Da Brat And Jesseca Harris-Dupart Are Gifting An IVF Cycle Worth $10K To A Lucky Fan
As Da Brat and her wife, Jesseca Harris-Dupart, prepare for the arrival of their baby boy, the happily married pair are spreading the love in the form of a fully covered IVF cycle.
Brat and Jesseca took to Instagram last week to announce their special giveaway that will bless one lucky recipient with the gift of bringing life into the world courtesy of the same fertility clinic that helped them conceive.
“We are the Harris-Duparts, and we’ve been busy working all day, but we just wanted to sit down and let y’all know something really special is happening on April 28, and we’re excited about it,” Brat said while seated alongside her wife.
“I don’t know if y’all know, but we’re expecting baby boy Harris DuPart and he’s in there and he’s coming out really soon and it all came to fruition through Hope Fertility.”
After giving a special shoutout to some of the staff at Hope Fertility, Da Brat explained how the amazing treatment she received inspired her and Jesseca to help another family experience the same.
“Because of them, we’re at this point, and we didn’t give up hope, literally,” the “Funkdafied” rapper continued. “So we just want to tell you guys about something special that we’re doing on April 28.”
The couple, who recently celebrated their gender reveal, plan to go live from the fertility clinic and announce the lucky recipient of their free IVF cycle worth over $10,000.
“We’re super excited that we are collaborating with Hope Fertility,” Jesseca said.
“We are giving away a grant for a free IVF cycle, worth over $10,000, so somebody can experience the hope that we got to experience… no pun intended.”
The announcement comes two months after the couple graced the cover of People magazine with their gangster-inspired maternity shoot. Da Brat opened up about her joy with being pregnant after a lifetime of believing it wasn’t in the cards for her.
Fans can follow Da Brat and Jesseca’s pregnancy journey on season 3 of Brat Loves Judy” premiering April 27 on WeTV.
Atlanta Hawks Game 5 Victory Causes Janet Jackson Concert To Get Pushed Back
Trae Young’s last-minute three-pointer that secured the Atlanta Hawks’ victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night might be great news for Hawks fans, but it’s bad news for the fans who paid to see Janet Jackson in concert this week.
Jackson’s Together Again tour is scheduled to take place at Atlanta’s State Farm Arena on Thursday, Fox News reports. The arena must’ve been banking on the Hawks getting wiped out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.
But the scheduling snafu just caused a major mixup. Now, Jackson’s ATL tour stop will be moved to Friday at the same time Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour hits nearby Mercedes-Benz Stadium from Fri – Sunday.
Fans who had already purchased tickets for Thursday and are unable to make it on Friday will receive full refunds, as noted by the NBA.
“This is such an exciting time for the city with world-class events between Hawks Playoff basketball, Janet Jackson and Taylor Swift in downtown Atlanta,” State Farm Arena Executive Vice President of Arena Programming Trey Feazell said.
“We are committed to ensuring all of our guests have a great night out at each of our events and are working with our partners to provide the most seamless experience possible.”
Fans have already started calling out the “concert chaos” online ahead of a traffic-filled week for the city of Atlanta.
And now for some concert chaos in Atlanta: Janet Jackson had a concert scheduled for Thursday at State Farm Arena. As of 2 minutes ago, the Hawks have a Game 6 there Thursday. Just move it to the weekend? Sure … but Taylor Swift has shows Friday-Sunday at the Benz 😬😬😬😬 1/2 pic.twitter.com/84PLTbw60u
Yung Miami Wants To Change Her ‘Accent’ So She Doesn’t Sound ‘Illiterate’
Yung Miami is well aware of all the jokes about her dialect and signature slang and the City Girls rapper is hoping to change the way she speaks.
The Caresha Please got candid in her interview with The Cut about how much she dislikes her style of speech and desires to change her Southern “accent.”
“I really want to change the way I talk,” she shared. “I just feel like it’s my accent.”
The Miami native has gone viral for her Instagram Live sessions or social media moments where something she says becomes the new slang. Terms like “flewed out” became a normal part of traveling thanks to Yung Miami coining the phrase.
But despite how well-received her slang is, the “Act Up” rapper is looking to improve her speech to be taken more seriously.
