Mitchell & Ness Appoints Don C as Creative Director of Premium Goods
Mitchell & Ness, a premier worldwide purveyor of nostalgic sportswear and premium streetwear, announced the appointment of Don Crawley, professionally known as Don C, as the new Creative Director of Premium Products. A notable figure in streetwear culture and often regarded as one of the most influential creatives, Don C is the founder of the Just Don brand and owner of fashion shopping staple, RSVP Gallery, in Chicago.
This appointment strengthens the long-standing relationship between Mitchell & Ness and Don C, who first partnered in 2011 with the release of luxury Just Don caps. Since then, the two have collaborated on product lines like NBA Jam, No Name, and other premium apparel and headwear collections.
The appointment of Don C comes on the heels of significant growth and expansion for Mitchell & Ness. Last year, the company was acquired by global digital sports platform, Fanatics, and a strategic ownership group comprised of some of the most prominent names in sports, entertainment, and business.
“Don is truly an icon and visionary, and after having worked with him for many years we’re ecstatic to have him formally join the Mitchell & Ness family,” said Kevin Wulff, CEO of Mitchell & Ness. “Fans of the brand can look forward to exciting new products across all leagues that will fuse the brand’s heritage with Don C’s cutting-edge creative vision.”
In addition to bringing a fresh set of ideas and culturally relevant moments for the brand, one of the first collaborative projects includes launching the MLB “Cooperstown Collection” in April, surrounding MLB’s season opener. The launch will include Just Don premium shorts celebrating the MLB’s most recent expansion teams: Colorado Rockies, Florida Marlins, Arizona Diamondbacks and Tampa Bay Rays.
Beyond that, Don C will be an integral part of rolling out the new collection of NBA shorts and headwear designed to celebrate some of basketball’s earliest and greatest foreign NBA players, including Drazen Petrovich, Tony Parker, and Toni Kukoc.
Don C enthusiastically spoke about joining the brand in an official capacity, stating, “Working with Mitchell & Ness is a dream come true. I grew up on throwbacks and sportswear, so it’s an honor to be able to impact something that affected me so much through my creative journey and love of sports. I’m looking forward to storytelling and creating more timeless products alongside the Mitchell & Ness team.”
Fans can shop the Mitchell & Ness x Just Don collection featuring NBA, MLB, and NFL apparel at www.mitchellandness.com.
Penguin Random House Drops Scott Adams’ Book After Racist Rant
Portfolio, the business imprint of the world’s largest book publisher, Penguin Random House, will not publish Scott Adams’ book Reframe Your Brain, The Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, days after a racist rant by the “Dilbert” cartoon creator.
The publisher did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while Adams could not be reached.
On his YouTube channel last week, Adams called Black Americans a “hate group” and suggested white Americans “get the hell away from Black people” in response to a conservative organization’s poll purporting to show that many African Americans do not think it’s okay to be white.
In response, many U.S. newspapers dropped “Dilbert,” and the rant ignited a furor on social media.
Portfolio has published books by Adams before, including How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big.
Meanwhile, billionaire Elon Musk, responding to newspapers dropping the cartoon, said the U.S. media was racist.
“For a *very* long time, US media was racist against non-white people, now they’re racist against whites & Asians. Same thing happened with elite colleges & high schools in America,” Musk tweeted on Sunday.
“Maybe they can try not being racist.”
(Reporting by Reuters/Eva Mathews in Bengaluru; Editing by Maju Samuel)
Virginia State University to Host National Leaders to Discuss Criminal Justice Reform
Virginia State University has partnered with entertainment and business leaders to bring attention to the importance of criminal justice reform and advocacy. REFORM Alliance, founded by recording artist Meek Mill and others, will convene VSU students and local leaders to engage them on this critical issue.
On February 28, REFORM will visit the VSU campus and hold a series of conversations to raise awareness about the criminal justice system and activate students to get involved in criminal justice reform. This is one of the first stops by REFORM at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) across the country.
The day will kick off with a fireside chat focusing on probation and parole reform, grassroots organizing, and how young people can become criminal justice reform advocates. The discussion will feature Robert Rooks, CEO of REFORM Alliance, and take place from 9-10:30 a.m. in the VSU Multipurpose Center.
