Uzo Aduba and Husband Robert Sweeting Welcome Baby Girl, Adaiba
The 42-year-old "Orange Is the New Black" actress joyfully introduced her first-born.
New mommy alert. Emmy-winning actress Uzo Aduba, best known for her role in the long-running Netflix hit Orange Is the New Black, shared her joy for her baby girl, Adaiba Lee Nonyem, with the world in heartwarming posts on Twitter and Instagram on November 30.
The 42-year-old actress introduced her new daughter in a post that featured a touching photograph of Aduba cradling her newborn in a hospital bed, Essence reported. She is married to cinematographer Robert Sweeting.
Aduba tweeted, “My daughter. I’ve never been in love so quickly, so deeply in my entire life. I really don’t know what to say, guys. My heart is full. Thank you, God. I have joy like a fountain. I have witnessed a miraculous thing, and I feel blessed to know you are ours. We love you so much.”
In a second post she added, “Adaiba Lee Nonyem – Daughter of the people, treasurer of the mother’s names who came before you. I’m a Mommy you guys. Motherhood. I’ve joined the club. I hear the dues are high, but the membership is completely worth it:) #grateful.“
She announced her pregnancy in June and proudly showed off her baby bump during her appearance at the 2023 Tony Awards. She had an intimate baby shower with family and friends in August, USA Today reported.
Aduba and Sweeting secretly wed in 2020, sharing the news publicly in 2021 around their one-year anniversary. During an interview on Live With Kelly and Ryan in November 2021, Aduba explained, “We were just taking the year to ourselves to enjoy the time and have some quiet time together, and then we were having our anniversary come up. [We did it] quietly and with a small group, of course—our most loved and closest family and friends. It was awesome.”
Howard University Addresses GI Bill Suspension With Dedicated Veterans Office
Two years after the suspension of its authorization to enroll students using GI Bills, Howard has established a dedicated veterans office.
In 2021 Howard University had its ability to allow student veterans who enrolled at the prestigious HBCU to use their GI Bill to pay for tuition briefly suspended. According to a Military.com investigation, this happened because the university’s administration made repeated clerical errors when handling veteran education benefits. The move to strip a university of its ability to process GI bills is rare, but the District of Columbia’s State Approving Agency made the move because the Howard administration’s lack of prudence was negatively impacting student veterans. Howard University was given 60 days to address the issue to avoid the suspension from becoming permanent.
According to their reporting, the mishandling of GI Bills was traced to Howard’s Veteran Coordinator Christopher Rhone, who later resigned from his post after Military.com’s initial investigation. According to Leana Mason, a student who had been attending Howard using her GI Bill, the university avoided giving students who had questions a straight answer about their benefits.
Military.com spoke to Aniela Szymanski, a veterans issues attorney with the advocacy organization Representing Heroes, who told them Howard’s lack of transparency was concerning.
“I think that the big shocking part here is not keeping students informed,” Szymanski said. “Students have to be proactive, and if something looks off, if there are delays, if they can’t get straight answers, they need to call the GI Bill hotline. The school is biased; perhaps they won’t always be the most forthcoming to protect their reputation. The next best option is to work with the school to delay starting.”
Another expert, Carrie Wofford, the president of Veterans Education Success, a group responsible for often lobbying Congress on issues related to the GI Bill, told Military.com that the move against Howard also concerned her, because there were other known fraudulent actors.
“It would be a disgrace if VA were to cut off Howard for paperwork compliance but not do anything about the known fraudsters,” Wofford explained. “VA and the D.C. SAA should help Howard figure out the paperwork issues and resolve it. Howard is arguably the most important historically Black college in the country and provides a great education. VA should be helping great schools and focusing any punishment on fraudsters.”
Howard University's Office of Military and Veterans Services (OMVS) celebrates and launches its Student Veterans of America (SVA) chapter. OMVS is making a difference with a $580,000 grant for mental health, mindfulness, and academic support. https://t.co/KMsMtSgQOr#VeteransDaypic.twitter.com/YL2OMjSPzP
Now two years later, according to Military.com, Howard University has opened a new office to facilitate better communication between the university and the Department of Veterans Affairs. On Nov. 9, following the receipt of $580,000 in funding from the Department of Education in October, Howard University established the Office of Military & Veterans Services, which according to the university will function as a “liaison between the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (USDVA) and the University.”
