exhibition game, ken Griffey Jr, Major League Baseball, MLB, HBCU
by Lauren Nutall

July 19, 2023

Major League Baseball Hosts Inaugural HBCU Exhibition Game

On Friday, July 7, Major League Baseball (MLB) is hosting its inaugural HBCU showcase game ahead of All-Star Weekend in Seattle, the Associated Press reports. The weekend will open with the HBCU Swingman All-Star Classic and feature 50 players from 17 HBCUs.

The idea was conceived by Ken Griffey Jr., a baseball Hall of Famer and current senior adviser to the commissioner at the MLB.

“It’s all about trying to get seen. I mean, if I can give an opportunity for a kid, one kid, two kids, three kids to be seen, how many kids can that be over the next five, 10, 15 years?” Griffey said.

“How many lives will that one person change? That’s all we’re trying to do.”

The retired outfielder was appointed senior adviser in January 2021. At the time, Griffey spoke to the MLB Network about his new position and how he wanted to instill the love of baseball in young people. “I’m trying to get kids to play baseball. I think it’s the greatest sport in the world, and I want more kids to play,” he said. Now, it seems that his interests have expanded to the underappreciated talent residing in HBCUs. 

Griffey spoke about launching this showcase project with the goal to bring more Black baseball players to the forefront, especially as representation dwindles. “My dad gave back to baseball. It’s now my turn,” Griffey told MLB Network in June 2023. 

The event will showcase HBCU players from across the country, giving them the opportunity to exhibit their skills and show their school pride. According to Sporting News, two teams, each comprised of 25 players, will compete against each other with MLB scouts in attendance.

“This is an opportunity for these guys to be out there on a big stage, to have some fun with some guys who played the game at a high level and learn some things,” Griffey said. 

The weekend will consist of several other events, including an All-Star Futures Game, MLB Draft, Home Run Derby, and, the main event, the MLB All-Star Game.

RELATED CONTENT: FLORIDA HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL TEAM IN RACIST TEXT SCANDAL HAS SEASON CANCELED AFTER WALKOUT

 

 



William Rotu, President, Kenya, vigango, reclamation, return archives
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 19, 2023

Stolen Memorials Used As Museum Artifacts Returned To Kenya

Repatriating stolen artifacts to their rightful origins has been a complex journey, as the reclamation of these cultural entities had to be rigorously fought for. For Kenya, its memorials, vigango, were a decades-long part of this unjust system.  

Many African nations were stripped of artifacts and sacred statues, considered artistic treasures to dealers, and utilized by Western countries for tourism and cultural attractions. However, universities and museums worldwide will visit Nairobi for a ceremonial acknowledgment of the reinstallment of the vigango to their home country in the National Museums of Kenya.

Per their historical usage stated in the New York Times, vigango were never supposed to be transported elsewhere, even within the land, serving as the Kenyan equivalent of a tombstone to honor a male elder in the Mijikenda community who has passed away. The Mijikenda people are composed of nine tribes that typically live along the coast of the East African nation. 

The spirits of past elders are intricately tied to the statues. This notion was expressed to Dr. Brooke Morgan, an anthropologist at the Illinois State Museum, with the institution urging her to facilitate their return. 

 “Separating vigango from their rightful owners harms the spiritual well-being of the whole community,” voiced the curator on the museum’s focus on returning the artifacts. Currently, the quest for retrieval faces its own obstacles, as who directly owns these pieces after decades of displacement is an issue, as well as the costliness of it.

As of right now, there is no direct way to tie the ownership of some vigango to specific tribes, and import tariffs can be upwards of tens of thousands of dollars for 30 vigango. However, in the meantime, the National Museums of Kenya will hold the vigango until a complete repatriation plan is finalized, at least now being held in the land the pieces stem from. 

The museum’s efforts have led to 37 of the Kenyan memorials being returned, influencing other museums to make a concerted effort to repatriate stolen belongings back to their native countries. 

