White Baseball Coach Allegedly Keeps Black Player Off Team Because Of His Dreadlocks
A white college baseball coach in Georgia allegedly prohibited a Black player from joining his team due to the length of his hair.
According to The New York Post, Black baseball player Asher Akridge recorded a conversation with manager Greg Guilliams of Valdosta State University. The former player, who has dreadlocks, asked the manager why he’s not on the team. The response: the player’s hair is too long.
After asking why other players can wear their hair long, Guilliams says he is speaking to Akridge specifically. At the end of the clip, Akridge, who posted the audio on TikTok, reveals a photo of a white player with long hair in uniform playing.
The caption on the video reads, “Valdosta State University 2023 or 1945.”
“If you complied with what I said, you’d got your hair cut and I wouldn’t had to keep telling you about it,” the coach tells the player. “In all fairness to you, here’s where I failed, what I should’ve done from the very beginning and I didn’t do it, this is my fault and I could see how I gave you the wrong impression, so I’m not gonna totally blame you because it takes two with everything.”
The player tells the coach that there are “discrepancies” in his policy.
“We are not talking about other guys, I told you before on the phone, we are not going down that route, why would I go down this route again?” the coach says. “I don’t care what anybody else says, this is between you and me. I’m the head coach. It doesn’t matter what any other player says. So, again, why would I want you back on the team when we are right back having the same conversation again?
“Conversation over, wild boars could not allow me to put you back on this baseball team,” There is no way, it ain’t gonna happen. This conversation is over. I said it on the phone.”
The Duchess of Sussex Is Making A Return To Instagram
The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, is preparing to make a re-appearance on social media.
According to a source who spoke with Daily Mail, “‘Everyone in Hollywood is talking about the relaunch being imminent. Meghan has never made any secret of the fact she wants to return to Instagram.”
Meghan first revealed her return to Instagram in an interview last year with The Cut. “Do you want to know a secret? I’m getting back on Instagram,” she told the outlet.
Her previous account, with her husband Prince Harry, was deactivated in 2020 after the couple stopped being senior Royals. The account had a whopping 9.4 million followers.
Before her marriage to Prince Harry, Meghan’s personal Instagram account had over 3 million followers.
According to Page Six, the account, @meghan, had already gained over 2,400 followers before the duchess posted any content to the page. The Instagram account has since grown to over 115,000 followers, according to the page. The followers consist of Meghan’s friends including Mandana Dayani, an activist and former president of Archewell, the Sussexes’ media company.
The new Instagram account has a picture of pink peonies, a type of flower that is said to be Meghan’s favorite. To confirm suspicions about who the account belongs to, a source close to her team said, “Yes, that’s her. Expect an announcement very soon. She’s coming back.”
“I don’t think Meghan coming back to instagram will surprise anyone,” said Eric Schiffer, a social media expert and advisor for Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, former Disney star Bella Throne, and cast of the U.S. version of Dragon’s Den. Schiffer said, “She has a new talent manager and this is the next logical step.”
According to the outlet, experts believe Meghan can potentially earn $1 million per post and become one of the highest paid influencers in the world.
Timbaland & Justin Timberlake To Select Music for Monday Night Football Games on ESPN
Super producer Timbaland and Grammy- winning singer Justin Timberlake are reuniting to help the sound on ESPN’s Monday Night Football.
According to the sports network, the dynamic duo will curate music for select Monday Night Football games during the 2023-24 NFL season. The songs Timbaland and Timberlake will will run in promotional spots, live telecasts, and pre-game shows for seven weeks this season.
“Football and music go hand-in-hand, like the iconic Timbaland and Justin Timberlake duo, who collaborate on music to near perfection,” ESPN Senior Director of Sports Marketing Curtis Friends said in a written statement.
“ESPN’s Monday Night Football music curatorship is popular with fans given the access this partnership provides to new and unexpected combinations of music with sport. We’ve had Diplo, DJ Khaled, Drake, and Marshmello and this fifth season, for the first time, we have two curators in Timbaland/JT we know will energize all us fans for this NFL football season.”
