• Politics

by Derek Major

June 13, 2023

Justice Clarence Thomas Penned 50-Page Dissent As Supreme Court Upheld Voting Rights Act

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The Supreme Court ruled that Alabama’s Congressional Map discriminated against Black voters, giving voting rights advocates a surprise victory and reaffirming the remaining protections of the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The High Court, which has a 6-3 Republican majority, ruled against the state in a 5-4 decision Thursday, saying Alabama’s map of its seven congressional districts heavily favored Republicans. Just one of the seven districts featured a majority Black population. The ruling affirms a lower court ruling forcing the state to create a second congressional district where Black voters make up or are close to a voting age majority.

The case, Allen v. Milligan, arose when the Republican-controlled Alabama Legislature drew a new congressional district map after the 2020 Census. The NAACP, as well as individual voters, sued, saying the map violated Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who was appointed by former President Donald Trump, joined the three liberal justices to make the majority.

According to The New York Times, the decision could impact other states in the Deep South and force them to redraw congressional maps. However, despite the victory, the two conservative justices still harbored reservations concerning the Voting Rights Act, and left the door open for future challenges.

Still, many celebrated the ruling, including NAACP President Derrick Johnson, who praised the court for ruling against what he called an effort to suppress the Black vote.

“This decision is a victory for Black America and a triumph for our democracy,” Johnson said according to NBC News. “This fight is far from over.”

Justice Clarence Thomas, who did not agree with the ruling, wrote a 48-page dissent saying the Voting Rights Act doesn’t require Alabama to “intentionally redraw its longstanding congressional districts so that Black voters can control several seats roughly proportional to the black share of the State’s population.”

Alabama has a dark history of voter suppression that continues to this day. In 2013, an Alabama county challenged the constitutionality of two provisions of the Voting Rights Act and in a 5-4 vote the Supreme Court ruled Section 4(b) of the Act was unconstitutional.

Additionally, the state does not offer early voting and is also one of 11 states that require a witness or notary to sign a voter’s absentee ballot. During Jim Crow, Alabama adopted a poll tax, a literacy test, and established property requirements as qualifications to vote.

Cardi B just secured another legal victory after crushing Tasha K in her defamation case. Now, the “Bodak Yellow” rapper is $350k richer after winning a battle over her album cover art.

A motion was filed on Monday, June 12, that ordered Kevin Michael Brophy to pay Cardi B $350,000 to cover her legal fees in his failed attempt to sue the Grammy award-winning rapper for including his giant back tattoo on the cover of her 2016 “Gangsta B*tch” mixtape cover, Billboard reports.

In addition to paying Cardi’s legal fees, Brophy also voluntarily withdraw his motion for a new trial and waive any chance at a future appeal.

“The parties now have reached an agreement avoiding the necessity of defendants’ motion for attorney’s fees and application to tax costs,” the filing stated.

The new agreement follows U.S. District Judge Cormac Carney’s December 2022 ruling that Brophy’s distinct back tattoo only played only a small role in Cardi’s cover art on an album that served “a larger visual commentary on sexual politics, via Legal Affairs and Trials.

In 2017, Brophy sued Cardi, her company Washpoppin’ Co. and her former manager Klenord “Shaft” Raphael’s company KSR Group LLC for $5 million over the cover art that shows a man performing oral sex on the rapper while she sips from a Corona in the backseat of a car.

The tattoo on the man’s back in the cover closely resembles Brophy’s real life back tattoo. While it has the exact tiger and serpent from Brophy’s tattoo, it doesn’t include the waves, rose petals or the phrase “Born to Lose” like included on Brophy’s back tat.

Cardi argued the imposed back tattoo on her album cover was just art that’s protected by the First Amendment. In Oct 2022, a jury sided with Cardi. When Brophy’s lawyers attempted to overturn the ruling, that’s when Judge Cormac County issued the final ruling.

“Brophy’s tattoo was but one tattoo on the back of the model, who was himself but one part of a suggestive portrayal of a man with his head between Cardi B’s legs while she was in the backseat of a vehicle and drank an alcoholic beverage,” the judge wrote.

“The purpose, Cardi B testified, was to show her in control, reversing traditional gender roles.”

Now after winning millions from Tasha K, which remains on hold amid the YouTuber’s bankruptcy filing, Cardi is set to receive a few hundred thousand from another lawsuit.

• News

by Iman Milner

June 13, 2023

‘Thats My Business’ Tabitha Brown To Release Third Book And New Line Of Seasonings

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Tabitha Brown is the true embodiment of booked and busy. The plant-based social media maven was on hand to greet her fans as she unveiled an expansion of her successful partnership with McCormick Seasonings. Brown and the condiment company plan to include five new products in her “Sunshine” collection. According to the New York Daily News, the 44-year-old says their willingness to meet her demands was an integral part of continuing their working relationship.

