dollar general, florida, Jacksonville, donate, 2.5M

by Mary Spiller

September 9, 2023

Funeral Services Begin For 3 Black Jacksonville Race Shooting Victims

On Friday, September 8, funeral services began for the three Black people killed in the racially motivated shooting at a Jacksonville Dollar General, as reported by the Associated Press.

At the funerals, friends, family, and community members shared memories of the victims, called for reform in gun violence laws, and spoke out against the rise of hate crimes.

The racist gunman committed suicide afterward. First, he killed 52-year-old Angela Michelle Carr, an Uber driver, who in her car outside of Dollar General. He then went inside and fatally shot 19-year-old store employee, A.J Laguerre and Jerrald Gallion, 29, who had entered the store with his girlfriend.

At Carr’s funeral service, civil rights activist Reverend Al Sharpton called attention to the lax gun laws that allowed the shooter to purchase assault-style rifles after having a history of mental health issues.

According to the Jacksonville Sheriff, the shooter, Ryan Palameter, specifically targeted the victims because they were Black. Racist rhetoric was later found scrawled in Palameter’s diary.

“How many people have to die before you get up—whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat—and say, ‘We’ve got to stop this, and we’ve got to bring some sanity back in this country?’” Sharpton said. “Have we gotten so out of bounds that we’ve normalized this stuff happening?”

Reverend David Green St. said, “We gather together as a hurting community because this was not just an attack on the Carr family and our other two families who lost their loved ones. This was an attack on our entire community.”

He continued, “Rhetoric and other policies and governors have made it comfortable for people to come out of the closet with their hatred of those of us whose skin has been kissed by nature’s sun.”

The memorial service for 19-year-old Laguerre was also on Friday at a different church in Jacksonville. Laguerre, who graduated high school the previous year, got a job at the Dollar General to financially support his grandmother and four siblings.

The Mayor of Jacksonville, Donna Deegan, attended the service; additionally, Jacksonville authorities provided security for the funerals. Deegan also attended Carr’s service at The Bethel Church.

Gallion’s funeral is scheduled for Saturday. His family called him a loving father, who worked three jobs to care for his young daughter, Je Asia Gallion.

Police Identify Body Of 22-Year-Old Netflix Software Engineer Recovered From San Francisco Bay Bay

by Mary Spiller

September 9, 2023

Police Identify Body Of 22-Year-Old Netflix Software Engineer Recovered From San Francisco Bay Bay

The remains found in San Francisco Bay last month were identified on Wednesday, September 6, as those of 22-year-old Netflix software engineer Yohanes Stefanos Kidane.

According to authorities, Kidane’s remains were found by a boater northeast of the Golden Gate Bridge in the San Francisco Bay around noon on August 29. The Marin County Sheriff’s Offices said the body was recovered by the Coast Guard.

Identifying Kidane didn’t happen immediately as the body “exhibited signs of advanced decomposition, prolonged exposure to the aquatic environment and appreciable depredation.”

The forensic examination conducted early this month determined Kidane’s cause of death “to be from blunt impact injuries with drowning as a significant contributing condition. The mode of death was determined to be suicide.”

Prior to his death, Kidane lived in San Jose and worked as a Netflix engineer. He had recently graduated from Cornell University with a degree in computer science.

“We are devastated by the tragic nature of his passing, and we encourage all who knew him on campus to seek help as they struggle with this loss,” Joel M. Malina, the vice president of relations at Cornell, said in a statement. A Netflix spokesperson added that the its employees were “saddened by the loss of a young and brilliant coworker.”

Before Kidane’s body was identified, his family posted a GoFundMe page to search for him. Kidane was last seen leaving his apartment August 14. His personal belongings were discovered near the Golden Gate Bridge visitors center the next day, leading the family to suspect foul play.

Kidane allegedly reported having a concerning altercation with an Uber driver just two days before his disappearance. Still, police decided there was no evidence of another party being involved in his death.

by Mary Spiller

September 9, 2023

Cardi B Doesn’t Regret Hitting Fan With A Microphone While On Stage

Cardi B sat for an interview on The Breakfast Club on Friday, September 8, to discuss her career and life. And, yes, she finally talked about the infamous Las Vegas microphone-throwing incident caught on video in July.

