Lamar Odom has a loyal fan who made sure the NBA alumnus was reunited with the championship rings he pawned back in 2016.

Odom opened up on the newest episode of his On the LO podcast that he pawned his two championship rings six years ago in order to pay for medical bills following his near-fatal drug overdose at a Las Vegas brothel in 2015.

“To make a long story short, there was a time I came up out of the coma, I checked my account and my sh*t was at like double zero and I panicked a little bit….I put (the rings) up for auction,” Odom shared.

“It hurt me even just to say that. So, whatever, I put them up, put the money in my pocket, put it to use. Made some use of it. I think that money’s even kind of helped me get back here but it was embarrassing for me to do that.”

By 2020, the rings were sold at an auction for $36,600 and $78,000, CBS Sports reported. The former NBA power forward had no idea he would eventually be reunited with his rings while at the Los Angeles Lakers home opener against the Clippers on Oct. 20.

“God is good, and I wanted to tell you a little story to tell you about how good he is,” Odom said at the start of his testimony.

While watching his old team play, Odom was approached by a fan who had purchased the rings and offered to give them back to him. Odom said the fan, who is possibly a season pass holder who frequents most Lakers games, said the former Lakers player deserved to have them back.

“I get there and see a guy who used to sit right by us. Let’s call him ‘Franz’ for right now. My man ‘Franz,’ he says, ‘Yo, Lamar, I bought your rings,'” Odom recalled. “I was like, ‘Oh, sh*t,’ because at this point, I’m still embarrassed.”

After telling Odom to go pick up his rings, “Franz” gave them to him without asking for anything in return.

“I think it goes to show you how serious Lakers fans are,” Odom said.

Odom played on five different teams in 14 NBA seasons. He won two championships while playing alongside late Lakers great Kobe Bryant in 2009 and 2010.

by Stacy Jackson

November 5, 2022

Wells Fargo Invests $355K To Support Black Businesses and Entrepreneurs

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Mega companies are providing funding for initiatives that focus on supporting Black businesses and entrepreneurs.

Wells Fargo Bank announced a $355,000 investment in The Inclusivity Project, a program of the Northern California Small Business Development Centers (NorCal SBDC), to support Black businesses.

“The Inclusivity Project is a strategic partnership between NorCal SBDC, the Black and African-American chambers, and Wells Fargo that supports Black business owners in building a bold new, inclusive economy, meaning new businesses, jobs, and creating powerful community impact, together,” the initiative’s website states.

According to Sacramento Business Journal, the funding from Wells Fargo will support Black entrepreneurs and businesses as part of the bank’s commitment to the initiative, providing no-cost advice, mentoring, workshops, and networking.

The investment is part of Wells Fargo’s deliberate plan to expand, as the bank focuses on its goal to expand diversity and inclusion in all aspects of its business

“Wells Fargo is proud to invest in the Inclusivity Project to shift systemic and institutional barriers to Black entrepreneurs and small businesses,” said Kären Woodruff, senior vice president of social impact and sustainability at Wells Fargo Bank, a subsidiary of Wells Fargo & Co. (NYSE: WFC).

In addition, the new funding will “help Black chambers work more collaboratively with their members to start and grow businesses,” said Scott Rogalski, associate director of strategic initiatives with NorCal SBDC, which covers 36 counties in Northern California.

Rogalski shared that the commitment from Wells Fargo will help the initiative carry on with those services, providing business plans, credit repair, financial education, loan matching, and other resources. He clarified that the program is not an attempt to steer clients to Wells Fargo, but toward micro-lending programs or Small Business Administration financing.

The Inclusivity Project, which has serviced over 2,000 business owners and entrepreneurs, was launched in early 2021 after Black and African American businesses were hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 5, 2022

My Black Is Beautiful and Gold Series Team Up With Marvel’s ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ to Celebrate Black Joy and Beauty

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Procter & Gamble (PG) haircare brands My Black is Beautiful (MBIB) and Gold Series have announced a collaboration with Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” in theaters Nov. 11, to celebrate Black hair joy and spread positive images of Black people across social media platforms.

