The story of a Hollywood legend may be heading to the big screen.

American singer, actress, and businesswoman Gladys Knight is teaming up with Cineflix Productions to develop a scripted mini-series about her life.

According to Deadline, the series is suggested to take on different periods of the life of the Empress of Soul, who has recorded hits such as “Midnight Train to Georgia” and “I Heard It Through The Grapevine.”

 

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If the project reaches completion, Knight will become the latest soul legend to have a series set around her, following Aretha Franklin‘s Genius, that released last year.

According to a media release from Cineflix Productions, Knight will executive produce the series through her Empress of Soul Productions banner alongside William McDowell, Joyce Miller Roy, William Bickley, Carl Buehl, Brian Bird, Camille Tucker for Empress of Soul Productions, J.C. Mills, Sherri Rufh, and Jeff Vanderwal for Cineflix Productions.

“At the age of 78, most people in my industry have retired, but I’m just getting started,” Knight said.

“All my life I’ve been able to sing my stories. I can now use this opportunity to show the meaning behind the words.”

“Our partnership with Cineflix, sharing my life story, will allow me to leave a legacy of hard work and dedication. That alone is greater than any award I could ever receive. It’s important to leave large footprints that go in the right direction. That’s why Empress of Soul Productions was founded,” she added.

Knight has recorded over 38 albums, is a member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and has acted in film and television, receiving a nomination for a Golden Globe in 1976.

If the project progresses, the series will highlight personal stories of Knight’s personal life, including her three marriages and gambling addiction during the 1980s. Additionally, viewers will learn more of the story of when one of her sons was kidnapped and she had to pay a million dollars to have him returned.

“Gladys is a legend and true icon; her creative ambition and artistry is unmatched. With over five decades across music, film, TV, and humanitarian efforts, her life is a beautiful mosaic that we are honored to tell,” Mills, president and head of content at Cineflix Productions, said.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

December 7, 2022

Let TexTalky Do Your Speaking With This Lifetime Subscription

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UPDATE CNN HAS PROJECTED RAPHAEL WARNOCK HAS WON

ATLANTA (Reuters) -Democratic U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock and Republican former football star Herschel Walker were locked in a tight battle as results came in from a runoff election in Georgia that will determine whether Democrats can expand their razor-thin Senate majority.

With 72% of the estimated vote tallied, Warnock led Walker by 50.4% to 49.6%, according to Edison Research. Final results were not expected until later in the evening.

Gabriel Sterling, a state election official, said turnout was high, both on Tuesday and through mail and early voting. “The people of Georgia were very excited to vote,” he said on CNN.

The race is a last test of Donald Trump’s clout with midterm voters as he seeks the Republican nomination to challenge President Joe Biden in 2024. The former president, who endorsed Walker, had a mixed record in his most competitive endorsements for Congress in this year’s elections.

Warnock held a commanding lead in the state’s biggest counties, including the Democratic stronghold of Atlanta. But Walker led in Republican-heavy rural counties, where vote tallies were slower to be reported.

Walker’s campaign was plagued by repeated gaffes and a variety of allegations, including claims by former girlfriends that he paid for their abortions, even though he has campaigned for the procedure to be outlawed. He has denied the accusations.

The race was the most expensive of the 2022 U.S. midterm election season, with more than $400 million spent. The contest went to a runoff after neither candidate secured 50% of the vote on Nov. 8.

A victory by Warnock would give Democrats a 51-seat majority in the 100-seat Senate, which would make it slightly easier to advance Biden’s nominees for judicial and administrative posts. Most legislation would still require Republican support.

A Walker win, on the other hand, would keep the Senate at its current 50-50 split, with Democrats controlling the chamber thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’s tie-breaking vote.

On a wider scale, a Warnock victory could solidify Georgia as a battleground in presidential elections. It also would be another midterm defeat at the polls for a protege of Trump, who spurred Walker to run.

