• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 16, 2023

‘P-Valley’ Star Brandee Evans Talks Multiple Sclerosis Among Black People

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Brandee Evans, best known for her role as “Mercedes” in Starz’ hit series “P-Valley”, is getting candid about her real-life role as her mother’s caregiver.

In addition to caring for her mom who has MS while managing her Hollywood career, Evans is lending her talents to a new video series aimed at raising awareness about Multiple Sclerosis among Black people. While many know Evans for her work onscreen, most don’t know the real work she does behind the scenes to aid her mother and advocate for Black MS patients and caregivers.

Evans sat down with BLACK ENTERPRISE to share her journey as a caregiver and provide insight to others who might be battling the illness. Her mom struggled with unexplained and steadily worsening symptoms for a decade before being diagnosed with a severe form of MS.

The TV star is now opening up about the struggles and triumphs related to her journey as an around-the-clock caregiver for her mom, while also balancing her rising career in Hollywood. Today, while Brandee remains the primary caregiver for her mom, she understands the power of community. That’s why she’s teamed up with Genentech and a dynamic group of Black women who have a connection to MS on a new video series, “MSVisibility: Breaking Barriers,” to help inspire the Black community to advocate for better MS care.

“Traditionally, MS has been thought of as a young White woman’s disease, but there is recent research suggesting it’s much more common in Black and Hispanic/Latinx people than previously thought,” Board Certified Neurologist & MS Specialist Mitzi Joi Williams said.

“New studies also suggest that the incidence and risk may be highest in Black women.”

“These populations may experience more severe symptoms at onset, faster progression and greater physical disability compared to their White counterparts,” Williams added. “It’s important for people to be evaluated as early as possible because early diagnosis and treatment with a high-efficacy therapy may help slow the progression of disability.”

Press play below to learn more about Brandee Evans’ role as a caregiver to her mother and hints into “P-Valley” season 3.

• Black History Month

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

February 16, 2023

M&T Bank Rings the Opening Bell at New York Stock Exchange, Marking Black History Month

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M&T Bank Corporation (NYSE: MTB), a leading financial services provider, today proudly rang the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange in recognition of Black History Month.

The bell ringing celebrated the significant contributions and achievements of African Americans in the United States and honored the legacy of Black history and culture.

“As a bank for our communities, we are committed to promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our business,” said Rene Jones, CEO of M&T Bank, one of only a few Black CEOs of a publicly traded company. “This bell-ringing ceremony is a testament to our commitment to creating a more inclusive future for all.”

M&T Bank has a long history of serving its communities and empowering people to achieve their financial goals. The bank’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion extends beyond Black History Month and is reflected in its everyday operations, community investments, and support for initiatives that promote diversity and equity in the financial services industry.

“Celebrating Black History Month starts with understanding that this is more than a month. Black history influences and transforms our world today as we celebrate the power of Black communities, commemorate past contributions, applaud today’s achievements, and visualize a future we can create together,” said Glenn Jackson, Chief Diversity Officer at M&T Bank. “While we celebrate Black History at today’s bell ringing, we also need to continue on our collective journey of building diverse, equitable, and inclusive systems and celebrate Black people always.”

As part of M&T’s employee and community engagement efforts, the bank operates more than 80 employee resource groups – including the African American Resource Group (AARG) – in communities throughout its footprint. The AARG includes more than 1,400 employees and provides professional development and advancement opportunities for its members and colleagues at M&T Bank.

About M&T Bank
M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T’s principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, provides banking products and services in 12 states across the eastern U.S. from Maine to Virginiaand Washington, D.C. Trust-related services are provided in select markets in the U.S. and abroad by M&T’s Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

The Chef of Wu-Tang Clan, Raekwon, is in the process of opening a cannabis lounge dubbed, Hashstoria in Newark, New Jersey, which is where the Hulu series Wu-Tang Clan: An American Saga is filmed. 

According to High Times, the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission is working out the kinks about rules for consumption areas. 

High Times also reported that some commission members hesitated to approve Rae’s dispensary. However, after proposal improvements were made, commission members felt better about backing Hashstoria.

 

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A post shared by Raekwon The Chef (@raekwon)

“I think it looks a whole lot better than what you presented before and I applaud you for it,” Commissioner Richard Grossklaus said to High Times. 

