Bronny James Diagnosed With Congenital Heart Defect, Full Recovery Expected

by Daniel Johnson

August 26, 2023

Bronny James Diagnosed With Congenital Heart Defect, Full Recovery Expected

College basketball player Bronny James, the son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, is expected to make a full recovery from the heart attack he suffered July 24.

Medical examinations revealed the University of Southern California guard has a congenital heart defect.

“After a comprehensive initial evaluation at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center led by Dr. Merije Chukumerije and follow-up evaluations at the Mayo Clinic led by Dr. Michael J. Ackerman and Atlantic Health/Morristown Medical Center led by Dr. Matthew W. Martinez, the probable cause of Mr. James’ sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) has been identified,” the James family said in a statement released to People.

According to the statement, James’s cardiac arrest occurred because he has a significant congenital heart defect, a condition that is treatable.

On July 27, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center shared on its website that James had been discharged to the care of his parents and was at home resting.

LeBron James shared via Twitter/X that he was grateful for those who had sent the family their love and prayers.

“We feel you and I’m so grateful,” James tweeted. “Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love. Will have more to say when we’re ready but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang,” the elder James tweeted.

Players like USC’s Vince Iwuchukwu with similar experiences took their time returning to the hardwood.

Iwuchuku, like James, was treated at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and made a full recovery from his heart attack suffered during a January 2023 game against the University of Colorado.

Bronny, who came to USC in May as a five-star prospect, was projected to be a first-round NBA draft pick next year and possibly play with his father.

Betty Tyson, Exonerated After 25 Years In Prison, Dies at 75

by Daniel Johnson

August 26, 2023

Betty Tyson, Exonerated After 25 Years In Prison, Dies at 75

Betty Tyson, a Black woman who spent 25 years in a New York prison for a 1973 murder before being exonerated, died Aug. 17 at a Rochester hospital following complications from a heart attack, her sister said, according to the Associated Press. She was 75.

Delorise Thomas said her sister had made piece with her time in prison.

“She enjoyed herself, going out driving, playing cards, going out to different parties…She enjoyed her life,” Thomas, 72, told the AP from her Rochester home, where Tyson lived.

In February 1974, Tyson received a 25-year-to-life prison sentence for the murder of Timothy Haworth. The incident unfolded when the Philadelphia business consultant left his Rochester hotel around midnight on May 24, 1973, seemingly in search of a prostitute. He was discovered the following day, strangled with his necktie, in an alley.

Tyson and another prostitute John Duval both signed confessions to the murder. The pair said the Rochester Police Department beat confessions out of them. At the trial, two teenage runaways said that they saw Tyson and Duval with Haworth shortly before he was killed, according to the National Registry of Exonerations. The two were separately sentenced to 25 years to life in prison on a second-degree murder charge. One of the teen witnesses later revealed he was beaten and forced by police to give an eyewitness statement.

It was not until May 1998 that Tyson would have her conviction overturned because the police kept secret a report that contradicted one of their key witnesses. Duval’s conviction was overturned in June 1998 for the same reason.

Tyson later received a settlement from the City of Rochester for $1.3 million. Despite the settlement, she later struggle financially and worked cleaning a daycare center for $143 a week.

“All that bitterness and anger left me in the late ’70s,” she said in 1999 an interview with the Associated Press. “I wasn’t a goody two-shoes, but the fact of the matter is, I didn’t kill anybody.”

While incarcerated, Tyson was a model prisoner. She counseled female offenders with AIDS, got a printer’s apprenticeship, led aerobics classes, and was known as “mom” to the younger incarcerated women in the facility.

Delorise Thomas told the Associated Press that she she felt her sister was finally “free.”

60th Anniversary Of March On Washington Commemorated

by Daniel Johnson

August 26, 2023

60th Anniversary Of March On Washington Commemorated

The 60th anniversary of the March on Washington For Jobs And Freedom featured a gathering of Black civil rights leaders and a diverse interfaith coalition of allies, brought together by The Drum Major Institute and the National Action Network.

