Brother of Beloved Atlanta Night Club Owner Rails Against Suspected Killer Who Was Close Friend — Offers $100K Reward
A popular Atlanta club owner was gunned down in front of the venue he owned, and the killer is still at large.
According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the police have identified a suspect in the murder of Michael Gidewon, who co-owned Republic Lounge. Authorities from the Atlanta Police Department are looking for Jonathan David Soto, who knew the co-owner of the venue.
His heartbroken brother, Alex Gideon announced he is offering his own reward for the capture of the person who killed Michael over a week ago. It was also revealed that the club is shutting its doors after the tragic incident.
After Crime Stoppers Atlanta placed a $2,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Soto, Alex stated that he is offering substantially more. He went to his Instagram profile and posted that he is offering a “$100,000 reward to anyone with information leading to the arrest of my brother’s killer.”
Gidewon also slammed Soto, via the Instagram post and asked why he would do such a thing when they’ve known each other for over 20 years.
“To My Brothers Killer
Jonathan David aka “Sodo”,
“How did this happen? Why did this happen? I trusted you. Anybody that know me knows I keep a small circle but I let you in. I trusted you with my family. You’ve been around me for over 20 years. Always took care of you. You would get drunk and you get kicked out of the club but we worked it out because I saw you as family. I would always find ways that you can eat with me. Traveling and partying and celebrating life together just for you to take my little brothers life. What the f**k happened Sodo?”
He also stated that Soto “executed” Michael in front of the Republic Lounge in front of people, and “walked home like it was nothing.” Commenting that Soto had “so much hate” in his heart that he even stomped him on the head as his brother’s body lay on the ground.
The shooting took place Saturday morning, Feb. 4 outside the Atlanta nightclub, which is located along Brady Avenue NW in West Midtown. When police officers arrived, Michael was unresponsive and pronounced dead at the scene.
‘Why Is It Taking So Long?’: Shanquella Robinson’s Friend Outraged Over Lack of Progress in Finding Justice
The beating death of Shanquella Robinsoncaptivated the world, due to the fact that her death took place while she was on vacation with friends.
On Jan. 9, her family and friends celebrated what would have been her 26th birthday. According to WBTV, the family still has questions about what happened in Mexico on that fateful day on Oct. 29, 2022.
Robinson was on a birthday trip with several friends and died after being beaten, an act that was captured on a mobile phone camera. The video that went viral showed another American woman beating a defenseless Robinson at the villa she and her friends were vacationing at. During the video, no one came to help her. A man’s voice can be heard saying to her, “Can you at least fight back?”
Questions have arisen about why none of Robinson’s friends intervened or tried to stop the altercation, instead of just filming or watching it.
The victim’s childhood friend, Kayla Mitchell, spoke about the gruesome crime and how she had been looking forward to Robinson’s bright future.
“I just couldn’t believe someone will be capable of doing something like this, and not only to her, like, it was just crazy because I was actually you know, watching her story, like seeing that she’s enjoying her time. So, it’s just like how did it just go left? Like, devastated. Devastated,” Mitchell stated.
“She was so young, she had so much more life to live. Like we were planning to work together like just so much was coming. Like her prosperity, her business was booming, like it was just so much she had to look forward to.”
Mexican authorities are still investigating, and the FBI is also on the case, yet the family hasn’t seen any progress in getting justice for Robinson.
“What is going on? What’s the progress, what’s in motion? Like, what’s the timeline? That’s my question,” Mitchell said. “It’s been months now. We don’t have any real updates, no progress as we see you know, we’re all wondering why is it taking so long?”
Mitchell does, however, have a message to those who are responsible for Robinson’s death and did nothing to help her.
“You can’t run away from justice. God is a just God. So, whatever you do, when people are not around, God sees it and that’s the ultimate…like you have to go through him, and you can’t get away from him and his justice.”
There was also a recent statement given to WBTV from the Robinson family:
“On behalf of the Robinson and the Long family, thank you all for the outpouring of support. In my sister’s untimely demise three months ago, unfortunately, no one has been arrested, and the investigation of this case is still on going. Please continue to support and stand with us in solidarity in this journey/fight for justice for Shanquella.”