The collaboration will also bring specialty product packs to major U.S. retailers ahead of the launch, which will showcase My Black is Beautiful’s Golden Milk Collection and the Gold Series Core Collection, at Target, Walmart and Kroger, according to a press release.

The Black Panther franchise has been heralded for serving as a catalyst for advancing Black culture and technological innovation into the global mainstream consciousness through entertainment. P&G multicultural haircare brands My Black is Beautiful and Gold Series have done the same through beauty for decades, with their collection of products that address needs from styling, scalp care and moisture for natural hair — all formulated by Black scientists, Ph.Ds., and dermatologists. Through this magnetic “fusion” of entertainment, beauty, and science, this collaboration will amplify important dialogues about Black empowerment, representation, hair, and beauty.

In addition to the collaboration MBIB and Gold Series have teamed up with the film’s hair department head Camille Friend. Her work has been featured in several Marvel Studios’ films, including Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2,” Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther,” and Marvel Studios’ “Captain Marvel.” Friend will work with the brands on media engagement leading up to the film’s release, discussing the power of hair, how it shapes identity, as well as hair styling and care tips.

“We are delighted MBIB and Gold Series have joined forces with ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ in this moment of cultural significance,” says Lela Coffey, Procter & Gamble VP, North America hair care and multicultural brands.

“With the release of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Black men, women and children across the world will see themselves depicted on the big screen with empowering stories of triumph and celebrating Black joy,” she adds.

“The Black Panther franchise has illustrated the power of seeing yourself represented on the big screen. In collaboration with My Black is Beautiful and Gold Series, we’re proud to celebrate the heroes of Wakanda Forever and the spotlight these brands shine on the power of Black hair joy,” says Mindy Hamilton, Senior Vice President of Global Partnership Marketing at The Walt Disney Company.

For more information about My Black is Beautiful and Gold Series, visit: www.mbib.com and http://www.pantene.com/en-us/gold-series-collection.

• Celebrity News

by Stacy Jackson

November 5, 2022

Rappers Vic Mensa, Hundred Round Kado Team Up To Send Books to Illinois Jails To Liberate Incarcerated

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Great things come out of the Chi-town hustle.

Grammy-nominated rapper and Chicago native Vic Mensa has reportedly joined forces with his friend and fellow rapper Hundred Round Kado to launch Books Before Bars, a program to send books to incarcerated people in Illinois jails to liberate them.

As reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, Mensa jumped into the cannabis business earlier this year when he launched his company 93 Boyz, the first Black-owned cannabis company in Illinois.

Books Before Bars is reportedly the first program under Mensa’s 93 Boyz. According to the company’s Instagram, books sent to the incarcerated are selected from a reading list curated by 93 Boyz.

 

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A post shared by 93Boyz (@93boyz)

“The goal of Books Before Bars is to bring liberation and freedom to people who are incarcerated through literature because I believe strongly that when you change your inner reality, you begin to influence your external reality,” Mensa shared in a recent interview.

Books Before Bars was inspired by the years Mensa spent sending his friends literature while they were incarcerated. Hundred Round Kado was included in that list of friends, and Mensa reportedly sent over 40 books to the rapper for nine months.

 

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A post shared by @vicmensa

“As I was in the free world, just trying to find some mental freedom and I’m reading these books, Kado was in the opposite,” Mensa said.

“He’s locked down but we’re both coming to some realizations at the same time through the same set of books. I just thought it was really profound to see how at the same time I was making this radical shift in my energy out here.”

Hundred Round Kado discussed his transformation in the interview, sharing that reading led him to become a businessman. The rapper shared that he found new business ventures beyond music, including owning a barbershop, hair salon, clothing store, studio, and art gallery.

“I attached myself to businesses that have more human interaction where I’m actually helping…My partner is really the reason I got into the business aspect of life and being a Black man,” Hundred Round Kado said.

