The Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank, called the largest publisher of college textbooks decision-making into question in a recent report, World’s Largest Education-Content Publisher Promotes Radical Political Agenda in U.S. Schools and Government. 

From its emphasis on anti-racism, intersectionality, and restructuring of biological identification of people, the report claims Pearson’s efforts “draw its editorial priorities even closer to Critical Race Theory (CRT’s) main ideas,” Heritage Foundation’s Senior Research Fellow Jonathan Butcher told Fox News. 

Pearson holds contracts with the government and is accessible through an online subscription service, Heritage Foundation reports. The report emphasizes Pearson’s efforts to help learners become involved in social justice. “We intend to create products and services that impact learners’ engagement in social justice,” the report states. 

Joe Wiggins, the director of media relations for Pearson, said the publisher’s content aligns with legal requirements according to state and federal standards. “Critical Race Theory is not included in Pearson K-12 materials for public schools or in any materials for government contracts,” Wiggins said.

Butcher claimed terms such as “anti-bias” and “anti-racism” are embedded in Pearson’s content which “falsely maintains that America is systemically racist and that its system of laws perpetuates a culture that oppresses women, people who are confused about their sex (‘trans’ individuals), and ethnic minorities.” He questioned Pearson’s intentions to include its content on anti-racism in the K-12 curriculum.

“Why would they say they are embedding the idea in everything they produce if they were not embedding it in K-12 curriculum?” Butcher asked. Butcher equated anti-racism to Critical Race Theory as the “term is used throughout critical race theory literature, including Critical Race Theory: The Key Writings that Formed the Movement, which is the main text for understanding critical race theory and written by critical race theorists.”

The report from the conservative organization also came for Pearson’s implementation of intersectionality in its material. The report states intersectionality claims “that ethnic minorities and those who assume different genders face multiple levels of oppression when public policies result in disparate outcomes—dividing individuals into groups who claim varying levels of oppression.” Pearson believes intersectionality should be a top priority when addressing social inequities, such as the underrepresentation of marginalized groups. 

Focusing on intersectionality will “draw its editorial priorities even closer to CRT’s main ideas,” Butcher said. While Butcher thinks it is not something taxpayers should be required to pay for, Pearson has the right to publish content it deems critical for educating the next generation.

After signing the richest contract in NFL history, Jalen Hurts continues to add to his business portfolio by inking a deal with A SHOC Beverages.

Hurts recently posted the acknowledgment on his social media account. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jalen Hurts (@jalenhurts)

According to Bloomberg, the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback has signed with A Shoc, an energy drink under the Keurig Dr. Pepper Inc. umbrella. The contract includes an equity stake in the company for the 24-year-old football player, who will promote the Accelerator brand in advertisements and events.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to have equity in a few places, to be part of the brand,” Hurts said in an interview. “Prioritizing the health of athletes and consumers, that’s really important to me.”

The beverage drink, A Shoc, started in 2019 with an investment from Keurig Dr Pepper. The company is also being distributed by its parent company. In a funding round in 2022, the company raised $29 million. The brand can be purchased in around 125,000 retail locations, including Walmart and Target.

After losing the 2023 Super Bowl to the Kansas City Chiefs, Hurts re-upped with the Eagles by signing a $255M five-year contract extension, $179.3 million of which will be guaranteed. That comes to an average salary of $51 million annually, making him the highest-paid NFL player. He has control over his career with a no-trade clause with a player. The football team drafted him in 2020 as the No.53 pick in the NFL draft. During the 2022 season, he passed for 3,701 yards and 22 touchdowns with a 66.5 completion percentage rate.

This last Super Bowl also set a record when Hurts and the opposing Chief’s quarterback Patrick Mahomes became the first NFL Super Bowl that featured Black starting quarterbacks for both teams.

RELATED CONTENT: Ky’wuan Dukes Becomes First HBCU Athlete to Ink Endorsement Deal, Signs With Bojangles

• Education

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 2, 2023

Candace Owens Debunked By Twitter After Comparing Black Athletes Success To Affirmative Action

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Although Candace Owens is making her take on the recent overruling of Affirmative Action very clear, she is using some questionable comparisons to do so.

In a recent twitter rant, the conservative political commentator used Lebron James and Black athletes success in the professional sports as a metric to how Asian Americans have been slighted in elite academia.

Imagine if the NBA declined Lebron James because there were “too many black people in the NBA” and they wanted racial diversity—so they instead allowed Ed Sheeran onto the Lakers in his place.

That is exactly what Asian-Americans have been enduring for decades at Harvard.

