Howard University Track Star Recruited For WWE’s ‘Next In Line’ Program To Pursue Wrestling Dreams
Though she’s made her athletic career as a track star, Khan is excited to branch out into professional wrestling.
Darci Khan, a senior track star at Howard University, has been recruited as part of a WWE training program, designed to coach the next generation of professional wrestlers, News 4 Washington reported.
The WWE Next In Line (NIL) program is a comprehensive pipeline program that helps college athletes of any sport enter the world of WWE through collaborative projects. Launched in 2021, the initiative grants student athletes access to premier resources including media training, live event promotion, and the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando.
Khan, who is an art major at Howard University, did not always want to run track. Instead, it was pushed on her. “My love for track came by force,” she toldNews 4. “My mom forced me to run track when I was in high school, and I hated it.” Despite this, Khan had a natural talent for the sport and the joy of winning eventually led her to continue. Now, she is pivoting in a new direction – wrestling.
Out of the 14 selected applicants for this year’s Next in Line program, Khan is the only student from an HBCU, which means a lot for the young athlete. “I’ve always wanted to represent young Black women,” she shared. “I’ve always wanted to represent HBCUs.”
Though she’s made her athletic career as a track star, Khan is excited to branch out into wrestling, and views the program not only as an opportunity but a challenge as well. “I want to see what it’s like and how my body will do with wrestling, because it’s a lot of slamming and flips and kicking, and I just want to see what that’s like on my body,” she said.
Having grown up in gymnastics and cheerleading, Khan is also familiar with the agility and skill required to become a formidable wrestler. “I actually am not nervous at all,” she continued. “I feel like I would be a great wrestler. Because I feel like I have the dramatics. I have the skills.”
After completing the program, NIL cohort members are eligible to apply for a contract with WWE.
Department of Justice Settles With Tampa Over Parental Leave For Male Workers
The lawsuit, filed by city employee Jeffrey Burger, claimed female workers were allowed 320 hours of leave time in order to serve as a primary caregiver for a newborn - male workers were only permitted 80 hours and were classified as "secondary" caregivers, even if they were primary.
The city of Tampa, Florida, reached an agreement with the Department of Justice to resolve a discrimination lawsuit claiming male workers didn’t receive the same parental leave as female workers.
According to the settlement, reached on Dec. 21, the city will pay $300,000 and provide 240 hours of credited additional leave time for male workers who were denied the same amount of leave as female workers in 2017 and 2018. The lawsuit, filed by city employee Jeffrey Burger, claimed female workers were allowed 320 hours of leave time in order to serve as a primary caregiver for a newborn – male workers were only permitted 80 hours and were classified as “secondary” caregivers, even if they were primary.
Burger will be paid $60,000, and $240,000 will be split amongst other eligible workers.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke said, “This agreement sends a clear message that in providing paid or unpaid parental leave, employers must guarantee that those benefits are provided without reliance on presumptions about which parent can be the primary caregiver,” according to The Tampa Bay Times.
On top of settling, Tampa will be forced to adopt a new non-sex-discriminating parental leave policy, but it will need to be approved by the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tampa.
Upon approval, the city will be required to work with an officer from Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to guarantee the changes are implemented.
“When it comes to providing leave for bonding with a new child or flexibility in returning to work from that leave, mothers and fathers should be treated equally,” Tamra Schweiberger, director of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s Tampa field office, said in a statement.
The Tampa City Council denies any wrongful discrimination against Burger or any other male employees, but says they came to the resolution to “avoid the risk and burdens of protracted litigation.”
In a lawsuit filed on Dec. 20, an investigation into customer complaints found the satellite radio and streaming service allegedly forces subscribers to wait in an automated system before interacting with customer service representatives for long periods. After lengthy wait times to speak to an agent, affidavits found agents would hold longer conversations, pushing the customer to continue their subscription.
The suit seeks financial penalties, including compensation for the time customers spent online, described as “a deliberately lengthy” cancellation process.
