DC Young Fly’s Partner, Jacky Oh’s Beauty Brand Sales Rocket After Her Sudden Death
DC Young Fly’s deceased partner, Jacky Oh, received major sales for her beauty business after her unexpected death.
Jacky, real name Jacklyn Smith, has received over 2,000 orders for her business, J Nova Collection, since her recent passing, per TMZ. The increase in orders even caused the website to shut down temporarily, TMZ reported.
The beauty brand received its name from Smith’s six-year-old daughter, Nova. According to TMZ, Nova may be next in line to run the brand when she is old enough. Smith had three children. Nova’s two siblings, Nala and Prince’Nehemiah, are two years old and 10 months.
Smith met 31-year-old YouTuber and comedian D.C. Young Fly during her time as a model on the MTV and VH1 series Wild ‘n Out, hosted by Nick Cannon, the Los Angeles Times reported. Smith remained with the series produced by parent company BET Media Group for five season, per Revolt.
Her colleagues expressed their sadness at her sudden death. BET Media Group said in an Instagram post, We are deeply saddened by the passing of Jacklyn Smith, known to the world as Jacky Oh, a talented Wild N’ Out family member whose impact will be forever treasured and missed.”
Rapper Cardi B said in two Instagram stories, “So heartbreaking,” and “My heart [hurts] for them beautiful babies.” Comedian D.L. Hughley wrote on Instagram, “My heart breaks for my young brother [DC Young Fly] and his children. What you see on TV is only a sliver of who this young brother is. He is a strong, solid, determined young man of faith. He’s a family man, which is why this cuts so deep. We love you, my family and I send every ounce of love we have and prayers for strength to you and your family through this time. Stay strong in your faith brother.”
BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that Smith died in Miami on May 31, 2023. A since-deleted social media post revealed she was in Miami for a “mommy makeover” surgery. No cause of death has been determined.
On Tuesday, June 13, Netflix released a trailer for the satirical conspiracy film “They Cloned Tyrone,” starring Academy Award winner Jamie Foxx, Golden Globe winner John Boyega, and SAG-nominated Teyonah Parris. The film sees the trio tackle “a series of eerie events” that leads them to “a nefarious government conspiracy,” according to the film’s logline.
The film is set to premiere on July 21 after its debut at the American Black Film Festival (ABFF) on June 14, Variety reports. Foxx takes on the role of Slick Charles, Boyega plays Fontaine, and Parris appears as Yo-Yo. Others on the cast include Tyler Antonius, Kiefer Sutherland, David Alan Grier, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Joshua Mikel, and James Moses Black.
Netflix unveiled the poster for the film on Monday before releasing the trailer the following day.
New posters for ‘THEY CLONED TYRONE’, starring John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris.
The film sees the trio witness an apparent kidnapping off the street that leads them to follow the suspect’s car to an unmarked underground laboratory, as noted by People. Once inside the creepy lab, Slick, Fontaine, and Yo-Yo discover an apparent clone of Boyega’s character, Tyrone, and decide to look into “experiments” they think a government organization is conducting on their community.
The seemingly new-age “Mod Squad” works together to protect their community from the government experiment.
Boyega shared an April 2021 Instagram post announcing production for the film had wrapped. It’s Foxx’s first film debut in the wake of his hospitalization for a “medical complication” in April.
Foxx’s daughter Corinne Foxx has given little updates on the actor’s health after first announcing his hospitalization and asking for prayers. In May, Corinne shut down rumors that her family was “preparing for the worst” amid reports Foxx was on life support and claimed her dad was actually out of the hospital and even enjoyed a game of pickleball with friends.
However, the actor has yet to be seen publicly as mixed reports about his health gain steam on social media.
Clinical Trials For A Breast Cancer Vaccine Are Underway, What Does This Mean For Black Women?
The first human trial of a breast cancer vaccine has come to fruition.
Spearheaded by Cleveland Clinic and Anixa Biosciences Inc., the vaccine is focused on preventing the recurrence of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), the most aggressive and lethal form of the disease. These partnering entities agree that this new preventative vaccine could potentially eradicate all breast cancers. As a result, a dose was administered to a woman for the first time in 2021, kicking off the phase 1a study. The study has now reached a new level.
