As he continues to recover from suffering a cardiac arrest while playing in front of a live audience on national television, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin has gotten more good news. The defensive player was announced as the NFL Players Association’s winner of the 2023 Alan Page Community Award.

The award is the NFLPA’s highest honor. Every year, the Alan Page Community Award acknowledges one NFL player who demonstrates a dedication so deep that it positively impacts his team’s city and communities across the country. The award was named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Alan Page.

“Being recognized for the NFLPA Alan Page Community Award is humbling and a dream come true,” Hamlin said in a written statement. “I’m humbled to even be mentioned amongst those guys. I’ve always wanted to impact my community and show that it’s possible to do great things. With this award, we’ll be able to impact even more people and keep this mission going.”

Along with being acknowledged for his contributions with this award, the NFLPA will also donate $100,000 to Hamlin’s Chasing M’s Foundation.

Hamlin was recognized by his fellow players, as each year’s winner is selected by their NFL peers.

Hamlin started the Chasing M’s Foundation through a GoFundMe page when the pandemic was gripping the world in 2020. He was still an NFL hopeful at the University of Pittsburgh at the time. He envisioned raising $2,500 for camps, toy drives, back-to-school events, as well as other initiatives to give back to the Pennsylvania community that helped raise him. The “M” stood for the “millions” of people, scholarships, and other avenues by which he hoped to make a difference.

In December, before his shocking health crisis, the safety played host to his third annual Community Toy Drive in Pittsburgh. After the near-death experience on January 2, donations totaling more than nine million dollars were made to his Chasing M’s Foundation.

The defensive player is currently recovering in hopes of returning back to the football field next season.

Patti LaBelle is 78 years young and ready to re-enter the dating scene.

The legendary soul singer appeared on “The Jennifer Hudson Show” on Wednesday where she talked about the approaching Valentine’s Day holiday and shared her desire to find love again.

“How old am I? 78,” LaBelle said. “I was married for 32 years to a wonderful man [ex-husband Armstead Edwards], and we’re still friends, good friends. So I think in life I need to find happiness for myself, other than what I had back in the day with him, which was wonderful.”

The two-time Grammy Award winner also noted why she’s too much of a good catch to be riding solo.

“But I’m too good to be solo,” LaBelle quipped.

LaBelle said she isn’t using any dating apps since she already has her eyes on a special someone. But when Hudson asked for a hint on who it could be, the “If Only You Knew” singer set her straight.

“That’s my personal business,” LaBelle quipped.

Her views on dating have shifted in the last two years after she claimed she was “not interested” in seeing anyone in 2021, People reports.

“I’m just living my life like it’s platinum,” she said at the time. “Thank God I have a lot of people who care for me. I live alone with my dog, Mr. Cuddles, and I’m looking for love from everybody. I am.”

LaBelle was a pioneer of her day who proposed to her husband in 1969 and tied the knot in Maryland that same year, Huff Post reports. Edwards would go on to serve as the “Lady Marmalade” singer’s manager and the father of their three children.

In 2003, after more than 30 years of marriage, LaBelle said she “realized that we couldn’t live together anymore,” and filed for divorce later that year.

“I never hated him. He never hated me,” she told Oprah Winfrey in 2016. “We just couldn’t live together, not because of physical fights or anything.”

LaBelle continued. “We never fought, thank God, in 32 years. We got along even when we didn’t get along! But then we realized that we had to leave each other.”

• Celebrity News

by Stacy Jackson

February 9, 2023

Naturi Naughton and Husband Expecting First Child

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She’s a singer, songwriter, actress, and now a mom-to-be!

Queens star Naturi Naughton-Lewis and her husband Xavier “Two” Lewis are expecting their first child together, and the singer believes their baby will be the perfect blend of both parents.

According to People, the former 3LW member confirmed their family news on Wednesday. She invited followers into the loop with an Instagram carousel flaunting her husband and baby bump.

“I am looking forward to seeing this baby’s cute little face and how it will be the perfect blend between my husband and me,” she said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Naturi Naughton (@naturi4real)

“When I found out, I was shooting a movie and still on a high from my wedding, so it felt like the perfect way to start a new chapter with my hubby! I wrapped my two pregnancy tests in pretty tissue paper and put it in a cute little gift bag and told him I had a belated birthday gift for him,” the actress said. “It was such a special moment.”

