The Bryant family has a permanent spot in the world’s hearts and minds, and since the tragic passing of Kobe and Gigi, that love has only deepened.

Vanessa Bryant took time today to honor her daughter on what would have been her 17th birthday.

“Happy Birthday, baby girl. I love and miss you so much, sweet Angel,” she said. “Te Amo Mambacita,” she added in a post on Instagram. “We love you to the moon and back infinity +1. Forever & Always.”

Bryant posted the touching caption alongside various photos of the smiling teenager. The world stood still on the day a helicopter crash claimed the lives of Kobe, Gigi, and seven other victims on their way to a youth basketball game.

Gigi’s older sister, Natalia Bryant, also paid tribute to her sibling via Instagram, posting a photo of the two embracing with the caption, “Happy 17th Birthday Sweet Gigi. I love you forever and always.” She continued, “You are the dancing Queen, Young & Sweet, Only Seventeen.”

Gigi’s legacy has echoed loudly throughout the world of sports and entertainment in the years since her untimely passing, with “Play Gigi’s Way” becoming a rallying call for everyone with a passion to be the best at what they do. Sportswear giant NIKE has dedicated the new Kobe IV Protro “Mambacita” to the memory of Gigi, which will benefit the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation. In a post on Twitter, the sneaker brand said, “We dare you to #PlayGigisWay, to be competitive, joyful, and curious and never take any opportunity for granted, just like Gigi.”

The matriarch of the Bryant family also celebrated her wedding anniversary on April 18th. Vanessa Bryant and the late NBA icon were married for 19 years before his death. “Happy anniversary, baby. I love you @kobebryant ❤️ #22,” she said in a post honoring their love.

On April 29, in South Carolina, a historic move was made when Christale Spain was elected to lead the state’s Democratic Party.

According to NBC News, as the chair of South Carolina’s Democratic Party, Spain became the first Black woman to lead the organization. She will be taking over from Trav Robertson, who has led the party since 2017. Earlier this year, he announced he was not pursuing another term.

During the political party’s convention on April 29 in Columbia, she was elected to take over, in anticipation of the 2024 presidential election. In another historic feat, with the recent changes in the upcoming election cycle, out of the first five states slated to hold the primaries, four states – Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, and South Carolina – are being chaired by Black women.

“I now know from all the experience, all of the volunteering, all of the jobs that I’ve held, the importance of this role, who is setting the stage, who is implementing the strategy, so that we can win,” Spain told reporters at the convention.

Jaime Harrison, who led the Democratic Party before Robertson as state chair and is currently leading the Democratic National Committee, said in a written statement that Spain “has the experience, judgment, and strategic vision to get South Carolina Democrats back on the winning track, and I know she will be an excellent chair.”

Spain worked as political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2016 presidential campaign, served as Sen. Cory Booker’s state director during his 2020 presidential run, and worked for Congressman Jim Clyburn’s district office for two years, primarily focusing on constituent service and outreach.

She is also the founder of 46 Hope Road, a political action committee aimed at energizing voters who haven’t voted since President Obama in 2008. She worked on Black voter engagement for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee during the 2022 midterms.

Golda Rosheuvel’s portrayal of Queen Charlotte in Netflix’s record-breaking series, Bridgerton has made her one of the most sought-after talents in the industry. However, other networks will have to wait in line as Rosheuvel is taking her beloved Charlotte into new waters by way of a prequel spin-off chronicling the life of the royal monarch.

And it seems her experience has been gratifying for more reasons than one.

At the Los Angeles premiere for the highly-anticipated Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story series, Rosheuvel spoke candidly about her experience with the hair team responsible for her character’s show-stopping coif.

“It’s extraordinary on one hand and very heavy on the other,” she said. “I remember my initial chats with hair and makeup and being really, really shocked, actually, that they wanted to just tease my own hair out and have that as kind of the front line of the wig.”

The British-born actress said the experience was new for her.

“Those words and that kind of discussion of showing my own natural hair within a character’s look had never ever been discussed with me,” she said.

“So, I got so emotional, and I cried because it was such a moment of I’m being seen not only as an actress, as a person of color. But this character is being seen through these ideas, hair and makeup and costume and how the show looks.”

This isn’t the first time an actress has been emotionally moved due to her experience on set working with a team that was well-versed in dealing with Black hair and skin needs.