“Triple-negative breast cancer is the form of the disease for which we have the least effective treatments,” said G. Thomas Budd, M.D., of Cleveland Clinic’s Taussig Cancer Institute and principal investigator of the new study. “Long term, we are hoping that this can be a true preventive vaccine that would be administered to cancer-free individuals to prevent them from developing this highly aggressive disease.”
In 2023, the American Cancer Society estimates that more than 300,590 new cases of invasive breast cancer and 55,720 new cases of ductal carcinoma in situ/stage 0 breast cancer will be diagnosed in women in the United States. There has been a 43% decline in breast cancer deaths over the last three decades, thanks partly to awareness, earlier diagnoses, and more effective treatments. However, there is a persistent mortality gap between Black and white women, with Black women having a 40% higher death rate from breast cancer.
Why was the vaccine designed?
According to Healthline, a researcher in the Department of Inflammation and Immunity at the Cleveland Clinic invented the vaccine more than two decades ago. Dr. Vincent Tuohy’s cutting-edge research identified a “precursor” to cancer: a lactation protein called α-lactalbumin (aLA). This protein is essential in regulating lactose production in the milk of pregnant and lactating people. However, when a woman stops lactating, the body no longer makes the protein.
The vaccine targets α-lactalbumin, which is no longer “found after lactation in normal, aging tissues but is present in the majority of triple-negative breast cancers,” according to a press release. If a woman develops breast cancer, the vaccine will trigger the immune system to “attack the tumor and keep it from growing.”
While Black women are less likely to breastfeed after childbirth, the risk of breast cancer is paramount. The American Civil Liberties Union blames the relatively low breastfeeding rate on systemic racism. In addition, Black women are also more likely to learn and adopt using formulas from hospitals.
The phase 1b clinical trial
The phase 1b clinical trial comes after the ongoing phase 1a study, which opened in 2021 and is expected to conclude in the 4th quarter of 2023. The phase 1a trial includes tumor-free patients who are at a high risk of redeveloping breast cancer. They have already undergone early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer treatments within the past three years.
Initially, Tuohy’s research proved that “activating the immune system against α-lactalbumin was safe and effective in preventing breast tumors in mice.” And now, researchers believe the vaccine will be successful on multiple types of cancers without chemotherapy.
Black women, a group historically understudied in cancer research, have had nearly a three-fold increased risk of triple-negative breast cancers. According to the National Cancer Institute, the overall five-year survival rate for this aggressive type of cancer is 77%.
“Despite representing only about 12% to 15% of all breast cancers, triple-negative breast cancer accounts for a disproportionately higher percentage of breast cancer deaths. It is twice as likely to occur in Black women, and approximately 70% to 80% of the breast tumors that occur in women with mutations in the BRCA1 gene are triple-negative breast cancer,” per the Cleveland Clinic.
The Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania analyzed nearly 200,000 patients who received mammograms between 2006 and 2015 across three U.S. health systems. Black women are statistically more likely to have diabetes, heart disease, and obesity—all risk factors for breast cancer. Young Black women have a higher incidence of aggressive cancers and have doubled the mortality rate of young white women.
“Clinical trials are really important because what we do today as standard of care was only a clinical trial a few years ago,” said Dr. Francisco Esteva, chief of breast medical oncology at Northwell Lenox Hill Hospital, per Healthline.
“For someone who has completed all their treatment and has no additional effective treatments available to them, it’s very important to consider clinical trials.”
Breast Cancer Support Organizations for Black Women
Family of Black Woman Found Burnt In Dumpster ‘Ready To Fight’ After Charges Dropped Against Racist Police
The family of Mykaella Sharlman is “ready to fight” after Northern California prosecutors dropped charges against the two police officers accused of her death, NBC News reports.
