• Women

by Derek Major

November 30, 2022

Woman Behind Chicken Salad Viral Video Says Google Lowballed Her With $500 Off to Use Her Voice

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Tanisha Godfrey, the creator and the voice behind the popular “It’s a chicken salad” TikTok video, says she was lowballed in a deal by tech giant Google.

“I’m still learning how to work TikTok. Y’all know I was new to this but I’m not dumb. So when you say you want to buy my sound and you’re offering me $500, it’s a f-cking problem,” Godfrey said, according to AfroTech.

The Cleveland content creator recently signed a deal with Weight Watchers and created “The Nisha Chicken Salad” for the company, a recipe she came up with herself. Godfrey shared with her followers that she made a nice profit from the partnership with Weight Watchers, who featured Godfrey’s salad in its list of over 12,000 recipes.

In a recent interview with fellow TikTok personality @Bdtrelilbrother, Godfrey discussed how several tech giants came to her with a deal but offered her little.

When the interviewer told Godfrey this is a common occurrence for Black creators on social media, Godfrey revealed which tech giant it was that tried to lowball her.

“It was Google,” Godfrey said.” And they offered me $500. Then, $1,000. Then, $2,000. And I said, ‘Have a good day.’”

The healthy eating influencer added that she hired a publicist, which she credited for affirming that she was worth more.

“I finally found someone who can represent me and make sure I’m not making crazy decisions, lowballing myself, and is actually going to soar my new career!! I’m so excited,” Godfrey wrote in an Instagram post.

Black creators on social media have seen everything from their dances to their commentary stolen and promoted without getting credit for it. The issue got so bad in 2021 that Black creators boycotted TikTok.

Godfrey added in the interview that she wants to be known for more than just the chicken salad video and will create additional content in the future.

This was worth missing an episode of Taylor Talks.

Fantasia Barrino-Taylor took to her personal Instagram to announce that she joined Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. as an honorary member.

The award-winning singer shared a video on Live of herself as she attended the exclusive induction ceremony during the sorority’s Centennial Founders’ Month.

“I’ve always wanted to be a part of a sisterhood,” Fantasia said.

“We’re alike. I love what you support and I love what you do. And I won’t disappoint. I promise, I won’t,” the When I See You singer told her new sorority sisters.

“Everywhere I go, I will rep you,” she added, before initiating the Sigma Gamma Rho “EE-Yip!” call.

Fantasia was embraced with hugs and selfies before a member, who revealed that she was the singer’s cousin, closed out the ceremony with prayer. The women of blue and gold circled up with the superstar and bowed their heads, sending Fantasia off with prayers of success, support, and traveling grace on her tour.

The women cleared out of the room into another, where Fantasia found loads of paraphernalia on the chairs and bed of the hotel room.

“I am now a Sigma Gamma Rho,” Fantasia said, followed by another round of “EE-Yips!”

“I had to be quiet. It was hard, but now I am a part of the best sisterhood there is,” she added.

The individual filming the moment panned the room again, showing bags, jackets, flowers, and other blue and gold items in the space. The camera then zoomed in on the organization’s logo on Fantasia’s blazer.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Fantasia Taylor (@tasiasword)

Fantasia’s husband, Kendall Taylor, was also in attendance to share the special moment with his wife.

According to the Sigma Gamma Rho website, founded in 1922, the sorority is a service organization dedicated to promoting the greater good in education, service, and leadership development.

Other inductees included actress Alexis Jones, Emmy-nominated event producer Yvonne McNair, and Osmo’s Global Head of Communication,s Shawn Smith.

We are pleased to announce the Centennial Founders' Month Honorary Membership Class of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated:

Fantasia Barrino
Alexis Jones
Yvonne Mcnair
Shawn Smith

Please join us in congratulating our newest members!#SGRho100 #SigmaGammaRho #Greater pic.twitter.com/mxdhmeGYMg

— Sigma Gamma Rho (@SGRho) November 30, 2022

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 30, 2022

Surviving Walmart Employee in Chesapeake, VA Mass Shooting Sues Retailer for $50 Million

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An employee of Walmart who survived the mass shooting at a Chesapeake Walmart last week has filed a lawsuit against the giant retailer.