During a magazine cover shoot, Vampire Diaries actress Kat Graham expressed her gratitude alongside teary photos of her embracing her Black hair and makeup team.

The actress told VOGUE that her journey to embracing her hair goes beyond the judgment the industry has against hair like hers. “Afro hair is not something that Hollywood has ever necessarily embraced,” Graham shared.

It’s long been discussed that many actresses have chosen to lean on wigs and extensions to protect their natural tresses from over-styling and inexperience. As more varied portrayals of Black women continue to permeate TV and film, one can only hope that the demographic of the teams behind the scenes will also change.

RELATED CONTENT: Netflix’s ’Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story’ Brings the Bounce With Big Freedia in New Orleans For Xavier University’s Spring Waltz

• News

by Stacy Jackson

May 1, 2023

Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Grateful After Bullet Barely Misses Her Nephew

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Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms is grateful that God protected her nephew after a stray bullet was reportedly fired through the home of one of her family members.

Lance Bottoms took to social media to address the incident, pleading for those who own guns to be mindful of how they handle the weapon.

In a photo that Lance Bottoms posted across multiple social media platforms, she showed followers the bullet hole near the roof of her family member’s home.

“What goes up must come down,” Bottoms wrote. “Someone fired a gun in the air, likely miles away, and it came thru the house into my nephew’s room.”

Another photo showed the inside of her nephew’s bedroom, where a bullet hole hovered only a small distance above his bed. “He was in the bed inches away. We are grateful that God protected him. If you have a gun, please act responsibly. This could be you or your child,” she continued.

 

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Some Instagram users who came across the politician’s post offered their thoughts on the matter. “We gotta do something about all these guns,” one user wrote. “I also think I’ve seen in Atlanta and the surrounding areas things have become more desperate. We have to do something about the economy…people are getting desperate. It’s crazy out here.”

“Thank God you guys are ok. Guns are totally out of control here!! At home, where you’re supposed to feel safe, and this crap happens,” another user said.

We all share Lance Bottoms’ relief that her nephew remains safe and unharmed. Lance Bottoms served as mayor from 2018 until 2021. The former mayor recently resigned from her role as a senior official with the Biden administration to return to Georgia to spend more time with her family and focus on her future.

Hip-hop recording artist and television executive Curts “50 Cent” Jackson is following in the footsteps of Tyler Perry and is set to build his own television and film studio.

In a video, 50 Cent showed off the 985,000 square feet of space that will become home to the upcoming G-Unit studio. In the video clip, he excitedly says, “Well, would you look at here.” “985,000 square feet. Can you say G-Unit studios?”

“GLG🚦GreenLightGang G-unit film &Tv 💣BOOM 💨 I need room to work 🤷🏽‍♂️ I don’t miss 🎯 📺will never be the same. #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi“

 

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The Eminem protege has achieved great television success with the Starz network; however, he has reportedly been unhappy working with the television network and declared he would be parting ways. 

Last week, he took to his Twitter account to let the world know that from now on, he was severing all ties and wouldn’t be doing anything related to his G-Unit company with Starz, especially after generating the top four television shows in Black and Latino households. He also stated he wished he had this success at a different network.

“I have the number 1,2,3, and 4 top Tv shows in African American and Latina households, and I hate that I did them with the wrong people. I’m not doing any BMF spin-offs or selling any other shows to STARZ. GLGGreenLightGang #bransoncognac #lecheminduroi“

According to XXL, 50 started building his ongoing business partnership with Starz when he debuted the original series, Power, on the network on June 7, 2014. The show ended on Feb. 9, 2020. He launched three spin-off series from there: Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, and Power Book IV: Force. While doing so, he started the biographical drama series based on Black Mafia Family, BMF.

RELATED CONTENT: 50 Cent Says He’s Technically Been A Billionaire Since 2007

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 1, 2023

Deion Sanders ‘Ashamed’ of NFL For Only Drafting One HBCU Player

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One of Deion Sanders’ former players at Jackson State University was the ONLY HBCU player selected in the NFL draft, leaving Coach Prime “ashamed.”

The New England Patriots drafted former JSU player Isaiah Bolden to its team, and although Sanders felt he should have been taken at a higher spot, he was proud of the player for being picked up by an NFL team. Still, that didn’t mean that the Colorado coach didn’t have a few choice words for the football league. 