The university also promised to “assist with the processing of federal Veteran Affairs (VA) education benefits, certify enrollments to the VA, advise on procedural requirements, and provide a cultural resource for military-connected students on campus.”
“Our work is so important because we’re responsible for supporting those students who, in addition to matriculating here, may also be find themselves trying to navigate life as an active duty serviceperson or having to cope with having a loved one who is in military service,” Adon continued, “There’s really no better time than Veterans Day to show our appreciation for these students and families and officially launch our SVA chapter to really show just how committed we are to ensuring veteran and military-connected students know we’re here for them.”
Prominent Detroit Pastor, Community Activist Charles Adams Dies At 86
He was twice named by "Ebony Magazine" as one of the United States’ 15 greatest Black preachers and one of the 100 most influential Black Americans.
Influential Detroit pastor Rev. Charles Gilchrist Adams died from complication of pneumonia on Nov 29, according to his sister, Edith Clifton. He was 86 years old.
Adams spent most of his career as a pastor at the Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, retiring in 2019. He was active for nearly 50 years. His congregation said the pastor did good work for the Detroit community by using the word of the Lord and resources he had access through the church to economically develop Detroit’s northwest side.
“Detroiters have lost a great champion and a great man,” Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan said in a statement. “As a pastor of Hartford Memorial Baptist Church, Rev. Adams did more than offer words of hope and inspiration from his pulpit; he created opportunity by purchasing and developing land around Hartford, including the Hartford Village senior citizen community.”
Adams was born and raised in Detroit and graduated from Harvard University and the University of Michigan.
“While he was still a student at Harvard, he was called to be pastor of Historical Concord Baptist church, one of the oldest Black churches in Boston,” Clifton told the Detroit Free Press. “During the seven years he was there, the church built an affordable housing project.”
Former dean of Harvard Divinity School William A. Graham said, “Charles Adams is one of the country’s most accomplished religious leaders. He is not only a widely acclaimed preacher but has been just as influential as a pioneer in linking the church’s mission to urban revitalization through economic, educational, and social initiatives.”
Adams was also a member of the Seventh General Assembly of the World Council of Churches and fought against racism and social inequity all across the country. He was twice named by Ebony Magazine as one of the United States’ top 15 greatest Black preachers and one of the 100 most influential Black Americans. Adams also was a former member of the NAACP’s Detroit branch, serving as president in 1984.
Kyrie Irving Donates To Jackson, Mississippi, Sports Complex
Kyrie Irving donated an undisclosed sum to The Ark, a sports complex located in Jackson, Mississippi.
Kyrie Irving continues to put his money toward causes that connect with him.
According to WLBT, the Dallas Mavericks guard donated an undisclosed sum to The Ark, a sports complex in Jackson, Mississippi. As The Ark’s founder, Ronnie Crudup Jr., told WBLT, “For someone of that magnitude, Kyrie Irving, he’s one of the top players in the NBA. For him to send us some resources [for this] court, I think people see that, You know what, something that we do here, it does matter.”
A coach at the facility, Charles Lewis, reflected on what it could mean for the kids who come play basketball at the facility.
“It’s major,” Lewis told. “And hopefully, this inspires kids to know that somebody’s watching you. A lot of times, kids are thinking, ‘You know, I’m not being recruited. I’m not being looked at.’ But yeah, somebody’s watching. So I hope that it makes them excited.”
The money will be used to build an additional basketball court at the facility. The court will be completed by January 2024.
While the city of Jackson was going through its highly publicized water crisis in 2020, Irving said it was happening due to deliberate decisions made by those in power in Mississippi. “What’s going on now in Jackson, Mississippi — a lot of stuff is blatant,” he said on Twitch, according to New York magazine.
