• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

May 31, 2023

Empowering Black Marketing Professionals: 5 Notable Organizations Making a Difference

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Written by Dean Watkins

In today’s ever-evolving professional landscape, it’s more important than ever to be tapped into organizations dedicated to supporting and empowering black marketing professionals. Here are five notable organizations that are making a significant impact.

• The Marcus Graham Project: Developing Future Marketing Leaders

The Marcus Graham Project is a non-profit organization focused on nurturing the next generation of diverse marketing leaders. Through mentorship, training, and educational programs, this organization helps young black professionals gain the skills and opportunities they need to excel in the marketing and advertising industry.

• The Black Marketing Association (BMA): Building Connections for Success

The Black Marketing Association (BMA) is a professional organization committed to supporting and empowering black marketing professionals. The BMA facilitates mentorship programs that connect experienced black marketing professionals with aspiring individuals. Additionally, they organize networking events, conferences, and workshops, creating opportunities for professionals to build relationships, expand their networks, and connect with industry leaders and like-minded peers.

• Adcolor: Championing Diversity and Leadership

Adcolor is a prominent organization advocating for diversity and inclusion in the advertising, marketing, and media industries. They offer leadership development programs, workshops, and conferences that provide valuable insights, skills, and knowledge for black professionals looking to advance in their careers. Adcolor focuses on topics such as personal branding, career navigation, and effective leadership, empowering participants to excel in their roles.

• ColorComm: Fostering a Supportive Community for Black Women

ColorComm is a community-driven organization dedicated to advancing black women professionals in communications, marketing, and media. Through a supportive network, ColorComm creates a space for black women to share experiences, exchange ideas, and find support. The organization encourages collaboration, knowledge sharing, and empowerment among its members.

• Three’s a Crowd: Providing Guided Support for Marketing Professionals

Three’s a Crowd, a non-profit organization established in 2018, is making waves by offering resources and support to black professionals in the marketing industry. Focused on a variety of fields, such as advertising, marketing, entertainment, production, fine arts, and entrepreneurship, Three’s a Crowd provides opportunities for networking, collaboration, mentorship, and professional development. The organization actively works to increase representation and inclusivity through workshops and the production of educational content.

These organizations serve as pillars of support for black marketing professionals, offering guidance, mentorship, networking opportunities, and resources to propel their careers forward. By actively fostering inclusivity and representation within the industry, they contribute to a more diverse and thriving marketing landscape.

As black marketing professionals navigate their career journeys, these organizations stand ready to empower and uplift them, ensuring their voices are heard, recognized, and celebrated. Together, they are making a significant difference in shaping a brighter future for black professionals in the marketing industry.

RELATED CONTENT: Marketing by Monrae Officially Launches Ghetto CEO Podcast With First Annual Ghetto CEO Awards Brunch and Viewing Party

DaniLeigh, real name Danielle Leigh Curiel, is in serious legal trouble after the singer was arrested for a DUI hit-and-run that allegedly left the victim with a serious back injury.

The singer, who hasn’t made media headline since her messy split from rapper Da Baby, was arrested Tuesday morning in Miami after she allegedly hit someone on a moped with her car, TMZ reports. Eyewitnesses say they saw the “Easy” singer swerving in and out of lanes before she hit a man on a motorized scooter and reportedly dragged the moped for a block before being stopped by a police officer.

DaniLeigh failed a sobriety test and took a breathalyzer that came back with a 0.145 and 0.148, twice the legal limit. Cops claimed the songstress reeked of alcohol when she was taken into custody around 2 AM and claimed her passenger was “highly intoxicated,” People reports. They also reportedly located an empty bottle of tequila inside the gray Mercedes Benz the singer was driving.

Witnesses say they tried flagging down Dani to tell her to stop, but she allegedly kept on driving. She allegedly told police that “she never hit a motorist” and had not “consumed any alcoholic beverages.”

The singer was cited for three felonies including leaving the scene of a crash without rendering care, driving under the influence, and related property damage. The unidentified victim was treated for non-life-threatening injuries including a kidney laceration and spinal fracture. DaniLeigh spent a few hours in custody before being released on a $9,500 bond.

She recently shared an Instagram post celebrating her choreography that was incorporated into Beyonce’s Renaissance world tour. DaniLiegh made her industry inception in 2013 when she directed Prince’s “Breakfast Can Wait” music video.

Two years later she made her music debut with the single “D.O.S.E.” and has since released 2017’s “Summer with Friends”, 2018’s “The Plan,” 2020’s “Movie” and 2022’s “My Side.”

More recently, DaniLeigh has been known for her tumultuous split from DaBaby after the rapper blasted their breakup on Instagram. The pair share their 20-month-old daughter, Velour.