Now that she’s been legally cleared of assault charges, Cardi admitted she does not regret she threw the mic at the concert attendee.

Breakfast Club hosts DJ Envy and Charlamagne tha God asked the “Bodak Yellow” rapper if she regretted “throwing that microphone at that young lady.”

Cardi B was quick to give her side of the story.

“It was really like a quick reaction, and let me tell you motherf******, I didn’t really want to address it because I thought [I was] gonna go to jail, but I’m not…and people was making they own s*** right?” she said.

She began to explain the situation in detail, “Let me tell you something, right? It was hot as f***. That Vegas heat [ain’t no joke]. It was hot as f***, hotter than a motherf*****. So there was a part of the show when I told people, you know, splash me. Even when I told them to splash me, I told them to be careful with the face ’cause the face is beat…so f****** four songs after—nobody had been splashing me. I told y’all to splash me for one lil second, [and then] like, I don’t know, 15, 20 minutes after this b**** threw water and ice on my face.”

She continued, “So I just automatically reached, I reacted. I didn’t even know if I was throwing it in her direction, I just threw the sh** because it’s like ‘b**** you hit me right in my face.”

She expressed that after taking some time to review the footage of the incident, she decided the audience member who threw ice at her hit her in the face on purpose. Cardi acknowledged that people were whining about her reaction to the ice but then asked them to imagine getting hit in the face with ice and water as she was on stage and then to consider how they would feel.

“I’m like, nah, you intended to throw that s*** in my face ’cause you threw it like [overhand]. I felt very violated.”

Although Cardi admitted that she told fans to splash her, she clarified that it was during “one little segment” of her set. She pointed to the fact that none of her other fans got her face wet to explain why she thought the whole thing was intentional.

She questioned, “How did 10 people splash me and not hit me in my face, but you hit me directly in my face…you was tryna be funny, b****.”

Cardi B concluded the interview topic by saying that she was happy to hit the person with the microphone because they “weren’t really a fan.”

Rate Of Americans Applying for Unemployment Benefits Drops To Seven-Month Low

by Mary Spiller

September 9, 2023

Rate Of Americans Applying for Unemployment Benefits Drops To Seven-Month Low

The Associated Press reports that the number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits has fallen to its lowest in the past seven months despite recently climbing interest rates implemented to slow the growing labor market.

Last week, ending on September 2, the record-low numbers displayed shocking resistance to the recent business trends.

A September 7 report from the Labor Department said that U.S. applications for “jobless claims fell by 13,000 to 216,000″ last week. The number indicates fewer people were laid off in the past week.

In total, “1.68 million people were collecting unemployment benefits the week that ended August 26, about 40,000 fewer than the previous week. That number hasn’t been lower since a stretch in early January.”

Employers also added 187,000 job openings in August, while the unemployment rate settled at 3.8%, historically low for this time of year. After the surge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. economy has naturally been adding nearly 250,000 jobs per month.

The Labor Department’s report reveals that companies have had a high retention rate for their employees outside an increased number of layoffs in the “technology sector” earlier this year. Notably, the manufacturing, warehousing, and retail industries have begun to slow hiring new employees but haven’t started cutting jobs in adequate numbers yet.

The high retention rates are surprisingly stubborn as the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to 5.4%, the highest in more than 20 years. The Reserve is attempting to bring down wages and take the gas off the job market, and many economists expected the unemployment rates to shoot up in response. However, the market has been resilient.

One explanation for the unusual behavior could be that businesses have struggled to build their workforces to a reasonable level after massive losses during the pandemic. This explains the replenishing hiring power and companies retaining employees to catch up to the demand from their consumers following the “pandemic recession.”

by Jaimee Ratliff

September 9, 2023

Nevada Rapper Faces Murder Charge After Allegedly Detailing Crime In Lyrics And Video

Kenjuan McDaniel was arrested August 29 following the release of a music video in which law enforcement believes he reenacts the details of a murder.