“I talk like my mom,” Yung Miami explained. “A lot of people don’t understand it, and they take it as being, like, illiterate or not being able to talk properly.”
“I always think about it. I’ll be like, “I’m gonna do it,” but I never followed through,” she added. “I can’t disguise my voice even if I wanted to.”
Earlier this month, a thread was started after one fan credited Yung Miami, real name Caresha Brownlee, for having such a large “impact” on American slang.
“Caresha’s impact on slang is kinda crazy when you think about it, like,” they tweeted.
Caresha’s impact on slang is kinda crazy when you think about it, like—
— reporting for duty. (@TheGreatIsNate) April 9, 2023
The fan made other notable mentions like “period,” and her latest “no shade wit it, no shade wit it.”
— reporting for duty. (@TheGreatIsNate) April 9, 2023
“In conclusion: Caresha goes viral when she talks— period!” they quipped. Others chimed in to give Caresha her flowers for helping add to the culture with her signature slang.
“I had this exact discussion with my bestie. Some clown her but will turn right around and use the lingo,” one fan wrote.
“Roaches, Buenas Noches,” another added referencing Caresha’s catchy one-liner on the song “Rap Freaks.”
While Caresha might not like her accent, her fans, and the culture do. Hopefully, she doesn’t change her natural style of speech too much and continues giving us new phrases to match our everyday lives.
Award-Winning Fertility Advocate Kellee Stewart Talks Launching ‘Parenthood Journey’ Evite Invitations, Redefining Her Motherhood Path
When actress and award-winning fertility advocate Kellee Stewart froze her eggs, she was alone, unheard, and unseen. Years later, this mothering and nurturing creator has fulfilled a purpose beyond her deepest desires: to normalize the celebration of all journeys to parenthood.
Stewart is removing the “suffering in silence” stigma that millions of people experience while coping with infertility. She brings her knowledge and resilient story to many platforms, including OWN’s Eggs Over EasyFilm, FOX’s The Sherri Show, and her empowering YouTube community, Warrior Wednesdays. With her ‘Egg Showers’ on the rise, Stewart recently partnered with Laurel Fertility Care to throw a public Egg Shower in which two contestants won free egg-freezing cycles gifted by the clinic.
Now the Resident star is breaking ground with a change-making partnership with Evite, a social-planning website for creating, sending, and managing online invitations. It began with a call to action in response to the lack of invitations for people who embark on parenthood journeys such as IVF, egg freezing, or adoption. Evite answered the call right away.
“We’re starting a new trend.Starting a new movement.Starting a new tradition, and saying our journey deserves a shower too,” Stewart told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Ahead of National Infertility Awareness Week, Stewart and BLACK ENTERPRISE discussed just how exciting it is to “create a whole new category” of “Parenthood Journey” invitations honoring those facing challenges on the way to parenthood. This collaboration will expand on the traditional baby showers to include IVF Showers, Adoption Showers, Rainbow Baby Showers, and Stewart’s “Egg Shower.”
“When you ask yourself how I can support my friend, our goal was to help give you a solution to that. To help normalize the conversation so it’s not so taboo. I do want to mention that one of the things that was important to us was to not put this in the baby shower category,” Said Stewart who previously threw herself an egg shower.
She added: “The traditional baby shower in the US was born in the 1950s from the baby boom era after the war. To shower the expectant mother with gifts and encouragement. For seventy-plus years we have not changed that tradition or even expanded upon it, even though millions of people arechallenged by infertility.”
“It’s time to normalize this space. So that people feel seen, they feel heard, they feel valued. They know that their journey deserves a shower, too, because the harsh reality is some people may never get to the baby shower. So, their journey will never see that celebration or that encouragement. Sometimes it’s the journey that deserves the celebration, not the destination.”
Living in endless motherhood
Additionally, Stewart shared a heartwarming testimony about the journey that heavily aligns with her purposeful intentions.
At the start of her egg-freezing journey, then 37-year-old Stewart focused on learning about her fertility health immediately after severing ties from a seven-year relationship. She knew so little, but that didn’t stop her from asking the “embarrassing questions.”
“Being able to say I took control of my fertility future has been the best gift I gave myself and my future family. You know life is unpredictable. This is one of the things that we can do, predictan option that we may need later,” Stewart proclaimed.