When Brown insisted that the new seasoning products remain salt-free, McCormick, who had never done so before, found a way to oblige. “At first, they were like, ‘I don’t know if we can do it’ and I was like, ‘We gotta figure it out.’ They said, ‘OK, we’re gonna figure it out.’ So it’s all salt-free. I’m so excited”, Brown said.

On the heels of parting ways with the Food Network over creative differences, the Emmy-winning TV host has also announced plans to release a third book and an upcoming role in a new Netflix series, according to the Daily News. In discussing the follow-up to her New York Times best-selling cookbooks, Brown said she’s taking a different route this time. “I am actually writing a new book right now,” she said. “It’s all about a new thing. It’s talking about how I did something new and how it changed me and encouraging other people to try something new and see how it changes their lives.”

In the meantime, “Auntie Tab” is still delivering regular inspiration through sharing her life and career journey. Brown recently received an honorary doctorate from the Savannah College of Art and Design more than three decades after leaving behind her fashion design aspirations to pursue her acting dreams. In an Instagram post, she shared the significance of the full circle moment. “Well that was 1997 and I’ve been pursuing entertainment ever since! Last year I debuted my first clothing line with @target and my daddy was right by my side!!,” Brown said. “Today @scaddotedu presented me with an honorary doctorate’s degree and daddy was right by my side!!!

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

June 13, 2023

Black Mother-Daughter Duo Make History As First To Graduate From U.S Naval Academy

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A Black mother-daughter duo made history as the first to graduate from the U.S Naval Academy in its 177-year history.

Elise Lindsay is walking in her mother’s footsteps as she graduated from the academy on May 26, 31 years after Timika Lindsay did in 1992, NJ.com reported. Timika was able to watch her daughter walk across the stage and said the moment was a long time coming, giving her family’s long history of serving the country.

Back in World War II, Elise’s grandfather served in the Marine Corps and his father served in the Army. Her father, who passed away, served as a lieutenant colonel in the Marine Corps reserve and the family has nieces and nephews enlisted in the Navy and the Air Force. Timika said her family’s love for this country runs deep. “We do believe what the Pledge of Allegiance says and what the Constitution says,” the retired Navy captain explained. “That’s what we fight for.”

Timika is enjoying retired life after spending 30 years as a senior-ranking Black female officer in the Navy. She served as the chief diversity officer and the Naval Academy’s director of DEI, creating numerous initiatives to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the ranks. After her retirement, she decided to continue her work in the DEI space by opening her own consulting firm, Anchor Leadership Solutions. “My family will tell you that I faked my retirement,” she joked. “And somehow secretly I’m still working for the Navy.”

Her family may be on to something, as she is working as a trustee on the USS N.J. Commissioning Committee and the director of leadership and development for the Naval Academy Minority Association.

Elise on the other hand is just getting started in her career as WTOP News reported she will be stationed in Japan on the USS America.

• News

by Stacy Jackson

June 13, 2023

NYPD’s First Black Woman Commissioner Keechant Sewell Resigns After 18 Months

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The first woman police commissioner for the New York Police Department (NYPD), Keechant Sewell, resigned after 18 months.

Sewell did not give a reason for her resignation. Mayor Eric Adams appointed the police commissioner after promising to put a woman in the position when he became mayor in January 2022, per the Associated Press. The official website of the city of New York shared Adams’ statement on Sewell’s departure. He began, “I want to thank Police Commissioner Sewell for her devotion over the last 18 months and her steadfast leadership. Her efforts played a leading role in this administration’s tireless work to make New York City safer.” Adams ended the statement with, “The commissioner worked nearly 24 hours a day, seven days a week for a year and a half, and we are all grateful for her service. New Yorkers owe her a debt of gratitude.”

Managing the largest police force in the nation is a big task. In January, Sewell spoke to CBS2 about Adams’ influence on the NYPD as a former police captain. She said, “The mayor’s experience is invaluable and I talk to him often about what his experiences were.” She remarked that Adams was not a hindrance. Sewell stated, “You have to be able to take experience and advice from all corners. And I do that, and he has a public safety mandate that he imposed upon me and I intend to actually fulfill it.”

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported Sewell made history as the first Black woman to lead the NYPD. She told the New York Post then, “I’m very humbled to even be considered for this, and it’s an extraordinary opportunity. And I take it very seriously, the historic nature of this.”

Sewell had 25 years of law enforcement experience before being named police commissioner of New York City.

