New reports reveal the drastic drop in sales Beyoncé’s Ivy Park clothing line with Adidas suffered last year.

As Beyoncé’s fans work double shifts to afford Renaissance world tour tickets, the superstar singer’s activewear line is suffering from weak profit margins. Ivy Park reportedly took in $40 million in sales in 2022, as compared to the $93 million the brand earned in 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported.

Bey’s Ivy Park performed well under the $250 million Adidas projected the brand would make last year. According to the report, “five of the last six Ivy Park releases, roughly half of the merchandise that was produced went unsold.”

Considering the investment Adidas put into creating and promoting Ivy Park, insiders say the brand is “losing money for Adidas.”

Beyoncé’s team and Adidas “disagreed over how to label and market the products, with Adidas pushing for more of its own branding,” sources say.

The “Cuff It” singer initially released the size-inclusive line with Topshop, before pairing up with Adidas in 2019, Page Six reported. Her current contract with the sportswear giant is ending after this year, with insiders hinting that “Adidas executives have discussed either ending or revamping the arrangement.”

With news of Ivy Park’s lagging sales coming months after Adidas cut ties with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand due to the rapper’s anti-Semitic remarks, many are sounding off online with mixed reactions.

“This is so tragic omg,” one fan said.

“Kanye was so special@adidasnot even Beyoncé can sell clothes.. levels to Kanye’s influence,” another fan quipped.

One fan outlined a short deep dive into WSJ’s claims on Ivy Park’s alleged struggling sales.

“This is interesting but some things to note: 1. Article was vague about source. 2. Adidas says partnership is great. 3. Ivy Park’s rollouts are always random af and it seems like some advertised things never go on sale. 4. Ivy Park is expensive.”

This is interesting but some things to note:
1. Article was vague about source.
2. Adidas says partnership is great.
3. Ivy Park’s rollouts are always random af and it seems like some advertised things never go on sale.
4. Ivy Park is expensive. https://t.co/s6korg4CJA

— Blocka Khan (@Starr_Rocque) February 8, 2023

Amid the reports, Beyoncé took to Instagram on Thursday to promote her “favorite drop to date.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce)

The Park Trail collection hit stores on February 9. The latest news could motivate Bey Hivers to get their hands on the latest drop.

• Money

by Stacy Jackson

February 9, 2023

Togolese Activist Teaches People to Use Bitcoin to Detach From Corrupt Money Systems

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Her 20 years of activism led right into her bitcoin era.

Togolese activist Farida Nabourema has connected her passion for freeing people from unjust systems with her most recent mission to liberate people from exploitative money systems, organizing Africa’s first and largest bitcoin event, the Africa Bitcoin Conference.

According to TechCabal, Nabourema organized the conference last year after realizing the potential for bitcoin to be used as a political tool to help facilitate human rights, liberating people from corrupt money systems.

“One of the things we wanted to achieve with this conference was to make people understand that bitcoin is serious business,” Nabourema said. “It is a technology on which multiple things can be built.

“We wanted to organize a conference that prioritized panels on its philosophy and why it is imperative to break free from exploitative monetary and financial systems, rather than just discussions on how much it costs and how much you can make from it. This is something we successfully accomplished and our participants really appreciated that,” she said.

With Africa as the propellers of the currency and having the fastest bitcoin adoption rate on the globe, Nabourema wants more African voices present in the bitcoin space.

The future of bitcoin is in Africa, where people really need it. pic.twitter.com/LThgWzdyzW

— Africa ₿itcoin Conference (@AfroBitcoinOrg) January 17, 2023

“It’s essential for us to organize our own conferences on the continent that brings together the people working in this space, whether it is the technologists, the researchers, or the activists, putting them together to discuss challenges, opportunities, and innovations that are directly tailored to our realities in Africa,” she said.

Nabourema is working to be a part of the progress where her community no longer needs to heavily rely on middlemen or government institutions to convert bitcoin into cash.

“It’s going to take time, but we’re going to get there,” she said.

The three-day Africa Bitcoin Conference took place in December 2022.

• Health and Wellness

by Stacy Jackson

February 9, 2023

Twin Sisters Build ‘Digital X-Ray Glasses’ Prototype to Improve Health Care in South Africa

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This dynamic duo saw progress through a different lens on their mission to improve the health care system.