“And just trying to make sure I have something to keep me going. Seeing Vic with SaveMoneySaveLife made me want to go and start my own nonprofit. I’ve been mentoring kids and whatever I learn I just pass it over right then and there.”

If you have loved ones incarcerated, Vic Mensa encourages you to send information to booksbeforebars@93boyz.com.

• Education

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 5, 2022

Howard University Announces Record $122M in Annual Research Funding; Creating New Opportunities for Students, Faculty

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In 2018, Howard University announced a goal of raising $100 million in grants and contracts for research by 2024.

Recently, Howard surpassed that goal two years early by raising $122 million in Fiscal Year 2022, a record sum for any Historically Black College or University (HBCU), according to a press release.

“Research and academic excellence has always been part of Howard’s identity. We have supported hundreds of leading researchers across disciplines, furthering our collective understanding of the world around us and producing research that has changed the world,” said President Wayne A. I. Frederick, M.D., MBA.

“With our new approach to research funding, we are creating more opportunities for leading Black scholars today, while training the next generation of leaders.”

In 2018, President Frederick relaunched Howard’s Office of Research and recruited Dr. Bruce Jones, Ph.D. to lead the effort. Under Dr. Jones’ leadership, Howard has led a research revolution on campus. From 2017 to 2021, Howard increased output of research proposals by more than 37 percent and funding increased 175 percent from 2008 to 2022. Unlike donations or gifts, research grants and contracts are based on professors and students submitting proposals and being awarded project-specific funding.

“The breadth and scope of the research coming out of Howard University is nothing short of astounding,” said Howard Vice President for Research Dr. Bruce Jones, Ph.D.

“With this added funding, the research capacity of the university will be accelerated, allowing us to continue to conduct cutting-edge research on a larger scale commensurate with Howard University’s institutional mission: to forward the development of scholars and professionals who drive change.”

Historically, Black academics and institutions have not received funding commensurate with the needs of Black communities. HBCUs, like Howard, have always had to do more, with less. A 2019 report found that HBCUs are awarded less research funding than non-HBCUs with similar research programs.

When fewer resources are dedicated to Black scholars and their research, the health, social and economic effects of these systemic funding gaps ripple across Black communities that would be most impacted by their research, and students have fewer opportunities to get experience needed to jump-start their careers.

With this influx of funding, Howard University is on track to becoming an R1 Research University in the coming years, a recognition awarded to the top 3.5 percent of research universities. No other HBCUs currently have R1 status. Obtaining R1 status would further increase cutting-edge research and opportunities at the University.

To increase funding through grants and contracts, Howard has:

• Improved collaboration and partnerships with the corporate and philanthropic communities;
• Expanded joint programs with peer institutions of higher education and other HBCUs;
• Increased the scope of participation from colleges and schools on campus in the grant and contract enterprise, and the number of interdisciplinary research proposal submissions;
• Installed a grant and contract data-monitoring and tracking system;
• Substantially increased research training opportunities for faculty and students;
• Embarked on significant renovation of research facilities;
• Systematically worked to advance a campus-wide research-focused culture to benefit all faculty and all students and more.

With these strides, Howard University is on pace to raise over $100 million year-over-year, providing more support for facilities, faculty and postdoctoral capacity, scholarships, fellowships and other investments that will foster the next generation of Howard-led innovation and enhance the Howard experience for students. Recent research accomplishments include:

• Last month, the University announced new plans to further its genomics and genetics work through a recent grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
• Through a $250,000 grant awarded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, researchers will study how digital manipulation and disinformation on social media affects Black and marginalized communities, specifically those surrounding Washington, D.C.
• The Department of Defense awarded the College of Engineering and Architecture a five-year,  $7.5 million award to create a Center of Excellence in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, known as CoE-AIML. Howard will explore the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in vital civilian applications and multidomain operations.
• A team led by Professor Nikki Taylor was awarded a $5,000,000 multi-year grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for its Just Futures Initiative, which is dedicated to combating injustice, racism, inequality and more.
• Professor and Economics Department Chair Omari Swinton was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to enhance the teaching and educational training of Black and other minority students pursuing degrees in economics. Dr. Swinton is also the recipient of a $2.7 million National Science Foundation Award to host the American economic association summer training program.

