The troubles surrounding country singer Jimmie Allen have worsened as his record label has officially dropped the controversial recording artist.

According to Variety, Jimmie Allen is being sued by two women for sexual assault and has been dropped by BBR Music Group, according to a statement by his former label.

“BBR Music Group has dissolved its relationship with Jimmie Allen. He is no longer an active artist on its roster.”

This action comes after the label previously suspended him based on accusations by his former manager of sexual assault and battery. In May 2023, the country music star was named in a lawsuit filed by his former manager, Variety reported. “Jane Doe” alleges that the abuse from Allen lasted 18 months.

One of the accusations alleges that Allen forcefully took Jane Doe’s virginity after he appeared on American Idol in 2021. She claims she woke up inside her hotel room the day after it happened, naked in severe pain, and bleeding vaginally. She had no clue what had taken place the previous night.

He responded to the lawsuit by denying it took place and said it was “not only false but also extremely damaging.” Yet, shortly after that news came out, another woman came forward to accuse him of sexual assault as well. This time, the second woman alleged that Allen secretly filmed her during sex without her realizing it was being recorded or getting her permission. That purportedly took place last year in July 2022.

According to People, when he received the news, Allen had just announced that he and his wife had separated. The couple have two daughters, Zara James, 18 months, and Naomi Bettie, three years old, and a third child on the way. He has a son from a previous relationship, Aadyn, who is now 8.

Allen has also been dismissed by the companies that previously had his back. His talent agency, UTA, and management firm, The Familie, suspended him, while his publicity team, Full Coverage Communications, also terminated its contract with Allen.

• News

by Stacy Jackson

June 12, 2023

Randy Cox Receives ‘Largest’ Settlement In History, $45M, After Being Paralyzed While In A Police Van

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The city of New Haven, Connecticut, is paying for its actions in a historic settlement with the family of a Black man who was paralyzed in a police van.

According to Connecticut Public Radio, Randy Cox, 36, and his family will receive a $45 million settlement from the city in Connecticut to resolve all claims against New Haven. The city’s insurance will pay $30 million, The Hill reported. New Haven will pay $15 million.

U.S. District Judge of Connecticut, Magistrate Judge Maria Garcia, oversaw the settlement conference for all involved parties. Civil rights attorney Ben Crump represented the Cox family. In a statement, Crump said, “This historic settlement reflects the commitment of New Haven leadership to fully value Randy Cox’s life and support him through the difficult journey ahead. The city’s mistakes have been well documented. But today is a moment to look to the future, so New Haven residents can have confidence in their city and their police department.” He noted the settlement was a historic moment. “As the largest settlement in a police misconduct case in our nation’s history, this settlement sends a message to the country that we know we must be better than this.”

The Cox family originally filed a $100 million lawsuit in 2022, BLACK ENTERPRISE reported.

BLACK ENTERPRISE also previously reported five police officers were charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and cruelty, both misdemeanors. The officers were identified as Sgt. Betsy Segui, Officer Oscar Diaz, Officer Ronald Pressley, Officer Jocelyn Lavandier, and Officer Luis Rivera.

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by Sidnee Michelle Douyon

June 12, 2023

Body Camera Footage Released After Fatal Police Shooting of Black 14-Year-Old in Colorado

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Police in Aurora, Colorado, have released body camera footage following the death of a teenager Jor’Dell Richardson who was shot by an officer after an alleged robbery.

Jor’Dell Richardson, who is Black, was shot by an officer who chased him as he ran from a local store where police say he shoplifted vape materials with a group of youths on June 1. He was 14 years old.

Richardson, who was shot in the abdomen, later died at the hospital, police said.

A multi-agency team is investigating the shooting. Reuters could not immediately verify the race of the officers involved.

One of the videos from the body-worn cameras released on Friday showed Richardson running from officers as they shout for him to stop and get on the ground.

One of the two officers involved in the chase, James Snapp, eventually pinned him down on the ground.

“Stop, please. You got me,” Richardson can be heard saying.

A second officer, Roch Gruszeczka, caught up to his partner moments later.

“Gun, gun, let go of the fucking gun,” Gruszeczka said. “I’m going to shoot your ass.” Shortly after, a gunshot can be heard and Richardson wailing in pain.

Officers called for medical assistance and began performing CPR as Richardson appeared to lose consciousness.

