• Politics

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 17, 2023

Major Key Alert: Top House Democrat Jim Clyburn Endorses Brandon Johnson For Mayor of Chicago

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Pushing Lori Lightfoot to the side, Chicago has new Black leadership on the rise and he has some heavy hitters backing him up.

Jim Clyburn (D-SC) has given his blessing to Brandon Johnson in his campaign for mayor of Chicago, according to HuffPost.

The assistant House Democratic leader is leaning on Johnson to consolidate the support of Black voters, of all ages, including older Black voters who may be skeptical of Johnson’s left-wing views on issues such as policing and taxation.

“I am proudly supporting Brandon Johnson for Mayor of Chicago,” Clyburn said in a statement. “Commissioner Johnson is a man of family, faith and public service, and I know those core values will guide his leadership as Mayor.”

The two leaders bonded over after meeting earlier this month in Selma, Alabama for the annual commemoration of the 1965 “Bloody Sunday” march for voting rights. Clyburn says he connected with Johnson on a personal level, discussing their similarities in upbringings and their shared admiration of the 20th-century Black civil rights movement.

“Commissioner Johnson and I share many characteristics: our spirit of activism, our professional beginnings as public school teachers, our commitment to justice, and we are both PKs (Preacher Kids),” he said. “Commissioner Johnson will be a Mayor who does everything in his power to make Chicago safe for all, and I am proud to support him.”

Johnson has been described as “progressive” while he wears the hat of Cook County commissioner. He is running against Paul Vallas, who is known as being a “centrist” and former CEO of Chicago Public Schools. CNN reports both went head to head in debates Thursday night as Vallas accused the 46-year-old of supporting the “defund the police” movement. Johnson held no bars claiming his opponent has plans to hire more police officers, saying the process would be “slow and unrealistic.”

Chris Brown has made dancing on one lucky fan a part of his routine at live shows. But his latest X-rated dance break is being called “aggressive” for how he grabbed one woman’s throat.

The “Forever” singer was performing in Manchester, England, on March 13 when Love Island star Natalia Zoppa was pulled on stage to receive a lap dance from the R&B star.

Brown was performing his hit “Take You Down,” the live performance of which typically involves him grinding and winding all over a lucky fan. At one point the singer places one hand around Zoppa’s throat.

Chris Brown holds Love Island star by the throat during lap dance at Manchester gig pic.twitter.com/oR1c6csnFY

— The Independent (@Independent) March 17, 2023

The reality star didn’t seem to mind as she smiled throughout the dance routine. She even reposted the video clip to her social media, as noted by The Independent.

But after the Daily Mail reported about the routine and accused Brown of holding Zoppa’s throat, many sounded off.

“Aggressive as usual,” one user wrote.

“I guess she gave consent beforehand?” another speculated.

“She looks really really distressed,” one person claimed.

But there were many who defended Brown, noting how often he uses the move on stage with fans who show no discomfort with his performance.

“Oh ssssh, she would of completely known what she was getting herself into, he does this at all his shows,” one fan wrote. “Daily mail trying to make a problem that isn’t there yet again.”

“This is literally part of his show he has done it nearly every time he has performed 😂 media is an absolute joke- I’m sure she weren’t complaining 😂,” added someone else.

“It’s music, she’s not complaining and leave him alone,” one fan observed.

Most recently, Chris Brown faced criticism after throwing a fan’s phone into the audience during the same dance number after she failed to stop recording and just enjoy the moment.

https://twitter.com/YouKnowTheVib/status/1631282762308108288?s=20

Black Enterprise sat down with the cast of Peacock’s “Queens Court” to get the inside scoop from Tamar Braxton, Evelyn Lozada, and Nivea about their televised journeys to find love.

Hosted by Hollywood power couple Holly Robinson Peete and Rodney Peete, the new show, from mega-producer Will Packer, brings together three famous, single Queens for an epic new dating series where a revolving group of men competes for their hearts.

The ladies will be doing away with their old habits that led to heartache after heartbreak and trying new things with the help of the Peetes.

“You can expect real women in a real sisterhood really putting themselves out there and dating in a non-traditional way,” Nivea told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

With Peacock releasing the full season on their streaming platform, word of Tamar’s engagement to finalist JR Robinson has already hit the press. The four-time Grammy nominee accepted Robinson’s proposal during the finale and an update during the episode confirmed the pair were still going strong six months later, as noted by People.