For more information on the Howard Forward strategic plan and its measured outcomes, please visit https://strategicplan.howard.edu/.

• Fashion & Beauty

by Stacy Jackson

November 5, 2022

Black-Owned Athleisure Brand To Sell Official ‘Wakanda Forever’ Merchandise With Marvel Studios

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This clothing will make you feel as if you lived in Wakanda.

Athleisure and sports apparel brand Actively Black announced a new collaboration with Marvel Studios on a Wakanda Forever-themed unisex capsule collection.

According to Hypebeast, Lanny Smith, founder of Actively Black, advocates for social justice, health, and wellness in the Black community, as he centers the brand around Black style and culture. In partnership with Marvel, Smith will co-produce and sell the official merchandise for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. 

“The Black Panther franchise has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon and has served as a constant source of inspiration in developing Actively Black,” said Smith.

“We strive to recreate that same feeling of empowerment Black people felt after watching Black Panther for the first time—so the opportunity to work alongside Marvel to create this collection has been a dream come true,” he continued.

 

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A post shared by Actively BLACK (@activelyblack)

Hypebeast reported that the collection would feature stylish men’s and women’s performance wear, including joggers, hoodies, tights, and shirts. It will reflect the grey, purple, and black color scheme in the costumes for the film.

“We’re excited to bring the Black Panther: Wakanda Forever Capsule Collection to life with Actively Black,” said Paul Gitter, senior vice president, Marvel Licensing.

“Lanny Smith is a true trailblazer and the impact that he’s made through the creation of Actively Black, and its philanthropic work in the Black community, is hugely admirable. Through Lanny’s innovative vision, this unique lifestyle collection is a reflection of the creativity and authenticity of this partnership,” Gitter added.

According to the Actively Black website, the Capsule Collection will be available for purchase on Nov. 3 on its website, followed by A Wakanda Athletics “Classic” Collection of collegiate wear, set to drop on Nov. 12. An additional “Performance” collection inspired by the modern, high-tech style of Wakanda using the most advanced performance fabrics will be available on Nov. 25 (Black Friday).

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 4, 2022

9-Year-Old Las Vegas Girl Hailed A Hero For Escaping Kidnapper With Baby Brother

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A 9-year-old girl in Las Vegas is being hailed a hero after she carried her baby brother to safety after the siblings were kidnapped outside a 7-Eleven.

On Tuesday, Karen Quinn recounted her horrifying experience after having her two young children kidnapped by a man who was later arrested outside a 7-Eleven in North Las Vegas, Fox 5 Vegas reports. The culprit stole Quinn’s car with her two children inside.

“I chased after the car until I couldn’t anymore,” she said.

Quinn had parked outside the 7-Eleven around 8:30 Monday night to use the ATM. She parked her car right outside the front door and left her two kids in her car with the engine running and doors locked.

Mario Estrada, 38, was identified as the suspect who is now facing charges of kidnapping, child abuse, and grand larceny. Police said Estrada released the children “somewhere on Decatur,” and continued in a police car chase that ended with a crash near the intersection of I-15 and Charleston Boulevard.

Quinn recalls making eye contact with Estrada, who she described as “bad in spirit” as he was sitting at a slot machine near the front door. She watched as he got up and walked over to her car to look inside.

When she started walking back to the car to confront him, a 7-Eleven clerk heard the mother “screaming for her babies,” the store employee said.

“He opened the [car] door and I tried to grab him, and I grabbed his sweater in the door, and he reversed, and kind of rolled over the top of my foot,” Quinn said.

“And I was like, ‘Please, my kids are in the car! Please! My kids are in the car!’ He looked back at my daughter. She was like, ‘Mom! Mom!’”

She continued, “And I was like, please just let them out, you can have the car. Just let them out, let them out!”