“Hang with me bud,” Gruszeczka says. Police said later on he said: “God, please be with that kid.”

Aurora Police Department Chief Art Acevedo told a press conference on Friday that Richardson was carrying a firearm, although it was later determined to be a pellet gun designed to look like a 9mm handgun.

The body camera footage released by police does not show whether Richardson ever pointed the weapon at the officers. Gruszeczka has been placed on paid administrative leave.

Richardson’s family reviewed the footage before its public release, and Acevedo said he has been in contact with family members.

“No matter where this investigation takes us, no matter where we end, it is a tragedy because a young man has lost his life,” Acevedo told reporters at the news conference.

Comedian Marlon Wayans has publicly accused United Airlines of racism after a recent incident.

According to Wayans, racism from a United Airlines ticket agent caused him to miss a flight and garnered him a citation from police officers. Fox News reported that Wayans took to his Instagram to express his disappointment and frustration with the airlines when he missed his scheduled appearances in Kansas City, Missouri, while traveling to his destination from a Denver, Colorado airport.

United Airlines gave Fox News a statement referring to the situation: “In Denver on Friday, a customer who had been told he would have to gate-check his bag instead pushed past a United employee at the jetbridge and attempted to board the aircraft. The customer won’t be flying on United to his destination.”

 

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A post shared by Marlon Wayans (@marlonwayans)

Following the incident, the Denver Police Department issued Wayans a citation after he wasn’t allowed on the airplane.

After receiving the summons, Wayans took to his Instagram account to acknowledge he did get a citation but said the ticket agent lied to the police officers and told them that Wayans assaulted him. The act was caught on video, so he was exonerated in that aspect.

Wayans also posted a picture showing three bags that a white man brought into the plane to support his claim of the racism he has accused the airline of displaying. He then posted a video saying that a corporate employee from the airline contacted him defending the agent. He initially stated the agent was correct; there is a two-bag limit.

 

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A post shared by Marlon Wayans (@marlonwayans)

Then when Wayans said he explained that he consolidated it into two bags, he was still told to check it in. The person on the phone then said that the agent received a text that there was no more room on the plane for luggage. He then spoke into the camera that there were people before and after him getting on the plane with two bags as well.

The comedian eventually booked another flight with American Airlines although he did miss his scheduled shows, he is requesting that United Airlines reimburse him for the shows he will not be getting paid for and is demanding an apology.

• News

by Iman Milner

June 12, 2023

Eunique Jones Gibson Is Using Culture Brands To Ignite Social Change In The Marketing Industry

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Eunique Jones Gibson has been proudly disrupting the marketing industry since 2017 through her agency Culture Brands.

As major companies have started to lean more heavily on Black culture to help bring the cool factor to their messaging, Jones Gibson, also the founder of Because Of Them We Can, and her team have positioned themselves at the intersection of cultural appropriation and cultural relevance to help build genuine campaigns. In an interview with DIGIDAY, Jones Gibson talked about Culture Brands’ commitment to doing away with trendy Blackness and ensuring the community comes first. “What’s important to us is a real commitment to [the] community,” she said. “There are a lot of people who can say, ‘We want something culturally relevant because culturally relevant means that is cool and that is hip, it’s at the top of mind and it’s going to resonate,’ but that’s not enough for us.”

Boasting clients like Hyundai, BET, Nickelodeon, and more, Culture Brands has reported a 50% growth over the last few years, according to DIGIDAY.

For this Black-owned marketing agency, it always comes back to what they call a “two-way conversation with the African American community” when deciding who to partner with and what approach to take to move the needle forward. “It’s a very young company, but we’ve got some really dope people in the mix that bring that institutional knowledge from the legacy agencies or experiences that really help ground us because we’re really big risk takers over here,” Jones Gibson said. “And sometimes you just need experienced people to tell you what’s good and what’s not sometimes so that you can listen.”

Jones Gibson understands the unusual space that both she and Culture Brands fill in an industry with a history of using Blackness to sell products while ignoring the people altogether. In an interview with Forbes, she embraced the agency’s mission as its reach expands. “As CEO of Culture Brands, I aim to refute stereotypes while humanizing and celebrating Black people,” she said.

