Florida Textbook Removes Reference of Rosa Parks’ Race To Adhere To ‘Stop Woke Act’
Everyone knows that Rosa Parks was a Black woman who fought for Black people to have the right to sit where they wanted.
However, publishers are being asked to remove any reference to Parks’ race in Florida to comply with new state law. The Hill reports regulations require that race relations be removed from the lesson to get a Florida committee’s approval. The current lesson, issued by Studies Weekly, is described as “the law said African Americans had to give up their seats on the bus if a white person wanted to sit down.”
An early version of the study was changed to, “she was told to move to a different seat because of the color of her skin,” but then a second version was corrected to read, with race completely erased, read, “she was told to move to a different seat.”
The new social studies curriculum in the Sunshine State prompts the flagging of any topics considered as critical race theory, the hot topic of collegiate-level lessons used to explain systemic racism in the United States. Thanks to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida’s Department of Education mandates the teaching of Black history and critical race theory banned in Florida public schools.
However, in a statement issued by the department, lessons on the iconic civil rights leader and others have been encouraged, regardless of the law. “It would be impossible to teach about the significance of Rosa Parks without discussing her race,” the statement read, according to Business Insider. “Any publisher who attempts to avoid the topic of race when discussing Rosa Parks or topics such as the Civil Rights Movement, slavery, segregation, etc. would not be adhering to Florida law.”
The new standards were implemented last year after DeSantis signed the Stop Woke Act, removing thousands of books not approved by the state from school classrooms, even a grade-level textbook that claims to have mentioned slavery 189 times.
Miami Beach Has A Curfew After After A Deadly Shooting
Miami Beach is on lockdown after the city imposed an overnight curfew during spring break. This comes after two shootings occurred during the popular South Beach Spring Break.
“In response to the two shootings and the excessively large and unruly crowds, and to mitigate dangerous and illegal conduct, the City of Miami Beach has ordered a state of emergency and an 11:59 p.m. curfew to take effect on Sunday, March 19, 2023, through 6 a.m. Monday, March 20, 2023,” a press release said. “The city will hold a special commission meeting on Monday afternoon to discuss potential restrictions beyond Monday.”
According to several news reports, violence broke out during a St. Patrick’s Day celebration during Spring Break. The shooting left one person dead and one person injured.
“On Sunday, March 19 at 3:29 a.m. Miami Beach Police officers heard gunshots near 11 Street and Ocean Drive and found one male with gunshot wounds along the 1000 block of Ocean Drive,” Miami Beach Police tweeted. “The male was transported to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Unit, where he later died. A second victim was injured but treated and released on-site.”
Shooting Investigation: On Sunday, March 19 at 3:29 a.m. Miami Beach Police officers heard gunshots near 11 Street and Ocean Drive and found one male with gunshot wounds along the 1000 block of Ocean Drive.
Some of the rules are as follows, according to the press release.
• Commercial businesses must admit their last guests within a time frame that allows them to leave by 11:59 p.m. each night. Hotels may continue business operations past the curfew, provided they are servicing hotel guests only.
• Businesses other than hotels shall be permitted to continue to operate from 11:59 p.m. – 6 a.m. for delivery only. Takeout and pickup service is prohibited. • The curfew shall not apply to the provision of designated essential services, such as fire, police and hospital services, including the transportation of patients thereto, utility emergency repairs, and emergency calls by physicians, and the curfew shall also not apply to persons traveling to their places of employment to report for work and to return to their residences after their work has concluded.
• All City residents requiring access to or from their homes, guests requiring access to or from their hotels, and employees/service providers of business establishments requiring access, including normally scheduled deliveries and janitorial services, shall be permitted. Residents are advised to return to the City prior to 11:59 p.m., in order to avoid any potential traffic delays once the curfew has taken effect. Hotel guests entering the City after the curfew is in place, may be required to show proof of lodging (such as a hotel reservation). “
Stranger Things at Rick Ross’ Home on the Range Where His Buffaloes Are Roaming in Neighbor’s Yard
“Oh, give me a home where the buffaloes roam….” is not something neighbors of Rick Ross are singing.