According to NPR, Walmart employee Donya Prioleau filed a $50 million lawsuit on Tuesday in Chesapeake Circuit Court in Virginia. The paperwork states that Walmart continued to employ 31-year-old Andre Bing, who shot several employees before killing himself. The lawsuit says Bing was a store supervisor “who had known propensities for violence, threats and strange behavior.”

Prioleau claims that she is experiencing PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), including physical and emotional distress, after seeing the incident unfold when the mass shooting transpired on Nov. 22.

The lawsuit states, “Bullets whizzed by Plaintiff Donya Prioleau’s face and left side, barely missing her. She witnessed several of her coworkers being brutally murdered on either side of her.”

Bing fatally shot six Walmart employees in a breakroom and injured several others before he took his own life.

The filed paperwork also says: “Ms. Prioleau looked at one of her coworkers in the eyes right after she had been shot in the neck. Ms. Prioleau saw the bullet wound in her coworker’s neck, the blood rushing out of it, and the shocked look on her coworker’s helpless face.”

She also stated that she previously complained of Bing’s conduct toward her when she submitted a formal complaint on a Walmart Global Ethics Statement Form. She indicated that Bing had “bizarrely and inappropriately commented on Ms. Prioleau’s age.”

“Despite Mr. Bing’s long-standing pattern of disturbing and threatening behavior, Walmart knew or should have known about Mr. Bing’s disturbing and threatening behavior, but failed to terminate Mr. Bing, restrict his access to common areas, conduct a thorough background investigation, or subject him to a mental health examination,” the lawsuit states.

It was previously reported that the Chesapeake Police Department identified the victims of Bing’s shooting as 16-year-old Fernando Chavez-Barron, Randy Blevins, 70, Brian Pendleton, 38, Kellie Pyle, 52, Lorenzo Gamble, 43, and 22-year-old Tyneka Johnson.

Bing reportedly purchased the firearm the day he conducted the mass shooting. Chesapeake Police officers got to the scene and discovered Bing and two victims dead inside the break room. Another victim was found near the front of the store, and three other victims died later at the hospital.

NEW YORK – Quinta Brunson joins Matthew McConaughey, Mila Kunis and Jennifer Hudson as one of PEOPLE’s 2022 People of the Year! Look for all four covers on newsstands this week and read more below from Brunson’s revealing interview in the new issue.

What a difference a year can make. In late 2021 Quinta Brunson was working on her passion project, a sitcom about a public school in Philadelphia. As its creator, writer, showrunner and star, she was eagerly anticipating the Dec. 7 premiere of Abbott Elementary on ABC. “I wanted to bring back the straightforward 22-minute workplace comedy,” says Brunson, 32, whose previous credits include roles on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show and TBS’s Miracle Workers. The Philly native loosely based her Abbott character — hopelessly optimistic second-grade teacher Janine Teagues — on her mother, a former kindergarten teacher.

Abbott was an instant hit, logging more than 7 million total viewers and becoming ABC’s highest-rated comedy since the Modern Family finale. A season 2 renewal followed — Brunson even persuaded the network to redirect marketing money to buy school supplies for real teachers — and so did seven Emmy nominations and three wins, including outstanding writing for a comedy series for Brunson, making her the second Black woman to take that prize.

Looking back on what she has accomplished this year, Brunson, who has been married to Kevin Jay Anik since 2021, admits she’s playing with house money: “I just wanted to make a good show with good people, so everything else has been exciting additions to the plan.”

Matthew McConaughey, Quinta Brunson, Mila Kunis and Jennifer Hudson are PEOPLE’s 2022 People of the Year!

Look for all four covers on newsstands this week and read more from their revealing interviews in the new issue.

For FULL story, please click the link to PEOPLE: https://people.com/tv/quinta-brunson-people-of-the-year-2022/

Republished with permission

Michigan Founders Fund (MFF), a nonprofit that provides startup programming and support to high-growth entrepreneurs, has awarded its first statewide effort in philanthropy for Black trailblazers advancing racial justice.

MFF members are tech founders and investors who have pledged 1% of equity, carry or profit into a fund for Michigan-based grantmaking, according to a press release.