RELATED CONTENT: Germany To Return Stolen Bronze Artifacts To Benin, We Are Confronting Our Historic And Moral Responsibility

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 19, 2023

Black-Owned Duke & Dame Whiskey Expands Across Florida

Duke & Dame Whiskey, known for its rich salted caramel flavoring, is now available for in-store purchasing in all locations of Publix, the popular Florida-based grocery store chain. 

Established by Amani Macaulay and Chima Bureymin in 2018, the Black-owned brand promotes its use of 100% natural ingredients in its coloring and curation, including no additives or artificial flavors. According to their website, the idea stemmed from “a vision to redefine the whiskey drinking experience.”

In a live segment with River City Live news, one half of the spirited duo brought the shakers out to introduce new ways to engage with the dark liquor, as well as to announce its statewide availability in Florida.

“We feel our whiskey is really versatile,” shared Bureymin. “What we like to do is showcase whiskey outside of just a nighttime cocktail. Duke & Dame makes all the traditional whiskey cocktails great, but we really step up and take some classics and make them even better.”

Their pursuit of a whiskey for everyone led the friends-turned-business partners down a road to craft a whiskey that went well by itself or within a cocktail for more social drinkers. With one gram of sugar per serving, alternating a shot of Duke & Dame in one’s libations makes for a still tasty, yet slightly healthier spin. 

The highly regarded liquor has earned awards from the The SIP Awards International Spirits Competition, International Whisky Competition, and many others. Its name even holds special meaning for the brand, which has utilized the Duke & Dame moniker for its latter half meaning a female knight. This instills an inclusivity within the brand.

While crafted and distributed in South Florida, whiskey enthusiasts can indulge in a shot in bars and restaurants in states such as Michigan and New York. 

RELATED CONTENT: How Two Friends Turned Bar Talk Into a Premium Whiskey Brand Duke  Dame

Atlanta Falcons Rookie Bijan Robinson Hosts Summer Youth Camp With Mercedes-Benz And YMCA
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 19, 2023

Atlanta Falcons Rookie Bijan Robinson Hosts Summer Youth Camp With Mercedes-Benz And YMCA

Recently, Mercedes-Benz co-hosted “Camp MBUSA” with Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson at its company headquarters. The event aimed to help young children learn about safety and injury prevention.

Robinson, a Mercedes-Benz brand ambassador, joined children from the YMCA of Metro Atlanta. The event took place over a full day and provided attendees with fun field day activities and interactive safety education stations. Safe Kids Worldwide assisted with teaching the youth about the importance of safety during the summer.

“It was an incredible opportunity to work alongside Mercedes-Benz, Safe Kids Worldwide, and the YMCA of Metro Atlanta to help raise awareness about summer safety and spend time with these kids. As a new Atlantan, giving back to the community, and especially to Atlanta youth, has been such a fulfilling experience —I can’t wait to see how far these kids go in the future,” Robinson said in a written statement.

Along with Robinson, more than 50 MBUSA employee volunteers came through to help make the program successful. The event was part of Mercedes-Benz’s corporate social responsibility initiative, Driving Your Future, which seeks to empower the next generation.

Robinson told The Atlanta Tribune how he wants this event to impact people. “I want this to have the biggest impact… I don’t want this just to affect here but the whole world eventually.”

The Atlanta Falcons player also wants the experience and partnership with Mercedes-Benz to assist in his goals with his organization, The Bijan Robinson Foundation.

Another Day, Another Honor: LSU Star Angel Reese Has Basketball Court Renaming In Baltimore County
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 18, 2023

Another Day, Another Honor: LSU Star Angel Reese Has Basketball Court Renaming In Baltimore County

Another honor has been bestowed upon Louisiana State University basketball player Angel Reese after her memorable season this past year. According to a Twitter post released by the university, a basketball court has been named in honor of the NCAA champion in Baltimore.

According to CBS News, the newly renovated basketball court is located in Randallstown, where the talented athlete grew up. At the dedication, she said, “I go to LSU, but Baltimore, Randallstown, is always home for me.”

Baltimore County Executive John Olszewski and other local authorities were with Reese on July 17, 2023, at the Scotts Branch Recreation Activity Center, where the basketball court has been renamed Angel Reese Court.

