• Celebrity News

by Stacy Jackson

April 19, 2023

Porsha Williams Treats Baby Pilar To Birthday Getaway In Costa Rica

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The gang was all there.

Former Real Housewives of Atlanta star Porsha Williams gathered her whole blended family in Costa Rica to celebrate daughter Pilar McKinley‘s fourth birthday.

Williams took to her Instagram to share a video of the family enjoying a fun-filled vacation in the tropical paradise. She and her daughter flaunted matching two-piece polka dot bikinis and headpieces with bows. The backyard was full of food, a bounce house, and the family members that joined them on the trip.

“🌴⭐️A Costa Rica Birthday Fit for a Princess @pilarjhena !!!” Williams captioned a video of the celebration.  “The Guobadia’s know how to have a good time! Fireworks at the house, family obstacle course, cookout and lots of love ❤️🙏🏾 We love you so much whittle munchkin!! 🇨🇷”

Williams hashtagged the words “PuraVida,” “MiniMe,” “ThisIs4,” and “FamilyFunPack.”

 

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A post shared by Porsha Guobadia (@porsha4real)

The reality star also posted a carousel of photos from her daughter’s big day. In the photos and a video at the end, Williams showed off her hubby, Simon Guobadia.

 

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A post shared by Porsha Guobadia (@porsha4real)

People reported that Williams tied the knot with the Nigerian businessman in November 2022, where the couple blended their families. Williams shares her daughter with ex Dennis McKinley. Guobadia has five kids, Quentin, Nicole, Christian, Benjamin, and Ximena from previous marriages.

The couple is known for putting together unforgettable events.

Williams and Guobadia held two weddings last year, to honor each of their traditions. The first wedding reflected traditional Nigerian customs at the Four Seasons Hotel Atlanta, where 250 guests followed a traditional or formal Nigerian-inspired dress code to witness the matrimony. The couple continued with an American ceremony the following Saturday.

To Williams’ surprise, shortly after a return from a previous trip to Nigeria, a DNA test revealed she is 44 percent Nigerian.

Legendary jazz musician Ahmad Jamal died Sunday at his home in Ashley Falls, Massachusetts. He was 92. 

Jamal added to jazz’s original creativity with his spare piano style, which inspired several generations of jazz pianists, according to The New York Times. Jamal’s piano style stood out against the then-new bebop, which was taking over jazz when Jamal began his career during his teenage years in the 1940s.

“Bebop pianists, following the lead of Bud Powell, became known for their virtuosic flurries of notes. Mr. Jamal chose a different path, which proved equally influential,” The New York Times’ obituary. 

 

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A post shared by Ahmad Jamal (@ahmad.jamal.official)

Of course, this style proved fruitful for Jamal’s career and Black culture. Jamal racked up accolades such as the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master award, a lifetime achievement Grammy and induction into France’s Order of Arts and Letters. 

In fact, the late cultural critic Stanley Crouch, who built his career as an exceptional writer, original thinker, and harsh critic who noted that “nothing says I want to live more than Jazz,” wrote that Charlie Parker was the only musician more important to the development of fresh form in jazz than Ahmad Jamal. 

Jamal didn’t limit his musical tastes, either. He also enjoyed classical music. 

“We didn’t separate the two schools,” Jamal recalled during a 2021 interview with The New York Times.

“We studied Bach and Ellington, Mozart and Art Tatum. When you start at 3, what you hear you play. I heard all these things.”

Jamal’s debut album, Ahmad Jamal Plays, recorded with guitarist Ray Crawford and Israel Crosby, was released in 1955. The following year, Ahmad Jamal Plays was re-released and retitled Chamber Music of the New Jazz. 

According to The Guardian, Jamal was married and divorced three times—to Virginia Wilkins, Sharifah Frazier and Laura Hess-Hay. He is survived by his daughter Sumayah, from his second marriage and two grandchildren.

RELATED CONTENT: Jazz Music Pioneer Ben Tankard and Media Mogul Jerry Adams Joint Venture with Streaming Networks SMOOTH LIFE TV and VTV

Marques Houston is back in hot water for downplaying dating women his age because of the “baggage” and “kids” he believes they come with.

The 41-year-old R&B singer and actor has been facing criticism over the 19-year age gap he shares with his 22-year-old wife Miya Dickey. The pair married in 2020, when Houston was 38 and Dickey was just 19 years old.