At least 1.9 million people cast their votes before Election Day, equal to 47% of the Nov. 8 turnout. Analysts say the early votes likely tilted Democratic, which means Walker needed strong Election Day turnout from his supporters to overcome the gap.

“We should not rest on our laurels. The job is not done. The truth is my opponent could still win this election,” Warnock told a crowd in Norcross, Georgia, on Tuesday.

Warnock is pastor of the historic Atlanta church where assassinated civil rights leader Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. preached. Both Warnock and Walker are Black.

WALKER’S PAST

Along with the abortion claims, former girlfriends have accused Walker of domestic abuse. He has also faced accusations that he maintains his primary residence in Texas, not Georgia.

Walker has denied the charges, but they may have discouraged some Republican voters. Warnock edged him 49.44% to 48.49% in November, even as Republican Governor Brian Kemp and other statewide Republican candidates easily won re-election.

At a diner in Marietta, Walker deflected questions about his character, which Warnock made a centerpiece of his campaign.

“Right now I put my character up against Raphael Warnock any day,” Walker said on Tuesday.

This is the third Senate runoff in two years in the state – and the second for Warnock, who first won the seat in a runoff in January 2021. Republicans won a narrow majority in the U.S. House of Representatives in the Nov. 8 election, but fell short of the “red wave” that some in the party had forecast, despite flagging approval ratings for Biden.

While Biden did not campaign for Warnock, former President Barack Obama rallied for him in Atlanta last week.

(Reporting by Nathan Layne; Additional reporting by Jason Lange, Eric Beech and Doina Chiacu; writing by Andy Sullivan; Editing by Scott Malone, Alistair Bell and Rosalba O’Brien)

After taking the Boston Celtics to an NBA championship earlier this year, what looked like a promising year for head coach Ime Udoka has turned into just the opposite. A romance with a Celtics staffer has led to Udoka and his long-time girlfriend of 13 years, actress Nia Long, going their separate ways.

According to People, a close source has verified that the couple ended their relationship after the Boston Celtics suspended Udoka for the present season. The head coach was penalized for having an inappropriate romantic affair with a female subordinate, which led to the now-former couple’s split.

The source said, “The situation is unfortunate and painful, but Nia is focusing on her children and rebuilding her life.”

Although they were not married, Long and Udoka have been in a relationship since 2010 and share an 11-year-old son, Kez Udoka.

This news comes just over a week after Long posted and then deleted a photo of her new residence on her Instagram account with the caption, “Thankful for the gift of new places and spaces.”

A representative for The Best Man actress has gone on record to state that the two are “no longer together but remain fully committed to co-parenting their son [Kez].”

Several days ago, Long expressed the hurt she experienced when she spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about the situation after the Celtics suspended her former beau.

“If you’re in the business of protecting women—I’m sorry, no one from the Celtics organization has even called to see if I’m OK, to see if my children are OK,” she said.

“I think the most heartbreaking thing about all of this was seeing my son’s face when the Boston Celtics organization decided to make a very private situation public.”

The second-year head coach had been involved in an inappropriate relationship with Kathleen Nimmo Lynch, a married mother of three, who had just started with the Celtics as a team service manager, according to Daily Mail.

The 45-year-old coach led the team to a 51-31 record and to the NBA Finals but lost the championship to the Golden State Warriors.

Kristy Fercho, who has worked in housing for more than a decade, including with Fannie Mae, has a goal that is simple yet effective and important.

“My passion has always been to put Black people in homes,” Fercho tells BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Fercho has been doing just that with Wells Fargo since 2020. The bank’s former head of home lending was recently promoted to the head of Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion (DSRI), where she develops and releases initiatives that will benefit Black Americans on their path to homeownership.

The USC and St. Joseph’s University alumna sports a diverse professional background, spending six years in healthcare selling hospital supplies and another eight and a half with the Frito-Lay/PepsiCo company in human resources, which was where she was when 9/11 happened.

That pushed her to start looking for a new position. She quickly got a call from a Fannie Mae headhunter and spent the next 15 years working in housing before pivoting to Flagstar Bank, where she served as the president of mortgages. 

