• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 9, 2023

Black Family Accuses Airline of Racism After Crew Threatened To Kick Them Off The Flight

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A Black family is accusing a Canadian-based airline of racism after they refused to remove a white woman sitting in one of their seats.

In a viral 9-minute TikTok video titled “Racism in Canada,” Adeola Alle claims his wife experienced racism while traveling from Vancouver to Calgary on Flair Airlines with their 12-week-old baby and mother-in-law on Apr.14. After boarding the flight, Busayo Alle saw a white woman sitting in her seat. When she asked her to move, the woman allegedly refused and even gave her the middle finger. She asked the airline crew for assistance, however, they did the opposite and threatened to kick her off the flight if she “didn’t calm down.”

“If you don’t calm down, we need to get you out of this aircraft,” an attendant can be heard saying in the video.

@adeolaalle Racism and Discrimination on flair airline from Vancouver to Calgary @Globalnews.ca @CTVNews #racism #racismincanada #discrimination ♬ original sound – Scholars Pivot on YouTube

Alle posted the video to ask, “If you flip the script, what would have happened?” “My wife kept her cool, but to our dismay — the captain said that this plane has to go, and we want you to sit on that side of the airplane,” Alle said in the video. “We’ve been helping you enough.”

Numerous comments under the video highlighted the racism Black people experience in the country north of the United States. One user said, “There’s so much racism in Canada but it’s covered and never talked about like other countries.” Another said, “Racism in the workplace in Canada is a problem. A very big problem.”

According to Yahoo, Flair Airlines issued a statement from a spokesperson regarding the incident.

“Flair Airlines staff did ask the passenger in 2A to move to her assigned seat, but she refused multiple times. Unfortunately, this caused the situation to escalate,” the statement read. While the airline didn’t address the racism claims, it did speak on keeping passengers safe as its first priority. “We spoke directly to the passenger first to listen to her experience and concerns first hand, to offer our sincerest apologies for any distress, and to discuss ways the airline can remedy her concerns.”

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 9, 2023

Tesla Faces New Racial Discrimination Lawsuit For Firing Black Woman Who Refused To Fire A Latina Employee

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Another day, another racial discrimination lawsuit against Tesla.

An exclusive report from Silicon Valley shows Tesla’s Fremont electric car factory has been hit with another lawsuit, this time by a former Black human resources manager, Karen Draper, claiming she was fired after she refused to illegally terminate a Latina worker allegedly targeted by a white manager.

Starting her position in February 2022, Draper said things began to unravel seven months later when a Latina female production supervisor received clearance to go on medical leave, and a manager went on a mission to get the woman fired while on leave. Not named in the lawsuit, the manager allegedly didn’t like the supervisor “because of her Latina ethnicity and female gender,” according to the lawsuit filed in a San Francisco U.S. District Court.

When Draper pushed back on granting the termination and spoke up about “race-based animus and bias against Black women” at Tesla, she was fired.

Tesla’s alleged racial bias culture has been highlighted for several years with numerous discrimination lawsuits and losses against them. Last month, the company was ordered to pay over $3 million to a former Black employee after being accused of ignoring racial abuse at the same California factory, reported by Black Enterprise. Owen Diaz claimed he was subjected to numerous racist offenses between 2015 and 2016. During his employment, a supervisor and other Tesla workers continuously used racial slurs, referencing him. Employees used racial epithets and drew racist symbols and caricatures around the factory.

Tesla called a lawsuit filed last year “misguided” and “unfair” after a civil rights regulator accused the company of paying Black workers less than white workers, denying Black employees of advancements, and daily racist abuse, including a noose drawn in a bathroom next to a reference to lynching and a racial slur.

The daughter of former NBA champion Dennis Rodman, Trinity Rodman, is a renowned soccer player who has already broken several records in two short years in the NWSL (National Women’s Soccer League). Recently she became the youngest player in NWSL history to reach 10 goals and 10 assists.

