Democrat Bass Wins Race for Los Angeles Mayor, Defeating Caruso
By Dan Whitcomb
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) –Karen Bass, a Democratic U.S. congresswoman, was projected on Wednesday to beat Rick Caruso in the race for Los Angeles mayor, becoming the first woman to lead the nation’s second-largest city.
Bass, 69, was leading real estate developer Caruso by a margin of 53.1% to 46.9% on Wednesday evening with 76% of the vote counted, according to Edison Research.
“The people of Los Angeles have sent a clear message: It is time for a change and it is time for urgency,” Bass said in a written statement, adding that she would “hit the ground running” on homelessness and crime.
Caruso, a former Republican, also ran as a Democrat in deeply liberal Los Angeles, and the hard-fought campaign was too close to call until a full week after Election Day.
Bass becomes the city’s second Black mayor and takes over amid a furor over racist and inappropriate remarks by council members on an audio recording of an October 2021 meeting that was leaked last month.
Two of the three council members heard on the tape have so far refused to step down despite widespread calls for their resignation.
Bass was heavily outspent by Caruso, a 63-year-old billionaire who reportedly used more than $100 million of his own money in the campaign. Bass was backed by the city’s Democratic establishment and had the support of labor unions.
She succeeds outgoing Mayor Eric Garcetti, a Democrat and son of Gil Garcetti, the man who prosecuted O.J. Simpson in the 1990s.
Eric Garcetti was nominated by President Joe Biden to be the U.S. ambassador to India but more than a year later that nomination was stalled in Congress.
“This is a historic moment and a win for all Angelenos. Mayor-elect Bass has been a personal friend for decades, and her leadership has been a constant source of inspiration and guidance during my years in office,” Garcetti said in a written statement.
Tom Bradley, the first Black mayor of Los Angeles, served two decades in the job, from 1973 to 1993, and the international terminal of Los Angeles International Airport was named after him.
(Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Leslie Adler and Edmund Klamann)
Graphic Crime Scene Photos Of OnlyFans Model Who Killed Black Boyfriend Reveal Blood-Covered Clothes
The Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office released new crime scene photos of the racistOnlyFans model who killed her boyfriend in Miami last April. The graphic photos were obtained by TMZ and published on Nov. 15.
According to the Miami Herald, 26-year-old Courtney Clenney was arrested after she killed Christian Obumseli in Miami on April 3.
Crime scene police photos/Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
Clenney admitted to stabbing Obumseli inside their Miami, Fla. condo but claimed that she committed the crime in self-defense. She said that the couple had broken up and claimed Obumseli was stalking her and was later released.
Crime scene photos/Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office
The graphic photos show the blood-stained sweatpants the model wore when she stabbed Obumseli as well as the bloody floor in the condo and pictures of Clenney with Obumseli’s blood on her hands. Clenney could be heard admitting to the crime during her 911 call.
“My boyfriend is dying of a stab wound! Please God, please. Come save my boyfriend!… Baby, I’m so sorry.”
The OnlyFans model, who goes by Courtney Tailor on social media, stabbed Obumseli in the chest with a kitchen knife. Prosecutors said that the couple was “involved in an extremely tempestuous and combative relationship” while also describing Obumseli as the victim of domestic violence. Video footage of Clenney and Obumseli in an elevator on Fed. 21 showed Clenney repeatedly attacking Obumseli.
“It certainly appears that the defendant was aggressively attacking Christian,” said Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle.
She also said that the angle of the knife wound did not support Clenney’s claim of stabbing Obumseli in self-defense. “The knife entered Christian’s chest in a downward angle to the depth of 3 inches.”
Clenney was finally arrested again on August 10 by the U.S. Marshals Service in Laupahoehoe, Hawaii. and charged with second-degree murder.
Prosecutors also revealed that the model had previously been arrested for abusing Obumseli. She was arrested on July 27, 2021 in Las Vegas after she threw a glass at him. Clenney also threatened to kill Obumseli in a recording found on his cell phone.
“I’m actually [expletive] not having a good day where I actually, literally, [expletive] want to kill you, but you don’t take me seriously,” said Clenney.