According to TMZ, there are buffaloes roaming around—and away from—the hip-hop titan’s property and the neighbors are not exactly happy. In fact, one neighbor is frightened the massive buffaloes, which average 2,000 pounds, will harm one of their small children if they continue to roam in her yard.
The neighbor lives on a plot of land behind Ross’ property in Fayetteville, Georgia. TMZ obtained several photos and videos showing the buffaloes roaming freely on her property. They were recorded in her front yard after she returned home to witness the animals just walking freely on her property. The neighbor also took pictures of the buffaloes grazing on her property near a driveway full of parked cars.
She reportedly went to confront the rapper about the dangers of his buffaloes crossing into her property. Instead of getting the opportunity to speak to the rapper, she spoke to someone on this team and it became a verbal dispute. Nothing was resolved and she feels that the next step would be filing a neighbor dispute with the city.
When she tried calling the police,, she was told it was a civil dispute and nobody took a report.
Rolling Stone reported that Ross was gifted the buffaloes last March from Darius Burton, his partner in the Ethika clothing line. Apparently, the animals came after Burton had a conversation with Ross at his January 2022 birthday party.
Burton said at the time, “I wanted to get him a giraffe, but he wasn’t ready for that commitment so he said, ‘Let’s start smaller, like a cow.’ I said, ‘Nah, everyone has cows, I want you to have something nobody in your state has, I’m getting you a buffalo.’”
D.L. Hughley’s Eldest Daughter Opens Up About Their ‘Tumultuous’ Relationship
D.L. Hughley’s eldest daughter, Ryan Shepard, is opening up about the “tumultuous” relationship she used to have with her famous dad.
The proud mother took to Instagram March 10 to share a candid video clip with Hughley and her daughter Nola. In the caption, Shepard got candid about her scarred history with her father and how her daughter helped mend their broken relationship.
“I’ve never publicly spoken about the fact that until very recently, my dad and I had a fairly tumultuous relationship,” she wrote.
“I thought I’d gotten myself to a place where I decided that I’d stop getting my hopes up that things would ever get better and just accepted what was.”
But, despite their rocky past, Shepard shared how her daughter helped rebuild their father-daughter bond.
“And then, everything changed,” she continued. “Initially, we forged a deeper connection over Nola. But then, my dad stopped calling just to see her and started calling to check on me. We began having the most amazing conversations about anything, everything really.”
Now, through Hughley being a present grandfather to Nola, Shepard is finding healing for scars from her own childhood.
“I’m a late- blooming daddy’s girl and watching the relationship grow between Him (lol) and Nola keeps healing parts of the little girl in me that I thought I’d given up on,” she added.
“If you’ve found yourself in a difficult relationship with a parent, know that even if you can’t see it, it can get better.”
Last year, Shepard came to Hughley’s defense during his messy social media war with fellow comedian Mo’Nique. Shepard entered the chat after Mo’Nique called out Hughley’s past admission of not believing his daughter when she told him she had been sexually assaulted.
“Hi @therealmoworldwide I’m Ryan Nicole Shepard (D.L. Hughley and LaDonna Hughley’s eldest daughter),” Shepard wrote in the comments section of Mo’Nique’s since-deleted post.
“You’ve now publicly disrespected my mother—who I love and care for very much—and my baby sister—who I love and care for very much to get back at my father—who I love, respect and care for very much.”
Puma Contributes Annually to Trust Fund of Nipsey Hussle’s Children
On a recent episode of Earn Your Leisure, we learned from Nipsey Hussle‘s brother that clothing brand Puma contributes money to Nipsey’s children’s trust fund on an annual basis.
Before recording artist Hussle was killed in front of hisMarathon Clothing store in the Hyde Park neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2019, he was involved in a deal with Puma. Six months after his death, Puma honored Hussle by releasing the collection he was personally working on.