For Stewart, being proactive in fertility health is imperative. It means getting those very simple blood tests so you have an understanding of what your timeline may be.
“Though I still would like to wait for the right partner and the right time in the career, we don’t know when or if those times will come. Freezing my eggs has been something I personally will never regret because at least that insurance is there,” she said.
Courtesy of Kellee Stewart
“WhatI’ve learned from this experience is that eggs are already serving a purpose that I never froze them for. When people ask me: ‘When are you going to use your frozen eggs, and when are you going to defrost your frozen eggs?’ I said, ‘Honey, they are already being used. They are already serving a greater good, that I couldn’t have written this story even if I tried. They’re doing what it’s supposed to do,’” Stewart said.
While empowering the community, Stewart honors her journey by redefining her motherhood.
“When there is a weight in the wait, I advise us all to find purpose. Because that makes the weight lighter. Guiding this purpose and becoming an award-winning fertility advocator made the weight of this waiting season lighter for me,” Stewart said.
“You know at least when and if I have a child, they will be able to see just how much I wanted them. They will be able to readBlack Enterprise. ‘Before me and mommy met, she was talking to other black people about creating me. She wasopening up her desire to want me.She was helping other people get their version of me.’ I am delayed. I’m not denied.”
Here’s 5 Things You Should Know About ‘Top Chef’ Alum Kwame Onwuachi
Award-winning chef Kwame Onwuachi’s star power is steadily on the rise.With an ever-growing résumé, the best-selling author is still penning his life story. From working in Michelin-starred kitchens to opening his Afro-Caribbean restaurant in the heart of New York City, the Top Chef alum is adding even more to his plate.
“I realized that being a cook wasn’t only about providing people with food, but rather about providing them with the feeling that they were cared for,” Onwuachi wrote in his memoir.
Here are five things you should know about the 33-year-old Nigerian-American chef.
1. Onwuachi is a James Beard Award Winner.
After graduating from the Culinary Institute of America, Onwuachi worked in top-rated restaurants such as Per Se and Eleven Madison Park. Onwuachi opened his restaurant (The Shaw Bijou) and later became the executive chef at Kith and Kin. The restaurant earned him the James Beard Foundation’s “Rising Star Chef Award” in 2019, which paved his path toward hosting the 2021 James Beard Awards.
2. Onwuachi appeared as a contestant on Season 13 of Bravo’s Top Chef.
Onwuachi put his ultimate culinary skills to the test in front of a national audience when he appeared on Season 13 of Top Chef, where he finished in sixth place. Since competing in the series, he has been named one of Food & Wine‘s Best New Chefs, Esquire Magazine‘s 2019 Chef of the Year, and a 30 Under 30 honoree by Zagat and Forbes. In 2021 he returned as an All-Star judge in Season 18 of the Bravo competition show.
“It was great to give a platform to those restaurants that may not have had it. It was also great to have a platform for West African cuisine and Caribbean cuisine,” Kwame said in an interview with ET.
3. Onwuachi launched a nail polish collection in partnership with Orly.
Taking his talents beyond the kitchen, he recently partnered with Orly, creating a “limited-edition Breathable collection” of nail polish, according to the company’s site. The first three nail colors in the collection included Eggplant, Chef’s Kiss, and Sautéed Silver—personally chosen by Onwuachi.
In an interview with Esquire, he said, “It’s important for me to be able to express myself in any way I want,” he toldEsquire, adding, “I’m versatile in my art form and my profession.”
4. Onwuachi has been linked to Elisabeth Ovesen, formerly known as Karrine Steffans, aka Superhead.
In recent news, the Bronx native has been linked to Elisabeth Ovesen, a former video vixen known for exposing her sexual escapades with various celebrities in her memoir, Confessions of a Video Vixen. The author, creative director, and former music video actress announced her pregnancy via Instagram last year, thanking Onwuachi “for the most exciting, most terrifying gift.” However, since her pregnancy announcement, the culinary artist’s legal team issued a cease and desist letter, insinuating there is a chance that he is not the father of her unborn child.