— Candace Owens (@RealCandaceO) June 30, 2023

“Imagine if the NBA declined Lebron James because there were ‘too many black people in the NBA’ and they wanted racial diversity –so they instead allowed Ed Sheeran onto the Lakers in his place,” argued the ‘Blexit’ organization founder.

Owens continued further in this comparison, stating that Asian-Americans being slighted on the account of their race is unfair. However, this widespread assumption  is not actually the case.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the myth that Asian Americans have to work harder to get accepted due to a racial quota that prioritizes other nonwhite groups is statistically untrue. The false notion has been perpetuated nationwide due to unreliable study results, a dependence on unfair standardized tests, and, simply, racism.

Owens, however, is still anti-Affirmative Action, finishing her case with “if black people would like to have a greater presence at Harvard, then we are going to have to work at our academics.”

The talk show host’s commentary has not, historically and presently, been well received and debunked multiple times.

Multiple quoters of the tweet argued that Owen’s comparison lacks nuance and is not a fair analogy, as she ignores the systemic racial barriers at play for applicants of different backgrounds in regards to school admissions.

“When 43% of a leading NBA team is made up of players who got the job primarily because they filled a non-playing role for the team, or their parents played/worked for, or donated to the team, this will be something other than a laughably stupid false equivalence,” shared a Twitter user Dan McClellan.

When 43% of a leading NBA team is made up of players who got the job primarily because they filled a non-playing role for the team, or their parents played/worked for, or donated to the team, this will be something other than a laughably stupid false equivalence. https://t.co/Lh66eOTqWS

— Dan McClellan (@maklelan) June 30, 2023

Candace Owens has been known to cherry-pick facts to support her claims, but those who champion affirmative action, and are disappointed by the Supreme court’s decision, refuse to play into her game.

• Black Lives Matter

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 2, 2023

Proud Boys Incur $1 Million Fine For Vandalizing Black Church

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The Proud Boys are receiving consequences for their egregious actions, being forced to pay a hefty $1 million fine for vandalizing a ‘Black Lives Matter’ sign in front of a historically Black church in Washington, D.C.

In December 2020, the far-right, neo-fascist group held a rally that escalated into racially-motivated violence, targeting Metropolitan AME church by setting their sign on fire and removing another from Asbury United Methodist Church.

The Hill detailed how DC Superior Court Judge Kravitz presided over the case, determining that the incident at Metropolitan AME was an “attack” prompted by Former President Trump’s re-election loss. Four members were directly named and charged in the conviction against the group in general, including leader Enrique Tarrio, Joseph R. Biggs, Jeremy Bertino and John Turano.

Kravitz saw no possible justification for their actions, stating it “resulted from a highly orchestrated set of events focused on the Proud Boys’s guiding principles: white supremacy and violence.“

The extensive punishment went beyond the fine, as Kravitz detailed the full parameters in a 34-page ruling. Not only are all of the members forbidden to be   near the property, but also are banned from making any threats or hateful comments publicly towards Metropolitan AME for the next five years.

This victory for the church stems from their determined effort of justice, suing the Proud Boys for the attack while also seeking damages to fix the sign, as well as additional security to ensure the safety of members and future activities.

In a statement on the verdict, Metropolitan AME Pastor Rev. William H. Lamar IV spoke to The Hill on how their church remained steadfast in proving to hate groups that they cannot be bullied.

”We have an ancestral responsibility to fight legally, intellectually, politically, theologically any movement such as the Proud Boys that would not only deface our property but challenge our right to exist as citizens in this space.”

In his eyes, the case and winning verdict was important in stopping acts of “political violence” on this scale from occurring again.

Tyler Perry to the rescue! The filmmaker has utilized his platform to not only spread awareness of a 93-year-old woman’s quest to keep her family’s land out of real estate developers’ hands, but also ‘fight’ alongside her in the effort.

The elderly lady, whose name is Josephine Wright, has gained media attention for trying to keep her family’s home for generations under their ownership. However, she claims Bailey Point Investment Group has been pressuring her to sell as they develop the land surrounding her home, as reported by WSB-TV.

The issue has escalated so far that a lawsuit by the company was issued against Wright and another family member, a  move which Wright called “frivolous.” The investment group insists that Wright’s home infringes upon the land they just acquired, having recently forced her to move a shed, and are now stating her porch extends beyond property lines.

Despite then intensifying pressure, then Black landowner has some high profile support in her corner with Tyler Perry’s assistance.

The studio owner has shared Wright’s story on his personal Instagram, reemphasizing her words of being “a fighter all my life.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tyler Perry (@tylerperry)

“Well, that makes two of us,” Perry continued in his post. “Ms. Wright please tell where to show up and what you need to help you fight.”