Canada’s Black Virgin Mary Monument Painted White in Alleged Vandalism
City officials say that a Black Virgin Mary statue in Vanier, Ontario, Canada, has been the subject of vandalism.
The city maintains the Notre Dame D’Afrique (Our Lady of Africa) and says they did not authorize the repainting of its face and hands, which were recently painted white, Canada’s CBC News reported. An email confirmed that the situation “appears to be vandalism.”
Ottawa police and the city’s corporate office have been notified, and restoration of the monument will be underway. “Work has since begun to have the statue restored and repainted,” said Dan Chenier, the city’s general manager of recreation, cultural and facility services, in a statement. However, Chenier continued to say that “a contract has not yet been awarded, we do not have a timeline for completion of this work at this time.”
Our Lady of Africa was first built in Montreal by the Society of Missionaries of Africa, or The White Fathers, an international Roman Catholic Missionary Society of priests and brothers. The group chose Virgin Mary as their patron saint in 1938 and created the statue in 1955. The White Fathers were the owners of the land in which the Our Lady of Africa sits in Richelieu-Vanier Park along Pères-Blancs Avenue. The forthcoming restoration project will be its third.
In Africa, images of Mary were normally depicted as a Black woman, and so Our Lady of Africa in Vanier was no different.
Stéphanie Plante, the new councilor for Rideau-Vanier, told the news outlet that this incident is one of several other monument vandalisms reflecting diverse communities in the area.
“We want to make sure that Rideau-Vanier, because it does include a lot of vulnerable populations, is reflective of the people who live there and that we’re preserving our historic monuments,” she said.
“If the population would like to take that down or rename it, I’m absolutely open to those kinds of discussions.”
“But as far as I know, that’s probably another one of many incidents in our ward where people feel like they can be creative with our city infrastructure.”
Enjoy The Gift Of A Sam’S Club Membership With This Black Friday Deal
With the holidays quickly approaching, time is running short on shoring up your last-minute gift ideas. Shopping for family members and friends is stressful enough, so the last thing you should have to worry about is making sure your food and essentials are covered.
Thanks to Sam’s Club, there’s a one-stop shop for all of your shopping needs. For a limited time, you can purchase a one-year membership for just $24.99 with the Every Friday is Black Friday deal. That’s a savings of 50% from its MSRP ($50).
Sam’s Club members gain access to an array of deals both in-store and online, along with additional perks just for being part of the club. The free samples are more than enough to entice you to locations, but other benefits include free health screenings and access to a popular food court.
Everything from groceries to electronics to essential household items can be purchased in bulk at affordable prices. One visit to Sam Club is just about all you need to knock out both the items on your gift list and any food and beverages you’ve been tasked with bringing to those holiday parties.
This membership offer is only available to new Sam’s Club members. After signing up online, new members will need to present their phone number and the email address they used to register at a Sam’s Club Membership Services kiosk. From there, a membership card will be printed. New members will also receive a complimentary household card. Membership must be activated within 30 days, and it expires one year after activation.
With more than 600 locations nationwide, you won’t have to travel far to unlock the rewards of membership. With the Every Friday is Black Friday deal, snag this great value of an offer just in time for the holidays.
NBA Player Carmelo Anthony’s Son Scores Basketball Scholarship From Syracuse University
Like father, like son!
There have been many former and current NBA players who have passed on their athletic skills to their children, just look at the Curry family.
The latest son of an NBA player to make noise on the basketball court is another Banana Boat Crew member (the crew consisting of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, and Carmelo Anthony), Kiyan Anthony, Carmelo’s son.
The son of the NBA player and Power actress La La was offered a basketball scholarship to Carmelo’s alma mater, Syracuse University. Kiyan posted the news to his Twitter account.
Kiyan is following in the footsteps of his father, who played one season at Syracuse University (2002-03). In his lone season at Syracuse, before he embarked on a successful NBA career, Anthony led the college to its last basketball championship.
La La acknowledged the news and posted that she was the proudest mother on the planet.
“Proudest mom on the planet! Your hard work and dedication is paying off. You are my son, my best friend, & my hero @kiyananthony…to get a scholarship offer at 15 yrs old from the school your dad won a championship with is mind blowing…keep GOD first and everything else will follow… thank you @syracuseu 🏀I LOVE YOU & I WILL ALWAYS BE YOUR #1 FAN!!”
