Rastafarian Cop Sues South Fulton Police Department For Allegedly Violating CROWN Act
Myrie relocated from New York after receiving a job offer from the South Fulton County Police Department.
Milton Myrie filed a lawsuit against the City of South Fulton Police Department when he was allegedly forced to cut his dreadlocks to keep the job he had acquired.
Myrie is a practitioner of the Rastafarian religion, where devotees grow dreadlocks as an outward symbol of their faith.
According to the lawsuit, the aspiring officer was about to sign his contract when former Deputy Chief Connie Rogers, who also had locs, informed him that he would have to cut his hair. The 36-year-old man said he requested religious accommodations several times but was denied.
Myrie attempted to comply with the policy and shaved his head several times. According to the Georgia-based lawsuit, the repeated shaving led to a chronic skin condition, which makes it difficult for him to grow his hair back.
“They’re important to him as part of his Rastafarian religion, his family, all of them have locks. And because of this situation, he is the only one in this family who doesn’t have locks at this point.” Myrie’s attorney, Arnold Lizana, told 11 Alive News.
Lizana continued, “He understands that this fight is bigger than him, and he hopes that there will be some significant change as a result of it.”
Court documents claim that Myrie experienced “humiliating gender-based double standards,” pointing out that female officers were allowed to wear the same hairstyle without receiving any push-back from the department.
The lawsuit states that the City of South Fulton violated the CROWN Act, which makes it unlawful for employers to discriminate against employees over their natural hair.
“CROWN stands for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair. The City of South Fulton CROWN Act states residents with natural hair do not experience workplace discrimination for religious, cultural or racial reasons.”
The lawsuit also states that the City of South Fulton violated the Civil Rights Act by failing to accommodate a religious hairstyle.
Songwriter Pens Open Letter To Diddy Backing Cassie’s Claims, ‘You Traumatized Me’
Red revealed that she is the anonymous friend named in the singer's lawsuit against the Bad Boy Records founder.
Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Tiffany Red has penned an open letter to Sean “Diddy” Combs backing abuse claims made by his longtime girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Red, who revealed she is the anonymous friend named in the singer’s lawsuit against the Bad Boy Records founder, struck up a friendship with the “Me And U” artist in 2015, Rolling Stone reports.
Red’s letter comes on the heels of Combs’ first public statement addressing the mounting allegations against him and corroborates events outlined in Ventura’s lawsuit. One incident in question allegedly occurred on the singer’s 29th birthday after Cassie wanted to leave.
“You were not happy that she was leaving. I remember your people hovering around us, trying to discourage Cassie from leaving, but we went anyway. You followed us and arrived just a little bit after we did. It was instantly uncomfortable,” Red wrote. “When I walked out of the room, you had her backed into a corner in the hallway outside of the door, and your security surrounded you two as you cursed her out with your hands in her face. She and I briefly made eye contact. I felt helpless.”
The songwriter goes on to detail that Cassie allegedly confided in her that on that night, she was forced to engage in sexual acts at the behest of Combs while being heavily under the influence of both drugs and alcohol.
“She later told me you made her have a ‘Freak Off’— which Cassie described in her lawsuit as an ‘arrangement’ where you would make her perform sexual acts with male sex workers — that night,” she continued. Red also alleges that Combs made gregarious sexual advances toward Ventura, who, throughout the evening, explicitly expressed that she did not want to leave with the music icon.
“I was terrified for Cassie and completely traumatized,” she said.
Red addressed Combs as a “literal pillar in Black music” while expressing her disappointment in his dangerous “abuse of power” that she claimed “inflicted ongoing harm on countless individuals, including myself, my friends, and my peers.”
While the songwriter acknowledged her fear of coming forward, she felt it necessary to speak out to support Ventura.
“The power imbalance makes it nearly impossible to fight back and terrifying to speak up,” Red continued. “But despite that, here I am, standing beside my friend. There are moments in life when some of us have to face the hard choice of speaking truth to power or not.”
Derek Chauvin Is Back In Prison Custody After Being Stabbed 22 Times
The former police officer, convicted of killing George Floyd was assaulted by another inmate, 52-year-old John Turscak
Derek Chauvin, the police officer who was convicted of killing George Floyd on May 25, 2020, and was stabbed in an Arizona prison, has been returned to prison custody, according to his attorney.
