• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

June 12, 2023

‘Pride Strong’: GLAAD Launches Inaugural Black Queer Creative Summit For LGBTQ+ Creatives

---

GLAAD has created a new summit for the Black queer and LGBTQ+ community to express their creativity.

The first-ever Black Queer Creative Summit is an in-person event created to “educate, empower, and train emerging Black LGBTQ+ creatives across five sectors of the entertainment industry.”

Creatives that fall under the categories of executives, creators, behind-the-scenes, on-screen talent and music supervision are encouraged to apply for the summit happening September 14-17 2023 in Los Angeles.

Created by cultural curator DaShawn Usher and actor Julian Walker, the summit will spotlight, celebrate, and curate professional growth opportunities for Black LGBTQ+ creative leaders with keynote addresses, fireside chats, workshops, and mentorship opportunities.

Usher and Walker describe the event as an effort to interrupt the discriminatory legislation set across the country to erase LGBTQIA identity and African-American history. “As a creator, what’s so important is having spaces for us that are created by us, first and upfront,” Walker, who also serves as the associate director for Communities of Color at GLAAD, told Forbes.

The nonprofit will provide a “scholarship” for 150 creatives that cover registration costs, room and board, and transportation.

With more LGBTQIA representation seen on TV shows such as Starz’s P-Valley and Peacock’s The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Usher, GLAAD’s director of Communities of Color and Media, said the summit couldn’t have come at a better time.

“According to our recent report, while we are seeing more Black queer characters on television, we must now focus on whether that representation is equitability, and the answer is no,” Usher said.

Successful candidates should have specific qualifications: unsung heroes, Black LGBTQ+ storyline contributors, and emerging professionals looking for a network. According to Gaye Magazine, applicants will receive notification of admission no later than July 2023. Applications are now open until June 12, 2023.

“The Black Queer Creative Summit was a goal of mine that I wanted to bring to life once I started at GLAAD in 2019,” Usher told the outlet. “I knew before I could have a successful summit, I needed to have certain things in place, funding, resources, a team, and to do more work with gaining trust and visibility in the Black entertainment industry.”

• News

by Iman Milner

June 12, 2023

Wife Of Slain Man Says Police Failed To Respond When Reporting Husband’s Abduction

---

Talija Campbell is searching for answers after she said Colorado Springs Police failed to promptly respond to her 911 call that her husband had been taken captive.

According to The Washington Post, Campbell received a panicked text message on June 2 from her husband, Qualin Campbell, with a photo of a man sitting in the passenger seat of his car. “911,” he wrote. “Send help.”

Upon receiving the message, which also included his exact location, Campbell immediately called 911 and told the emergency dispatcher that she believed her husband had been abducted.

After over an hour had passed with no update, Campbell decided to drive to the location herself. Upon arrival, her fears were actualized when she saw her husband slumped inside of his work vehicle seated next to another man who appeared unconscious. The image, she says, is one she “can never get rid of.”

“I shouldn’t have been the one there, the first person to respond,” she said. “It was me who had to perform CPR on my husband in a pool of blood.”

Qualin Campbell was pronounced dead on the scene.

Harrison Daniels, the family’s attorney, says they plan to hold the Colorado Springs Police Department accountable for its lack of urgency, according to 9News.

“No excuses here can be fitting or justified for why they didn’t do their job that day,” he said. The department is investigating Qualin Campbell’s death as a homicide but very few details have been shared about the case, including information on the alleged killer, 44-year-old David Karels.

For now, the Campbell family is grieving the loss of the “gentle giant” and father of two who they believe may still be alive if law enforcement had shown up in a timely fashion. “I can’t think of anything that could take higher precedence than a hostage situation, except maybe an active shooter,” Daniels said.

Rapper Fetty Wap has recently started his prison term. Now, according to TMZ Hip Hop, he has to hand over his financial records once he is released.

The New Jersey recording artist pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. He was given a six-year sentence. Upon his release he must complete five years of supervision.

TMZ has obtained documents stating that the “Trap Queen” rapper will have to fully disclose his financial records as well as his yearly income tax returns to the U.S. Probation Department. He will also have to submit his DNA to officials.

He also won’t be able to open any new financial accounts without getting prior approval from the government. The condition also states that he will have to submit virtually everything he owns so that the feds can search whenever there’s a reasonable suspicion he’s violated any terms of supervised release.