Ashton Montalvo and Deangelo Boone were charged with arson and mutilation of human remains after allegedly moving Sharlman’s body to a dumpster and setting it on fire in 2022. While both officers pleaded not guilty, Sharlman’s sister, Nicole Eason, said dropping the charges is “unacceptable,” and prosecutors should “recant and scrutinize” evidence, including security video and eyewitness testimony, that she feels is too much to move past. “We’re getting ready to lawyer up,” Eason said. “We’re getting ready to fight.”
Medical examiners claim the victim died earlier in the day on Oct. 17 from a fentanyl overdose, Newsone reports. Police say Boone and Montalvo found Sharlman’s body in an abandoned apartment, moved it to a dumpster blocks away, and lit it on fight with lighter fluid instead of reporting it. Since then, the Antioch Police Department has been under investigation after several racist text messages using racial slurs, making racist jokes, and sharing racist memes surfaced.
The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office dismissed the case citing its connection to the investigation. “A dismissal at this juncture affords the District Attorney’s Office the ability to refile criminal charges against Montalvo and Boone and reinitiate legal action if new evidence is developed,” the office wrote in a statement. “The Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office no longer has confidence in the integrity of this prosecution. Our office extends our deepest sympathies to the family of Mykaella Sharlman and we aspire to renew this prosecution if presented with the opportunity to do so.”
While Sharlman’s family learned one of the detectives who assisted in the case was part of the racist investigation, they don’t think it should have anything to do with her case. “This scandal came out after my sister’s death,” Eason said. “It shouldn’t have had any bearing on the evidence.”
According to his Instagram, the songwriter pulled in a net of $830,000 and shared a photo of a Stake bet that brought in an estimated payout of $850,000. He predicted the Denver Nuggets would triumph over the Miami Heat, winning four games to one in the 2023 NBA Finals. On June 12, 2023, the Nuggets won their fourth game, and the chips fell just as the rapper predicted they would. The bet cost him $250,000, according to the photo. The singer also wagered $1 million that the Nuggets would be the winning team, LOVEBSCOTT reported. The estimated payout for his second bet was $1.23 million per the outlet.
Drake has been known for betting on the losing side in the sports world. His not-so-good track record became known as the “Drake Curse,” TMZ reported. The rapper’s wager on the Denver Nuggets ended the curse.
Drake is not the only one feeling like the MVP after the win. The championship is a first for the Denver team, and Nikola Jokić helped lead the team to victory. The Serbian raked in all votes for the Finals MVP, per Yahoo Sports. At seven feet tall, Jokić scored 28 of the team’s 94 points. Yahoo Sports reported that Jokić also finished the championship-winning game with four assists and 16 rebounds. The Serbian was ready to go home after the game and said in a broadcast, “The job is done. We can go home now.”
The Miami Heat ended the game with 89 points and no regrets. Erik Spoelstra, coach for the Miami Heat, said, “Guys were staggering around because both teams were playing so hard. That’s what this league should be about. There’s no regrets on our end. Sometimes you get beat, and Denver was the better team in this series,” according to Yahoo Sports.
Jokić may have been ready to head home after the game, but Drake hit a rich flex with his postgame Instagram photo.
Nikole Hannah-Jones Calls Out UNC For Holding Back Millions In Fellowships For Black Journalists
The founder of a program for Black students pursuing journalism says the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill owes her foundation millions of dollars.
Nikole Hannah-Jones told NC Newsline that UNC-Chapel Hill owes $3.8 million to the Ida B. Wells Society for Investigative Reporting. She said it could no longer do the work it set out to do. Hannah-Jones said, per The Messenger, “It’s all of our operating funding, all of our grant money, our quasi-endowment.” She continued, “Without it, we can’t work toward our mission, we can’t do any of our work.”
According to Hannah-Jones, the program was canceled this year because UNC-Chapel Hill failed to transfer all the funding the program raised before moving locations. The society moved to Morehouse College in Atlanta after Hannah-Jones accepted a position at Howard University. The move occurred after the journalist was refused tenure at her alma mater UNC-Chapel Hill, The Messenger reported.
A spokesperson for the university said in a written statement that $2.1 million of the $3.8 million had already been paid. The spokesperson wrote per NC Newsline, “We have completed the transfer of nearly $2.1M in funds to date.” The spokesperson added, “We are working with Morehouse College and the relevant funding agencies on the process for the remaining fund transfers.”
