• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 27, 2023

Equinox Fitness Club Loses Epic Racial Discrimination, Lawsuit Ordered To Pay Black Woman $11.25M

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Equinox has been ordered to pay up after losing a race and gender discrimination lawsuit.

A jury of five women and three men found the luxury fitness club liable for failing to investigate racist and sexually inappropriate behaviors. Athlete Tech News reports Equinox has been ordered to pay Röbynn Europe, a former personal training manager, $11.25 million in damages.

Europe worked at the club’s East 92nd Street location in New York and claimed she was subjected to a hostile work environment and was wrongfully fired because of her race and gender. She was fired in 2019—a little under one year after being hired—with tardiness listed as the reason. Europe was hired as a fitness manager in September 2018 at Equinox’s East 61st Street Equinox location and quickly advanced to a personal training manager at the East 92nd Street location in December 2018.

The former employee claimed in her complaint that a male manager undermined her promotion and repeatedly told her she shouldn’t be his supervisor. According to the complaint, that same male colleague would disrespect Europe often and make unsolicited comments regarding Black women and sexual remarks. Europe expressed he would make similar remarks to her about other Black and people of color staff members, calling them “lazy” and untrustworthy.

Other former employees suffered similar trauma while working for Equinox. Audacy reports Jordan Pugh-Weir settled with the fitness club after accusing management of racial discrimination and harassment. He also claimed he wasn’t granted rest breaks, working more than four hours without a 10-minute rest period. Pugh-Weir was fired in 2018, two days after he filed a complaint regarding the work conditions.

Susan Crumiller, legal counsel for Europe, says this is a victory. “Equinox thought it could get away with its appalling behavior and a jury of New Yorkers said otherwise,” Crumiller said. “This is not just a victory for our client, but for all Black women who have suffered that noxious combination of racism and sexism that is too often tolerated in the workplace.”

With the recent news of Los Angeles Lakers player LeBron James contemplating retirement, the sports world has begun saying that Kyrie Irving signing to the team will virtually guarantee James’ return. Irving has a strong message to anyone speculating his whereabouts for next season in a recent Instagram Live.

Irving and James played together on the Cleveland Cavaliers team that won an NBA championship in 2016. They were the first and only team to be down 3-1 and come back to win the next three games and bring home the title.

Irving has played on three teams since that championship, first with the Boston Celtics, then the Brooklyn Nets, and he just ended the season with the Dallas Mavericks after being traded from the Nets during the season. He is an unrestricted free agent, meaning he can sign with any team in the off-season. Since he played with the Mavericks, they can give him the most money in a new contract. When Irving requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets, it was reported that James and the Lakers were trying to make a deal to bring him to Los Angeles, but, as previously mentioned, he went to Dallas.

The chemistry between James and Irving would be a great match, as James is reportedly prepared to take a secondary role in the future to preserve his body if he doesn’t retire.

With all the talk about Irving’s upcoming foray into free agency, he took to his Instagram page to let the world know he didn’t want his name mentioned in anything. According to Athlon Sports, he even stated his family is discussing his plans due to the rumors circulating.

“Stop mentioning me on Twitter,” Irving said. “All y’all fanbases, stop mentioning me right now, please. It is still the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. Can y’all all please leave me the f**k out of this? Please, can I just be with my family in peace? Y’all got people at my dinner table discussing what my free agency plans are. Stop that. Y’all think it’s funny, but please stop that. Like I actually like having peace of mind when I’m at the crib. … I see all y’all mentions, I see all y’all stuff y’all be saying, I see all y’all fanbases. I get it. I’m just as excited as y’all are. But you gotta chill.”

He is asking fans and sports pundits to chill and give him some time.

“All y’all fanbases, stop mentioning me, just for like the next month or two or three, whenever I make my decision.”

Kyrie Irving on free agency: “Stop mentioning me on Twitter. All y’all fan bases. It is still the…Conference Finals…Can you please leave me the f**k out of this…Y’all got people at my dinner table discussing what my free agency plans are 😂…I see all y’all mentions, I said… pic.twitter.com/PRzxIjWDtX

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) May 24, 2023

The controversial point guard averaged 27.1 points, 5.5 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game this season when he played for the Nets and the Mavs. Although the Mavericks missed the playoffs, Dallas owner Mark Cuban made it known that the team wants Irving back next season.

Jennifer Hudson teamed up with Mastercard to make a cancer survivor’s dreams come true.