The attorney general obtained training documents teaching employees how to drag out phone cancellation requests and online chats. If subscribers explained to agents they wanted to cancel due to high fees, they would have to listen to several more expensive subscription offers than the one they initially wanted to cancel.
On average, it would take subscribers a little over 11 minutes to cancel by phone and 30 minutes for online cancellations; however, for others, the timeline was longer. One customer said, “When I finally spoke to the first representative and explained that I had been waiting nearly half an hour, I was promptly hung up on. Which means I had to wait again.”
A statement from James’ office says forcing subscribers to endure long wait times to deter them from canceling is illegal. “Having to endure a lengthy and frustrating process to cancel a subscription is a stressful burden no one looks forward to, and when companies make it hard to cancel subscriptions, it’s illegal,” she said. “Consumers should be able to cancel a subscription they no longer use or need without any issues, and companies have a legal duty to make their cancellation process easy.”
Close to 580,000 subscribers who tried to cancel by phone during 2019 and 2021 said they abandoned their efforts after being subjected to long wait times in the queue. However, the company denies the claims brought against them, saying online chat agents respond to requests within minutes and can cancel online. Spokesperson Jessica Casano-Antonellis says Sirius plans to defend themselves.
“Like a number of consumer businesses, we offer a variety of options for customers to sign up for or cancel their SiriusXM subscription and upon receiving and reviewing the complaint, we intend to vigorously defend against these baseless allegations that grossly mischaracterize SiriusXM’s practices.”
Bridge Fires Cause Atlanta To Clear Homeless Encampments Around City
Amid another bridge fire, the City of Atlanta plans to clear out many homeless encampments, yet states it will provide new shelter options.
The City of Atlanta is clearing out many homeless encampments around the city due to fires under the bridges. The news comes amid plans to open a shelter made of recycled shipping containers.
A fire underneath Cheshire Bridge Rd in the Northeast area of Atlanta was allegedly due to a homeless encampment, assumed to spark the fire to keep warm in the frigid winter temperatures. However, the black smoke rising around 1 am on Dec. 20 led law enforcement to clear out underneath the bridge, with plans to do this across Atlanta.
The area has been prone to fires within the past year, causing a review of potential damage and danger to cars traveling through. In 2021, a massive part of the bridge was shut down completely, only reopening just recently in April of this year. The city hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the long-awaited reopening of one of the busiest streets in its domain. However, due to the latest fire surrounding the bridge, city officials must shut down part of the road again as structural engineers survey its safety.
To remedy the growing homelessness crisis in Atlanta, city officials are finalizing a $5 million village for the unhoused, utilizing renovated shopping containers to provide shelter. According to Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, plans to open the rapid transitional housing facility in January 2024 remain intact, although the village can only house 40 people.
“Policy decisions are going to be made around whether we allow or disallow anybody to ever go up under a bridge to live and so consider that trespassing,” shared the elected official. “But we’ve got to have options for people.”
Atlanta’s unhoused population has reached new heights, with the Atlanta Mission reporting that 2,000 individuals sleep outside each night. For those seeking shelter in unorthodox places, Atlanta’s airport has also become a makeshift place of refuge, leading city officials to urge the airport to develop a program to aid the nearly 200 people who sleep in the facility. Community leaders have taken action to spread awareness on the issue, including the Concerned Black Clergy of Metropolitan Atlanta, staging a “Sleep The Night Out” event on Dec. 16 in solidarity with those in this unfortunate circumstance.
As for the bridge, the timeline for its full reopening in the aftermath of the latest fire has yet to be determined.
Megan Thee Stallion Throws Shade At Spotify And Nicki Minaj In Instagram Live
Megan Thee Stallion takes shot at Spotify and alludes to Nicki Minaj's lyrics regarding Tory Lanez in a provocative Instagram Live.
Megan Thee Stallion threw shots in a new rant about what’s next for her musically. The rapper appeared to want smoke with Spotify and allegedly Nicki Minaj while on Instagram Live on Dec. 23.