“After everything, they came back to the table and made sure the kids was set up straight,” Hussle’s brother, Blacc Sam, told the podcast . “It had nothing to do with sales of clothes or the success of the capsules, just off the top every year they hittin the kids in the trust fund. They did right for Hussle.”
He also mentioned that Puma has been respectful of their collaborations. Instead of focusing on sales (Which have been good for Puma and the family), they are allowing the family to do what Hussle may have done himself.
“They allowed us to also do the collabs and do it the way we wanna do it. It’s not about selling a lot of units or printing up a lot of t-shirts and going wild. It’s just let’s do it tastefully, let’s come in with the Hussle way.”
The well-known and liked 33-year-old Hussle was killed in 2019 by a childhood acquaintance, Eric R. Holder Jr., who was recently sentenced to 60 years to life in prison.
A petition was started to rename the intersection of Slauson Avenue and Crenshaw Boulevard near Hussle’s store to “Nipsey Hussle Square.” On the day of his funeral, the City Council announced it would be renamed Ermias “Nipsey Hussle”Asghedom Square to honor the rapper and fashion mogul’s contributions to the neighborhood.
Michael B. Jordan Recalls Applying to Fast Food Job After ‘The Wire’ Success
Michael B. Jordan wasn’t always a highly sought-after Hollywood star. He can recall the days of applying to fast food jobs as a struggling actor.
It wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for Jordan after his standout role as 15-year-old Wallace in The Wire, the acclaimed HBO dramatic series. The Creed III star remembered when people recognized him on the street for his onscreen role but had no idea he was struggling to make ends meet.
Times were so tough, Jordan applied to Jack In The Box with a fellow A-list actor to put some money in his pocket.
“Me and Sterling applying to Jack in the Box. You know what I mean?” he revealed on the “RnB Money” podcast.
He said the experience fueled his desire to succeed as an actor.
“And these n***as gonna know who I am. So it’s not like oh it’s just a random person. I was willing to take the L.,” he shared.
Fans applauded Jordan for sharing his humble beginnings as an up-and-coming screen star.
“This is so real. Appreciate the transparency,” one fan wrote.
“He gets it🔥🔥🔥 Working in the industry and the pride attached won’t pay these bills❤️,” added someone else.
Jordan got the last laugh years later when he became one of the most in-demand Black actors today. His recent directorial debut in Creed III proved to be a success with the film’s huge opening (the largest-ever in the U.S. for a sports movie) surpassing initial expectations, according toThe Hollywood Reporter.
The boxing flick did $58.6 domestically and raked had a $41.8 million start globally. Other credible films under Jordan’s belt include the Black Panther franchise, Without Remorse, Fruitvale Station (with director Ryan Coogler, a frequent collaborator), and Just Mercy.
Bent on Breaking Spirits: Spirit Airlines Apologizes After Surveillance Video Catches Worker Throwing Away Passenger’s Belongings
Gate agents at New Orleans’ Armstrong International Airport have been suspended pending an investigation after cameras caught them tossing a man’s personal items into the trash, WWLTV reported. The airline also agreed to compensate the man for the belongings inside the bag.
Keyonne Brooks was headed back to Los Angeles from his uncle’s funeral in New Orleans on February 19 when he got into a disagreement with the gate agent over checking his large suitcase.
Keyonne Brooks (Screenshot: CBS)
“She said that I’d have to reschedule my flight instead of doing a gate check, and I knew that was not true because of my travels with my nonprofit,” he recalled.
After speaking with a manager, Brooks agreed to pay an extra fee to bring the suitcase with him on the plane. But he ended up forgetting his small carry-on bag at the gate.
He was told to file a lost and found report, but when the suitcase never arrived, he asked the airport for the surveillance footage. That’s when Brooks was shocked to see the worker keep some of his belongings while throwing his life-saving medication into the trash.
The staffers were also seen taking cell phone pictures and laughing before throwing away his keys.
“There were my house keys, my car keys,” he said. “When I got back to L.A., I was not able to get into my home right away. I was not even able to start my car. Everything was halted until I paid locksmiths.”