According to NBC News, Chauvin’s attorney, Gregory Erickson, released a statement saying that his client has been removed from a local hospital and returned to prison custody “for his follow-up care.” The former Minneapolis police officer, who is currently serving a 22-year sentence, was stabbed multiple times on Friday, Nov. 24, at the Federal Correctional Institution in Tucson, Ariz. Fifty-two-year-old John Turscak allegedly committed the assault, according to a criminal complaint.
Erickson said that he was in touch with Chauvin’s family, and “they confirmed that this medical condition has improved to the extent that he has been removed from the trauma care facility at a local Tucson hospital and returned to prison custody for his follow-up care.”
“His family is very concerned about the facility’s capacity to protect Derek from further harm. They remain unassured that any changes have been made to the faulty procedures that allowed Derek’s attack to occur in the first place.”
The suspect in Chauvin’s stabbing has been charged with attempted murder, assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, and assault resulting in serious bodily injury in connection with the stabbing. He told correction officers that if they had not come to the scene so quickly, he would have killed the former police officer. He told federal prosecutors that he wanted to kill Derek Chauvin on Black Friday (the day after Thanksgiving when retail stores open early to signify the start of the holiday shopping season) to symbolize the Black Lives Matter movement and the “black hand” symbol of the Mexican mafia.
Chauvin is in prison for his role in the murder of Floyd after being caught on mobile phone video kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 9½ minutes. The video clip went viral as viewers witnessed Floyd telling Chauvin that he couldn’t breathe before showing no signs of life as the former police officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck. He is serving a state and federal sentence for his crime concurrently, 21 years for the federal sentence for violating Floyd’s civil rights and 22.5 years for a second-degree murder charge.
LeBron James Slams Gun Laws In Wake Of UNLV Campus Shooting
LeBron James lamented the frequency of deadly mass violence he feels is tied to lax firearm regulations.
On Dec. 6, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James spoke out against the country’s ongoing gun control issue amid reports of an active shooter situation on the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) campus. James lamented the frequency of deadly mass violence he feels is tied to lax firearm regulations, Fox News reports.
The NBA’s marquee player was in Las Vegas for the league’s inaugural in-season tournament when he addressed the media.
“It just goes back to what I said before about guns in America. It’s such a long conversation, but we’re the only ones who keep dealing with this same story, same conversation every single time it happens, and it continues to happen,” James said. “The ability to get a gun. The ability to do these things over and over, and there’s been no change is literally ridiculous. It makes no sense we continue to lose innocent lives on campuses, in schools, at shopping markets, in theaters and all types of stuff. It’s ridiculous. It’s ridiculous.”
The four-time champion seemed to echo the thoughts of many who have called for gun reform in pointing out the lack of urgency to find solutions in the face of unthinkable tragedy and violence.
“And the fact we haven’t changed anything. It’s actually been a lot easier actually to be able to own a firearm. … It’s stupid,” he continued.
The suspected shooter was identified as a 67-year-old college professor who was allegedly denied a position at the university before the attack, The Associated Press reports. He would later be identified as Anthony Polito of Henderson, Nevada. Polito killed three people and wounded another before being fatally shot by law enforcement, the outlet reports. It was nearly seven years ago that a gunman wreaked havoc on the Las Vegas Strip when he killed 60 people and wounded more than 400 at a country music festival in 2017. It is still regarded as the deadliest shooting in modern American history.
There have been over 600 mass killings in the U.S. in 2023, ABC News reports, while school shootings have hit an all-time high for the second year in a row.
Muni Long Learns She Is Autistic, Says Diagnosis ‘Explains So Much’
Singer Muni Long just learned that she is autistic and believes the diagnosis "explains so much" about her behavior.
Singer Muni Long just learned that she is autistic and believes the diagnosis “explains so much” about her behavior.
The Grammy-winning singer took to Twitter on Sunday, December 3 to share a health update she received that ties to the lupus she revealed she was diagnosed with last year.