According to CNN, McDaniel had been a person of interest in the shooting death of Randall Wallace on September 18, 2021, due to being connected to the vehicle police believe matched the car used in the fatal incident.

However, a music video posted by the 25-year-old rapper to accompany his track, “Fadee Free,” in July 2023 served as further implication. “I be the reason why he’s dead, we still taunt him when he die, not the reason he’s dead, so celebrate the reason why his momma cry,” reads one of the lyrics named in the arrest warrant for McDaniel. “Parked the car, double back on feet, the smartest way to slide, drove in, double lock yo man, make sure you get yo bod’.”

Law enforcement found a striking resemblance between the lyrics and unreleased details of the murder.

In the music video, McDaniel displayed behaviors that police said were “consistent with evidence at the scene.”

According to CNN, the Nevada-based rapper’s lyrics as well as his video performance enact details that would not have been public knowledge. There has been national discourse on the ramifications of using artistic expression, particularly those of hip-hop artists, as evidence in the court of law.

The Restoring Artistic Protection Act was brought before the U.S. House of Representatives for the first time on June 21, 2022, and aims to limit the extent to which an artist’s “creative or artistic expression” can be admitted against a defendant in a criminal case. Rappers Drake, Jay-Z, Megan Thee Stallion, Meek Mill, and others have supported the bill. They feel the freedom of artists to reflect on their community and/or lived experiences will be stifled by those who use those reflections as evidence against them.

Wal-Mart Adopts New Wage Structure; Lower Starting Salaries Signal Shift In U.S. Labor Market

by Daniel Johnson

September 9, 2023

Wal-Mart Adopts New Wage Structure; Lower Starting Salaries Signal Shift In U.S. Labor Market

Wal-Mart is lowering wages for new workers at its stores for roles that involve stocking shelves and online order fulfillment.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the new pay structure establishes that those workers will earn the lowest possible hourly wage in the stores that they are hired in. Wal-Mart told the Journal that the adjustments are expected to give a more consistent pay structure across the various roles of the company.

“Consistent starting pay results in consistent staffing and better customer service while also creating new opportunities for associates to gain new skills from experience across the store and lay the groundwork for their career regardless of where they start,” according to the company.

Wal-Mart’s cuts to salary come after companies raised compensation in the retail sector in order to attract workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it looks like the labor market is starting to plateau.

According to the most recent numbers from the Department of Labor, the number of jobs created in August is 187,000, down from the average of 271,000 jobs over 12 months.

Even though Wal-Mart cut wages for new workers, it increased compensation for existing employees, which gave around 50,000 workers a pay bump. As the nation’s largest private employer, Wal-Mart has a considerable influence on the labor market for hourly workers, which means that other companies could decide to follow Wal-Mart’s lead and lower wages for their new hires.

Bill Adams, chief economist at Comerica Bank told Fortune, “After huge disruptions in the last few years, the labor market is settling into a more normal state,”

Adams explained. “While most Americans who want a job have one, it is not as easy to find new work as a year ago. Hires and quits are back to their pre-pandemic levels, and job openings are falling rapidly. At the same time, employers are having a slightly easier time attracting and retaining workers.”

by Daniel Johnson

September 9, 2023

Ta’Kiya Young’s Family Wants Police Officer Held Accountable For Her Death

Ta’Kiya Young‘s family is questioning why the Blendon Township police officer who shot their 21-year-old daughter has not yet been publicly identified. The officer who shot and killed Young in the parking lot of a grocery store on August 24, the Washington Post reports, has not been fired or criminally charged.

Sean Walton Jr., an attorney for Young’s family, told the Washington Post, “If we had video evidence of a citizen committing an act that appeared to be a murder, there would not be a long investigation [beforehand]; that suspect would be identified and that suspect would be charged.”

Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford maintained that the officers who were involved in the shooting of Young were, in fact, victims.

Belford cited Marsy’s Law, which is a crime victims rights amendment. In the state of Ohio, according to Marsy’s Law For Ohio, the law ensures that “victims of violent crime have the same co-equal rights as the accused and convicted–nothing more, nothing less.”

