Carlee Russell’s Boyfriend Breaks Silence After She Is Found Safely

by Sharelle B. McNair

July 17, 2023

Carlee Russell’s Boyfriend Breaks Silence After She Is Found Safely

After a frantic search for Carlethia “Carlee” Russell ended with her returning home safe and sound, her boyfriend broke his silence.

Thomar Simmons posted on Instagram, praising God and thanking his supporters in the search for Russell. “I don’t even know how to start off this post but to only say thank you to my lord & savior Jesus Christ for saving my girlfriend’s life,” Simmons wrote. “I just want to thank all of my family, friends, former teammates, & church members who called or texted me just to let me know that they’re praying & here for me; you guys don’t know how much that meant to me!”

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A post shared by Thomar Latrell Simmons (@tee_sims28)

On July 13, Russell, 25, made national headlines after she suddenly went missing on her way home from work in Hoover, Alabama. Police say the nursing student stopped her car to check on a child walking along the Alabama interstate. Russell allegedly exited her vehicle to see if the child was OK while on the phone with a family member. Soon after, that relative heard Russell scream, and the missing person case was shortly opened under the assumption that Russell had been kidnapped.

Hoover Police Chief Derzis said Russell was admitted to the University of Alabama Birmingham Hospital for a medical evaluation and to ensure her well-being is intact,t but getting her story is the priority. Simmons says his girlfriend “has been fighting for her life for 48 hours,” so it will be a while until she starts to speak again. “Until she’s physically & mentally stable again she is not able to give any updates or whereabouts on her kidnapper at this very moment,” he wrote in the caption. “Once again I can’t thank you guys enough for helping us bring Carlee home! God bless you all.”

According to Newsweek, her mother, Talitha Robinson-Russell, created a Facebook post celebrating her daughter’s return home. “God is faithful and He has answered our prayers. We are so grateful to each of you for all the acts of kindness, generosity, and compassion you have shown. Our baby is safe!!!!!!!!!! Asking for privacy during this difficult time, she says the family will provide updates at a later date.

by Atiya Jordan

July 17, 2023

Rev. Jesse Jackson Names Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III New President and CEO of Rainbow PUSH Coalition

The incomparable Rev. Jesse Jackson has named social justice pastor Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III the new successor of Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

On Friday, July 15, 2023, the civil rights leader and protégé of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. officially announced his retirement.

Jackson established Operation PUSH in 1971 as a way to promote and amplify employment opportunities for Black communities across the United States. He later launched the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984 with the goal of protecting, defending, and gaining equal rights for all Americans, according to the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. It eventually merged with PUSH in 1996.

“Rev. Jesse Jackson has made the world a better place, breaking down barriers, opening previously locked doors of opportunity, fighting for justice, and refusing to take “no” for an answer on behalf of those who have no voice,” said Haynes, who also serves as senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church, a megachurch in Dallas, with more than 13,000 members, according to a press release obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“Rainbow PUSH has been the organizational vehicle that he has driven in the movement for justice. I am honored and humbled that he has “tapped” me to serve as his successor as the President and CEO of this great organization.”

The leadership transition took place on Sunday, July 16, 2023, at the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s national convention at the Apostolic Church of God in Woodlawn. Vice President Kamala Harris spoke at the event.

“It is my joy to congratulate Reverend Dr. Freddie Haynes. I have known him and worked with him for over 20 years, including when we worked together years and years ago in the early days of the Criminal Justice Reform movement. I am so confident in his leadership and his ability to carry on the greatest traditions of this organization and to meet the challenges of this moment,” Harris said.

Well-known for advocacy of marginalized communities, Haynes is further solidifying his national recognition as “the drum major for justice.” He was awarded the Presidential Lifetime Achievement Leadership Award in Community Service in 2022 and was inducted into the International Civil Rights Walk of Fame in 2016.

From leading protests and demonstrations and serving as a voting super center to providing food and decreasing crime, Haynes is far from finished. He continues to create positive and lasting change in the community with the Friendship-West Baptist Church.

“Sadly, justice and human rights are under attack in the nation and around the world. The work of Rainbow PUSH is as necessary as ever and I am committed to standing on the shoulders of Rev. Jackson and continuing the fight for freedom, peace, equity, justice, and human rights,” said Haynes, per the press release.