“We look forward to bonding in a new way and actually applying our wedding vows on this journey to parenthood! This is Two’s first baby, so he’s extra excited to create another human,” Naughton shared. “Even through the many challenges that can occur with pregnancy, we want to push ourselves to be the best partners and the best parents we can be!”

Entertainment Tonight reported that the 37-year-old is already familiar with the mommy role as she shares her 5-year-old Zuri with ex, Ben.

“My daughter is especially happy to be getting a younger sibling, so I’m excited to share this joy as a family,” she shared.

As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Naughton and Lewis tied the knot in April 2022, where guests joined them for a weekend wedding ceremony in Atlanta.

“Introducing…The REAL #PowerCouple 😝❤️ #MrAndMrsLewis 💥 It’s Official now! I’m his WIFE!” she wrote, tagging her husband’s page.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Naturi Naughton (@naturi4real)

Tems is representing her country after winning big at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.

The singer, whose real name is Temilade Openiyi, won an award at the ceremony on Feb. 5, for her contributions on Future’s “Wait For U” track, naming her the first Nigerian female singer to win a Grammy.

According to Nairametrics, the “Wait For U” song sampled one of the Nigerian singer’s songs, “Higher,” from her 2020 debut album For Broken Ears. The song was released on May 3, 2022 as Future’s second single on his ninth studio album, I Never Liked You.

Fans extended their congratulations to the artist on social media following the news.

https://twitter.com/GuideRadio915/status/1622356763633655808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1622356763633655808%7Ctwgr%5E395ca6fa0432dccccbaeacb5a45c096158ed1d91%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnairametrics.com%2F2023%2F02%2F06%2Fnigerian-singer-tems-makes-history-as-first-nigerian-female-musician-to-win-a-grammy%2F

https://twitter.com/theafricadream/status/1622355290405355523?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1622355290405355523%7Ctwgr%5E395ca6fa0432dccccbaeacb5a45c096158ed1d91%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fnairametrics.com%2F2023%2F02%2F06%2Fnigerian-singer-tems-makes-history-as-first-nigerian-female-musician-to-win-a-grammy%2F

However, some controversy has piled up surrounding the label that has been given to Tems.

Gospeller Reno Omokri voiced his perspective on social media saying Sade Adu, the singer who identifies as British and Nigerian who won a Grammy in 1986, is the first Nigerian to win the award.

Dear @UzorOnuigbo,

Burna Boy is not the first Nigerian to win a Grammy.

The first, second, third and fourth Nigerians to win Grammies are, Sade Adu (86), Babatunde Olatunji (1991), Sikiru Adepoju (1991) and Seal (1996).

All are Yoruba. Thanks and God bless. #TableShaker pic.twitter.com/BvSEcoXlre

— Reno Omokri (@renoomokri) May 2, 2022

“Sade Adu has always identified with Nigeria. When interviewed, she stressed her Nigerianness. She did not funkify her name to make it sound European,” Omokri wrote, according to Stallion Times.

“By saying someone else is the first Nigerian female to win a Grammy, what we are telling Ms. Adu is that she is not a Nigerian. I know many people will rush here to insult me. But before commenting, take a minute to put yourself in Sade Adu’s shoes,” he added.

Tems was also nominated for Album of the Year for her contribution to Beyoncé’s Renaissance album.

Business Day reported that the Nigerian singer made history in 2022 when she became the first female artist to debut at No.1 on the Billboard U.S. Afrobeat song charts with her song “Free Mind.”

The Grammy-winning “Wait For U” song debuted on the Billboard Hot 100. Reportedly, this named her the first African artist to debut at number one and recognition as the second Nigerian artist to top the chart.

Flip a coin and you might just see this legendary superstar.

Cuban American performer, Celia Cruz, will be honored as part of the American Women Quarters Program, appearing on the U.S. quarter in 2024.

The United States Mint made the announcement about the Havana-born artist, as the designs for the 2024 American Women Quarters are set to be released in mid-2023.