As a part of Mastercard’s Strivers Initiative to support Black women-owned small businesses, the talk show host surprised a well-deserving business owner with a 25,000 grant

The award recipient, Elise Smith, is the owner of WinniE’s bakery in Columbia, Maryland. The baker, food stylist and recipe creator credits her grandmother Winnie for introducing her to the craft as a child.  The artisan said she followed her grandmother closely as she worked in the kitchen.

“I never gave her space,” She told Hudson. 

Smith was diagnosed with thyroid cancer 10 years ago, while undergoing treatment she developed and launched her bakery. 

Nearly a decade after her first diagnosis, the entrepreneur recently learned that she had blood cancer. She says she will eventually need a stem cell transplant.

Smith expressed her passion for baking when she appeared on The Jennifer Hudson Show.

https://youtu.be/vyQpxEtGs3U

“Food is an extension of my heart and I love to share with people,” she told the talk show host. 

“There’s a certain spontaneity and a sense of play when I get to enter into a kitchen, I get to be creative and kind of fire out of all engines,”  the 33-year-old said. 

During her appearance on the show, Smith told Hudson that she plans on expanding her business. 

“I want to open an artisanal bakery-café. I want people to come and be a part of the community. I want to have local artisans there, and I want to have a rotating menu that really celebrates the seasonal edible agriculture that we have,” she said. 

“Having food that celebrates the time and the season, it just feels so natural.” 

The singer presented the entrepreneur with a $25,000 check to help her reach her goals.

To learn more about Elise Smith and WinniE’s Bakery, visit winniesbakery.com.

RELATED CONTENT: Actress Coco Jones Shows Interest in Portraying Jennifer Hudson in Biopic

Morehouse graduate Jalen Brown is now the first student to receive a journalism degree from the university, according to HBCU Gameday.

The sentence sounds out of place given the year but it’s true. On May 21, Brown tweeted, “My name is Jalen Brown and I am the FIRST person to receive a Journalism degree in Morehouse College’s 156-year history.”

Racking up over 13 million views in a single day, many people were surprised at this discovery. However, his statement was confirmed by Emmy-award-winning journalist and professor at Morehouse College Nicole F. Carr in a congratulatory tweet to the graduate.

https://twitter.com/nicolefcarr/status/1660336878678159362?s=46

While Morehouse has certainly produced a long list of award-winning journalists, the school has never offered a journalism degree until recently.

The HBCU expanded its previous Sports Journalism minor into the Journalism in Sports, Culture, and Social Justice major. This move was spearheaded by the NBA’s very own Michael Jordan, who did so by launching an initiative to fight systemic racism. This initiative, which is called the Black Community Commitment, is centered on social and economic justice and race education and awareness.

“Education is crucial for understanding the Black experience today,” Michael Jordan said after his $1million donation to Morehouse College to jumpstart the program in a quote shared by HBCU Gameday.

“We want to help people understand the truth of our past, and help tell the stories that will shape our future.”

Morehouse College accompanies the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Ida B. Wells Society in receiving gifts for its role in developing the Black experience, according to HBCU Gameday.

While Brown is the first graduate from Morehouse with a degree in Journalism, this program ensures that he will not be the last, paving the way for many other aspiring journalists.

RELATED CONTENT: Morehouse Honors Not 1 But 3 Valedictorians Among Graduating Class of 2023

Who knew a phone number could be worth some serious money? In a new interview with HipHopDX, Soulja Boy revealed he made $100,000 a month from his 2008 hit single, “Kiss Me Through the Phone.”

Peaking at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, a lyric sung by singer Sammie references a 678-999-8212 phone number. While generating six figures a month, he noted that most of the money came from fans calling and texting the number. He calls the number “legendary.” “We gotta get the number back, man,” Soulja said. “It used to be my number. It actually was my number at a point in time. When I first dropped that song, that was my number.”

Soulja, whose real name is DeAndre Cortez Way, says the company that once hosted the number, unfortunately, shut down, but he is determined to get it back.

The interview broke down the iconic time in hip-hop, with the song leaving lasting memories for millennials. Sammie’s melodic tone floated on the song, but that wasn’t the original artist he wanted to work with. Chris Brown was supposed to sing on the hook, and Soulja even considered singing it himself. “I wanted to sing it myself originally, but I was like, nah, I really wanna give it that extra feel,” he said.

“And now I see the success that it got, I feel like I was right. Shout out to Sammie, though; you feel me. He killed it.”