This upcoming release, commencing with her latest single, “Cobra,” will be her first project that completely follows her departure from her previous label, 1501 Certified Entertainment. The strained relationship between the company and Megan Thee Stallion reached its conclusion in October, with the Grammy winner’s attorney stating that both parties agreed upon a “confidential settlement.”
“I’m about to give everyone exactly what they have been looking for. Good or bad. Like if you have been calling for me, here I come. I’m coming,” stated the Houston native, as reported byRap-Up.
Viewers also thought Megan’s sentiments referred to fellow emcee Nicki Minaj, who referred to Tory Lanez in her song “FTCU” with the lyrics “Stay in your Tory lane b-tch, I’m not Iggy.” Lanez was found guilty by a jury in Dec. 2022 of shooting Megan, who collaborated with Minaj before on the “Hot Girl Summer” remix, in a highly publicized trial.
As for Spotify, the platform where Megan Thee Stallion boasts over 23 million listeners monthly, the rapper stated that the app is essentially only for younger music streamers.
“I feel like you’re 15 if you use Spotify,” expressed the 28-year-old.
Megan’s true feelings came after her friend played “Put In On The Floor,” a song by Latto and Minaj’s rival Cardi B, via the platform. The Instagram Live gained significant traction, not only for her explicit claims but also for her twerking amid the shady rant.
North Carolina Farmers, Faith Leaders Gave Over 400 Boxes of Produce To Combat Food Insecurity
The Triad Black Faith Leaders partnered with the Black Farmers Network and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Guilford County Center.
This December, a coalition of Black faith leaders and farmers distributed more than 400 boxes of fresh, locally-grown produce to underserved communities in the Triad area of North Carolina. The group aimed to increase access to nutritious food options for those struggling with food insecurity during the 2023 holiday season.
The Triad Black Faith Leaders partnered with the Black Farmers Network and the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Guilford County Center to make the effort possible.
Farmer Charles Lucas, a Vietnam veteran, supplied more than 150 boxes filled with North Carolina-grown produce to be given out at community centers and schools between December 13 and December 20.
“Every town has a food desert, and we need to supply them with fresh vegetables,” Lucas stated. The farmer identified a sense of purpose in supplying the community with such an essential need. “It’s such a good feeling to be able to do that for people,” he said.
The faith leaders formed a coalition with the farmers’ group to help disadvantaged communities obtain healthy food without worrying about cost as a barrier. “Today was an awesome opportunity to support our community and for people who need food and healthy food options for the holidays,” remarked Rev. Phanta Lansden, St. James Presbyterian Church pastor. “We’re excited to be in our community and make a huge difference,” Lansden added.
Roughly 10% of North Carolina’s population struggles with food insecurity, according to the state’s Department of Health and Human Services — this effort aimed to address this need during the holiday season. As Lucas stated, “It’s such a good feeling to be able to do that for people,” the news outlet reported.
Guilford County in North Carolina provides a webpage and Food Finder app to help others in the state access food resources nearby.
North Carolina Postal Worker Punished For Seeking Help: USPS Allegedly Suspends Woman Who Followed Policy During Health Scare
Brooks said even though she has been reinstated to work, USPS has taken zero accountability for penalizing her during a medical crisis.
North Carolina mail carrier Marshun Brooks has received clearance from the United States Postal Service (USPS) to return to work after the postal company suspended her without pay for attending to a medical emergency.
On Nov. 20, Brooks suffered chest pains and shortness of breath while delivering mail. According to WBTV, she followed protocol by calling 911 and messaging her supervisors about her location and condition. Still, after hospitalization and doctor-ordered recovery time, Brooks returned to the USPS only to discover she had allegedly been suspended without pay for “abandoning her route.”
Brooks said she immediately called emergency services that morning and sent a notification through the postal service messaging system. “I’m going to put my health before anything,” the postal worker later stated after she spent nearly six hours in the ER before she took an Uber back to the mail station that evening. The woman’s supervisors allegedly ignored her earlier alerts and made no inquiries about her health.
“Did you not all see the text message I sent? Because I just got released from the hospital,” she asked her supervisor upon returning her mail truck keys that night. The supervisor allegedly only asked where the postal vehicle was, without any expression of concern.
