Female Shooter Kills 3 Children, 3 Adults in Nashville School Attack
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 27, 2023

Female Shooter Kills 3 Children, 3 Adults in Nashville School Attack

A female shooter killed three children and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville, Tennessee, on Monday before police shot her dead. The assailant appeared to be a teenage girl, police said.

Police began receiving calls at 10:13 a.m. of a shooter at The Covenant School, which teaches children up to 6th grade. Officers could hear gunfire coming from the school’s second floor, Don Aaron, a spokesperson for Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, told reporters.

The shooter had at least two semi-automatic rifles and a handgun, Aaron said. Two officers from a five-member team shot at her in what Aaron described as a lobby area and she was dead by 10:27 a.m..
Deadly mass shootings have become commonplace in the United States, but a female attacker is highly unusual. Only four of the 191 mass shootings since 1966 cataloged by The Violence Project, a nonprofit research center, were carried out by a female attacker.

There have been 89 school shootings – defined as anytime a gun is discharged on school property – in the U.S. so far in 2023, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, a website founded by researcher David Riedman. Last year saw 303 such incidents, the highest of any year in the database, which goes back to 1970.

Three students were pronounced dead after arriving at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt with gunshot wounds, John Howser, a hospital spokesperson, said in a statement. Three adult staff members were killed by the shooter, police said.

Besides the deceased, no one else was shot, Aaron said.

Students’ parents were told to gather at a nearby church.

The Covenant School, founded in 2001, is a ministry of Covenant Presbyterian Church in the Green Hills neighborhood of Nashville with about 200 students, according to the school’s website. The school serves preschool through 6th graders and held an active shooter training program in 2022, WTVF-TV reported.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper expressed sympathy for the victims and wrote on social media that his city “joined the dreaded, long list of communities to experience a school shooting.”
Kirk Franklin Wants to Bring Back ‘Real Names’ For Babies
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 27, 2023

Kirk Franklin Wants to Bring Back ‘Real Names’ For Babies

Gospel star Kirk Franklin wants to see today’s generation of parents return to naming their kids more fitting names like “Betty,” “Charlene,” and “Johnnie Mae.”

The “Stomp” hitmaker took to Instagram earlier this month to share his testimony in response to his eldest daughter Carrington giving birth to his second grandchild.

“My daughter just gave birth to my second grandchild,” he said. “Beautiful little girl named Levi.”

But according to Franklin, instead of Levi, he would’ve preferred his daughter to give Levi a “real name.”

“Levi’s beautiful, but I told my daughter that I think to save the next generation, we need to go back … to real names,” he explained.

 

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A post shared by Kirk Franklin (@kirkfranklin)

“That baby should have been named Betty. Phyllis. Geraldine. Ruby,” he quipped.

“See, we moved too far. We need some more Charlenes. You know, we’ve got to take it back if we’re going to change the world. Bring back Johnnie Mae. Jeannette. Debra.”

“GOD HELP US….🙏🏾😓,” he captioned his Instagram post.

Many took to his comments to express their disapproval of Franklin’s calling with stars like Usher saying “Geraldine no.”

“Why are you like this,” one user wrote with laughing emojis.

“What is wrong with you!? 😂” added someone else.

Steve Harvey agreed adding that “Pearl” should be a name parents should start using again.

Once The Shade Room reposted the video, many responded with jokes of their own.

“Phyllis and Geraldine took me out of my glory,” one user wrote.

“Not him saying mostly women names 😒bring back the Charlie’s , Ronald’s , and Herman’s …those were real men names 😂,” another user added.

“He don’t even use his real name! When he start going by Plies, we will use ours!” someone else jokingly said.

Kirk Franklin is the father to two sons, Kerrion and Caziah Franklin, and daughters Carrington and Kennedy Franklin.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 27, 2023

Tyrese Gibson’s Girlfriend Was ‘More Interested’ In His Late Friend Paul Walker

Tyrese Gison is hearing it on social media after his girlfriend openly admitted to being more attracted to his late friend Paul Walker than to him.

The Fast & Furious star and his model/influencer girlfriend, Zelie Timothy, appeared on Instagram Live last Friday where they shared their love story. Gibson revealed the two started dating after he sent a DM to Timothy expressing his interest.

“How did we meet? I slid in the DMs, we linked up,” Gibson said in response to the question.

“He wasn’t my type at all,” timothy added. “My type is actually Paul Walker, Rest In Peace.”

Gibson appeared visibly taken aback by his girlfriend’s confession as she awkwardly laughed.

“He wasn’t my type at all. And my type is not white, I’m just saying I was more interested in Paul,” Timothy clarified while rubbing Tyrese’s shoulders. But he wasn’t impressed and told his girlfriend not to touch him.