Following the fireside chat, there will be an Instagram Live conversation conducted by VSU students and featuring influencers and tastemakers Wallo and Gillie, hosts of the popular podcast Million Dollaz Worth of Game. You can tune in via REFORM and VSU’s Instagram channels. The day will conclude with a block party, pep rally, and swag giveaways for students.
“In 2020, we launched the John Mercer Langston Institute (JMLI) for African American Political Leadership to create change makers in this country,” said Dr. Wes Bellamy, Chair of the VSU Department of Political Science and Director of the JMLI. “This event is another opportunity to continue cultivating informed black leaders at Virginia State University who will go into the community as change makers.”
“Young people have always been the engine of change for this country,” said Robert Rooks, CEO of REFORM Alliance. “If we really want to change the criminal justice system, we need young people to be involved. We are thrilled to partner with Virginia State University to inspire the next generation of criminal justice reform advocates.”
Last year, REFORM launched its HBCU partnerships with a visit to Livingstone College in North Carolina. Since its inception in 2019, REFORM has passed 16 pieces of legislation in 10 states and created pathways for 650,000 people to exit the justice system.
The nonprofit organization was founded in the wake of the #FreeMeek movement. REFORM Board Members include award-winning recording artist Meek Mill; Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin; Arnold Ventures co-founder Laura Arnold; entrepreneur and business mogul Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter; philanthropist and pediatrician Dr. Priscilla Chan; Kraft Group CEO and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Galaxy Digital CEO and founder Michael E. Novogratz; Vista Equity Partners founder, chairman, CEO Robert F. Smith; BSE Global Vice Chair, Founder of The Joe and Clara Tsai Foundation and Governor of the New York Liberty Clara Wu Tsai. Veteran criminal justice advocate Robert Rooks leads the organization as CEO.
To learn more about the REFORM Alliance, visit reformalliance.com.
New Documentary Takes Hard Look at Tobacco Industry’s Predatory Tactics for New Generations
Six years after his seminal short film Black Lives/Black Lungs documented the decades-long campaign transforming menthol into a Black cigarette, filmmaker and former Truth Initiative fellow Lincoln Mondy released his follow-up documentary, exposing the tobacco industry’s manipulative efforts to skirt federal regulations.
Black Lives/Black Lungs: The Journey of a Stolen Leaf unravels the industry’s forward-looking strategy of protecting profits, subverting regulations, and maintaining influence through the promotion of e-cigarettes to hook a new generation on nicotine. The short film is available today for wide release on YouTube.
“After exploring the connection between Black people and the tobacco industry with ‘Black Lives/Black Lungs,’ I knew there was more to the story that needed to be shared,” stated Mondy. “As I’ve watched the explosion of the e-cigarette market in recent years leading to the youth e-cigarette epidemic, the parallels between the marketing of this new product and the way that the industry targeted the Black community with menthol cigarettes couldn’t be ignored. Past is prologue, and I hope this film does its part to shine a spotlight on the practices that tobacco companies are bringing out once again to ensnare a new generation.”
With nearly 9 in 10 Black smokers currently using menthol cigarettes – including 94.8% of Black teenage smokers aged 12-17 – and with tobacco use as the number one cause of preventable death among Black Americans with 45,000 dead each year, Black Lives/Black Lungs: The Journey of a Stolen Leaf explores the history of the tobacco industry and how it was built on the backs of Black slaves. As colonizers pillaged and stole land from indigenous communities, they also stole their sacred plant, tobacco, turning it into a cash crop. By 1630, over a million and a half pounds of tobacco were being exported from Jamestown every year, setting into motion tobacco as an early justification for slavery and the billion-dollar industry we know today.
After connecting Big Tobacco to colonization, slavery, and capitalism, Mondy takes viewers to the present by focusing on flavors and industry tactics as connective tissues tying together traditional cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Experts and advocates provide commentary and examples of the industry’s playbook: buy Black influence, sow doubt in science, and subvert regulation. By stepping into the origins of the industry and the origins of traditional cigarettes, Mondy presents a visual and detailed case showing how Big Tobacco has never been far from its origins, and the dangers of allowing an industry unfettered access to dust off their old predatory tactics for new generations.