South African twin sisters Matlhogonolo and Masego Mphahlele invented Digital X-Ray Glasses in an effort improve South Africa and the pileup within its system.

According to We Africa Preview, the duo’s innovative X-ray device allows X-ray scans to be taken as the device is capable of examining most areas of the human body.

The sisters came up with the idea in 2019 when a soccer teammate suffered an injury. After waiting hours for an X-ray, they thought of a quicker and more portable solution.

“After much thinking and deliberation, we came up with the innovation of Digital X-Ray Glasses. Just think, after a tough tackle in a rugby match, the medic could take a digital X-ray there and then and secure the players safety. This innovation could not only help the medical profession but also save lives,” the twins said.

News24 reported that the twins were on a mission to help other patients who had to endure extensive waits at hospitals or overcrowded clinics.

The sisters took four years developing a prototype with the help of two fellow University of Johannesburg students. Their Digital X-Ray Glasses, constructed using 3D printing, sends thermal images to a mobile device through an infrared chip and mini computer chip.

“The camera can only take infrared images to a mobile device. We want to do more research to better our idea,” they said about the glasses.

“In the future, we want the product to be able to work without using radiation…and to be able to distribute it to different local hospitals and clinics,” Matlhogonolo added.

The Mphahlele twins were praised for their invention by Red Bull in March 2022 after they shared their concept at the Red Bull Basement Global Final in Turkey, the brand’s competition for student innovators. The Digital X-Ray Glasses were named among the top 3 innovations over dozens of entries across 43 countries.

South African Twins, Matlhogonolo and Masego Mphahlele's innovative Digital X-Ray Glasses was among the Top 3, beating 43 teams worldwide at an international technological event, Redbull Basement Global Finals in Istanbul, Turkey. pic.twitter.com/h24c4eQMH2

— Africa Facts Zone (@AfricaFactsZone) June 22, 2022

• Business

by Gayneté Jones

February 9, 2023

Cordell Robinson’s Shaping Futures Foundation Planning Star-Studded Gala

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On March 11, Cordell Robinson’s Shaping Futures Foundation will host a star-studded, grand gala at the Aston Martin in Washington, D.C. What makes it grand you may ask?

Well, let’s start here: Tom Ford, Dolce & Gabbana, and Giorgio Armani have all confirmed as sponsors, providing amazing items for the event’s silent auction.

The host committee features top industry experts like CaSandra Diggs (President of the CFDA), Olympic gold medalist and Sanya Richards-Ross. More pressing than the VIP event is its purpose–to raise funds for a very important cause.

Shaping Futures Foundation has a mission to assist the people of Tanzania by providing the necessary skills and infrastructure to achieve their developmental goals. Robinson’s Shaping Futures Foundation is a private sector-led initiative, working in collaboration with social and public sectors and academia to enhance regions in Africa (starting with Tanzania).

“The Foundation’s goal is to culturally transform communities to be self-reliant and independent through access to education and skills training,” Robinson said.

Shaping Futures Foundation recently partnered with Malaika Kids, an orphanage in Tanzania, providing children with a safe home, a caring loving family, and education. “[We want] to ensure that children in Tanzania can succeed in a competitive world,” Robinson says. The gala will help to continue doing just that.

In addition to being the founder, president, and COO of Shaping Futures Foundation, Robinson is a Navy vet, a Doctor of Law, a celebrity and corporate chef, a a cyber security pro with a degree in computer science and electrical engineering.

“I’ve always been philanthropic,” Robinson says. “Even as a child, with my allowance I would donate or pay for another kid in the neighborhood’s haircut with my money. I’ve just always wanted to help people. So once I got the means I was like, well, I’m going to start my own foundation. And I knew it would be very, very difficult. And it’s still very difficult. But it’s very rewarding because I know that I’m doing something to help reshape and change the world in my own little way.”

The Shaping Futures Foundation’s inaugural gala is an opportunity to “celebrate the vision, mission and impact of this important work by raising awareness and funding in support of the programs, resources, and services that are vital to the communities we serve,” Robinson says.

The gala will host approximately 100 invited guests, including leading tastemakers, thought leaders, industry executives, and philanthropists. The gala’s goal is to secure financial support for schools and orphanages in Tanzania, in order to provide renewable energy, educational resources, and vocational opportunities.