In 2022 Fetty Wap, nee Willie Maxwell II, admitted in court he was involved in an interstate, multimillion-dollar drug trafficking scheme. Before pleading guilty he was facing a minimum of five years in prison for his role with the possibility of being imprisoned for a maximum of 40 years.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

June 12, 2023

Atlanta Deputy In ‘Violation Of Oath Of Office’ After Having Relationship With YSL RICO Defendant

---

The RICO case against the YSL crew keeps getting more and more bizarre, now thanks to former deputy Stanley.

Akeiba Koren Stanley, a deputy from the Fulton County’s Sheriff’s Office, has been arrested and charged after it was revealed she was having a relationship with Christian Eppinger, a defendant in the case, Complex reports.

After a search warrant granted access to the defendant’s attorney, Eric Johnson, it was found Stanley was in a relationship with Eppinger. She was charged with reckless conduct, violation of oath of office, conspiracy to commit a felony, and hindering apprehension or punishment of a criminal.

Johnson is also being looked at as a co-conspirator for letting his client message people on his laptop.

The couple allegedly communicated via Instagram and cell phone where Stanley made plans to help Eppinger smuggle items. Through an investigation, it was confirmed the two were texting each other after their social media accounts were traced as well as being involved in an inappropriate relationship that included Stanley visiting the defendant in his jail cell and receiving a birthday card from the jail commissary in April. Eppinger was also allegedly involved in a fight with another officer and Stanley did nothing to break it up or detain him.

According to the warrant, Stanley rubbed Eppinger’s back after the scuffle and said, “Look at me, baby.”

Her bond was set for $1 million and she opted out of making a court appearance that was scheduled for June 3. After being fired from the sheriff’s office following her arrest, Fulton County Sheriff Patrick “Pat” Labat released a statement, calling her charges “reckless that endangered the safety of citizens, staff and employees at the Fulton County Courthouse,” according to 11 Alive.

Stanley has a history of complaints while working for law enforcement agencies. While working for the Atlanta Police Department between 2016 and 2018, three complaints against her were issued within a 30-day span, prompting investigations that led to her being fired.

The culinary world is keeping a close eye on this Black chef.

Damarr Brown, Chef de Cuisine at Virtue Restaurant in Chicago, has won the 2023 James Beard Award for Emerging Chef.

“It’s a huge honor. It’s like the Oscars of the food world.” Brown, a chef for 13 years, told Chicago’s CBS 2. He also described the path that brought him here

“I’ve never been able to cook food like this, the food that I grew up eating, the food that I saw my grandmother cooking,” he said. “I’ve also never gotten to cook for somebody who looked like me.”

The South Side Chicago chef said on his Instagram, “To say I was grateful would be an understatement. I am beyond blessed to be surrounded by an unwavering team that doesn’t flinch. Together we get it done, this is for us.”

He credited the women in his life for introducing him to the kitchen.

“Yeah, I was raised by three wonderful women,” he said. “My mother, Trena, my aunt, Inga, and my grandmother, Arlenem. They kept tight rings on me, so I would be in the kitchen next to them and helping them peel potatoes and picking green beans and all that kind of stuff.”

But success won’t get to his head. “I really focus on not letting my highs get too high or my lows get too low,” Brown told the outlet.

Black chefs followed a recipe for success at this year’s James Beard Awards. Rashida Holmes and Charlie Mitchell were also named finalists for the Emerging Chef award, and Serigne Mbaye was named a semifinalist.

The Black-owned restaurant where Brown works was also honored last year at the James Beard Awards. Owner and chef of Virtue Restaurant, Erik Williams, was named Best Regional Chef, according to Eater. Olivia Watkins and Karen Washington of the Black Farmers Fund were among the 25 people of color who won a James Beard award this year.

The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF ) recently added six two-year institutions to its roster.

All six historically Black community colleges—Bishop State, Drake State, Gadsden State, Lawson State, Shelton State, and Trenholm State— are located in Alabama and are now eligible to receive scholarships from the historic college fund, Bama Buzz reports. Alabama has more Black community colleges than any other state, providing over 9,000 jobs, workforce up-skilling, and adding $600 million to the state’s economy.

The TMCF nonprofit supports more than 300,000 students attending HBCUs across the country. Leaders of the community colleges have been advocating for a partnership that would bring new resources and awareness to the schools that tend to go unnoticed. Kathy Murphy, president of Gadsden State, says the narrative of community colleges being overlooked has changed as more jobs don’t require a bachelor’s degree. She also claims the scholarships will help her underprivileged students. “I do think the pivot has come as the relevance of the two-year system has heightened,” Murphy said, according to Inside Higher Ed.

“Some of our students have lived in some levels of generational poverty. So, any support that they can get to be able to come to college, that financial support and that motivation … all of that is just so important.”