According to CBS Sports, when the Washington Spirit beat the San Diego Wave 3-1, over the weekend, not only did that victory keep the team undefeated, but it also saw Trinity Rodman make league history after she scored a goal and added an assist.

With 13 goals and 10 assists, Rodman became the NWSL first player to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in the regular season before turning 21.

10+10 – With a goal and an assist today, @WashSpirit‘s Trinity Rodman (13 goals, 10 assists) is the first player in @NWSL history to record at least 10 goals and 10 assists in regular season play before turning 21 years old. Complete. pic.twitter.com/z4yFbGiIxU

— OptaJack⚽️ (@OptaJack) May 6, 2023

The athleticism inherited from her famous, yet controversial father has carried her to the record books.

Trinity Rodman was drafted second in the 2021 NWSL College Draft. When she made her professional debut with the Washington Spirit, she immediately placed her name in the record books by becoming the youngest American goalscorer in league history, minutes after entering the game.

• News

by Iman Milner

May 8, 2023

Report: HBCUs Receive 178 Times Less Funding Than The Average Ivy League School

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Though historically Black colleges and universities, aka HBCUs, have certainly gained more mainstream popularity, funding for the institutions and the students they serve continues to be an issue.

A recent report released by the philanthropic group Candid and ABFE—which advocates for investments in Black communities—shows that the eight Ivy League schools received $5.5 billion from the 1,000 largest U.S. foundations compared to just $45 million given to the 99 HBCUs. According to the Associated Press, foundation support for HBCUs has steadily declined, with a 30% decrease between 2002 and 2019. “We were not surprised by the findings because philanthropy generally funds Black-led nonprofit organizations disproportionately less than other similarly situated organizations,” said Susan Taylor Batten, ABFE’s president and CEO. “However, we were surprised by the data that indicated the enormity of the disparate funding between Ivy League colleges and HBCUs.”

It’s unclear what the true culprit is for the disparity as some experts point to systemic racism while others point to limited connections between philanthropists and HBCU leaders, according to the Associated Press. Whatever the true root cause, it’s certainly unfortunate as HBCUs account for 80% of Black judges, 50% of Black doctors, and 50% of Black lawyers, while HBCU graduates earn $900,000 more in their lifetimes than Black graduates from predominately white institutions, according to the United Negro College Fund.

Though funding has increased in the wake of the racial protests of 2020, Lodriguez Murray, UNCF’s vice president of public policy and government affairs, believes that underfunding will continue to be an issue as HBCUs try to dig themselves out of longstanding financial holes. “We consider this to be a drop in the bucket and the need is still extremely severe,” said Murray. “So even though there has been greater funding, there are still greater needs.”

While many corporations made big investments with promises of dismantling systemic racism at its roots, philanthropic groups saw an opportunity to use HBCU support to prove their commitment to inclusivity without first addressing the prejudices foundational to their funding.

Simone Biles shut down anyone who had anything negative to say about her courthouse wedding to Jonathan Owens by following up with a destination wedding that included four gorgeous gowns!

The Olympic gold gymnast and the NFL player tied the knot for a second time in Cabo San Lucas on Saturday, People reports. Biles, 26, served four stunning bridal looks, including a custom Galia Lahav gown, for the 140-guest wedding.

“Kind of dramatic” Biles shared during an Instagram Story Q&A. “But you only have a wedding once.”

It was a gold and white theme that included eight bridesmaids and seven groomsmen, handwritten vows, and pricey floral decor.

“What was the most expensive thing for your wedding?” she answered one curious fan. “Florals. Who knew flowers were so expensive.”

The destination wedding came just a few weeks after Biles and Owens, 27, got legally married at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, Texas. The seven-time Olympian kept it more simple for the courthouse wedding and wore a $119 tiered white gown by Selfie Leslie. Owens paired her look with a tan suit.

 

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A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)

But Biles had to clap back on social media in response to some spectators who made comments about the high ponytail she wore for the first wedding.

