by Jeroslyn JoVonn

August 15, 2023

Spelman College Launches Financial Wellness Program

Spelman College students are getting an early start on building wealth starting this fall.

The Atlanta-based HBCU for women recently announced the launch of its strategic partnership with Stackwell, the digital investment platform aimed at eliminating the racial wealth gap, and Fintech in Action, a social impact initiative that promotes Black talent in finance and fintech.

According to a news release, the financial wellness pilot will provide Spelman students with a finance and investing course and a seeded Stackwell account of $250 to get a head start on building wealth while in college.

Sixteen Spelman sophomores who won the Braven Accelerator Capstone Challenge will be the first to take part in a pilot that will be tracked over three years to assess how students can build sustained wealth over time. With a goal of empowering the students to grow their investments over time, the participant will graduate with all the funds they amassed to launch their professional careers.

“Fintech in Action is thrilled to partner with Stackwell to build and launch this new initiative,” Korene E. J. Smith, Director of Fintech in Action said.

“Going into the Braven Capstone Challenge, I wanted our sponsorship to offer a challenge question and prize that made an impact beyond the classroom. We truly believe this program has the potential to be scaled to larger cohorts of students and expanded across HBCUs and other colleges and universities–providing access to critical and functional financial education and an understanding of the markets to countless Black students in America.”

The financial wellness program is part of Fintech in Action and Stackwell’s larger strategic partnership that includes a variety of initiatives for Black college students and student-athletes.

“I am so excited that our cohort is being given the opportunity to start an investment journey while we’re still in school,” Morgan Newson, a rising junior at Spelman said.

“To be provided with a program that teaches us how to be successful investors on our own, along with a seeded account is a huge deal. As a Black woman, it means a lot to have this kind of support and head start in learning how to build wealth. Being able to start years before graduation gives me leverage as I think about financial stability and my future.”

by Derek Major

August 15, 2023

Jeeter Cannabis And Lifestyle Company Announces Exclusive Hall Of Flame Collection With Dwyane Wade

Jeeter, a cannabis lifestyle company, announced a special product drop to celebrate three-time NBA Champion and Hall-Of-Famer Dwyane Wade.

To celebrate Wade’s induction into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame last weekend, Jeeter is launching an exclusive collection of Jeeter baby cannons featuring three exclusive strains selected by Wade himself. The collection will be available starting Aug. 19.

Wade, who played for the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Chicago Bulls, joined Jeeter’s board in 2021, and the Hall-Of-Flame collection is his second collaboration with the cannabis and lifestyle brand.

“He is very much deserving of the Hall of Fame recognition and getting to create three signature pre-rolls alongside Dwyane again is always a pleasure. Even more so when we have a chance like this to show how much we admire him,” Jeeter Co-Founders and Co-CEOs, Sebastian Solano and Lukasz Tracz said in a collective statement.

Created By Wade himself, each pre-roll includes three tropical flavors to represent each of his three NBA championships. Each strain consists of the year of the championship Wade won on the creative packaging.

The three strains are:

● Wade Rozay- this hybrid includes floral and berry notes that bubble, while sweet earthy tones give this unique strain an uplifting and relaxing high.

● Red Punch Sativa– this is a tropical flavor of berry with slight citrus undertones, giving the “Bed Red” punch an oasis of energy and focus. An automatic mood boost for a euphoric experience.

● Flashberry Indica – this champions Raspberry Jelly doughnut flavors, as its sweet notes crown the palette on the exhale. With a calm body high, this strain relieves stress in a flash.

Wade, a 13-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA Defense team member, won three NBA titles with the Miami Heat in 2006, 2012, and 2013.

“I am excited to team up with Jeeter to personalize my own Hall of Fame collection,” newly inducted Hall of Famer and Jeeter board member Wade said. “Hall of Flame celebrates this milestone and is a salute to who I was as a basketball player, who I am today, and who I will become.”