On August 28, 1963, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led a historic march to the Lincoln Memorial’s steps, orchestrated by Bayard Rustin. At this location, King delivered his iconic “I Have A Dream” speech. The event featured Ambassador Andrew Young as a prominent speaker.

Martin Luther King III told the Associated Press that this occasion was not a conventional commemoration, but rather a profound re-commitment, underlining the transformative power of collective action.

Several leaders of the commemorative march met with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kirsten Clarke on Aug. 25 to discuss issues including voting rights, policing, and redlining.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are scheduled to meet with organizers of the original March on Washington. According to a White House official, Dr. King’s three living children have also been invited to meet with Biden and Harris.

“I never thought that 23 years later, Martin and I, with Arndrea, would be doing a march and we’d have less (civil rights protections) than we had in 2000,” Rev. Al Sharpton told the Associated Press. “We’re fulfilling the assignment Mrs. King gave us. We are having to march, saying we can’t go backwards, and we’ve got to go forward.”

Sharpton was introduced at the 37th anniversary of the March on Washington in 2000 by Coretta Scott King, and according to Sharpton, Scott King gave him a charge to keep the legacy of the march alive. To that end, Sharpton plans to conduct a voting rights tour in states making it harder for Black people to vote. He is enlisting the help of prominent Black entrepreneurs to create a fund that will be used to finance responses to conservative attacks on diversity and inclusion initiatives.

“Freedom is never really won–you earn it and win it in every generation,” Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr. and CEO of the Martin Luther King Jr. Center For Nonviolent Social Change, told the AP. “Vigilance is the answer. We have to always remember, it’s difficult and dark right now, but a dawn is coming. Unfortunately, we’re living in a time when there’s a younger generation who believes that my daddy’s generation, and those of us who came after, didn’t get enough done. And I want them to understand, you are benefiting and this is the way you’re benefiting.”

by Atiya Jordan

August 26, 2023

BLACK GIRLS ROCK! Set To Spotlight Black Women In Citywide Celebration Under New Partnership

Ahead of Women’s Equality Day, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser tapped dynamic partners like BLACK GIRLS ROCK to support leadership, community engagement, and sisterhood in the nation’s capital. This intentional partnership with the global women’s empowerment movement paves the way for an expansion like no other.

In a press release, Natasha Dupee, director of the Mayor’s Office on Women’s Policy and Initiatives (MOWPI), said, “Community engagement is one of our driving forces, so we are excited to help showcase Black women who push boundaries through creative and artistic expression.”

Curated by Founder and CEO Beverly Bond, BLACK GIRLS ROCK! FEST, also known as BGR!FEST has held a premiere event in the District since 2019. According to the release, the global destination celebration is returning to the nation’s cultural center, the Kennedy Center, but under a new partnership with MOWPI and the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment (OCTFME).

LaToya Foster, director of the Office of Cable Television, Film, Music, and Entertainment, noted that the objective of the collaboration is to “create more jobs and opportunities, and give Black women a ‘fair shot,’ in the words of Mayor Bowser, in the media and entertainment industries.”

As the 2023 BGR!Fest wrapped up in March, the upcoming show is slated to put on an even “bigger” party featuring a speaker series, workshops, youth activations, sponsor showcases, community events, and more. The festival will also provide District students, entrepreneurs, and young professionals with opportunities to network. In doing so, the festival will be presenting a Black Cloud Tech Network Summit opportunity for the first time. The aim is to create more career pathways for women and girls in the tech industry.

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March 2024 is a special time for the District residents to immerse themselves in the power of community during Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day Weekend.

“The collaboration spanning multiple venues with a range of dynamic events allows us to integrate the significance of Black women’s contributions during D.C.’s Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day Weekend,” Bond said in the release.

“It’s an honor to join forces with Mayor Bowser and the city. Together, our aim is to spotlight Black women’s voices, enhance cultural vibrancy, and drive unity and economic prosperity in the heart of DC, creating a lasting, global impact,” she continued.

