Simone Biles, Yurchenko double pike, gymnastics, world championships,
by Stacy Jackson

October 2, 2023

GOAT Simone Biles Adds Historic Gymnastics Achievements During World Championship Qualifier

Simone Biles made history again during the qualifiers for the World Championships on Sunday.

The professional gymnast was honored with naming her fifth element after becoming the first woman to land the Yurchenko double pike vault during the meet. According to NBC Sports, the landing brought Biles to a total of five elements named after her in the gymnastics code.

“People, I hope realize that maybe that’s one of the last times you’re going to see vault like that in your life from a women’s gymnast,” coach Laurent Landi said. “I think it’s time to appreciate that.”

As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the artistic gymnast landed the skill in 2021 at the U.S. Classic. Biles attempted the Yurchenko double pike this past summer, and after nailing it this past weekend, her name has been added in the gymnastics code across the vault, floor exercise and the balance beam; according to Gymternet, the athlete ranked with a top score in several subdivisions, including Best All-Around, Best Single Vault, and Best Floor Exercise. The floor and vault include two of the subdivisions in which Biles has elements named after her, NBC Sports reported.

The U.S. women’s gymnasts are looking toward a seventh consecutive world team title as they totaled 171.395 points ahead of Wednesday’s final. The 24 all-around finalists will compete in Friday’s final to see who will advance to Saturday’s finals on the vault and uneven bars and Sunday’s finals on beam and floor. The 2022 World all-around silver medalist, Shilese Jones, will join Biles for Friday’s finals. Jones won the silver medal in the 2022 World Championships.

BE reported that Biles, an Ohio native, is striving to break her own record for most earned medals with her 2024 Olympic performance. Team USA announced Biles as the first American woman to compete at six World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in September.

“A stat that speaks for itself,” the Team USA Instagram page wrote.

 

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Burn, Suraj
by Daniel Johnson

October 2, 2023

Bay Area Clerk Burned In Convenience Store Attack Is Slowly Recovering

A convenience store cashier was hospitalized after receiving severe burns after a man he was trying to stop from shoplifting set him on fire. Suraj, who did not provide CBS Bay Area with his last name out of fear for his safety, has been hospitalized since he was attacked on Sept. 22.

He has second- and third-degree burns on his face, neck, chest, and shoulder.

He described the event to CBS, saying, “He just splashed lighter fluid on my face, and I was so scared that moment. I tried to cover his hand, but I don’t know. I don’t remember. He just lit the fire on me you know. I just rushed to the restroom, and I just splashed water on my face.”

Suraj also called for more security measures at small stores like the one he was working at, saying: “First of all, I would like to say nobody has to go through this kind of situation, and the small stores should have more security or something like that. The workplace should be safer.”

Kendall Burton, a 38-year-old homeless man, was arrested in El Sobrante and charged with assault with a deadly weapon, battery, arson, and robbery. He is currently being held without bail. 

https://twitter.com/Ann_Lilyflower/status/1708893594910659018?t=4vXC9sj4rLzos64JKvMbpw&s=19

Suraj’s wife, Sabeena Parajuli, started a fundraiser to help the family pay his medical bills. She has raised more than $30,000.

Parajuli writes, “Right now he is out of danger and getting his treatment in Saint Fransis Memorial Hospital, SF. As wounds by the burn takes time to heal and recover and we are overwhelmed by the mental trauma and the pressure of medical procedures.”

Some commenters, who know Suraj from the trips they made to the store, said he is a kind man, and lamented that such an act was committed against him.

Burton, according to Suraj, is a repeat shoplifter who would usually take lighter fluid from the store. On the day Suraj was attacked, his co-worker made him aware that Burton was stealing again and grabbed a bat. 

According to KVTU, the sheriff’s office was dispatched to the convenience store following a call regarding a shoplifter coming in around 9:00 on Sept 22. The sheriff’s office said in an e-mail to the news station that they booked Burton to the Martinez Detention Facility, and because he also had prior arrest warrants he was being held without bond. Burton has a court date on Oct. 9 and has been assigned a public defender.