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 13, 2023

Black Employee Hazed With 3 Decapitated Heads On His Desk, After Filing A Workplace Complaint

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After complaining about the care and condition of bodies donated to his company, Dale Wheatley says three severed heads were left next to his desk in retaliation for discussing the situation.

According to People, Wheatley is an employee who works for the Anatomical Gift Association of Illinois. Wheatley is the transportation coordinator at the Chicago-based company that distributes human body parts for medical research.

The transportation coordinator said he filed a police report after the incident. The heads were placed in a blue plastic storage tub by his desk.

“At first I was confused,” Wheatley said. “My boss walked by, and I asked him why the heads were at my desk. He said they need to get back with their bodies so we can send them to cremation.

“I asked him why they were at my desk,” Wheatley continued. “And he said, ‘I don’t know Dale, there’s a lot of strange things going on.'”

The attorney for Wheatley, David Fish, told People that this incident occurred after his client filed a complaint that donated bodies were not properly embalmed or stored, causing the body parts to rot and mold. According to his attorney, rats had allegedly chewed through storage bags and bitten the feet of the cadavers’ feet.

“The body goes to waste if it’s not properly cared for,” Fish said.

Wheatley, 37, also viewed rolled-up bunches of smoldering sage throughout the office as harassment, thinking that the alleged perpetrators were trying to ward off evil spirits, meaning him. Wheatley reportedly filed complaints with the Cook County Medical Examiner and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

Slutty Vegan founder Pinky Cole looked stunning at her June 10 wedding, thanks to luxury apparel brand, Milano Di Rouge.

Cole wore a custom Milano Di Rouge wedding dress, a first for the luxury lifestyle entrepreneur. Milan Harris, CEO, posted a video of the final look as she made sure Cole looked perfect for her big day. “I can’t believe @milanodirouge designed our first wedding dress, the designer wrote. “It’s so surreal!!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Milan Harris (@iammilanrouge)

Cole married fellow culinary artist, Derrick Hayes, CEO of Big Daves Cheesesteaks, at Atlanta’s lavish St. Regis Hotel. The strapless mermaid gown, designed over a four-month period, featured a deep-V sweetheart neckline and back, People reported. The skirt included heavy layers of tulle and hand-sewn crystal rhinestones, plus a detachable Cathedral train and a Cathedral-style veil.

The first-time wedding designer said she had no clue how they were going to pull off the design but it was important that everything be right for the blushing bride’s big day.

“It was important to us to create an experience that allowed Pinky to see more than a sketch or design,” Harris said. “To bring the dress to life, we made sure to include Pinky’s face and skin tone on the model in Photoshop so she could visualize herself in the dress.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Pinky Cole (@pinkycole)

Harris added some special touches so Cole would feel extra special, including a personal message to the bride that was gifted to her before the wedding. “To the sluttiest bride ever, may your marriage be filled with love, laughter, happiness and lots of SLUTTY moments,” the note read.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Milan Harris (@iammilanrouge)

Hopefully, Cole, who was just featured as a panelist during BLACK ENTERPRISE’S Disruptor Summit, will have some time to relax soon. She revealed that she and Hayes are expecting baby number three in December.

• Celebrity News

by Sharelle B. McNair

June 13, 2023

Rumor Report: Word Has It Tyler Perry Has Finalized Deal To Buy BET

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Rumor has it that Tyler Perry is locked in to buy BET.

A new report claims the billionaire negotiated a deal to buy the BET Media Group from parent company Paramount Global for an undisclosed sum, Love B. Scott reported. This deal would give Perry complete control over BET Media Group as well as VH1. Speculation of a buyout came as funding for several BET projects was pulled last week, including some in Atlanta, home of Tyler Perry Studios.

Perry already has a stellar reputation with BET as BET+, the streaming service for the cable channel, is a joint venture between Paramount Streaming and Tyler Perry Studios.

Since earlier this year, the actor and director, famous for playing the character of Madea, has openly expressed interest in purchasing the network, denying it was just a rumor.

“Rumor? No, it’s not a rumor,” Perry said to Entertainment Tonight. “I’ve been there for four years now and had tremendous success. I wasn’t expecting this to happen, so, yes — if that is possible, I’m very, very interested in taking as much of it…”

Media mogul Byron Allen, Sean “Diddy” Combs, and media company Group Black were also in the running to purchase BET.

Paramount executives believed selling a majority stake in BET to a “consortium of wealthy Black investors and institutions may unlock opportunities and value,” CNBC reported. The sale of a majority stake in BET Group would also give Paramount Global wiggle room to spend on programming for Paramount+ and Pluto TV, its free ad-supported streaming service, as the streaming business lost $575 million last quarter.