MFF made the announcement on Giving Tuesday to encourage other business leaders to make contributions to the three awardees. This year’s awardees are:

• Dr. Shakara Tyler, Jerry Hebron, Tepfirah Rushdan, Erin Johnson and Danielle Daguio, co-stewards of the Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund, who provide grants and technical assistance to Black farmers to purchase the land they farm.
• Courtney Smith, Detroit Phoenix Center, who is meeting the critical and emergent needs of minority youth at risk or currently experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.
• Leon Al-Alamin, MADE Institute, who provides comprehensive services to Flint citizens returning to the community from the criminal justice system.

Awardees will have the opportunity to engage with the MFF network in ways that can help further their mission–from working alongside Detroit Black farmers on service days to advising formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs on business growth strategies.

“I personally know the impact of not having access to quality resources and mentors,” said Leon Al-Alamin, founder of MADE Institute, who was also formerly incarcerated.

“At MADE Institute, we keep people from falling through the cracks and need to collaborate with leaders across Michigan who can provide tools, mentorship, resources, and financial support to help others succeed. My team and I are looking forward to collaborating with MFF and seeing where the opportunities take the organization and the people we work with.”

MFF’s grant fund grows as founders and investors who have made the 1% Michigan Pledge make financial contributions upon the completion of a liquidity event. To make this year’s award possible, Bank of Ann Arbor is a title sponsor.

“We are honored to be part of this initiative as we know how important it is to advance racial justice in our state,” said Michael Cole, Bank of Ann Arbor Group President.

“These three trailblazers are doing invaluable work and we are looking forward to collaborating with them over the next year to further advance their efforts.”

This program was led by an advisory council of leaders who have expertise in racial justice and grantmaking. Members of the council include: Erika Block, MFF Pledged Member and Sticky Lab’s Principal, Mark Greer II, Transforming Power Fund’s Co-Executive Director, Jamila Martin, Movement Voter Project’s Michigan State Advisor, and Alisha Opperman, Michigan Community Resources’s Chief Program Officer.

“Our members are trailblazers in entrepreneurship who believe, collectively, we can make positive impacts on the broader community,” said Sarah Craft, MFF Community Director.

“This is also a call to action to all tech leaders across Michigan to look within this Giving Tuesday and do what you can to contribute, not just today, but all year.”

“It’s everyone’s role to ensure that Michigan is a place where all people have access to a safe, successful, and high quality life.”

To make direct contributions to the three awardees, visit their websites:

• Detroit Black Farmer Land Fund: http://www.detroitblackfarmer.com/donate
• MADE Institute: https://madeinstitute.org/shop
• Detroit Phoenix Center: https://www.detroitphoenixcenter.org/donate

High-growth founders who are interested in getting engaged can learn more at  www.MichiganFoundersFund.org.

• Lifestyle

by Atiya Jordan

November 30, 2022

Georgia Tech Student Sweeps ‘Wheel of Fortune’, Leaving With A Mini Cooper and $35,750 Richer

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A Georgia Tech sophomore secured the bag after testing his smarts on “Wheel of Fortune.”

On Monday night, Quincy Howard crushed an episode of an ongoing college week series on the longtime game show. He left with not only a whopping $35,750 but also a shiny red and black Mini Cooper, WRDW reports. And his parents bared big smiles while cheering the brainiac on.

Howard had snagged his cash prize right before entering a smashing bonus round. In this final lap, he won the puzzle category “People” after guessing the correct answer “Kids At Play” within 10 seconds.

Take a look at what happened here:

Host Pat Sajak then opened up his card of winnings and posed a question to the teen.

“Would you like a Mini Cooper?” Sajak said.

Howard spun around in disbelief as his mom and dad approached him with congratulatory embraces. The excited trio ran toward the unveiling of the brand-new Mini Cooper; the rest is history.

Howard waved to the cheering crowd as he sported in his lustrous vehicle.

The final round brought his total winnings to $69,600.

According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Howard’s former high school, Dublin City Schools, gave the young man his flowers in a gleaming Facebook post after his win on the game show. The post confirmed that Howard graduated as Dublin High School Class of 2021 valedictorian with honors.

“Way to go Quincy!!! You cleaned up at Wheel of Fortune! You continue to make the Green and Gold beam with Irish Pride! ☘️”

Howard is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. According to his LinkedIn, he wants to utilize his degree to become an Operations Research Analyst for a business or corporation.