While Fercho was working at Flagstar another significant event occurred which got her thinking about what she wanted to do in her career. 

“This time it was George Floyd’s murder,” she says. “I was just really struggling with how do I balance the life of what was an extraordinary opportunity and blessing for me personally but yet being part of a race that was oppressed and didn’t have the opportunity and was certainly underserved especially in the housing arena with the Black homeownership rate being at the lowest level as it was when redlining was legal.”

“And so I was really struggling with what’s my role and what do I do and I just kept being prompted that housing was the best place to do good.”

Fercho, who grew up in South Central Los Angeles, reports directly to Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf, tells her team they have the unbelievable privilege to help people achieve the dream of homeownership on an everyday basis. She takes the responsibility of her job very seriously as she serves as a voice for underserved people and communities.

Fercho has done just that with the launch of Wells Fargo’s Special Purpose Credit Program (SPCP) to help minority homeowners, whose mortgages are currently serviced by Wells Fargo, refinance those mortgages.

Initially, through the program, Wells Fargo will identify eligible Black homeowners who could benefit from a refinance product. The bank will commit $150 million to lower mortgage rates and reduce the refinancing costs to help these homeowners further benefit from refinancing.

“I have to bring into that room, one, the perspective of me as a Black woman, which makes it different than anybody else in that room,” Fercho says. “But I believe I have to be the voice for the people who aren’t in the room and I think it, especially in this work of working with the underserved and understanding their plight and bringing those challenges into the room and helping people understand the struggle and how [at] the bank we can develop products and solutions to help overcome those challenges, is really important.”

Wells Fargo has made numerous commitments to Black Americans, including investing hundreds of thousands of dollars in Black Businesses and Entrepreneurs, the 100 Black Men of America Organization and Black-owned banks.

Fercho has more planned for the bank. Earlier this year, Wells Fargo announced its Operation Hope initiative, which will feature financial coaches who will help empower underserved communities with financial education workshops and free one-on-one coaching to help people with financial literacy. Fercho has other plans as well, but she can’t reveal just yet what those plans are. However, she is excited about the future of Wells Fargo and its Black homeowners and customers.

The Empress of Soul deserves her flowers.

On Sunday, seven-time Grammy winner Gladys Knight was honored at the 45th Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., along with a list of other notable honorees who were recognized for their contributions to American culture.

“Look at all these people in here, and we’re all here for the same reason. To lift things up, to [try] to have some joy and all of that, and that’s what it’s all about,” Knight said, according to Fox News.

“This is amazing. This is about the world. This is not just about me or some other person that has feelings about making things better, but the fact that they even allow themselves to do something like that is amazing,” she added, excited to see everyone celebrating positivity.

 

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It was Gladys’ night but the icon outlined the love she holds for her “sister” Patti LaBelle, who paid tribute to her during the ceremony.

According to the outlet, the two Hollywood icons, who have shared the stage together multiple times, have a friendship that spans over six decades.

“That’s my little sister. We have been together since we were like this,” 78-year-old Knight told Fox News Digital. “Every now and then, things get a little rough. We got kids, we both had children the same time.”

LaBelle, who is also 78 years old, described Knight as her “everything” as she took the stage and reflected on their decades-long friendship of tears and laughter.

“We do everything together,” LaBelle said.

LaBelle shared the memorable moments before she gave a performance of “That’s What Friends Are For.”

The man who has been accused and arrested for the November killing of Migos, one-third of the Atlanta hip-hop group Takeoff,  proclaimed his innocence at his first court appearance in Houston last Friday.

According to The Associated Press, the attorney for 33-year-old Patrick Xavier Clark, who is also known as DJ Pat, a local Houston DJ, said that her client was not the person who pulled the trigger. .

Prosecutors and the defense attorneys for DJ Pat agreed to have a hearing to discuss a reduction in the amount of the $2 million bond. That hearing is scheduled for December 14. DJ Pat was arrested on a murder charge last week.

