LISTEN: Drama Unfolds in Alabama with Mayor’s Profanity-Filled Leaked Audio
Things are getting messy in Alabama.
Montgomery mayor, Steven Reed, is in hot water over a profanity-filed recording.
WFSA 12reported the leaked audio is from three years from a meeting discussing the death of George Floyd with community leaders.
According to Reed, one of the meeting attendees, Charles Lee, had ulterior motives. He claimed Lee, owner and founder of That’s My Dog and That’s My Child, asked for $30,000, money that was “owed” to him by previous administration.
The mayor said he asked Lee to leave the meeting and feels the leaked audio is an extortion tactic.
“His extortion attempt during the George Floyd aftermath was one of the most despicable and disgusting acts of cowardice I have ever heard of or have been a part of,” Reed said.
“Charles Lee is a liar, he is shyster and is a hustler. Let me be absolutely clear about that.”
Lee claimed he had nothing to do with the audio being leaked, however, according to The Montgomery Advertiser, he knew the conversation was being recorded and knew there was a plan to leak it. The videos were posted to a Youtube account titled “Montgomery Deserves Better.”
They were also made available the day before Reed’s 49th birthday and a few months shy of Montgomery’s mayoral elections.
In part one of the recordings, Reed can be heard saying he doesn’t have to do any work and will still get a majority of the vote.
In another part, the mayor can be heard referring to a bill and other political leaders being “threatened.”
Two other parts of the audio have been removed. Reed said while the clips have been “heavily altered,” he doesn’t deny making the expletive-filled comments and that they were made “in anger and taken out of context.” He also said he has no problem testifying and plans to seek legal action against Lee, claiming the meetings were held with the district attorney’s office in the aftermath of the incident.
As for Lee, the non-profit owner denies ever asking the mayor for money.
A Crisis Team Will Be on Standby at this Year’s Oscars Due to Will Smith’s Slapping Chris Rock
There will be a change to this year’s Academy Awards presentation because of the incident last year involving Will Smith and Chris Rock. There will be a “crisis team” available to avoid any chances of a repeat of Smith’s face slap, which earned the Oscar-winner a ban from the awards show.
The new CEO of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Bill Kramer,revealed the latest change in an interview with Time magazine.
Kramer explained that there can always be an unexpected situation at the live, nationally-televised event. Jimmy Kimmel will be hosting this year, and with his previous experience, the Academy feels he can handle a potential disruption.
“And that’s why you want someone like Jimmy on stage who is used to dealing with live TV: things don’t always go as planned. So you have a host in place who can really pivot and manage those moments.”
“We have a whole crisis team, something we’ve never had before, and many plans in place. We’ve run many scenarios. So it is our hope that we will be prepared for anything that we may not anticipate right now but that we’re planning for just in case it does happen.”
Kramer also expressed that due to the unfortunate incident last year, they have prepared themselves for other possible show-stopping scenarios. The crisis team will be able to handle it better than the Academy did last March.
“Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars. But these crisis plans — the crisis communication teams and structures we have in place — allow us to say this is the group that we have to gather very quickly. This is how we all come together. This is the spokesperson. This will be the statement. And obviously depending on the specifics of the crisis, and let’s hope something doesn’t happen and we never have to use these, but we already have frameworks in place that we can modify.”
Earlier this week, Smith made light of the infamous face slap when he posted a video clip to his TikTok account.
At last year’s Academy Awards presentation, comedianChris Rock, while on stage, jokingly referred to Jada Pinkett-Smith, who was sporting a bald head, as “G.I. Jane.” (Demi Moore starred in the movie and shaved her head for the role.)
Initially, it looked as if Smith was ok with the joke, but, it affected him so much that he got up from his seat and approached Rock on stage. As Smith got closer, he smacked Rock in the face, stunning the comedian.
For that action, Smith earned himself a 10-year ban from the Academy Awards.