Georgia Tech also posted the star student in case anyone missed the triumph.

“Now let’s get some “old gold” on the super Cooper!!” a Facebook user exclaimed in the posts. Georgia Tech couldn’t agree more.

• Celebrity News

by Derek Major

November 30, 2022

Kanye West Says IRS Put a Hold On Four Of His Bank Accounts — He Owes $50 Million In Back Taxes

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Rapper Kanye West said on a right-wing podcast that the Internal Revenue Service had put a $75 million hold on his bank accounts.

Yahoo News reports the rapper, who now goes by Ye, explained his financial troubles on an episode of the Timcast IRL podcast hosted by Tim Pool that also featured white nationalist and Holocaust denier Nick Fuentes and alt-right figure Milo Yiannopoulos.

Ye told Pool that his “finance people” told him he’s going to “have to pay a lot of taxes.”

“I’m talking about literally finding out that they were trying to put me in prison this morning,” West said on the podcast.

“But I found out — okay, so they froze, they put a $75 million hold on four of my accounts.

“And then they said, you owe a lot of taxes. Took me like six hours to find out how much. A lot — was it — well, around $50 million,” Ye added.

During the podcast, West added that he’s “not the most financially literate person on the planet” and that he went to the CFOs involved in his businesses to find out if the back taxes would be considered tax evasion.

The rapper later walked off the podcast when Pool began asking him about his anti-Semitic comments that led numerous brands, including Gap and Adidas, to separate themselves from the rapper costing him millions.

West also said during the podcast that God is “breaking him down” by “removing” all of his riches before adding that his children will be fine because his “baby mama,” Kim Kardashian, has money.

In addition to West’s controversial statement, the rapper also reportedly asked former President Donald Trump to serve as his vice president, which according to the rapper, did not go over well.

https://twitter.com/nojumper/status/1596166696435318784

“I think the thing that Trump was most perturbed about, me asking him to be my vice president,” Ye said in the video in the Twitter post. “I think that was like lower on the list of things that caught him off-guard.”

• Money

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 30, 2022

Census Data: Atlanta Has Highest Income Inequality In The Country

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Recent census data highlight how Black Atlanta residents are being left out of the economic boom the city has seen in the past several years.

According to recent data from the United States Census Bureau, Atlanta has the highest income inequality rates within large U.S. cities, Governing.com reported. As the city continues to flourish financially, Black Atlantans are being left out in large numbers that reflect the racial disparities that have plagued the city for generations.

General inflation has only continued the racial income disparities, with rising food and gas prices having higher impacts on low-income households.

“When a very large percentage is vulnerable to that kind of economic pressure it says that we have a lot of work to do,” Kyle Waide, president and CEO of The Atlanta Community Food Bank, said.

The Food Bank has been seeing an increased demand for its services amid ongoing inflation numbers. Economists and organizations reviewed the numbers spanning a five-year period from 2016 to 2020.

The Census Bureau found the median household income for a white family in Atlanta to be around $83,722 compared to $28,105 for a Black family,  Atlanta Wealth Building reported. The liquid assets poor for Black families is at 69% compared to 22% of white families.

As for Black businesses in Atlanta, the average Black-owned business is valued at $58,085 while the average value of a white business is listed at $658,264.

The ranking was based on the Gini coefficient, a measure of how equally income is distributed among a population expressed in a decimal format ranging from zero to one. A score of zero represents complete income equality within a community, where every person has equal income.

The higher the decimal score, the greater the income inequality. Atlanta reflected the largest gap between low and high-income households among cities with more than 100,000 residents with a Gini coefficient score of 0.5786, Census data shows.

New Orleans came in second with a coefficient of 0.5655; New York City came in seventh with a coefficient of 0.5470, and Tampa came in eighth with a score of 0.5426.

Snoop Dogg is a proud papa after his daughter, Cori Broadus, announced her engagement to her longtime boyfriend, Wayne Duece.

Cori, 23, – also known under her musical moniker, CHOC – took to Instagram on Saturday to share the big news by posting a video of the heartwarming moment. The announcement came a few days after the proposal, and word had already started to spread, Hot New Hip Hop reports.