RELATED CONTENT: Tiffany Haddish Admits She ‘Wasn’t Expecting’ Her Recent DUI Arrest

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 31, 2023

Store Owner Charged For Fatally Shooting Black Teen He Wrongfully-Accused of Stealing

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Another young Black life was lost when a store owner in South Carolina shot and killed a teen after falsely accusing the teenager of shoplifting.

According to NBC News, South Carolina convenience store owner Rick Chow was arrested after he chased and killed 14-year-old Cyrus Carmack-Belton after accusing him of stealing from his store.

Law enforcement stated there was no evidence that Carmack-Belton did anything wrong and did not steal anything from the convenience store.

“He did not shoplift anything,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott informed reporters during a press conference. “We have no evidence that he stole anything whatsoever,” Lott continued.

The killing occurred in Columbia, South Carolina, at Chow’s convenience store on Parklane Road around 8 p.m. A dispute ensued between the teenager, Chow, and his son. Lott said Carmack-Belton eventually left the store and started running away. Chow’s son went after the boy as he sprinted toward a nearby apartment complex while trying to get away. He stumbled but got back up as the pair continued to pursue him.

Chow’s son said Carmack-Belton had a gun when the owner shot him in the back while he was running from the store. Lott also said a gun was discovered next to the teenager’s body.

He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Richland County Coroner Naida Rutherford said the gunshot wound caused hemorrhaging and significant damage to the 14-year-old’s heart.

Although Carmack-Belton was Black and the Chows are Asian, police have stated it was “not a bias-motivated incident.”

The sheriff admonished Chow for his action.

“It’s senseless,” Lott said. “It doesn’t make sense. You have a family that’s grieving. We have a community that’s grieving over a 14-year-old who was shot.”

“Regardless, even if he had shoplifted four bottles of water, which is what he initially took out the cooler and then he put them back, even if he had done that, that’s not — that’s not something you shoot anybody over, much less a 14-year-old,” Lott said.

Several neighborhood residents protested outside the store, and the store was ransacked as people took things off the shelves. The store owner is currently in police custody at the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center, the sheriff’s office reported.

There has been a big development in the murder of Run-D.M.C.’s legendary DJ, Jam Master Jay. According to NBC News, another person has been indicted in the killing of the popular DJ.

Jay Bryant, 49, has been charged in the murder of Jam Master Jay, née Jason Mizell. This news comes almost three years after Karl Jordan Jr. and Ronald Washington were charged in the 2002 shooting at Jay’s studio in Queens, NY. Jordan and Washington previously pleaded not guilty.

Bryant was engaged in narcotics trafficking when the murder occurred, according to a superseding indictment filed in New York’s Eastern District. He is also facing a firearms charge. Bryant is being held on unrelated federal drug charges and is expected to be arraigned at a later date, a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office said.

The prosecutor’s office stated that Bryant was seen going into Jam Master Jay’s recording studio right before the shooting took place on October 20, 2002. A detention memo states his DNA was on a piece of clothing left at the scene.

Bryant allegedly admitted to an associate that he was the person who shot and killed Jam Master Jay, but according to the memo, there is some doubt. There will be evidence presented at an upcoming trial that will show that Jordan was the one who fired twice from close range.

One of the shots hit someone else in the leg, and after Jam Master Jay was hit in the head, Bryant, Jordan, and Washington left the scene.

“Mr. Bryant will be pleading not guilty,” Bryant’s attorney Cesar de Castro stated in an email. “Securing an indictment in a secret grand jury, applying an extremely low burden of proof, is one thing. Proving it at trial is another matter.”

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 31, 2023

Aderrien Murry Sang ‘No Weapon’ After Being Shot By Mississippi Police Officer

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Aderrien Murry, the 11-year-old boy who was shot by a police officer in Indianola, Mississippi, is grateful to be alive to tell his story.

Murry remembers singing the gospel song “No Weapon” to keep himself going, ABC News reports. Reminiscing on the incident, the brave child said being shot felt like “a big punch to the chest.”

Now, a lawsuit filed on behalf of Murry and his mother, Nakala, claims that Greg Capers, the officer who fired the shot, was “reckless.” “The injuries endured by all plaintiffs could have been avoided if defendants would have acquired adequate training on how to provide proper assistance and care,” the lawsuit states.

The complaint also alleges that the police officer arrived at the Murry home with his gun in hand and fired at Aderrien as soon as the boy appeared.

On May 20, Nakala Murry said her ex-boyfriend showed up at her home at 4 a.m. in an “irate” state and told Aderrien to call his grandmother. Instead of calling his grandmother first, he dialed 911. Murry then said she heard a shot as police tried to break in. “I heard a shot and I saw my son run out toward where we were,” she said. “Aderrien fell, bleeding.”