With the news of his son’s scholarship, Carmelo was welcomed back to Syracuse to celebrate his attendance at the school 20 years ago. He posted the acknowledgment to his Instagram account.
“20 years!! What a journey it’s been. ‘Cuse will always be a part of the story! Felt great to be back at home 🍊”
Council Raises $5.8 Billion on the Way to $1 Trillion in Pledges for Minority Business Enterprises
The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) and the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA) united to elevate racial equity.
The NMSDC told BLACK ENTERPRISE that it raised $5.8 billion in corporate pledges from the likes of Google, JPMorgan Chase, and Disney, among others, as an aspiration to attain $1 trillion in annual revenue for certified MBE (minority business enterprise) members.
Among the country’s largest advocates of Black businesses, the two groups agreed to help MBEs enlarge generational wealth for communities of color across America. For instance, the NMSDC and MBDA plan to work together and leverage one another’s capabilities, programs, and services to create innovative ways to make MBEs more competitive globally and boost their chances of gaining federal contracts.
They plan to examine new strategies to help minority entrepreneurs partake more in various supply chains and benefit from public-private partnerships held by both groups. The MBDA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is the only federal agency solely dedicated to the growth and global competitiveness of U.S. MBEs. Specifics on what each organization is doing can be found here.
The trailblazing alliance was the largest news that surfaced at the NMSDC’s 50th Anniversary Conference and Exchange this year in New Orleans.
The NMSDC also is teaming up with the National Urban League (NUL), and the Public Private Strategies Institute (PPSI) to roll out the first phase of “Build Up Local.” They call it “a one-stop shop for business owners in systematically excluded communities of color to learn about resources and programs” offered via the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
With a theme of “Disrupt Our Own Status Quo,” about 4,000 MBEs, corporate, and other NMSDC partners attended the event to heighten its mission of economic equity for communities of color.
NMSDC’s $1 trillion target is roughly quadruple the $261 billion in annual revenue from over 15,000 MBEs linked to over 1,500 corporations now collecting such revenue. Corporate NMSDC members and others help fuel the revenue by buying goods and services from the MBEs. Some 40% of NMSDC-certified MBEs are Black-owned and operated.
(Image: Ying McGuire Red / Courtesy of Napoleon Complex Project)
NMSDC President and CEO Ying McGuire said she is “pleased and applauds companies that stepped up to commit the $5.8 billion, adding their efforts will perhaps inspire other pledges.”
BLACK ENTERPRISE connected with McGuire to get an update on NMSDC and its efforts.
Why is it imperative that NMSDC reaches this goal?
One reason is the racial wealth gap has increased by about 70% since the pandemic began. We need to end the racial wealth gap. Not only do we need to do this to create a more inclusive and equitable economy, but we also need to ensure the U.S. economy remains strong and resilient as these communities of color become the majority.
How is NMSDC leveraging its corporate member contacts to gain more contracts for MBEs?
We have formed an advisory council of 25 chief procurement officers (CPOs) from our corporate membership to look at common gaps we can fill, allowing us to help provide more goods and services to our MBEs. We also offer virtual matchmaking between our MBES and corporate members to build new relationships between both sides. That will help corporations boost their spend with communities of color and helps MBEs land new business and contracts with those firms.
The in-person connections made between our MBEs and our corporate members during the conference on the Exchange floor were instrumental in changing the paradigm and getting further commitments and actions toward the goal of $1 trillion.
What date or year does NMSDC hope to reach the goal and why?
A specific date has not been set. The $1 trillion is an aspirational goal for NMSDC to rally around. I can give you a scenario to get there, but it’s not a commitment. The scenario means MBEs will need to grow about 15% annually for roughly the next eight years. The $1 trillion is just the first milestone, but it’s not enough as it only represents 4.3% of the GDP. We need to ensure most of America’s Black and Brown people can participate in the economy now and in the future. We have achieved a great deal in the last 50 years, but much more needs to be done. “What took us here will not get us there.”
What new strategic actions is NMSDC implementing now to help reach its goal?