The veteran journalist is one of four journalists who founded the program to give Black student journalists hands-on experience and resources to succeed in the field. According to the society’s website, Hannah-Jones founded the organization with Ron Nixon, Corey Johnson, and Topher Sanders.
Hannah-Jones embarked on the 1619 Project, a journalism feat, in August 2019. The project was first published in The New York Times Magazine. In 2021, the journalists released a No. 1 New York Times best-selling book, The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story, per BLACK ENTERPRISE. B.E. reported an expansion of the 1619 Project from the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist premiered on Hulu this year in January.
Cam’ron Gives Ja Morant Some Real Advice Ahead Of NBA Suspension
In the midst of all his legal woes, at least one person is in Ja Morant’s corner. Cam’ron is offering a word of advice to the troubled NBA star ahead of his expected NBA suspension for showcasing a gun on social media.
The Dipset Rapper had a story for the professional athlete, taking to Instagram to post throwbacks of himself during his college basketball days. Cam’ron had hoop dreams once as well, detailing in the caption of how it all crashed and burned,
“I was on bull sh-t in college. I got kicked out for pistol whipping a nigga. (Which I don’t condone) lucky I had a plan B and C. Ja don’t be me you can’t rap!!! Lol as you can see its a lil blurry but it was still the set.”
Cam’ron has been a prominent defender of Morant amidst his many controversies of the last few months. Most recently, while appearing as a guest host on the It Is What It Is podcast, the 47-year-old called out the strippers in Denver who were seeking apologies from the Grizzlies guard for flashing his gun inside their work establishment.
In his rant, stating how “these b-tches buggin,” he went on to claim a double standard against the 23-year-old that they would not have been so upset had famous rappers, such as Pooh Shiesty or Lil Durk, pulled out a pistol.
Morant’s gun scandal has divided the sports community, as some call his recklessness a danger to himself and the image of the league. However, others like Cam’ron and Lil Wayne, have been reaching out to talk to the talented young man before things escalate any further.
In the meantime, the 2020 Rookie of the Year is awaiting to hear of his lengthy suspension from the NBA for his multiple gun-related incidents.
Decolonizing Wealth Project Announces $20M Campaign To Advance Reparations Movement
The Decolonizing Wealth Project (DWP) announced a $20 million commitment to help advance reparations across America over the next five years.
According to a DWP release, due to the rising backlash over the call for more diversity, equity, and inclusion following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, the campaign will further the call for reparations through three major initiatives: direct grant-making through the #Case4ReparationsFund, a new information resource hub for the movement, and new public opinion research and messaging guidance for the reparations movement.
DWP Founder and CEO Edgar Villanueva unveiled the campaign in Atlanta at the end of the Alight. Align. Arise Conference hosted by Decolonizing Wealth earlier this week.
The three-day conference brought together more than 200 community leaders, policymakers, business leaders, funders, and celebrities to discuss local and national reparation efforts and the steps required to close the racial wealth gap. Speakers who attended the conference include author Ta-Nehisi Coates, 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones, California Reparations Task Force Member Dr. Cheryl Grills, and actress Ericka Alexander.
“Decolonizing Wealth Project is excited to launch a new campaign bringing funders and stakeholders together with the shared goal of winning federal reparations and reparative policies across the country,” Villanueva said in a statement. “Used in the right way, money can be medicine to heal from past traumas. By providing the movement with key resources and tools, we can help turn the concept of reparations into reality for Black people in America.”
The $20 million campaign has launched with a new round of direct grant-making totaling $3 million that will be deployed this year, along with other resource and educational programs to support the reparations movement over the next five years. The fund has already donated more than $4 million to numerous BIPOC-led organizations since it was started in March 2021.
The DWP is also partnering with the Boston University Center For Antiracist Research to launch a new reparations digital information resource hub later this year. The hub will educate the general public, media, and stakeholders about reparations and track news, research, and resources for the reparations ecosystem.