They went on to welcome their daughter Zara in December 2021 and do a good job at keeping their family life private. But questions still linger with some on social media even accusing Houston of “grooming” his much younger wife.

The Sister Sister star has been defending his marriage in recent interviews, claiming he waited until Dickey was of age before asking her to be his wife. Now, he’s explaining why he never settled down with a woman his age.

“A red flag to me [was] always with a woman that had a kid,” Houston told Page Six in an interview published Tuesday.

“Nothing against single women, but single mothers with children are a red flag for me.”

Despite being a happily married father to his 1-year-old daughter, Houston said he never saw a future as a dad prior to meeting Dickey.

“I would talk to my dad a lot, and he would always tell me to have your own kids because you never know what the baby daddy‘s are about,” he said. “So if you’re gonna have kids, make sure it is with a woman that never had kids.”

Houston then dug himself into a deeper hole by calling out the “attitude” he feels some women have.

“So that was always my red flag… and a woman with an attitude. I don’t like women with funky attitudes,” he shared.

“I’m 41, she is 22. I could’ve married a 44-year-old woman, and it could’ve been disastrous,” the singer observed.

How “disastrous” you might ask? Well, according to the “Clubbin” singer, he could’ve ended up with a woman his age who is “independent” and unable to let him “provide for my wife.”

“Women that are my age…they kind of have a different outlook on life. Like a lot of women my age are very independent,” he explained. “They are very like, ‘I don’t need a man to do this for me ’cause I can do it for myself.’ I come from a generation that I love to provide for my wife.”

When it comes to dating women his age, Houston has issues.

“There’s a lot of women my age I’ve dated, they may have baggage. They may have kids, they may not,” Houston said.

“There’s so many different women I’ve been with throughout my life, and it just so happens to be that this one [Miya] caught my heart. Everything that I prayed for—and everything that I wanted in a woman—she came with. Although she was young, I’m young in spirit.”

The cherry on top of this telling interview would be the ’90s star recalling all the criticism he received during his days as the lead singer of Immature when he preferred to have “light-skinned” girls in the group’s videos.

“…People would question… ‘Why can’t you get a black girl?’ And then it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I only like light-skinned girls,” he said. “Then the plus-size girls will come and get me. I was like, ‘Man, I can’t catch a break.”

In response to the interview, Houston faced more backlash online over his nearly 20-year age gap with his wife, and the subtle contradictions he made in his statements.

“Yes, he wanted to be the FIRST to give a literal teenager “baggage” and kids,” one Twitter user wrote.

“I imagine most men his age come with kids and baggage too. It’s called mid-life. Does Marques know how old he is?” added someone else.

Oh, Roger……

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 19, 2023

Lawsuits Filed By Families of Two Young Children Killed In Separate Garage Gate Accidents

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Two lawsuits have been filed for separate cases involving garage gate accidents that killed two children.

WESH 2 reports Dedric “D.T.” Holt, 7, and Jacob Alexander Joseph, 6, were killed by automated gates in the garages of their apartment complexes. Three years ago, Charkia Summers’ nephew, Holt, and his younger cousins wandered away after playing on a playground to an automated gate at a Tennessee apartment complex’s garage. According to the legal complaint, the garage door had open see-through bars, and Dedric was standing on the garage door holding onto the door bars with his hands.

Allegedly, the other children began to switch the garage door on and off, and that’s when attorneys say the gate rolled up with Dedric’s small head and body caught inside. He was hospitalized for weeks on life support but, as reported by the Tennessean, ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

A similar occurrence happened in Florida to Joseph. His family’s lawyers say the child stepped and held onto the bottom of the garage door’s automated curtain; the door rolled up with Jacob’s body caught. They claim no audible alarms or sensors went off to shut the gate down. One witness, Douglas Skogland, said he and others desperately tried to reach Jacob until first responders arrived. Once first responders arrived, he was rushed to the hospital and placed on life support, but he did not survive.

Summers said she couldn’t believe another family was living this nightmare. “It broke my heart to know that it happened again to another family,” Summers said. Especially since experts like Brenton Cheney, president of the International Door Association, claim incidents like this are completely avoidable. Cheney says every gate is required to have one fail-safe way to stop accidents as it closes.

“And that would either be a set of photo eyes down at the bottom, which is an infrared beam that goes across the bottom of the opening,” Cheney said. “There are a number of currently available safety devices that could fairly easily be adapted to take care of the safety features in an open position and open cycle.”

• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 19, 2023

Now That’s A Serve! Serena Williams Launches New Multimedia Company, 926 Productions

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Serena Williams continues to expand her business portfolio after retiring from tennis. In addition to her flourishing venture capital fund, the decorated tennis champion is also launching a new multimedia production company.

Williams’ 926 Productions was announced on Monday along with a first-look TV deal at Amazon Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Staying true to her longtime brand of women’s empowerment, Williams will have Caroline Currier, former vice president of Grand Electric, serving as the president of the production company that’s aimed at amplifying women and diverse storytellers.

“With the launch of 926 Productions, we aim to elevate female and diverse voices through content that speaks to everyone,” Williams said.

“I’m so excited to begin this next chapter of my career alongside Caroline, a woman who understands the art of storytelling and is passionate about evolving the entertainment industry in new directions. I look forward to collaborating with her and developing unique projects that inspire audiences across all platforms.”

Currier is well-versed in her new role, having produced Kevin Hart’s True Story and Pete Berg’s upcoming opioid drama Painkiller while serving as senior VP of television at Grand Electric. Now Currier is excited to share her talent with a dominating female powerhouse she has regarded for some time.

“I have long admired Serena not only as one of the greatest athletes of all time but also a cultural icon,” Currier said.

“She is a once-in-a-generation talent who transcends sport and her commitment to excellence on and off the court is inspiring. As we bring our creative instincts together, I am thrilled to partner with Serena and build out a company that centers on championing impactful and entertaining stories yet to be told. Several projects are already underway, including the upcoming soccer documentary Copa 71, which relives the blockbuster events surrounding the 1971 Women’s World Cup, the first FIFA-recognised women’s international match. Williams and Currier are listed as executive producers of the film, and Venus Williams is also helping to produce the project.

The Williams sisters got their feet wet by producing their family biopic King Richard with their older sister, Isha Price. The film about their father garnered six Academy Award nominations, including best picture, with Will Smith winning for best actor minutes after his now-infamous encounter with Chris Rock.

• News

by Iman Milner

April 19, 2023

Study: Black Women Should Be Screened For Breast Cancer At Age 40

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Although the lifetime breast cancer risk for American women is only 13%, Black women account for 12% of those numbers, according to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Now, in order to combat the risk of infection and, subsequently, reduce the number of Black women who succumb to breast cancer, a team of international researchers is suggesting that screening begins earlier in our community.

In a study posted today in the journal JAMA Network Open, the researchers claim that clinical trials could help conclude whether Black women should begin screening at 42 rather than 50, the current suggested age by many medical professionals.

“The take-home message for U.S. clinicians and health policymakers is simple. Clinicians and radiologists should consider race and ethnicity when determining the age at which breast cancer screening should begin,” Dr. Mahdi Fallah, an author of the new study and leader of Risk Adapted Cancer Prevention Group at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, Germany, told CNN.  

Black women have a 4% lower diagnosis rate than white women but a staggering 40% higher breast cancer death rate. “Also, health policymakers can consider a risk-adapted approach to breast cancer screening to address racial disparities in breast cancer mortality, especially the mortality before the recommended age of population screening,” said Fallah.

“Guidelines for screening actually already do recommend basing a woman’s time to initiate screening on the risk of developing cancer, though race and ethnicity have not been traditional factors that go into these decisions,” Dr. Rachel Freedman, a breast oncologist at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, who was not involved in the study, told CNN.

Currently, the American Cancer Society does not make suggestions with specific racial and ethnic groups taken into consideration.

“We are in the process of updating our breast cancer screening guidelines, and we are examining the scientific literature for how screening guidelines could differ for women in different racial and ethnic groups, and by other risk factors, in a way that would reduce disparities based on risk and disparities in outcome,” Robert Smith, senior vice president for cancer screening at the American Cancer Society, said in an email to CNN.

Chance The Rapper was living his best life at Jamaica Carnival and ended up going viral for how provocatively he was dancing on a woman who isn’t his wife.

The Grammy award-winning rapper has faced mixed reactions to a now-viral video of him winding it up and smacking booty cheeks while at Jamaica’s 2023 Carnival celebration.

https://twitter.com/LucyAndVagabond/status/1648045042026545153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1648045042026545153%7Ctwgr%5E5c7791d8d29de3755c474161a2df770c695b65ef%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.essence.com%2Flifestyle%2Fchance-the-rapper-wife%2F

While the sultry style of dancing is a normal part of Caribbean culture, Chance came under fire for getting so into the moment despite having a wife and daughter waiting for him back at home.