The games that they will curate the music selections are:
Week 1: Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets
Week 6: Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week 11: Philadelphia Eagles vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week 16: Baltimore Ravens vs. San Francisco 49ers
Week 18 Doubleheader: TBD
Wild Card Round (Postseason): TBD
Divisional Round (Postseason): TBD
Timbaland and Timberlake will get some assistance from users and the A&R team of the music creator platform that Timbaland created and is co-owned by him and Timberlake, Beatclub.
We will get to hear the curation immediately as the pair, along with Canadian singer-songwriter Nelly Furtado are slated to release a new single, “Keep Going Up.”
The record, on Mosley Music Group/Def Jam Recordings, will serve as the soundtrack for ESPN’s Week 1 Monday Night Football promotional spot, which features quarterback Aaron Rodgers‘ debut for The New York Jets.
Beyoncé Named Honorary Mayor of Santa Clara Ahead Of Renaissance Tour Stop
That’s Mayor Beyoncé to you!
The “Renaissance” tour has earned Beyoncé millions of dollars, has helped her boost small businesses and local economies, and has even made her an honorary mayor of a California city.
On Tuesday, Aug. 28, the Santa Clara City Council voted to name Beyoncé honorary mayor for a day and present her with a key to the city, Mercury Newsreports. The honor came a few days before Queen Bey’s scheduled “Renaissance” tour stop on Aug. 30 at Levi’s Stadium.
“The city of Santa Clara is excited about Beyonce’s upcoming visit to the world-renowned Levi’s Stadium,” Santa Clara spokesperson Michelle Templeton said.
“Her concerts will certainly bring a great deal of energy and excitement.”
The proclamation from Santa Clara’s Mayor Lisa Gillmore praises Beyonce for her “tremendous cultural impact as one of the most influential pop culture figures, and attaining wide success with the R&B group Destiny’s Child, Beyoncé (also) broke out on her own as a solo artist,” the statement continued.
Noting the 200 million records Beyoncé has sold worldwide, the proclamation hails the singer as one of the best-selling artists of all time. With 32 Grammy Awards—more than any other artist in history—the city honored all of Beyoncé’s accolades including her 26 MTV Video Music Awards, and 24 NAACP Image Awards.
The city also recognized her philanthropic work through her Bey Good Foundation where she shows a “profound dedication to numerous charitable causes,” the proclamation states.
Just last month, Taylor Swift received the honor ahead of her two-day stint at Levi’s as part of her “Eras” world tour. The two superstars have been igniting fanfare worldwide with their competing tours, which are expected to earn both singers billions of dollars.
Beyoncé is estimated to earn around $2.1 billion from her worldwide tour; Swift is expected to be the first artist to make $1 billion in ticket sales, Bloomberg reports.
Chlöe And Halle Bailey Launch Victoria’s Secret Pink Collection That’s ‘Wearable For Every Occasion’
Chlöe and Halle Bailey are bringing their sisterly love to Victoria’s Secret Pink with a collection they say is “easily wearable for every occasion.”
On Tuesday, Aug. 29, the “Do It” singers teamed with Pink for a collection of pieces for everyday wardrobes. The “Chloe x Halle Collection” includes everything from parachute pants with a cinched waist, a cropped puffer coat that pairs perfectly with their cropped sheer shirt, and a form-fitting maxi dress inspired by Halle’s style, according to Chlöe.
The collection makes for a seamless transition from work to the gym to the nightclub in pieces that can be worn with sneakers, Uggs, or a pair of heels.
“This collection was inspired by not only our daily wardrobe, but what makes us feel our best, feeling sexy and comfortable at the same time,” Chlöe said in a statement.
Affordability comes first: the 27-piece collection ranges in price from $29.95 to $99.95 with sizes ranging from XS to XXL. A variety of two-piece sets, mesh shirts, and leggings provide the perfect combination of athleisure and stylish streetwear.