Suraj said he was in agonizing pain, telling CBS, “It’s terrible. You know, I’m still in a trauma right now, me, my family,” Suraj says from his bed. “And when we clean the wound, [the pain is] like over 10.” 

Delivery Driver Who Shot YouTube Prankster Found Not Guilty After Jury Sees Video
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 2, 2023

Delivery Driver Who Shot YouTube Prankster Found Not Guilty After Jury Sees Video

A bad prank gone wrong led to a man who posts his shenanigans to his YouTube channel being shot amid a failed prank.

The incident occurred in Virginia at a food court at Dulles Town Center on April 2, 2023. On Sept. 28, a jury found the person targeted, a delivery driver, not guilty in the shooting, according to the Associated Press.

31-year-old Alan Colie was acquitted of aggravated malicious wounding after being charged in the shooting of 21-year-old Tanner Cook, who has a YouTube channel where he pulls pranks on unsuspecting people and posts the content on “Classified Goons.”

Colie called his act self-defense and pleaded not guilty to the charges. After a jury had convened for five hours, it initially stated it was “divided in terms of whether the defendant acted in self-defense.”

After being urged by the judge to continue deliberating, they discussed it further and came back with a decision later that day. The jury found Colie guilty of a lesser gun firearms count.

Colie is still in jail, and the case isn’t over. His attorney, Adam Pouilliard, insisted that the conviction on the firearms charge is inconsistent with the law, since Colie won an acquittal on self-defense grounds. Pouilliard asked the judge to set aside the conviction. A judge will hear arguments at a hearing next month.

Pouilliard stated that Colie felt threatened by Cook, who stands at 6 foot 5, and that his client was approached in the manner Cook would take to provoke a reaction and post it on his YouTube channel. In his closing arguments, Pouilliard said Cook was “trying to confuse people to post videos. He’s not worried that he’s scaring people. He keeps doing this.”

Jurors were shown video footage of the interaction that led to Cook being shot while attempting his prank. Though it was no longer than 30 seconds, it revealed the incident between Cook and Colie.

In the clip, Cook approaches Colie as he gets a food order. As Colie backs away from Cook, he appears to look scared as the 6-foot-plus man continues to follow him. That’s when Colie pulls out his weapon and shoots Cook.

In the Market: US bond Market Signals The End Of An Era
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 2, 2023

In the Market: US bond Market Signals The End Of An Era

*Originally Reported By Reuters.com 

Oct 2 (Reuters) – The U.S. bond market is calling a moment: the age of low interest rates and inflation that began with the 2008 financial crisis has ended. What follows is unclear.

The market’s view has come into sharp focus in recent days amid a dramatic run-up in 10-year Treasury yields that hit 16-year highs.

Behind that move is a bet that the disinflationary forces the Federal Reserve fought with its easy money policies in the aftermath of the financial crisis have abated, according to investors and a regularly updated New York Fed model based on yields.

Instead, it shows investors have come to believe that the U.S. economy is probably now in what a regional Fed president said may be a “high-pressure equilibrium,” characterized by inflation running higher than the Fed’s 2% target, low unemployment rates and positive growth.

“We have moved into a new era here,” said Greg Whiteley, a portfolio manager at DoubleLine. “It’s not going to be a matter of struggling to get the inflation rate higher. It’s going to be working to keep it down.”

This momentous shift in the outlook for rates has profound implications for policy, business and people. While higher interest rates are good news for savers, businesses and consumers have become used to paying nothing for money over the past 15 years. The adjustment to a higher-for-longer rate environment could be painful, manifesting in failed business models and unaffordable homes and cars.

It could also force the Fed to keep raising rates to the point something breaks again, like three U.S. regional banks did in March. Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari wrote last week that if the economy was in a high-pressure equilibrium, the Fed would “have to raise rates further, potentially going significantly higher to push inflation back down to our target.”

by Stacy Jackson

October 2, 2023

93-Year-Old Woman Fighting To Keep Family’s Land Reaches $350K Fundraising Goal

A 93-year-old woman living on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, has received more than $350,000 to help keep her from losing her home.