Kevin Hart’s Show in Egypt Canceled: Egyptians Reportedly Outraged He Called Them Black
Comedian Kevin Hartwas scheduled to take the stage in Cairo on Feb. 21. But due to “local logistical issues” the performance was canceled.
According to Al-Monitor, although the reason given for the cancelation was due to logistical issues, many feel those issues were related to Egyptians being upset that Hart allegedly stated in the past that Egyptians were Black.
R Productions released a statement via their social media accounts announcing the cancelation of Hart’s performance this week.
“It is with a heavy heart that we share with you, due to local logistical issues, the cancellation of our Kevin Hart event scheduled for February 21st, in Cairo. You have always shown us continuous support in all our events and for that we’re grateful. In the meantime, we are asking for your patience as we work with the TicketsMarché team to make sure that all the refunds are met in the shortest time possible.
“It is our dream to create the best experiences for all of our clients and ensure that Egypt is placed on the international map at the highest possible standards. We will continue to work towards that dream every day.
“Again, thank you for your continuous support and understanding.”
The news outlet reported that the comedian faced backlash for the aforementioned comments he supposedly said on the racial composition of ancient Egyptians.
The statement attributed to him was,
“We must teach our children the true history of Black Africans when they were kings in Egypt and not just the era of slavery that is cemented by education in America. Do you remember the time when we were kings?”
Although there is no definitive evidence that Hart made that statement, social media users in Egypt had been extremely vocal about the alleged comments that it was trending. On Twitter, the hashtag #CancelKevinHart was prominent in the weeks leading up to the show.
‘Con Man’: Ozy Media CEO Carlos Watson Arrested and Charged with Fraud and Faces Up to 37 Years in Prison
More than a year after the media company was shut down after losing millions of dollars, the CEO of Tony Media has been arrested while being charged with fraud.
According to CNN, Carlos Watson, the founder of the startup business, Ozy Media was arrested on Thursday on fraud charges. The embattled CEO was accused of having “engaged in a scheme to defraud OZY’s investors, potential investors, potential acquirers, lenders and potential lenders.”
A spokesperson from the Department of Justice stated that Watson was released on a $1 million bond and is due back in court next month on March 8. If he is convicted of the crimes, Watson will be looking at a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison up to a maximum sentence of 37 years.
Breon Peace, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said, “As alleged, Carlos Watson is a con man whose business strategy was based on outright deceit and fraud – he ran Ozy as a criminal organization rather than as a reputable media company.”
Watson was arrested by the FBI Thursday morning at the Hotel NH Collection at 22 East 38th St. in Manhattan.
Ozy Media started to unravel after The New York Times reported about the alleged deceptive practices Watson and the company took part in.
In a statement that was emailed to CNN, Watson’s attorney, Lanny Breuer, confirmed that his client had been arrested and was shocked that the government took such a “dramatic” decision.
“I am deeply disappointed by the events of today. We were engaged in a good faith and constructive dialogue with the Government. Given the Department’s claims of promoting such dialogue, I do not understand the dramatic decision to arrest Carlos today.”
The Associated Press also reported that Watson was also charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission in a parallel civil case. Watson and Ozy Media was accused of defrauding investors of about $50 million “through repeated misrepresentations concerning the company’s basic financial condition, business relationships, and fundraising efforts.”
Oprah, Television Pioneer and First Black Female Billionaire In America Continues to Enlighten and Uplift Millions
Although Oprah Winfrey ended the iconic Oprah Winfrey Show in 2011, she leveraged her ownership of her television property into a multimedia empire that remains a testament to her successes as the first Black female billionaire in North America.
The media mogul and television pioneer saw an opportunity to create an unparalleled connection with people around the world. As host and supervising producer of the top-rated, award-winning The Oprah Winfrey Show, she was proud to extend her resources to entertain, enlighten and uplift millions of viewers for nearly 30 years.
(Getty Images)
It was a groundbreaking distribution deal between Winfrey and television programming syndicator King World Productions Inc. in 1998 that not only supplemented her wealthy fortune but it spawned an empire, Harpo Productions Inc.