TMCF President and CEO Harry Williams calls the move a “perfect marriage.” He visited the campuses in March and, after meeting with administrators, faculty members, and students, decided it just made sense. “Adding community colleges to our membership is part of an intentional move toward a more inclusive talent strategy,” Williams said. “A four-year degree is one path but not the only path to career success. We are expanding our reach. We are expanding our focus.”

While this is a pilot initiative, with no plans to bring more two-year colleges into the network, he said he’s open to talking with other college leaders who want to join.

Four-time NBA champion Steph Curry is using his off-season downtime to give back to the community.

A group of Elmhurst United Middle School students in Oakland, California, were surprised when Curry spent the day with them for a play day as part of his Eat.Learn.Play. Foundation. In a partnership with Carmax and Oakland Genesis Soccer Club, the Golden State Warriors player pulled up in style on a bus filled with healthy snacks, school supplies, and books.

Amazing vibes in The Town with @carmax, Eat. Learn. Play and their youth development partner Oakland Genesis!! Had a blast on the field with our incredible @eatlearnplay bus, giving out books, meals and having fun all at the same time 🚌🙌🏽 #CarMaxPartner pic.twitter.com/D8C6IY6bRr

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) June 6, 2023

The nonprofit, founded with Curry’s wife, Ayesha, has worked with the city of Oakland for the past four years to give back where it’s needed. Together, they have refurbished playgrounds, and sponsored programs that provide positive coaching, healthy meals, and reading materials. As “play” is one of the pillars of the foundation, the NBA point guard says healthy, active lifestyles are “huge for kids just to have a solid balance.” “It’s just about self-discovery, I was fortunate enough I didn’t have to worry about where to go to shoot hoops or find kids my age to throw the football around or play baseball,” Curry said, according to KGO ABC 7.

“You realize how much you learn in those environments and every kid deserves that.”

Great day w/ @StephenCurry30 & @eatlearnplay in Oakland. Today focused on the “Play” pillar, surprising kids from Oakland Genesis Soccer program. More tonight at 6 & on #AfterTheGame later this week. cc @SC30inc #DubNation

More via @abc7newsbayarea –> https://t.co/WJyOtdLEqT pic.twitter.com/WYhJIwi5EQ

— Chris Alvarez (@CAlvarezABC7) June 6, 2023

After posing for pictures, Curry and the kids played a soccer game on the field. Curry participated in drills as a referee and played goalie as the kids shot penalty kicks. ELP has a calendar full of events for the community to join in. Curry thanks his team for being open to bringing positive change to the Bay Area, especially Oakland. He says he is proud of the work he and his wife have put in. “We’ve identified what we do and we want to do it extremely well and know it’s going to continue to change lives,” Curry said.

• Lifestyle

by Stacy Jackson

June 12, 2023

Two-Time Suicide Survivor And Ex-NFL Player Partners With The American Psychiatric Association To Break The Stigma Around Mental Health

---

The oldest medical association in the U.S. is promoting mental health equity for young minorities.

The American Psychiatric Association (APA) announced the MOORE Equity in Mental Health Initiative to  celebrate Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

The initiative includes a 5K: Run, Walk, and Roll, Sneaker Soirée, youth summit, community fair, virtual roundtables, and community grants, according to the APA’s website.

The Community Mental Health Fair will partner with Morgan State University to share information about mental health resources for DMV residents. The fair will happen July 8, 2023. The 5K event can happen anywhere, but will be centralized in Wheaton, MD. Money raised from the 5K will go toward the APA Foundation Moore Equity in Mental Health Community Grants Program.

Jay Barnett, marriage and family therapist and former NFL player, will serve as the grand marshal for the 5K run. During BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s Black Men Xcel Summit in 2022, he shared his mental health struggles.

“Through my battles with depression, and as I’ve shared publicly, I’m a two-time suicide survivor,” he said. “That led me to really take a journey on the discovery of mental health, and the state of how our quality of life is associated with our mental health.”

Campbell was a journalist, author, teacher, and mental health advocate. She died in 2006 at the of 56.

In 2006, Campbell spoke to BLACK ENTERPRISE about mental health, “We don’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to talk about it, either. I went into denial. I was ashamed. I was very stigmatized by this illness that had no business in my family. But it was. So I had to confront the stigma. And it took me years to come to grips with it and to control the impact it had on my life. And those were years of secrecy and shame.”

The U.S. Congress named July Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month in 2006.

Floyd Mayweather returned to the ring for an exhibition match on Sunday but his fight with John Gotti III ended with one of two brawls in and out of the ring.

