George McCalman, artist, graphic designer, author, and creative director at McCalman Co., is reclaiming Black culture in a world where the vast majority of the publishing industry is white.

“I had stopped designing books for years because I was tired of the lack of cultural awareness. And it was just an internal frustration, that [white] book design, especially literary culture, is really tone-deaf about cultural nuances,” McCalman said, per Fast Company.

“But the truth is our societal culture has changed,” he continued.

The Grenada-born and Brooklyn-raised San Francisco resident brings “cultural artifacts” to life. His efforts are reflected in his Blackity-Black portfolio, which named him artist and creative director of James Beard Award-winning chef Bryant Terry‘s cookbook, Black Food: Stories, Art, and Recipes from Across the African Diaspora, and author, illustrator, and designer of Illustrated Black History: Honoring the Iconic and the Unseen.

Black Food

Black Food takes a deep dive into Black culture in forms of art, essays, history, poems, and recipes. The initial publishing process of the book involved a “bunch of white people” and McCalman wasn’t having it.

“I was continually reminding the publisher, along with Bryant [Terry], that the lens of this book had to be Black, the whole thing had to be Black, and so even the process of making the book was going to be different. And so, we established a satellite team and worked on our own completely separate,” McCalman recalled.

“We were all just riffing. There were the drums. There were the horns. It was just really beautiful and the team was just Black,” he added.

Illustrated Black History

For McCalman, the making of the art of Illustrated Black History was a “very spiritual experience of communing” with the Black pioneers whose stories of hardships, joys, and pain he was drawn to and wanted to explore further, according to a radio interview.

(Photo: courtesy of McCalman.Co)

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

December 19, 2022

North Carolina Central Beats Jackson State in Celebration Bowl Depriving Deion Sanders of Perfect Season

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The road to a perfect season was thwarted by North Carolina Central.

The last football game that Deion Sanders coached at Jackson State University ended in a defeat, the team’s only one this season.

According to Sports Illustrated, the undefeated Tigers had their perfect season snatched from them when, in overtime, they lost to the Eagles by the score of 41-34.

In an exciting and close game, which saw both teams trade leads throughout the game, after two incomplete passes at the end of the contest, the Jackson State University Tigers weren’t able to send Sanders off in style.

In the very first Celebration Bowl to go into overtime, two of Jackson State’s brightest stars kept them in the game. Sanders’ son, quarterback Shedeur Sanders, connected with top-recruited freshman player, Travis Hunter, on a 19-yard gem in the end zone to tie the game and send the teams into an extra quarter of play.

The overtime session definitely did not disappoint, as the game went down to the wire. In overtime, Sanders had an opportunity to tie the game once again. With just minutes left on the clock, on third down the Tigers were positioned at the 1-yard line. Sanders threw a pass to Hayden Hagler in the end zone but he couldn’t hold on to the ball, which would have placed them in position to kick a game-tying extra point. They had one last chance to score, but another incomplete pass sealed the defeat for Coach Prime’s final game with Jackson State University.

From here, Sanders is on his way to a coaching job at the University of Colorado.

But, the loss left Hagler dejected and facing a barrage of criticism. “Coach Prime” took time to console Hagler in a video clip that emerged and went viral.

“That ain’t on you, that’s on US.”

Coach Prime consoles Hayden Hagler, who dropped a potential game-tying TD.

This should give you a pretty good idea of how much this man cares about his players.

(Via @DeionSandersJr) pic.twitter.com/Ejwncbigv3

— RK (@RyanKoenigsberg) December 18, 2022

“We go through adversity in everything. OK? That ain’t on you, that’s on us,” Sanders told the young man. “We, we lost together, do you understand that? Alright, man, come one, come on. I need you to fight through it. Adversity is gonna prepare you for life, alright? Let’s fight through it … you’ve got to believe that. That moment is gonna make you who you want to be for the rest of your life. You feel me? Let’s do it. Come on, baby. Love you, man.”

Experts and advocates for women of color say Black women are often hired or promoted to leadership roles at their jobs during times of crisis, which can lead to burnout or failure.

CNN reports the phenomenon is known as the “glass cliff,” which is essentially the opposite of the glass ceiling. Research from Utah State University shows Black women are more likely than White men to be appointed to leadership roles in companies that are struggling, putting them on the glass cliff.

Many Black women found themselves at the edge of the glass cliff in recent years due to an effort by companies and public agencies to diversify their companies and staff as part of the DEI initiatives that sprang up after the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

Kyra Kyles, who was promoted at her communications job after an abrupt staffing change, knows the experience well.