Brooks is finding it difficult to watch the footage showing the workers tossing out his personal belongings.
“I still have not been able to watch the entire video because it’s just too gut-wrenching for me,” Brooks said.
“And knowing the medication that I had in there is very expensive, very hard to get, and I needed it. It’s taken a lot out of me. I’m just appalled at their behavior.”
Brooks has since hired an attorney after being told the airline and airport would only compensate him for half of what was lost. Despite the stressful ordeal, Brooks still plans on returning to New Orleans.
“Oh, I certainly want to come back to New Orleans, because my father lives there, and my siblings, but I certainly will never take Spirit Airlines again,” he said.
Tamar Braxton’s Fiancé Comes to Her Defense After One of His Four Baby Mommas Goes on a Rant Against Singer
Tamar Braxton’s fiancé Jeremy “JR” Robinson is coming to her defense after one of his four baby mamas called out the R&B singer on social media.
Robinson and Tamar found love on Peacock’s “Queens Court” and have been going strong ahead of their engagement and the show’s premiere. But with Robinson being a father of five children by four different women, things were bound to get messy sooner or later.
Braxton recently found herself on the receiving end of a scathing Instagram rant by Robinson’s ex Anaston Jeni, with whom he shares a two-year-old son. Jeni issued the rant after the Grammy-nominated singer made mention of having a great relationship with her fiancé’s five kids and their mothers, Page Sixreported.
“I have sat in silence for over a year, respecting everyone’s privacy while they disrespected mine,” Jeni wrote Friday.
“I’ve sat in silence while this person has come into my son’s life and caused nothing but chaos and unnecessary drama.”
Jeni said the Braxton Family Values star is “in no way a bonus or stepmom” to her and Robinson’s son and accused the singer of saying “demeaning, disrespectful, & outrageous things” about her co-parenting relationship with Robinson and has caused him “to miss visitation weekends and birthdays.”
Hours after Jeni’s rant, Robinson defended Braxton and tried to the peace between his fiancé and exes.
“@TamarBraxton has always been an amazing mother and spoiled my children with love!” Robinson wrote on his Instagram Stories.
“The mother’s [sic] of my children have been put in the public eye because of me and that’s unfair to them.”
“They have been nothing short of amazing to my children. Sometimes a difference of opinion with no conversation to clear up miscommunication creates a bad cycle,” he continued. “I want everyone to be peaceful and will do my best to foster that.”
Djimon Hounsou Explains Why He Feels ‘Cheated’ Out of Flourishing Acting Career
Djimon Hounsou is known for his standout roles in renowned films such as Blood Diamond, Amistad, and Gladiator, but the Academy Award-nominated actor still feels “cheated” out of finding financial success in Hollywood.
Honsou, 58, sounded off amid the release of his latest role as the Wizard in DC’s superhero flick, Shazam! Fury of the Gods. Despite more than three decades of groundbreaking roles that has garnered two Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe award, the Benin-born actor feels overworked and underpaid.
“I’m still struggling to try to make a dollar!” Hounsou toldGuardian.
“I’ve come up in the business with some people who are absolutely well off and have very little of my accolades. So I feel cheated, tremendously cheated, in terms of finances and in terms of the workload as well.”
The Thor star went on to reveal some of the stigmas and assumptions made about him by Hollywood execuses.
“I’ve gone to studios for meetings and they’re like: ‘Wow, we felt like you just got off the boat and then went back [after ‘Amistad’]. We didn’t know you were here as a true actor,’” Hounsou continued.
“When you hear things like that, you can see that some people’s vision of you, or what you represent, is very limiting. But it is what it is. It’s up to me to redeem that.”
Despite 33 years of acclaimed portrayals and onscreen success, Honsou still feels it’s not enough.
“I still have to prove why I need to get paid,” he shared.
“They always come at me with a complete low ball: ‘We only have this much for the role, but we love you so much and we really think you can bring so much’…Film after film, it’s a struggle. I have yet to meet the film that paid me fairly.”
