This Black woman has worked in the C suite as a top executive, but that was the last thing on her mind when she went to write her story.

Corporate leader Bozoma Saint John tells a difficult story of survival in her upcoming memoir, The Urgent Life, which covers her personal experiences with love and loss.

According to Town & Country, Saint John’s book details challenging moments such as the suicide of her college boyfriend, the death of a child born prematurely, and her late husband’s cancer battle.

“I was very transparent on social media during my husband’s illness and death,” Saint John said. “After that, it felt as though I’d already said the things I needed to say, but I still wanted to piece together how that moment in my life changed everything. The book I ended up writing was more about how losses throughout my life have shaped who I am today.”

 

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The former Netflix executive looked to authors such as Toni Morrison, James Baldwin, and Nikki Giovanni as inspiration to tell her own story.

“It’s intimidating to love authors like that and think that I can pick up a pen and do the same,” she explained. “But for me, it wasn’t about doing the same. The authors I like write about death and talk about people in a way that doesn’t make them seem like heroes. There’s complexity, and that’s what I love.”

Saint John also talked about life in her memoir, at one point, citing the words of Diane Ackerman that opened her eyes to not only living out the “length” of life, but also the “width” of it.

“It’s haunting, but also inspiring because she articulated something I had been trying to articulate for myself. Are the years what makes the life, or is it the things that you do in those years? I believe it’s the latter,” Saint John said.

The Urgent Life author knows some readers will be surprised to find the book is not about “how to be a badass” in the corporate world, but rather the transparency of how life happened for her.

“I don’t think it would be possible for me to write a book about my corporate endeavors without talking about what has really happened to me,” she said.

 

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• News

by Booker Jones

February 15, 2023

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy Plans to Expand AP African American Studies Courses

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Gov. Phil Murphy plans to expand AP African American Studies courses in New Jersey. According to the Associated Press, Murphy’s administration will expand African American Studies courses to 26 schools.

Currently, only one New Jersey school has an advanced placement course. 

“New Jersey will proudly teach our kids that Black History is American History,” Murphy said in a statement. “While the DeSantis Administration stated that AP African American Studies ‘significantly lacks educational value’, New Jersey will stand on the side of teaching our full history.”

According to the AP, New Jersey schools currently require diversity classes. A 2021 state law required schools to include courses on diversity and inclusion.

Roger Leon, Newark Schools superintendent, praised the expansion of African American studies courses.  

“The study of African American History, as a discrete field, is important to gaining a deeper, fuller understanding of United States History,” Leon told the Associated Press. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis and his crew of Republicans have been waging a culture war against Black scholarship, literature, and intellectuality. In 2022, DeSantis unfurled the Stop Woke Act, which regulates how the history of racism can be taught inside public schools. DeSantis, who majored in history at Yale University, stirred emotions after he rejected African American Studies AP classes. His excuse: African American studies lack educational value and push an agenda.

On February 1, the College Board released the curriculum for the advanced placement courses. The College Board gutted prominent Black thinkers and scholars whose work center on critical race theory, queer studies, and Black feminism. 

Authors stripped from the new curriculum include Ta-Nehisi Coates, Kimberle Crenshaw, and bell hooks.

In a letter, more than 200 university faculty members accused DeSantis of trying to intimidate the College Board with his public condemnation of the course.

Crenshaw, who believes DeSantis is targeting topics related to intersectionality, added: “African American history is not just male. It’s not just straight. It’s not just middle class. It has to tell the story of all of us.”

Ice Cube has an eventful weekend. After calling out Billboard for being left off its 50 best rappers of all-time list, the mastermind behind Friday, is reportedly in talks to cash in on some of his Big 3 Basketball league. 

According to Bloomberg, the rapper and actor has been speaking to investors about selling the ownership of some of the teams in the league. The outlet reported that Ice Cube has been seeking more sponsorships by pitching his league to advertisers. 

In 2017, Ice Cube and his business partner, Jeff Kwatinetz, launched Big3 basketball league. The 3-on-3 league has 12 teams and features former NBA players. Games are half-court; the first team to score 50 points wins. Big3 has featured prominent players such as Baron Davis, Joe Johnson, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Metta World Peace..

Big3’s season consists of each team playing eight games runs from June through August, culminating with a two-week post season. This is the league’s fifth year, and its first year hosting an all-star game, which will take place in the Bahamas. 