Ya'll @KyrieIrving just got me to my year end goal on the filter fund with his surprise donation. If 4 other celebrities would match his donation we would be at my $1M goal for my filter fund.
On Nov. 20, Irving appeared at a post-game press conference wearing a keffiyeh, a scarf popular in Middle Eastern countries that has come to represent solidarity with Palestinians. Irving did not say why he wore the scarf during the press conference, nor was he asked about it, as the press had previously hounded him for posting a link to a documentary that many described as anti-Semitic.
In 2021, Irving discussed how he felt about the turmoil in Gaza during a press conference, telling reporters that it bothered him deeply to see people discriminated against because of the color of their skin or religious beliefs.
Closer to home, Irving donated $50,000 to the GoFundMe campaign of Mari Copeny, who has expanded her organizing efforts for clean water to encompass communities across the country currently living with substandard water access. In February, Irving gave $22,000 to Valencia Andrews for a herb farm she planned on starting. His donation covered double what she was initially seeking.
Former Bad Boy Artist Claims ‘Diddy’ Wiretapped Kim Porter’s Phone And ‘Busted Her Nose’
Former Bad Boy artist Mark Curry has publicly been at odds with Combs over his publishing rights.
Rapper Mark Curry, a former Bad Boy artist, claims Sean “Diddy “Combs has a history of abusing women.
Curry, who was featured on the hit song “Bad Boy For Life” appeared on The Art Of Dialogue, where he recalled witnessing the tumultuous relationship between Combs and his former girlfriend, the late Kim Porter.
When asked if it were true that Sean Combs broke Porter’s nose, the rapper seemed to confirm the allegations. “Bust her nose, man,” Curry claimed, although no substantial proof has been presented. Curry it should be noted has publicly been at odds with Combs over his publishing rights.
He went on to allege that the music mogul wiretapped Porter’s phone. “Anytime a man would go out his way to wiretap someone’s phone or put taps in their homes just to monitor their conversations, that’s a sign of insanity.”
Referring to the lawsuit brought against Combs by singer Cassie, one of three from women alleging they were sexually assaulted by Combs, Curry said he believes P-Diddy is “very capable” of committing the acts he’s been accused of.
“It’s in his character,” Curry said. “That’s who he is. That’s what comes with power. That’s what comes with arrogance.” Curry claimed that Combs became violent with several women, including Cassie and Misa Hylton, the mother of his oldest son, Justin.
Curry also claimed Combs would host parties where he provided separate bottles of alcohol for his female guests. The rapper alleged that the women were instructed to drink from bottles that were infused with a substance that made them “real slippery.”
Howard Manor, Longtime Hub for D.C. Low-Income Families, Gets Multimillion Renovation
Howard Manor has been standing since 1950 and has been a home for dozens of Howard University-associated families.
Amazon representatives, Howard University administrators, and Washington, D.C. officials finally celebrated the renovation effort of 80 apartments at the edge of Howard’s campus on Dec. 1.
The old brick building called Howard Manor, which has been standing since 1950, now hosts a number of new and beautiful apartments that will help the District’s long-standing push for more affordable housing in the city for low-income families.
Located at the corner of Girard Street and Georgia Avenue NW, the renovation process was funded by Amazon’s Housing Equity Fund to the tune of a $31.3 million low-interest loan.
The building features one-bedroom, two-bedroom, and studio units ready to be rented out to qualifying low-income families. According to federal government limits, families will qualify if they sit at 60% of the median family income in Washington, D.C, which is around $85,400 for a family of four.
“The Howard Manor development project is a shining example of what is possible when public-private partnerships work for our people. It will provide housing, affordable housing, to dozens of Washington families,” Howard University President Ben Vinson III said at a press conference. “There was a time when Howard Manor was a jewel on Georgia Avenue. We are standing on the foundation of new hope…and new community promise.”
The impressive project is a big push for Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser’s goal to generate 12,000 affordable housing units in the next two years.
Amazon’s involvement was important for the community, since the corporation’s presence in the community has risked driving up housing prices in the D.C community, displacing families who sit low in the income median.