“Chancellor where is yo wifeeee💀,” one Twitter user wrote in response.

“For clarity. Can we get a zoom in on his ring finger?????” asked someone else.

Another person wondered, “Ain’t he married?”

But there were many who defended the “No Problem” rapper saying he was only doing what you’re supposed to do at Carnival and dancing the same as everyone else.

“Everyone bringing up his wife. Dancing especially at carnival not that deep,” one user wrote. “You could dance w a stranger and never see em again. Married or not 💀”

“It’s Carnivale, I first experienced it on St Croix at age 13. You’re going to have to do a lot better to shock me than this. Public record I lived in USVI too,” another user explained.

Another person told the critics to stop hating and let Chance enjoy being immersed in the vibrancy of Caribbean culture.

“They’re mad at Chance the Rapper for “cheating on his wife” y’all 😂💀 Don’t bring that European nonsense to this ethnic household and let that man enjoy Caribbean culture,” one person tweeted.

https://twitter.com/chynnadotcom/status/1647962458903007235?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1647962458903007235%7Ctwgr%5E5c7791d8d29de3755c474161a2df770c695b65ef%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.essence.com%2Flifestyle%2Fchance-the-rapper-wife%2F

Chance and his wife, Kirsten, have been married since 2019. The pair first started dating in 2013 before welcoming their daughter, Kensli, in 2015, People reported.

They parted ways the year after Kensli’s birth before reconciling in 2017. The next year, Chance popped the question on July 4, 2018, at a family barbecue in their native Chicago.

Nowadays, no one gets away with sharing their opinion without hearing from the spectators.

Pusha T’s wife, Virginia Williams, welcomed fans to catch up with her during an Instagram Q&A session on Sunday, but one follower’s question, in particular, may not have been answered the way everyone would have liked.

“Was it hard dating a celebrity in the beginning?” the anonymous follower asked, according to a screenshot posted by The Shade Room. “How do you handle it now?

“If I’m being honest, INITIALLY the only thing hard about it was being ok with being the oddball in the room…not looking like a ‘rapper girlfriend/wife,’” Williams wrote in her response. “I used to feel awkward amongst the women who had a fake a*s, bodycon dress and cake face, but for a while now, I’ve thought I’m way cooler.”

 

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A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

The social media audience was sitting ready for this, and some Instagram users did not agree with her perspective. “It’s ok to be who u are but don’t knock others in the process, it defeats your positive message and makes you look shady and petty, as if ur really discussing someone u dislike or one of his ex’s,” one TSR follower wrote, describing her as “uppity.”

“As soon as you leverage other women and put them down to make your point, it’s no longer speaking your truth. It’s projecting your insecurities,” a second user chimed in before someone else added, “If she wanna look like a picnic cloth, have at it, me, my SHEIN cart, and lashes don’t care😂😂😂😂😂. Dressing more conservative doesn’t make you different….. it’s giving projection.”

While some sounded off in opposition, others defended Williams’ words.

“I’m sure a lot of women comfortable in their own skin can relate. It’s good to have these examples be vocal for our young girls to see,” one fan said, while another added, “Y’all make everything a issue she can’t even embrace her naturalness I would feel like the oddball being the only natural woman in a room full of fake ones.”

“I don’t think she meant any harm. Look around, the women who made her feel odd are typically the ones who get wifed up by athletes or rappers. The industry pushing ‘man made bodies’ It’s a true observation, but her husband seen something different in her which is why she’s in her position.”

• Business

by Sharelle B. McNair

April 19, 2023

Is The Credit Score System Holding Black People Back? Dr. Bernice King and Ashley Bell Think So

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A new article in Fortune by Dr. Bernice King, the youngest child of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and Small Business Administration executive, Ashley Bell claims credit scoring is a consequence of slavery and segregation.

King and Bell put forth the ideology that the credit scoring system leads to systemic oppression and puts people of color in difficult financial situations. Instead of lenders removing race, credit scores have become a direct proxy for it.

Credit scores range from 300 (“poor”) to 850 (excellent”). According to Credit Sesame, more than half of Black Americans report having poor or fair credit, referred to a credit score below 640, or no credit at all.

Forty-one percent of Hispanic Americans and 18% of Asian Americans fall into the same category over white Americans, who stand at 37%. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau issued a report stating “credit invisibles” are predominantly Black and Hispanic consumers living in low-income neighborhoods where mainstream financial services are scarce.