“The easiest YES ever,” she captioned the post. “@wayneduece I love you so much and can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by CHOC🍫 (@princessbroadus)

Her fiance had already beat her to the punch when in announcing the engagement on Instagram.

“Can’t wait to share my last name w/ you ❤️ My beautiful fiancé 💍” Duece captioned his post.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Wayne (@wayneduece)

Cori’s post captured the moment she walked into a surprise unveil with the words “WILL YOU MARRY ME” lit up. Duece waited on one knee as Broadus held her face in shock while walking over to her man to accept his proposal. Duece’s post included two photos and a video showing a close-up of the diamond-studded ring.

Proud papa Snoop took to his Instagram to share his pride and support for his daughter and son-in-law-to-be.

“Congrats @princessbroadus baby girl U have been blessed @wayneduece love u son in law 🙏🏾 💍 God is good 🌹🌹👊🏾💍🙏🏾,” Snoop wrote in his caption.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg)

Broadus has been dating the photographer since 2018. In July, she called out internet trolls who have left comments under Duece’s post calling Cori his “soul mate” and accusing him of only dating Broadus because she’s Snoop Dogg’s daughter.

“Y’all are so miserable and it’s so sad🥺 It’s so hard not to let ppl comments get to you cause you know deep down they struggling but I’m still human and words hurt,” said Cori in an Instagram Story, captured by Teen Vogue. “How do y’all have time to sit on someone page and just talk sh*t it never made sense to me. But if they see you in person it’s another story. So so hateful I’m praying ’cause that’s a sickness [for real].”

Broadus continued.

“Y’all love saying a n***a must like me cause my daddy Snoop Dogg, like why can’t he just love me for me,” she quipped.

“It’s deeper than just being his daughter I’m my own person I’m more then [sic] that & I hate that I feel like I gotta go on here & do all this but I been dealing with this sh*t since high school it’s frustrating as f*ck, to have to question if that’s the case. I hate it here y’all f*ckn suck.”

The couple’s engagement further shuts down the critics and naysayers who doubt their love.

• Legal

by Eric Moody

November 30, 2022

Tenant, 77, Sues Landlord Over Alleged Harassment To Leave $450-A-Month Unit

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New York resident Francis Roberts is upset after he claims the home he has resided in for over two decades has turned into an environment of harassment by the building’s landlord.

Roberts, 77, told the New York Times that his Crown Heights building in Brooklyn has become a place where you will find squatters and trash across his lawn or in front of his door. And he asserts it’s a set-up to get him out of the dirt-cheap unit.

“It has been hell,” Roberts told the outlet.

He added that his living experience only worsened after portable clogged toilets were allegedly placed by his bedroom windows.

But Roberts believes his landlord hasn’t addressed any of the alleged circumstances due to the desire to raise his apartment’s rental rate above $450 per month. According to the listing website StreetEasy, the median Crown Heights apartment rental asking rate was $3,000 a month in October, becoming one of the fastest gentrifying neighborhoods in the city.

The New York Times reported that Roberts claimed the landlord went to great lengths to push him out of the apartment and even offered to move him to a new rent-regulated apartment, rent-free.

But Roberts, who is retired from a clerical job at a Manhattan law firm, refused the landlord’s offer and suggested the proposition is a trap to convert his apartment to market-rate rent, which would essentially price out the retired 77-year-old.

The four-story building was purchased by 972 Park Place L.L.C for $1.3 million at a discounted price under a city program for buildings in dire condition, The New York Times reported.

Roberts and his legal team aim to resolve reportedly 240 violations in addition to civil penalties against the landlord.

“They took the harassment to another level,” member Liam McSweeney of Brooklyn Legal Services told Brownstoner, who first reported the lawsuit.

In a court statement, one neighbor reportedly claimed that neighbor Aaron Akaberi threatened residents who had tried removing a tent encampment. The neighbor, Brian Villaroel, allegedly stated that Akaberi was there to harass Roberts and called him a racial epithet, according to one of Akaberi’s associates who reportedly told him.

Maria Florez, another neighbor who lives next to the building, reportedly said in a statement that Akaberi blasts music “24/7,” and it feels like a “torture method” directed toward the senior citizen.

“I just want to make my apartment habitable and to live in peace,” Roberts told The New York Times. “That’s all I want.”