The officer who did not shoot Young was allowed to go back out on active duty because the 15-person police department in Blendon, a suburb of Columbus, is understaffed.

However, the family, along with Walton, was able to piece together the identity of the man who shot and killed Young. Through the evidence available to them, namely eyewitnesses and badge number information, they believe the officer allegedly responsible is Connor Grubb.

Marsy’s Law is named after a 21-year-old California woman Marsalee Nicholas, who was shot and killed in 1983 by her boyfriend. The law carrying her name passed in California in 2008, and it allowed victims to redact their names, addresses, or other information that could identify them from public records related to the open case.

As the law has been adopted by multiple states, police departments have used it to keep officers involved in use-of-force incidents, like Grubb, from being named.

Fred Gittes, a Columbus attorney who specializes in police misconduct, privacy, and public records cases, told the Washington Post, “Police officers are public servants, licensed to kill, and we need to know who they are.”

Gittes also said that the police are twisting the original intent of the law and their status as public servants means that they should not get to hide behind a law intended to protect actual victims of crimes from retaliation.

Young’s grandmother Nadine Young has characterized the behavior of the police as “dishonest” and told the Post before Ta’Kiya’s funeral, “An apology would not be genuine at this point; it has been weeks since Kiya’s murder. I want [Grubb] held accountable.

“All she wanted was a place of her own and she had been approved for her own place in Sandusky days before her murder,” Nadine Young added. “That’s been heavy on my mind and heart … that she achieved that goal.”

by Daniel Johnson

September 9, 2023

Kamala Harris Throwing House Party To Celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th Birthday

Kamala Harris is throwing a house party Sept. 9 to celebrate Hip-Hop’s 50th birthday, the first time a sitting Vice President has ever hosted such a celebration.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Harris’ celebration will include 20 acts and 400 guests, including actors, cultural trailblazers, industry leaders, and musicians. The event is being put on by the Recording Academy’s Black Music Collective and Live Nation Urban. Harris will speak at the event, and is expected to highlight her administration’s work toward celebrating the arts.

Common, MC Lyte, Roxanne Shante, and Jeezy are some of the artists expected to perform at the Vice-President’s house party.

“The Recording Academy and the Black Music Collective have had a tremendous year paying tribute to and honoring the legacy of Hip-Hop in its milestone 50th year,” Recording Academy President and CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said in a statement. “Taking the celebration to our nation’s capital alongside Vice President Harris is truly something special and I look forward to a historic day.”

The Recording Academy launched its Black Music Collective in 2020 with Color Of Change. Color Of Change recommended that the Academy create a Black music advisory group in addition to several other steps, and thus, the Black Music Collective was born.

“Music plays a profound role in shaping our culture, and Black music has been the cornerstone in the development of the world’s dynamic soundscape,” Valeisha Butterfield Jones, the Recording Academy’s Chief Diversity & Inclusion Office, said at the time. “The Recording Academy has entered a new chapter of transformative change, and we are honored to partner with Color of Change as we work together to set new standards to elevate Black music creators and build a more diverse and equitable industry.”

The Black Music Collective’s first event, held in 2022 during Grammy week, honored John Legend, MC Lyte, and DJ D-Nice as well as Black-founded label LVRN or Love Renaissance, which is responsible for Summer Walker, Shelley (FKA DRAM), Dvsn, and 6Lack.

In 2023, the collective honored Dr. Dre, Missy Elliott, Lil Wayne, and Sylvia Rhone, CEO of Epic Records.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 9, 2023

Meet the Founder Whose Platform Has Helped Black Moms Raise $1M For Their Baby’s Needs

Kimberly Jolasun, the founder of Villie.com, is celebrating that her trailblazing platform has helped countless Black moms create their own online fundraisers to raise money for their baby needs. So far, the platform has been used to collectively raise more than $1 million.

Based in Atlanta, Villie brings the village together for moms across the country to receive support for their newborn or soon-to-be-born babies. It is revolutionizing the way expecting and new parents connect, raise funds, receive gifts, and bring their village together in today’s digital world. The platform is dedicated to simplifying support with the creation of tools that empower parents to effortlessly engage their village – creating a website where the shared journey of parenthood is cherished and celebrated.