The mother recalls chasing after the car on foot.

“He went out the store parking lot, he drove west of Cheyenne until he got to Rancho and he made a right,” Quinn said. “And I’m running, ‘cause I didn’t call the police at first cause I’m chasing. I’m just like– I’m going to get this car, I’m going, running, I’m going to get my kids,” said Quinn. She ran for miles down the dark surrounding streets.

Quinn’s brave 9-year-old daughter managed to find her way back to the convenience store with her baby brother in her arms.

“My daughter ran five blocks from the store with my 11-month baby, with no shoes on,” Quinn said.

Police eventually came to let Quinn know that they located her children.

“And he said, ‘We have your kids.’ And when he said that, I just fell to the ground. I was like, ‘Thank you God, thank you God, thank you.’”

Quinn is home safe with her children, but they are all still recovering from the traumatic experience.

Diddy is getting in his bag and staying in his bag and a major move just placed him at the top of the cannabis game.

Cresco Labs, a cannabis wholesaler, and Columbia Care announced that they have agreed to sell their New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts assets to Sean “Diddy” Combs. Once completed, the deal will be worth $185,000,000.

“My mission has always been to create opportunities for Black entrepreneurs in industries where we’ve traditionally been denied access, and this acquisition provides the immediate scale and impact needed to create a more equitable future in cannabis,” said Combs, Chairman and CEO Combs Enterprises in a written statement.

“Owning the entire process — from growing and manufacturing to marketing, retail, and wholesale distribution — is a historic win for the culture that will allow us to empower diverse leaders throughout the ecosystem and be bold advocates for inclusion.”

When this transaction is finalized it will make Combs the owner of the country’s first Black-owned and operated, vertically integrated multi-state cannabis operator. This is his first investment in the industry. Combs wants to open the doors for Black entrepreneurs and other minority groups who are underrepresented and underserved.

This deal will add the cannabis industry to the successful Combs Enterprises umbrella which includes Sean John, Capital Prep, AQUAhydrate, Combs Wines and Spirits (Ciroc, DeLeon Tequilla), Empower, and Revolt.

“Today’s announcement is bigger than the Transaction – and it couldn’t come at a time of greater significance and momentum. We’ve seen executive power exercised to address matters of cannabis injustice, we’re seeing bi-partisan support for elements of federal reform, and we’re seeing some of the largest and most influential states in the country launch cannabis programs prioritizing social responsibility – this announcement adds to that momentum,” said Charles Bachtell, Cresco Labs’ CEO.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Sean and his team to the industry.” 

With locations based in New York, Illinois, and Massachusetts, the assets Combs will acquire will give the Revolt honcho the ability to grow and manufacture cannabis products. He will then be able to distribute those products in New York City, Boston, and Chicago as well as operate retail stores in all three states. 

• Legal

by Stacy Jackson

November 4, 2022

Ben Crump Launches $100M Lawsuit For Family of Black Man Who Died in Police Custody

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Family members of a Black man killed by police last year are seeking justice, reportedly filing a $100 million wrongful death lawsuit.

On Dec. 10, 2021, Terrence Caffey was involved in an altercation with employees at the Movie Tavern in Little Rock, Arkansas, while on a date. After Caffey expressed concerns about his food order, police were called to the scene to escort him out of the theater, including Capt. Mark Swagerty, an off-duty deputy working security at the theater.

TBH 11 reported that attorney Ben Crump picked up the case after the Pulaski County prosecutor ruled the involved officers would not face criminal charges.

According to body camera footage obtained by Crump’s team, new angles of officers were shown carrying Caffey out of the theater before putting their hands on his neck and kneeling on his back. Crump and the family claim that the video evidence shows the officers used excessive force and disregarded Caffey, informing them he could not breathe.

“When you hear a man who is unarmed, handcuffed, in a prone position, saying ‘I can’t breathe’, what do you do? You put your knee in his back even further? Why didn’t it go to a grand jury?” Crump said during a news conference at Allison Memorial Presbyterian Church.