Kyles told CNN she knew she could handle the promotion and was already performing some of the responsibilities of the position. However, she was hurt by the fact that the company did not consider her for the promotion before it was in trouble. Additionally, Kyles said that as a Black woman, she felt immense pressure to perform the job without error.

“They didn’t expect us to miss a step even though there was a clear staff interruption,” said Kyles, who is now CEO at YR Media. “At that moment I felt more nervous because I thought that as a Black woman if I’m not able to knock this out of the park I don’t want it to be a situation where they don’t give another woman of color a chance.”

Other Black women who were appointed leadership roles only to experience the glass cliff include Dana Canedy, who became the first Black woman to head Simon & Schuster in July 2020 but stepped down earlier this year, and Yogananda Pittman, who was tapped as the acting head of the Capitol Police days after Trump supporters rioted at the Capitol, but retired last month to become the chief of campus police at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jennifer Farmer, the author of First & Only: A Black Woman’s Guide To Thriving At Work and In Life, told CNN that Black women who are appointed to leadership roles may receive their desired salary, but it often comes with a workload that is not sustainable, and a lack of support from the company – leaving them alone at the top.

“Whenever I see a Black woman who has cleared barriers, there is always a story there,” Farmer, who experienced the glass cliff herself, told CNN. “There’s always something that she is navigating, that she is negotiating with. Very rarely is it as good as it seems.”

Recent educational initiatives have focused on assigning more Black male teachers in the classroom.

South Carolina State University, a historically Black university in Orangeburg, South Carolina, received a $90,000 grant for its Call Me MiSTER program to extend its efforts in placing more Black male teachers in the classroom.

ABC Columbia reported that the HBCU received the funds on Monday from the Leveraging Innovation for Educator Excellence (Life2) to help recruit and train Black male teachers.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SCSU MiSTER COHORT (@scsucallmemister)

According to Dr. Thelma Sojourner, program director for Life2, an initiative devoted to boosting teacher efficacy, less than 2% of the instructors currently teaching in South Carolina schools are identified as Black men.

“There is a tremendous need for children to see young men coming in and working in the schools,” said Sojourner.

“Thank you for what you’re doing here. I’m excited for what we are going to be able to do for you at South Carolina State,” she added.

SC State’s Call Me MiSTER program was established in 2000 not only to boost the number of Black male teachers but also to provide mentorship resources for high schoolers to excel in their personal growth, academics, and finances. The program also works to educate students about Black history, leadership, and advocacy.

 

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A post shared by SCSU MiSTER COHORT (@scsucallmemister)

Associate professor of teacher education and campus director for the program, Dr. Rashad Anderson, has been active with the initiative since 2017. He described the program as a revolutionary and life-changing experience.

“We are one of the top HBCUs in the country that educates African American male teachers,”… “and I am truly honored to work with some of the most brilliant, creative future Black male educators who are so powerful that one MiSTER can transform an entire school’s culture,” Anderson said.

According to SCSU, the Call Me MiSTER program is highly competitive, adding about three students each year who receive financial assistance and a stipend each semester.

The mother of Stephen “tWitch” Boss responded to the outpouring of love sent her way in acknowledgment of her son’s recent death.

According to People, Boss’ mother, Connie Boss Alexander, posted a thank you message to her Instagram Story last week sending “love, prayers and encouragement” after people reached out to her following the news of her son’s suicide.

“Family and friends, thank you for all the love, prayers and encouragement. Please know I see all the messages, texts, posts and the phone calls. I can’t use words right now. Please know I will reach out when I can. Please continue to keep us in prayer. Stephen Laurel, your mother loves you to eternity and beyond.”

Boss started his journey on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in 2014 as a guest DJ. He became the permanent DJ of the daytime talk show and worked his way to becoming a co-executive producer in 2020. Boss was also an acclaimed dancer and entertainer.

He died at the age of 40. The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner released the autopsy report last week confirming that he died due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. He was found dead on Tuesday at a hotel in the Encino area of Los Angeles.

Hotel staff at the Oak Tree Inn stated that Boss checked into the hotel on Monday morning. He reserved the room for the night and brought along a small bag. When he missed his checkout time the following morning, staff knocked on his door. When he didn’t respond, they entered the room and found his body.

TMZ reported that Boss’ wife, Allison Holker, went to the police last Tuesday, and told them that her husband had left the residence without his car, something he never did. Police stated they received a phone call a short time later of a shooting at the Oak Tree Inn. There, they found Boss’ body with the self-inflicted gunshot wound.

He is survived by his wife, Allison, and children Zaia, 3, Maddox, 6, and Weslie, 14.