“All of the women being honored have lived remarkable and multi-faceted lives, and have made a significant impact on our Nation in their own unique way,” Mint Director Ventris C. Gibson, said. “The women pioneered change during their lifetimes, not yielding to the status quo imparted during their lives. By honoring these pioneering women, the Mint continues to connect America through coins which are like small works of art in your pocket.”

According to CNN, Cruz’s appearance will make her the first Latina to be featured in the American Women Quarters Program.

Cruz joins a list of other notable women in this class of honorees that includes African American poet, writer, activist, lawyer, and Episcopal priest Pauli Murray; Patsy Takemoto Mink, the first woman of color to hold a seat in Congress; Civil War surgeon Dr. Mary Edwards Walker; and writer, composer, educator, and political activist who defended Native Americans’ right to American citizenship, Zitkala-Ša, also known as Gertrude Simmons Bonnin.

As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, poet, author, and activist Maya Angelou became the first Black woman to join the program when the U.S. Mint made the announcement for the release of the 2022 coins. The I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings author became one of the first two honorees in the American Women Quarters Program, alongside astronaut Dr. Sally Ride, the first American woman to travel to space.

The American Women Quarters Program began in 2022 and the coins will continue to circulate throughout 2025.

Kevin Hart is such a superfan of the Philadelphia Eagles, he purchased an eagle and named it after the team’s quarterback Jalen Hurts!

If there’s one thing Kevin Hart makes clear, he is a proud Philly native and a die-hard Eagles fan. Ahead of Super Bowl LVII where the Eagles are set to face the Kansas City Chiefs, the “Jumanji” star took to TikTok on Tuesday to introduce the eagle he paid $16.5 million for and named after the Eagles MVP finalist quarterback.

“All right, people, the big game is coming up. … But before I get into how I’m celebrating I’m going to tell you why,” he said.

“Because I worked hard. I believe when you work hard, you should treat yourself, and that’s exactly what I did. Ladies and gentlemen I splurged a little bit. I went out and bought an eagle. Show it.”

@imkevinhart Fly eagles Flyyyyyy 🦅 #TikTok #NailedIt #TikTokKing ♬ original sound – Kevin Hart

The camera then pans over to a trainer who’s holding a real-life eagle.

“Yeah, yeah. I bought that. $16.5 mil, cash. I’m the only Black man with Eagle during Black History Month,” the comedian quipped.

“And, because it’s a wild animal, [the trainer] came with it. That’s right. So he lives here, two months, until he gets used to me. I named the eagle Jalen Hurts. Jalen! Got a big game coming up, baby you ready? Hey, when I say ‘fly Eagles fly,’ can he take a lap around the house?”

The trainer told the “Get Hard” star that the eagle could not fly throughout his house.

“Well they should have told me that before I bought it. They didn’t tell me that,” Hart joked.

“So somebody’s got to get some type of refund. We’ll discuss that later. Either way, I’m about to make myself what I want to call a Screaming Eagle. It was called mellow mojito but I changed the name. We celebrating all week. Big game coming up. Big moves. And I got an eagle. Jalen! You live here now. Welcome home.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Kevin Hart (@kevinhart4real)

Hart went on to promote the Gran Toramino tequila he was drinking. His famous friends and followers left comments on his Instagram post in response to Hart’s new purchase.

“Hi Jalen,” the official Eagles page wrote.

“I pray for this eagle to claw your eyes out 👁️ 🦅😂,” The Rock said. “I know how scared you are of wild animals so this brings me great joy.”

• News

by Booker Jones

February 9, 2023

Memphis Man Allegedly Beaten by Same Memphis Police Connected to Tyre Nichols’ Death Files $5 Million Lawsuit

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Another Memphis man — who was allegedly beaten by the same officers arrested in connection to the death of Tyre Nichols — filed a $5 million lawsuit against the City of Memphis and the individual officers.

The suit was filed against Emitt Martin III, Desmond Mills Jr., Justin Smith, Demetrious Haley ,Tadarrius Bean and four others known as John Does 1-4. These men were part of the now-disbanded Scorpion unit.

In the midst of these events, one fruit borne of Nichols’ death is the exposure of another allegedly brutal Memphis Police Department encounter with yet another young, Black man, Monterrious Harris. 