Hall-Of-Flame will be available for around $80 at dispensaries across California, Arizona, and Michigan.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

August 15, 2023

New York’s Youngest Certified Pilot Is An 18-Year-Old Black Girl From Queens

An 18-year-old from the Jamaica neighborhood in Queens is the youngest Black female certified pilot in the Big Apple.

Ariel Messam took to social media earlier this month to proudly announce that she’s the youngest woman of color to be a certified private pilot in New York.

“Finally got my Private Pilot’s license. Youngest black female in New York to do it too!” she wrote.

“I’m so grateful for those who made it possible. God is so good. I took my first flight at 14 years old and couple years and financial breaks later, I made it official.”

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A post shared by Ariel Messam (@flyingwithariel)

The accomplishment comes a little over a year after Messam graduated from Aviation Career & Technical Education High School. At the same time she earned her certification as an Aircraft Powerplant Technician and played varsity basketball, Black News reports.

After graduation, Messam joined the New York-based 501(c)3 organization Level Up and Take Off as a flight simulation instructor. The nonprofit was started by her brother Anthony Messam to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in aviation, real estate, and financial management.

She often flies out of Republic Airport in Farmingdale, New York, and enjoys sharing highlights from her flying adventures on social media. Shortly after announcing her pilot certification, Messam shared a few photos from her travels to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

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A post shared by Ariel Messam (@flyingwithariel)

In addition to working as an instructor at Level Up and Take Off, Messam is an ambassador with Girls Love to Fly. She announced her partnership with the organization last month.

“Girls Love to Fly is a 501(c)3 Non-Profit with one mission in mind, to empower women from all walks of life!” she explained. “Their mission is to help women who are interested in becoming aviators through many different ways, including offering scholarship opportunities continuously as well as discovery flights!”

Oher, blind side, Micheal, other, Tuohy, royalties, $15, texts, court documents

by Daniel Johnson

August 15, 2023

‘The Blind Side’ Subject Michael Oher Plans To Sue Tuohy Family Over Conservatorship

Michael Oher, the offensive lineman depicted in the film The Blind Side, is suing the Tuohy family for misrepresenting the terms of a conservatorship he signed while in high school. ESPN reports that Oher filed a 14-page petition in a Tennessee court alleging that Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy tricked him into signing away legal rights through a conservatorship when he was 18. The family is accused of using Oher’s story as told in the 2009 film to enrich themselves and their two birth children but locked him out of any benefits of his own life’s story.

Although The Blind Side suggests Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy adopted him, Oher says this is false. Instead of adopting him, he said, the Tuohy family established a conservatorship, profiting from his name, image, and likeness.

The family, including Sean Tuhoy Jr, have rebutted Oher’s claims. Tuhoy Jr, the son of Sean and Leigh Anne, gave an interview to Barstool Sports where he maintained that accusations that the family made millions of dollars from Oher’s story are inaccurate. The younger Tuhoy told the outlet that he understands why Oher is upset but firmly denies having made a sum of $2 million from the film.

Oher’s petition maintains that “Michael trusted the Tuohys and signed where they told him to sign. What he signed, however, and unknown to Michael until after February 2023, were not adoption papers, or the equivalent of adoption papers.”

Part of Oher’s grievance with the Tuohy family centers around the story that The Blind Side tells. Oher has maintained for years that the film hurt his NFL career.

As he told ESPN in 2015, “People look at me, and they take things away from me because of a movie. They don’t really see the skills and the kind of player I am.”

In his new book, When Your Back’s Against The Wall, Oher alleges that the film has been a source of pain for him. Oher writes: “There has been so much created from The Blind Side that I am grateful for, which is why you might find it as a shock that the experience surrounding the story has also been a large source of some of my deepest hurt and pain over the past 14 years.”During an ESPN interview,

Oher’s attorney, J. Gerard Stranch IV, discussed the specifics of Oher’s issues with the Tuohy family. According to Stranch, because the lineman’s NFL career began around the time the film took off, he didn’t really have the time to investigate what the Tuhoy family engaged in. It wasn’t until after his retirement in 2016 that he hired a lawyer who looked deeper into conservatorship and discovered that Oher was not adopted as he had been led to believe.