“So apparently I’m autistic, and my free self is the version of me that I began repressing at the age of 22 because it made people highly uncomfortable,” she wrote. “It started first with me doing insane amounts of drugs and then when that didn’t work I just held it in. Which led to lupus.”
So apparently I’m autistic, and my free self is the version of me that I began repressing at the age of 22 because it made people highly uncomfortable. It started first with me doing insane amounts of drugs and then when that didn’t work I just held it in. Which led to lupus.
“And now the lupus has gotten to a point where it’s effectively impossible to contain,” she continued. “And in order to free myself from the rollercoaster that is autoimmune disease, I have to let my emotions, thoughts and feelings out…. But…. Autism! OMG WTF THIS IS SO WACK [weeping emoji].”
And now the lupus has gotten to a point where it’s effectively impossible to contain. And in order to free myself from the rollercoaster that is autoimmune disease, I have to let my emotions, thoughts and feelings out…. But…. Autism! OMG WTF THIS IS SO WACK 😭
Muni Long might think having autism is “wack” but there are a variety of famous figures who have thrived with the spectrum disorder. According to Behavorial Innovations, a few celebrities who had/have autism include Albert Einstein, Tim Burton, Dan Akroyd, Anthony Hopkins, Bill Gates, Nikola Tesla, and Elon Musk.
Here’s How To Get Into Business With The Government
Originally Published Jun. 3, 2018
Every year, the government allocates funds to help small businesses. In 2023 alone, $250 million have been procured, according to the White House. While that may seem like a lot of money and opportunity up for grabs, winning government contracts is challenging and requires a lot of knowledge and attention to detail.
So, where should people start? Great question! This article on the ins and outs of government contracting is a good place to begin. We spoke with Gail Bassette, the executive director of the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) Federal Procurement Center, operated by the Capital Region Minority Supplier under the U.S. Department of Commerce, about bidding for and winning government contracts. Bassette has over 20 years of experience in public and private organizations providing fiscal, operations, procurement, marketing, small business development, and government-related services. And she proudly severed on the Obama administration’s Interagency Task Force on Federal Contracting Opportunities for Small Businesses and as an adviser to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Civil Rights, to develop a national small and disadvantaged business enterprise program.
When it comes to learning about and positioning your company to win contracts, she says it is important for small business owners seeking to win government contracts to learn and familiarize themselves with government contracting rules because it is another language and requires a lot of work.
Certify your business
First things first, before small businesses can apply for federal contracts, they must be certified and recognized by the Small Business Administration (SBA), along with other requirements that must be adhered to.
“The first requirement is that you must register with the federal government supplier database. And that’s called System for Award Management (SAM). Without entry or registration into this database, you will not be able to do work with the federal government. Then you have to obtain your Dun & Bradstreet Number (DUNS Number). Then, you will have to determine your business size to qualify for government set-aside contracts. Then you need to identify what they call your North American Industry Classification System,” Bassette.
From there, she says that developing your strategic growth plan and learning the federal contracting language is critical.
Learn the language
“There are a lot of acronyms and a lot of rules. But once you familiarize yourself with the government process and you get in, then you’re in. If you continue to do good business and build relationships, you can really be successful.”
There are also many different contracts. “You have a purchase order, requests for quotation, requests for information, requests for proposals, and information for bid. And, all government contracts give specific guidelines and instructions on how to respond to the bid,” says Bassette.
Looking for contracting opportunities can be as simple as going online. “Most federal agencies post on their websites what they call contracting opportunities forecasts. These forecasts are planned federal contracting opportunities that will identify upcoming opportunities per quarter. And, the Federal Business Opportunities site, also called FedBizOpps, is a go-to resource for open prime contracting opportunities with the federal government,” says Bassette.
And for those looking for sub-contracting opportunities, you can visit SubNet. “The federal government sets aside contracts for competition amongst small and disadvantaged businesses, women’s owners, services disabled, veteran-owned companies and historically under-utilized zones or as they call it HubZones. And they also have government-wide contracts such as GSA Schedule, and this is an additional way that the government can buy goods and services,” added Bassette.
Beyond the language and completing the qualifying steps, it is also important to hone in on the relationship and proposal-building process before you approach a federal agency.