He took to his social media account to congratulate Bolden and, in the same message, chastised the rest of the NFL for not acknowledging the many great Black football players who attended HBCUs (historically Black colleges and universities). He even stated that there were at least three more players from his JSU squad who warranted being selected.

RELATED CONTENT: Deion Sanders Says He’s Open to Coaching Opportunities With a Power Five School

“So proud of you, @isaiahbolden23. You deserved to be drafted much higher, but I’m truly proud of u. I know how much u want this. I’m ashamed of the 31 other @nfl teams that couldn’t find draft value in ALL of the talented HBCU players & we had three more draft-worthy players at JSU.”

According to ESPN, Bolden played the cornerback position and was also a returner for Jackson State. The New England Patriots selected him in the seventh round (245th overall) this past Saturday.

Bolden is the second JSU player drafted who played under Coach Prime. Last year, four HBCU players were selected in the NFL draft, including linebacker James Houston, who the Detroit Lions picked up in the sixth round. Houston was the third player in the NFL to record at least one sack in each of his first four career games.

RELATED CONTENT: Deion Sanders’ Coach Prime’ Docu-Series to Return for Sophomore Season

• News

by Stacy Jackson

May 1, 2023

New Monument Celebrates the Life and Legacy of Coretta Scott King

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On Thursday, the Atlanta community gathered to celebrate the life and legacy of Coretta Scott King, an advocate for African American equality.

According to WSB-TV, family and friends gathered to unveil a monument and garden at The King Center, which Coretta founded in 1968 in northeast Atlanta following the death of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

“This day not only honors Mrs. King’s contributions to history. It is also her 96th birthday,” Karyn Greer of Channel 2 announced to the crowd, who enjoyed a vocal performance by 11-year-old Victory Brinker. “You raise me up so I could stand on mountains,” she sang effortlessly.

 

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Monument artist, Saya Woolfalk, said Mrs. King desired for the monument to be built on the “sacred ground” of The King Center rather than any other location.

“It’s an immersive environment,” Woolfalk said of her art. “It’s not a representational sculpture. It’s intended to make you feel like you’re in the spirit of Mrs. King. So you walk into the space, and you feel her spirit.”

The monument features a circular, steel “chapel dome” open at its sides. The domed canopy covers a bronze cast sculpture of microphones, with a live microphone for visitors “to speak their own words and commitments to civil rights and nonviolence.” The floor features a tiled mosaic of the rose with King’s name.

“Today’s dedication of this monument is but a beginning,” daughter and King Center CEO Dr. Bernice King said at the ceremony.

The garden has a stone-paved area aligned with benches and flower beds leading up to the monument, only moments away from the crypt that holds the couple’s bodies.

“There is much more to come. When her legacy is fully revealed, we will know that because of her, because of mom, because of Coretta Scott King, the dream lives, and the legacy continues,” Dr. Bernice King added.

It’s been 17 years since Coretta Scott King’s death, but her long-lasting impact is still widely recognized, honored, and felt.

Bald heads are in, according to Kanye West. The former billionaire rap/fashion mogul recently held auditions for his Yeezy line and was seeking out bald models.

After a drastic fall from grace, Kanye appears to be working to revamp his Yeezy fashion line with his upcoming Yeezy Szn 10 show. The “Stronger” rapper held auditions for models in downtown Los Angeles Thursday and they were noticeably all bald and dressed in black, TMZ reports.

yzy
casting
beings
with
shaved
heads

4 27 23
3 – 6pm

923 E 3rd St Los Angeles, CA 90013

— YEEZY MAFIA (@theyeezymafia) April 27, 2023

It reportedly was the requirement for the hopefuls who arrived as early as 7 a.m. with some waiting until 3 p.m. for a chance to audition for the Yeezy creator. After auditions, Kanye reportedly changed into a shirt gifted to him by a disabled model who auditioned for the show.

 

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Details about Yeezy’s next fashion show remain under wraps. But from the looks of it, Kanye wants to highlight the beauty of diversity and inclusion.

All eyes will be watching as Kanye works to reignite his fashion line in the wake of losing his partnership with adidas over his antisemitic comments.