The film features numerous experts and longtime champions of calling out predatory tactics used by the tobacco industry, including:
Alexandria Duruji, public health advocate
Denise A. Smith, Senior Fellow, The Century Foundation
Diamond Miller, Manager of College Activism and Organizing, Truth Initiative
Dr. Mignonne C. Guy, Chair in the Department of African American Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University
Dr. Phillip Gardiner, Founding Member and Co-Chair, African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council
Dr. Valerie Yerger, Founding Member and Council Member, African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council
Carol McGruder, Founding Member and Co-Chair, African American Tobacco Control Leadership Council
The film is directed and narrated by Mondy, who created the original Black Lives/Black Lungs as part of the 2015-16 Truth Initiative Youth Activism Fellowship. Through Truth Initiative’s highly effective truth public education campaign, the organization has long been on the front lines of calling out and engaging with young people around the tobacco industry’s long history of systemic discrimination and predatory tactics contributing to a public health emergency in the Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and LGBTQ+ communities. Young people can join in taking action around tobacco and vaping as a social justice issue by visiting thetruth.com/take-action.
Black Lives/Black Lungs: The Journey of a Stolen Leaf is now available to stream on YouTube. Young people nationwide will also be hosting screenings on their own campuses and communities with support from truth; to learn more about how to host a screening, please visit thetruth.com.
Black Investor Group Redemption Holding Company Makes Historic Acquisition of a Non-Minority Commercial Bank
Redemption Holding Company (RHC) announced its agreement to purchase Utah-based Holladay Bank and Trust, marking the first time in American history that an existing commercial bank would become a Black-owned Minority Depository Institution (MDI) through acquisition. RHC will become the only Black-owned bank serving the Mountain West, pending federal regulatory approval.
Former White House Policy Advisor and Small Business Administration Regional Administrator Ashley D. Bell will serve as RHC’s executive chairman and chief executive officer. Dr. Bernice A. King, the daughter of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott King, will serve as the bank’s senior vice president of corporate strategy and alliances and also sit on its advisory board alongside director, co-founder, former NFL player, and investor, Dhani Jones. Bell and King previously co-founded the National Black Bank Foundation, which has steered $600 million of deal flow into Black banks since 2020.
“Black banks make the American dream possible for all Americans by deploying resources that uniquely address the financial realities of communities that have been systematically excluded, overcharged, and under-capitalized for hundreds of years,” Redemption Holding Company CEO Bell said. “Redemption will serve as a lifeline to the next wave of Black and Brown first-time home buyers and small business entrepreneurs across the country.”
RHC’s formation and pending regulatory approval will reverse a negative trend a half-century in the making for America’s Black-owned banking sector.
In 1976, 50 Black-owned banks were spread across the United States, each working to inject capital and opportunity into disadvantaged and underbanked communities. As of 2020, there were only 18 Black-owned banks still operating; two years later, just 16 remained, according to the FDIC. Redemption will become the 17th Black-owned bank, playing a leading role in ending decades of retrenchment by capital-starved Black banks.
“In my father’s last public address on April 3, 1968, he preached the imperative to accelerate the financial inclusion of Black Americans by supporting mission-driven Black banks — something he called a ‘bank-in movement,'” Dr. Bernice King said. “More than half a century of struggle and incremental progress later, we’re making good on daddy’s call to bank-in by creating new centers of opportunity for people of color, starting with this Black-led bank acquisition. Redemption is just that: delivering families from the cycle of unjust financial exclusion and intergenerational poverty.”
As of December 31, 2022, Holladay Bank and Trust, which was established in 1974, had approximately $68 million in total assets and $56 million in total deposits. Its current management and staff will remain upon conversion to Redemption and be complemented by an experienced management team and RHC’s world-class board of finance and technology experts. Initial investors in RHC include a growing number of Black doctors, lawyers, and business leaders from across the country.