You can donate an auction item and/or gift bag item(s) or donate. For more information, please visit www.shapingff.org or email gala@shapingff.org or crobinson@shapingff.org

• Education

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 9, 2023

SUNY Colleges Now Require Incoming Students To Take Racial Equity Course To Complete Degree

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There’s a new agenda for students at SUNY schools.

The New York Post reports the State University of New York college system is requiring incoming freshman to take a “Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Social Justice”-themed class in order to earn their degrees.

Documents from the college systems website state the courses will focus on historical and contemporary societal factors shaping the development of individuals and group identity involving race, class, and gender. They also will apply “principles of rights, access, equity, and autonomous participation to past, current, or future social justice action.”

Courses will take a deep dive into what’s currently happening in the United States and compare it to current events in other countries. While it sounds right on time, critics exist.

One SUNY professor told Fox News the course is a form of “brainwashing.” “We’re seeing it all throughout the country, and if we look at it, it’s not just the college that we have to worry about,” Nicholas Giordano said. “We also see it in the K-12 system, that it’s being infused into curriculums throughout that system as well. That’s why I say it’s moved beyond indoctrination. Now, it’s just full-out brainwashing.”

The political science professor at SUNY’s Suffolk Community College is disappointed in the school system for what he calls “falling for the mob.” The fellow at the conservative group Campus Reform feels the coursework will portray American as “inherently racist” and will pin students against each other. “To tell minority students they can’t compete with a white person is insulting and racist,” the professor told the Post.

SUNY is comprised of 65 campuses across New York State but is not the first to adopt this ideology. According to the Post, schools like Drake University, Brandeis University, Villanova University, and the University of California have embedded similar programs.

It seemed as if everyone else had something to say about the breakup of actor Michael B. Jordan and Steve Harvey‘s daughter, Lori, except Jordan. That changed recently when the new director spoke about the breakup with CBS Mornings‘ Gayle King earlier this week.

The recent appearance by the All My Children alum centered on the upcoming movie Creed III that he directed and starred in. Outside of speaking about his first time directing a film, he is starring in the sequel, which is the third installment that showcases him as the son of Apollo Creed, Adonis. Apollo was an opponent of Rocky Balboa (from the Sylvester Stallone series of Rocky movies that premiered in 1976 and produced five sequels), who later became his friend in the sequel. He died in one of the movies, and Jordan plays the son of Apollo, which set off a new series of sequels related to the original Rocky film.

After discussing his directorial debut, the conversation turned to Jordan’s recent appearance on Saturday Night Live, where, during his monologue, he briefly mentions the after-effects of the breakup with Harvey. He joked that he joined a dating app, and King wanted to know if he really did…  He didn’t.

King asked him how did he handle the split from his former love.

“I mean, I think for me, it’s just I was lucky enough to have a lot of work, you know? And I’m a firm believer of what’s for you is for you. You know, and coming out of that situation—not to give it any energy and kinda move from that is—it was an experience for me to grow, you know, learn.”

He states that this is his year and “everything’s wide open” for him.

“I’m in my light right now. This is my Jordan year. I mean that. This is my year. There’s so much going on—so many blessings, so many great things. This is at a point in my career where there’s not a lot of people telling me no and everything’s wide open.”

Pendulum Therapeutics, the biotech company pioneering the next frontier of metabolic health through its microbiome-targeted products, today announced that Halle Berry, Academy Award^® winning actress and director, has joined the company as an equity owner, investor, and chief communications officer. As an avid Pendulum customer for over a year, Berry will now collaborate with Pendulum’s executive team on future product development and innovation. Acting as a brand evangelist, Berry will empower people to live healthy, well-balanced lives through the health of their gut microbiome. The announcement comes at a time when achieving optimal metabolic health is a priority in the post-pandemic era. The American Heart Association points to the link between poor metabolic health and negative health outcomes.

“Your gut and microbiome are so important to the rest of your overall health. It’s all connected. When I started using Pendulum, I immediately felt the difference in both my body and mind, and I have been using it every day since,” says Berry, chief communications officer at Pendulum Therapeutics. “I am beyond excited to join the brilliant and thoughtful Pendulum team. We all know how tough it can be to break through the noise and find the healthy practices that truly work best for you and your body. My hope is that in this new role, I can help others discover this incredible product and begin their own personal journeys towards a more holistic and healthy life.”