5. Onwuachi brings flavors of his childhood to Lincoln Center
Inspired by his culinary muse (and beloved sister) Tatiana, Onwuachi does not shy away from mixing spices reflecting the flavors and textures of his childhood. Diners can soak in the aromas of Mom Dukes Shrimp and Brown stew red snapper in Onwuachi’s newest restaurant in New York City’s beloved hub of the performing arts, Lincoln Center.
“I wanted to tell the story of what was here before Lincoln Center,” Onwuachi toldEsquire about his upbringing in and around the Bronx and the old neighborhood of San Juan Hill.
“Everything that I do is always deeply rooted in story and soul, and I saw that this was San Juan Hill, which was an Afro-Caribbean neighborhood. So it all kind of tied it together.”
7 Black-Owned Home Decor Brands To Shop As You Say Farewell To Bed Bath & Beyond
Calling all home decor lovers!
In light of recent news, Bed Bath & Beyond is facing permanent business closure unless a last-minute buyer rescues it from its demise. The home goods store, which has attracted a wide range of customers by selling name brands at cut-rate prices, declared bankruptcy over the weekend. Liquidation and closures are next and “deep discounts” begin now. And should you miss out on those clearance prices—don’t fret.
Expand your options and spend your dollar with these seven Black-owned, home decor and lifestyle brands that offer artisanal quality products that are specially crafted for the people who enjoy them.
1) The Black Home
Neffi Walker is bridging the gap on family, creativity and business in her designs. Located at 7 William St in Newark, New Jersey, The Black Home is a curated space where all things Black is celebrated always. In fact, the brick and mortar was used by BLACK ENTERPRISE to shot our digital cover, featuring Charlamagne the God with Dollie S. Bishop, president of Production & Creative Development at The Black Effect.
Through home decor and interior design, Walker has you covered with pieces that ooze luxury and highlight beauty in Black from color to culture. From kitchen and dining to fragrances and candles, check out The Black Home for all your new visions.
Brooklyn natives Kiyanna Stewart and Jannah Handy founded BLK MKT Vintage in 2014. The Bed Stuy, Brooklyn shop features vintage literature, vinyl records, clothing, art, housewares/decor, furniture and other goods.
With over fifteen years of collecting and picking experience combined, the business duo thoughtfully centers black cultural artifacts via thoughtful curation and varying modes of accessibility. The BLK MKT Vintage collection is available via the brick-and-mortar shop in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn and e-commerce shop. Select items are available via Brooklyn Museum, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and Ethel’s Club.
Expedition Subsahara founder and Senegalese native Sofi Seck, has a mission to build and maintain a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, math) school for young girls in her home country. So she strives to showcase the rich tradition of African craftsmanship through traditional coil-style woven baskets, table linens, and accents.
Each product at Expedition Subsahara can double as functional art. What’s more? Twenty percent of each sold item is allocated for an education fund for the school. Whether you’re reinvigorating your space or gifting a new home owner, take your Black dollars online and support a great cause.
Discover colorful, patternful and jungalicious home decor at Jungalow. Born out of designer Justina Blakeney‘s blog of the same name, this space reflects her bold and plant-filled style and just might spark your creative spirit too.
From bestsellers like the Aisha Quilt Set and the Peace Vase, every masterpiece is handcrafted carefully with this in mind: bringing power to bring joy. Use your home as a canvas to express your inner free spirit with Jungaow’s collection of bohemian style rugs, wallpaper, art prints, plants, planters, and more.
You can also create your own at-home oasis at an affordable cost with a brand new collection available at Target, designed by.Opalhouse with Jungalow.
With Peace and Riot, Brooklyn and Bronx natives Achuziam Maha-Sanchez and Lionel Sanchez offer a one stop shop for home, decor and gifting needs. Coming from African and Caribbean backgrounds, the pair invites you to store your florals in their debossed terracotta vase, or place fruits in their sunbolt or leaf plateau basket. Or simply use these items as double functional wall art.
This pair specialize in one-of-a-kind designs at this popular Bed-Stuy lifestyle and design boutique.
LaToya Tucciarone, founder and owner of SustainAble Home Goods and Accessories, partners with global and local artisan entrepreneurs to bring meaningful and sustainable home products to her customers. She started the company in 2017, born from the philosophy that the way to stop world poverty is through “trade not aid.”