A few days later, after her doctor cleared Brooks to resume work, a supervisor notified her of an unpaid suspension for deserting her mail route mid-shift.
“It’s totally just unfair, inhumane, no type of empathy, none, whatsoever,” a distraught Brooks commented. In response to media requests, a postal service spokesperson recited the official policy that carriers suffering medical events should “seek medical attention immediately” by visiting an ER or dialing 911 – precisely what Brooks did. “Safety is a top priority for the Postal Service,” the spokesman said.
“They don’t want to take [any] accountability,” and “I’m being penalized for it,” Brooks protested regarding her suspension. Postal authorities eventually provided a letter permitting her job reinstatement. The Dec. 19 letter offered no back pay or apology for the disciplinary action against Brooks for following protocol during a health emergency.
Affirmative Action Ban Shook Up Law School Admissions In 2023
The ability of law schools to maintain or increase minority enrollment, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Native American students, in the wake of the affirmative action ban is key for the legal profession's diversity
For years, Andy Cornblatt and his team in the admissions office at Georgetown University Law School and Center would know—by the check of a box—the race of applicants trying to win a spot at the school.
Not anymore.
Georgetown is among the law schools that have decided to mask on paper the racial identities of applicants in the aftermath of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision effectively prohibiting affirmative action policies long used to raise the number of underrepresented minority students on campuses. That ruling has made law schools rethink their approach, resulting in an admissions process that so far has been unusually slow and methodical as officials try to both retain the diversity of their student bodies and comply with the law.
“This is the most holistic admissions process we’ve seen in a long time,” said Susan Krinsky, executive vice president of operations at the Law School Admission Council, noting that admissions offices are generally looking deeper into applicant files than in prior years. The council oversees the Law School Admission Test and serves as the national clearinghouse for law school applications.
The ability of law schools to maintain or increase minority enrollment, particularly among Black, Hispanic, and Native American students, in the wake of the affirmative action ban is key for the legal profession’s diversity, where the percentages of attorneys of color lag far behind that of the general U.S. population. American Bar Association data shows that 21% of the nation’s lawyers are people of color, compared with 41% of the U.S. population.
Diversity advocates fear the ruling could set back decades of incremental progress and efforts to increase the number of minority lawyers. Already, conservative groups have used the college admissions ruling to challenge diversity programs at law firms and bar associations.
The Supreme Court’s decision doesn’t bar colleges and universities from knowing applicants’ race, but it prohibits them from using that information in decision-making. Cornblatt said he doesn’t know of any other law schools that have chosen to receive race disclosures, though Krinsky said some are still doing so. (The council did not provide data on how many schools fall into each camp.)
Masking race data can help ward off potential legal challenges, Krinsky added.
Georgetown admissions dean Cornblatt said hiding race disclosures on applications “insulates” his office from the possibility of misuse.
Race and diversity haven’t disappeared from the admissions equation altogether, however. The Supreme Court’s opinion specified that essays and personal statements in which candidates discuss their race or background are acceptable, and many law schools have added essay prompts that are intended to give admissions offices a deeper understanding of candidates.
Harvard Law School, for example, now requires applicants to submit both a “statement of purpose” covering their motivation to pursue a career in law and a “statement of perspective” explaining how their experiences, backgrounds or interests have shaped them. Those replaced a more generic personal statement and an optional diversity statement.
Also, a growing number of law school admissions offices are interviewing some or all applicants as they try to glean more information about them, Krinsky said.
The addition of more essays, interviews, and the time they require has slowed down this year’s admissions cycle for both applicants and schools, said law school admissions consultant Mike Spivey.
“It takes law school hopefuls more time to apply because they must write more school-specific essays instead of a single personal statement that can be used on multiple applications,” he said. Plus, admissions offices have more material to wade through as they form their classes.
Most law schools begin accepting applications in August or September, with acceptances continuing through late spring and into the summer as people move off wait lists.
Data from the Law School Admission Council reflect this year’s lag: this cycle began with the number of applicants down more than 3% but has since recovered and is up 4%.