High Times also reported that Hashstoria, a dispensary chain, combines the words hashish” and “Astoria” and is a dispensary with roots in Astoria, Oregon, where The Goonies was filmed. Locations are open in Gladstone and Springfield in Oregon as well. The fourth dispensary location and lounge will open in Newark.

Raekwon’s Compliments of the Chef can be purchased at Hashstoria, which also has merchandise and clothing, according to High Times.  

Rae is the latest rapper to step into the dispensary business. He joins Rick Ross, Curren$y, Method Man and Redman, Soulja Boy, Juicy J, and Jay-Z, among several others. 

Wu-Tang: An American Saga has returned to Hulu for its final season. The Hulu series is a fictional retelling of the formation of the iconic rap group Wu-Tang Clan, with RZA acting as executive director. 

The show stars Ashton Sanders, Shameik Moore, Siddiq Saunderson, Julian Elijah Martinez, Marcus Callender, Zolee Griggs, T.J. Atoms, Dave East, Johnell Young, Uyoata Udi, and Damani Sease.

Taye Diggs is opening up about how “honored” he was with his shocking exit from CW’s “All American” after five seasons.

Diggs’ character Billy Baker was killed off in Monday’s episode. The Best Man star knew his end on the show was coming after he started to express his desire to move on from the role.

“I was having a great time. It was just a feeling that I got [that I was ready to leave], and I just honored that feeling,” Diggs told TV Line.

“It was maybe mid-fourth season. I don’t even remember, to be honest, because the showrunner [Nkeche Okoro Carroll] and myself are close. We’d been keeping in contact, so she had known, and we’d been talking. And we decided how to go about it, and storylines and whatnot, so it was all above board, and everyone was in the know.”

But when it came to Baker’s untimely death in season 5 episode 11, Diggs felt like his character’s death was the only way for Carroll to fulfill his desire to leave the show while honoring his character, who played an integral part in the show.

“The easiest choice would have been for me to teach at some college, but then given the intensity of the relationships between me and my family, and me and the team, it would not make sense if I was still alive and wasn’t still in contact with these children of mine—these students, these young men that had such an influence on my life,” Diggs explained.

“When I was told how I was exiting, I was impressed. [Laughs] No characters I’ve played have ever been dealt with in that fashion. I was honored.”

Baker served as the beloved football coach since the true-life-inspired show’s debut in 2018. He recruited the show’s lead, Spencer James (Daniel Ezra), as a star player at Beverly Hills High School ahead of viewers learning the surprising connection between Baker and James.

Baker’s death scene came as a cliffhanger to viewers after producers opted out of showing the exact way Diggs’ character made his exit.

“I loved that. I love leaving more to the imagination,” Diggs said. “It falls right in line with the style of the show. I wouldn’t want that image, you know what I mean? It’s nice that everybody has more positive images by which to remember me.”

Singer and actor Tyrese Gibson is having a rough week.

On the anniversary of his mother’s 2022 death, Tyrese said his label dropped him from the roster. 

Tyrese took to social media to share the unfortunate news. 

 

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A post shared by TYRESE (@tyrese)

“I really thought I would be doing much better today all week I feel like I was preparing myself to mentally emotionally and psychologically get through this very tragic day for me and my family…. Today my mother transitioned of all days on Valentine’s Day last year 2022…. Same year my father died [ REGGIE ANDREWS LOCKE SAINTS Father figure…”

Recently, Tyrese sat for an interview with Kenny Burns, where he announced the upcoming release of his double album, Beautiful Pain. During the interview he also spoke about mental issues, saying it’s difficult for some Black men to open up about their struggles because others are focused on their social status. 

Tyrese also sat with BLACK ENTERPRISE to discuss his film, The System, which focuses on mass incarceration. The actor told BE that the movie was filmed at an operating prison.

“They were literally moving inmates out of prisons, sorry, out of their jail cells, they were cleaning them up, then we would go in there and use that same jail cell,” Tyrese said. 

He added: “The smells, the energy, the kind of suppression depressive energy of just knowing that, yeah, we’re there to act, and we get to go home every night,” he continued.

Tyrese’s mother passed in 2022 due to complications from COVID-19. 

Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is opening up about the violent, suicidal thoughts he had after being fired from the news network in 2021.

It’s been nearly two years since Cuomo was ousted from CNN after advising his brother, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, on his misconduct accusations. But the longtime anchor still has a lot to say about his termination.