Additionally, DWP has tapped Dr. Janay Cody to fight present-day perceptions around reparations and identify key messaging needed to change the hearts and minds of Americans across different backgrounds.
The reparation effort has gained traction since 2020 as several states, including California and Massachusetts, announcing reparation initiatives. Last summer, Los Angeles County paid reparations and returned ownership of a beachfront property known as Bruce’s Beach to the Black descendants of the couple who owned the land.
In 1912, Charles and Willa Bruce purchased the property and built a successful beach resort—one of the few places where Black families could enjoy the lush amenities of a lodge, cafe, and dance hall, which the government took in 1924 through eminent domain.
Sukihana Trends After YK Osiris Forces Himself On Her At Public Event, Amber Rose Defends Her
Reality star Sukihana is trending across social media for two disturbing videos from separate incidents showing one male singer forcing himself on her and a male interviewer’s vulgar statements.
The “Love & Hip Hop” star is known for her sultry brand that includes graphic OnlyFans videos, social media stunts, and referring to herself as “Suki with the good c**chie.” But her online persona appears to be misunderstood by overly aggressive men who are getting called out for their disturbing advances.
On Tuesday, June 13, singer YK Osiris came under fire after a video showed him forcing a kiss on Sukihana while she judged a Crew League basketball tournament in Atlanta this past weekend. Osiris walked behind Suki and rubbed her shoulders before leaning down and grabbing her face in an attempt to kiss her.
Sukihana looked visibly taken aback and leaned down to protect her face from touching Osiris. That’s when the singer started laughing and clapping hands with bystanders in what appeared to be approval seeking for his actions.
The shocking video came on the heels of another encounter Sukihana had with an overly aggressive male host on Kandi Burruss‘ podcast who was called a “creep” for his vulgar advances at the reality star.
Debates ensued in the comments between many who defended Suki and others who blamed her for how she presents herself online. There were also spectators who questioned Kandi’s nonchalant response to her co-host.
“They literally think if you do stuff like suki that’s it’s ok for them to act like him,” one user wrote. “I would’ve left & why is kandi just laughing.”
“Caught second hand embarrassment fr,” another said.
“Sexual harassment and kandi is just laughing it off,” added someone else.
Tracee Ellis Ross Sends ‘Healing Energy’ To Celebrity Hairstylist Who Underwent Brain Surgery
Tracee Ellis Ross is among the famous faces extending their support to celebrity hairstylist Johnnie Sapong who remains in intensive care after undergoing brain surgery to remove a tumor.
The “Black-ish” star took to her Instagram Story on Monday, June 12 to share a link to Sapong’s fundraising page and offer her support to his family, E! Newsreports.
“@sapongjohnnie sending all the healing energy and love love love,” she wrote alongside a photo with Sapong and a link to his GoFundMe.
“Please support Johnnie and his family.”
Sapong’s son John Sapong organized the fundraising effort after his “dad nearly died,” according to the campaign’s title. The fundraiser reveals how Sapong was woken up out of his sleep on Thursday, June 8, with a “severe headache” and blurred vision in his left eye.
The freelance hairstylist tried to ignore the pain and make it to his son’s 5th-grade graduation on Friday morning. But the pain was too much and he opted to stay home to get rest. Once his family returned home and saw that he was still in pain, that’s when they decided to take him to the hospital.
The ER visit resulted in an MRI and cat scan that found “something on his brain.” After he was transferred to another hospital, a neurological team discovered “a large tumor on his pertuatory gland,” his son revealed.
“It was pressing on his brain and optic nerve and was it bleeding,” John wrote.
After a long surgery, the tumor was removed but Sapong remains hospitalized under review. The family of the freelance hairstylist is asking for help as Sapong recovers.
“As you all know my dad is a kind, amazing, talented man who loves his job as a freelance hairdresser and who works hard to support his family,” John continued.
“He is the main source of income for our family. He is not going to be able to work, we don’t know how long for, how long it will take for him get back to full health.”
Along with Ellis Ross, other celebrities who have donated to the fundraising campaign include Amandla Sternberg, Sasha Lane, and Charlize Theron.