The Houston DJ, according to ABC13 News, had applied for an emergency passport before he was arrested on December 1. Authorities reported that DJ Pat had a large amount of cash when he was caught. Papers that he filed for an expedited passport were also on his person and the DJ had a flight booked to fly to Mexico. 

DJ Pat’s lawyer, Letitia Quinones, says that her client is innocent and to allow the system to do its part.

“There is a lot of investigation that needs to be done,” she said. “So, we just ask that everyone keep an open mind and let the system do its part and let the Constitution do its part and that is, right now he’s innocent until he’s proven guilty.”

She also stated that the trip to Mexico was previously planned.

“He wasn’t trying to go anywhere,” Quinones said.

According to TMZ, the killing of Takeoff took place November 1 at the 810 Billiards & Bowling Houston bowling alley. The 28-year-old recording artist was there with his uncle, Quavo, and fellow Migos group member celebrating the birthday of Jas Prince on the night of the tragedy.

According to ABC13, police estimate that more than 30 people were present when Takeoff was shot, but none stayed behind to provide anything to help investigators.

Canadian native Samantha Samaka has been awarded a scholarship of $40,000 to attend Long Island University for four years thanks to Jay-Z.

As previously reported in BLACK ENTERPRISE, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation partnered with LIU to open the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment based in Brooklyn, New York, for students to pursue undergraduate degree programs in music technology, entrepreneurship, sports management, and more.

THANKYOU SO MUCH FOR MY TUITION BEING PAID 🙏🏾📚🏆. I LOVE @BEYONCE & JAY Z!!!!! I AM SO SO SO SO HONORED TO BE THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN FROM TORONTO, CANADA TO BE ACCEPTED INTO JAY Z’S SCHOOL OF MUSIC 👩🏽‍🎤!!! WORK IN SILENCE. LOUD RESULTS. ❤️, I got the scholarship oh my God 🔥🔥🔊🔊 pic.twitter.com/7qgChz4J9K

— SAMi 🧚🏾‍♀️🐉 (@okaaysami) December 3, 2022

According to Samaka’s acceptance letter, she will be attending the school during the Spring 2023 semester under the university’s Vocal Performance BM program.

Included in the $40,000 scholarship total, Samaka was awarded a $10,000 Excellence Award.

https://twitter.com/okaaysami/status/1599068908702420992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1599068908702420992%7Ctwgr%5Ec6107a9caa57cd6edf83810033e0b0410658394b%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fafrotech.com%2Ftoronto-artist-samantha-samaka-jay-z-liu-brooklyn

Desiree Perez, CEO of Roc Nation wrote, “We’re excited that the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide unique insight, knowledge and experiences for students and introduce the world to the next generation of unmatched talent.”

“Pursuing higher education is an investment in one’s future. This partnership, envisioned alongside LIU President Dr. (Kimberly) Cline, is a true investment in our community and young people in Brooklyn, in New York City and beyond,” Perez continued.

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The school will also offer exclusive lectures and workshops for students to learn more about how to navigate the industry.

The newly formed school specializes in undergraduate degree programs in music technology, entrepreneurship, sports management, and more. The school also promises to help students graduate debt-free and provides scholarships reserved for 25% of the enrolled students.

• Technology

by Derek Major

December 6, 2022

Electric Vehicle Plant In Georgia Was A Big Achievement For Sen. Raphael Warnock But Republicans Are Ignoring His Contributions

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In his two years as a senator, Rev. Raphael Warnock has had several significant legislative wins; now, Republicans are using an electric vehicle plant slated for construction in Georgia to hurt his record.

The New York Times reports Warnock’s accomplishments in office include science funding for HBCU schools, infrastructure grants for the Peach State’s highway-rail intersections, and creating new programs to boost maternal healthcare.

However, his contributions are being ignored regarding the Hyundai electric vehicle plant located outside Savannah. The e-vehicle plant will employ more than 8,000 state residents by 2025. Although Warnock was part of the effort to bring the plant to Georgia and held a shovel at the groundbreaking, he did not speak at the ceremony, and Republicans have refused to give him credit for the plant, instead saying state officials secured the plant.