“One of the best ways to do that is to identify a business networking opportunity or a procurement conference you may be interested in attending. But before you attend that conference, you need to peruse the agenda to identify the agencies that align with what your business has to offer. Then, when you peruse the agenda and identify the person slated to attend the event, you find out about their organization because everything is strategic,” says Bassette.
She also adds that the government agencies are really interested in knowing that you know their business. So you have to do the homework on their mission, know some of the challenges they face, and what they buy.
And with any networking opportunity, Bassette says that following up is critical. “Within 24 hours after the event, you need to send a follow-up email to the people you met. Thank them for the conversation and ask them for a brief meeting that is set up like a telecom because sometimes they are too busy to continue the conversation. This approach will now serve as the beginning stages of establishing a meaningful and sustainable relationship.”
Write A Winning Proposal
For every contract made available, there are guidelines that small business owners have to adhere to when applying, as well as a time period for questions and answers where people can communicate with those overseeing the contract. Once a contract is open for bidding, small business owners have 6 to 8 weeks to prepare their proposal before submitting it. But, this time can vary.
“There are several marketing intelligence lead generation tools, and these tools help you identify contracting opportunities. And oftentimes they reach back to three and four years to capture opportunities so that you can plan better. So when these contracts expire, you would have already put your team together, done your market research, and investigated the environment of that particular agency so that it can position you better to win the contract,” says Bassette.
For those putting a proposal together for the first time, organizations like the Minority Business Development Agency, Small Business Administration, and other small business development centers will walk you through the proposal process.
“Ideally, a company should team with a successful government contractor who understands how to assemble a proposal. They should team with them on a particular bid, and they will see first-hand how to put a proposal together from the technical to the financing side,” says Bassette.
Every proposal has three sections:
Section C — Includes the scope of services.
The instructions — You must abide by the instructions accordingly—all the way down to the margins you must use on your papers.
The evaluation — This is how the government evaluates certain parts of your proposal.
And when it comes to putting together a strong proposal, here is what Bassette says it should comprise:
You must explain how you perform the work, and that’s in the scope of services.
Provide evidence of core competencies. Meaning what you do best that will help your client reach their desired outcome. And in that, you need to provide an innovative solution, especially at a competitive price.
Identify your key personnel and list their qualifications.
Demonstrate excellent past performance. The government prefers to do business with companies that have past performance in doing that kind of work or similar work. And it doesn’t always have to be past performance work in the government. It can be commercial work also.
Form strategic partners to complement your services because a lot of proposals are huge. And they require different technical skill sets.
Scale up. You have to always be looking ahead on how you can provide more services. If the government wants to give you more work, they want to make sure that you can do the work. So, you have to have the ability to scale and be financially sound.
In addition to putting together a strong proposal, it is important for small businesses to gauge opportunities to ensure that they are equipped to manage the contract if awarded one.
“A small business should only respond to federal government opportunities when they have a high probability of winning. It takes a lot of time and resources to respond to these requests for proposals. So you thoroughly have to review the scope of work and solicitation and then form a strategic analysis of their capabilities and resources to determine whether or not they want to make a bid or a no-bid decision,” says Bassette.
A common mistake that business owners often make when bidding for and winning contracts is not having the capabilities to fulfill the obligations of the contract for its entire life cycle. “Contracts are awarded per year. Some people will say that they have a five-year contract, however, the government has the option to award the contract each year based on performance. So if you perform well the first year and the government decides to award an option year, then you have to have the resources and capabilities to go to the next year also,” says Bassette.
Form strategic partnerships
Because some contracts are so large, small businesses are encouraged to team up with companies that can help them meet the needs of the contracts. One way around the possible issue of not having enough resources to fulfill a contract is to form strategic partnerships with other companies who do similar work and centers like the MBDA, who can help you make connections. As an executive director, Bassette pairs companies with one another so that they can win big contracts. In a six-week period, she had to help a company find a partner to team up with for a major contract, and together, they ended up winning a $27 million contract with the federal government.
With all things considered, Bassette also encourages small business owners to invest in business coaching to have someone help them grow and navigate through different processes. She advises small business owners: “Companies need to learn how to build systems within their organization and be entrepreneurs. This means you need to bring business to your company as the CEO. And as you build the system, the company can run on its own. You always have to do a look ahead on what is going on.”