Back in 2021, Howard Manor was at risk of being turned into a mixed-use property with retail and stores by UIP Companies, a real estate investment firm.
A handful of former residents of Howard Manor opened up to The Washington Post about being pushed out of their homes through harsh tactics by the investors. Lestor Liburd, a 20-year Howard Manor resident, told the outlet, “They got rid of us so they could do what they were going to do.”
Since its development in 1950, Howard Manor has been an affordable and attainable housing option for graduate students, faculty members, retirees, and hospital workers.
Ariel Alternatives’ Project Black Acquires Majority Stake Of Multicultural Media Firm My Code At $400 Million Valuation
In its third acquisition under Project Black, Ariel Alternatives has purchased the multicultural media and marketing services firm My Code.
The private equity arm of Ariel Investments, Ariel Alternatives, purchased a nearly 60% stake in My Code from existing investors, including the private equity firm Falfurrias Capital Partners and other shareholders, at an enterprise valuation of $400 million. The sellers will retain a minority stake in My Code.
Project Black is not done on the acquisition front. The fund aims to pursue six to 10 middle-market platform companies with revenues between $100 million and $1 billion.
The latest deal occurred through Project Black, a $1.45 billion inaugural private equity fund Ariel Alternatives uses to buy businesses that are and are not now minority-owned. The fund intends to transform them into certified minority business enterprises that can serve as suppliers of scale to Fortune 500 companies. The purchase is the fund’s first acquisition in the marketing and advertising space.
Founded in 2015, My Code offers solutions to brands that meet the rapidly growing need for multicultural marketing based on provided materials. It has a network of over 1,200 publishing partners that reach diverse audiences. One is the 110-year-old El Diario, the U.S.’s oldest Spanish-language newspaper. The firm declares it has gained differentiated access and insights to diverse consumer groups, including Hispanic and Black audiences.
“We chose to partner with a business that shares our passion for speaking directly to diverse audiences, ultimately closing the racial information and opportunity gap,” stated Leslie Brun, co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Ariel Alternatives. “We will work hard to scale My Code by providing access to both capital and customers.”
Ariel Investments, No. 1 on the BE Asset Managers list, has about $15 billion in assets under management. The Chicago-based Ariel is the nation’s first Black-owned mutual fund firm, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Mellody Hobson, president and co-CEO of Ariel Investments, is co-founder of Ariel Alternatives.
Since Project Black’s first acquisition, Ariel Alternatives has been working diligently to identify the next platform to position as Tier 1 suppliers, a spokesperson for Brun and My Code CEO Parker Morse told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“My Code offers the opportunity to further diversify the portfolio with a company keeping pace in a rapidly evolving industry and strongly connects with Project Black’s mission to create scalable, sustainable minority-owned businesses,” the spokesperson said.
With its first purchase under Project Black, Ariel Alternatives acquired Sorenson, a top communications provider for people who are deaf and hard of hearing, in a deal reportedly worth $1.3 billion in April 2022. In another deal, Ariel Alternatives bought a 70% stake in the translation services company CQ Fluency in May 2023.
The fresh acquisition enables My Code to drive growth by aligning interests with an investor that shares Project Black’s purpose.
In the near term, the spokesperson says My Code expects to:
Leverage Ariel’s capital to invest in growth initiatives
Welcome new diverse directors to its board that bring critical expertise, including Brun, who will serve as board chairman.
Benefit from Project Black’s CPO Council, a group of Fortune 500 Chief Procurement Officers that provides data on supplier demand across sectors. The Council’s insights, among others from Ariel’s vast procurement network, will aid the Ariel investment team as it provides My Code with potential client introductions.
Former FedEx Driver D’Monterrio Gibson’s Search For Justice Over Shooting Continues
A former FedEx delivery driver is once again suing his former employer and the men whom he alleges shot at him during his delivery route.
A former Federal Express delivery driver is once again suing his former employer and the men whom he alleges shot at him during his delivery route. The civil suit filed on Nov. 20 by D’Monterrio Gibson’s lawyer, Carlos Moore, seeks $5 million in damages for Gibson, who, according to the lawsuit, went through “depression, stress, anxiety, loss of sleep, and emotional pain and suffering.”