The news comes after Bond proudly announced the inauguration of a daily digital publication, Black Girls Bond, in May. As BLACK ENTERPRISE reported, the new business venture aims to provide a “daily trove of informative and aspirational content that caters to the multifaceted lifestyles of our readers, providing them with the resources necessary to forge balanced and fulfilling lives,” according to Bond. With amplifying women of color in mind, the publication features content from skincare and beauty to health and wellness, fashion, business, tech, and pop-culture news.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 26, 2023

The Modern Green Book Raising Funds To Give Grants To Black-Owned Businesses

In 1936, Victor Hugo Green published The Green Book, which helped guide Black people who traveled through the Jim Crow South more than 80 years ago. It directed them to head in the right direction to destinations that were safe for them. Now, as an ode to that particular guide, by borrowing the theme, in Birmingham, Alabama, there is a nonprofit organization, The Modern Green Book, guiding Black businesses across the country.

According to WTVM13, The Modern Green Book is hosting a weeklong celebration to support Black businesses nationwide. The Modern Green Book Culture & Community Fest Week is hoping to raise money to help Black-owned businesses across the country by obtaining funds for grants.

“A lot of times we see Black-owned businesses open and close their doors like very, very quickly,” Modern Green Book Founder Theo Edwards Butler said. “Hopefully, these grants provide a sense of relief for them. They can help with rent; they can help with buying into a new product or thing that they need to help create the product or service.”

The organization aims to raise $25,000 by the end of the year.

“The Modern Green Book now has taken on the mantle of giving us like this Rolodex and this networking opportunity for Black businesses to be recognized,” Aja Penix, founder of the Birmingham Black Repertory Theater Collective, said.

There will be events throughout the weekend, and the proceeds will go toward grants for Black-owned businesses. A Black Business Networking Game Night is happening on Thursday, starting at 7 p.m. The venue is located in Woodlawn, at Polaris Co-Working & Event Space. There will be networking opportunities and giveaways for attendees. Admission is free, but an RSVP to the event is required to enter.

On Saturday, Aug. 26, The MGB Culture & Community Fest will occur between noon and 8 p.m. at Sloss Furnaces National Historic Landmark. This event will have a casual theme with a festival, live music, and vendors. There is also a Black-owned beer and wine garden. Students can get in for a $5 admission, and adults are $10. A $100 fee gets you VIP status.

by Stacy Jackson

August 26, 2023

First Square In Savannah To Honor A Person of Color Is Named After A Black Woman

Savannah, the oldest city in Georgia, is making history. The city council voted to rename a downtown square in honor of a Black woman, Susie King Taylor.

According to KXAN, after nine months of the square remaining unnamed while City Hall received recommendations for a new name, Taylor was selected from a diverse set of candidates: a pastor, a civil rights leader, a woman who started Savannah’s preservation movement in the 1950s, and an Army special operations pilot.

Taylor is credited with formerly teaching enslaved people to read and write. Using her platform as a nurse for the Union Army, she established schools to teach emancipated children and adults. Before she died in 1912, she published a memoir about her life during the war, making her the only Black woman to do so, according to the outlet.

She is the first person of color to have one of the 23 squares in Savannah named after them. These spaces were typically named after prominent white men such as colonial founders and fallen war heroes. This square was named after John Calhoun, a former vice president who supported slavery before the Civil War.

The vote was made last November after determining Calhoun was not fit to hold the honor in a city that is 54% Black.

“It’s one thing to make history. It’s something else to make sense. And in this case, we’re making both,” Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said.

Mayor Van Johnson acknowledged that people in Taylor’s era “never would have fathomed” the five Black women who sit on the city council in Savannah, Georgia. There was pushback from some residents who did not support the decision.

A Black resident, David Tootle, filed a suit on the basis that the vote violated a 2019 Georgia law that protects Confederate memorials and public monuments. He argued Calhoun should not be stripped of his honor due to his service as vice president under two administrations even though his stance on slavery was wrong. “… We can’t erase somebody out of the history books and take their names off things because we don’t agree with them and thought they were bad,” Tootle said.

The square will have a marker explaining the square’s previous naming after former Vice President Calhoun. The mayor and council made the vote.