“Don’t touch me,” he responded.

https://twitter.com/nojumper/status/1639514465040478208

But Timothy rambled on saying that when she met Gibson she thought to herself, “Ehhh, he’s kinda old.”

“I just like his smile, it’s pretty cool,” she continued.

“This just went really bad really fast,” Gibson said in between bites of food.

“His personality was OK, but he didn’t always understand the Instagram model thing so he would talk down on it,” Timothy added.

Gibson tried jumping in, announcing that he was going to log off the Instagram Live session. He sarcastically reiterated the comments Timothy made about him being “old” and not being initially attracted to him.

But Timothy claimed Gibson “knew this already” and that even he told her that she wasn’t his type initially “either.”

“So yeah now we’re here and it’s actually somewhat of a love story,” timothy said while Tyrese claimed he was “done.”

Fans have been roasting Gibson accusing the Baby Boy star of being in “shambles” over Timothy’s confession.

“The face of a man in shambles😂 why she do him like that?” one user wrote.

“Nah trust me woman be telling the truth with a smile on they face..” added someone else.

The couple has been going strong since 2021 following his divorce from Samantha Gibson in December 2020, People reports

Black-Owned Pet Food Brand, PetPlate, Put To Test With Custom Online Ordering Process
by Sharelle B. McNair

March 27, 2023

Black-Owned Pet Food Brand, PetPlate, Put To Test With Custom Online Ordering Process

Renaldo Webb had one thing on his mind when he found out his dog, Winston, had a sensitive stomach: find better food for dogs to live longer and healthier lives.

Seven years later, the Black-owned brand, PetPlate, is a successful name in the pet food industry. With little to no Black representation in this space, Webb and his company have delivered more than 15 million meals and treats to four-legged friends across the country.

By securing more than $21 million in funding, according to Because of Them We Can, Webb has come a long way from starting the business back in 2016. That year, he told BLACK ENTERPRISE in 2021, his brand was seen by millions on the popular show, Shark Tank. While he didn’t receive any offers from the sharks, one did come from the pet food store Pet Supplies Plus.

The brand is sold in 100 stores across the country.

While it’s selling off the shelves in stores, the real “glow up” comes from PetPlate’s online made-to-order ordering system. A reporter from theGrio ordered for her pet and was amazed by the process, which begins by having pet owners answering some particulars about the dog, like breed, diet, activity level, weight. Users then receive recommended meals and treats.

Days later, a blue PetPlate box will arrive at your door.

 

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The online system aims to make ordering for pet owners easier and accessible, something the brand strives for.

“I believed deeply from my own experiences there was demand for PetPlate, and it has been rewarding to see the impact we’ve had on the lives of tens of thousands of pet parents across the U.S,” Webb said. “There is still more work to be done, but I feel fortunate for what we’ve accomplished to date.”

 

by Atiya Jordan

March 27, 2023

‘The View’s’ Ana Navarro ‘Upset 24 Hours A Day’ In DeSantis’ Florida

Florida gets no love from The View’s Ana Navarro.

During a Friday segment on the daytime show, the co-host and political strategist commented on her disdain for the Sunshine State, crediting GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis. She said Florida’s “insanity” and “manic paranoia” was compelled by his recent tactics.

“They are banning absolutely everything that isn’t the kitchen sink, and tomorrow, I may wake up, and the kitchen sink has been banned,” she said during the broadcast, per The New York Post.

She continued: “They are terrifying teachers. People don’t want to be teachers in Florida.”

During Black History Month, the Republican Florida governor announced he would be cutting all college diversity programs, as well as African-American studies from the educational curriculum. As a result, several authors’ works were expelled for teaching “woke” studies, including Columbia law professor Kimberlé W. Crenshaw and author Ta-Nehisi Coates.

In what The Nation’s DC Bureau Chief Chris Lehmann called “a paranoid rant disguised as campaign memoir,” DeSantis’ political autobiography, The Courage to Be Free blames the left for all his problems.

DeSantis has condemned DEI initiatives for the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, the second-largest bank failure in U.S. history, since the collapse of Washington Mutual in 2008. CNBC reported DeSantis said the bank was worried about the wrong things.

“This bank, they’re so concerned with DEI and politics and all kinds of stuff, I think that really diverted from them focusing on their core mission,” DeSantis said. “We have a massive federal bureaucracy and yet they never seem to be able to be there when [we] need them to be able to prevent something like this.”

After a commercial break, Navarro and her other cohosts agreed they would be much happier if they lived in Finland, which has been ranked as the happiest countries in the world.

“She was upset at 8:30, I was like ‘You need to go to Finland,’” co-host Sunny Hostin said.

Navarro snapped back saying “Maybe if you lived in Florida, you would be upset 24 hours a day too.”