“I just want to thank everybody for coming and to give hope to kids in the crowd that one day this can be you,” Reese said.

To add to her list of achievements this year, CBS News reported that she is also being given the key to the city on July 18, 2023. Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott said Reese will be honored at the Baltimore City Hall Rotunda.

The energetic forward led her LSU basketball team to its first national championship in early 2023. She became the first player to record 25 points, 20 rebounds, and five blocks in an NCAA Women’s Tournament game since 2000. Reese was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 Final Four.

Before starting her collegiate career, she played for her high school basketball team. After graduating, she went to the University of Maryland before transferring to Louisiana State University, where she averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds to become a unanimous First-Team All-American.

After a successful season, Reese recently signed on to become the new face of the Black-owned haircare brand, Mielle Organics.

Sire spirits, sire spirits
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 18, 2023

50 Cent Has Yet Another Legal Victory In $6M Case Against Former Sire Spirits Manager, Plans To Seize Assets

In 2022, the former director of Brand Management for 50 Cent’s Sire Spirits, Mitchell Green, reportedly siphoned $2.2 million from the company. He was ordered to pay back $6.2 million. He filed for bankruptcy, in part to avoid paying the judgment.

According to AllHipHop, Sire Spirits filed a complaint against Green on June 2, 2023, stating that bankruptcy protection shouldn’t protect him from having to pay the money because he obtained it illegally. Although Green was given 30 days to respond to the summons and complaint, he failed to answer, and a default judgment was entered against him.

The former Sire Spirits employee was accused of selling Branson Cognac and Le Chemin du Roi champagne for a higher price while receiving kickbacks from wholesalers. Court records show that he made money by labeling the funds he was given as “agency fees.”

James Berman, the attorney for 50 Cent, said that Green was paid a six-figure salary and was getting benefits as an employee. Greed was the reason he decided to take money from Sire Spirits.

Green allegedly admitted to his “Get Rich or Die Trying“ scheme in February 2020. He confessed, “after two years of embezzling from Sire Spirits,” because he claimed that he was being extorted by someone who knew what he was doing, and that person threatened to expose his past transgressions. Sire Spirits fired him and took him to arbitration, where they emerged victorious against him.

The arbitrator ruled that Green was responsible for the money stolen and another $948,096 the former employee paid to a wholesaler. He had been ordered to pay an additional $2.7 million in fees for costs, damages, and attorneys fees. Court records revealed that he owes a total of $6.2 million.

With the latest ruling, the hip-hop recording artist turned television executive has vowed to go after Green’s assets to recover the money stolen from Sire Spirits while Green was employed there.

OPINION: A Doctor Calls For Body Cams After Alleging Racism In Medical Field
by Daniel Johnson

July 18, 2023

OPINION: A Doctor Calls For Body Cams After Alleging Racism In Medical Field

In an op-ed for the Boston Globe, Yale doctor Amanda Joy Calhoun calls for doctors to be outfitted with body cameras similar to those police officers wear. As Calhoun writes, “Many times, I wished the anti-Black responses I experienced in hospital settings were recorded. Body cameras record the actions and behaviors of police in real time, which can be accessed during police violence investigations. Body camera footage is linked to reduced police brutality, and cameras in schools are effective against bullying. Monitoring the actions of individuals can result in self-checking behavior. If we want to see a reduction in poor health outcomes for Black patients, we must hold health care professionals accountable in real time.”

Calhoun recalls an episode where her mother, who is also a healthcare professional, was not taken seriously by the nurses at a local hospital when she suggested Calhoun’s sister was having an allergic reaction. That anecdote is coupled with others to frame Calhoun’s argument that if the public had access to the footage, it could be determined that evidence of mistreatment of Black patients could potentially lead to doctors losing their licenses for racist attitudes and treatment. 