In addition to the continued offering of Holladay’s core products, RHC will work with other MDIs to facilitate national large-scale lending opportunities; leverage technology to create a full-service digital banking platform for its customers; offer SBA lending; and offer loan origination providing mortgages in partnership with major national lending institutions.
Performance Trust Capital Partners, LLC serves as financial advisor to RHC. Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP serves as legal counsel to RHC; Parsons, Behle & Latimer PC serves as legal counsel to Holladay.
Maui Moisture Announces Partnership with Psychohairapy, an Organization Using Hair as the Entry Point Into Mental Health Care
In honor of Black History Month, Maui Moisture is pleased to announce its partnership with PyschoHairapy, a global mental health and hair movement founded by Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka, a psychologist, hairstylist, and hair historian. Dr. Mbilishaka has created this certification program that equips hairstylists with the skills to recognize mental health issues in their clients and administer culturally informed mental health services and resources.
“At Maui Moisture, we embrace all hair types and cater to those across the curl spectrum, which is why PyschoHairapy’s mission resonates with us,” said Sheena Henry, Earned Media Manager for Maui Moisture. “We know that texturism, microaggressions, and discrimination have a deep and negative impact on how our consumer sees herself, affecting her confidence and overall mental health. We understand the deep connection between hair and mental health and want Black women and girls — especially those in underserved communities — to have the best resources for both their hair and their mental wellbeing.”
Maui Moisture’s mission is to provide curl confidence to help improve self-perception and esteem, something many women and girls in the textured hair community struggle with. The brand’s ultra-hydrating, vegan-friendly formulas transform curls by using 100% aloe vera as the first ingredient in all their products, delivering 40x more moisturizing properties and 80% stronger hair*. With the brand’s purpose of transformation in mind, Maui Moisture enacts this partnership with PsychoHairapy to ensure their role in transforming women’s lives goes beyond a good hair day.
ABOUT PSYCHOHAIRAPY
Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka began PyschoHairapy as a research space for psychology faculty and students at Howard University in 2014. She was always the go-to hairstylist for family and friends and came to a crossroads in college to either pursue a career in psychology or haircare. At that moment, she recognized there was an opportunity to do both hair and provide psychological services at the same time. Upon doing further research, she found that Black women are more likely to book a hair care appointment than a mental health appointment and collected data at hair salons and barbershops in the Washington, DC metropolitan area to give further evidence to the relationship between hair and mental health.
The PsychoHairapy Certification was established in 2019. The pitch was simple: train hair care professionals in psychotherapy. With the current health pandemic, PsychoHairapy has been translated into the digital landscape and the demand for the course grew. Stylists and barbers were often the sole physical contact with people. Stylists were persistent in asking for trainings to address their clients’ grief, depression, and anxiety. Today, the program has certified close to two hundred stylists.
“I am humbled and honored to collaborate with Maui Moisture on my life’s passion, using hair as an entry point into mental health care,” said Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka. “I can more confidently imagine a world where hairstylists can support clients through stressful life experiences, by building confidence in using healing words and hair products.”
THE PYSCHOHAIRAPY CERTIFICATION
The PsychoHairapy Certification is broken down into 3 modules, with participants having the opportunity to interact directly with the instructors and peers. Participants can role play, bounce ideas off each other, and receive real-time feedback during the modules.
The History of Our Hair: Buckle up for this ride on a hair time machine. Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka —a psychologist, hairstylist, and hair historian— will take attendees on a journey of exploring the cultural and historical significance of hair through a visual narrative across the African Diaspora. From the pyramid walls to trending hashtags on social media, this workshop will give a context for why hair is so emotionally significant to Black communities. Participants will become fluent and analytical in assessing hair narratives within the lives of their clients and larger communities. (2 Hours)
Recognizing Symptoms of Mental Illness in Communities of Color: This workshop focuses on culturally relevant mental health first aid. In this workshop, you will learn the signs and symptoms of common mental health disorders in our communities and how to attend to these matters in a caring and culturally sensitive manner. (4 Hours)
Developing Micro-Counseling Skills for the Salon: Participants will engage in role play and practice active listening, narrative therapy, mindfulness, and supportive group work in the salon/barbershop setting. Here, you will learn “what to say” for common client concerns and how to travel deeper within your own emotional world to guide your conversations. (6 Hours)
2023 PARTNERSHIP
With Maui Moisture’s funding $100,000, PsychoHairapy hopes to train 100+ PsychoHairapists, hire mental health professionals to offer virtual group therapy, create PsychoHairapy workbooks, and produce a self-paced virtual class to increase accessibility for certifications. Maui Moisture and Dr. Mbilishaka are also working on offering a highly curated in-person PsychoHairapy training and retreat, as well as programming around Mental Health and Minority Mental Health Awareness Months.