She and Robinson seemingly confirmed their romance last August when she shared the birthday party she threw for the father of five. While speaking with BLACK ENTERPRISE, Tamar teased her readiness to find true love on the show.

“We are in our mid-40s and we are still looking for love and it’s not easy,” she explained.

“The truth is you really just have to trust the process and put yourself out there.

Evelyn also found love with finalist Lavon Lewis and accepted his proposal that came on her birthday last December, ET reports. The “Basketball Wives” star told BLACK ENTERPRISE the mindset she had going into the dating competition show.

“I was really looking for love,” Evelyn declared.

After considering how hard it was for her to find a good guy in real life since she isn’t that social, Lozada thought the show would be a great way for her to “meet an amazing guy,” she said. And she ended up doing just that!

Press Play below to hear more about what viewers can expect from Peacock’s “Queens Court” from the hosts and cast.

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 17, 2023

Black Man Sues Wisconsin Police Officers Who Detained Him While With White Grandmother

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A Black man riding with his white grandmother was ordered to get out of his vehicle and forced to get on his knees by police at gunpoint. He was then arrested and placed in the back of a police car, all because he was Black. Now, he has filed a federal lawsuit against the police officers.

According to WISN, police officers from Wauwatosa, WI only stopped and detained Akil Carter, because he was a Black man in a blue Lexus with his grandmother, Paulette Barr, who is white and was sitting in the passenger seat. Her friend, Sandra Adams, who is also white, was in the driver’s seat navigating the car.

Carter was only 18 years of age when this happened nearly five years ago in September 2018.

The two white women, Barr and Adams testified at the trial on Monday, explaining to the jury of four white women and three white men, that when the police officer’s lights came on behind them they were clueless as to why they were getting pulled over.

The police officer who pulled them over, Officer Patrick Kaine claimed that while in his squad car, another man he referred to as a “tipster” had made a U-turn and pulled over to tell him that there was a robbery going down. He said the man told him that the alleged crime was taking place in a blue Lexus at the next intersection. Kaine admitted that the “tipster” never disclosed how he knew that the alleged crime was happening or how he saw what was supposedly taking place. But stated that this “tipster” seemed “adamant” that the robbery was going down.

Kaine then went to go pull the blue Lexus over.

The police officer then stated it was a “high-risk” traffic stop and called for backup. Dash camera video shows Kaine pulling out his .40 caliber Glock service weapon as he heads toward the car. Another police officer is placing Carter in handcuffs after being instructed to get out of the car with his hands up, to the sidewalk and walk backward toward the police officers.

The officers then proceed to take Carter back to the police car and placed him in the back of the squad car.

After going back to the car Carter was riding in, Kaine is told that he is her grandson.  He tells Barr that he was given the wrong information and only apologized for receiving bad information but not for the arrest.

Carter was held for six minutes before they decided to release him, according to the defense attorneys.

Carter’s attorney Joy Bertrand expressed to the jury that the police officers violated Carter’s Fourth Amendment right, the “foundation of this case and freedom.”

Bertrand argued that they had no evidence or proof that a crime was being committed in that blue Lexus.

Carter will be taking the stand in the case as well. He is suing for damages in the civil case as he said he suffered emotional distress and trauma following the traffic stop.

After three seasons of hosting Dancing With the Stars, Tyra Banks is exiting her post to focus on her business and entrepreneurial efforts.

The famed supermodel and television personality is ready to put her focus on her ice cream company SMiZE & Dream, TMZ reported. “I feel it’s time for me to really focus on my business and entrepreneurship, but also producing more TV but behind the scenes,” she said Friday.

“So, you know what? I think it’s time to graduate from the dance floor to the stock market floor.”

Banks has hosted DWTS since 2020; past winner Alfonso Ribeiro joined her in 2022. She has stayed true to her brand by modeling a number of designer looks on the show.

But the America’s Next Top Model creator has other passion projects that need her attention.

“I think my heart, my soul is into my business, it’s also into producing new TV,” Banks explained.

“I really, really wanna focus on my business and you can’t do that hosting a show, so you’ll see me creating things, not just hosting.”

The Life Size star felt comfortable hosting DWTS after spearheading her model competition reality show for two decades.

“A lot of the things I see Dancing With the Stars‘ judges saying to the stars are very similar to what Top Model judges say to the models in the making,” she told E! News in September 2020.