Cuomo appeared on Anthony Scaramucci’s Open Book podcast Wednesday, where he revealed just how outraged he was about his removal.

“I had to accept [my firing] because I was going to kill everybody, including myself,” Cuomo revealed. “Things can consume you.”

Cuomo admitted that he “makes a lot of mistakes” and sought therapy after he was fired.

“There is damage that is relatable, there is damage that is unrelatable to people that I have to deal with, that I am working on,” he said.

Following his removal from CNN, Cuomo was hired by NewsNation to host his primetime talk show, Cuomo, The New York Post reported. However, the viewership for his current show is nowhere near the ratings he received during his CNN heyday The October 2022 debut of Cuomo attracted 147,000 viewers; he averaged 1 million on CNN as the network’s top-rated primetime anchor.

It was “kind of embarrassing” to go from the leading anchor on CNN to a cable channel that “people don’t want to watch,” Cuomo said.

“At CNN, I wasn’t set up to be [No. 1],” Cuomo said. “I wasn’t the big name there, I didn’t have the big team, they didn’t do the advertising about me. But I was still No. 1.”

Cuomo was fired from CNN in December 2021 by the network’s boss at the time, Jeff Zucker. Months after Cuomo’s termination, Zucker stepped down after his years-long consensual affair with his top marketing officer, Allison Gollust, was revealed.

Everybody better “make some room,” because Mary J. Blige is leading something big.

The Grammy-winning artist is starting new conversations on her upcoming talk show, The Wine Down With Mary J. Blige, coming to TV screens this year.

According to Entertainment Tonight, an exclusive first-look teaser showed clips of the singer hanging out and having discussions with Hollywood A-listers that included rapper Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson, Empire star Taraji P. Henson, and City Girls member Caresha “Yung Miami” Brownlee. 

“You all know me as Mary the entertainer, but I can’t wait for you to get to know me as Mary the friend,” Blige shared in the new promo video.

“This is what I always wanted to do with a show that’s about me hanging out with people that I love, respect and admire,” Blige said.

In the teaser, fans got a sneak peek at exclusive interviews featuring the celebrity guests who joined in on conversations led by Blige. The clips showed guests getting candid about their lives, careers, relationships, and more.

 

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As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, following six Grammy nominations for her new album, Good Morning Gorgeous, Blige recently shared her thoughts about her current position in life in an exclusive with People. 

“I’ve been working so hard all my life — really, really hard. But I wasn’t able to see the good things until I really got my head together and my life together,” she said.

Last year, Blige announced her debut children’s picture book, Mary Can!, set to be released this March. The book is a testament to Blige’s journey as she proved naysayers wrong who thought her dreams were too big and too far out of reach. 

The Wine Down with Mary J. Blige airs on Wednesday, Mar. 1, and Wednesday, Mar. 8 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on BET and BET Her.

It was a family affair for Rihanna’s latest cover of British Vogue. The Bajan superstar brought boyfriend A$AP Rocky and their baby boy along for the glam shoot. She also had “no clue” that she was pregnant with their second child at the time the photos were taken.

On Wednesday, British Vogue released its March cover featuring Rihanna, Rocky, and their infant son. The “Diamonds” singer strikes a fierce pose along the beach while holding Rocky’s hand as he holds their son and kisses the baby on the cheek.

“@BritishVogue March 2023 issue,” she tweeted.

https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/1625904436311908352?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

She followed up with a close-up shot the magazine captured of her “perfect baby” boy.

my perfect baby!!! @britishvogue @inezandvinoodh pic.twitter.com/xvjjOfaU8N

— Rihanna (@rihanna) February 15, 2023

In a follow-up tweet, Rihanna shared three photos from the shoot she conducted with the baby boy she and Rocky welcomed in May 2022. The “Umbrella” singer, who just confirmed her second pregnancy during her Super Bowl halftime show on Sunday, revealed that she had no idea she was pregnant during the shoot.

“my son so fine! Idc idc idc!” she tweeted. “How crazy both of my babies were in these photos and mommy had no clue

“❤️❤️thank you so much @edward_enninful and @inezandvinoodh for celebrating us as a family!” she added.

https://twitter.com/rihanna/status/1626029020466020352?s=20

The British Vogue shoot took place in mid-December, TMZ reports. Insiders say Rihanna was busy rehearsing close to 24 hours a day at the time while pregnant with her second child.