In addition, Haynes teaches college courses and workshops at Paul Quinn College, Texas Christian University, McCormick Theological Seminary, New Brunswick Theological Seminary, and other institutions of higher learning.

by Derek Major

July 17, 2023

Small Business Association Confirms Scammers Reaped More Than $200B From PPP Programs

A new report from the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG) shows more than $200 billion disappeared from COVID relief programs.

In 2020, Congress allocated $1.2 trillion to the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program (EIDLP) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help business owners through the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the SBA report, the amount was 17% of the total amount given to the program. Although the agency has already prosecuted dozens of people for fraud, it still has more than 90,000 “actionable leads” on others who have taken from the COVID relief programs.

The report also states there are currently 570 investigations related to fraud from the two COVID programs, and more than 800 arrests related to the two programs have been made through May 2023. More than $9 billion has been recovered through fines and forfeitures. Another $8 billion in EIDL funds have been returned to the SBA by financial institutions, and another $20 billion by borrowers.

The New York Post reports one of the most egregious fraudsters was Donald Finley, the now-closed Jekyll & Hyde restaurant owner. Finley used millions he received from the two COVID programs to purchase a home in Nantucket and is now facing up to 30 years in prison, a $1.25 million fine, and could be forced to pay more than $3.2 million in restitution.

Experts added that it was easy to take money from the COVID programs because all of the information business owners needed to receive funds were self-reported. Additionally, none of the information was verified or checked to save valuable time for business owners and entrepreneurs.

The fraud got so out of hand that it was hard for many to find and purchase luxury items during 2020.

“During the height of the pandemic, it was really hard to purchase [luxury] items like a Rolls-Royce or a high-end Mercedes because you had people walking in with cash from the PPP program to purchase those items for whatever the dealer was asking,” Haywood Talcove of LexisNexis Risk Solutions told the Post.

People who committed fraud to receive money used it to purchase everything, including homes, luxury watches, Lamborghinis, Land Rovers, and other luxury cars, clothing, plastic surgery, luxury trips, and even private jets.

by Iman Milner

July 17, 2023

Parents Outraged As School Board Cuts Advanced Math Classes Over Racial Disparities

Parents of students from a Cambridge, Massachusetts, public school are newly outraged over a 2017 decision made by the school board to end advanced math courses after finding white and Asian children were overwhelmingly being fast-tracked.

According to the Daily Mail, Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) district officials noticed extreme racial disparities when assessing which students were offered advanced learning. After finding that Black and Latino children were often relegated to lower-level courses, the district began phasing out the programs resulting in Algebra I being removed from all middle school curricula, affecting four schools in CPS.

Now, parents are arguing that the school board’s decision further increases inequality as only students who can afford private tutors have the opportunity to tackle more complex and advanced math lessons. “They’re shortchanging a significant number of students, overwhelmingly students from less-resourced backgrounds, which is deeply inequitable,” said Jacob Barandes, a district parent and a Harvard physicist.

Former and current school board members seem to be split on what the original intention of the probe into possible racial disparities in advanced courses was; however, there was once a mandate to have every eighth grader in the district take Algebra I before entering high school, according to the Daily Mail. “Algebra by eighth grade was voted upon many times over the past 30 years,” said Patty Nolan, a current Cambridge city councilor and former school board member. “And unless I am mistaken, the School Committee has not rescinded its many votes that algebra for every eighth-grader is a goal.”

Still, concerns over the divisive nature of the courses came to a head in 2019.

“Over time, you end up with lower-level math courses filled with Black and Latino children and high-level advanced math classes with white and Asian children,” said Manuel Fernandez, then a principal at one of the district’s public schools. “Students internalize it—they believe the smart kids are the white kids. Our staff said we cannot continue to divide our students this way.”

Though some parents have decided the best course of action is to remove their children from CPS, there are plans to help remedy the outrage, according to the Daily Mail. CPS Superintendent Victoria Greer believes the decision will help further make up for socioeconomic factors that often leave some children behind while accelerating others forward. “We have a huge focus on addressing both the academic achievement gaps and the opportunity gaps in our community,” she said. “One thing the district is not interested in doing is perpetuating those gaps.”

by Derek Major

July 17, 2023

Howard University Will Host Inaugural HBCU First Look Film Festival In November

The inaugural HBCU First LOOK Film Festival, a new initiative created to showcase the next generation of Black filmmakers, will take place Nov. 10–12 at Howard University.