Stranch told ESPN about the impact that discovery had on Oher. “Mike didn’t grow up with a stable family life,” Stranch explained. “When the Tuohy family told Mike they loved him and wanted to adopt him, it filled a void that had been with him his entire life. Discovering that he wasn’t actually adopted devastated Mike and wounded him deeply.”

Celebrity Chef Opens 2 Atlanta Restaurants After Surviving Homelessness

by Stacy Jackson

August 15, 2023

Celebrity Chef Opens 2 Atlanta Restaurants After Surviving Homelessness

This chef-turned-restaurant owner knows if you don’t succeed at first, try again.

Atlanta-based chef Bryant Williams, also known as Chef Baul, overcame hurdles to open his first restaurant. However, according to Forbes, he didn’t let a failed business deal or homelessness deter him.

Williams owns two restaurants, Binky’s Eatery and Betty Sue’s. According to Forbes, Chef Baul’s businesses have earned him millions.

“I would describe Binky’s Eatery as a luxury, soul food takeout restaurant. It’s perfect for the everyday person, traveling on the go, looking for delicious soul food,” Williams told Forbes. “You will get that quick, great hospitality and service at Binky’s. You can enjoy it in the comfort of your own home, freshly made.” The eatery is located in downtown Atlanta.

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What Now Atlanta reported Chef Baul’s second restaurant, Betty Sue’s, was named after his grandmother.

“Betty Sue’s will make you feel like you’re eating at your grandmother’s house for breakfast. You know it’s going to be that nice breakfast spot that you can come into and enjoy a good breakfast meal with some good prices,” he told Forbes.

Chef Baul has more than a decade of experience in the culinary industry. The journey was not without trials. The business owner was homeless at one point. He took another loss when he agreed to a bad business deal in 2019 that was supposed to help him open his first restaurant. Baul praises his wife, Daniella “Ivy” Emillien, for guiding him through the bad deal. Emillien helps Black business owners with financial literacy through The Ivy League Academy.

Chef Baul started cooking at 8 years old and began a catering business in 2013, What Now Atlanta reported. He picked up clients from the music industry, including Cardi B, Offset, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Baby, and Gucci Mane. He became the personal chef for the Migos after word got out about his Southern, Caribbean, and Asian food.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

August 15, 2023

Morris Brown College Rejoins AUC ‘Olive Branch’ Tradition In New Era

Morris Brown College is officially and culturally back.

The fourth member of the Atlanta University Center has rejoined the “Olive Branch” tradition, which gathers all students from the neighboring HBCUs, for the first time since regaining its accreditation after 20 years.

The ceremony is held the weekend before the fall semester commences: Spelman and Morehouse College join Clark Atlanta University and now Morris Brown’s freshman classes to meet one another in the celebration of unity. As the latest re-addition to the festivities, the institution expressed delight in participating in the harmonious event

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Referring to this upcoming period for the school and its growing student body as “#TheHardReset,” Morris Brown is promoting the educational achievement it was founded on.

To help lead this charge, Dr. Toneyce Randolph was appointed as the new provost and senior vice president for academic affairs on Aug. 9.

“As we navigate through a transformative phase known as THE HARD RESET, we are elated to welcome Dr. Randolph to our team,” school president Dr. Kevin James said in a press release. “Her extensive leadership experience within historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), particularly in the realms of accreditation, student advancement, governance, financial stability, and academic affairs, makes her an exceptional addition.”

With the role of “scaling the college’s educational profile and mission,” Randolph will play a vital position in the school’s administration to ensure students are not only receiving a quality holistic education but that HBCUs specifically thrive within its population and resources.

Morris Brown prides itself as the “first and only” HBCU within Georgia that has Black founders, and now it can indulge in that joy as it begins an era of success.

by Daniel Johnson

August 15, 2023

Prominent Ghanaian-British Architect David Adjaye Accused Of Sexual Assault By 3 Women

The Liverpool International Slavery Museum has cut ties with the architecture firm run by Ghanaian-British architect David Adjaye following accusations of sexual assault and harassment from three women.