“Sometimes we don’t have time to change when we’re going from place to place,” Chlöe toldPeople. “We wanted to have something that is easily wearable for every occasion.”
Halle agrees their new collection represents their need to look red-carpet-ready at all times but with comfort.
“The whole point my sister and I did this was because we are public figures and we constantly have to look professional, but we want to still look cute wherever we go,” Halle said.
“So, it’s really cool with all of these items in the collection—we’re able to dress them up, but also dress them down.”
The collection’s body-hugging silhouettes and crop tops are second nature for Chloe but new to Halle who has only just recently come around to embracing her body.
“My confidence has grown as I’ve gotten older and matured more,” Halle says. “I’m more comfortable with wearing more form-fitting things and embracing my curves now. My body type has always been a bit more straight-lined, I guess, and I’ve always wished I’d had more boobs and more butt, but I’m starting to embrace all the things that make me, me.”
As part of the “CXH” collection, Victoria’s Secret Pink is donating $100,000 to BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective), which supports mental health education in Black communities.
GMA’s Robin Roberts’ Dreams Are Coming True As Wedding Plans Unfold
Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts and her fiancée, Amber Laign, are taking their 18-year romance to the next level.
As the lovebirds are counting down the days until they tie the knot, they decided to give their fans a sneak peek inside the plans for their upcoming wedding celebration. As GMA celebrates the couple’s “Road to the Ring,” Roberts and Laign shared hints on everything from their wedding theme to their wedding gowns and cake.
“The wedding is the feeling of an enchanted garden,” Laign shared about the theme. “Our colors are white, blush, pink, a little bit of green, ethereal.” Wedding planner JoAnn Gregoli is helping the couple design and orchestrate their special day. “When they came to me back in January, we were just talking about where it was going to take place and what their vision was, and they kept using keywords, ethereal, romantic, Midsummer’s Night Dream,” Gregoli said. “And that is the catapult [that] kind of takes you from the actual concept to the creation.”
The wedding venue will be decked out with a detailed layout, including their monogram, bountiful flowers, a dance floor anchored by a round table, and a custom bar for their special day. “Wow is the word, and you just hope that when you express what it is that you’re hoping that that special day, not just for ourselves but for our family and friends who are going to be there, we want it not just [to] be a joyous occasion for us, but for them as well,” Roberts said. “It makes your dream come true.”
The couple shopped around for wedding dresses with designers Mark Badgley and James Mischka but decided to reveal their final dresses on their wedding day.
Of course, Roberts and Laign understand there is no wedding without the perfect cake. To ensure their guests have a savory dessert, the couple held a cake tasting at Vincenzo Salvatore Cakes, which presented them with options such as a brown butter banana cake and one flavored with orange ginger.
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Roberts announced plans to wed Laign in January, something the couple had already discussed but had to put off because of Laign’s illness.
Big Spender: Audit Shows Atlanta’s Mayor Violated City Procedures, Overspent for Annual Party at Taxpayers’ Expense
New reports show Atlanta’s Mayor Andre Dickens may have overspent for an annual party at taxpayers’ expense. An audit from the brand-new Office of Inspector General Shannon K. Manigault investigated city funds used for the 2022 Senior Ball, proving tens of thousands of dollars spent went against procurement guidelines, FOX 5 Atlanta reports.
According to the report, the City of Atlanta paid $120,653.48 to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. A note attached requested that “the invoice be processed as ‘professional courtesy.’”
Several Atlanta City Hall staffers spent the night and ordered room service for the one-night event, billed to Atlanta taxpayers. The mayor’s executive office also booked two rooms for two members of the Dickens family.
Dickens and a top aide explained, defending their spending, including the cost of alcohol. “The administration will also seek authorization from the City Council to retroactively ratify the City’s payment of any costs associated with the 2022 Senior Ball,” the statement read. “As the Dickens’ administration nears the conclusion of its second year, let us assure you that we take this investigation seriously and will continue to strengthen and document our processes.”