Bedding entrepreneur, founder and creative director of Linoto Jason Evege brings customers an affordable line of linen towels, linen sheets, pillowcases, covers and bed skirts. His initial motivation behind building such a brand came from the lack of high-quality, simple modern sheets for less than $100.
Options include Belgian Eco Linen and organic linen sheets that help you sleep better, linen tea towel stone oatmeal and tablecloths that enhance your dining and entertaining events that beautify your space, and linen spa towels that rejuvenate and refresh your bath and shower experience.
Twitter Reneged On Its Support Of Black Venture Capitalists Firms And Left Them Hanging
Twitter used to be a safe space to talk about any and everything; now, the app is partially riddled with controversy and false promises.
In recent news, Forbes wrote an expose on how Twitter was on board to support underrepresented venture capital firms, many Black-owned, but backed out. According to the report, a former Twitter employee said numerous venturecapitalfirms who received funds got anote in January fromtheirlastremainingcontactinforming them that the new owner, Elon Musk, gutted the team working with them.
The note explained that someone was still working with Musk and would reach out with further details—if any. “Thepersonwhodidthiswastryingtohelpsomeof theGPs or general partners whowerehurtbythedepartures,”oneventurecapitalistsaid. “Theyapologizedfortheirinabilitytodobetterbythem.” Twitter promised to invest up to $2 million each, or close to $20 million overall, in those firms.
(Photo by Bethany Clarke/Getty Images)
One of the firms in question is 7thAve, a Black-owned startup, atoolmakerforweb3creators. The pulled funding put a damper on things. Fund managers like Kari Harris are stunned that something like this has happened.
As told by AfroTech, if Twitter defaults on payments, the next option for VC firms is to shrink their fund size or bring on additional interest until payment is received. “There are real-world consequences of a default,” Harris, a funds practice chair for Mintz Investments, said. “The reality is that it never happens; 99% of the time, the parties are going to work it out and come up with an answer.”
According to a Twitter blog post by Dalana Brand, VP, People Experience and Head of Inclusion & Diversity, the platform is looking to invest in women, Black, and Latinx founders by 2025.
Ice Spice and Pinkpantheress Feelin’ Good As The New Faces of SKIMS
Two of Gen Z’s hottest artists star in the new SKIMS shapewear campaign.
Rappers Ice Spice and Pinkpantheress are modeling for Kim Kardashian’s fashion brand, showing off the new Everyday Sculpt collection and updates to its Seamless Sculpt products. The Bronx redhead was seen a few months ago on TikTok with Kardashian’s daughter, North, and now we know why.
Alongside fellow artists Nessa Barrett and RAYE, Kardashian says she is excited to work with these leading ladies. “I’m excited to launch this next generation of SKIMS shapewear with a campaign that celebrates these incredible musical artists,” Kardashian said. “Ice Spice, Nessa Barrett, Pinkpantheress, and RAYE are super talented women and truly reflect our SKIMS community.”
For the campaign, Spice, 23, wears the Seamless Sculpt High Neck Thong Bodysuit in bronze while Pinkpantheress dons the Seamless Sculpt High Waist Catsuit in the jasper or charcoal gray color. The “Boy’s A Liar Pt. 2” duo say they’re happy to be a part of the growing brand. “SKIMS just gets it and makes me feel extra snatched,” Spice said, as told by Billboard. “I’m happy to be a part of the latest campaign.” PinkPantheress shared the same sentiments saying, “These styles empower me to try clothes I wouldn’t have tried before and make me feel so comfortable and secure.”
The Gen Z crowd seems to be taking over and making a permanent dent in numerous industries, including music. CEO of SKIMS, Jens Grede, explains they wanted to work with talented artists because “this next generation of musical talent really embodies how our customers wear our shapewear today.” “From our bodysuits going viral on TikTok to having a waitlist of over 1.5 million people, this category has never been hotter for us, and I’m thrilled that we’re continuing to innovate within it in such an exciting way.”
SKIMS fans can feel extra snatched, too, when the new collection drops on April 27.
Don Lemon Leaves CNN Still Being Owed $25 Million In his Contract
It’s been a few days since Don Lemon was fired from the CNN news desk, and developments are underway on what happens next.