The track had major success as Soulja Boy’s second biggest song after his 2007 debut single, “Crank That (Soulja Boy),” floated at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 for seven weeks. According to AfroTech, the streaming legendary rapper has had “Kiss Me Through the Phone” streamed over 500 million times on Spotify alone. “It just went so many times platinum, like yesterday or something. That’s like one of my biggest songs, too.”

RELATED CONTENT: Soulja Boy Ordered to Pay Ex-Girlfriend Over $230K for Assaulting Her at His Home

According to documents obtained by Neighborhood Talk, the controversial YouTube personality Tasha K, whose government name is LaTasha Kebe, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on May 25.  

This comes after Kebe lost her appeal in the  historical court battle against rapper Cardi B. 

According to court  documents posted on the Neighborhood Talk’s Instagram page, Kebe had $95 in her Chase bank account at the time of filing. Her personal property was assessed to be worth $58,595.56. This includes purses, cars, clothes, and an engagement ring. 

In October of 2022, The  “I Like It” rapper unsuccessfully attempted to garnish funds from  Kebe’s Chase Bank account. 

Cardi B’s legal team also filed a motion against Google, who owns Youtube, to garnish the vlogger’s wages. 

On April 20, a writ of execution was filed against Tasha K. The court documents obtained by XXL  stated that Kebe’s property can be seized to recover the nearly $4 million owed.

During an appearance on ALLBLK’s Social Society, the Youtuber hinted that she could not afford to pay the Grammy winner. 

“I aint got it,” she told the show’s hosts. 

After losing the appeal, Kebe took to IG to apologize to the rapper. 

“Today we throw in the white flag. What happened will never happen again. To Cardi [and] her team, I apologize sincere. We live and learn.”

It’s unclear if the apology was accepted, but the rapper appears to be moving forward with collection efforts.

Last month Tasha K, addressed the rapper via Twitter. 

“Look! Sis & Law I Know you need that cause work is slow for all of us right now, but right now, I ain’t got it!  But let your lawyers know that when I’m up, you gone be up & stuck… You get first dibs after this irs bill gets paid… “

https://twitter.com/unwinewithtasha/status/1649411375142240260

RELATED CONTENT: Cardi B Seizes Vlogger Tasha K’s Earnings From YouTube

Today, only 1 in 10 Black adults identify with or support the Republican Party, according to the Pew Research Center.

This small group of voters and politicians say they often feel discriminated against by other Republicans and ridiculed by Democrats. However, more recently, Black Republican politicians are rising in the ranks and campaigning to be heard and seen.

Here are seven Black conservative Republicans who have and continue to hit historical political milestones.

Tim Scott

Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the lone Black Republican in the U.S. Senate, has been one of his party’s most prominent voices on race matters. He has supported some police reforms, for example, while persisting that America is not a racist country.

Scott officially entered the 2024 presidential race in what Reuters calls a “long-shot bet that a message of unity and optimism can still appeal in a party where many voters are hungry for a bare-knuckled fight.” But he credits his current role as the only Black Republican serving in the Senate as an example of the perspective he’ll bring to the White House.

Larry Elder

Conservative talk show host Larry Elder is the second Black Republican running in the 2024 presidential race. He believes “America is in decline” and wants to save the country by prioritizing crime, racial harmony, crushing inflation, economic growth, city restoration, and more.

Elder’s bid comes nearly two years after he emerged as the Republican front-runner to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom in a California voters recall for governor. According to KRCA Channel 3, he received the most votes out of 46 candidates, but most voters voted against removing Newsom.

A former attorney, Elder is the executive producer of the 2020 documentary Uncle Tom: An Oral History of the Black Conservative and has had two nationally syndicated television shows, Moral Court and The Larry Elder Show.

Byron Daniels

Byron Daniels, Florida’s third-ever Black Republican in Congress, was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2016, representing Hendry County and East Collier County in the State Capitol.

During his tenure in the Florida House, Byron primarily focused on elder affairs, criminal justice reform, and ensuring that each child has access to a world-class education. He is passionate about giving back to the community and mentorship and believes systemic racism does not exist.

Jennifer Ruth-Green

As a military member, Jennifer-Ruth Green saw a clear lack of leadership and felt underrepresented in a system where policies failed to be enacted, and people suffered. She ran for election to the U.S. House to represent Indiana’s 1st congressional district in 2022, losing in the general election after 18 months of campaigning.

The current senior advisor at POLARIS National Security has 12 years of full-time military service on her record. Previously, she served as a US Air Force Reserve Component, the Chief Information Officer/Commander of the 122d Communications Flight, and the Indiana Air National Guard member.