We are doing several things. We have made an explicit challenge to our corporate members to make concrete, multi-year commitments to increasing their diverse spend. We are challenging our larger MBEs to spend more with MBEs, and we are thrilled that some have already stepped up to the challenge. Some of the companies that have made commitments are listed here.
What new efforts did NMSDC plan or initiate at the conference to help with its march to $1 trillion?
This year’s conference was about developing big ideas for how we accomplish this goal. Some of the key takeaways were from increased partnerships at the federal, state, and local government levels to boost business opportunities for our MBEs. Our new steering committee, including co-chairs Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Dave Steward, met for the first time to begin charting the next 50 years of NMSDC’s work to accelerate MBE growth. We also kicked off an annual giving campaign aimed at giving NMSDC the institutional capacity to better support MBE growth and access to increased capital opportunities.
Black-Focused Think Tank Announces Campaign Pushing Congress To Diversify Top Staffing Positions
The Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies (JCPES) has announced a new campaign calling on Congress to prioritize racial diversity in its top staffing positions.
The Hill reports the JCPES, which calls itself “America’s Black Think Tank,” has launched a website called Hill Diversity that will track the diversity trends of the top staff of every member of Congress.
“One key step to advance racial equity in our country is to ensure that members of Congress are advised by top staff who represent the diversity of our nation,” JCPES President Spencer Overton said in a statement. “These critical staff roles influence lawmaking, a multi-trillion dollar budget process, and the Senate confirmation process, and provide oversight of the work done by over 4.2 million federal employees.”
“The perspectives and decisions of top congressional staff shape the lives of everyday Americans—especially those from communities of color.”
In addition to the campaign and website, the JCPES will send a letter that has been signed by more than 70 diverse organizations and stakeholders to members of Congress, all of which support increased diversity in top and mid-level congressional staffing positions.
The campaign and website come on the heels of an October report showing that 18% of all top House staff are people of color. Things are worse in the Senate where 11% of top staff are people of color. The campaign also comes at a time when the Bidenadministration, the most diverse in American history, is in the White House.
While Democratic offices are more diverse than Republican offices, pay disparities between Black and white workers in Democratic offices persist.
LaShonda Brenson, a senior researcher at the JCPES, told The Hill that the lack of diversity in congressional offices is detrimental because “key voices and perspectives are not being heard in rooms where major decisions are made.”
Kanye West: Jay-Z and Beyoncé Are Controlled By Hollywood; Claims Mother Was ‘Sacrificed’
Kanye West is still speaking his mind and calling out the entertainment industry for mind control and Illuminati-esque behavior.
The rap/fashion mogul has eased up on public rants in wake of losing his billion-dollar deal with Adidas. But he unleashed his wrath after a paparazzi approached him last week.
In a clip captured by The Shade Room, West name-dropped a number of Black celebrities he feels are being “controlled” by mainstream media.
“They can’t control me,” west declared.
“They can control Shaq. They can control Charles Barkley. They can control LeBron James. They can control Jay-Z and Beyoncé. But they can’t control me. You see it ain’t no name I won’t name. It’s up.”
He went on to reference his mother’s 2007 passing and credits it to her having been “sacrificed” like Michael Jordan’s late father and the late sons of Bill Cosby and Dr. Dre.
“My mama ain’t here,” west said. “My mama was sacrificed.”
“Michael Jordan, what about him? His daddy, right? Bill Cosby, his son. Dr. Dre, his son. Out in Hollywood, a lot of people come up missing. It feels like it might be a lot of that, in order to control, traumatize.”
The Yeezy founder continued vaguely calling out the industry elites who aim to “monetize” and “traumatize” Black celebrities. He also touched on his lost deals with Adidas, Gap, and Balenciaga which caused his net worth to drop $400 million and take him from billionaire status back to multi-millionaire.
“They want to monetize and traumatize,” west continued.
“And God love me, they hit me, Gap, Adidas, they took all that away. Still, Forbes, who hates me, right, had to write, net worth $400 million. Jesus is king. God loves me.”
West’s latest words come amid his silence following a whirlwind month of lost deals in wake of being labeled anti-Semitic. The debate has spiraled to include NBA star Kyrie Irving, who shared a link to the documentary Hebrew to Negroes, and comedian Dave Chappelle for making light of the anti-Semitism debate during his Saturday Night Live opening monologue over the weekend.