The BBC reports that earlier this year, Adjaye admitted to entering into consensual relationships that blurred the lines between his personal and professional lives. The museum will, however, continue to use Adjaye’s designs.

The museum issued a statement confirming reports that it had stopped collaborating with Adjaye.

“We would like to thank the AA team who have worked hard to bring the International Slavery Museum and Maritime Museum transformation project, to a developed design stage. We remain committed to the project as we continue to build on the momentum already established and intend to start an accelerated tender procurement for new architects in the coming weeks,” the statement read.

Adjaye’s lawyers say that the women are making the claims in order to extract money from the architect. Their accounts include instances of Adjaye forcibly kissing them, with some of saying the incidents escalated to “controlling sexual encounters.” According to the claims, one instance of forcible kissing occurred in an apartment, another in a bathroom at a South African airport. Another woman says Adjaye forcibly kissed her at the Royal Academy after it had closed.

“I absolutely reject any claims of sexual misconduct, abuse, or criminal wrongdoing,” Adjaye told the BBC in a prepared statement. “These allegations are untrue, distressing for me and my family and run counter to everything I stand for. I am ashamed to say that I entered into relationships which though entirely consensual, blurred the boundaries between my professional and personal lives. I am deeply sorry.”

Adjaye also claimed that he would be seeking professional help immediately to learn from his mistakes, vowing never to repeat them again.

Representatives for both the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (Adjaye was working on its Holocaust memorial) and the Liverpool International Slavery Museum didn’t respond directly to the Adjaye’s accusations, but an official for the former said Adjaye’s firm would not participate in the UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation project until the allegations had been addressed.

According to the BBC, Adjaye, 56, was awarded British architecture’s highest accolade, the Royal Institute of British Architects’ gold medal in 2021 and was knighted in 2017.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

August 15, 2023

Wander Franco On MLB’s Restricted List As Investigation into Alleged Relationship With Minor Continues

Baseball star Wander Franco has been placed on Major League Baseball’s restricted list after the attorney general in the Dominican Republic confirmed an investigation into his alleged romance with a minor, the Associated Press reports.

The investigation follows alleged social media posts that suggest Franco was in a relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The Rays said they were “made aware” of the social media posts about Franco on Sunday and said Major League Baseball was conducting “due diligence” about the matter, according to CBS Sports.

The Rays and Franco, their 22-year-old, highly paid All-Star shortstop, have “mutually agreed” that he go on the restricted list where he will miss at least six games.

“The Tampa Bay Rays and Wander Franco have mutually agreed that he will go on the Restricted List and take leave from the club for the duration of the current road trip,” the team said in a short one-sentence statement.

Franco did not play in Sunday’s home series finale against Cleveland at Tropicana Field. He wasn’t present for the start of the Rays’ six-game road trip that began Monday night against the San Francisco Giants.

“We support any steps taken by the league to better understand the situation,” the team said.

“Out of respect for all parties involved, we have no further comments at this time,” the team added.

Franco will be paid during his time on the restricted list. He signed an 11-year extension with the Rays in November 2021 and was selected to play his first All-Star Game this season. The Dominican Republic native is currently hitting .281/.344/.475 in 112 games.

Tampa Bay’s top prospect Osleivis Basabe, 22 started Sunday at shortstop in his major league debut and played again in Monday’s series opener in San Francisco.

by Daniel Johnson

August 15, 2023

Savannah, Georgia, To Rename Square Currently Honoring Enslaver

Savannah, Georgia, is renaming an area of its city formerly known as Calhoun City Square after a two-year fight to rename it.

An activist group founded by Patt Gunn and Rosalyn Rouse called the Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation, and Healing started pushing for the square to be renamed for Susie King Taylor in 2021, as reported by the Savannah Morning News.

The members of the Center for Jubilee, Reconciliation, and Healing group felt it was time for his name to be taken off the square.