 

 

by Booker Jones

March 27, 2023

Donald Glover Has Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Tossed Out By A Federal Judge

A Manhattan federal judge has dismissed the copyright infringement lawsuit against musician-actor-writer-comedian Donald Glover (aka Childish Gambino) for his 2018 record, “This is America.” 

Billboard reported that Judge Victor Marrero announced that a “comparison with the challenged composition reveals that the content of the choruses is entirely different and not substantially similar.” 

Marrero, also played the role of music critic, observing that Emelike Nqosuocha’s (the artist who filed the lawsuit) lyrics were “short, simple, self-aggrandizing proclamation unlike Gambino’s lyrics, which touched on what “America means to and how it is perceived.” 

According to HypeBeast, Nwosuocha filed the suit nearly two years ago, claiming Glover’s “This Is America,” a massive hit, infringed on the copyright of his own cut “Made in America,” which was first uploaded on SoundCloud in 2016.

“Mr. Nwosuocha is understandably disappointed, and is considering an appeal of the decision,” Nwosuocha’s attorneys, Imran H. Ansari and La’Shawn N. Thomas, said in a statement to Pitchfork. “He stands by his music, creativity, and the independence of grassroots artists to create their own music, and receive credit where credit is due, without the fear of it being apportioned by another.”

Meanwhile, in the winner’s corner, Glover’s attorney, Jonathan D. Davis, said to Pitchfork, “We are very grateful for the court’s decision. No case existed here, as there was no infringement—let alone a copyright registration. That was obvious from a simple comparison of the two songs and a review of the U.S. Copyright Office records.”

Back in 2021, Nwosuocha, who raps under the name Kidd Wes, filed a lawsuit saying the “The Power” rapper copied his song, “Made in America.” Kidd Wes alleged that Gambino’s hook on “This is America” was “unmistakably substantially similar, if not practically identical.”

“No case existed here, as there was no infringement—let alone a copyright registration,” Davis said. “That was obvious from a simple comparison of the two songs and a review of the U.S. Copyright Office records.”

 

by Stacy Jackson

March 27, 2023

University of Memphis Point Guard Charged with Assault After Allegedly Punching Opponent In The Face

It’s never too late to call foul on unsportsmanlike conduct.

University of Memphis point guard Jamirah Shutes has been charged with assault by the Bowling Green State University Police Department after Shutes allegedly punched an opponent, Bowling Green’s Elissa Brett, on Thursday night.

According to Sports Illustrated, Bowling Green Athletics announced the altercation that followed the Falcons’ WNIT win against the Tigers.

“Violence is never acceptable and our priority remains the health, safety and support of our student-athlete, who is recovering and doing well,” the university said in a statement. “This is an active investigation in conjunction with the City of Bowling Green Prosecutor and no further comment is available at this time.”

The reason for the physical exchange remains unclear, and the incident is under investigation.

Fox 13 Memphis reported that the University of Memphis also released a statement addressing the incident.

“The incident that occurred following Thursday’s women’s basketball game was extremely unfortunate and certainly not consistent with, or representative of, our expectations for our programs and student-athletes. Because the incident occurred after the game, jurisdiction falls in the hands of local authorities, and we are cooperating fully with their process. To be respectful of that process, we will not comment further until it is complete,” the university said.

In a video review of the confrontation, both teams lined up to shake hands after Memphis lost 73-60. Footage showed Shutes stop as she approached Brett right before striking her in the face with enough force to knock her to the ground. A teammate is seen escorting Shutes away from Brett after the knockout.

Reportedly, Shutes took an elbow to the face within the final 24 seconds of the opening quarter, played eight minutes of the first half, and was a part of the starting lineup in the second half of Thursday night’s game.

Shutes is a fifth-year player and finished the game as the leading scorer for the Tigers. The basketball star was also a second-team All-AAC selection this season.

by Iman Milner

March 27, 2023

Understanding: Kandi Burruss Responds To LaTocha Scott’s Jokes About Her Voice

All is not well between the ladies of Xscape.

Girl groups are often criticized for their inability to remain together amidst insecurities and senseless squabbles. With the airing of its new show, Queens of R&B, alongside Grammy-award winning group, SWV, the Atlanta-grown Xscape is not beating the allegations.

Lead singer, LaTocha Scott, and songwriting savant Kandi Burruss, have reignited their decades-long feud with a series of videos and comments. In a YouTube video released last week, Scott claims that their beef stems from Burruss’ issues with her taking lead vocals on most of the group’s biggest hits.