To learn more about Maui Moisture visit www.mauimoisture.com or follow @MauiMoisture #AloeForCurls on Instagram.
Visit www.psychohairapy.org for more information, services, and to speak with the team or follow @PsychoHairapy on Instagram.
Independent Consumer Website Ranks Best Companies for Insurance Coverage, Including Auto and Home
For scores of consumers, auto and home insurance are vital to helping protect two of their most significant assets.
Auto, home, health, and life insurance are usually viewed among the top policies Americans ought to secure. Those coverages can help guard your finances and prevent significant financial losses because of accidents, health problems, and other unforeseen events.
To help boost the chance of getting top coverage, experts propose people comparison shop, consider how they are being served, examine how quickly questions on coverage and claims are answered, and have clarity on precisely what services are provided before buying insurance.
Insure.com has released its rankings of the Best Insurance Companies for 2023. Analyzing the top 10 insurance companies, the independent consumer website reported State Farm grabbed the top spot in three categories: car, home, and life insurance.
The website’s ranking examined over 40 companies in categories including the best car insurance company for drivers with tickets, the top life insurance company for affordable rates, and the leading health insurance company overall. Check that list and the top five companies in each category here.
It was disclosed that editors used various data sources to assemble the rankings. The breakdown contained a survey of insurance consumers fielded to assess each company’s customer experience, claims handling ability, trustworthiness, digital experience, and other critical analysis and factors.
“The Best Insurance Companies rankings is meant to provide consumers with some guidance about which insurer is the best for their needs and budget,” stated Nupur Gambhir, managing editor of Insure.com. She added, “but because everyone’s insurance needs are so unique, they should still shop around. By comparing cost and coverage from three to five insurers, consumers can find the best policy for their individual needs.”
She offered tips to consumers shopping for home and auto insurance to weigh before buying a policy:
“Calculate how much coverage you need so you’re not overspending. While you want to make sure you’re not getting too little coverage, you also want to make sure you’re not getting too much — or you’ll be paying higher premiums.”
“Compare policies from multiple carriers. For every type of insurance, insurers offer varying rates, so the best way to get the most affordable quote is by shopping around and comparing at least three to five quotes.”
“Consider bundling your home and auto policies. Many insurers offer discounts if you bundle your home and auto policy. Again, you’ll want to compare the rate from multiple insurers.
“Once you choose an insurance company, ask about what discounts the insurer has available. For example, some auto insurers offer a good driver discount, while you can get a homeowners insurance discount depending on the age of your home.”
“Using these steps, you can get the coverage you need at the best possible price.”
Data: Diversity Roles Slowly Disappearing Three Years After George Floyd’s Death
After the murder of George Floyd, corporations made headlines by hiring leaders in the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) space.
Three years later, those roles are slowly disappearing.
NBC Newsreported that in 2020, DEI roles increased by 55%. By the end of last year, that number dropped to 33% compared to the number of non-DEI roles of 21%. Instead of creating more equal opportunities for Black employees, like companies pledged to do, they are taking the easy way out.
Senior economist at Revelio Labs, Reyhan Ayas, has been paying close attention to the layoffs and feels the data shows the impact to change is wearing off. “I always say that it is so easy to make public statements and commitments because no one will eventually check if you’re committed to the things that you committed to,” Ayas said.
“In 2020, a lot of companies made big commitments, big statements around the DEI roles and goals. And as we are observing a turning of that tide, I think it’s very timely that we actually look into companies to see if they have kept up with those big statements they made.”