Page Six reports CNN may still owe the seasoned journalist close to $25 million since he signed a $7 million-a-year contract that is valid until 2026. Sources with close ties to the deal said, “Don was signed on a high seven-figure deal for the morning show last September, and is assured by CNN he will be paid the remainder of his contract.” This sounds like a case-closed scenario but Lemon is allegedly preparing for a legal battle.
Lemon has hired high-powered Los Angeles entertainment attorney Bryan Freedman to handle his exit and explore options if he is entitled to more. Freedman, co-founder of the law firm Freedman & Taitelman LLP, isn’t new to the Hollywood highlife or news network drama. According to Forbes, he’s known as the “go-to lawyer in crisis litigation” and represented big names such as Gabrielle Union, after she accused NBC of firing her as a judge on America’s Got Talent because she is Black.
(Photo by Shahar Azran/WireImage)
He is also handling arbitration with CNN for his client and former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, who is looking to be paid $125 million after being fired.
The drama between Lemon, 51, and CNN doesn’t seem to be ending anytime soon. Both parties have gone back and forth on social media regarding the details of his firing. Lemon claims he was blindsided by the firing.
The network went on the defensive saying that isn’t true.
Don Lemon’s statement about this morning’s events is inaccurate. He was offered an opportunity to meet with management but instead released a statement on Twitter.
For years, rumor has it that Lemon has been the “diva” of CNN, with Chris Licht, CNN chairman and CEO saying the controversial anchor has been a “lightning rod for controversy.”
Breaking: Fugees Rapper Convicted in US Over Lobbying Campaigns with Malaysian Financier
A jury on Wednesday convicted Grammy Award-winning rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel of The Fugees hip hop group on criminal charges that Pras conspired with a Malaysian financier to orchestrate a series of foreign lobbying campaigns aimed at influencing the U.S. government under two presidents.
His conviction in federal court in Washington followed a trial that was filled with political intrigue and featured high-profile witnesses including Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio and former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Michel endured a blistering cross-examination by prosecutors while testifying in his own defense.
Pras Michel attends Carnegie Hall Presents Power Network A Black History Month Conversation And Concert at Carnegie Hall. (Photo by Johnny Nunez/WireImage)
Michel was charged with 10 counts of conspiracy, acting as an agent of a foreign government, witness tampering and falsifying campaign finance records. Prosecutors accused him of plotting with Malaysian businessman Jho Low to attempt to influence the administrations of Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
Low, who also faces separate federal charges in New York that he embezzled $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, remains at large.
The Fugees won two Grammy Awards for their best-selling 1996 album “The Score.” But by 2012, according to prosecutors, Michel was in desperate need of cash and found a solution through Low, who was known to throw elaborate parties and pay celebrities big sums of money.
Prosecutors said Pras agreed to funnel about $2 million from Low into Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign in exchange for receiving millions of dollars. Because federal election law prohibits foreigners from donating to U.S. campaigns, prosecutors said Michel masked the source of the funds.
Michel was also accused of seeking to convince the Trump-era Justice Department to drop civil and criminal investigations into Low over the 1MDB scandal and trying to lobby the U.S. government on behalf of China to send Chinese billionaire and dissident Guo Wengui back to China.
On the witness stand, Michel said the $20 million Low paid him over the course of nine months in 2012 was to help Low secure a photo with Obama. Michel acknowledged that he used some of the money to pay for three of his friends to attend two political fundraisers for Obama’s 2012 campaign, but denied doing so at Low’s direction.
“Once he gave me the money, it was my discretion how I spent the money because it’s my money,” Michel told the jury, describing the payment as “free money.”
On whether he failed to register as a foreign agent, Michel told jurors that his attorney George Higgenbotham never told him it was required by law. Michel also said he passed along information to the FBI about China’s desire to have Guo extradited amid concerns by China that Guo was “allegedly a criminal rapist,” saying he “thought it was something the FBI should know.”
Higgenbotham, who has since pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme, told jurors that he met with the Chinese ambassador in Washington at Michel’s insistence to assure the Chinese that the Trump administration was working toward extraditing Guo.
Guo, who was never extradited, has since been indicted on unrelated fraud charges in New York.