People across social media are clutching their pearls at the recent allegations against Black Panther: Wakanda Forever movie star Tenoch Huerta. The Wakanda Forever actor, who starred as Namor, has been labeled a “sexual predator” by saxophonist Maria Elena Ríos online. The musician poured out her experience in a Twitter post.

https://twitter.com/_elenarios/status/1667749530014748672?s=51

While lashing out at the Poder Prieto collective, a Mexico-based group of creatives working to combat racism in the entertainment industry, Ríos accused the organization of protecting Huerta, a “violent sexual predator” Comic Book Movie reported. 

“It is very difficult to talk about the emotional abuse and abuse of power of a sexual predator who is loved in the world for playing a character in a movie like @TenochHuerta,” Ríos said. 

She also attacked Huerta’s character, saying he was “Charming in appearance, the great hallmark of a narcissist + a good helping of victimization.”

Her series of Tweets began as she denounced the infrastructure of the Poder Prieto collective, citing racism and monetary disputes. Ríos and Huerta are associated with the collective, relating to why she’d say that the collective “protected” the Black Panther actor. 

RELATED CONTENT: Black Moviegoers Showed Up And Showed Out! ‘Wakanda Forever’ Opening Scores $180M

Her statements were met with support and backlash, with some users asking why she didn’t come forward when the incident happened.

Y por que no lo denunciaste de inmediato?

— B€TT¥ ツ (@mtz_tt) June 11, 2023

Huerta was announced as part of the cast for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever last year. Huerta’s star quality was immediately met with awe by diverse audiences. Known for his work in films such as Sin Nombre and Narcos: Mexico, Huerta’s good looks and humble energy has been well received.

Huerta’s representation has yet to make a statement on his behalf, and the actor has not personally spoken about the allegations.

RELATED CONTENT: Cuba Gooding Jr. Skips Trial After Settling Sexual Assault Lawsuit In Private

• Celebrity News

by Sharelle B. McNair

June 12, 2023

Takeoff’s Mother Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit Against Venue Where Rapper Was Shot

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The bowling alley in Houston where beloved Migos rapper Takeoff was shot and killed is being sued by his mother, Titania Davenport-Treet.

Finurah reports the grieving mother is holding 810 Billiards & Bowling and its owners accountable for her son’s death, claiming the property is unsafe.

Filed in Harris County, Texas on June 7, she is seeking “compensatory, special, economic, consequential, general, punitive and all other damages permissible under Texas law.” The suit also says the owners failed to provide the proper safety measures to keep someone of Takeoff’s high profile status safe.

Takeoff, whose real name is Kirsnick Khari Ball, was killed outside of the bowling alley after attending a private party in November 2022. While outside with his uncle, fellow Migos member Quavo, gunfire broke out due to a disagreement over a “lucrative” game of dice, striking Takeoff.

Patrick Xavier Clark was indicted  on charges stemming from the shooting in May. According to Houston police, Takeoff was not involved and was “an innocent bystander.”

Houston LLC, LVA4 Houston Greenstreet, Lionstone Partners, Midway Companies and Cushman & Wakefield of Texas are all listed as defendants in the lawsuit, saying they “provided no screening mechanisms, no after-hour controls or security measures, and no enforcement of rules or industry standards to deter crime against their invitees.”

His mother is seeking an undisclosed amount for compensation of medical expenses, funeral and burial expenses, necessary expenses, pain and suffering, wrongful death and estate damages, according to Fox 26.

If dealing with a lawsuit isn’t enough, both Davenport-Treet and Takeoff’s father Kenneth M. Ball, are in the middle of a legal battle over the rapper’s estate. He reportedly left behind an estimated net worth of $26 million but had no will. Takeoff often referenced in his music that he was raised by a single mother.

RELATED CONTENT: Rapper Quavo Announces Limited Edition Hoodies and Celebrity Football Game in Honor of Takeoff 

• News

by Lauren Nutall

June 12, 2023

The Ghetto Tax: Teenagers Notice Higher Prices Increase On Stop & Shop Items In Low Income Neighborhoods

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Teenagers from Jamaica Plain conducted a two-month study analyzing price differences at Stop & Shop in different neighborhoods. What they found is both upsetting and unsurprising. 

The Hyde Square Task Force is a Boston-based non-profit organization that aims to support Black and Latino youths. Formed in the 1980s, it is a coalition of leaders and neighbors dedicated to solving violence within the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. 