Kimberly comments, “We believe that no parent should have to navigate parenthood alone, and our mission at Villie.com is to empower every family to get support from their village with ease.”

There has never been a more important time for our communities to rally around pregnant mothers, especially Black mothers. The maternal mortality rate in the United States is skyrocketing. The U.S. maternal mortality and death rate is exceptionally high for Black women. It is more than double the average rate and nearly three times higher than the rate for white women regardless of income.

Villie is on a mission to bring loved ones together and support moms through all of the milestones of pregnancy, birth, and beyond. With over $1 million raised for Black moms, all from their loved ones – Villie continues to grow as word spreads of their mission. What support means to every mom is different and Villie continually creates features and functions to meet those needs.

Empowering Parenthood with Cultural Inspiration

Villie draws its inspiration from the cultural tapestry of West African traditions. Founder Kimberly Jolasun’s vision is a reflection of the deeply rooted values where community support is a cornerstone of the parenting experience. Kimberly’s personal experiences have driven her to develop a platform that encapsulates the support that families provide to new parents.

Kimberly adds, “Villie is here to bridge the geographical gaps, reconnecting families and friends in an immersive digital village where each shared moment becomes a cherished memory.”

Parenting in a Digital Age

As a tech startup, Villie is backed by venture capital with powerhouse investors such as Fearless Fund, XRC Ventures, and TxO by a16z. According to the Fearless Fund, women of color business founders in 2022 received only 0.39% of the $288 billion that venture capital firms deployed. Villie’s team is not only diverse ethnicities but a team of mothers (and fathers) of young children under the age of five. They deeply understand the problems that need to be solved.

The platform includes tools and features that bridge tradition with technology, they even include the use of Artificial Intelligence within the experience. “It’s pretty incredible to see that for most parents, our tools are their first experience with AI,” says Kimberly. Villie offers an experience that empowers parents to cultivate a supportive village during the most significant chapters of their lives.

For more details and/or to sign up on the platform, visit Villie.com

As seen on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@villiefam

Follow the brand on Instagram @VillieFamily

by Mary Spiller

September 9, 2023

Lizzo And Music Exec Sylvia Rhone To Be Honored At 2023 BMAC Gala

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) will honor Lizzo and veteran music executive Sylvia Rhone at the 2023 BMAC Gala.

Lizzo will receive the Quincy Jones Humanitarian Award and Epic Records CEO and chair Rhone will get the Clarence Avant Trailblazer Award at the gala, according to a press release.

“The Black Music Action Coalition is proud to honor Lizzo and Sylvia Rhone at this year’s Gala, as they join a group of trailblazers who have made an immense impact within the music industry and beyond,” BMAC co-founder and chair Willie “Prophet” Siggers said. “We applaud their dedication to pushing boundaries, amplifying Black voices, and crashing through those glass ceilings, creating space for Black women.”

Lizzo is being recognized for her outstanding “philanthropic work and commitment to social justice,” according to the press release. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter has supported marginalized communities and substantial social justice causes throughout her career.

In 2020, Lizzo launched her organizational and informative website, Lizzolovesyou.com, which outlined a slew of causes to which viewers could donate to. Her Annual Juneteenth Giveback just finished its fourth year. Lizzo has donated and raised nearly $1 million to 18 different social justice organizations like Black Girls Smile, the Bail Project, and Save Our Sisters.

While Lizzo has been under scrutiny lately after several of her dancers filed a lawsuit accusing the singer of sexual, religious, and racial harassment, as well as fat shaming, the BMAC will honor her good works.

Rhone is credited as the first woman to become CEO of a Fortune 500 record label. Before that role, Rhone made waves at major entertainment companies like Universal Records, Elektra Entertainment Group, and Motown Records.

Other BMAC honorees include Keke Palmer, Jermaine Dupri, and Jesse Collins. Hosted by Kenny Burns, the 2023 BMAC Gala will take place at the Beverly Hilton on September 21, 2023.