The HBCU First LOOK Film Festival will be a one-of-a-kind event dedicated to celebrating Black filmmakers, producers, and writers while also serving as a pipeline for HBCU students in film and television to cultivate their talents.

Attendees will experience screenings from established and emerging filmmakers, panels, and discussions featuring award-winning industry professionals, educational workshops, and networking events for students who want to be in front and behind the camera.

Sheila Eldridge, the founder of the HBCU First LOOK Film Festival, told Black Enterprise the festival is an important step toward increasing diversity in the film industry.

“There needs to be more of an effort in our culture of connecting our students with alumni and really trying to build post-career opportunities for HBCU students when they graduate and so at the end of the day, the HBCU First Look Film Festival is a way to make sure everybody has an opportunity in this industry,” said Eldridge.

HBCU students can submit their films on the festival’s home page through July 30, 2023. The seven film categories are shorts, features, animated, documentary, family & faith, mobile, and health & wellness. Winners will be selected by a board of industry professionals, including producers and filmmakers. Each finalist will receive an internship opportunity, while the winners of each category will receive $5,000 and an internship opportunity.

According to Eldridge, films have been submitted by students who attend North Carolina A&T, Savannah State University, Prairie View University, Norfolk State University, Russ College, and many other HBCUs. Guests and notable HBCU alums attending the festival will be released later this year.

Additionally, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) is partnering with the festival to facilitate internship placements and help create a diverse talent pipeline.

“This partnership with the First LOOK Film Festival offers another avenue to increase the representation of Black talent,” TMCF President & CEO Dr. Harry L. Williams said in a statement. “TMCF’s intentional efforts to advance equity and inclusion align perfectly with Sheila’s vision.”

The festival is being conducted through a partnership between Miles Ahead Entertainment, the Howard University Film + Television Department, and WHUR Radio. Notable HBCU alumni in the film and TV industry include Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, Brian Tyree Henry, Anthony Anderson, Wanda Sykes, Oprah Winfrey, and Phylicia Rashad, who currently serves as the Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts.

“We’re building on the impact and the flavor of HBCUs and looking at how do we develop the business side, how do we develop more students on the corporate side and the decision-making side from agents to every aspect of the industry,” Eldridge added. “So we’re really looking to develop students and put a lens on the behind-the-scenes, the business side of the industry.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 17, 2023

‘Brooklyn, We Go Hard’: Jay-Z’s ‘The Book Of Hov’ Exhibit On Display At The Brooklyn Public Library

After the announcement of the New York Public Library releasing library cards celebrating hip-hop’s 50th anniversary, Brooklyn Public Library revealed that it has an exhibition for one of hip-hop’s greatest stars.

Brooklyn Public Library announced an exhibition titled, The Book of HOV. The installation, which Roc Nation created, was done to honor and celebrate the life and work of hip-hop’s richest recording artist, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.

The Book of HOV features never-before-seen photos, art, and ephemera from the Brooklyn-bred artist’s archives. If you are in the New York City area, you don’t need anything but your presence, as admission is free.

This free, immersive experience is one of the only installations of its scope to be housed in an active public space. It features text, audio, and curation by Roc Nation teams and partners, providing an unparalleled look at Jay-Z’s extraordinary life and career.

The exhibition is on two floors of the Central Library, located at 10 Grand Army Plaza in Brooklyn. To find out more about the installation, you can visit thebookofhov.com.

Rolling Stone reported a pre-opening party the night before the exhibition was revealed to the public. “Jigga Man” attended the affair with his wife, Beyoncé, family, and close friends and associates. Other celebrities and notables included the likes of Big Daddy Kane, Alicia Keys, Questlove, DJ Khaled, and more.

Brooklyn Public Library CEO Linda Johnson spoke to Rolling Stone and said the exhibit celebrates one of hip-hop’s greatest emcees.

“JAY-Z’s story is a uniquely Brooklyn story, and it’s a privilege to host this exhibit created as a labor of love by Roc Nation and the people who’ve known and worked with him over the years,” she states. “The Book of Hov and the limited-edition library card will attract new visitors to our branches, many of whom may not be familiar with the wide range of services we offer. Patrons can borrow vinyl records, musical instruments, sheet music, and even make their own music or podcast in our recording studio.”