As it stands, Josephine Wright surpassed her fundraising goal by $11,810 on GoFundMe. These funds will go toward paying attorney fees. Developer Bailey Point Investment Group filed a lawsuit in February 2023 to force Wright to sell her family’s land so the company could develop a 147-unit residential subdivision.

That money will come in handy. The Island Packet reports that according to a court document, Bailey Point Investment Group and Wright must enter mediation or arbitration within 300 days from the September 18 filing date.

In May, Wright’s granddaughter Charise Graves went online, hoping to raise $350,000 via GoFundMe for Wright’s stand. Donations poured in, including $40,000 from Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, who recently donated an additional $24,240 WSAVreported.

Other celebrities who donated include rapper Snoop Dogg, filmmaker, actor and playwright Tyler Perry, and rapper Meek Mill.

The GoFundMe states that the money will go toward “the cost of her [Josephine Wright’s] attorneys, cover any property taxes, and construct a fence to create a barrier between Grandma’s [Josephine Wright’s] property and the new development, which has recently paved a road 22ft from her back porch. An area that was once acres of untouched forest, swampland, and refuge to Hilton Head’s diverse wildlife.”

According to WSAV, Wright said that the land has been in her family since just after the Civil War. Black people have historically had a strained relationship with land ownership in America. Land ownership is a big part of wealth transfer. Stephanie Hagans said, according to Inequality.org, “When they steal your land, they steal your future.”

Hagans’ family lost 35 acres of land in Matthews, North Carolina, in 1942. The site that has tracked inequality-related news and views for nearly two decades noted that Blacks had 90 percent of their land stolen from them by the 21st century.

Patrick Motsepe, Africa
by Iman Milner

October 2, 2023

How Africa’s First Black Billionaire Lost $900M In 2023

Patrice Motsepe became Africa’s first Black billionaire in 2008 and has maintained his status as the richest man in the southern part of the continent in years since. However, in 2023 alone Motsepe has reportedly lost a staggering $900 million of his wealth.

According to Business Insider, the 61-year-old self-made billionaire’s 40.37 percent stake in African Rainbow Minerals (ARM) is the culprit. Motsepe is both the founder and chairman of ARM and the private equity firm African Rainbow Capital; the former has experienced significant financial decline.

ARM, a diverse mining and minerals company with interests running the gamut of precious metals from iron to gold, has struggled to make good on its investments throughout the continent in 2023, says Business Insider. The company’s share price on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange has plummeted to $8.99 from $15.99 since January 1, marking a more than 6% decline in profits.

Motsepe stands to bring in $56.5 million from his stake in the company by Oct. 9, nearly half of his dividends from last year. Still, the mining juggernaut holds an impressive array of investments and an enormous amount of wealth, with a net worth of $2.3 billion.

Forbes reports that Motsepe became the first African to take Bill Gates’ and Warren Buffett’s Giving Pledge in 2013, promising to donate at least half of his massive fortune to charity. He has also served as the president of the Confederation of African Football since 2021, and owner of the Mamelodi Sundowns Football Club since 2014.

Motsepe grew up in the apartheid era, and his story is one from which many have gleaned inspiration. After transitioning out of a successful career as an attorney — one in which he became the first Black partner at law firm Bowman Gilfillan in 1993 — he founded Future Mining with the help of South Africa’s Black Economic Empowerment Laws, which required companies to have a minimum 26 percent black ownership in order to procure a mining license.

15-Year-Old Flint Student Faces Felony Assault Charges After Throwing Chair At Teacher
by Daniel Johnson

October 2, 2023

15-Year-Old Flint Student Faces Felony Assault Charges After Throwing Chair At Teacher

A 15-year-old junior at Flint, Michigan’s Southwestern Classical Academy faces two counts of felony assault after throwing a chair at a teacher following a disagreement with another student.

According to ABC 12, after the chair struck the teacher, she fell to the floor and remained there for several seconds. On Sept. 28, a school resource officer was called to the classroom to break up the fight between the two students, and the officer found the teacher unresponsive with a head injury.