There are, of course, some limitations to this argument. Calhoun acknowledges that body cameras worn by the police have not kept them from killing Black people such as Tyre Nichols. Additionally, medical malpractice lawsuits are time-consuming and require a lot of evidence, and doctors still manage to win them at a 50% rate. Medical negligence is easier to prove, but doctors who have racist attitudes and actions can still keep their licenses and keep treating patients according to their beliefs.

Over the last few years, there has been an increased emphasis on medical racism and what those attitudes lead to. Even those with money, fame, and power on their side have not been immune. Tennis superstar Serena Williams was forced to advocate for her own life after her nurses initially dismissed her calls for a heparin drip. Williams connected her experience to the larger problem, as she wrote in Elle: “In the U.S., Black women are nearly three times more likely to die during or after childbirth than their white counterparts. Many of these deaths are considered by experts to be preventable. Being heard and appropriately treated was the difference between life or death for me; I know those statistics would be different if the medical establishment listened to every Black woman’s experience.”

According to a 2022 academic paper titled “Structural Racism In Historical And Modern US History,” the COVID-19 pandemic revealed just how much inequality is baked into the American healthcare system. The paper, however, goes beyond the attitudes and beliefs of individual doctors and ascribes the conditions to a lack of concern about how medical policy affects the lives of Americans. “The time has come to eradicate the structural racism in health care policy that perpetuates inequitable access to high-quality health care,” it read. “If not, the racial and ethnic inequities that have occurred throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, which not only devastate minority communities but also harm the entire country, will continue. Yet this change will only come from intentional and sustained focus on addressing inequities in system reform so that health equity becomes the norm.”

Much like the criminal justice system, eliminating the structural racism that is present within every step of the healthcare system has generally not been a priority. Until that is the case, doctors wearing body cams will amount to putting a Band-Aid on a festering wound. The system itself is designed to create inequitable outcomes; individual doctors who treat patients like they don’t matter is just a symptom of a broader disease. While body cams might help in the short term, in the long run, the more effective course of action is eliminating the structural racism present in the entire system.

RELATED CONTENT: Mississippi Does Not Have Enough Black Doctors, This Medical Student Wants To Change That

Beggar, world richest beggar, poor, poverty
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 18, 2023

The ‘World’s Richest Beggar’ Has Officially Made Millionaire Status

In a considerable feat, an Indian man’s rags-to-riches story comes from an accumulation of his begging efforts. His money-making strategy started gaining traction in 2015 when media outlets in India and now international news sources began paying attention to the now-millionaire known as the wealthy beggar.

Bharat Jain has spent years begging as his main form of work, placing himself in the optimal position for 10 to 12 hours daily to ask wealthy pedestrians for any spare change. This unusual enterprise has amassed a fortune of just over $1 million, nearly $900,000 directly from the charitable handouts, The New York Post reports. Those dollars have added up so much that his children won’t need to go down his career path, being able to attend the formal academic institutes that their father had to forgo due to poverty.

Begging is an odd source of income that has proven to be quite sustainable and profitable for Jain. He makes approximately 2,000 to 2,500 rupees a day, equivalent to USD $25 to $30. His typical hotspots include Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus railway station or Azad Maidan, a sports ground in Mumbai.

He is not returning to squalor when he leaves his unorthodox shift as a beggar. He currently has a 2-bedroom flat in the city and shops that provide additional streams of income that contribute to his wealth. While begging is his main bread and butter, the shops bring a few hundred dollars monthly. Although not everyone’s reality, Jain has mastered how to capitalize on what many would call an unfortunate predicament.

Despite his untraditional profession, and urgings from his family to stop his trade now that he has reached his height of success, Jain refuses to retire from the literal field. The technically “self-made” millionaire will continue to solicit money from strangers so long as it incurs the monetary satisfaction that has become his claim to fame.

RELATED CONTENT: Grifter or Nah? Shaun King Lives It Up In Luxe Jersey Estate While Begging For Money For His Wife

school, training, income, potential, earning, education, wealth
by Stacy Jackson

July 18, 2023

New Jersey’s Teen Magazine Literacy Program Creates Therapeutic Outlet For The Community

Pastor John H. McReynolds’ Jersey City Teen Magazine Literacy Program has impacted the lives of over 70,000 youth in New Jersey. 