Father-an-son duo Gregory and Brandon Case allegedly attacked Gibson as he attempted to make a delivery near their residence in January 2022. The alleged chase and gunfire led to accusations on social media that the town of Brookhaven fostered a climate of racism.
According to The Associated Press, Gibson took Gregory and Brandon Case to court earlier this year, but a judge declared a mistrial. In August, U.S. District Judge Daniel Jordan dismissed another lawsuit filed by Moore. In his decision, Jordan wrote, “The Cases’ alleged conduct is deplorable, but Gibson fails to state a viable claim against FedEx for which the Court would have original jurisdiction.”
In the former case, Circuit Judge David Strong declared a mistrial due to issues with the way that the police handled its investigation. The grand jury, meanwhile, criticized the Brookhaven Police Department for being unprofessional, having a general lack of urgency in its investigation of Gibson’s allegations, as well as alleging that it engaged in a pattern of witness blaming.
Moore, Gibson’s attorney, compared the attempt by the Case family on his client’s life to the 2020 murder of Ahmaud Arbery, telling the outlet, “It seems to be a copycat duo copying off the Ahmaud Arbery case…They saw this man was a Black man, and they just hauled off and shot at him multiple times, at least the younger son did. The older guy tried to entrap him. They were working concertedly to try to entrap and kill this man. I mean, they shot at him several times. It’s amazing that he survived.”
FedEx, the Free Press reported, initially placed Gibson on unpaid leave but, following a national outcry, pivoted to paying his salary plus therapy costs. Gibson, meanwhile, questioned how the police department ran its investigation, telling the Free Press in February, “They gave them too much time to hide evidence and to do other things, and they should have been on their case. They were too focused on worrying about what people thought about Brookhaven.”
Gibson continued, “Like even the (Black police) chief had emphasized that Brookhaven was not racist when that wasn’t even the object at hand.”
Gibson’s attorney recommended that the FBI and the Department of Justice investigate the crime allegedly committed against his client as a hate crime.
“We also call on the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to do a concurrent investigation for federal hate crime,” Moore said. “We believe that this was a racially motivated crime. They clearly could see when he stepped out of the van that he was a Black man, and they chased this Black man who was in a white neighborhood because allegedly he was suspicious while he was doing this job with a clear FedEx uniform on.”
Moore added, “If that’s not racially motivated, I don’t know what is.”
A new trial is expected to be set for the Cases, whom The AP reported, currently stand accused of attempted first-degree murder, conspiracy, and shooting into the vehicle operated by Gibson. Previously, the pair were only charged with conspiracy and aggravated assault. It could take months before a new trial date is officially set.
Gibson told WLBT-TV that the process took entirely too long.
“It was an extremely long process to get this far into the case,” Gibson said. “I feel like most of the time, I was treated like a suspect rather than a victim.”
Cardiologist Breaks Barriers To Improve Women’s Healthcare
The doctor, who was the first Black woman president at Wellesley College, focuses on sex and gender and the intersection of race and ethnicity
The first Black woman president of Wellesley College, cardiologist Dr. Paula Johnson, is improving healthcare globally by breaking down barriers for women.
Dr. Johnson’s professional goal is to improve the health and well-being of women and women of color, especially those suffering the most from inequity, Wired reported. Her work centers around sex and gender and the intersection of race and ethnicity.
Johnson’s career trajectory is a real-life example of women inspiring other women. She connected the dots about the male biases in health research studies after taking a course taught by Ruth Hubbard. Hubbard was the first tenured woman in the Harvard University biology department, Wired noted. Johnson called Hubbard a trailblazer and said, according to the outlet, “She [Hubbard] had moved away from her basic science and started teaching more about some of the societal and social issues having to do with biology, and she taught a course called Biology and Women’s Issues. It was transformational in a number of ways.”