The Brooklyn Public Library has also announced limited edition releases of 13 Jay-Z-inspired library cards. Each card represents his 13 solo albums. The Library states that anyone who visits other Brooklyn branches can collect all 13 cards starting in August 2023. The cards are now exclusively available at Central Library and Marcy Library.

Boyega, John, Teyonah, Parris, They Cloned Tyrone, Netflix,

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 17, 2023

John Boyega And Teyonah Parris Give Details About Netflix’s ‘They Cloned Tyrone’

John Boyega and Teyonah Parris sat down with BLACK ENTERPRISE to talk about all the symbolism on display in their Jamie Foxx-assisted mystery They Cloned Tyrone.

The new sci-fi comedy follows a series of eerie events that thrusts an unlikely trio (Boyega, Parris, and Foxx) onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy. Made as a genre-busting homage to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970s, Slick Charles (Foxx) Yo-Yo (Parris), and Fontaine (Boyega) join forces after uncovering what appears to be a cloned version of Fontaine.

The group soon takes notice of the focus an undercover organization has placed on their predominantly Black community. Directed by Juel Taylor, the comedy-mystery incorporates elements of satire, horror, and absurdist humor and serves as a “self-reflection” movie, according to Boyega.

“It’s a movie that gives you a stereotype and flips it on its head,” he tells BLACK ENTERPRISE of the film’s central theme.

“So it speaks about sometimes our generalized perspective on people that we may not know.”

Boyega noted the Blaxploitation references throughout the film, along with the “comedy” that helps to lighten the mood. It was all a part of Taylor’s vision for the flick that comes jam-packed with symbolic messages that Parris says were “very much intentional.”

“For sure intentional from the names of some of the products to the way Joel was setting up certain shots,” she shares.

Dishing on what it was like to work with Foxx, who wasn’t present for the junket following his hospitalization earlier this year for an undisclosed medical emergency, Boyega and Parris recalled how the veteran actor would crack jokes on set that had everyone laughing.

They also noted the deep debates and conversations that will come from the film’s government conspiracy tie-in.

“I think those conversations are just going to keep on going,” Boyega says.

“But I do think at the same time that they will have a laugh too. They will also embrace the comedy and the Jamie Foxx of it all.”

Press play below for the full interview and be sure to watch “They Cloned Tyrone” when it premieres on Netflix on Friday, July 21.

Black live matter, pride, Baltimore, schools, public schools, ban, policy

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 17, 2023

School Board in Maryland Votes to Permit Pride And Black Lives Matter Flags

A county school board in Maryland has rejected a proposed flag ban that would prevent Pride and Black Lives Matter flags from being on display at schools.

Anne Arundel County School Board members voted to permit Pride, Black Lives Matter, and other flags in the classroom, CBS News reports. Parents and teachers stood outside the Anne Arundel County Board of Education Building on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, holding flags of support for and against the new policy.

“We’ve never been told how to decorate our classrooms before or how to make our students feel included before or not included, and now it appears that we are being told,” Nicole Disney-Bates, president of the Teachers Association of Anne Arundel County, said.

Disney-Bates organized the protest against the policy that would have allowed the United States flag to fly along with the flags representing the state and county at the schools while other flags would have to seek approval for a “bona-fide educational purpose” determined by the school’s principals.

“We feel that classrooms should be free spaces for people to express themselves and we would like to keep that going in Anne Arundel County,” Disney-Bates said.

“Flags are a symbol of community and belonging,” fifth-grade teacher Russel Leonie said in May, after the first reading of the policy. “This policy would greatly limit the educator’s ability to visually demonstrate that all of our students are welcome in our schools.”

Board members listened to arguments from both sides before issuing the 4-3 ruling against the flag ban, WBAL-TV reports. The vote followed a two-hour debate on the issue during a meeting in May.

Carry Gillispie led a group of protestors in support of the flag ban who believe anything other than U.S. and local flags would serve as a distraction to students.

“Unfortunately, other flags in the classroom divide them and are distractions to their education,” Gillespie said.

Anne Arundel County’s ruling comes one month after Michigan voted against pride flags on public property.

Seattle Police Mock Slain Teen With Fake Tombstone Displayed In Break Room

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 17, 2023

Seattle Police Mock Slain Teen With Fake Tombstone Displayed In Break Room

Bodycam footage has revealed the disturbing display Seattle police officers used to mock the Black Lives Matter movement and the death of a young Black male.