‘Nonstop Silver’: Beyoncé Fans Flock To Thrift Stores, Unloading Unwanted Silver Outfits From Renaissance Tour
For the last string of concerts on her tour the songstress urged her fans to dress in the silver theme of 'Renaissance.'
Beyoncé fans are rushing to thrift stores to get rid of their no-longer needed silver looks. A viral TikTok posted on Dec. 2 revealed that thrift stores are struggling to sell off the goods, worn by many fans who attended the singer’s Renaissance World Tour.
Although the tour concluded in September, the remnants of its cultural impact are still felt, this time by the second-hand stores that are now left to deal with the hordes of chromatic clothing popularized by it, The New York Post reports.
TikTok user (and thrift shop worker) @mistervenus9 showcased some of the stock that has been accumulating since the tour ended.
“I have seen nonstop silver for the last three months,” the employee captioned the post. The video displayed multiple silver and sparkly items, from skirts to shoes and even an entire suit seemingly made for the occasion. The employee didn’t express any negative sentiments about it, just noting that concert-goers ditched their attire promptly after the show. However, commenters were swift to note the occurrence as an instance of wasteful consumerism.
“This is actually so sad do people feel like they can’t dress like this outside a concert? why buy it [then] i hate consumerism GAH,” commented one user.
Other expressed similar thoughts, with one stating that they thrifted their original outfit to ensure they would not contribute to wasteful buying.
“The way I thrifted my outfit for the concert [because] I knew if I at least didn’t [want to] rewear it at least it was already created and thrifted,” wrote one user.
The rush to match the theme of Beyoncé’s tour stemmed from a direct call by Beyoncé herself to her massive fanbase, known as the Beyhive. For the last string of concerts on her tour, including those surrounding her birthday on Sept. 4, the songstress urged her fans to dress in silver and join the color palette and theme of “Renaissance.”
For fans who don’t want their silver attires to be a “one and done” venture, those who are willing to be outfit repeaters can dress up in the same look at the Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé concert film, which is in theaters now.
Michael Jackson’s First Studio Recording To Be Digitally Released
One of Michael Jackson's earliest known recordings is becoming available to fans through a blockchain-based music and royalty marketplace.
One of Michael Jackson’s earliest known recordings is becoming available to fans through a blockchain-based music and royalty marketplace.
The King of Pop’s “Big Boy (One-derful Version)” was recorded in 1967, a few years before the Jackson 5 made their mainstream debut. Jackson recorded the song when he was just 8 years old and singing into a microphone for the first time.
The song was recorded in Chicago’s One-derful Studios, which gives the track its special name. Now MJ fans will be able to stream the song digitally. But not on iTunes or any major streaming provider, Forbes reports.
Instead, the exclusive track will be available on anotherblock, a blockchain-based music and royalty marketplace based in Sweden. There will be two packages with premium rates for access to the song.
The $25 option comes with a copy of the song, track stems, photos connected to the song, and several musical memorabilia pieces related to Jackson’s early music. The $100 option includes more special add-ons, nine additional songs Jackson recorded in 1967, along with a digital copy of “Big Boy (One-derful Version).”
The digital stream will only be available for purchase for a limited time. Fans will have only two days to purchase the song, beginnning on Thursday, December 7 at 12:00 PM EST.
The song had previously been pressed on a somewhat obscure vinyl compilation, and was never made public until a journalist recently rediscovered the single. The Jackson Estate appears to be on board with the song’s release as a press release included a statement from the family matriarch Katherine Jackson.
“This was their first step in music with ‘Big Boy,’ empowered by the voice of the youngest and the best to ever do it. I can’t believe his voice, along with his brothers’, would echo for decades,” she said.
“Through anotherblock’s endeavor, the Jackson family’s initial recordings of our musical heritage find a new rhythm for the digital age. It is a testament that the Jacksons’ story, just like our music, remains timeless. And the best part is that some proceeds will go to a local foundation to help the families of Gary, Indiana.”