Both students were arrested, with Superintendent Kevelin Jones writing in a letter released on Sept. 29, “I want to emphasize that the scholar involved in the incident will be held accountable according to the law and by the Flint Community Schools Student Code of Conduct. We are committed to ensuring that our schools are safe and conducive to learning for all scholars, and we take this responsibility very seriously.” 

David Leyton, the prosecuting attorney of Genesee County, authorized two counts of felony assault against the student who threw the desk chair that struck the teacher.

After the event video was posted online, it was shared across Twitter/X with users commenting on the condition of schools in Michigan.

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig posted his opinion on what ultimately created the problem, writing, “This video perfectly captures the sad state of Education in Michigan – no sense of order or direction, no respect for teachers, and worst of all, NO LEARNING. Failure to educate young Michiganders is a recipe for increased CRIME, upticks in UNEMPLOYMENT, and SOCIETAL DISORDER. Michiganders deserve better.”

The post under the account “Libs of TikTok” is filled with users whose takes are similar to Craig’s, lamenting a lack of “home training” and basic respect for others. The replies are focused on a lack of respect for teachers, which has generally been a talking point whenever events unfold that make older people uncomfortable with the actions of younger generations. That take is supported by data that correlates with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the EdWeek Research Center, a survey of 1,058 educators, principals, and school district leaders indicates that 70% of educators say that more students misbehave in their classes in 2023, up from 66% in 2021. Of course, misbehavior is different from choosing to pick up a chair and launch it at a teacher’s head, but the general point of the data is clear: Teachers feel like students are acting out more than they have in years past.

Texas Monthly asked teachers about the behavior of students post-pandemic in 2021.

Stacey Ward, who has taught fifth-grade math for 25 years in Texas’ Humble Independent School District, said of the unique demands of post-pandemic education, “The social and emotional learning that these kids don’t have is a huge stressor. They don’t know how to make friends. They don’t know how to resolve conflict. They don’t know how to apologize. They don’t know how to put certain things behind them and move on.”

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 2, 2023

Two Black Professors Create Curriculum Guide For The Montgomery Riverboat Brawl

*Originally Published By Blacknews.com

Nationwide — Dr. Linda J.M. Holloway, along with her colleague Dr. April T. Berry, wanted to be creative in allowing students and others to have a meaningful conversation around the incident that took place on the Montgomery Riverboat in Montgomery, Alabama on August 5, 2023. This was an event that sparked many reactions, emotions, thoughts, and reflections across social media and within our broader society.

Dr. Holloway is a Professor at Alabama State University located in Montgomery, Alabama. She knew with classes starting back within a few days of this event occurring, she needed to develop a way where students could be safe and brave in discussing this topic in her classes.

Additionally, Dr. Berry serves as the Clinical Director of Vets Recover, a non-profit organization in Mobile, Alabama, and an Adjunct Professor. By overseeing clinical operations and services offered to Veterans and the broader Mobile community, Dr. Berry knew that clients who may have had strong reactions and emotions to this event would need to feel safe in expressing them in therapy. Thus, she knew she needed to ensure clinicians and other mental health professionals were equipped to provide this safe space to clients should it be necessary.

Thus, they were inspired to create The Riverboat Curriculum Study Guide which contains a list of questions designed for professors, mental health professionals, and others to have healthy, meaningful, and engaging conversations about the Riverboat incident. It also allows individuals to understand the bigger picture and critically think about incidents such as these. When using this study guide, you can feel free to pick questions that may be appropriate for the setting in which you are (e.g., academia, mental health, etc.)

Drs. Holloway and Berry strongly believe that if situations such as these are not discussed appropriately, the U.S. will continue to move forward “sick.” They comment, “We will just continue to put bandages on gushing wounds our country experiences such as racism instead of truly tending to such wounds with the appropriate care. As a society, we must use our platforms to be a voice to those who may not speak up for themselves and continue to fight for racial and social justice.”

Indeed, this is exactly why Drs. Holloway and Berry wanted to do this by creating a study guide and starting the conversation to unpack such a critical topic.