In an observance ceremony at the group’s Jubilee Freedom Day in 2021, Gunn and Rouse began their call to remove Calhoun’s name by noting that the square was near a burial ground for enslaved people and as an enslaver, Calhoun’s name remaining on the square was not right.

The process to rename the square was not direct: any potential name had to be accompanied by a letter of support from either Mayor Van Johnson, Alderwoman Kesha Gibson-Carter, Alderwoman Alicia Miller Blakely, or Alderman Detric Leggett.

This square, which was laid out in 1851, was named in honor of John C. Calhoun, a United States Senator from South Carolina, who served as vice president under John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson. According to the University of South Carolina, Calhoun, who was born in 1782 and died in 1850, was a slaveholder and a staunch defender of slavery.

The pair began attempting to collect signatures from surrounding property owners, as was required by the city’s renaming process, but were thwarted by people who wanted Calhoun’s name to remain on the square.

They were unable to meet the signature threshold, but the Savannah City Council voted to remove Calhoun’s name from the square. According to The Current, Susie King Taylor is a favorite for the renaming, with the Savannah City Council favoring it among a field of five finalists.

Taylor was an ex-enslaved person who became a teacher of formerly enslaved people and an Army nurse for the Union during the Civil War. If her name is chosen, King will become the first woman and non-white person to have a Savannah city square named in her honor. Later in August, the council is expected to take a final vote and decide on who gets the square named after them.

In addition to Taylor, the Savannah Park and Tree Commission recommended the Creek Tribe of Native Americans who occupied the land before it was colonized by the British; George Leisle, a pastor born in Virginia who founded First African Baptist Church, considered to be one of the oldest Black churches in America; W.W Law, a Savannah-born Black civil rights leader who led local activist efforts in Savannah during the 1950s and 1960s; and “The Seven Sisters,” a group of women who spurred the city’s efforts at preserving local historical landmarks.

Rossie Norris, a Savannah area educator, said at the public portion of the meeting that naming the square after Taylor would be a great satisfaction to her: “A lot of Savannah’s enslaved history has been erased from this beautiful city,” Norris explained. “My thoughts are that this would be an amazing way to give credence to an African American shero.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

August 15, 2023

Rick Ross Returns To Miami, Closes On $35M Star Island Mansion

Rick Ross will be taking breaks from his Promise Land estate in Georgia to settle back in his hometown now that he’s closed on a lavish Star Island mansion.

While sellers initially wanted $37 million for the Star Island home, “the Boss” Rick Ross worked out a deal to secure the luxury pad for $35 million, TMZ reports. The close comes one month after reports first revealed the “BMF” rapper’s plans to buy the 6-bedroom, 9-bathroom mansion in the celebrity-filled community.

In addition to boasting neighbors like Jennifer Lopez, Shaquille O’Neal, and Diddy, Ross’ new opulent home comes with a heated pool, entertainment room, summer kitchen, and mesmerizing terraces overlooking a beautiful waterfront and his 40-foot dock.

Ross described the new home as “a major piece to the puzzle” on his real estate investments, South Florida Business Journal reports.

“He instantly fell in love with the grand entry—it has a very long driveway stretching toward the mansion that creates an air of real luxury,” Realtor Kimberly Knausz told People.

“The architecture also played a part, as it’s far beyond the ordinary modern home, and he plans to enhance it to reflect his personal style.”

Knausz of ONE Sotheby’s International Realty worked with Ross’s sister Tawanda Roberts, a real estate agent with Florida Realty of Miami, to broker the deal.

His latest purchase adds to his growing real estate portfolio that includes luxury homes in Texas, two in Georgia, and another in Florida. In April, Ross was proud to announce his new home in the Lone Star state.

“I invite the great state of Texas to take a shot of @deaconwhisky to celebrate my newest home in the Lone Star State,” he captioned an Instagram post.

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A post shared by Biggest Boss Rick Ross (@richforever)

Meanwhile, Ross’ Georgia mansion is so lavish, it was in Eddie Murphy’s Coming 2 America. The “Aston Martin Music” rapper even landed a cameo in the sequel thanks to his massive Georgia estate.