‘Oh, I fricking love it!’”

In the meantime, the horns can be seen on his website where he sells T-shirts with his likeness, calling himself “America’s Shaman.” During a podcast interview, he compared himself to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Jesus.

After serving 27 months of his 41-month sentence, Chansley was granted supervised release for good behavior and three years probation. He has been banned from voting but has his eye on a political career.

The 35-year-old convicted felon filed a candidate statement of interest in November 2023 as a Libertarian candidate for Arizona’s 8th Congressional District seat, according to The Associated Press. There are no laws banning felons from holding federal office. However, Arizona state laws prohibit felons from voting until their sentence is complete and their civil rights are restored.

He may have someone to back his political endeavors. Controversial Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) said she was “honored” to meet Chansley during the Turning Point USA conference in December 2023. On Twitter, she described his treatment as “horrendous” and was “amazed” by his positive attitude.

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