With a $30 Million Commitment, the Doris Duke Foundation Announces Largest Award for Performing Artists
Last night, the Doris Duke Foundation celebrated 10 years of innovation and artistry made possible by the prestigious Doris Duke Artist Award. This year’s awardees each received a life-changing $550K—a doubling of the prize amount, with the award having formerly been $275K—and all previous recipients were honored with a gift of $20K.
The tenth-anniversary class of Doris Duke Artists are Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah and Somi in the Jazz category; Charlotte Brathwaite and Kristina Wong in the Theater category; and Ayodele Casel and Rosy Simas in the Dance category.
An additional $30M commitment was also announced, supporting the continuation of the program for coming years and guaranteeing its lasting impact across the drastically underfunded fields of dance, jazz, and theater.
The evening also included performances by six members from the inaugural class of Doris Duke Artists: Vijay Iyer, Marc Bamuthi, Joseph, Bebe Miller, Nicole Mitchell, Eiko Otake and Basil Twist.
“What a decade of this award has revealed to us is that if you trust extraordinary artists like the ones here tonight and give them the conditions to thrive, they will go beyond the boundaries and expectations that you or anyone else could set for them,” said Maurine Knighton, chief program officer at the Doris Duke Foundation. “They will open doors to worlds previously unimagined and unlock new levels of creativity.”
‘Boomin to the Bank’ is Breaking Down Societal Barriers and Opening Access to Capital for Black Businesses
According to a report by the Federal Reserve, Black businesses are routinely shut out from accessing the necessary capital to keep their businesses afloat. But one game changer is closing the wealth gap through financial education and resources. Meet Black Business Boom, a Tennessee-based support system that connects Black business owners with a peer network, education, and mentors. The fast-growing social enterpriseannounced the uber-successful Boomin to the Bank program, which is on a mission to break the cycle of underfunding, high-interest rates, and racially inspired blockades to financial resources that prevent Black Owned Businesses from being able to stabilize, grow, and scale their businesses.
The Boomin to the Bank program served 100 Black business owners in 2022 and is expected to double that number this year. Founded by Danielle McGee, the high-impact cohort is a free program for Black business owners, fully funded by local partners, corporations, and government agencies.
The Boomin to the Bank Program’s five pillars of success are resources, community, mentorship, education, and funding. Each Black business owner will be given business strategy coaching, and group learning sessions. To ensure minority-owned business owners achieve financial success, they have access to necessary financial tools, such as free bookkeeping support for three months from Fincent.
McGee, a Saint Xavier graduate, is putting her MBA to work to create a financial impact through Black entrepreneurship. She believes it is time to level the playing field for minority-owned businesses that have been systematically denied access to the same benefits as their white peers.
An investigative report by NerdWallet backs up these claims, citing a Federal Reserve report that showed “the average loan size for small white-owned firms was over $30,000 higher than for small BIPOC-owned firms.” These findings are not surprising to McGee, who knows her students’ plight all too well, but through the efforts of Black Business Boom and the Boomin to the Bank program, she is confident that her team of professionals and local community partners can turn the tide.
In fact, this well-oiled machine also offers one-on-one mentorship from established corporate partners who provide their years of experience and business acumen to growing businesses. This diverse array of corporate volunteers meets with the program participants for one-on-one strategy sessions.
The eight-week program resets businesses and prepares them with the foundation to gain credit and lending opportunities from banking establishments at reasonable interest rates. According to a report from the Minority Business Development Agency, minority firms paid a full percentage point more for the same loans than their white counterparts.
The Boomin to the Bank program shows minority founders the keys they need to succeed in the banking arena. McGee and Tee Wilson, who acts as CMO and creative director, are opening the eyes of Black entrepreneurs and awakening a new day for minority-owned enterprises with the Boomin to the Bank program. This dynamic duo is shaking up the entrepreneurial landscape to make room for Black and Brown businesses to not just survive, but thrive.