When not campaigning, she trains up-and-coming leaders as the founder and CEO at Battle-Proven Leadership. She also created a multi-year AeroSTEM training program, MissionAero Pipeline, to professionalize youth for post-secondary careers in the aerospace industry.

Michael Steele

Michael Steele made history as the first African American to be elected to statewide office in Maryland, where he served as lieutenant governor from 2003 to 2007. In this position, he focused on improving the quality of Maryland’s public education system, expanding economic development in the state, reforming the state’s Minority Business Enterprise program, and more.

Steele was also the first African American to serve as chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2009. Shortly after his victory, Steele called for a Republican makeover to widen the GOP’s appeal to “urban-suburban hip-hop settings.” His leadership and commitment to grassroots organizing and party-building produced record-breaking fundraising efforts, 12 governorships, and the greatest share of state legislative seats since 1928.

Condoleezza Rice

Condoleezza Rice transitioned from Democrat to Republican views, in part because she disagreed with the foreign policy of Democratic President Jimmy Carter. From 2005 to 2009, Condoleezza Rice made history as the 66th secretary of state of the United States, the second woman and first Black woman to hold the post. She also served as President George W. Bush’s National Security Advisor from 2001 to 2005, the first woman to hold the position. She was a major influence on U.S. diplomacy.

Aside from politics, Rice is a new addition to the Denver Broncos executive suite. In 2013 she was picked as one of the 13 inaugural College Football Playoff Committee members. She stayed there until the conclusion of the 2016 football season.

John Edward James

John Edward James, a Tea Party Republican, is the first Black Republican member of Michigan’s 10th Congressional District. He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate twice before, losing in 2018 and 2020. He also opted against a campaign for the Senate seat in 2024.

A West Point graduate, James flew Apache helicopters in combat and led two platoons during the Iraq War before being honorably discharged in 2012 with the rank of captain. Then he became president of James Group International (JGI) and CEO of Renaissance Global Logistics—a supply-chain management and logistics services company based in Detroit.

“Rejection doesn’t mean you failed. Rejection means to just be patient. Your time will come.“

These are the words of advice that Jasmine Mazard-Larry shared with her classmates during her valedictory address, an honor she received courtesy of her 8.07 GPA. ABC News spoke to the recent high school graduate and her family about the struggles she endured.

Just four years earlier, before the high GPA, Mazard-Larry and her family were homeless from a house fire. Her mother was nine months pregnant with her baby brother at the time and her father became severely injured from the incident.

Not long after the fire took her home away, Mazard-Larry began to attend Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School in Tampa, Florida. Despite her traumatic experience, the now-17-year-old managed to thrive in her new environment, even taking Advanced Placement and dual enrollment courses. Mazard-Larry also joined the Cambridge Advanced International Certificate of Education program, all of which helped boost her GPA.

Her journey was not easy, however. On top of her experiencing homelessness during her first two years in high school, Mazard-Larry has ADHD and suffers from hearing loss, two things she initially viewed as weaknesses. In an interview with ABC News on April 30, she said, “I was a little embarrassed. I didn’t really talk about it that much to a lot of people.”

Still, according to her mother, Nidta Mazarin, she remained a light in her life.

“Her behavior could have changed because of a lot of things that she was already going through, but instead, she used that as a light to help me because I almost died giving birth to my son,” she told ABC News.

“She’s been my light. She’s been my rock,” Mazard continued.

“I just love her so much because she’s inspired me to be a better mother and a better person.”

Mazard-Larry’s mother isn’t the only one who had glowing things to say about her and her GPA. Marlee Strawn, the principal of Dr. Kiran C. Patel High School also discussed Mazard-Larry’s drive and commitment.

“She had this goal of being top in her class, and ultimately she met it. She dealt with a really difficult situation, and … she didn’t allow it to stop her from meeting her goals,” says Strawn, according to Good Morning America.

Mazard-Larry’s next goal is to attend college and become a doctor. She wants to remain a good role model for her younger brother, who she says is her motivation.

“There’s the good and the bad, but don’t overlook the bad because it makes you who you are,” she says to ABC News. “In 20 [or] 10 years from now, you’re going to look back and be like, ‘I did that.”

RELATED CONTENT: Spelman College Makes History Again With 4 Graduating Valedictorians

With concerns like high inflation and generating revenue prevalent in today’s unsteady economy, scores of small businesses continue to face challenges as they try to grow. It’s crucial for small businesses to find the best insurance coverage to help protect their assets.