Fists flew in every direction at the end of Mayweather vs Gotti on Sunday at FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The boxing champion had been exchanging shady jabs with Gotti throughout the fight, to the point referee Kenny Bayless had to intervene, as noted by Bleacher Report.

But Bayless could only do so much when chaos erupted at the start of the sixth round after Gotti started swinging illegal punches after the bell. That’s when members of both entourages jumped into the ring and started fighting each other.

https://twitter.com/overtime/status/1668093425571311617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1668093425571311617%7Ctwgr%5Eb46280d5837f03ba29fa93a2f9b7fcd807479a72%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-42072863953617876798.ampproject.net%2F2305252018001%2Fframe.html

https://twitter.com/sn_fights/status/1668091652433485824?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1668091652433485824%7Ctwgr%5Eb949dd20f65c5d93a67001f300dadc325b303eae%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fd-42072863953617876798.ampproject.net%2F2305252018001%2Fframe.html

Gotti was allegedly set off after the referee called off the fight,  Sporting News reports. While Gotti is credited with holding his own while fighting the boxing champion, MMA Fighting did score all five rounds in Mayweather’s favor.

Despite the brawl, it was an easy cash grab for Mayweather who reportedly raked in around $25 million in the exhibition match while Gotti earned an estimated $20 million, via Insider Sport.

Meanwhile, complete mayhem was taking place behind the scenes when reality star Joseline Hernandez was seen beating up a former cast member of her Zeus Network show “Joseline’s Cabaret,” TMZ reports. Videos show Joseline and her entourage physically attacking a season 1 cast member by the name of Big Lex.

With Zeus Network collaborating with Mayweather to showcase the exhibition match, there were a number of Zeus personalities on hand for the event. That’s ultimately what led to Joseline and Big Lex crossing paths which resulted in complete mayhem.

Viral video clips show Joseline pummeling Lex with punches and kicks before unleashing her rage on anyone who came into her space.

https://twitter.com/SickWittedEnt/status/1668139119220871170?s=20

Joseline was swingin on EVERYONE! 🤣
She ain’t give not ONE fuck! 💀 pic.twitter.com/jidT4a8hNc

— That’s So Joseph 🔮 (@itstheejoseph) June 12, 2023

Joseline swings at a random girl passing by, the girl throws her drink at Joseline and then her crew jumps the girl…. Insane pic.twitter.com/H7EMubXs9S

— Baddies + More! (@BaddiesReality) June 12, 2023

Her violent actions didn’t go unwarranted by cops who arrested Joseline on Monday on four charges including trespassing and battery. The “Love & Hip Hop” star is no stranger to violence, she is known for getting physical on her shows.

Just last week, Joseline trended after fighting Amber Rose on BET’s “College Hill: Celebrity Edition.” Season 2 of her Zeus Network show was plagued with lawsuits after Joseline physically assaulted members of her cast during the reunion.

Most recently, Joseline was announcing tryouts for season 3 of her show. Zeus Network appears to be sticking beside Joseline despite her behavior on and off the screen.

Serena Williams’ daughter is already following in her champion mother’s footsteps by setting impressive records.

Alexis Olympia Ohanian, Jr. is now the youngest owner of not one but two professional sports teams. The 5-year-old is already the owner of the women’s soccer team Angel City FC. Now, proud dad and Reddit founder Alexis Ohanian, Jr. announced on Instagram that she has become a part-owner of The Los Angeles Golf Club.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Alexis Ohanian Sr. (@alexisohanian)

Williams’ first-born child will have some competition as the Ohanians are expanding their family and the new addition will also share team ownership.

The team is the first in a virtual golf league, partnering with TGL, a tech-inspired golf league started by Tiger Woods’ TMRW Sports and the PGA Tour. Ohanian says the format is unlike anything anyone has ever seen before.

“What’s so interesting about this format, is people will be teeing off in the TGL into a sim, a beautiful, giant, massive screen, you can imagine all kinds of interesting sort of data tracking and sort of excitement you can create around that,” the billionaire told KTLA 5. “But the magic of the drama is going to happen in the short game.”

Serena and sister Venus share ownership of the team. Serena posted about the club on Instagram with the caption about how excited she is to work on the project with her family.

“An important part of the spirit and purpose of LA Golf Club is making golf our own, for everybody, and I couldn’t be more excited to shape the future of this sport with my family @alexisohanian @olympiaohanian and @venuswilliams.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

The Los Angeles Golf Club will compete in TGL’s first season in January 2024.