Attorney Robert Spence, Jr, wrote: “This lawsuit is Mr. Harris’ account of the unconstitutional abuse and suffering at the hands of the very same police unit that extinguished the life of Mr. Nichols.”

Harris, 22, was attacked three days before Nichols, after backing into a parking space at his cousin’s apartment complex.

“Since the men were wearing black ski masks that covered their faces and Memphis Police Department paraphernalia was not immediately apparent or visible, Mr. Harris reasonably concluded that he was being robbed,” Spence Jr. wrote in the statement. “None of the men wearing black ski-masks who approached Mr. Harris’ vehicle asked him for his license, vehicle registration, or advised him of the reason they had surrounded his vehicle.”

Harris alleged that during the assault, his face was slammed into a concrete walkway. Once others started noticing the attack, the unit’s members handcuffed him and transported him to jail, even though he was bleeding from his head, had a swollen left eye, and had difficulty walking because his right leg was swollen and his left leg was gashed from the assault.

The suit also alleged the officers falsified an affidavit of complaint and included false charges against Harris.

The lawsuit named previous other practices of the Memphis Police Department that led to other civilians facing hurt at the hand of police.

Spence added: “Since its organization, the Scorpion Unit has terrorized numerous citizens, especially African-American men, in communities throughout the City of Memphis. Specifically, at all times relevant hereto, the Scorpion Unit marauded around African-American neighborhoods and harassed citizens by performing suspicion-less custodial and automobile stops for which there were no legal justifications.”

Lauren London had already revealed her initial concerns about starring as Jonah Hill’s love interest in Netflix’s You People. But allegedly, their onscreen chemistry was so off, the only kiss they shared in the film was digitally edited using CGI.

Comedian Andrew Schulz appeared in the film as cousin Avi, a relative of Hill’s character, Ezra. Amid talk about the awkward onscreen chemistry between the rom-com’s two stars, Schulz decided to open up and share some behind-the-scenes details about the film.

The stand-up comic recently took to his Brilliant Idiots podcast, with cohost Charlamagne Tha God, where he claimed Hill and London’s kiss in the closing scene of the film was faked.

“There’s a hilarious thing— I don’t even know if I should share this s—, but the final scene, they don’t even kiss,” Schulz said. “It’s CGI. Swear to God.”

https://twitter.com/big_business_/status/1621951465764921344?s=20&t=yGBY4tpfrJZD8b8e-4xR2Q

The Kenya Barris-directed film ends with Hill’s character Ezra and London’s character Amira reconciling and getting married, as noted by CNN. When their two characters come together for a kiss after tying the knot, that’s when Schulz claims the CGI was added.

Apparently, in real life, Hill and London never actually locked lips, and Schulz assumed that the final edit of the scene would cut away from the pair. However, when he saw the kiss that closed out the film, the comedian claimed it was digitally altered to make it look like the two stars really locked lips.

“I’m there and I’m watching the wedding and I see them go in for the kiss and their faces stop like this far, and I’m like, ‘I wonder how they’re going to play that in the movie, they’ll probably just cut right there,'” Schulz said.

“But [in] the movie you could see their faces come close and then you can see their faces morph a little bit into a fake kiss.”

Fans who watched the film were quick to share their reactions to the surprising reveal.

“Ayo is it true,” one fan wrote while posting the kiss scene.

https://twitter.com/abraha_mikiele/status/1621972430913773573?s=20&t=yGBY4tpfrJZD8b8e-4xR2Q

“Yeah, i caught it when i slowed it down. 😂😂,” another wrote.

https://twitter.com/VitaminCeeCee/status/1621959244776882177?s=20&t=yGBY4tpfrJZD8b8e-4xR2Q

Some said London is still grieving the loss of her spouse Nipsey Hussle, and might not have felt comfortable kissing someone onscreen. But others said the actress shouldn’t have taken the rom-com role if she wasn’t ready to commit.

“y’all in the comments saying “but she’s grieving she’s not ready to kiss someone” so then don’t be starring in a ROM-COM THEN!!!” one user quipped.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 9, 2023

#TwitterDown: New Twitter Rules Place Strict Limitations on the App User’s Capabilities

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Twitter is on track to being the most problematic social app, thanks to new owner, Elon Musk.