It’s Nagel and Nicholson Forever: Billings, Montana, News Anchor Cornelia Nicholson Gets Engaged During Promo

by Stacy Jackson

August 26, 2023

It’s Nagel and Nicholson Forever: Billings, Montana, News Anchor Cornelia Nicholson Gets Engaged During Promo

There was some unexpected dialogue reflected on the prompter for one evening anchor.

“Coming up right now, we have the story of two young journalists who just so happened to find love in the same industry,” Local 3 News anchor Cornelia Nicholson read aloud during a recording for a promotional video, letting loose a chuckle as she realized what she was saying.

Reporter Riley Nagel chose the news station as the perfect place to get down on one knee and ask for his colleague’s hand in marriage. According to Local 3 News, the two met while working at the NBC affiliate station in Billings, Montana.

Photos of Nagel and Nicholson flashed on a screen behind the confused anchor before Nagel joined her in the studio with the extra special report.

“That is right, Cornelia. I do have a special report,” Nagel said as he approached Nicholson with a bouquet. “For people at home who maybe don’t know, Cornelia and I met in news back in Montana at our news station almost four years ago,” Nagel explained.

Speaking directly to Nicholson, he continued, “When I first met you, I was very drawn to you.” Nagel showered his boo with compliments about her “amazing personality,” the “light” she brings into a room, and how she makes everyone laugh. “…You’re incredibly talented, especially in news. I think anyone who watches you knows that.”

Nagel credited Nicholson as the reason he has remained in the news industry today and for making him better in news and life.

An emotional Nicholson watched as Nagel pulled out an engagement ring, eased down on one knee, and asked her to marry him. Both reporters shook as Nicholson accepted, and the ring was placed on her finger. The news station lovebirds shared a kiss and exchanged the words “I love you” with each other.

Nagel and Nicholson sealed the deal with a tight hug. Since the proposal, both reporters have shared the special moment with their Instagram followers.

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by Sharelle B. McNair

August 25, 2023

‘Love Is Blind’s’ Bartise Bowden Claims Permanent Engagement Jewelry Was ‘Easy To Break Off’

Season three “Love Is Blind” contestant Bartise Bowden is calling cap on the “permanent jewelry” he got with his ex-fiance, Nancy Rodriquez.

The former couple were seen getting 14-karat gold bracelets permanently welded onto their wrists at Dallas-based jewelry store Mod + Jo, just five days before their wedding, as a symbolic commitment to each other, Insider reports. “This is as permanent as it gets, huh?” Bowden can be heard asking his then-bride-to-be as he got the bracelet welded on.

“And hopefully that’s what marriage is. I’m not going into the marriage hoping it’s not permanent, so this is a big step for us.”

However, when the world witnessed Bowden leave Rodriguez at the altar, fans also saw how easy it was to remove the bracelets. “I had a friend rip mine off not too long after [my] wedding day. It requires some force,” Bowden said. “I think in our wedding episode, you can see Nancy ripping hers off.”

Rodriguez told Bowden, “It means nothing to me now,” referring to their bracelets during their final goodbyes.

But, some jewelry enthusiasts still think getting permanent jewelry is a nice trend. Travel and lifestyle reporter Jordan Parker Erb had a bracelet created at Catbird in New York City with her mother, and, having it on for more than a year now, she says it’s worth it. “I still consider my permanent bracelet both a sweet memory and a fabulous accessory, and I’m itching to go back for more,” Erb said. For $144, the reporter says the process can be a little nerve-racking, but the experience is painless. “You’ll see a little flash and hear a crackle, which is the welding tool ‘zapping’ the chain together,” she remembers.

Since the show, Bowden hasn’t had issues moving on. The reality show star debuted his new relationship with fellow Texas resident Cait Vanderberry in early July 2023. “He’s so happy,” a Bowden source said, according to People.

by Derek Major

August 25, 2023

Pronghorn Announces Fourth Round Of Investments In Spirits Brands

Pronghorn, a standalone investment brand on a mission to cultivate the next generation of entrepreneurs in the spirits industry, announced its fourth round of angel investments in three spirits brands.