Factors like rising interest rates and consumers looking closer and differently at how they spend money are also prompting entrepreneurs to focus more on their operations and prepare against unforeseen disasters that could severely harm or even shut down their businesses.

With May being Small Business Month, many small businesses can potentially reduce their risk of heavy unexpected financial loss stemming from everything from cyberattacks to employee theft. For instance, cyberattacks reportedly can cost companies an average of $200,000 for each occurrence.

To boot, small businesses are often so busy running their daily operations they may neglect cybersecurity best practices. That can make them prey to cybercriminals trying to profit off their vulnerabilities. And they most likely don’t have the ample resources of larger companies to combat the assaults.

BLACK ENTERPRISE connected with Steve Maliborski, general manager of commercial products at Acuity Insurance, on the topic. He offered recommendations on three different types of lesser-known insurance coverages small businesses may consider that could help protect their assets.

Cyber Insurance

With larger companies investing in cybersecurity tools, hackers are increasingly targeting small and medium-sized businesses. However, small businesses can help guard themselves with cybersecurity insurance. It generally includes cyber liability and data breach coverage, one of the most common types of cybercrime. “Cyber insurance covers costs to identify the extent of the breach, how you should respond, notification and services to those affected, and any fines you incur.”

The bottom line is the best defense against cybercrime is prevention. Some commercial cyber insurance policies, including Acuity’s, contain resources to help minimize cyber risks. “Cyber insurance will cost you far less than you and your customers being the victim of a cybercrime.” Acuity’s average commercial lines policy starts at $263 yearly.

Business income and Extra Expenses

Until repairs are made after a property loss, retailers may lose income. Business income coverage helps bridge the gap, while extra expense coverage pays for the added costs needed to resume operations. If the damage is extensive, you may need to shut down operations temporarily. Your income will be impacted during downtime, but your bills and expenses will still need to be paid. The business Income portion pays for the actual loss of income you sustain due to the necessary suspension of your operations. The extra expense portion pays for essential expenses you incur while your regular operations are restored. For instance, if you need to move to a temporary location, the coverage will include relocation expenses and costs to equip and operate the temporary site.

Employee Dishonesty

A recent Zippia study showed 75% of employees steal at least once from their employer. This coverage will help as it pays for loss or damage to items such as inventory, office equipment, other personal property used in the business, forgery and fraud, money, and other forms of payment. “Employee Dishonesty Coverage provides an extra sense of comfort to your existing financial controls and security procedures by protecting you and your business against internal threats in your business.” Coverage costs can vary quite a lot by state and business type. Yet, an independent agent will be able to provide you with specifics about the coverage, evaluate your risks, and help you determine how much coverage you need.

We saw a very funny Chris Tucker play the best friend of Ice Cube’s character in the 1995 comedy Friday. Over the years, some have pondered why Tucker wasn’t in the subsequent sequels to the successful movie. Ice Cube revealed why, after Tucker was offered $12 million, he still declined to reprise his role in Next Friday.

The rapper said that for “religious reasons,” the comedian turned down the role because he didn’t want to curse and smoke weed on camera.

Cube dropped that tidbit when he recently appeared on the “Full Send” podcast.

“Yeah, we wanted him,” the “Amerikkka’s Most Wanted” rapper said during the interview. “He turned it down. You’ll hear 1,000 different stories, but we wanted to pay him $12 million to do that movie, and he turned it down. He said it was for religious reasons,” he continued. “He didn’t wanna cuss, and he didn’t wanna smoke weed on camera.”

But, Tucker turning down the role gave Cube and his production team a chance to bring on comedian Mike Epps to play the role of Day-Day. Cube states the opportunity wouldn’t have presented itself had Tucker accepted the role.

“Yeah, But I’m glad he didn’t do it,” Cube reiterated. ’Cause we wouldn’t have Mike.” The rapper thinks Epps is a better comedian anyway.

“Mike, to me, is funnier, just as a pure comic.”

In that same interview, Cube also mentioned his disdain for artificial intelligence and producers using it to recreate an artist’s voice for recording purposes. According to Complex, he said if anyone broached the subject of using his voice using the technology, he would pursue legal action.

Cube also said if anyone attempts to use an A.I. generated voice of him, he will make sure he sues them, even calling the technology “demonic.”

RELATED CONTENT: The IRS Goes After Chris Tucker for Not Paying $9.6m in Back Taxes From 20-Year Tax Dispute