Perry’s inclusion in the battle to save the Wright family home holds a tremendous impact, as the senior has already had to created a GoFundMe to pay for her legal fees in the midst of the lawsuit.

Other celebrities have since joined in to support the mission, with Fantasia sharing she will “stand with” Mr.Perry.

”I also got Ms. Josephine’s back,” commented movie producer Will Packer. “Count me in TP.”

Meek Mill praised the philanthropist as well while dissing the company that is attacking Ms. Wright, stating “corporate bullying at its finest…this super hero status!”

With celebrity support from Tyler Perry and more to follow, Josephine Wright’s case to keep her ancestral home is looking bright.

• Celebrity News

by Daniel Johnson

July 2, 2023

Rickey Smiley Calls Out Uber Over Discrimination

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In a Twitter post from June 30, comedian Rickey Smiley accused an Uber driver of discriminating against him. In the video, Smiley could be heard talking with another person about how some Uber drivers operate. At one point the person tells him, “I done got denied a couple times. Trying to go home sometimes, like, when I first started and didn’t get my bike, a couple of dudes… they pick it up, and then they see you…He didn’t even acknowledge you. He barely rolled down his window. They be doing that.”

After Smiley posted the video to his account, the official Uber account responded to Smiley in a tweet on Saturday. The tweet read: “Hi, Rickey — we have a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination, and this is not okay. We’re so sorry this happened, and we are investigating this right away.”

Look y'all… Anyone else dealt with @Uber #discrimination before?? #Uber pic.twitter.com/ugn7K5ZFSN

— Rickey Smiley (@RickeySmiley) July 1, 2023

Other users chimed in with their own experiences of discriminatory Uber drivers in Smiley’s replies, as is usually the case when ride-sharing companies are being accused of discriminatory practices. Uber is currently in some legal hot water of its own regarding its driver rating practices. According to Reuters, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recommended to the 9th US Court of Appeals that a survey of thousands of drivers conducted by the lawyers of Thomas Liu, an Asian-American who drove for Uber is enough evidence for his case alleging that non-white drivers are kicked off the platform for low ratings more often than white drivers are.

Corroborating Liu’s account is a joint report from Asian Americans Advancing Justice-Asian Law Caucus and Rideshare Drivers United. According to Wired, the report surveyed 810 drivers and found that 69% of non-white drivers faced either temporary or permanent suspension as opposed to 57% of white Uber drivers.

Uber’s website declares its commitment to being an anti-racist company on its website with sections dedicated to anti-racist training which it claims is available to both its drivers and riders. However, whenever incidents like these occur and drivers and the company itself get called out for racism and discrimination it calls those commitments rightly into question. In 2021, Uber was sued by the Department of Justice due to its practices in direct violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. As a result of losing the lawsuit, last year, the tech company had to pay millions of dollars in damages to thousands of affected riders.

• Legal

by Daniel Johnson

July 2, 2023

Florida Becomes Latest State To Allow Permit-less Gun Carry

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On July 2, Florida’s new permitless carry law went into effect, continuing a disturbing trend across the country. Florida’s law marks the 26th state with permitless carry laws on the books as America is quickly becoming a nation of mass shootings. That is, over half of the country has now embraced permitless carry laws even though they carry extra risks.

As CBS News reported, those who choose to conceal carry their firearms are no longer required to have a permit to carry nor are they required to take any instructional course. However, because open carry is not part of Florida’s gun laws, they still are not cleared to conceal carry their weapons in public places. This includes airports, schools, stores, or other locations where guns are restricted or outright banned. Gun owners must still pass a background check, be legal US residents, and be permanent residents of Florida, neither can they be unlawful users or addicted to controlled substances, they also cannot have what is referred to as a disqualifying condition such as a felony charge, misdemeanor charge or an injunction.

In 2022, the Supreme Court expanded the purview of the Second Amendment and paved the way for this influx of increasingly lax gun laws. At the time, NPR asked some Black gun groups their opinions on the laws, and their opinion was fairly split. Tracy Brown, a member of The National African American Gun Association, speaks to this conflict as she told the outlet: “It means that more women will have the opportunity to get firearms in the interest of self-defense and protecting themselves. But you know, it’s such a complicated issue, especially for Black people…There are a lot of very unhealthy perspectives held by those who typify the gun-owning population in this country.”

Additionally, we know from experience that the police seem ready to shoot Black people regardless of the legal status of our guns.

Even the police are uneasy with this new law, as Miami-Dade Police Director Alfredo Ramirez told CBS News: “We always assume in any situation, with the potential of there being a firearm, but now this adds the extra component of education and it could be a misunderstanding between the community and law enforcement responding to calls for service in terms of the role of that firearm in certain situations.”