President Joe Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act included significant incentives for producing and purchasing electric vehicles. Additionally, the bipartisan infrastructure bill, which Warnock supported, also earmarked $20 million for the Peach State to build charging stations across the state. The senator has also supported other efforts to combat climate change and boost infrastructure.

“From securing strong federal funding to boost U.S. microchip manufacturing to championing investments in expanding E.V. charging infrastructure in Georgia, Reverend Warnock has a proven track record of working alongside Georgia automakers,” Michael J. Brewer, a Warnock campaign spokesman, told the Times.

While Republicans have ignored Warnock’s contributions to the Savannah e-vehicle plant, they’ve also blamed him for things that aren’t his fault.

South Korean officials took issue with details of the tax incentives that Warnock voted for in the Inflation Reduction Act, which provided up to $4,000 in credits to U.S. consumers who buy e-vehicles in the U.S. but not imported vehicles from Asia.

According to Hyundai officials, the Savannah site was driven by tax incentives and other bonuses offered by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. The “buy American” requirement was not a factor in the deal but is considered a disadvantage to importers.

Cody Hall, a Kemp advisor, told the Times that Warnock could have forced the consumer tax credit to include imported vehicles, at least until the plant was completed.

Warnock did push for a broader consumer incentive. However, West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, who has largely defeated the climate goals of the Biden administration by himself, turned the issue into a “take it or leave it,” as he was happy with no financial incentives at all.

Hyundai is still expected to receive billions in tax incentives for the plant, including $10 billion in manufacturing tax credits for the plant’s construction and another $30 billion in tax credits for batteries and battery components.

“It’s just an implausible assertion that the senator doesn’t get credit for one of the top priorities that he’s been driving in Washington, boosting U.S. clean energy and autos manufacturing,” Ali A. Zaidi, the White House climate adviser, said last week, according to the Times.

Uncle Funky’s Daughter launched a College Athlete Brand Ambassador program to empower student athletes of color to push limits, break barriers and create change for a more equitable future.

With this program, the brand aims to encourage youth to celebrate their individuality and uniqueness and embrace the beauty of their curly and textured hair with natural hair products that love them back, according to a press release.

With her passion for basketball and her winning mindset, Haley Jones was named Most Outstanding Player of 2021 NCAA Tournament. While being an exceptional basketball player, there were times when Jones battled with insecurities and didn’t feel like she fit in. Going through her natural hair journey and learning to embrace her curls, Jones realized that female athletes have a voice that can be used to create change.

“I love being able to inspire the next generation and help them work through problems and give them a role model that I didn’t have,” Jones said.

By partnering with a brand like Uncle Funky’s Daughter, Haley Jones hopes to become a role model for everyone who experiences similar struggles and insecurities.

Renee Morris, CEO of Uncle Funky’s Daughter, said: “I am so excited that Haley has chosen to partner with us. Haley is a woman with confidence, grace, and a clear understanding of who she is and how she wants to represent herself to the world.”

“I am looking forward to watching her blossom on the court and beyond. She is a true Funky Junky!”

About Uncle Funky’s Daughter

Uncle Funky’s Daughter is a Black and woman owned hair care brand created in 2009 with a mission to support women, men, and children in their quest to confidently showcase their beauty—naturally.

Uncle Funky’s Daughter curates high-quality all-natural hair products that are designed to naturally satisfy every curl in the world. Free of sulfates, parabens and harsh chemicals, Uncle Funky’s Daughter products are available to shop at www.unclefunkysdaughter.com or select retail stores.

About Haley Jones

Haley Jones is a college basketball player for the Stanford Cardinal of the Pac-12 Conference. In High School, Jones was named the Naismith Prep Player of the Year and a McDonald’s All-American. As a five-star recruit, Jones was ranked the number one recruit in the 2019 class by ESPN. In 2021, she was named an all-conference selection in the Pac-12.