McGee is traveling to several U.S. cities where her Boomin to the Bank’s 2022 program participants operate. To schedule McGee for an in-person interview or media segment, please contact Amy Keith at Email: info@blackbusinessboom.com or
Three Killed, 5 Injured in Michigan State University Shooting, Suspect Dead
By Dieu-Nalio Chery and Steve Gorman
EAST LANSING, Mich. (Reuters) – A gunman opened fire on Monday night on the main campus of Michigan State University, killing three people and injuring five, before an hours-long manhunt for the suspect ended with his death, apparently from a self-inflicted gunshot, police said.
A person, thought to be the suspect, walks up a flight of stairs as he enters a building, amidst a shooting incident, at Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, U.S. February 13, 2023. MSU Police and Public Safety via Twitter/via REUTERS
The 43-year-old gunman had no known affiliation to the university, and his motive remained a mystery, police said at an early morning news briefing more than five hours after the violence began on the East Lansing campus, about 90 miles northwest of Detroit.
Details about the sequence of events remained sketchy, but Chris Rozman, interim deputy chief of the university police, said shots were fired in two locations – an academic building called Berkey Hall and the Michigan State University (MSU) Union building.
Police swarming the campus in response to the shooting, which began shortly after 8 p.m. (0100 GMT), found victims at both locations, Rozman told reporters at the televised briefing.
Rozman said investigators had no information about the motive, adding that the university was not aware of any threats made to the campus before Monday’s bloodshed.
Rozman said three victims were killed and five were taken to a hospital in Lansing, the state capital, all of them listed in critical condition. Two of the dead were at Berkey Hall and the other at the MSU Union.
Officials declined to provide any details about the victims, some of whose identities and relationship to the university were still being determined, Rozman said.
The name and other information about the suspect were not immediately released, and police said they remained baffled by what precipitated the shooting.
“We have no idea why he came to campus to do this tonight,” Rozman told reporters.
The gunman was confirmed dead, from an apparently self-inflicted gunshot roughly four hours after the bloodshed had started, Rozman said.
“There is no longer a threat to campus. We believe there to be only one suspect in this incident,” he said.
Rozman also said the suspect “was contacted by law enforcement off campus” at one point, adding, “that scene is being investigated as a crime scene.”
It remained unclear whether the gunman was found dead after he was confronted by police, or whether he may have taken his life during such a encounter.
About an hour earlier, MSU police had released two still images of the suspect, taken by a surveillance camera, that showed him walking into a building, then mounting a short flight of stairs, wearing a jacket, a baseball cap, and a black mask over his lower face. He was holding what appeared to be a pistol in one hand.
Students, faculty and residents in surrounding off-campus neighborhoods of East Lansing had been told by authorities to “shelter in place” during the manhunt. That advisory was lifted once the suspect’s death was confirmed.
‘GO, GO, GO’
MSU officials said Monday night that all classes and school activities would be canceled for 48 hours at the university’s flagship East Lansing campus, a sprawling public academic center with some 50,000 students, mostly undergraduates.
“We will take two days … to give ourselves time to think and to grieve and to be together,” MSU president Teresa Woodruff said early Tuesday.
The violence came roughly 14 months after a deadly mass shooting on Nov. 30, 2021, at Oxford High School in Oakland County, Michigan, about 80 miles east of East Lansing, in which a 15-year-old student opened fire with a semi-automatic pistol.
Four classmates were killed and six students and a teacher were wounded in that attack, the deadliest U.S. school shooting that year.
Authorities said the teenage suspect in the 2021 shooting, who has pleaded not guilty to murder charges, used a gun his parents bought him as a Christmas present despite signs that he was emotionally disturbed. Both parents were charged with involuntary manslaughter in the case.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on Twitter that she was being briefed on the East Lansing shooting.
Alexis Dinkins, an MSU sophomore who was inside Akers Hall, a dormitory on campus, told The Detroit News she heard people barricading doors and shouting, “Go, go, go” as the incident unfolded.
As she and others fled the dorm, they encountered police who told them to go to a nearby bus stop.