Newly unveiled bodycam footage from January 2021 shows the break room decorations at the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct that included a mock tombstone marking the death of Damarius Butts, 19, and a flag in support of Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign, The Seattle Times reports.

The footage was obtained as part of a lawsuit over Seattle’s graffiti laws following the arrest of protesters who used chalk and charcoal to write political statements on a precinct exterior wall. Bodycam footage from one officer responding to the vandalism report sweeps the room and shows the Trump flag, a U.S. flag, and a silhouette of a tardigrade—tiny organism known for its extreme resilience, as noted by Live Science.

The bodycam also captured a shelf display featuring a small gray mock tombstone bearing the name Damarius Butts, his age (19), and the date he was killed by officers on April 20, 2017. A small black fist sat above Butt’s name.

The teen was fatally shot by police after fleeing a robbery at a downtown convenience store where he had displayed a handgun and demanded beer. After officers chased him down, an exchange of gunfire took place that left three officers injured—including one seriously, with a bullet in his chest. Butts suffered 11 gunshot wounds and died at the scene.

The police shooting was cleared by the department, and an inquest jury found the shooting justified. But amid the release of the bodycam footage, Butts’ mother is calling for a public apology from the department for tormenting a family that is still grieving.

“I can’t express how hurtful it was to learn that SPD endorsed joking about the killing of my son by displaying a fake tombstone with his name on it,” Ann Butts said in a statement through her attorney, La Rond Baker.

“I didn’t think SPD could take more from me, I was wrong.”

The department has since released a statement claiming they did “not know how that item ended up on storage shelving, we have no reason to believe it was placed as a ‘trophy’ or with any pejorative intent.”

Noting the strong presence of Black Lives Matter protestors following the murder of Georg Floyd, the department said the mock tombstone might’ve been left by the demonstrators.

“Protesters often placed items such as these commemorating subjects of the use of force locally and nationwide around the precinct,” the department said. “It would not be unexpected that items left at the precinct might land on a storage shelf until disposition.”

As for the Trump flag, that was in possible violation of state law and department policy that blocks officers’ involvement in partisan politics while on duty. The department claims the flag was removed and is unaware of who hung it.

Cardi b, Kulture, Universal Studios, Birthday, Party, Twerking, Twitter

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 17, 2023

Cardi B Accused Of ‘Making Kids Things Sexual’ After Twerking At Daughter’s Birthday Party

Cardi B is back in the hot seat after twerking on a Rugrats statue at her daughter’s birthday party.

The Grammy award-winning rapper and her husband, Offset, were recently at the Nickelodeon Universe inside New Jersey’s American Dream Mall celebrating their daughter Kulture’s 5th birthday. While the event was wholesome in nature, the “Wap” emcee deemed it appropriate to post a video of herself twerking on a statue of Nickelodeon’s Rugrats character Grandpa Lou Pickles while slapping her backside.

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A post shared by HipHopDX (@hiphopdx)

Many sounded off about Cardi’s behavior after Hip Hop DX reposted the clip.

“It sickens me they are making kids things sexual, every single day. It’s the agenda I guess,” one person wrote.

“We continue to race to the bottom everyday,” another user added. “I thought the goal was to be rich so you so you don’t have to do stuff like this for attention.”

“This yall Queen? Twerking in front of a character made for children?,” one user asked.

The conversation continued on Twitter when XXL highlighted the “lap dance” Cardi gave the cartoon statue.

Why bro there’s children there

— Perils (@Bubblymane) July 12, 2023

Another Twitter user called the rapper “gross” for dancing so provocatively while children were present. But Cardi was seemingly unfazed by the controversy as she took to Twitter noting how turned up she was the night before.

“Last night I found out what happens when you drink six margaritas,” she tweeted.

Last night I found out what happens when you drink six margaritas.

— Cardi B (@iamcardib) July 12, 2023

Cardi also had already shared the flyer for her daughter’s birthday party and reposted a fan page that wished her first-born a happy birthday.

https://twitter.com/iamcardib/status/1678472004985298964?s=20

https://twitter.com/mefeater/status/1678496870451085313?s=20

Cardi and Offset welcomed Kulture in July 2018. Their son Wave arrived in September 2021.

The “I Like It” rapper is known for her outspoken and vibrant demeanor and has never shied away from her past as an exotic dancer. If she cares about the latest criticism, Cardi will possibly clean up her act when she celebrates her son’s birthday in two months.