The former bodyguard of Megan Thee Stallion, who was expected to testify for the prosecution in the case against Canadian recording artist, Tory Lanez, is nowhere to be found – but technically isn’t missing – after failing to show up for his testimony.

According to TMZ, the former bodyguard of the Hot Girl Summer rapper, Justin Edison, did not appear to testify in court on Friday, Dec. 16 in Tory Lanez’s trial for allegedly shooting Megan in the foot several years ago. Edison missed the court date and police officers are looking into the matter.

“We recently learned that Justin Edison went missing right before he was scheduled to appear in court,” Megan’s attorney, Alex Spiro said in a written statement. “The LAPD is currently looking into his disappearance, and welcome any information about his whereabouts.”

The former bodyguard was allegedly sent text messages from Megan’s former best friend Kelsey Harris stating that “Tory shot meg” and that she needed “help” from Edison after the shooting occurred.

Nancy Dillon, a senior reporter at Rolling Stone, reported on her Twitter account that the prosecutor in the case, Alexander Bott, revealed photos of the text messages allegedly sent by Harris on the morning of the shooting at 4:27 a.m., five minutes after the shots were fired.

Prosecutor Alexander Bott showed visual of a series of text messages that Kelsey Harris sent Megan’s bodyguard at 4:27 a.m., roughly five minutes after the shooting:

“Help”
“Tory shot Meg”
911″

— Nancy Dillon (@Nancy__Dillon) December 12, 2022

The trial continued after Harris gave conflicting accounts of what transpired on the night of July 11, 2020.  After Megan, Harris, Lanez, and one of his security guards left a party at Kylie Jenner‘s house, Megan was shot in the foot in a dispute, allegedly over Lanez.

Lanez has been charged with three felonies: assault with a semi-automatic firearm, possession of a concealed, unregistered firearm, and negligent discharge of a firearm. The Canadian artist is facing up to 22 years in prison as well as deportation back to his native Canada if convicted of the charges.

Although this Young Money CEO recently achieved Diamond status for his song “Lollipop,” he’s also focused on giving back to his community.

Rapper Lil Wayne hosted his “A Weezy Christmas” holiday gathering for a group of high-achieving teens from his New Orleans hometown to celebrate and reward them for their hard work.

According to TMZ, the rapper partnered up with Young Money Entertainment executive Mack Maine and Wilson Sporting Goods to host 150 kids between the ages of 12 and 16 at Dave & Buster’s.

The December 18 event celebrated the kids for their performance in the classroom and involvement with local sports program.

The overachieving teens were met with a fun-filled day of games at D&B and a bonus from the rapper and his partners: brand new sports gear for each teen. They also had the chance to meet Young Money artists Jay Jones and Allan Cubas, who were on duty to hand out gifts.

“This Christmas @mackmaine4president & I wanted to give some future hall of famers the gift of game w/ the help of @Wilson 🤙🏾,” the “Lollipop” rapper wrote in an Instagram post featuring photos from the event.

“Making sure they received the necessary resources so they could enjoy all the benefits of being a top tier athlete was very important to us! #HappyHolidays #WeezyChristmas,” he added.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Lil Wayne (@liltunechi)

Wilson and its outlets commented on Lil Tunechi’s post, confirming the rapper’s efforts and successful event.

“Such a great time!” the main Wilson page wrote.

“Incredible event!” the Wilson tennis page commented, while Wilson’s football page wrote, “Truly our pleasure and what a festive time!”

“Awesome time, glad we could be a part of it,” Wilson’s basketball page chimed in with a basketball emoji followed by a handshake and some fire.

TMZ reported that Wayne is also working with two mentorship programs to help NOLA kids become leaders in their community.

• Career

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

December 19, 2022

Registered Professional Geologist Tyler P. Jones To Lead WSP USA’s Water National Business Line

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Tyler P. Jones has been named Water national business line executive at WSP USA, a leading engineering, environment and professional services consultancy. Jones will assume his leadership position on Jan. 1, 2023.

In his new role, Jones will direct the development and implementation of WSP’s U.S. growth strategy in drinking water, wastewater and water resources by organizing and positioning the business for success, connecting with clients and prospects, collaborating with partners and peers and building the firm’s brand authority in the market. He will focus on strategic sales, recruitment and developing a team of national practice leaders.

He succeeds Karen Block, who served as the Water national business line executive since 2019 and retired in September after more than 30 years with WSP.

Prior to his new leadership role, Jones served as the Central Gulf Coast region manager for the Environment and Infrastructure (E&I) business of John Wood Group, a global infrastructure design, consulting and construction management firm acquired by WSP in September. Before that, he was a business line leader of the Central U.S. region for a global integrated professional and technical services firm.