“We don’t feel safe anywhere,” The Detroit News quoted Dinkins as saying as she stood with a group of students on a campus sidewalk after leaving Akers. She described the situation as “terrifying.”
(Reporting by Dieu-Nalio Chery in East Lansing; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Dan Whitcomb in Long Beach, Calif., and Eric Beech in Washington; Editing by Kim Coghill & Shri Navaratnam)
Inside African American History With Barbados And Why Every Black Traveler Should Visit
If you’re a Black traveler, make sure to add Barbados to your list of places to visit!
In addition to its immaculate beaches, unique culinary offerings, and its most popular product, rum, Barbados shares an eye-opening history with Black communities around the world.
BLACK ENTERPRISE was invited out to the beautiful island nation of Barbados for the official announcement of FABA Fest coming Juneteenth weekend. As part of the press tour, attendees were given a one-of-a-kind introduction to Barbados’ amazing culture and history courtesy of Barbados Tourism Marketing Inc.
Activities included a fun-filled yacht party and snorkeling excursion with Seaduced Barbados, a history tour and safari ride with Island Safari, a tour and tasting of Barbados’ historic Mt. Gay rum distillery, and an adventurous journey to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean with Atlantis Submarines Barbados. We also got to visit Rihanna’s childhood home on Westbury New Road, now known as Rihanna Drive.
The Island Safari tour in Bridgetown provided a “Tailor Made” option that took us on a journey to Bridgetown’s Freedom Park – Golden Square where we learned about Barbados’ strong ties to the Americas by way of the Atlantic Slave Trade. Tour guide Dawn Lisa-Smith provided in-depth insight into the slave trade where many African slaves were taken to Barbados and “prepped” prior to being auctioned and sold to plantations in the U.S.A and Caribbean.
It was the practices and habits of sugar cultivation in Barbados that influenced the slavery practices in the Americas, as noted by Slavery and Remembrance.org. Powerful Barbadian planters were among the first to settle and make up what would become South Carolina, where they were able to spread their legal code of slavery from Barbados.
Thanks to current debates around Critical Race Theory in America, it’s easy to forget how much Black history has yet to be discovered by many African Americans. It’s part of the reason why Barbados has a strong desire to attract Black travelers and help reintroduce them to a culture and community they might have roots in.
In addition to the new HBCU-themed FABA Festival and Crop Over reeling in American tourists and partygoers, Barbados also has its sights on attracting more Black travelers who share a deep history with the country.
Just on the heels of Barbados’ transition from a parliamentary constitutional monarchy under the rule of Queen Elizabeth II to a parliamentary republic, as noted by BBC, the island nation is proud to welcome Black travelers and immerse them in the Black history and excellence that comes out of Barbados.
The weather is perfect all year round, which means you can travel to Barbados during the winter, spring, summer, and fall months. There are plenty of reasons to Visit Barbados, from the culture, food, and delectable drinks, to just relaxing on the beach or dancing the night away.
Barbados wants Black Americans to come tap into the culture we share.
For Free!? Rihanna Didn’t Get Any Coins From Super Bowl Halftime Performance
Even after all the time and preparation to bring a massive stadium audience to its feet, there’s still no paycheck involved for RiRi.
Nine-time Grammy Award-winning artist Rihanna, reportedly walked away from her Super Bowl LVII halftime performance empty-handed.
According to Forbes, the superstar isn’t the only performer to leave without collecting a payment as it is a custom for headliners to not get paid. This includes legendary artists like Beyoncé, Bruno Mars, Jennifer Lopez, and all the others.
Although there was no check written out to the singer, sources reported that Rihanna was not responsible for footing the bill toward production costs. Reportedly, an NFL spokesperson said all costs were expected to be handled by the NFL and Apple Music.
For fans who wonder what those costs look like, Fox Businessreported that the bill can come out to over $10 million for the 12-15 minute halftime set. This ensures costs for dancers, lighting, wardrobe, and all other aspects are covered to bring the production to life.
Artists still walk away with major benefits such as the opportunity to promote their music to tens of millions of viewers at one time, which reaps massive financial benefits. In past performances, artists have walked away with massive increases in album sales, streams, and new followers across their social media platforms.
