Lauryn Hill is gearing up for the 25th anniversary of her iconic album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, and might be going on tour to celebrate.

The Grammy award-winning singer took to the stage over the weekend to perform at ONE Musicfest in Atlanta and seemingly teased at a 2023 tour. Photographer Julia Beverly shared clips from the show on Instagram as well as Lauryn’s confirmation of an upcoming tour.

“Atlanta, we love you so much. 25 years ago, so we gonna be back with those songs the way you can recognize them, ayyy?” Hill told the crowd.

 

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In Beverly’s caption, she shed more light on Hill’s tour announcement.

“She announced (last slide) that she will be performing ‘those songs the way you can recognize them’ next year in honor of the 25th anniversary,” Beverly shared before offering a suggestion to whoever will be in charge of the tour’s lighting.

“(As a photographer I just ask that they please put a spotlight on her on stage, lmao [laughing my a** off], backlighting killing me),” she jokingly noted.

Hill released her solo debut back in August 1998 to critical acclaim. Featuring contributions from Mary J. Blige, D’Angelo, and Carlos Santana, the album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart after selling more than 422,000 sales in its first week, Complex reported.

The album helped her sweep the 1999 Grammy awards, where she took home five statues, including Album of the Year, Best R&B Album, and Best Female R&B Vocal Performance for “Doo Wop (That Thing).”

In February 2021, The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) confirmed Hill’s debut album went diamond and has sold more than 10,000,000 units. The feat put Hill alongside the likes of Michael Jackson’s Thriller, Adele’s 21, Britney Spears’ …Baby One More Time, Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP, and 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me as diamond-certified artists.

• News

by Selena Hill

October 12, 2022

3,500 Attend CultureCon New York, A Homecoming for Creatives of Color

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Thousands descended upon the Duggal Greenhouse in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday for CultureCon 2022, a star-studded conference designed to help creatives of color advance their careers and finances. Tracee Ellis Ross, Taraji P. Henson, and Meagan Good headlined this year’s summit, sharing insights on their career journeys during main-stage panel discussions. Other speakers included Tabitha Brown, Angie Martinez, Lena Waithe, Kenya Barris, Sam Jay, and Elaine Welteroth.

“To me, it’s about celebrating us, it’s about celebrating the culture, it’s about being present,” said Good on the red carpet when asked why attending CultureCon was important to her. “It’s about showing who we are and being our unique selves in a way that no one can be,” she continued. “I’m just excited to be here.”

Leading up to the daylong summit, The CCNYC presented CultureCon Week from Oct. 2–7, which included 12 bespoke events featuring special appearances from Dwyane Wade, Jidenna, and Marcus Samuelsson.

NBCUniversal communications executive Imani Ellis founded CultureCon and The CCNYC to provide multicultural creatives with brave spaces to build community and their craft. The idea was birthed in 2016 while she held a series of meet-ups with 10 friends in her then-one-bedroom apartment in Harlem. The first CultureCon was held in 2017 in New York City’s Meatpacking District and featured a keynote fireside chat with Spike Lee. Since then, The CCNYC says CultureCon has ballooned into “the fastest growing conference” for Black and brown creators.

Rick Ross is threatening legal action against a Black woman-owned conference he believes is confusing consumers by using too much of his likeness.

Ross’ legal team recently sent a warning to Tiffany McIntosh of “I’m the Biggest Boss Conference” over claims she copied the rapper’s signature phrases to promote her conference for kid entrepreneurs, TMZ reports. Ross even notes how McIntosh used his hit songs “The Boss” and “Push It” to promote her upcoming conference in Houston.

The Maybach Music frontman notes his own “Boss Up Conference” he hosted at his mansion last month, where young entrepreneurs paid upwards of $25,000 to receive business gems from the rap mogul and his peers.

 

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McIntosh’s event is being held in Houston on Oct. 13–16 and includes big names like Master P, Romeo Miller, Vivica Fox, and motivational speaker Eric Thomas. Ticket prices to the event go as low as $110 for virtual access to $5,300 for a VIP table.

Ross reportedly wanted to handle things with McIntosh amicably and avoid further litigation if she agreed to remove “Boss” from her event name and stop using his songs to promote the event. Ross’s legal team gave McIntosh until Oct. 5 to set things straight.

But instead of complying with Ross’ demands, McIntosh took to Facebook to post a 55-minute video blasting the rapper for allegedly agreeing to appear at the event before backing out days before and threatening legal action.

“Now I thought Rozay was a boss. I thought he was a boss?” McIntosh said.

“After these people gave me the runaround for months, we couldn’t even promote for months,” she continued. “They finally call me, ‘he’s not even going to do it.’ “

McIntosh provided receipts that allegedly show the communication she had with Ross and his team leading up to her conference. She’s now accusing the rapper of costing her “hundreds of thousands in sponsorships.”

“How you gon’ be a fraud and try to come for somebody that’s doing something for the community?” McIntosh quipped.