And it’s not just white studio execs and directors who doubted him, Honsou recalled the days when he faced criticism from his own community.
“I felt seriously cheated,” Hounsou said.
“Today, we talk so much about the Oscars being so white, but I remember there was a time when I had no support at all: no support from my own people, no support from the media, from the industry itself. It felt like: ‘You should be happy that you’ve got nominated,’ and that’s that.”
Honsou also credited DC for making his character a little more “respectful” in the Shazam sequel after a minor role in the 2019 installment.
“From time to time, [Hollywood] themselves make the point of saying: ‘We should give him more, he’s a little under-appreciated.’ I think they recognize that themselves,” Hounsou said. “Hey, it’s the struggle I have to overcome!”
Women of Power Professionals Unlock Impact on a Larger Scale with Keys to the Boardroom
OK, ladies, now let’s get in position!
It was an exciting morning to see so many women turn out for the “Keys to the Boardroom session,” hosted by Gilead, during BLACK ENTERPRISE’s 2023 Women of Power Summit.
Ready with note-taking tools in hand to dive into the necessary tips for getting involved in board service and how to best position themselves for directorships, the roomful of women was enthused about moving forward in the corporate world.
Executive Vice President of Corporate Affairs and General Counsel at Gilead and Independent Director at Atricure, Inc., Deborah H. Telman, broke down the different types of boards in terms of public company boards, private equity boards, and mutual funds.
“Many people know and understand the idea of public company boards,” which Telman noted was the type she is a part of. “That’s just one type of board you can think about,” she said while continuing to expound on private equity boards.
“There’s a whole different process in terms of how you connect with private equity” she added, noting its importance on building relationships.
“They have a different focus, but generally, they will have a large stake in a private company and they will appoint board members who certainly represent that private equity firm.”
“There’s also mutual funds,” which Telman concluded is another type of board that needs directors.
Panelist Arlene Isaacs-Lowe, independent board director for Equitable Holdings, Inc, Xenia Hotels and Resorts, Inc., and Compass Group PLC chimed in saying, “I think as things have evolved, especially around the demand for more diverse board members, they’re now looking at functional expertise.”
She emphasized that a board role is nothing like having a job.
“You have to vet it like a marriage,” she added, giving her perspective of a public company. Isaacs-Lowe explained that being board ready means that an individual has taken time to deeply examine a particular area.
Telman brought up the limitation that many companies will only allow individuals to join a certain amount of public boards.
“So, you also need to make sure you talk to your manager, senior executives, to make sure that they’re comfortable with you joining a board,” Telman shared. “Many companies encourage it because it is an area where you can learn expertise [and] leadership. It helps you be a better leader at your company, but it’s something you will have to have a conversation with in terms of your manager.”
Telman believes being a part of these boardrooms takes a combination of IQ and EQ. “That obviously comes from life experiences,” she said.
“As you look at your skill-set, you should think about, where is my skill-set? Where is that going to play well? Because that means you’re going to show up much better in those interviews when you have something that you can offer,” Telman added.
It’s important for those seeking to join a board to reflect on the types of experiences they’ve had. For example, having experience in different locales could work in the favor of someone thinking about a multinational board.
“Cultural competency is always an important aspect of being able to be successful in markets outside of the U.S.,” Issacs-Lowe said. “You have to be mindful of…can I be in the trenches with these people?” she continued. “…The ability to sort of express that during an interview is very important, and it takes finesse.”
Pamela Puryear, independent board director for SpartanNash, NextGen Healthcare, and Standard Motor Products, made one thing very clear to the women in the room.
“When you start moving into the board worlds, it’s a whole new set of learnings,” she said. “One negative vote can take you off a slate in a board. They don’t spend a lot of time debating.”
She was very straightforward in delivering the message that one has to be willing to give up their C-suite role comfort level and be able to move into a boardroom where someone else is in charge of executing the plan.
“For the most part, when people say your name, something very positive is expressed, it is very very important in the board world that that is the case.”