According to Rough Draft Atlanta, the formal affair was started by former Mayor Bill Campbell to honor Atlanta’s senior citizens. During the 2022 party, the city provided food, entertainment, transportation, and giveaways to nearly 3,000 seniors. The Hyatt submitted a $124,566.90 invoice to the city, broken down as $117,440.23 for food and beverage, $14,838.40 for audio-visual use, $7,230.10 for rooms, and $235 for parking.
With the annual event being a city tradition, the OIG revealed no ordinance, policy, or agreement lists the Senior Ball as an official city event, meaning city funds, labor, and resources are restricted by policy to support the event. In response to the report, the Office of the Mayor says they are committed to staying in compliance with rules and regulations to follow proper procedures for the 2023 Senior Ball.
Exclusive: Incoming LISC CEO Pledges To Keep Helping Black Americans Despite New Challenges
Reducing inequality in such critical areas as uneven finances and disproportionate conditions remain long-standing issues for many Black Americans.
However, Michael T. Pugh, the newly named CEO of Local Initiatives Support Corp. (LISC), aims to help combat those problems. He told BLACK ENTERPRISE that he is committed to LISC’s mission to close the racial and economic wealth, opportunity, and health gaps.
Pugh plans to pursue this quest when he becomes LISC’s top executive on Oct. 2, 2023. He will start two days after leaving as president and CEO of Carver Bancorp Inc. Carver owns one of the nation’s largest publicly traded, Black-led banks, Carver Federal Savings Bank, with over $720 million in assets.
LISC is one of the country’s largest community development nonprofits. It reports investing almost $30 billion to create 490,000 affordable homes and apartments and develop 81.4 million square feet of retail, community, and educational space. They’ve also helped tens of thousands of people find employment and improve their finances since being founded in 1979.
LISC declared it deployed a record $2.8 billion last year, with Pugh attributing the bulk of the investment to affordable housing. He added that LISC’s small business program supports over 100 business development organizations in American cities, providing direct technical aid to those firms.
He explained that LISC’s small business programs are designed to close the capital gap for Black and minority-owned small businesses. For example, LISC has launched two supplier diversity programs with Abbott Labs and JPMorgan Chase to expand business contracting to Black and minority-owned small businesses. Through these programs, $7.3 million has been invested in 28 businesses so far.
Pugh says LISC has partnered with JPMorgan Chase on the Entrepreneurs of Color Fund (EOCF). “We provide direct investment as well as work with local CDFIs, enabling them to increase their investment in such businesses. Since its inception, EOCF has provided $285 million in lending to minority-owned small businesses.”
LISC shared that Pugh has over 30 years of experience in banking, with a particular focus on expanding access to capital for underserved families, businesses, and communities.
Reflecting on Pugh’s new role, LISC Board Chair Robert E. Rubin stated, “Michael is passionate about extending opportunities to people who have not had the chance to fully participate in the American economy.”
In the first quarter of 2023, Pugh says 75% of LISC’s closed loans—totaling $67 million—went to BIPOC-led organizations and their BIPOC sponsors. When asked how much LISC expects to invest this year, Pugh says LISC does not publicly disclose its investment totals until the year closes.
Still, in the past four years, he informed Black Enterprise there has been record investment, averaging $2.2 billion annually. Historically, most of LISC’s investment is, and continues to be, focused on affordable housing.
“Our investment areas will focus on those that will help close the racial health, wealth, and opportunity gap; support economic recovery in urban and rural communities; and support local strategies that can have a great impact on the communities we work in, including education, safety and health programs, climate resiliency, and workforce and skill-building centers.”
Per MinorityBank.com banking analyst William Michael Cunningham, Pugh moving from Carver to LISC is a good move, providing him with a broader geographical footprint. But Cunningham added the lack of vision concerning the most important issues impacting Blacks, like maternal mortality, exposes a critical fault in the entire community development industry that needs to be recognized.
Cunningham maintains that industry players like LISC must think more expansively about new ways to invest in the Black community, including expanding into international alliances. For example, he says LISC should be considering how to help Black farmers sell their produce to BRICS countries, allowing them to expand their markets and boost revenue.