According to Arkansas Online, lawyers for the family asked the U.S. Department of Justice to review the actions of the police.

In a letter to Pulaski County Sheriff Eric Higgins on Sept. 16, prosecuting attorney Larry Jegley mentioned that Caffey’s died of “sickle cell trait-related sickling crisis during exertion, struggle and restraint,” according to a medical examiner’s opinion. The death was reportedly ruled a homicide; however, the coroner noted that it did not imply criminal wrongdoing.

“We came here for y’all to see that this was just flat-out murder,” said Nigel Caffey, Terence Caffey’s uncle. “No other way to put it.”

According to the outlet, police accused Caffey of acting erratically and fighting with the cinema’s employees.

The family alleged that the involved officers were driven by racial prejudice in their treatment of Caffey.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 4, 2022

‘I Was Devastated,’ Black Pregnant Woman Recalls Being Accused of Fraud By White Nurse In Philly Clinic

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The Black woman who went viral filming the discrimination she faced from a white nurse is opening up about the traumatic experience.

The woman, identified as Jillian, recalled going to the Philly Pregnancy Center in Norristown, Pennsylvania, while she was seven months pregnant and experiencing pain and other complications, Today Parents reports. Jillian was seeking a doctor’s note that would allow her to begin her maternity leave from her job as a home health aide.

But she captured when a white nurse questioned and harassed the pregnant mother about requesting the note.

“What were you thinking about when you got pregnant? That you were not going to work?” the nurse asked Jillian in the clinic’s lobby while waiting to receive her doctor’s note.

“Because I had three kids. I worked up until the second they were born.”

“I was thinking about having a kid,” Jillian, 25, also a mom to a 3-year-old daughter, told the nurse.

@auntkaren0 #duet with @goddess_jay_ #philly #tdwhbwwh #pregnancy ♬ original sound – Jillian

The heated discussion escalated after the nurse accused Jillian of fraud.

“It’s not fraud — if it was fraud, the doctor wouldn’t be getting me my note right now,” Jillian responds. “How do you know how I feel? How do you know how my body feels inside?”

The encounter sparked outrage across social media from many who said the incident highlights the implicit bias many Black women face in medical settings.

“This is how Black women experience maternal mortality at such high rates,” one person wrote on Twitter. “And, why is this nurse second guessing the doctor? Furthermore, what business is it of this nurse IF the patient doesn’t want to work during her pregnancy?”

This is how Black women experience maternal mortality at such high rates. And, why is this nurse second guessing the doctor? Furthermore, what business is it of this nurse IF the patient doesn't want to work during her pregnancy? pic.twitter.com/oQSAlwAUiK

— Queen Thicktoria, Esq.'s Superseding InDICKment (@VeeCeeMurphy76) October 7, 2022

Speaking on the incident, Jillian says it wasn’t the first time she experienced discriminatory behavior from the nurse identified as nurse practitioner Theresa Smigo.

“Our first interaction was a little bit shaky,” Jillian recalled. “I gave her the benefit of the doubt.”

“I just kind of overlooked certain things, like the way she was like speaking to me.”

Over time, Jillian, who is Muslim, said she started to feel like Smigo’s behavior was related to Jillian’s race and religious background.

“I felt like it was all racial because of my ethnic background and also maybe because of my religious background — all of it,” Jillian explained.

“I just felt like it was definitely discrimination.”

The Norristown Police Department confirmed a staff member of the clinic called the police department on Oct. 6 as the incident escalated. In the end, the police advised Jillian and Smigo to avoid future contact.

“I was devastated. I was really upset,” Jillian recalled about her interaction with the police.

“My heart was pounding like the baby’s kicking. I was so upset. And I just kept on asking them, ‘Why are you guys here? Why did you guys feel the need to come here?’… Because, like, you could look at me and see I’m not — I don’t want to hurt nobody.”

The Philly Pregnancy Center says an investigation is underway, and Smigo is not an employee of the center but an independent, per diem contractor.