From No. 14 on the BLACK ENTERPRISE INDUSTRIAL/SERVICE list with $309 million in revenues, the company continues to grow and thrive.
Making history as a television pioneer
In January of 1984, Chicago’s ABC affiliate WLS-TV offered Winfrey a 30-minute morning talk show called AM Chicago. Her program was eventually renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show and expanded to an hour in length.
By the age of 32, Winfrey took the reins as the first African American nationally syndicated television host and the first Black person to control her own major studio when she launched her television production company.
At the time, Winfrey’s West Side-based studios would go on to reap more profits of producing her hourlong weekday talk show. The Oprah Winfrey Show generated roughly $300 million in gross revenues annually, far more than any other talk show in the country.
In April 2000, Oprah and Hearst Magazines introduced O, The Oprah Magazine, a monthly magazine that has become one of today’s leading women’s lifestyle publications. Two years later, Oprah launched the first international edition of O, The Oprah Magazine in South Africa, extending her “live your best life” message abroad.
In 2002, Oprah Winfrey was named the first recipient of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences’ Bob Hope Humanitarian Award. She became the first Black female billionaire in the United States in 2003. During this time, Winfrey was transitioning into a global media leader as she created more platforms as a satellite radio programmer and broadway producer.
After a successful 25 year run of her show, Winfrey debuted the OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network on January 1, 2011 and is available in 85 million homes. The cable television network is considered the “first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader,” according to her online biography.
The venture also includes the award-winning digital platform Oprah.com, a premier women’s lifestyle website, offering advice on everything from the mind, body and spirit to food, home and relationships.
O, The Oprah Magazine discontinued its monthly print version after its December 2020 issue. The publication transitioned to a more digitally centric focus and remained online. The move marked its twentieth year of helping women live their best lives through personal growth content.
A humanitarian at work
With a winning track record, Harpo Studios’ production credits include top-rated syndicated television programs such as Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray and The Dr. Oz Show.
The studio has also created original TV programming exclusively for OWN including Oprah’s Next Chapter, Emmy Award-winning Oprah’s Lifeclass, Oprah: Where Are They Now?, Oprah’s Master Class, Iyanla: Fix My Life and the Emmy Award®-winning “Super Soul Sunday,” and more.
(Twitter)
From exploring the racial inequities in the healthcare system to exploring the remarkable career and life of the late Sidney Poitier, Winfrey’s credits as a producer has illuminated both systemic racism and the contributions of Black Americans.
During the height of the pandemic in 2020, Winfrey tenaciously absorbed the stories of people affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and had the passion to share and give back.
Last year, TIME released its star-studded list of “Most Influential People,” highlighting an incredible group of luminaries who have taken on new importance after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic. Winfrey made the list and former first lady Michelle Obama wrote a tribute to honor her.
“Whether she’s talking to pop stars, presidents, schoolgirls, scholars—or she’s asking you about your life over a glass of wine in the living room—oprah has always had that uncanny ability to open us up, to hear beyond our words, and to uncover a higher truth, to be vulnerable with us in a way that allows us to be vulnerable back. that’s her secret. but what i love most about oprah is that she has never been content to keep it for herself,” Obama said.
On Sept.17, 2021, Oprah’s Book Club, founded in 1996, celebrated 25 years.The literary champion was selected as the 2022 PEN/Faulkner Literary Champion to commend a “lifetime of devoted literary advocacy and a commitment to inspiring new generations of readers and writers,” according to a press release statement.
Over time, Winfrey’s influence has transcended the selling and buying of books. Her book engagement and opinions generated mega book sales and stock prices for dozens of authors.
Conservative Rabble Rouser Candace Owens Actually Comes to the Defense of Don Lemon
Controversial conservative Candace Owenscame to Don Lemon’s defense on her podcast, further heating things up after the CNN host found himself in hot water for ageist comments.