Meanwhile, the sports apparel brand was recently named in a class-action lawsuit by adidas shareholders who believe company officials “intended to deceive” investors by failing to disclose ongoing issues between the company and Kanye, NBC News reported.

The lawsuit was filed on Friday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, with the city of Portland holding the North American headquarters for the German company. adidas cut ties with Kanye in October 2022. But the suit alleges Adidas was aware of Kanye’s bizarre antics for years and took no action.

“The Yeezy shoes were extremely popular. By 2019, sales of Yeezy shoes hit over $1 billion,” the lawsuit states.

“Further, Kanye West accumulated significant wealth as a result of the Partnership. By September 2019, Forbes ranked him as the Number 1 highest-paid hip-hop star, largely as a result of the Partnership,” according to the lawsuit.

“We outright reject these unfounded claims and will take all necessary measures to vigorously defend ourselves against them,” a spokesperson for adidas said in a statement.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 1, 2023

New York City Mayor Eric Adams Cracks Down on Car Theft With Apple AirTag Giveaway

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New York City Mayor Eric Adams has a new strategy to deter car thefts—free Apple Airtags.

That’s right. Fox News reported, thanks to a donation from The Association for Better New York, a nonprofit, 500 AirTags will be handed out to car owners in the city. Apple AirTags are GPS tracking devices that attach to personal belongings to keep track of them. Calling them “easy to monitor,” Adams said at a press conference that car theft is taking a toll on the city. “The aggravated number of grand larceny autos continues to drive up crime in our city,” Adams explained. “This simple device, this simple AirTag, hidden in a car location that a person is not aware, of is an excellent tracking device.”

Police officers will hand out the devices, including officers covering the 43rd Precinct in the Bronx. According to Adams, crime has risen in the Castle Hill neighborhood.

Business Insider reports car thefts, specifically Hyundais and Kias, have skyrocketed after a viral TikTok trend. In 2021, a TikTok user posted a video showing how a thief could easily start a Kia by turning an internal switch with a simple tool. Data shows NYPD received reports of 104 Hyundais and 99 Kias stolen last December.

The trend prompted stolen car reports across the country. In Charlotte, North Carolina, Charlotte-Mecklenburg police hosted a steering wheel lock giveaway on April 29. One hundred devices were given away on a first-come, first-served basis to residents who owned a Hyundai or Kia dated between 2011-2021 with a key lock.

While AirTags are simple, lawmakers are worried the GPS tracker will promote another crime—stalking. Last June, a woman from Indiana was suspicious of her boyfriend cheating on her. Using the AirTag, she tracked him down and then killed him.

Republican Sen. Nathan Manning claims they are “dangerous,” but Apple released a statement assuring the opposite. “Unwanted tracking has long been a societal problem, and we took this concern seriously in the design of AirTag.”

The adage goes, “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.” When it comes to famed journalist Gayle King, the words ring true.

While accepting the Journalist Icon Award this past weekend at Byron Allen Presents The Washington, D.C Gala, King told the businessman and the audience of guests gathered at the National Museum of African American History and Culture that she has no immediate plans to retire from her work as one of the leading voices in news. “I stand before you at 68 years old. Walter Cronkite had to retire from CBS at 65… He didn’t have a choice,” she said. “I’m not even kind of thinking about retiring. Not even kind of! I’m looking for more work.”

King, who recently announced that she’d work alongside NBA Veteran Charles Barkley on a new CNN show, is currently the host of her own XM Radio show and one of the anchors of CBS This Morning. Before receiving her honors, King had the pleasure of being serenaded by “The Boss” herself when Motown legend Diana Ross took to the stage to perform her hits “Upside Down,” “I’m Coming Out,” and the Supreme’s No.1 record, “Stop! In The Name of Love.”

Allen took the time to introduce young journalists who have worked in the White House and beyond as proof of King’s legacy. “I wanted to just show you what you gave birth to. You are the one who opened the door,” he said. “Everybody on this stage owes you a huge debt of gratitude.” TheGrio CEO also gave King her flowers for the work she’s done in making CBS a major competitor in morning news. “They weren’t working out well. The show was dying in the morning. You brought it life and now CNN,” Allen said before adding that the news outlet has also been struggling amid personnel changes.

We’re looking forward to seeing more of Gayle King for many years to come.