“It’s about presence, it’s about commitment, it’s about pushing all the way through. It’s about modeling or dancing from head to toe, from fingertips to toes.”

Her time on the show was initially met with criticism from viewers who felt the supermodel wasn’t the right fit for the job. She responded to the backlash at the time on TikTok by sharing her mantra: “Forgive yourself when you mess up and keep going.”

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 17, 2023

United States Government In Talks To Update Country’s Race and Ethnic Categories

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There seems to be some confusion on the difference between “Black” and “African-American,” so your government officials are doing something about that.

NBC News reports the White House’s Office of Management and Budget will host virtual town halls. On the agenda? The decision on new race and ethnicity classifications. Over 4,000 comments have been presented before the Biden administration while it considers updating these categories as early as next year.

The proposal recommends removing the words “Negro” and “Far East”  from federal government forms since they are regarded as derogatory. Terms like “majority” and “minority” would also disappear due to officials failing to reflect on the nation’s complex racial and ethnic diversity. Many Black Americans with enslaved ancestors have mentioned to the OMB that they would like to be identified in a category such as American Freedmen, Foundational Black Americans, or American Descendants of Slavery.

This would separate them from being acknowledged as Black immigrants as well as reflecting their ancestors’ history in the United States.

Byron Haskins, who identifies as African-American, told NBC News that setting up categories places people in a box. “When you set up categories that are used to place people in boxes, sometime you miss the truth of them,” Haskins, who provided a comment to the Biden administration, said. He actually suggested eliminating race categories like “white” and “Black” all together as they perpetuate “deeply rooted unjust socio-political constructs.”

The Seattle Times reported there is a growing number of census respondents who’ve selected the “some other race” category for more than 30 years. Sara Curran, a sociology professor at the University of Washington, said this is what causing these updates. “These categories change as communities form and identify themselves and become differentially meaningful over time, and we need to keep up with that,” Curran said. “In order to be a good government, you have to know who you’re governing.”

In 2020, census results show that “some other race” beat out African Americans as the country’s second-largest racial group. April 12 is the last day to submit comments on the proposed changes to the OMB.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is at a crossroads.

According to the NBA team, Ball, who has been with the team since 2021, will undergo a cartilage transplant on his left knee. He will not play the rest of the 2022-23 season and he may miss most of next season.

This is the third time Ball will have surgery on his knee since joining the Bulls.

Injury Update: Lonzo Ball will undergo a cartilage transplant in his left knee. He will remain out indefinitely.

Tap below for quotes from Lonzo & AK:

— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) March 16, 2023

Ball released a statement through the Bulls: 

Idris Elba is staying true to his mission to support the birth of more film and television projects in the motherland of Africa.

Elba’s new partnership with Mo Abudu’s EbonyLife was announced on Thursday. As part of the venture, Elba’s Green Door Pictures and Abudu’s EbonyLife are teaming up to back film and TV projects, and new talent from Africa and the African diaspora, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The partnership aims to “empower and uplift talent from Africa and the Diaspora” by providing the backing needed to produce a slate of film and TV projects and support up-and-coming creatives and executives from Africa.

Through the initiative, Green Door and EbonyLife will “build capacity and foster authentic representation” globally that give “stories from Africa and its Diaspora” the same “level of attention and respect as other cultures and communities.”

“I have always been passionate about using my platform to make a positive impact,” Elba said.

“By partnering with Mo, we aim to offer free, world-class industry education to the next generation of storytellers and bring their authentic voices to the forefront.”

“This partnership is a step toward creating a more inclusive and diverse media landscape, one that represents the voices and experiences of Africa and its Diaspora around the world,” he added.

Film and TV projects that share “authentic, Afro-centric stories” will be co-produced by Green Door Pictures and EbonyLife Media. In addition to backing the production efforts, the partnership will also support emerging talent through education, training, and mentorship to help inspire African talent to pursue careers in entertainment.

EbonyLife’s creative academy in Lagos will be used as a model that will be rolled out across the continent.

“We believe that Africa has the talent and the stories to captivate the world,” Abudu said.

“It’s our mission to offer the best in industry education, mentorship, and production opportunities so that our graduates can become valuable contributors to the global media landscape. We plan to hit the ground running and explore the very best that African and Black stories have to offer global audiences.”

Walt Disney World has a new attraction that will have you catching your breath, clutching your pearls and running to the back of the line for another chance to soar on the motorcycle seat of the TRON Lightcycle/Run.