Last week, the CNN This Morning co-host was under fire for making comments deemed misogynistic when he spoke about the latest Republican Presidential candidate, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley. Lemon said that Haley wants politicians over the age of 75 to submit to competency tests. He stated that he feels Haley, who is 51 years old, isn’t in her prime.
“This whole talk about age makes me uncomfortable,” Lemon said on Feb. 16. “I think it’s the wrong road to go down. She says people, you know, politicians are suddenly not in their prime. Nikki Haley isn’t in her prime. Sorry. When a woman is considered in her prime in her twenties and thirties.”
He doubled down on his thoughts after his co-hosts, Poppy Harlow and Kaitlan Collins, questioned his thought process. Even though Lemon apologized on Twitter after the controversy, Owens surprisingly sided with Lemon.
On a recent episode on her podcast, Owens stated that the network was making him “take diversity and inclusion courses” due to the comments he said on that show.
“People are gonna force me to actually defend Don Lemon for saying something that simply made sense,” Owens stated. “People are outraged.”
“Don Lemon might lose his job. In fact, they’re going to now make him take diversity and inclusion courses. He’s facing all of this pressure because he’s clearly sexist, right?”
“I’m sorry, what was wrong with what Don Lemon just said? Is it the part that it happens to be true? It’s not allowed at CNN? Why is everybody acting so offended by the fact that he basically said water is wet?”
She continued to shock us when she actually went after her conservative viewers. She said that if Trump had made the same statement, they would have had no issue with it.
“Here’s the best part about the conservatives that are taking the bait on this, what if Trump had said that?”
“We would have been like, ‘So true, Mr. President,’ because it’s so true.”
“Now all of a sudden, Don Lemon says it and we’re pretending that we need to be hysterical and crying about it. Give me a break. This is going into the category of me wondering whether or not conservatives are accidentally becoming what they hate, right? Are we becoming the snowflakes?”
Don Lemon is in hot water over his recent remarks about women over 40 being “past their prime” and the backlash he is receiving from both sides is so ridiculous that I actually have to defend him.
Founder to Engage NYC Black Entrepreneurs at the 2nd Annual Full Circle Business Brunch Experience
Anita Pierce, the CEO and founder of Eleven3seven5, is ready to host her second annual Full Circle Business Brunch Experience dedicated to sharing business resources and expanding networks for Black business owners.
Founded in 2015, Eleven3seven5 LLC is a New York-based Business Consultancy. They are your city and state business matchmakers connecting corporations, government agencies and CBOs to local businesses. They foster relationships that create sustainable business opportunities and connect communities to the resources that they need to generate economic wellness and deepen social impact. Eleven3seven5 is a certified M/WBE business.
Pierce has over twenty years of experience in finance, strategy and management. She is a business coach, SCORE Mentor, Business counselor at the Women’s Business Center in East New York, Brooklyn, and advisor to many non-profit organizations, and small businesses.
2023 is the year of intentional business relationships. The Full Circle Business Brunch experience aims to have participants stretch their business goals, ensure business compliance, optimize business relationships, and self-care. Building diverse business relationships is not optional, it’s an imperative part of the life cycle in every business.
The Brunch program will include topics that focus on business compliance, and workers compensation, financial management, and discussion of how to conduct business with the government. The event will conclude with a pitch competition.
Pierce comments, “The Full Circle Business Brunch Experience is a space that will provide practical tools for business owners, no matter what phase your business is in.”
“A time of prioritizing self-care in business is necessary, getting recharged and making business relationships that lead to improved relationships with clients,” she added.
With the belief that personal self-care does more for you than improving your skin in my mind. There will also be opportunities for deepening oneself for the greater good. Participants will have an opportunity to reconnect with their souls and senses, creating a realignment with their purpose.
The event is fully loaded with a plethora of business resources, business strategy activities, opportunities to raise capital, vendor opportunities, and a pitch competition. Digital ads and sponsorship opportunities are also available.