Pronghorn has invested in Abisola Whiskey, Los Hermanos Tequila 1978, and Alexander James Whiskey. The investments celebrate the rise of Black entrepreneurs across growing industries across the U.S. in honor of Black Business Month.

The announcement also comes on the heels of Pronghorn’s first anniversary in June when it announced it raised $200 million to uplift Black entrepreneurs in the spirits industry.

“In a short period of time, Pronghorn has continued to rapidly increase its portfolio of Black-owned spirits companies, accelerating our growth trajectory faster than we anticipated,” Steve Brown, VP of Finance for Pronghorn, said in a statement. “The latest additions only further propel us to our goal of enhancing the next generation of Black entrepreneurs in the industry while showcasing our continued commitment to investing in high-growth categories.”

Abisola Whiskey is not a traditional whiskey. Launched in 2021 by Abisola Abidemi, Abisola Whiskey was created to represent and celebrate the modern-day whiskey drinker, forge a new legacy, and celebrate the strong, bold young women and men from all backgrounds who achieve greatness every day in their way.

Los Hermanos Tequila 1978 was created in 2020 during the height of the pandemic by brothers Donta and William Henson. They came together to found Los Hermanos Tequila 1978, a smooth, subtle on-the-nose tequila with hints of banana peel, eucalyptus, white pepper, and tutti fruity on the palate – and Los Hermanos Tequila Reposado – floral on the nose with hints of rosemary, thyme, vanilla bean, and white flowers on the palate.

Alexander James Whiskey was inspired by his two grandfathers, who were best friends. Jesse Steward Jr. founded Alexander James Whiskey in 2021. Named after his son to continue the family tradition of sharing history through storytelling over a glass of whiskey, Alexander James Whiskey is a straight bourbon whiskey with 13 original cocktail blends that aims to enhance the legacies of all consumers and their families for years to come.

Pronghorn is developing a blueprint for diversifying an industry that has severely underrepresented its prominent consumer audience. Pronghorn is working with the Black community, who have long been underrepresented in this growing space despite a significant and historic presence in the industry.

“Pronghorn’s unwavering dedication to advancing the entrepreneurial and economic livelihood of Black founders in the space enables us to get closer to reaching our goal of investing in 57 Black-owned brands and producing $2.4 billion for the community,” said Jomaree Pinkard, CEO of Pronghorn. “In just one year, we’ve invested in 20 Black-owned spirits brands, changing these founders’ lives forever, all while steadily increasing the percentage of Black executives and employees in the overall spirits labor force. We will continue to work towards this mission until the industry reflects the consumers that it serves.”

Yo Gotti, private planes, hip hop, rapper

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 25, 2023

Yo Gotti ‘Can’t Afford’ To Fly Private, Just First Class

The quickest way to become broke when you have money is to spend like it will always be there, and that’s where folks make mistakes. Yet, CMG Records honcho Yo Gotti has a different mindset.

The rapper and businessman recently appeared on Big Boy’s Neighborhood on Power 106 in Los Angeles. During the conversation, Yo Gotti told the radio personality that he “can’t afford” to fly private. Or at least that is what he tells himself to keep more paper in his pocket. He explained that he wants to save money, so spending like that would have the opposite effect.

“I don’t even fly private,” he said. “I can’t afford it. I fly first class, and I’m keeping my paper. I can’t afford it up here [in my head].”

But he did confess that some artists signed to his label do that—even singling out 42 Dugg for doing so.

“Some of em only fly private,” Yo Gotti states. “I was trying to get one of my artists to do some promo. He’s like, ‘It’s cool, I’m gonna fly private though.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t even fly private.’ Dugg young and turnt. He only fly private.”

Yo Gotti seems like he doesn’t want to follow in the footsteps of many recording artists who aren’t smart with their money.

He recently admitted that he almost lost 15 of his homes because he did not pay the property tax. He figured since he purchased the home with cash, he didn’t have to pay anything besides the maintenance.

“I didn’t even know you had to pay property taxes on a house that you’d paid cash for,” he said.

Luckily, he found out before the tax man came and learned a valuable lesson. From his recent interview, it seems like he won’t be broke anytime soon.