Essentially the director is saying the risk of what the police call “officer-involved shootings” is about to go up directly due to this new law. Doral Police Chief Edwin Lopez corroborates this fear, as he says:

“A regular traffic dispute, or road rage incident, or dispute at a park or playing a basketball game or whatnot, now can potentially elevate into something a lot more egregious and serious because folks may be armed already. As law enforcement officers responding to these types of calls for service or incidents, we need to be extremely aware and use precaution because we know that a situation may escalate really rapidly.”

• News

by Daniel Johnson

July 2, 2023

Tyler Perry Vows Assistance To 93 Year-Old Woman Fighting For Her Home

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Tyler Perry has pledged to help an elderly South Carolina woman save her home from overzealous developers. 93-year-old Hilton Head, South Carolina native Josephine Wright is dealing with harassment and a lawsuit from Bailey Point Investment Group. Wright, however, is undaunted as she told WSAV: “I’ve pretty much been a fighter all my life…I guess they figured I would become so unnerved with the harassment that I would say take it. But they don’t know me. I am here to fight for what I have.”  Perry caught wind of Wright’s plight due to a video that has circulated on Instagram, prompting the philanthropist, actor, and director to share it while asking Bailey to let him know what she needs from him.

Wright alleges that the development company has slashed her tires, thrown trash on her property, and had a snake hung from one of her windows after she refused their offers to buy her land. According to Kelly LeBlanc of the Jonesville Preservation Society, the city seems to have accepted the contract without letting the community know about its effect on them “Once we did some investigation, we found out this 147-unit development was going in and it had already been approved before anyone even knew about it…The town is looking very closely at the permitting, at the approval phase. The town is making sure it is done to the letter of the law.”

In addition to Perry, former South Carolina State Representative Bakari Sellers has joined forces with Wright’s lawyers. Representative Sellers has been asking folks to call the developer and lawmakers in an effort to help her keep her property. Wright’s family has also set up a Go Fund Me to assist with lawyer fees and NBA star Kyrie Irving has donated a generous $40,000. At the time of publication, the fundraiser has accrued a little over $150,000. Sellers draws a direct line to the very American practice of land being taken away from Black people as he explained to WSAV: “We are very big on generational wealth, or trying to accrue it…When you talk about poverty in our communities it’s because we don’t have land, and when we do, people want to take it away.”

Zorine Truly, 37, launched her HoochieCon gallery the weekend of June 16. Truly’s group exhibit is described as one “that features mixed media art, vendors, and music highlighting and honoring hoochie feminism.” The successful event helped Black women to reconnect with their sexuality in a free and unjudged way. 

Truly expressed on HoochieCon 23’s ticket website, “HoochieCon celebrates the sexual liberation of Black women through their undeniable influence in music, beauty, art, fashion, and culture. HoochieCon highlights artwork that explores the nuanced foundational cultural impact of the hoochie archetype.”

According to the LA Times, Truly, a Tennessee native with a degree in Fine Arts and African-American Studies, decorated a popular community space, Junior High’s gallery, as an exhibit with artistic photos, art pieces, and portraits embodying the “hoochie mama” image. Each exhibit part was utilized to celebrate Black women as an integral part of developing the culture. The three-day-long, activity-filled festival featured different exercises and vendors to allow attendees to reconnect with their most confident and authentic selves. Truly identified music and dance as two significant components that she wanted to highlight during the weekend. “There’s something powerful about dancing despite everything that’s going on outside and despite what’s in the news or maybe what’s happening when you go back to your house,” Truly said. “There’s freedom in getting together in community and seeing Black faces celebrate, regardless of what circumstance they face every day. There’s power, there’s freedom, and there’s happiness in it for me.”

For everyone who attended HoochieCon, Truly only had one hope for them. She hoped “they take away from HoochieCon the importance of being yourself, no matter what people might judge you by,” says Truly, releasing a deep exhale, eyes watering as she processed the idea of HoochieCon reaching people generations into the future. “It’s important to be happy with how you look, how you feel, how you dress, and the choices that you make, and that is the most important thing. I want people, especially Black women, to take away that they can be fully themselves no matter what that looks like and still be worthy of all the good things.”

According to Earyn McGee, 28, an attendee who talked about her experience at HoochieCon, she achieved her goal. She said, “I am the oldest daughter in a Black family and definitely felt like I had to perform a certain way of being and show up physically a certain way. Even with my outfit for today, I was a little bit nervous, but I was just like, ‘I’m trying to be in theme. This was an idea that I had, and I’m just going to go with it.’ I’m trying to do all the things that would’ve made kid-me happy.”