Users were taken aback Wednesday when noticing some new rules were put in place. The Hollywood Reporter said the platform is placing limits on the number of DMs to 500 daily direct messages, and limiting tweets and retweets that users can send per day. The new daily tweet limit is now 2,400, however, that will be broken down into “semi-hourly intervals.”

Seeming like a nightmare for marketing experts and social media managers as users hit limits, they will be allowed to try again within a few hours, according to Twitter’s help page. Some tweeters took screenshots of their experience with the unannounced updates, using the hashtag, #TwitterDown.

https://twitter.com/David_Leavitt/status/1623463822928367617

Musk is even putting a cap on how many accounts a user can follow per day, which is making influencers and people looking to grow their businesses upset. But in normal Twitter fashion, users didn’t let the site’s kinks get in the way, posting memes to take up time and making fun of the new Twitter owner and reports of his hostile takeover.

I think the bird is on strike until the engineers are rehired.#TwitterDown pic.twitter.com/jmhUqcwlhB

— Sarah B. (@bartsnz) February 8, 2023

Someone at Twitter right now trying to fix the bug for why everyone is overlimit on their daily tweets.#TwitterDown pic.twitter.com/3xRwwpXouA

— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) February 8, 2023

Black Enterprise reported last year that Twitter’s reputation was on the line when Musk took over. The Tesla inventor allegedly created a hostile work environment, forcing engineers and staff to work “extremely hardcore,” including long, intense hours and weekends, which threw the platform into utter disarray. Numerous questions were raised regarding how much longer the site would survive, creating the hashtag, #RIPTwitter.

The timing of these changes comes as social media execs have been put in the hot seat regarding scary app antics. With the Jan. 6 hearing underway, CNET reported how lawmakers, researchers, and journalists are examining how social media networks played a part in the attacks, as well as other social issues facing the country.

• News

by Booker Jones

February 9, 2023

Temple University Withdraws Free Tuition for Grad Students on Strike

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Temple University made good on its threat to withdraw free tuition from its graduate student assistants on strike.

Business Insider reported that students on strike must pay their spring tuition in full by March 9 or they will face a $100 late fee and a financial hold on their account, preventing them from registering for more classes, said a notice from the Temple bursar’s office. Tuition remission is worth up to $20,000 annually, depending on where the students are in their studies.

The notice was posted on Twitter by striking student, Madison Ingram, a Ph.D. candidate in the history department. 

Lol “for my convenience” pic.twitter.com/bc6GjMtbDS

— Madison Ingram (@mings_ga) February 8, 2023

The move comes amid the second week of a strike by the Temple University Graduate Student Association (TUGSA), which represents about 750 members, although Temple maintains that more than 80% of graduate student teaching and research assistants are continuing to work. That would mean fewer than 150 students are on strike.

Temple maintains it’s within its legal rights to withhold tuition reimbursement for striking students.

“In accordance with Pennsylvania law, those TUGSA members who have chosen not to work are no longer entitled to their compensation and work-related benefits, which include tuition remission, when they are on strike and not performing work for the university,” the school said in a statement. “Because striking workers are not entitled to tuition remission, they have been notified of their obligation to make arrangements to pay their tuition, consistent with how the university treats other students who have unpaid tuition obligations.”

Bethany Kosmicki, a member of the negotiating committee and past TUGSA president, said that while employers legally have to dock pay in a strike, cutting off benefits is a choice.

“Temple has made the egregious and immoral choice to cut these benefits during the strike,” she said.

Kosmicki added: “We have had people who have been turned away from doctor’s appointments and who have had to pay out-of-pocket for prescriptions. We are working on solutions to get people access to health care again.”

The union went on strike for the first time in its history after more than a year of negotiations failed to produce a contract. The students teach core undergraduate courses and assist professors with research.

The two sides remain far apart, particularly on pay. The average pay for a teaching and research assistant at Temple is $19,500 a year, and the union has sought to raise it to more than $32,000, which it said is a necessary cost-of-living adjustment. The university’s offer of 3% raises over the four-year contract would get the average pay to about $22,000 by 2026.