Before that, Johnson and her family struggled to get support for her grandmother’s psychiatric illness. It lit the fire that sparked her journey into healthcare. She told Wired, “My grandmother’s psychiatric illness through a good part of my childhood was, when I look back, a motivating force.”
The doctor who founded the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital had a hand in effecting change across government policies like birth control coverage under the Affordable Care Act. She was also involved in policy changes in 2016 and 2017. She advocated for the U.S. National Institutes of Health to create a new policy to include sex as a biological variable in all of its science in 2016. In 2017, she had a part in raising awareness of sexual harassment of women in engineering and science, which also led to policy changes.
Rosa Parks Act Seeks To Honor The Late Civil Rights Activist With A Federal Holiday
Rosa Parks Day would mark the first federal holiday to honor a Black woman, or any woman, period, in American history.
The Rosa Parks Day Act, a bill that would make Dec. 1, the date Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give her bus seat to a white man, a federal holiday, has obtained the backing of the Congressional Black Caucus.
According to the Montgomery Advertiser, the bill was the first introduced by Rep. Terri Sewell, a Democrat from Selma, Alabama. Parks’ arrest began the Montgomery Bus Boycott, led by a young Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. If approved, Rosa Parks Day would mark the first federal holiday to honor a Black woman, or any woman, period, in American history.
Rosa Parks Day is already celebrated in Montgomery, Alabama, on Dec. 1, as well as in Ohio, Oregon, and Texas. California, which first celebrated Rosa Parks Day, chose Feb. 4, the date of Parks’ birthday, to commemorate the late civil rights activist. According to CNN, at a news conference on Nov. 29, Sewell made her case for why Parks should be honored with a federal holiday, saying, “This is not just about Black history. It’s about American history.”
Sewell continued, “I know that all of us, this whole nation, has benefited from the courage and bravery of this one woman.”
Sewell credited Parks with sparking a fight that led to Black people securing rights long denied.
“By simply refusing to give up her seat, Rosa Parks stood up for the values that this nation holds dear. With her quiet, dignified courage, she took a stand against a city steeped in segregation, and in doing so, she sparked the beginning of a movement that changed the very fabric of our nation,” Sewell said.
I participated in a press conference to stand proud with my colleagues, advocating for making Rosa Parks Day a federal holiday. The legacy she left on our country should be honored at a national level. I’m committed to seeing her as the first woman honored with a federal holiday. pic.twitter.com/iWwElD5QVx
Echoing Sewell’s remarks was Rep. Joyce Beatty, who told the assembled reporters that Parks’ actions deserved to be given the space befitting a national hero that she was, saying, “Rosa Parks is a martyr for equality, an icon to all, a crusader for justice. And truly, she was a phenomenal Black woman whose legacy should be revered as a hero in American history books and well beyond our borders,” Beatty explained. “It is past time to give Rosa Parks the national recognition she deserves.”
On this day in 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat to a white passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. I am proud to cosponsor @RepTerriSewell's legislation to designate December 1st as a federal holiday so that we can permanently honor her legacy. pic.twitter.com/kp1iBfxWsy
According to CNN, Sewell hopes the bill receives the bipartisan support she believes it deserves.
Steven Horsford, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, contextualized the bill’s importance within the push for the erasure of Black history, saying that there is a “rise in efforts to erase and rewrite history – Black history.”
Horsford closed his remarks by saying, “That is why it’s important for us to reclaim our history, to honor our history, to promote our history.”
December 1st marks the day Rosa Parks took a courageous stance for justice after being arrested for defying seat segregation. Her unwavering determination propelled the civil rights movement, leaving a lasting legacy of empowerment and social change. pic.twitter.com/hlmk1B28ch
Denise Pendleton, a volunteer coordinator for the Texas African American Museum in Tyler and the secretary of the Texas African American Advisory Board believes that Parks’ enduring instruction is that everyday people are change agents for societal issues.
“I think taking a page from that history and looking at women of color who are brave enough to stand up and do what needs to be done,” Pendleton told the Tyler Morning Telegraph. “If we band together, we can make a lot of changes and it doesn’t have to be the president of this or the official elected officer. Every day people make changes.”