Outside of Cube’s Big3 league, the Los Angeles native, who was included in this year’s Grammys hip-hop tribute, has strong feelings about Billboard’s 50 best MCs of all-time list. Cube, one of the world’s most famous rappers, was left off that list. 

TMZ recently saw Cube at Los Angeles International Airport and asked the rapper about the list. 

“I don’t f*ck with Billboard or the editor. Billboard ain’t hip-hop so their opinion don’t matter. So who gives a fu*k?,” Cube said. 

He added: “It’s an irrelevant list,” he added. “It’s like *ssh*les: everybody got one and they all stink.”

Cube’s Mount Rushmore contemporary, Too Short, was also left off the list. Jay-Z was voted hip-hop’s GOAT.  Eminem, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, Kendrick Lamar, Drake, and Snoop Dogg were included on Billboard’s all-time list. 

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 15, 2023

Don’t Touch! Viral Video Shows HBCU Cheerleader Ejected After Basketball Player Interrupts Routine

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A classic case of “Oops, my bad!” lead to a cheerleader being ejected from an HBCU college game.

During a conference game between Mississippi Valley State and Alabama A&M University, The New York Post reported Dailin Smith, a junior guard/forward for Alabama, accidentally touched a Mississippi Valley State cheerleader during her routine. Video showed she was mid-air, close to the baseline when the incident occurred.

With three minutes left in the game, the game went to the opposite side of the court, but when the play returned, things got physical. The video, seen over 200,000 times on Youtube, showed that same cheerleader walking onto the court and proceeding to push and address Smith.

MVSU commentators, Caleb Brunson and Andre Williams, got a bird’s eye view of the incident as it occurred, and were notably distracted. Viewers could hear someone yelling for security as the camera panned to the court to give a play-by-play. Security walked over to the cheerleader to escort her out. “Security is getting involved and it’s getting real heated here,” Brunson said. “There going to say she has to go.”

According to BET, the cheerleader’s name hasn’t been made public, however college officials did make a statement. “The Mississippi Valley State University student involved is extremely apologetic about the incident and has written a sincere apology acknowledging her mistake,” the statement said. “MVSU officials will be reaching out to Alabama A&M officials.”

To add salt to the open wound, Alabama A&M beat Mississippi Valley State University 70-68 in double overtime, thanks to a clutch shot from junior guard, Messiah Thompson. The victory helped A&M’s record improve to 10-15, with a 6-6 record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. The Post reported Mississippi State’s record dropped to 3-23, with a 2-10 conference record.

With the cheerleader’s behavior being reported to the university’s judicial affairs office, she won’t be allowed to cheer until the judicial affairs office completes an investigation.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 15, 2023

Now, Sir! New York Man Accidentally Books Flight To Sidney, Montana, Instead of Sydney, Australia

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What is the difference between Sidney, Montana and Sydney, Australia? One letter and a couple of hundred miles.

One man from New York learned a valuable spelling lesson after Fox 5 Atlanta reported he mistakenly booked a flight to Montana instead of Australia. Kingsley Burnett was excited to travel down under for a cruise leaving from one of the country’s largest cities.

Burnett told Fox he didn’t think anything of it since Billings, Montana, some miles away from Sidney, is a common connector for Australia travelers.

However, once he saw the size of the plane at NY’s LaGuardia Airport, questions started going through his head. “I saw the little plane with, like, nine passengers and wondered, “‘How is that going to get me to Australia?’” Burnett said. He boarded the plane, regardless, but realized it was a huge mistake.

According to Inside Edition, Sidney, Montana, has about 6,000 residents versus Sydney’s population of 5.3 million. “I had to find out for myself that Billings, Montana, would only take me to Sidney, Montana, where there are no kangaroos waiting to welcome Mr Burnett,” Burnett joked.

Thank goodness Burnett has a sense of humor. While he couldn’t partake in his dream vacation, the Jamaica native found out what was special in the “Treasure State” and spent one night in Billings. An American Airlines employee, Carol Castellano, according to Fox, helped him get back to New York as no flights were flying to Australia.

It was an honest mistake that he hopes won’t happen again. Burnett has the perfect solution for the mishap. “It’s a matter of acronyms, Burnett said, according to Inside Edition. “The S-Y-D as opposed to S-D-Y. Somebody has to fix that.” Burnett is ready to try again. According to Inside Edition, he has already rescheduled his trip to the correct Sydney for June 13.