Forbes reported that Rihanna’s performance was a major step in her return to the music, reminding fans of their love for the artist. The outlet even predicted that Sunday night’s performance would reap loads of financial benefits for the artist’s Fenty Beauty and Savage X Fenty companies ahead of Valentine’s Day.
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Rihanna took a moment on stage to touch up her makeup, promoting her Fenty makeup brand. The moment went viral as fans reposted the highlight from the performance.
France Condemns Portrayal of French Army in ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’
The depiction of the French army in the Marvel Cinematic Universe movie, Black Panther: WakandaForever is apparently an issue.
According to France 24, the Minister of the Armed Forces of France Sebastien Lecornu is complaining about how the French army is being portrayed in the box office hit.
In a social media post on Twitter, Lecornu wrote that he “strongly condemned” the way the fictional French soldiers were depicted in the movie. In the film, the group of mercenaries was caught trying to steal resources from Wakanda, the fictional country portrayed in Wakanda Forever. He called the scene a “misleading representation of our Armed Forces.”
He included a scene from the movie that shows warriors from Wakanda leading the captured soldiers into an assembly of world leaders and making them kneel in front of the assembly.
Translated by Google:
“I strongly condemn this misleading and misleading representation of our Armed Forces.
“I think and pay tribute to the 58 French soldiers who died defending Mali at its request against Islamist terrorist groups.”
Je condamne fermement cette représentation mensongère et trompeuse de nos forces Armées.
Je pense et rends hommage aux 58 soldats français qui sont morts en défendant le Mali à sa demande face aux groupes terroristes islamistes. https://t.co/KpnFIcatPt
AFP reported that Lecornu told the media outlet that France was not calling for the movie to be withdrawn or to censored. France is sensitive to how it is perceived in west Africa after military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso urged France to withdraw its troops, which had been deployed to the Sahel region since 2013 to fight jihadists.
Lecornu is “angry at seeing the film.” The defence ministry stated that “no revisionism can be allowed about France’s recent actions in Mali: we intervened at the county’s own request to fight armed terrorist groups, far from the story told in the film, namely a French army coming to pillage natural resources.”
How I Hired Over 100 Virtual Assistants To Build 4 Companies and Sell 3
Virtual assistants are a powerful way to build a successful business. I’ve started five companies and used over 100 virtual assistants to build four of them. I’ve sold three businesses, authored 5 books, and build a strong personal brand. Guess what? Virtual assistants have helped me with all of this.
Here’s my playbook in how to hire a virtual assistant to help scale you.
Multiplying You and Getting Expertise
The main reason you want to hire a virtual assistant is so that you can get more done and gain expertise.
You might be able to edit your own video, however, hiring someone to do it for you can help you focus on other things.
A virtual assistant can help you focus on revenue generation activities while they focus on other parts of your business. My friend Crystal Washington – www.CrystalWashington.com, a technology futurist, gave me this tip!
Another reason you should hire someone is to give you the expertise you don’t have. Not just to save time, but also to help you in others that you’re not the best in.
For example, I can create decent graphics, especially if I use Canva – www.Canva.com – however, I’ve often hired graphic designers to help me create even better graphics.
Think Bigger
You can hire a virtual assistant to do basic tasks, like transcribing notes from a meeting or helping to organize your hotel or flights. However, if that is all you think of a virtual assistant, you’re missing out.
There’s so much more you should consider using a virtual assistant for, especially a good one!
A virtual assistant should be thought of as a problem solver, a productivity booster, and an important part of your team.
Think of a virtual assistant as the team member you need to get you to the next level in your business.
Create a Job Description:
The best hires I’ve had is when I’ve taken the time to create a job description and good headline for the position. A great headline helps to attract the right virtual assistant.
Headlines are helpful to quickly capture the attention of the virtual assistant scanning through opportunities. A good headline helps to capture their attention.
A good job description is helpful to clearly identify what the scope of the need is about. To clearly understand what the expectations are, what are some possible scenarios that the freelancer is expected to do, and more.
The job description helps give clarity to you and the freelancer.