After Murry was rushed to a local hospital, doctors located the bullet that collapsed his lung and cut into his liver. According to NBC News, charges have yet to be filed, but Capers is on paid administrative leave. There have been many calls for him to be fired and charged.

Police chief Ronald Sampson and the city of Indianola were listed in the $5 million federal civil rights lawsuit that also accuses Capers of failing to assess the situation before showing and firing his weapon. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation announced it is issuing an investigation.

The feud between former Chicago Bulls teammates Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen does not look like it will end anytime soon.

According to NBC News, in a recent podcast featuring Pippen, the NBA Hall of Famer said Jordan was a “horrible player” and also said that he was “horrible to play with.” This “beef” escalated since Pippen felt that Jordan did not give him enough credit for helping him win six NBA titles as the Robin to his Batman when the documentary, The Last Dance, aired on ESPN three years ago.

Pippen appeared on an episode of “Gimme the Hot Sauce,” a podcast hosted by a former Chicago Bull teammate who played with Jordan and Pippen, Stacey King. The discussion centered aon Jordan being unable to win until Pippen arrived to help the Bulls.

“Our game is a team game, and one player can’t do it,” Pippen said.

“I’ve seen Michael Jordan play before I came to play with the Bulls. You guys have seen him play. He was a horrible player. He was horrible to play with. It was all 1-on-1, shooting bad shots. And all of a sudden, we become a team, and we start winning. Everybody forgot who he was.”

The feud between the former teammates has taken an unexpected twist in recent years. Jordan’s son, Marcus, is dating Pippen’s former wife, Larsa Pippen.

But Pippen also gave his opinion on the greatest player in NBA history during the conversation. Instead of Jordan or LeBron James, he leaned toward the player whose scoring record was recently shattered by James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

“There is not a greatest player.”

“LeBron James is probably one of the greatest winners that ever played the game. He wins. Now does that make him the greatest player to ever play the game? No. Michael Jordan probably is one of the greatest individual scorers that we’ve ever seen, but probably not. It’s probably Kareem. It’s hard for me to say who’s the greatest player to ever play in the game.”

Pippen was also asked if he thought he could ever repair the relationship with Jordan, and he swiftly responded by saying no.

• Health and Wellness

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 31, 2023

Dr. Yvette Miller and the American Red Cross Set The Record Straight On Sickle Cell Myths In The Black Community

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Many people don’t know sickle cell disease is the largest rare inherited blood disease in the United States. Sadly, it affects African Americans at higher rates than people of other races. 

The American Red Cross is looking to raise awareness about the disease and clear up some common myths surrounding it, especially within the Black community. Dr. Yvette Miller, executive medical officer of the donor and client support center in Charlotte, North Carolina, is an advocate helping to understand the difficulties of those living with sickle cell disease and how Black blood donors can help.

“Even as a child, I always knew I wanted to be a doctor, and I readily understood what my calling was when I joined the American Red Cross,” Miller told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Advocating for increasing blood donations in the Black community and focusing on the transfusion needs of patients with sickle cell disease—that’s my calling.”

As a medical resident, Miller grew fond of blood banking and learned how to prevent sickle cell disease complications by providing blood products.

The CDC defines sickle cell disease as a group of inherited red blood cell disorders where the red blood cells become hard and sticky and take a C-shaped form called a “sickle.” It is inherited by receiving two abnormal hemoglobin S genes or sickle hemoglobin from a patient’s parents. According to the New England Journal of Medicine, African Americans have a higher occurrence of this disease due to sickle cell being a demographically based sickness. Wherever malaria is common—like Africa—so are higher cases of SCD.

While SCD is found in people worldwide, close to all patients with sickle cell in the United States are Black. Sickle cell disease is found in one of every 365 African American births; many require regular blood transfusions to help manage it.

During her UT Southwestern Medical Center residency, Miller found compatible blood units for a set of twins who suffered from SCD that needed closely matched blood transfusions. Inspired by Dr. Charles R. Drew, the African American surgeon who developed blood storage techniques, she decided to bask in “Black excellence” and complete her medical rotations at Charles Drew University in Los Angeles to work on supporting diverse communities through transfusion medicine. “It resonated with me that this man worked to ensure there was Black excellence among physicians,” Miller said. “I respected him, and I felt that his spirit was always part of me, that I was going to be his legacy in the American Red Cross to carry on what he could not carry on. I always felt that.”

Many celebrities, like singer Fantasia, have partnered with the ARC to push the same “Black Excellence” narrative in the blood of the Black community.

Black drivers, keep your ears open.

Listening to an officer’s first 45 words after being stopped may determine how the encounter will end.

According to a new study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, civilians who are approached by officers uttering commands such as “Keep your hands on the wheel” or “Turn the car off” usually experience situations that escalate to being searched, handcuffed, or arrested.