Actress Tamera Mowry Says Twin Sister Tia is ‘Happiest’ She’s Been in Years After Filing Divorce
Tia Mowry is pushing through in wake of her divorce filing from Cory Hardrict. According to her twin sister, Tamera, Tia is the “happiest” she’s been in years.
Tamera sat down with Entertainment Tonight‘s Denny Directo Thursday and opened up about her recent conversations with her sister and shared how she feels Tia is faring post-divorce.
“I told her, I said, ‘Tia, I’m looking on your Instagram, this is the happiest you’ve been in a long time. You are glowing!'” Tamera recalled.
“‘You look different, but In a very positive way!'”
With the two having spent so much of their lives together, Tamera knows firsthand why Tia has been in more positive spirits despite going through a divorce.
“I think it’s because—no, I know it’s because she is living her authentic, true self,” Tamera explained. “And I think that is what everyone should do. And it’s not easy! That’s the thing, it’s scary.”
Tamera, a mother of two who has been married to Adam Housley since 2011, applauded her twin sister for serving as a role model.
“I told her, ‘I’m so proud of you, because you are showing other women—and hell, even men—that you walk in your truth, and look what happens. No matter what,'” Tamera said, adding how her sister is “very, very strong and inspiring.”
Tia announced her divorce in an “honest” October 4 Instagram note. The pair had been married for 14 years.
“I have always been honest with my fans, and today is no different,” she wrote under a photo of the former couple.
“I wanted to share that Cory and I have decided to go our separate ways.”
“These decisions are never easy, and not without sadness. We will maintain a friendship as we co-parent our beautiful children. I am grateful for all the happy times we had together and want to thank my friends, family, and fans for your love and support as we start this new chapter moving forward in our lives.”
Tia and Cory share two children—11-year-old son Cree and 4-year-old daughter Cairo.
Aht Aht! ‘RHOA’ Star Kandi Burruss Calls Out Xscape Member For Outfit at Soul Train Music Awards
Oh, the girls are fighting! Kandi Burruss has been a real housewife for too long not to speak her mind when it comes to her Xscape group members.
The Real Housewives of Atlanta star recently took to the comments to shut down groupmate LaTocha Scott after she claimed to have missed the “memo” on the color theme for their red carpet attire at Sunday’s Soul Train Music Awards.
Scott took to Instagram Tuesday to share a close-up of Xscape’s glam for the pre-taped music event where the group received the Lady of Soul award. “Still on a high from last night,” she captioned her post. “So Grateful to receive the #LadyOfSoul Award. To still be embraced after 29 years is very humbling.”
“Thank you to all of the Xscape Fans who’ve supported us throughout the years, and Thank you to BET for giving us our flowers,” she continued.
“Make sure you tune in to the #SoulTrainAwards on November 26th to see us do our thing.”
She ended her caption by addressing the elephant in the room. Burruss, Tamika Scott, and Tameka “Tiny” Harris were all matching in their different silver sequined gowns while LaTocha Scott stood out like a sore thumb in her green gown.
“**Sorry, I didn’t get the memo, but everyone still looked amazing. 💚,” she wrote.
But instead of ignoring the excuse, Burruss hopped into Scott’s comments to call her out for purposely choosing to go against what the ladies agreed to wear as a group.
“@Iamlatocha the only thing for people to know is that you chose to have a separate stylist from the rest of the group,” Burruss quipped.
“You chose to separate yourself do not blame us for that. Stop continuing to put out false narratives.”
Fans of the group are well aware of the age-old feud within the group that centers around Scott’s desire to pursue a solo career. The group disbanded in 1998 to pursue solo projects and reformed in 2017.
During the breakup, Burruss and Harris secured Grammy wins for penning “No Scrubs” for TLC, among other chart-topping hits for Destiny’s Child and NSYNC.
Last month, Scott denied claims of leaving the group again after promotional posters for an upcoming tour didn’t include her. Insiders say Scott is still a member of Xscape but has chosen to take a step back due to her disagreements with groupmates.