Rihanna posed for intimate shots with Rocky as well as their son. The photos came just on the heels of reps confirming her second pregnancy.

The “Anti” singer set new trends for maternity fashion during her first pregnancy. It’s something she shouldn’t have any issue repeating considering how “easy” she found styling herself while pregnant than postpartum.

“Dressing for pregnancy was such a piece of cake,” she said.

“But dressing in postpartum, what the f—k do you do? The week that I came home from the hospital—that was nothing but sweats and hoodies.”

Chris Brown tried to hand Robert Glasper lemons after losing the Best R&B Album Grammy to the music artist. But Glasper turned the sour moment into a momentous one.

Glasper subtly responded to Brown’s “narcissistic” apology on Tuesday by unveiling his new limited edition T-shirt that read, “Who TF is Robert Glasper?” The 5x Grammy Award winner announced that the shirts had already sold out and that part of the proceeds would go toward the Community Music Center of New Orleans.

“Thanks for the support. A portion of the proceeds from this shirt will be donated to the Community Music Center of New Orleans,” Glasper shared in his caption.

“A nonprofit created to share the music culture and music education in New Orleans, providing free music lessons to underserved youth,” he continued. “I can’t thank y’all enough for supporting this cause.”

 

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A post shared by Robert Glasper (@robertglasper)

The phrase on the t-shirt was a clear shot back at Brown, who went on a social media tirade after losing to Glasper at the 65th Grammy Awards last week. Glasper’s “Black Radio III” won the 2023 Grammy Award for Best R&B Album, a category that Brown’s “Breezy (Deluxe)” was also nominated for.

Brown took to his Instagram Story to post a screenshot of a Google search he conducted on the decorated musician.

“Bro who the f— is this? Y’all playing. Who da f— is this?” Brown wrote over the photo.

The “Loyal” singer also shared a photo with the same question (that replaced the “o” in “who” with a crying laughing emoji) and wrote, “IMA KEEP KICKING YALL A**! RESPECTFULLY.”

After catching heat from many who were turned off by Brown’s unwarranted shade, the singer decided to reveal the apology he sent Glasper in a private direct message.

Chris Brown sends Robert Glasper heartfelt apology after his reaction to Robert winning R&B album of the year at the #GRAMMYs yesterday pic.twitter.com/aFAUPaHukm

— RNB RADAR (@RNB_RADAR) February 6, 2023

But the damage had already been done, and social media blasted Brown’s “narcissistic” apology to the pianist.

“This is how a narcissist apologizes 101,” one person said in response.

Now Glasper is showing how he got the last laugh.

• Sisters Inc

by Stacy Jackson

February 16, 2023

Black Woman’s Directory, ‘The Black Pages’ Helps Community Find Black-owned Businesses

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Find all things Black-owned in this directory.

Courtney Wade is bringing the community together with The Black Pages, a directory she created for easier access to finding local Black-owned businesses.

According to Daily Journal, Wade was motivated to create the directory following the May 2020 killing of George Floyd.

“The community was in arrest, but they were looking for something and wanted to come together,” she said regarding the incident.

Wade observed the needs of the community and, alongside family members and other activists, she developed a festival as part of Juneteenth to celebrate the Black community. She initially imagined the directory as a way to merge the community with local businesses.

“As you go through the festival, there were so many businesses I didn’t know existed,” she said. “After talking to people in the area, especially the older population, they weren’t aware of that either.”

The Black Pages includes more than 70 local businesses and organizations.

“It started as a piece of paper folded in half,” she said, recognizing the growth the directory has UNDERGONE in the past two-and-a-half years.

“But the idea is for it to become a fully-functional thing,” she said. “So, wherever you go, you can find what you’re looking for.”

A new copy of the directory is published via a local printer around every six months.

Although the primary focus of the directory is Kankakee County, Wade has received involvement from multiple businesses outside the county.

“Overall, my focus and main job — besides my family — is bridging the gaps in the community,” Wade said. “Merging the needs of the community with the resources of the community.”

Wade and her team are working to continue the expansion and growth of the directory this year.

The directory will be available through Facebook and The Black Pages website.

The cost for inclusion is $10, and businesses can reach out via email to submit information for directory inclusion.