Berry’s partnership with Pendulum signals a new chapter of growth for the female-led company that has debuted multiple rigorously-tested products, backed by the Mayo Clinic, designed to restore metabolic health. She will join experts in microbiology, biochemistry, medicine, and nutrition from research institutions such as Johns Hopkins University, Cornell University, and Stanford University.

“When Halle and I met, we instantly connected on our shared passion to help others achieve their personal health goals,” says Colleen Cutcliffe, Ph.D., CEO and co-founder at Pendulum. “She is aligned with our mission to empower people to transform their gut and metabolic health with clinically-proven products and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have her on board. In an industry rife with fly-by-night wellness enthusiasts, we both sensed one another’s authenticity from the onset and knew this partnership would promote substantive health improvement for the masses.”

THE SCIENCE BEHIND METABOLISM AND MICROBIOME

Whole-body health and wellness are tied to the microbiome, the body’s complex ecosystem of cells, systems, and processes, all aided by microorganisms that work together to keep us healthy. Addressing imbalances in the microbiome is the key to unlocking metabolic health and wellness. Pendulum’s products are catalysts for a healthy gut microbiome that can transform people’s lives from the inside out.

Pendulum offers several targeted probiotic strains to restore metabolic health:

• For gut health: Akkermansia – Next generation beneficial strain essential for gut health.
• For sugar management: Glucose Control – Powerful probiotic for managing type 2 diabetes, packed with strains of gut bacteria that unlock your body’s natural metabolic power.
• For occasional gut discomfort: Butyricum – A powerful probiotic that helps relieve occasional gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation.
• For healthy metabolism: Metabolic Daily – naturally replenishes your gut microbiome, optimizing your metabolism to support a healthy weight. This targeted formula also helps break down fiber and increases beneficial postbiotics and hormones, such as butyrate and GLP-1, which help decrease blood sugar levels.

Pendulum products are available online at Amazon, Pendulum Therapeutics website, Dr. Mark Hyman Store, Walmart Marketplace, Fullscript, and The Cleveland Clinic online pharmacy.

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

February 9, 2023

Anti-Religious Group Accuses Deion Sanders Of Pushing Religious Practices With Colorado Football Players

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Deion Sanders can’t catch a break. This time, the new head football coach for the University of Colorado at Boulder is facing backlash for allegedly pushing religious practices with his players.

NewsOne reports the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) sent a letter to the school’s chancellor, Phil DiStefano, claiming that Sanders is engaging in “inappropriate and unconstitutional actions by engaging in religious exercises with players and staff members.”

In addition, ‘it is our understanding that on December 20, 2022, a staff member led other staff members in a Christian prayer to start an official meeting. More egregiously, on January 16, 2023, Coach Sanders directed a staff member to lead players and coaches in Christian prayer before a team meeting.”

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that the ball-hawking NFL legend turned college coach wasn’t named CU’s head coach until December and was still coaching the players of Jackson State University until the beginning of the holiday season.

The letter, obtained by NewsOne, even names the specific prayer in question and jumps into legal briefs stating several legal precedents, including a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, that forbids religious exercises in educational settings. FFRF spoke on behalf of students, saying student-athletes may feel compelled to participate even if it goes against their religious beliefs.

Although Sanders is very open about his religious beliefs, the 55-year-old has stated, according to The Comeback, that he is willing to end after-game prayers, documented on the Amazon Prime documentary, Coach Prime, and online.

NewsOne reported that after JSU ranked among the top 10 in the national Football Championship Subdivision poll, Sanders gathered the teams, encouraging the players and staff to pray with him. “Repeat after me,” Sanders told his players. “Lord, I love you. Lord, I thank you. Lord, I magnify you. Lord, I glorify you. Without You, I wouldn’t be a thing! A thing! A thing!”

With so many momentous things taking place in the NBA over the past week, one of the most significant came on the night when LeBron James broke another Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar‘s all-time scoring record.

Legend has it that Abdul-Jabbar, considered among the game’s greatest players, didn’t have a relationship with another true legendary center, Shaquille O’Neal.

According to Sports Manor, Abdul-Jabbar did not like the comparison being made between him and Shaq when O’Neal first came into the league in 1992. Due to O’Neal not winning an NBA title by the time he joined the Lakers in 1996, the older retired player did not have much to say to him, although he had conversations with O’Neal’s teammates when he was on the Lakers team.