“What? I could have drug you for making me lose my sponsorship money. But I ain’t even cut like that.”

McIntosh is still going forward with her conference as planned and expects a sold-out event due to the heightened publicity. She also blasted Ross for calling her a copycat when his stage name is someone else’s real name.

“And the real Rick Ross. I can’t understand how somebody took a whole other man’s name,” McIntosh jokingly said. “And then try to come for you for a common word. His name is William … Roberts.”

For years, many ballet companies have had minimum spots for Black dancers to rank as principal dancers. In some cases, Black dancers are still overlooked for the prestigious promotion in such organizations. However, seeing Black dancers continuously make history and perform in major ballet companies as principal dancers is motivation and empowerment for the upcoming generation of Black dancers.

Jonathan Batista became the first Black principal dancer In The Pacific Northwest Ballet during the company’s 50-year celebration. The dancer, from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, joined the organization last year as a soloist after dancing with Oklahoma City Ballet for four years.

 

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According to The Seattle Medium, Batista graduated from English National Ballet School and has studied in some of the most prestigious intensives. The dancer often found himself as the only Black dancer on stage as he traveled the world to perform with legendary companies like Miami City Ballet and Boston Ballet.

“This is a moment for us,” Batista said about becoming the first Black principal dancer in the history of the Pacific Northwest Ballet. “Being the first Black dancer in 50 years of Pacific Northwest Ballet, this is a moment for young Black boys, young Black girls, that want to dance, that want to see themselves on that stage,” Batista added.

KOUW reports that out of the 46 dancers at The Pacific Northwest Ballet, Batista is one of the nine who identify as Black. The newly promoted dancer recalled what it felt like to officially be a part of the highest-ranked dancers in the ballet company.

“It is such an honor to be in this position,” he said. “It also is a moment where I think, ‘Wow, it took 50 years for [a] Black man, for [a] Black person, to become a principal dancer.’”

The disciplined dancer has moved up in his dance career and is noted alongside other Black soloists in the Pacific Northwest Ballet, including the late Kabby Mitchell, who was the first Black man to join the company in 1979, and Laura Brown, the first Black woman to join the company back in 1980.

• Legal

by Stacy Jackson

October 12, 2022

Shaw University Students Searched by Drug-Sniffing Dogs on Way To Conference, President Speaks Out

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Officers may have overused their authority once again.

Shaw University’s President, Paulette Dillard, is speaking out after students at the Historically Black College and University (HBCU), were stopped in South Carolina and searched by police with dogs while traveling to a conference last Wednesday.

According to The News Observer, 18 students and two advisers from the university in Raleigh were headed to Atlanta by charter bus to attend the Center for Financial Advancement Conference. A statement released by Dillard explains that the bus was initially stopped due to a minor traffic violation while driving through Spartanburg County, South Carolina.

Reportedly, the bus driver was cited for improper lane use. However, officers boarded the bus with drug-sniffing dogs, and searched the students and advisers.

“Armed police, interrogating innocent Black students, conducting searches without probable cause and blood-thirsty dogs. It’s hard to imagine,” Dillard said.

“Yet, it happened to the Shaw University community, and it is happening throughout this nation in alarming fashion. It must be stopped.”

She believes the stop-and-search operation was “unjust” and racially motivated.

“The action taken by South Carolina Law Enforcement in Spartanburg County was unfair and unjust. I firmly believe had the bus been occupied by white students, they would not have been detained,” she said.

Dillard made it clear in her statement that “nothing illegal” was found in the search by the South Carolina officials.

WRAL reports that Raleigh-Apex NAACP President, Gerald Givens, condemned the actions of the authorities involved saying, “Just a horrible experience all the way around. The best way to prevent this from happening again is to change the standard of law enforcement officers and the culture that they have within their organization.”

“In a word, I am outraged. This behavior of targeting Black students is unacceptable and will not be ignored nor tolerated,” Dillard said.

According to sources, Dillard is exploring legal action against South Carolina law enforcement, and students involved in the encounter are expected to speak sometime this week.

• News

by Stacy Jackson

October 12, 2022

Hometown Hero: Georgia Mayor Saves Mom and 3 Children From Being Hit by Oncoming Train

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Just like that, with a train fast approaching, a family was saved from what could’ve been a tragic ending.

Georgia Mayor, Eddie Daniels, presently serving his second term, was called a hero this past weekend after coming to the rescue of a mother and her three children moments before their car was smashed by a train.

Daniels noticed a black SUV stuck on the tracks as he was en route to work early Saturday morning. According to WALB, the Vienna mayor observed what was reportedly a fast-approaching train heading in the direction of the SUV.

“I couldn’t let those babies sit there and get slaughtered by a train,” Mayor Daniels said.

The outlet reports that Daniels immediately took action, breaking the mom out of the car first. Daniels saw three children, ages one, three, and six years old, in the backseat of the SUV and proceeded to rescue the younger two before trying to pull the oldest child out of the car. As he worked to get the child out, the train was ready for impact.