Next month, visitors to Walt Disney World will finally get the chance to mount TRON Lightcycle / Run Presented by Enterprise at Tomorrowland on April 4, which brings the 40-plus-year-old fan favorite, classic movie back to life.

This week, BLACK ENTERPRISE was invited to do a ride-along and try out TRON and the experience was like no other and gave me an adrenaline rush and had my heart pumping with pleasure. The ride burst me into another realm with the electrifying lights leading the way. I don’t think I even remember the ride because I was too busy screaming at the top of my lungs and afraid that I would lose my glasses to gravity. But I didn’t.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kia Morgan Smith (@kiamorgansmith)

Tron is TRULY a ride for the thrill seeker because it delivers the kind of heart palpitating fun that feeds the soul of any motorcycle road rebel or wanna-be biker like me. I hopped off the ride completely in awe because Tron was a whirlwind. It’s fast, furious and fun all rolled up into one!

Located in Magic Kingdom Park, it is the fastest coaster attraction in a Disney theme park, alongside its sister coaster at Shanghai Disneyland. The attraction masterfully blends coaster thrills with speed, visual effects, music and a one-of-a-kind ride system to create an experience like no other.

“As you’re walking through the attraction you’ll see different nods to the Iron legacy film and some other things from the original Tron film and so we’re carrying that story forward and bringing it here to Tommorrowland,” Missy Renard, Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering Research and Development told BLACK ENTERPRISE during an onsite interview Tuesday, March 14.

“I think what I’m most excited about is for guests to just experience this. There are just so many wonderful things from this beautiful canopy which if you get to see it in the evening it is absolutely gorgeous with the lighting and how it syncs to music and just being on the thrill ride itself. It’s just exhilarating experience…. And the screams, when you hear those go off and just the joy people are getting from it, that’s my favorite part,” Renard explained.

A virtual queue will be in place when TRON Lightcycle / Run opens and guests will also have the option to purchase individual Lightning Lane entry for the attraction via the My Disney Experience app on the day of their visit.

“It’s one of our most thrilling attractions and the fastest ride here at Magic Kingdom,” Alex Gonzalez, an associate with the Disney PR team said. “Who hasn’t dreamed of being inside the internet. We have all been online, but this ride takes inside the grid.”

Disney topped off our day riding TRON with a magical celebration in Tomorrowland with food and fireworks galore.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kia Morgan Smith (@kiamorgansmith)

Thank you Disney for the wonderful hospitality and invite. 

Ciara’s primarily nude dress was all the rage at the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party. But CiCi wasn’t the only A-lister who bared all on Hollywood’s biggest night.

The “Goodies” singer stole the show on Sunday night in her sparkly sheer Dundas that had a plunging v-neckline, as captured by Us Weekly. Ciara paired the look with black velvet gloves, a black thong, and black open-toe shoes.

Her NFL star husband Russell Wilson looked dapper in a black blazer, button-up shirt, and tailored trousers. It was a night out for the happily married pair and parents.

But once CiCi’s look made its rounds across social media, many called out the mother of three for baring it all on the red carpet.

https://twitter.com/moiciaratoo/status/1635203351666393088

“How thirsty,” one Twitter user quipped.

“This is what we show our daughters,” added someone else.

Another user claimed Wilson appeared visibly bothered by all the attention over Ciara’s dress.

“Russell doesn’t look happy at all,” they claimed.

However, Ciara was just one of many stars who stuck to this year’s trend of barely-there dresses. According to Elle Australia, the “naked dress” trend was the way to go for this year’s Oscars after-party.

Social media was quick to call out the hypocrisy of people criticizing Ciara for wearing a see-through dress while seemingly ignoring the fact that stars like Hunter Schafer, Emily Ratajakowski, Olivia Wilde, stuck to the theme, which was apparently “Old Hollywood glam barely there.”

https://twitter.com/ReallyRemona/status/1635845831273185281?s=20

After coming under fire, Ciara took to TikTok Thursday to post a comical response to all of the backlash.

“Selective outrage,” she captioned the post.

@ciaraSelective outrage 😭♬ original sound – Devon Guzzie

The “Level Up” singer sported a white bed sheet, a sleek bob, and sunglasses while sounds of paparazzi snapping photos played in the background. The caption was a nod to Chris Rock’s recent Netflix comedy special under the same name.