To purchase tickets, please visit their website at Eleven3Seven5.com
White Supremacists Behind Over 80% of Extremism-Related U.S. Murders in 2022
Mass shootings in the United States accounted for most extremism-related fatalities last year in the country with over 80% of those murders committed by white supremacists, data released by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) showed on Thursday.
The advocacy group labeled 25 murders in 2022 as “extremist-related,” with 18 of those “committed in whole or part for ideological motives.”
Two mass shootings – one in May in Buffalo, New York, wherein an avowedwhite supremacist fatally shot 10 Black people, and another in November in Colorado Springs wherein five people were killed in an LGBTQ nightclub – accounted for most of the extremist-related murders of 2022, the ADL report showed.
White supremacists commit the highest number of domestic extremist-related murders in most years, but in 2022 the percentage was unusually high: 21 of the 25 murders were linked to white supremacists, according to the ADL report.
“All the extremist-related murders in 2022 were committed by right-wingextremists of various kinds,” the ADL report said.
ADL’s Center on Extremism reported an overall decrease from 2021 when 33 extremist-related killings were documented. ADL had documented 22 extremist-related killings in 2020.
Human rights groups have raised concerns over white supremacy in the United States in recent years.
President Joe Biden has labeled white supremacy as poison and called on Americans to reject it. In December, he established an inter-agency group to coordinate efforts to counter antisemitism, Islamophobia and related forms of bias and discrimination.
The issue of white supremacy came back into headlines late last year when former President Donald Trump hosted white supremacist Nick Fuentes at his private club in Florida. Trump said the encounter with Fuentes happened inadvertently while he was having dinner with Ye, the musician formerly known as Kanye West.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by David Gregorio)
Two Sisters Support Community Members with Loss of Loved Ones Through ‘Caring Transitions’ Franchise
The last thing a family needs to worry about after losing a loved one is how they’re going to clear out and pack up a house. This entrepreneurial duo is working to lift that burden from their clients.
Two Port Jefferson, NY sisters, Kim Bigby and Happie Dunn-Henry, are on a personal mission to provide transition services to support families experiencing planned or unexpected losses of loved ones.
After experiencing multiple occasions of moving and clearing out the homes of their own relatives who passed away, the sisters opened up their own Caring Transitions franchise, to help local community members with services such as senior moves, downsizing, and online estate sales.
Image courtesy of Kim Bigby and Happie Dunn-Henry
The sister duo shared their personal story of losing a mother and a father with BLACK ENTERPRISE and the experiences that led them to extend such support to others.
The mission: ‘Find A Way Make A Way’
“The mission behind our Caring Transitions services is to streamline and simplify a very complex and personal situation for our clients,” Happie said. “We use a deliberate approach to access our clients’ unique needs and deliver services to them based on their timeline.”
Their main goal through Caring Transitions is to assist their clients with the business of moving and downsizing during their emotional times of need that includes the death of a loved one, divorce, or retirement.
The sisters follow the mission “Find A Way Make A Way,” a statement Happie said her late father always said.
Dealing with the loss of loved ones is nothing strange to the sister duo.
“I share with our clients all the time how my mom is my ‘why.’ I helped move her multiple times before she passed away and it was overwhelming and stressful for both of us. When she passed away suddenly in January 2020, I was not prepared to take her off the respirator, plan a funeral, or pack up her apartment in California,” Bigby shared.
“My stepfather and I were blessed enough to have Happie with us for support. She was our Caring Transitions before we knew it existed. I learned about Caring Transitions several months after losing my mom,” Bigby continued.
The Caring Transitions services resonated with Bigby’s personal emotions as she dealt with grief and the business of death, simultaneously.
“I don’t want anyone to go through that, but when they do, I want to be there to assist them. I want them to be able to focus on their family and take comfort knowing Caring Transitions of Port Jefferson will care for their family and home as if it were our own,” she added.
“The most valuable experience has been similar to many of our clients and their families. My family and I have personally experienced the immense difficulty of losing loved ones and the hardship of dealing with their home and belongings. It’s one of my personal goals to bring peace and solace to families navigating similar challenges and various seasons of Transitions,” Dunn-Henry added.