Simultaneously, Pugh says LISC is focused on empowering underserved communities to face ongoing challenges such as inflation, interest rates, and rising housing costs. LISC is among entities dealing with obstacles like rising interest rates affecting the development of new affordable housing projects.
“We will continue to prioritize softening the blow of these challenges and looking for innovative ways to address these issues.” He added climate change is another urgent, massive concern.
“Every day, we see natural disasters ravaging towns and devastating livelihoods. Black communities are disproportionately impacted by climate change.”
For its part, Pugh states, “LISC already does extensive work in climate resiliency—from offering green jobs training to developing equitable disaster relief efforts to constructing energy-efficient affordable housing— and we will continue to prioritize this as this touches upon all aspects of our work and conditions are likely to worsen in the coming years.”
Check out more details on LISC’s investments here.
The reflective posts came before the four-year anniversary of Porter’s death from pneumonia in November 2018. The 47-year-old model and mother of four was found unresponsive inside her Los Angeles home.
Authorities determined she died from a lung infection and no foul play was involved, NBC News reports.
Porter left behind four children. Quincy, she welcomed with singer Al B Sure and Diddy raised as his own. She had three children with Diddy: son Christian “King” Combs, and twin daughters D’Lila Star and Jessie James.
In April, Quincy was promoting the Paramount+ series, MTV’s Family Legacy, which he narrated and appeared in alongside brothers Christian, 25, and Justin Dior Combs, 29, to talk about their famous. While speaking about the family-oriented show, Quincy expressed how important carrying his mom’s legacy was for him.
“I’m my mom’s son, so therefore, there’s so much life for me to expand on off of her life. And that journey hasn’t even started yet, which is the best part about it,” he toldPeople.
“What my mom’s legacy is representative of is beyond words. That’s gonna really come to life soon.”
Beyoncé’s BeyGood Foundation Helps LGBTQ+ Legends Bring Ballroom Culture To Las Vegas
Beyoncé continues to be a committed ally to the LGBTQ+ community. Though many consider her latest album Renaissance to be an ode to Black ballroom and queer culture, the superstar singer has also put her money where her fans can feel it most.
During a two-night stop of her massively successful Renaissance World Tourin Las Vegas, the 41-year-old icon’s charity, BeyGood, helped to bring the first-ever Human Rights Campaign Equality Ball to the desert. The iconic event took place on Sunday, August 27 at KAOS Nightclub in Palms Casino Resort and featured celebrated legends of the Black ballroom scene. Among those in attendance were Lena Giroux Zakalik, as well as Carlos Irizarry and Stephanie “Packrat” Whitfield; who all worked to executive produce the one-of-a-kind spectacular.
“I have been wanting to bring an authentic ball culture and community here to Las Vegas,” said Giroux Zakalik. “Carlos is on tour right now with Beyoncé. He is one of the contributing choreographers. We had a conversation about six months ago that they would be here on Aug. 27. Usually, a ball of this magnitude would take a year to plan, but it was an opportunity that we couldn’t miss. I called in my resources at the Human Rights Campaign, and then Beyoncé got word of it, and it landed on her charity’s ears, BeyGood. They decided to partner up with us and give us the funds that we needed to do this.”
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Equality Ball is a safe space for self-expression and a celebration of Black queer ballroom culture, but it also provides much- needed community services such as HIV testing and voter registration, as well as additional ways to get involved with local LGBTQ+ programs and initiatives.
Fans of Queen Bey have seen her proudly pay homage to the queer mentors in her life; namely her Uncle Johnny, who she thanked while accepting the GLAAD Vanguard award in 2019.
“I want to dedicate this award to my Uncle Johnny, the most fabulous gay man I’ve ever known, who helped raise me and my sister,” she said. “He lived his truth. He was brave and unapologetic during a time when this country wasn’t as accepting and, witnessing his battle with HIV, was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived. I’m hopeful that his struggles serve to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights.”