O’Neal said Abdul-Jabbar’s words about the young center not winning championships fueled him as he went on to win four NBA titles, three with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat. Abdul-Jabbar won six in his storied career.

At the end of Tuesday night’s broadcast of the record-breaking game by James, the two retired Lakers players had a brief reconciliation on TNT, where O’Neal is part of the vaunted Inside the NBA crew.

Before the segment ended, Abdul-Jabbar said, “Hey, and I wanna tell Shaq I asked for you specifically this evening, because you felt like I was shaming you, or ignoring you. That would never be the case—and you showed them what you were all about the way you crushed all those centers in the league for a couple of years there. So, I’m on your side Shaq. Don’t ever let anybody tell you anything different.”

O’Neal responded: “Listen, you not speaking to me was the best thing to happen to my career. Because all I wanted to do was impress you. So I will talk to you soon, and I love you very much. I will never ever have beef with the great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. You ain’t got to worry about that.”

Abdul-Jabbar said: “That’s back at you. I love you, too, and I want you guys to keep impressing the whole world with our game. It’s a wonderful game.”

Fantastic exchange between Shaq & Kareem pic.twitter.com/3r4oQxp3DH

— CJ Fogler AKA Perc70 #BlackLivesMatter (@cjzero) February 8, 2023

The Recording Academy presented music producer Dr. Dre with the Global Impact Award at the most recent Grammy Awards ceremony. However, as celebrated as the former N.W.A. member is, there is at least one person who feels he doesn’t deserve this or any award.

Former Pump It Up! (a weekly hip-hop show that aired on Fox from 1989–1992) host Dee Barnes, in a recent interview with Rolling Stone, discussed her feelings about Dr. Dre receiving the award, which she stated should be renamed the “Ike Turner Award.”

Twenty-two years ago, on Jan. 28, 1991, Dr. Dre was arrested and charged with assault and battery for attacking Barnes at a record release party in Hollywood. The Beats By Dre creator was allegedly upset with Barnes because of an aired episode that talked about the feud the group had with former group member, Ice Cube. The lead rapper of N.W.A. left the seminal group due to money issues with Eazy E (who initially financed the hip-hop group) and their manager, Jerry Heller.

Dr. Dre, real name Andre Young, avoided jail time when he pleaded no contest, resulting in him paying a $2,500 fine and receiving a two-year probation sentence with community service.

Barnes, who stated that she was blackballed after the incident, still harbors strong feelings toward Dr. Dre.

“Everybody wants to separate the art from the artist, and sometimes that’s just not possible. Most people without a knowledge of [Dr. Dre’s] history are going to say, “Oh, he must deserve that. He must be such a great person for them to put an award in his name.” But they named this award after an abuser. It wasn’t just a one or two-time thing; these are choices. The first time, it’s maybe a mistake. The second time, okay. The third time, it’s a choice. I’m not saying he is the same person now, though. I don’t know. I’m not around him anymore. I haven’t talked to him. But to name an award after someone with that type of history in the music industry, you might as well call it the “Ike Turner Award.”

With reason to be angry at Dre for destroying her career, and as she still suffers from migraines from the attack, she feels the only thing people know about her is the assault on her.

“My whole history has been erased — as an artist, as a music journalist, and as a television host. All some people see is the [1991] incident. Whereas with him, it’s like, “Look at all the shiny stuff over here! Look, we’ve got awards, we’ve got schools, we’ve got headphones, we’ve got the Super Bowl, we’ve got productions, movies. Don’t look at that.”

Barnes also discusses the missed opportunity to heal this “blemish” between them. She has reached out to have a face-to-face with the man some label as one of the greatest producers in hip-hop, but those efforts were rejected.

“When I think of what atonement looks like for Dre and me, I think of a missed opportunity where we could have sat down together on camera and hashed it out. I think that would’ve begun a journey of healing; he’s coming face to face with me, and I’m coming face to face with him. I’ve put out the olive branch. Black women and grace, you know how we are. It wasn’t accepted. But I think that’s going to be the only thing to turn the tide, so to speak—if we have a come-to-Jesus moment in person, in public. Because everything happened publicly, it’s got to have closure publicly.”