According to CBS News, Jersey City Health and Human Services partnered with Teen Magazine to provide high school seniors attending school in the district with the opportunity to engage in an eight-week program to improve the student’s well-being by focusing on education, mental health checks, and financial awards.

Tamika McReynolds, the wife of Pastor McReynolds, spearheads the program.  

Tamika said, “Teen Magazine is simple, it’s to motivate, to encourage, and to let them know that you have a place that you can have a safe haven to be able to come and rock out with us.” 

“Our kids think they can’t win, and when they don’t know they can win, we give them the access to be able to know that you can have a shot at the title, whether it’s internships, whether it’s job opportunities or whether it’s a financial blessing,” she continued.

The program’s published “Teen Magazine” addresses sensitive topics such as suicide and bullying. Each excerpt is a personal account written by one of the high school seniors.

Members around the city also lead the program. The team includes Abraham Lincoln High School Vice Principal Natasha Walker and Rasheen Peppers, a retired Newark Police captain. Walker believes the program “helps the students become more of who they want to be leading into adulthood. They get to find out what they like, what they don’t like, what they’re good at.”

“This program does provide children to open up about situations that are going on in their lives,” Peppers said. 

In an interview with CBS News, Tamika and HOT 97’s DJ Wallah, a program mentor, spotlighted three grand prize winners of its annual writing contest. The students were asked to write about who they were at the onset of the pandemic and who they are now.

The first-place winner was Janasia Wood from Snyder High School, who was awarded $5,000. The second and third-place winners were Marissa Wilcher and Melanie Barrett, respectively. 

Teyana, Taylor,chine, ball on a budget
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 18, 2023

Teyana Taylor Tapped As Creative Director For Lil Baby’s ‘It’s Only Us’ Tour

Teyana “SpikeTey” Taylor is continuing her rise as the Debbie Allen of our generation after being tapped as the creative director for Lil Baby’s new tour.

Ahead of Lil Baby kicking off his “It’s Only Us Tour” in Houston on July 26, 2023, Taylor took to Instagram on Monday to announce her involvement as creative director and co-producer.

“He say “ITS ONLY US” I say IT’S ONLY UP” from here! So let’s turn sh*t up a notch! Go time @lilbaby,” she wrote in her caption.

“Thank you @lilbaby & @qcmceo_p for trusting @theauntiesinc to creative direct & co-produce The #IOU tour! This one will be one for the books fasho!!”

Taylor made sure everyone knew her exact additions to the tour which includes serving as music director, choreographer, producer, and more.

“Musical direction ✔️choreography ✔️ production ✔️ visual content ✔️ wardrobe ✔️ stage presence ✔️ whew 😅 you def in good hands with one hell of a village & I can’t wait for the world to see how much fun we have with this sh*t!” she added.

Lil Baby is the latest rapper to hire Taylor their creative director. Fans have noted how fellow Atlanta rapper Latto improved her stage show with Taylor’s help.

Taylor shared her pride in serving as creative director for Latto’s Coachella set, where she debuted her now-hit song “Put It On Da Floor.”

“The Aunties are not just regular creative directors, we’re cool creative directors 👯‍♀️ @theauntiesinc,” Taylor said of her company in her Instagram caption.

Taylor has gone full throttle into her production company since announcing her retirement from music in 2021. In addition to wowing audiences with her standout performance as the lead in the dramatic film A Thousand And One, Taylor has been aiding other artists through her all-women production company.

Her Aunties Inc. production company is described as “a group of talented women creating dope visuals!” that covers everything from producing, choreographing, directing, and even styling stars like Usher. Taylor’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed as she recently took home the award for Video Director of the Year at the BET Awards.

Her work on Lil Baby’s tour could be the start of Taylor helping more male entertainers step up their live shows.

RELATED CONTENT: Teyana Taylor Returning to The Stage For Inaugural Harlem Festival of Culture, Wyclef Jean, Coco Jones, And More to Perform

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