“Caring Transitions of Port Jefferson uses their transitions service to give families back the time and energy to grieve and process the loss of their loved one by taking on the physical work, planning, and strategy that is needed,” Dunn-Henry said.
The sisters provide services that cover every detail of a transition, including decluttering, clean-outs, packing, move management, unpacking, resettling, suggesting trusted realtors, and both in-home and online estate sales. They also provide a host of other customizable options that include online auctions, space planning, and cross-state and cross-country moves.
“Quite often our clients need multiple service solutions and aren’t aware of that. We take pride in being able to help from planning to packing and resettling,” Dunn-Henry said.
The sisters help clients find a custom comprehensive plan that they assist them with from the initial consultation to the end of the project. Each project is tailored to fit the needs of the family, using both experience and expertise to guide clients to the services that best align with their specific situations.
“The first and most important step is to call us to schedule a free consultation. We sit down with each client so we can meet them, see the home, and discuss their needs,” Bigby said.
The assessment is followed by a complimentary in-home consultation.
Image courtesy of Kim Bigby and Happie Dunn-Henry
“We assess their needs and handle executing the plan we created together,” Bigby said.
“Throughout the process, we have various touch-points with our clients to ensure that our plan is continually meeting their unique needs and specified timelines. We encourage our clients to give us feedback throughout the process,” Dunn-Henry added.
Get involved as Caring Transitions expands
“We would love to be able to expand our territory in the future so we can provide more jobs and serve more people in our community,” Bigby said.
Local community members are encouraged to get involved with Caring for a Cause: Supporting Local Partnerships, a program to assist chosen local non-profit organizations with raising funds and awareness of its mission.
Caring Transitions services aren’t limited to seniors only.
For additional information, call 631-880-5300, email KBigby@CaringTransitions.com, HHenry@CaringTransitions.com, or visit the Caring Transitions website.
Glassdoor Partners with Black Progress Matters to Advance Black Leadership Within Their Organization
Black Progress Matters (BPM), an organization dedicated to changing the color of executive suites and boardrooms worldwide, is proud to announce a successful partnership with Glassdoor, the worldwide leader on insights about jobs and companies. Black Progress Executive Staffing (BPX) helped Glassdoor fill two key roles—Chief People and Diversity Officer, Danny Guillory; and Senior Director of Total Rewards, Cicely Clayton—to help further Glassdoor’s commitment to advancing Black leadership within their organization.
The partnership marks a milestone for BPM as it seeks to provide more opportunities for leaders of color in the executive suite and corporate boardroom. BPM’s Core Mission is built on the premise that if BPX can secure the opportunity to fill an executive opening for an organization with a qualified and appropriate Black candidate, we can change the color of the executive suite while enhancing the aspiration of everyone of color within the organization.
“A really important priority for us is getting greater diversity within our leadership team and how we operate as an employer that embraces diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging,” said Christian Sutherland-Wong, Glassdoor’s Chief Executive Officer. “I love the Black Progress Matters mission, and they were able to help support us and deliver on two key hires across our leadership team.”
This new partnership with BPM signals Glassdoor’s continued dedication to creating a leadership team that reflects their organization’s diverse range of people.
Organizations require diversity in leadership to add perspective and effectiveness as their employee base becomes increasingly more diverse. While there has been encouraging growth in Black professionals in the workplace, many organizations are struggling with diversity at the executive and boardroom level – and delivering Black leadership in both the executive suite and boardroom is key to BPM’s mission.
“At BPM,” said CEO Dean Haynesworth, “we are proud to partner with Glassdoor on its quest to foster meaningful change in the workplace —a change which will ultimately empower individuals from all backgrounds while making businesses stronger.”
For more information about this exciting new collaboration or how BPM can help advance Black leadership within your organization, contact GetStarted@BlackProgressMatters.org.