“Now let’s be clear,” Scott said, “I never said that she didn’t sing lead, I said she had an issue with me singing lead.” She went on to say that she remembered seeing Burruss crying in the studio during a session with producer Jermaine Dupri. “He’s looking vexed and she looking crazy with tears in her eyes…as I look at him, I’m like, ‘something’s wrong,’ and I need to find out what it is. And when I found out, yeah, she was upset by me singing lead.”

Scott continued poking fun at Burruss by queueing up a viral clip from The Real Housewives of Atlanta that is often used to discredit her singing abilities. This elicited a response from the entrepreneur and Grammy-award winning songwriter, “You are trying to clown a person’s voice whose voice is leading on half the hits that is your claim to fame. The biggest hit that you’ve ever been on, which is ‘Just Kickin’ It,’ is the voice that you’ve been clowning.”

The airing of their new show has caused many fans to pick sides either with Scott or with the group’s other three members, which includes Scott’s sister, Tamika, who is accusing her of stealing $30,000 of her royalty payments.

“Me and you are in a group together,” Burruss added. “We supposed to make money together, we supposed to hit the stage together…but you on your video trying to make jokes about my voice, the same voice [that’s] accomplished more than you with your amazing voice that you try to put out there that you have!”

The jabs did not stop there with Burruss bringing into question LaTocha Scott’s singing abilities: “On top of that, yeah, people been clowning me, but lately they been clowning you, too, for singing them same, tired runs you been singing since 1993. They been clowning you, too, but have I been trying to go online like, ‘oh, she sang them same, tired runs,’ it’s not like I never thought it.”

From the looks of things, it doesn’t seem like either Scott or Burruss are planning to find ‘”Understanding” on this matter any time soon.

A Live Murder? Mississippi Woman Arrested and Charged With Killing Husband on Facebook Live
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 27, 2023

A Live Murder? Mississippi Woman Arrested and Charged With Killing Husband on Facebook Live

Over the weekend, a Mississippi woman was arrested after she was accused of fatally shooting a man on Facebook Live on Saturday.

According to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO), Kadejah Michelle Brown shot and killed her husband during a Facebook Live session. A post on the Facebook page of the police department stated what took place at the residence.

Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a domestic violence call at 500 Green Tree Drive Saturday morning at approximately 7:42 a.m. on March 25, 2023. When the police officers arrived at the location, they arrested Brown and charged her with murder after she allegedly shot her husband at their residence.

The male victim, who The Commercial Dispatch identified as Jeremy Brown, died from a single gunshot wound, according to Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police officials stated that the couple, both 28 years old, had been arguing, and the disagreement turned physical. The incident was reportedly partially seen on a streaming Facebook Live. Only the audio portion of the shooting was on the social media platform.

A nine-millimeter firearm was found at the scene along with other physical evidence, according to the police officers. Kadejah Brown was taken into custody without incident and then taken to the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center. She is being held there awaiting her initial court appearance. There has been no bond set as the incident remains under investigation.

“There was a history of domestic violence between Brown and the victim. This was a tragic and senseless murder and our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of the victim. Fortunately, Brown is in custody and we look forward to the criminal justice system holding her accountable,” Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said.

 

 

Oh, Baby: Da Brat and Jesseca “Judy” Harris Reveal Gender of Baby
by Iman Milner

March 27, 2023

Oh, Baby: Da Brat and Jesseca “Judy” Harris Reveal Gender of Baby

Da Brat and her wife, Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart, are having a boy!

On Saturday, the couple threw a big party for friends and family to celebrate their arrival. The newlyweds shared a photo of them in their matching pink and blue attire on Instagram—-complete with hair to match for the Kaleidoscope Hair Color CEO.

In a later video, the pair revealed that they will be welcoming a baby boy.

Earlier this year, they announced the pregnancy in a sitdown with Sherri Shepherd and debuted their bun in the oven in a People magazine maternity shoot by Derek Blanks earlier this year. The happy news came after many rounds of IVF as documented in their reality show, Brat Loves Judy. Both women found themselves hospitalized from complications surrounding the procedures.

Harris-Dupart came to the relationship with three children of her own; however, the couple was determined to have a child together. When doctors broke the news that the So So Def rapper may never be able to carry children due to her struggles with fibroids, she burst into tears.

The 48-year-old mother-to-be, Da Brat, has seemed happier than ever to be adding to their love story. Her Southern wedding was revealed in all its glory on the couples aforementioned reality show and was attended by the who’s who of Atlanta—over 100 guests—including Jermaine Dupri (who walked Da Brat down the aisle), Porsha Williams, and Lisa Raye McCoy.

“One thing we did not want to do was make this big thing for everybody else—and we do [that] a lot. We show up to everybody. We do a lot for everybody. We wanted this to be our moment. We want to enjoy it,” said Dupart at the time. “We want to show up, express how much we love each other in front of people that we love, but then actually have fun, and just love each other.”

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