Other leaders who have promoted DEI for years feel the same way. Robert L. Johnson, founder of BET, called out corporations like McDonald’s and Bank of America that pledged tons of money, promising “to expand the movement” but haven’t kept their word.
“This is very disheartening, especially after so many of us were hopeful after George Floyd’s murder that organization leaders would be sensitized and committed to equity and inclusion,” said Nika White, a DEI professional from South Carolina.
While another survey showed only about 4% of chief diversity officers are Black, some professionals are hopeful a turn around will come with the help of ESG (environmental, social, and governance strategies). National Urban League’s SVP of Corporate DEI and ESG strategies, Chris Metzler, feel it’s the way to play.
“ESG is the way forward,” Metzler said. “We’re still in that old, affirmative action, equal employment opportunity definition of diversity, which is part of the reason why we’re not moving in any significant way.”
LeBron James Fans Out Over Savannah James At Milan Fashion Week: ‘Get Your A** Home’
LeBron James is his wife’s number-one fan, but he doesn’t want her hanging out too much while attending Milan Fashion Week, because Savannah James is looking too good!
Mrs. James is taking a break from her NBA champion husband and their three children to enjoy the festivities at Milan Fashion Week. Savannah took to Instagram on Sunday to share her all-black Dolce & Gabanna set for the luxury Italian brand’s fashion show.
“What Lil Kim say?!? 🖤😉,” she captioned the post while subtly referencing Lil Kim’s verse on “All About The Benjamins.”
Savannah looked fierce in her D&G fit that included a lace bodysuit, cinched puffer jacket, combat boots, and a black purse.
“Dang wow,” wrote Serena Williams.
“Come thru,” added Tabitha Brown.
LeBron James, on the other hand, was turned on by his wife’s sultry appearance and wanted her to return back home to Los Angeles ASAP.
“Ok now you just showing out!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. Get your a** home now and get what you can’t get in Europe! 😜😈” James wrote, as captured by TMZ.
On Saturday, Savannah wore a classy set of tailored gray trousers with a swirly design along the legs, a gray suit jacket, and a light blue button-down shirt that she paired with a white purse and white stiletto pumps.
“Draped in @gucci for women’s F/W 2023🤍,” she captioned the post.
Savannah’s Los Angeles Laker husband again showed that he never shies away from professing his love and admiration for his wife.
“🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤🤤😍😍😍😍🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥. You SO FKN COLD!!!” LeBron wrote under the photo.
“And that’s how you do THAT!” added Gabrielle Union-Wade.
LeBron and Savannah James are high school sweethearts who married in 2013 and have three children: LeBron “Bronny” James Jr., 18, Bryce Maximus, 15, and Zhuri Nova, 8.
Chris Rock Will Address Will Smith’s Oscars Slap in Upcoming Live Netflix Special
In what may be the most anticipated comedy special in Netflix history, comedian Chris Rock WILL discuss the controversial face slap he received from Oscar winner Will Smith at the Academy Awards last year.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the comedian, who will be filming a live set this weekend, is bringing up the infamous Oscars slap when he hits the stage on Saturday, March 4.
He will appear live on Netflix, the first time this is being done on the streaming platform. The show, “Selective Outrage,” will air on the streaming platform at 6:30 p.m. PT/9:30 p.m. ET from The Comedy Store.
It’s #ChrisRockLive week and we’re pulling out all the stops!
The Brooklyn-born comic has addressed the controversy in bits and pieces while on tour this past year.
According to CNN, Rock recently tested some of the material at a show in January when he was on the same bill as Dave Chappelle in Charleston, S.C. A source tells the media outlet that he referenced Smith’s size compared to his. He even threw in a joke using the title of one of his most popular songs, Summertime.
“The thing people wanna know, did it hurt? Hell yeah, it hurt! He played Muhammad Ali! I played Pookie (in New Jack City). Even in animated movies, I’m a zebra; he’s a f—ing shark. I got hit so hard, I heard ‘Summertime’ ringing in my ears.”
The upcoming special takes place five years after Rock’s first Netflix comedy special, Chris Rock: Tamborine, was released in February 2018.
This will be Rock’s first nationally televised event since the assault in front of a live audience by Smith in defense of his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