“The first 45 words, which is less than 30 seconds on average, spoken by a law enforcement officer during a car stop to a Black driver can be quite telling about how the stop will end,” said Eugenia Rho, a researcher at Virginia Tech.

Such findings resulted from analyzing police body-cam footage from 577 stops involving Black drivers and about 200 officers. The study occurred over one month and examined a medium-sized populated city that is racially diverse.

Drivers involved in these stops seemed cooperative and weren’t found to have contributed to any escalation. Researchers asked 188 Black men to listen to recordings of the earliest moments of the stops.

“When officers began with orders without reasons, Black male participants predicted that the stop would escalate in over 84% of those cases,” Rho said.

Part of the study also analyzed the first moments of George Floyd’s encounter with police officers in 2020. Floyd was found to have followed orders, pleading in fear multiple times. Every response to Floyd within the first 27 seconds was an order, and all commands were given without explanation. Floyd’s encounter paralleled the escalation in the study.

During the one-month duration of the study, 588 Black drivers were stopped in the city compared to only 262 white drivers. Over 15% of Black drivers experienced escalated outcomes that resulted in a search, handcuffing, or arrest, compared to white drivers, where less than 1% experienced such outcomes.

The American Civil Liberties Union noted the rights of civilians during public traffic stops. Drivers have the right to remain silent from answering questions that include where they are coming from, their destination, what they are doing, and where they live. Civilians are not required to consent to a search of themselves or their belongings. If a civilian ever feels their rights were violated, they should write down details of what they remember and any information about the officers, including their badges and patrol car numbers and their agency.

Courtesy of 5WPR

Youth Development and Social Justice Organization Celebrates Impactful Programming Alongside Harlem Fashion Icon

The Brotherhood Sister Sol (BroSis), a renowned youth development and social justice organization based in Harlem, held its highly anticipated 18th annual Voices gala at the Ziegfeld Ballroom on Thursday, May 11.

The star-studded event recognized legendary fashion designer and Harlem native Dapper Dan for his influential contributions to fashion, music, and culture, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of hip-hop.

Over 500 friends and supporters gathered for an unforgettable night, successfully raising over $1.5 million for the nonprofit. The guest list featured a diverse array of local politicians, celebrities, and notable figures, including Dapper Dan, Ellie Kemper, Ouigi Theodore, Detavio Samuels, Rahsan-Rahsan Lindsay, Alvin Bragg, Damon Hewitt, Terence Winter, Indira Scott, and more.

Hosted by Co-Founders Khary Lazarre-White and Jason Warwin, the Voices gala serves as BroSis’ signature annual benefit that shines a spotlight on its youth members and life-changing programs. The evening showcased the personal journeys of these remarkable young individuals through captivating spoken-word performances, providing attendees with an opportunity to celebrate BroSis’ mission of empowering youth and fostering the development of future community leaders.

This year’s gala was particularly momentous as it paid tribute to Dapper Dan, a true fashion icon who has left an indelible mark on the industry. Known for his innovative designs and bold style, Dapper Dan has continuously pushed boundaries and challenged societal norms. His creative vision has not only influenced fashion but has also played a significant role in amplifying the voices of marginalized communities.

This celebration followed BroSis’ recent collaboration with GAP for the DAP GAP collection, which exemplified the power of art, fashion, and social impact coming together.

The 18th annual Voices gala provided a platform to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of BroSis and honor its commitment to nurturing young minds and inspiring future leaders. Through this event, the organization continues to pave the way for positive change, demonstrating the profound impact of empowering youth and fostering community engagement.

BroSis has been a driving force in the Harlem community for years, delivering impactful programming that addresses the diverse needs of young people. Through mentorship, education, and leadership development initiatives, the organization equips youth with essential tools and guidance, nurturing their personal growth and enabling them to become catalysts for positive change.

Ethel Abrahams, an African American woman from Atlanta, Georgia, recently turned 107 years old and is surrounded by love and support from her community. Abrahams is a 1939 alumna of Alabama State University, one of the oldest HBCUs in the country.

In recognition of her remarkable longevity, she was recently honored with ASU’s first centenarian membership award by the Atlanta alumni chapter.

Abrahams, who was born in 1916, was blessed with 1 daughter, 3 grandchildren, and 13 great-grandchildren.

“I love to spend my day with my family and friends,” Abrahams told 11Alive.

After graduating college in 1938, Abrahams worked as a 5th-grade teacher.

Now at 107 years old, Abrahams remains sharp and spirited, able to recite the alphabet backward and take her daily walks. Until she turned 100, her family said she was even able to drive and manage her farm in Alabama.

Abrahams said she attributes her long life to her unwavering faith. Every morning, the first thing she does is read her Bible. She keeps her faith strong in “the man upstairs,” as she affectionately refers to God.

“I go to church every Sunday and praise the lord,” she said.

This news first appeared on blacknews.com.