Today’s credit score system is designed to eliminate bias. Forbes Advisor reported in 2021 the Equal Credit Opportunity Act in 1974 banned credit-score systems from using information like sex, race, marital status, national origin and religion. Today, FICO looks at payment history, amounts owed, length of credit history, new credit and credit mix in its model.

Experts like Frederick Wherry, professor of sociology and director of the Dignity and Debt Network at Princeton University, say that type of data can be influenced by generational wealth that many Black and Hispanic borrowers simply don’t have.

“We’re often told to stop talking about history, but history won’t stop talking about us,” told Forbes Advisor. “The data used in current credit scoring models are not neutral; it’s a mirror of inequalities from the past. By using this data we’re amplifying those inequalities today. It has striking effects on people’s life chances.”

King and Bell even called out corporations, including financial institutions, who, after the death of George Floyd and other police brutality protests, have announced pledges toward economic equity initiatives.

“One of the easiest and most potent levers corporate America can pull is to abandon the junk science of credit scoring,” the authors write.

• Health and Wellness

by Atiya Jordan

April 19, 2023

An Inaugural Night of Sexual Healing: Honey Pot Debuts New Sexual Wellness Collection

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Six new products?! Honey Pot, please!

BLACK ENTERPRISE was invited to join the incomparable Beatrice Dixon, co-founder and chief innovation officer at The Honey Pot Co., for an inaugural night of sensuality, stimulation, and connection to celebrate the company’s newly launched sexual wellness collection.

At New York City’s Palma, women of all backgrounds, adorned in springtime dresses and enthusiasm, convened where the flowers bloom in the heart of Greenwich Village. From the flowing cocktails to the multi-course meal, we experienced a sensory explosion. And the night endured with vulnerable discourse and laughter.

“Having a vagina ritual is essential,” Dixon said with passion.

While the Italian cuisine satisfied our taste buds, Dixon brought our attention to the beautifully packaged products sprinkled on the dinner table and then tapped in Natasha Camille, founder of Wildest Dreams Therapy, to feed our minds and hearts with education.

Before dinner started, Camille introduced herself as a relationship and sex therapist who accepts that there is power in acknowledging our lineages and reclaiming the wisdom of our ancestors. She said she resonated with Dixon’s story behind launching Honey Pot, which essentially began with her ancestor in a dream.

Camille affirmed that we could release cycles of generational and relational trauma and move toward manifesting embodied relationships with ourselves and with others. She connected the dots;  then, the room broke into narratives about self-care, pleasure, and intimacy.

Later, the discussion transformed into an interactive experience. We all bonded with the textures of each product on our fingertips and aromas that incited more personal connections.

Photo Credit: The Honey Pot Co.Take a look at Honey Pot’s newest intimate care arrivals.

Intimate Wipes

Gently cleaning yourself before and after sex can protect men and women from urinary tract infections, as bacteria may ascend the urethra during intercourse. Dixon and Camille both agreed on making it a routine to maintain good sexual hygiene pre- and post-sex.

So, we were pleased to discover that these new pH-balanced intimacy wipes were much larger and thicker than the previous wipes—even Honey Pot’s best-selling wipes can’t compete in that category. Our sense of smell was overloaded with aromas of aloe, chamomile, and oats. Made for vaginas and humans without vaginas, Honey Pot has got you covered for before and after intimacy.

Sensual Stimulating Serum

The serum is formulated for added moisture and a gentle cooling sensation to increase vulvar stimulation and sensitivity. The gentle peppermint, aloe, and vitamin E will give you that Honey Pot tingle you know and love. It is great for solo play and helps promote a pleasurable sexual experience. Just a dime-sized amount will do.

Silicone Hybrid Lubricant

Moisturizing at the touch, Honey Pot’s first-ever hybrid-silicone lube is designed for long-lasting intimacy, backdoor play, and wet environments. While silicone is hypoallergenic, this product is compatible with non-silicone toys and latex and polyisoprene condoms.

Amber Sandalwood Ritual

Additionally, Honey Pot introduced another collection for an earthier you. The Amber Sandalwood foaming wash helps maintain a healthy vaginal Ph range and aims to hydrate your vulva. The wipes can be used for intimate parts, the body, and the face for moisturization. Lastly, the refreshing spray strives for a fresh feel all day, whether it’s your underarms, feet, or shoes.

Hopefully, there will be more dinners and products to come!