“Tyler has nearly three decades of industry expertise and is a proven leader who will support growth and operational excellence to achieve WSP’s ambitious goals in the critically important Water market,” said Lou Cornell, WSP USA president and CEO. “Since joining WSP following the E&I acquisition in September, Tyler has been a solid fit for our team. We look forward to his leadership in the new year.”

Jones has 27 years of professional consulting experience in infrastructure design and construction management, program management, disaster recovery and environmental remediation. He also possesses senior leadership and operational expertise for the delivery of water, transportation and government projects and programs nationwide.

“I am energized by this new opportunity to focus on key clients and growth strategies in the critically-important U.S. Water market, and to work with such exceptional professionals at WSP,” Jones said.

Jones is a graduate of Temple University with a master’s degree in geochemistry and Millsaps College with a bachelor’s degree in environmental geology. He is a registered Professional Geologist in Texas and Tennessee and a Project Management Institute Certified Project Management professional.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

December 19, 2022

Olive Branch? King Charles II Invites Prince Harry and Meghan Markle To His Coronation

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King Charles III has invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, aka Harry and Meghan, back to England for his coronation next year.

According to the Daily Telegraph, the couple, who is celebrating the release of their controversial Netflix documentary, have an opportunity to take part in the King’s official installment ceremony held at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023, should they desire.

Set to be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the coronation will include an intimate group of guests who will witness the inauguration of the King Charles III and the Queen consort by bestowal of a crown upon their heads. Further details will be confirmed closer to the date.

All guests have not yet received formal invitations, including the Sussexes, but a source told the news outlet that “all members of the family will be welcome.”

If the former royals do accept the invitation, their presence will come after choosing to share their story on their terms in their newly released Netflix docuseries, Harry & Meghan.

The series, which debuted December 8, breaks down Harry and Meghan’s love story and new life in the aftermath of making the decision to step back from their duties as senior members of the British royal family in 2020.

In opening about their relationship with several members of the royal family, many in the UK have expressed upset over the documentary and some of Markle’s mannerisms throughout, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.

A global press secretary for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released an official statement clarifying their roles with the royal family, per a previous Deadline report.

“Their statement announcing their decision to step back mentions nothing of privacy and reiterates their desire to continue their roles and public duties,” the press secretary said. “Any suggestion otherwise speaks to a key point of this series.”—

• Education

by Derek Major

December 19, 2022

Veteran Entrepreneur Scholars Program Is Helping Veterans Start Their Own Businesses

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A new program at William & Mary’s Raymond A Mason School of Business is taking a boot camp-style approach to help veterans become entrepreneurs.

The Military Times reports the William and Mary Veterans Entrepreneurship Scholars Program was launched earlier this summer with a pilot enabled by an anonymous alumni gift.

The program aims to teach veterans how to start and run their own businesses as the number of entrepreneurs has skyrocketed since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. An Intuit QuickBooks study shows more than 17 million new entrepreneurs joined the economy in 2022, and veteran-owned businesses are rising.

“In recent years, we’ve seen entrepreneurial thinking skills, mindsets, and practices to be
increasingly essential no matter what role our veterans take on,” Graham Henshaw, the
Alan B. Miller Entrepreneurship Center executive director, said in a release. “This hands-on, real-world program delivers a distilled, applied experience that equips these leaders to tackle
challenges of consequence more effectively.”

Jonathan Due, the executive director of the Center for Military Transition at William & Mary, said getting veterans into entrepreneurship can lead them down different paths, including starting a business as a primary means of income or as a second revenue stream.

Charles Williamson, an Army veteran seeking his M.B.A. at William & Mary, was a part of the pilot program as he and a friend are developing a game that teaches tactical skills. Williamson said the program has shown him how much planning and execution go into a successful business.

“The military is great at teaching you to deal with setbacks and challenges but not really the actual specific skills like meeting with investors or incorporating a business,” Williamson told the Times. “They teach you how to do an interview, not how to raise capital. But through the program, I learned a lot of things that I needed to learn.”

Notable veteran-owned Black businesses include Air Force Veteran Charlynda Scales’ Mutt Sauce; Marvin Johnson, a former Navy Submarine Officer and the founder and CEO of Dashible, and Tabatha Turman, an Army veteran and the CEO of IFAS-LLC, a professional services firm.

The first official class of the program began in November, and the school plans to keep the classes small so each group can collaborate and provide peer support. The program is also working on creating an active support system for follow-up after veterans graduate from the program.