“I think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics but they can keep complaining idc idc idc,” Biles tweeted last month.

i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics

but they can keep complaining idc idc idc

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) April 23, 2023

The destination wedding wraps up Biles’ year of pre-wedding festivities that included a “bride and boujee” bachelorette trip to Belize with her friends and a cloud-themed bridal shower with her then-fiancé. Owens popped the big question in February 2022, two years after they started dating after meeting on the dating app Raya.

It was an instant connection for Owens, who admitted to falling for Biles after one month of dating.

“We just kind of started hanging out more and more and you start to want to see a person… I started to want to see her more,” he told Today around the time he proposed.

Biles called the proposal “THE EASIEST YES” in her Instagram announcement.

“I can’t wait to spend forever & ever with you, you’re everything I dreamed of and more! let’s get married FIANCÉ 💍🥺🥲🤎 @jowens_3.”

 

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A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)

RELATED CONTENT: Simone Biles ‘On Cloud 9’ Over Dream-Themed Bridal Shower

Angel Reese continues to ride high after winning a national title last month. In addition to all of the NIL deals coming her way, the NCAA women’s basketball champion is set to make her Sports Illustrated swimsuit debut.

The swimsuit edition is set to release later this month, and Reese will be featured, the outlet reports. They shared an image from Reese’s photoshoot with photographer Yu Tsai in Los Angeles, where she sported a purple bikini and flashed her famous ring celebration pose that sparked backlash during the NCAA tournament.

“Angel Reese is a phenomenal basketball player,” SI Swimsuit Editor-in-Chief MJ Day said. “She’s an All- American and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament.”

Speaking with the famed magazine, Reese cleared up any speculation surrounding her relationship with Caitlin Clark, the Iowa state player she taunted with a “you can’t see me” hand gesture during the final moments of the title game.

“Caitlin and I are cool,” Reese said. “It’s just being able to force people to accept that women can talk trash.”

“The women’s side gets penalized for it, or we’re considered as not being ladylike and that we’re not playing by the rules,” she added. “We work just as hard as the men. Women can be who we are. Women can be competitive.”

LSU's Angel Reese has signed an NIL deal to join this year's SI Swimsuit edition. Reese and Livvy Dunne are the only two college athletes to ever be featured in the swimsuit issue.

She has a $1.4 million On3 NIL Valuation.

Story from @Pete_Nakos96: https://t.co/Z2iemLcCSM pic.twitter.com/VGl9tt1zTN

— On3 NIL (@On3NIL) May 8, 2023

Reese has become a vocal advocate for fierce female athletes in the wake of winning the national title. It’s among the achievements that garnered her photo shoot with Sports Illustrated.

“Her intensity, drive, and passion around being unapologetically herself and speaking up for what she believes in is helping move the needle forward for women in sports and is liberating the next generation to feel seen and heard,” Day said.

“Our goal here is to help empower as many women as we can, and we’re beyond excited to do that alongside Angel Reese in the 2023 issue.”

The Sports Illustrated feature comes one week after Reese announced her NIL deal with Mercedes-Benz ahead of celebrating her 21st birthday over the weekend. The college athlete has become the new “it girl” in sports and appears comfortable in the limelight.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘I’m A Team Player’: Angel Reese Confirms She Will Visit White House With LSU

• News

by Iman Milner

May 8, 2023

Civil Rights Attorney Fred Gray Honored With NAACP LDF’s Lifetime Achievement Award

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Fred Gray is one of the most prominent figures in civil rights. Though he may not be as widely celebrated as some other notable names, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund recently showed him the love he deserves.

Last week, he was honored with the Thurgood Marshall Lifetime Achievement Award for his heroic work fighting some of the most integral legal battles in Black American history. Known by many as the “Chief Counsel” of the civil rights era, Gray was instrumental in the Supreme Court case that followed the famous Montgomery Bus Boycott in 1955 and 1956, which eventually desegregated the bus system. “I have received many awards, but none of these awards…means to me as much as this award coming from the Legal Defense Fund here in honor of Thurgood Marshall,” said Gray during his acceptance speech at the organization’s 35th National Equal Justice Awards Dinner in New York.