“This is the slowest admit cycle than in the 25 years I’ve been doing this,” Spivey said. “It’s because of [the Supreme Court ruling] and all the change. It has become a harder job for admissions offices.”
UCLA gymnast Chae Campbell performs a Black Panther-inspired floor routine at a preseason meet.
A UCLA gymnast is paying homage to Marvel’s Black Panther. Chae Campbell’s floor routine, inspired by the mythical country of Wakanda within the film, is an instance of Black excellence in the sport.
Campbell performed the routine at UCLA’s “Meet The Bruins” showcase of its renowned gymnastics program as it prepare for next year’s upcoming competition season. According to USA Today, the college senior is an all-star in her own right, being featured as the 2021 PAC-12 floor exercise co-champion and a designated All-American athlete. High-level performance is not new to Campbell, having received 10s on her floor routines twice before in 2022.
UCLA Gymnastics posted the entire routine on its social media. Campbell was also featured in the tribute performance wearing a leotard fit for a Wakandan, wearing the movie’s signature colors and design.
“Inspired by the movie Black Panther, Chae Campbell’s senior year floor routine is simply Marvel-ous,” captioned the team.
Campbell also shared behind-the-scenes footage of the making of the leotard. The leotard was designed by Sylvia Dancewear, a company that also helped a fellow UCLA gymnast, Nya Reed, pay tribute to her sorority through her costume. Reed wore a custom design that boasted the letters of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
“A little behind-the-scenes look at our MTB Leo reveals,” explained Campbell in the caption. “Thank you, @sylviapteamwear, for bringing my vision to life with this beautiful Leo. It captures everything that Black Panther represents: Power and elegance!”
Campbell is already a star on the rise, being included in Pac-12 women’s gymnastics 2024 Preseason Watch List. With her creativity and skillset already apparent on the floor, More eyes are sure to be on Campbell’s own power and elegance as she makes her final year debut for the UCLA gymnastics upcoming season, which begins on Jan. 12.
‘The Color Purple’ Came Through On Christmas Day And Cleared The Box Office
The 2023 film adaptation of "The Color Purple” shattered records at the box office and earned an astounding $18 million on its premiere day.
The Color Purple was proven to be a big hit as evidenced by the millions of dollars the musical successfully earned on its first day in theaters.
Viewers flooded into the 3,152 North American theaters with showtimes for the new film that tells the story of a young Black woman who finds her voice in the early 20th century South. According to Variety, the public support led to the movie earning a whopping $18 million in ticket sales on Christmas Day. This has been recorded as the biggest film opening on Christmas Day since 2009. The Color Purple also landed the No. 2 spot for biggest Christmas Day openings of all time. The soaring ticket sales for the Christmas Day premiere resulted in the film taking the top post, followed by two other new releases, Ferrari and The Boys in the Boat, which earned $5.7 million and $2.8 million, respectively.
Setting a new bar for film musicals, the 2023 cinematic adaptation of The Color Purpleshattered records with its box office earnings, generating more in its opening weekend than recent Broadway-to-screen musicals like In the Heights, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, and Cats. The musical leads the list in ticket sales, with “In the Heights” following behind with $10.5 million in sales.
The Color Purple received high praises and boasts an “A” Cinema score alongside a multitude of positive reviews.
Fans crowded the film’s official Instagram page with comments about the movie. “This movie was wonderful! The scenery, costumes, dancing, acting was beautiful!” one user wrote. Another user scurried to the page immediately after she got home from the theater.
“I just got home and I absolutely loved it!” she wrote.
“I am so thankful that The Color Purple movie came out today, and that I saw it by myself. This movie brings out all your emotions. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to see a really good movie with a big heart. Even if you’ve seen the original movie, like I did many times, and as much as I loved it…This one (really I never thought I’d say this) raised the bar even higher.”
The film adaptation of the novel-turned-Broadway musical features a notable cast, which included Fantasia Barrino-Taylor, Danielle Brooks, and Taraji P. Henson, as previously mentioned by BLACK ENTERPRISE.