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 15, 2023

Florida Grandmother of 11 Dies After Botched BBL — Doctor’s Penalty is Mere $10K Fine

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Nearly a year ago, a botched Brazilian Butt Lift, or BBL, surgery led to the death of Tanesha Walker. The surgeon who operated received a $10,000 fine and costs for the investigation plus a mandated one-hour lecture.

According to Atlanta Black Star, members of the Florida Board of Medicine settled with Dr. Oliver Simmons, the Miami plastic surgeon who illegally injected fat into Walker’s gluteal muscles during the BBL operation. The botched surgery led to Walker’s death on April 20, 2022.

The doctor, who is employed by New Life Plastic Surgery, received a letter of reprimand against his license and a $10,000 fine from the Florida Department of Health. He was also hit with a bill to pay back the cost of the department’s investigation and prosecution costs of $9,588.67. Also included with the penalty is a commitment to do a one-hour lecture/seminar on the safety and possible complications of BBL surgeries at a medical facility.

According to testimony given to the Department of Health, Dr. Paul Goldberg stated that Walker “was not a candidate for office surgery, but maybe she would be a candidate for surgery in a hospital.” This was decided after she went to the facility on Apr. 18, 2022, for an evaluation for breast reduction surgery. She allegedly had a history of high blood pressure, was labeled pre-diabetic, and her body mass was measured at an index of 38.1.

Despite that being in her chart, Simmons approved her for the surgery the day after the examination.

Authorities state he “injected fat into the gluteal muscle, which caused the fatal pulmonary embolism.”

Miami-Dade Chief Medical Examiner Kenneth Hutchins, who performed the autopsy, said he found “many vessels filled with fat emboli” in her lungs and “there is vegetable matter in the small airways.”

According to the Miami Herald, the autopsy determined that Dr. Simmons violated Florida law by injecting fat into Walker’s gluteal muscles during the surgery.

Former NBA player Carmelo Anthony continues to build his business portfolio now that he may no longer be playing on the basketball court.

Anthony was introduced as a partner in a new sports investment firm, Isos7 Sports Investments. The Syracuse University alum is collaborating with the founders and co-CEOs of Isos Capital Management, George Barrios and Michelle Wilson. The pair previously served as co-presidents of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment).

“I’m excited to build on my experiences as an athlete, entrepreneur, and investor, and move to the next level of league and team ownership opportunities globally,” said Anthony in a written statement. “Stuart and I will shift our focus from Melo7 Tech Partners, where we had great success together, and partner with the team at Isos7 to leverage our deep relationships across the sports ecosystem and create value for all those involved. Our collective success will in turn further enable us to have a positive impact on underrepresented populations.”

The new entity will provide growth capital between $50 million to $100 million per investment to various sports leagues, teams, emerging properties, and ancillary businesses throughout North America, Europe, and pan-Asia.

With the new company, they have committed to giving 1% of the profits earned to support underrepresented populations and underserved communities.

“We believe sports assets will continue to benefit from global macro tailwinds and secular industry trends driving significant, predictable, and stable growth,” said Barrios and Wilson. “We are thrilled to partner with Carmelo, a trailblazer for athletes in investing, business development, and philanthropy. We have a shared vision for how a new wave of diverse investors will identify global growth opportunities and impact the marketplace.”

This latest business move comes on the heels of an announcement at the end of last year that the 10-time NBA All-Star and entrepreneur has launched a namesake apparel and lifestyle brand named STAYME7O.™ Items can be purchased exclusively on the clothing brand’s website, www.STAYME7O.com.

• Business

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 15, 2023

Free Money? Chicago, Los Angeles Open Up Guaranteed Income Program For Qualifying Residents

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Qualified residents have been blessed with quick cash without having to do much.

The New York Times reports the City of Chicago implemented the idea of guaranteed income. The experiment provided residents with basic subsistence under the Resilient Communities Pilot program. Created by Mayor Lori Lightfoot, the $31.5 million program selected 5,000 qualified city residents in August to receive a guaranteed cash income for a year.

In December, the first round of $500 checks went out to 3,250 residents in Chicago and other Cook County residents with funds from another program, a $42 million county pilot.

With remaining funds coming from the American Rescue Plan, signed into law in 2021, Clayton News Daily reports qualifying Cook County residents depends on residents’ annual income. The cutoff will be 250% of the federal poverty level. Broken down, that is an income of $36,450 for individuals and $75,000 for a family of four. Scientists from the University of Chicago are tracking the program with hopes of expansion as specialists like Jon Morgan, CEO of Venture Smarter, say it can really help shape public policy. “Guaranteed income initiatives, such as the Chicago Resilient Families Initiative, can be crucial in shaping public policy to combat inequality and poverty,” Morgan said.