Today, the 92-year-old Gray is more proud than ever of the work he’s committed his life to.

“I became a lawyer in Montgomery, Alabama when I saw we were having problems on the buses,” he said. “They said lawyers help people solve problems, so I decided to become a lawyer, and not just a lawyer anywhere; I wanted to become a lawyer in Alabama and destroy everything segregated I could find, and in 67 years I’ve done that.” According to BET, Gray was also the attorney for the men purposely infected with syphilis and untreated by government doctors who studied the disease for over 40 years, also known as the Tuskegee experiment. He won a $10 million settlement for the survivors and their families in 1974.

Working in tandem with the Legal Defense Fund, Gray has tried some of the most meaningful cases in history and was honored by President Joe Biden last year with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. “When Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Claudette Colvin, John Lewis, and other giants of our history needed a lawyer for their fight for freedom, you know who they called? They called a guy named Fred Gray, that’s who they called,” the President said during the ceremony. “One of the most important civil rights lawyers in our history, Fred’s legal brilliance and strategy desegregated schools and secured the right to vote.”

We love seeing our heroes get their flowers while they can still smell them!

Bronny James, son of NBA superstar,LeBron James, will attend the University of Southern California to play basketball.

The junior LeBron stood out as a 6-foot-3 guard during his high school career at California’s Sierra Canyon School. He is considered one of the top guards in the country.ESPN 100 ranked him No. 19 for the class of 2023 after earning a spot in the coveted McDonald’s All-American game. 

The young talent took to his Instagram account to make the announcement. 

 

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At USC, Bronny will join his Sierra Canyon classmate, Juju Watkins, the No. 1 ranked girls’ prospect in the senior class. Bronny and Wakins already have endorsement deals with Nike, and Bronny also has a deal with Beats by Dre. 

On May 6, as the Los Angeles Lakers won game 3 against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals series, James was asked about his son’s decision to attend USC. 

“This is an incredible thing,” LeBron said. “Obviously, his dad didn’t go to school. His mom didn’t go to college. It’s super cool, USC is getting a great kid. He’s there to play basketball, [but] they’re going to be super surprised at how great a kid he is, even though they’ve been recruiting him for a while.”

In September 2022, Bronny visited Ohio State University with LeBron, who was born in Akron, Ohio. While there, Buckeye fans chanted, “We want Bronny.” 

Bronny posted in the Ohio State threads 👀🔥 @brhoops

(via bronny/IG) pic.twitter.com/D44Un40I1F

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2022

There’s no doubt that Bronny can hoop. However, as a four-star prospect, rated by 247 Sports, he is ranked No. 26 in his class. In fact, young LeBron is not USC’s highest-ranking recruit. Isiah Collier has earned bragging rights as USC’s highest-ranking recruit, coming into the university as the country’s No. 1 point guard. 

Bronny finished his senior season at Sierra Canyon averaging 14 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.8 steals a game, according to USA Today. 

RELATED CONTENT: Get Paid, Young Man: Bronny James Has An Estimated $7.2 Million in NIL Deals

The highly-anticipated Verzuz battle between hip-hop icons Sean “Diddy” Combs and Jermaine “JD” Dupri might seem to be in motion. 

According to a video shared May 7 by noted hip-hop journalist Brian “B. Dot” Miller, the Bad Boy Records head honcho, Diddy, seemingly confirmed the exciting news to veteran rapper, Busta Rhymes. 

“We’re gon’ have you out the rafters flying out the sky,” Diddy told Busta in the video. Busta replied, “That’s my type of talk.”

it’s on! @diddy vs. @jermainedupri 9/8 at MSG. pic.twitter.com/4DLJmhKUy0

— brian b.dot™ miller (@bdotTM) May 8, 2023

However, TMZ reports the clip is not a confirmation for the highly-anticipated battle between the two super producers; the video of Diddy talking was taken out of context.