Click the link below for The Montgomery Riverboat Curriculum Study Guide:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/e/2PACX-1vS3wolzrrjvXbmhTwLo-j1t6yvJIwr2Y5NREAmYizsZqBSPEWQQ400CRaAHtBtwMJuGwROs8AGpCyQX/pub

About the Professors

Dr. Linda J.M. Holloway is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education at Alabama State University. She is a poet, story activist, and multi-award-winning children’s book author who has published 5 children’s books thus far.

Fearless fund
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 2, 2023

Atlanta Venture Capital Grant For Black Women Founders Blocked By Appeals Court

An Atlanta-based venture capital grant spearheaded by the Fearless Fund firm has had all efforts toward championing Black women founders shut down by Georgia’s Appeals Court. A lawsuit alleging racial discrimination by the firm was filed by a conservative advocacy group back in August 2023.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the grants would allow access to funding for Black-women- owned-businesses, yet the lawsuit states that it is discriminatory to other races.

The American Alliance For Equal Rights, a nonprofit founded by conservative legal strategist Edward Blum, is suing the Fearless Fund. Blum is a repeated challenger of affirmative action in schools and businesses.

The Fearless Fund granted $20,000 to assist these businesses in their development. However, no grant winners can be determined until the legal case has been settled.

During a court meeting held on Sept. 26, the plaintiff’s attorneys urged the District Court to ban the use of racial eligibility criteria from the Fearless Fund’s application. Its motion was denied on grounds of free speech, as the Fearless Fund has a right to explicitly say its mission is to support Black women.

Later that evening, an emergency motion filed by the American Alliance to overturn the initial ruling was granted, with two of three judges determining that the Fearless Fund was “racially exclusionary.”

A lawyer on behalf of the Fearless Fund, Alphonso David, shared in a statement expressing his disagreement with the court’s ruling as they prepare for the next step in the process.

“We respectfully disagree with this court’s decision, appreciate the important points raised by the dissent, and look forward to further appellate review. We remain committed to defending the meaningful work of our clients,” said David. The legal team intends for the firm to continue its mission.

Fortunately for those impacted by this indefinite pause, other companies aligned with the values of uplifting Black female founders are continuing the work, including Collab Capital, which supports Black-owned businesses. However, the Fearless Fund’s efforts in distinctly backing Black women entrepreneurs remain at a standstill until the matter is resolved.

slick rick, new album, victory
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 2, 2023

The Hip-Hop Museum Is Hitting The Road

Hip-hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, and The Hip-Hop Museum is going on tour to several states starting October 14, 2023.

To continue the birthday celebration, The Hip Hop Museum is hitting the road “to tell the story of the pioneers who created and cultivated a sound that sent waves around the world,” according to its website.

The tour is being put together by The Hip Hop Museum and Mass Appeal and being sponsored by CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka. It’s free admission to anyone who wants to visit. The exhibit is curated by Pete Nice (formerly of 3rd Bass) and Paradise Gray (of X Clan fame), according to Okayplayer.

 

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The exhibit will start in the birthplace of hip-hop, New York City, on Oct. 14 and head to a different city each week. The last city will be Miami, from Dec. 5-9. The complete tour dates are:

New York City: Oct. 14

Atlanta: Oct. 21

Houston: Nov. 4

Los Angeles: Nov. 11

Charlotte, NC: Nov. 18

Miami: Dec. 5-9

The Hip Hop Museum Tour is set to include archival pieces from 1973-1990. Its focus is the early stages of hip-hop and the rappers, DJs, graffiti artists, and breakdancers who were part of it. The exhibit traces hip-hop’s evolution from block parties to sold-out stadium performances.

“The Hip Hop Museum is thrilled to be in partnership with Mass Appeal and to have the support from CÎROC Ultra-Premium Vodka as we celebrate Hip Hop 50. Fifty years of growth and the global impact of Hip Hop culture in all its expressions. By taking the museum’s exhibition on tour, we’re shining a light on the culture’s regional creative influences, its creators, and the communities nationwide that helped give rise to the genre,” said Rocky Buccano, executive director of the Universal Hip Hop Museum, in a written statement.

The tour is an early showcase of the upcoming launch of The Universal Hip Hop Museum, which is slated to open in New York City’s Bronx Terminal Market in 2025.

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