“Other cities and nations, such as Stockton, California, and Marica, Brazil, as well as Canada and Finland, have put similar systems into place.”

According to Bloomberg, Los Angeles County opened the “Breathe LA” initiative last June, which states county families receive $1,000 monthly. It’s been named one of the largest basic income pilots in the country. Santa Clara County in California has a similar program, as well as Multnomah County in Oregon. The “Multnomah Mothers’ Trust” focuses on Black mothers, offering $500 monthly to 100 Black mothers. An additional $50 is added if they share their experiences.

To date, most qualifying Chicago citizens are either homeless, served in the U.S. military, or are qualified caregivers, as reported by Clayton News Daily.

Queen Latifah believes anyone who tunes into her podcast will be “hooked” from the very first story.

The Newark actor, singer, rapper, and former talk show host, whose name is Dana Owens, partnered up with Audible to spread love and unity through her new podcast, Unity in the Community, a play on her 1993 classic song “U.N.I.T.Y.”

According to an interview with Audible, the seven-episode podcast spotlights unsung heroes who have positively influenced their communities.

"…it's important what you listen to; it affects you." – @IAMQUEENLATIFAH talks with Audible Editor Margaret about the importance of what you consume and your ability to impact your local community.

Listen or read here: https://t.co/gbbwKeOQcX.

— Audible (@audible_com) February 8, 2023

“I love that it’s an Audible podcast,” Queen Latifah said. “…It’s important what you listen to; it affects you. It’s important for me and for my partner, and our company, Flavor Unit, to try to put some positive things out into the world.”

Owens shared the importance of people being able to hear the natural stories from root to fruition of real-life people making great things happen across their communities and throughout the world.

“To really hear and know that there are people right next to you, right in your own community, that are doing such impactful things, such positive things, to have such a positive impact on your very own community and the world, is important to hear,” the Newark native said.

Unity in the Community features Newark, New Jersey, restaurant owner Walter Green; Oakland, California leader Kevin Grant, who helps high-risk youth; New Orleans educator Rashida Govan, who focuses on youth empowerment for African American girls through her Project Butterfly; and other impactful community workers.

“I think these are empowering stories for those who don’t have someone who is there for them. To just hear themselves and see themselves in these stories, and hopefully feel something, feel some sort of connection or some empowerment,” Owens said.

Reportedly, the award-winning hip-hop legend is also working on a scripted romantic comedy and making more music in the future.

 Unity in the Community is available to listeners through Audible.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 15, 2023

Black Police Officer Arrested In Connection With Missing 16-Year-Old Girl In Georgia

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The family of a missing 16-year-old girl could soon receive answers about what happened to her.

CNN reports that police arrested Miles Bryant, a 22-year-old Doraville police officer, on suspicion of being involved with her disappearance. A passerby found the remains of Susana Morales in eastern Gwinnett County on Feb. 6 near a highway. The witness said they believed they saw human remains in the woods.

Morales was missing for six months.

Gwinnett County detectives told Fox News Bryant hid the teen’s death and then lied about it. Officer Hideshi Valle said this is “tragic news” for everyone. “This is a very tragic incident and not just for our community, but the law enforcement community as well,” Valle said. “Gwinnett Police is determined to get all of the facts and all of the information to get justice regardless of who the individual is.”

The Morales family told police that they hadn’t seen or heard from the victim since July 26. Fox News says  Morales texted her mother around 9:40 p.m., saying she was walking home from a nearby friend’s house. Cell phone records show the victim was walking toward her home between 10:07 p.m. and 10:21 p.m., but detectives believe she got into a vehicle. Her phone pinged that location until it either died or was turned off.

The 16-year-old never made it home.

The assailant is charged with concealing the victim’s death and filing a false police report. According to Fox News, Bryant allegedly reported that his vehicle had been broken into and that his gun had been stolen. Police also suspect Bryant of rape, murder, and other felonies; however, no charges are being filed at this time.

Once the Doraville Police Department found out about the charges against Bryant, he was fired after being with the department for almost two years, CNN reports. Gwinnett Country spokesperson said Bryant is “being served felony arrest warrants.” “Our prayers rest with the family and friends of Susana Morales and everyone else affected by this tragedy,” an online statement from the City of Doraville said. “The city of Doraville and its police department are fully cooperating with the Gwinnett (County) Police Department in its investigation of Mr. Bryant.”