Perry has given credit to BET’s current owner for keeping the network relevant over the years, admiring the fact that it didn’t “fall by the wayside.” If the rumors are true, an announcement could be made any day now.

• Lifestyle

by Ahsan Washington

June 13, 2023

Black Fathers Matter: 5 Hip-Hop Songs That Celebrate Black Fatherhood

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With fathers day approaching, BLACK ENTERPRISE  wants to highlight five Hip hop songs that pay homage to Black fatherhood for Father’s Day. Like Hip-Hop culture, Black dads have long been the subject of negative criticism and stereotypes around the lack of parenting or perspective on father-child relationships. Disgraced comedian Bill Cosby infamously dissed Black fathers in 2004 and in 2008, then President Barack Obama told Black dads “We need fathers to realize that responsibility does not end at conception,” the New York Times reported. 

Black fathers are in Black homes loving and raising Black children. Big Ups to Black dads this Father’s Day. These five Hip-Hop songs advocate Black fatherhood and shows the enthusiasm Black men have to be fathers.

1) Jay-Z Blue,  Jay-Z

Jay-Z addresses the fears of losing a chance to be in his daughter’s life due to separation with his wife, Beyoncé. He was direct about the fact that he doesn’t want to be a part of a cycle where a child grows up without its father. As well, talks about dealing with growing up without his father and not wanting to make the same mistakes he saw his father make in his relationships and kids.

2) It’s A Boy, Slick Rick

It’s a Boy. Slick Ricks joyfully raps about the love he has for the mother of his child and how he stays focused on his path to fatherhood through faithfulness. He wants to give his baby boy the world and eager to teach him the ways of the world.

3) Champion, The artist formerly known as Kanye West

Kanye West pays homage to his dad on “Champion” by comparing his dad to Will Smith in his role as Chris Gardner in Pursuit of Happiness.  He shares that every summer his father had to get rich quick ideas, and how that then inspired him not to give up on what he wanted to accomplish.

4) Biological Didn’t Bother, Shaquille O’Neal 

Step-father’s deserve the same respect, love and admiration a biological father deserves. Shaqs tells the story of how his biological father did not fit the role of what a father could be and how watched his stepdad work two jobs and accept all the responsibilities of a father. Shaq credits his step-father with molding him from a boy to a man when his biological didn’t bother.

5) Like Father, Like Son, Game

On “Like Father, Like Son,” Game raps about the day his son was born. The rapper shows his gratefulness in shouting out everyone who supported him and the process—from close friends to the nurses and doctors. On one hand, he is excited that his son is a spitting image of himself. On the other hand, he doesn’t want his son to be anything like him.

RELATED CONTENT: 7 Exquisite Liquors To Gift Your King On Father’s Day

The Golden Globe Awards were sold on Monday to a new owner that will shut down the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA), the voting group that faced controversy over ethical lapses and a lack of diversity.

Eldridge Industries purchased the Golden Globe assets with Dick Clark Productions (DCP), which will continue to manage the awards telecast and focus on expanding the Globes’ viewership around the world, a press release said. DCP is co-owned by Eldridge and Penske Media.

The sale comes after the HFPA struggled to repair its reputation after a Hollywood backlash over its ethics and lack of diversity, which led U.S. television network NBC to drop the Golden Globes ceremony in 2022.

A Los Angeles Times investigation in 2021 revealed the organization had no Black journalists in its ranks. Some members were accused of making sexist and racist remarks and soliciting favors from celebrities and movie studios.

Related: TV AND FILM PRODUCER LASHAN BROWNING ON INKING MTV STUDIOS DEAL AND THE FUTURE OF UNSCRIPTED CONTENT

The HFPA responded by expanding and diversifying its membership and instituted new ethics policies.

Eldridge Industries Chairman Todd Boehly aims to reshape the HFPA, a nonprofit organization of international entertainment reporters, into hired workers in a for-profit venture. All of the 310 current voters will be eligible to cast ballots for the next ceremony in January 2024, a spokesperson said.

“Today marks a significant milestone in the evolution of the Golden Globes,” Boehly said in a statement.

NBC aired the Globes again in 2023. No network has yet signed up to run the 2024 ceremony.

Financial terms of the deal, which was approved by California’s attorney general, were not disclosed.

(Reporting by Danielle Broadway in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Lisa Richwine in Los Angeles; Editing by Matthew Lewis)

Related: WILL PACKER AND MONIQUE CHENAULT GET CANDID ABOUT THE LACK OF DIVERSITY IN HOLLYWOOD (VIDEO)