One member of this organization is 15-year-old Derek Medena. He and four other teenagers from the coalition joined forces to examine the prices of Stop & Shop items, comparing how they differed in lower-income neighborhoods. During their study, they discovered a significant price hike in low-income areas compared to their wealthier counterparts. 

Medena spoke to CBS News Boston about this revelation. “It makes us angry to see that we’re paying more, we’re being ripped off because we live by food stamps,” said the Massachusetts teen. 

The group compared prices from Jamaica Plain to a Stop & Shop in Dedham. The teenagers visited both stores, took photographs and examined prices. They noted an 18% increase in prices at their local Stop and Shop, a drastic difference despite paying for the same quality of products. Produce and items that were on sale were excluded from this study. Following their experiment, the teenagers contacted Stop and Shop to get answers. 

Ken Tanggvik, an organizer from the Hyde Square Task Force, shared their reasoning for reaching out to Stop & Shop.

“We wanted to talk to them about, you know, how you do your pricing? We wanted to understand it, and they responded by saying, ‘We don’t have time to meet with you. Good luck with your project,” he said. 

Though the company’s response was less than forthcoming, WBZ-TV spoke with Stop & Shop Public Relations Manager Caroline Medeiros at a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new food pantry at the Dimock Center in Roxbury. 

“We are aware of that and unfortunately can’t provide much of a comment there, but I do want to say how proud we are of our commitment to this community and what we do to nourish the neighborhood here,”  Medeiros said.

Medena shared that the ultimate goal is to speak with Stop & Shop to determine how to decrease food prices in their neighborhood so that they are the same as everywhere else. 

“I would like the prices for them to be equal. So, like, with Dedham and Jamaica Plain, for the prices to be equal. It’s a big ask, but it’s the least you can do,” said Medena. 

Economic experts have been discussing what Medena and his peers have uncovered for years. It is called the ghetto tax, an additional fee that people of low income often have to pay simply for being of low income. In 2006, the Brookings Institute conducted a study of this phenomenon, examining the differences in living while poor compared to the wealthy. One example shared in the study is that drivers from low-income neighborhoods paid $400 more on yearly insurance than those from middle-class neighborhoods, despite insuring the same cars with the same driving records. That is just one of many instances of impoverished Americans paying more than those from wealthier backgrounds.  

While experts have proposed many different ways to rectify the issue, there is still a long way to go, especially as many companies like Stop & Shop lack transparency.

RELATED CONTENT: Here’s How Roughly 70% Of Americans Are Fighting Off Inflation

• News

by Iman Milner

June 12, 2023

The Length Of Breastfeeding Could Be Linked To Children’s Test Scores

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A report published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood has discovered a link between the length of breastfeeding and test scores in adolescents.

Following about 5,000 British children from their infancy in the early 2000s to their last year of high school, the study split participants into groups based on how long they were breastfed: not at all, a few months, or for a year or more. The findings, though not completely conclusive, seem to be the foundation for drawing a clear line of connection between breastfeeding and academic success later in life, according to CNN.

Dr. Reneé Pereyra-Elías, a doctoral student and researcher in the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit at the University of Oxford, says that there was a modest improvement in test scores associated with being breastfed longer, though the findings should not put an unfair expectation on mothers to breastfeed if they’re unable.

“It isn’t possible for every family to breastfeed, and those who don’t should not be shamed or feel guilty that they might be putting their children at a disadvantage,”Pereyra-Elías said.

Careful to point out that the research findings only show the link between breastfeeding and test scores not the actual causation of why the data reflects it.

Dr. Kevin McConway, professor emeritus of applied statistics at the Open University in England, says other socioeconomic factors may be in play. For example, here in the U.S., 66% of Black infants are breastfed compared to more than 82% of white and Latinx moms. However, those numbers don’t reflect the presence of food deserts which account for lack of proper nutrition that contributes to limited milk supply, access to proper maternal health resources and heightened stress levels. These are factors that McConway acknowledges may have been blind spots in the study.

“There may be some confounding factors,” he said. “We did the best we could.”

RELATED CONTENT: Black Mompreneur Launches All-Natural Food Products For Other Breastfeeding Mothers

• News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 12, 2023

12-Year-Old Black Girl Becomes Canada’s Youngest Person to Graduate College

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Anthaea-Grace Patricia Dennis, a 12-year-old student from Ottawa, Canada has made history as the youngest person ever to graduate from college in her country’s history. This month, she proudly earned her Bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Science from the University of Ottawa.