Biden Approves $5 Billion More Toward Student Loan Debt
This move extends the total relief offered to over 3.6 million borrowers for a total of $132 billion.
CNN reports that the Biden administration is tackling the student loan crisis by greenlighting an additional $5 billion in federal student loan debt cancellation.
This move extends the total relief offered to $132 billion for more than 3.6 million borrowers. Although Biden’s prominent student loan forgiveness program, which aimed to grant up to $20,000 in debt relief to low- and middle-income borrowers, was struck down by the Supreme Court, the administration is unwavering in its dedication to exploring alternative avenues for debt relief.
“We are continuing to pursue an alternative path to deliver student debt relief to as many borrowers as possible as quickly as possible,” Biden said in a release.
The latest round of debt cancellations was made possible through existing federal student loan forgiveness programs, catering to specific categories of borrowers. These include public-sector workers qualifying under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which erases remaining student loan debt after a decade of qualifying monthly payments. Another category includes borrowers who have made at least 20 years of qualifying payments in an income-driven repayment program but didn’t receive credit for all their previous payments.
“The latest discharges are a result of this administration’s relentless efforts to fix our country’s broken student loan system and get hard-earned debt relief into the hands of eligible borrowers,” Education Secretary Miguel Cardona said
The one-time recount of past payments, initiated by the Biden administration to rectify past administrative failures, has been a significant factor in providing debt relief. Borrowers enrolled in income-driven repayment plans, available since 1993, have benefited from adjustments to their accounts. However, the administration faces challenges, with some Republican lawmakers and conservative groups questioning the authority to recount payments, leading to legal challenges.
In addition to debt cancellation, the Biden administration has taken steps to ease the burden on borrowers as federal student loan payments resumed in October. The introduction of the SAVE (Saving on a Valuable Education) repayment plan and a 12-month on-ramp period aim to provide relief and shield borrowers from severe consequences during the transition.
Savage X Fenty Plus-Size Model Says No To ‘Body Acceptance’ Instead Wants To ‘Celebrate’ It
A brand ambassador and model for Rihanna's Savage X Fenty is championing the beauty of body inclusivity and positivity.
A brand ambassador and model for Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty is championing the beauty of body inclusivity and positivity.
New York-based plus-size model Maia N. Douglas has had the pleasure of modeling for Rihanna’s lingerie company and appearing on a giant billboard in Times Square for Dove, Fox News reports. She used to work in property management but launched a modeling career after getting into content creation in 2020.
Douglas always had dreams of modeling, but didn’t think it was possible because of her size.
“I don’t fit a lot of checkboxes that naturally make me a person you would bet on,” she said. “I had a lot of things stacked up against me. I’m plus-size. I’m an African American girl.”
“And I had to really get over that fear of rejection and being told no and just accept the fact that… I will get a thousand no’s. But if I keep saying yes, one day I’ll meet someone who’s going to say yes back. And then that’s how opportunities happen,” she added.
There were castings that crushed her spirit and left her in tears due to the body-shaming that would take place.
“I had someone say, ‘You’re way too big to be doing this. You’re just not the right look. No one will want to work with you.’ And I was just like, ‘Okay, I appreciate you saying that. It hurts, but I don’t believe that. And I know there’s a space for me because there’s a space for everyone.'”
She recalls “one of the worst” experiences she had with one casting director who told her she wasn’t “marketable.”
“I knew you’re busty, but I didn’t know you look like this. So I don’t really know what we can do with you… I don’t think anyone wants to work with you. You’re not that marketable,'” Douglas recalled the casting director telling her.
But she had alredy sent in all her photos and measurements beforehand when they pursued her for the opportunity.
“They knew everything. They had seen me for a year. Like I present very well online what I look like.”
Having survived an eating disorder as a child and finally coming to a place of loving herself, Douglas is working to break stigmas around being plus-sized and even get other curvy community members to embrace the word “fat.”
“For me personally, fat is not a dirty word,” she shared.
“When it comes to, like, the term body acceptance … I don’t believe that that’s the goal… After you’re grieving something, you have acceptance… It’s like a tolerance…. But I feel like after accepting it, there should be a celebration. Like, you should be able to celebrate your body. So now I try to practice body celebration.”