Difference Tasks Require Different People:
The task or project, or job you need done needs to match the skill level, temperament and work style of your hire.
For example, if you have a very transactional project, like importing email addresses, that’s a pretty cut-and-dry task. But you want someone VERY detailed, and who loves doing the same work over and over again.
If you need a project manager and leading others, this position might require a lot more subjective thinking and leadership from the virtual assistant you’re hiring.
The more you’re aware of your own work style, the more successful you’ll be at hiring.
If you are a perfectionist you might never be satisfied with someone else’s work. If you are not sure what you want, you might think the freelancer is at fault, when it’s really your lack of clarity.
The better a leader you are, the better you’ll be able to hire and lead your team members.
Get Out of the Way:
Some of my best hires have been the team members I’ve empowered to lead. I make suggestions and give guidelines to my team. I set the vision and direction for a particular project. I then trust the judgment and expertise of my team, all virtual assistants, to make it happen.
This takes time. Trust must be built between you and them. Over time, as you learn each other’s work preferences and goals, your freelance hires can take a greater and great role in helping you grow your business.
Pay a Premium:
There are no precise payment guidelines for hiring people. It really depends on skill, project need, your budget and what the freelancer feels they are worth. Here are a few things I’ve learned.
Someone charging way too little is someone I don’t hire. If most of the rates for good website design is $20 – $30 an hour, I don’t want to hire someone whose rate is $10 per hour. It’s just too low and I feel they’re not savvy and skilled enough to get the job done.
I like to pay a fair market rate or even a premium for services. An executive assistant I hired, had a rate of about $50 per hour. That’s a high rate for some. However, she was so good, such an expert, it was so worth it. I hired a designer for a new print magazine I was launching. My friend Seth Godin – www.SethGodin.com, advised me to have a well-designed magazine, so I invested in the best designer I could hire. Here rate was like $60 or more an hour.
She was an amazing designer and very much worth it.
Virtual Assistants Can Transform Your Life
A virtual assistant can powerfully transform your life.
We are in business NOT so we can work, we are in business to serve our customers who pay us so we can live the life we want.
Ramon Ray is a serial entrepreneur who has started 5 companies and sold three. He’s the founder of Celebrity CEO™ –www.CelebrityCEO.com, ZoneofGenius.com and BWCDaily.com. Ramon’s interviewed President Obama; interviewed all 5 Sharks on Shark Tank; and shared the stage with Simon Sinek, Seth Godin, Gary Vaynerchuk and other celebrated business leaders. Get to know Ramon better at RamonRay.com
Jada Pinkett Smith Reveals How She Gained Her Confidence Back After Losing Hair From Alopecia
Celebs have been showing off their natural inches of hair growth lately, but this actress is flaunting her baldness.
Red Table Talk host, Jada Pinkett Smith, recently discussed her journey with alopecia, an autoimmune disorder that triggers partial or complete hair loss.
According to an interview with The Guardian, the actress shared how her disorder has been a “great teacher,” changing her expectations on her own beauty standards as a Black woman.
“It’s been a hard one, a scary one — because specifically as Black women, we identify so much of ourselves with our hair,” Pinkett Smith said. “And it was scary. I had to really dig deep and see the beauty of myself beyond my aesthetics.”
“When you get to my age, you get so settled in your skin, so comfortable in the knowingness of you, that you don’t get concerned about what other people have to say. The elders earn that,” she added.
As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Chris Rock received a stinging slap to the face from Will Smith during the Oscars last year after he joked about Pinkett Smith’s hair, saying, “Jada, I love you. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it,” referencing Demi Moore‘s buzz cut in the 1997 film, G.I. Jane.
“I learned a lot about detachment,” Pinkett Smith continued in the interview with The Guardian. “And I learned a deeper beauty within myself, being able to let my hair go,” she said regarding her condition being brought to light following Rock’s Oscars joke.
“I see my younger self in her,” she said of her daughter. “She’s so fiery, so ready to go. Ready to take on the world. … Then, as you get older, you don’t hold on to that stage. You pass the torch and settle into your new understanding.”