“I got the two small ones out. At that time, I [saw] the train and the six-year-old, I was pulling her out and that’s when the train hit,” he said.

The Vienna mayor was able to recall the moment he was caught between the truck and the train, grateful he was still able to rescue all of the children. Daniels showed reporters the skid marks from where the truck landed after the train smashed into it.

“I’m out here just doing God’s work, that’s what we’re supposed to do,” he said.

“And they told me I was a hero I said I don’t feel like a hero, just feel like I’m doing what I’m supposed to do, what the people elected me to do.”

Daniels reportedly left the scene with a broken ankle and injuries to the head that required eight stitches.

“Terrible scene but we was able to save some lives,” Daniels said.

According to 11Alive, the Vienna mayor said he would’ve never expected anything like the incident to happen in the South Central Georgia city of 4,000 residents.

• Sisters Inc

by Atiya Jordan

October 12, 2022

Here’s Why Black-Owned FoodChasers’ Kitchen Is Lizzo and Pepsi Approved

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For Lizzo, a show in Philly was no excuse to ignore her vegan diet. Luckily, the twin masterminds behind FoodChasers’ Kitchen were up for the challenge and understood the assignment.

The Grammy award-winning singer-rapper geared up for a show at the Wells Fargo Center when she and her family were introduced to owners and identical twin sisters, Kala and Maya Johnstone, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer.

 

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Once music producer Andrew “Pop” Wansel made a call on Lizzo’s behalf, the momentous occasion began with a dining room filled with Lizzo and her family playing Uno and indulging in a full plant-based menu specially catered to the artist’s needs.

Lizzo, who has maintained a vegan diet since 2020, was ecstatic. Chef Naren Gosine spent her day off curating options that would not be typically found on the FoodChasers’ menu of meat, egg, and cheese-loving breakfast and lunch options.

The Johnstones, who are also retired Philadelphia school principals and authors, have since decided to offer some of Lizzo’s curated plates on October 13 and 14, the Inquirer reported. These include fried mushroom tacos with avocado and a fruit Pico de Gallo, cheesy grits topped with seasoned mushrooms, meatball grinder with Portobello meatballs and an herb tomato sauce smothered with vegan cheese, mushroom ravioli with roasted grape tomatoes in a vegan butter herb sauce, and a cheesesteak made of herb mushrooms with vegan cheese and mayo.

Located in Elkins Parks, Pennsylvania, FoodChasers’ Kitchen had been a longtime dream for the Johnstone sisters. The journey began with an Instagram account where the twins posted food inspiration from their travels all around the world. After sharing photos of their own homemade dishes, people started requesting their catering services. FoodChasers’ Kitchen was born less than a year ago.

 

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Since then, FoodChasers’ Kitchen has been booked and busy. The business duo were invited to Las Vegas weeks ago as part of Pepsi Dig In, an initiative designed to drive access, business acceleration, and awareness for Black-owned restaurants. The opportunity came with Pepsi’s first ever Restaurant Royalty Residency program, and FoodChasers’ Kitchen will have a four-week residency at several restaurants at the Luxor and Mandalay Bay Casinos.

• Politics

by Derek Major

October 12, 2022

A Race for Georgia: Sen. Raphael Warnock Takes Lead in the Polls Over Herschel Walker

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Sen. Raphael Warnock has taken a slight lead over Herschel Walker in the Georgia Senate race, according to an Emerson College-The Hill survey released Tuesday.

According to The Hill, Warnock is polling at 48% to Walker’s 46%, which is a four-point improvement from a poll in August when Warnock trailed Walker 44% to 46%. Some believe the rise for Warnock can be attributed to reports and allegations that Walker allegedly paid for a former girlfriend’s abortion in 2009.

Walker, who stated he doesn’t believe in abortion under any circumstances, denied the claims during a contentious press conference last week, and threatened to sue The Daily Beast, which broke the story, for defamation.

While the former University of Georgia running back’s support in the polls has dropped, the story led to a record $500,000 in donations to his campaign, although he still trails Warnock in funding.

Warnock, who is a pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the same Georgia church Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. served at, has received a boost in support from women. 52% of women who responded to the poll are supporting Warnock, compared to 42% who support Walker.

Spencer Kimball, the executive director of Emerson College polling, said the gender gap in the race has shifted, showing the abortion issue is a big one in Georgia.

“The gender gap in the Senate race has shifted in the Democrats’ favor since August,” Kimball said.

“Republican Walker’s eight-point advantage with men has closed to six, and Warnock’s lead with women has grown from five points to nine.”

Despite the tight polling for the two Black men, neither candidate has majority support in the race. Under the state’s election rules, if neither candidate receives more than 50% of the vote, the men will face each other again in a December runoff. Warnock previously experienced the runoff process when he defeated former Sen. Kelly Loeffler in 2020.

The two men will debate each other on Friday, October 14, which Walker has all but conceded, saying in September, “He’s going to show up and embarrass me.”

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 12, 2022

RHOA Alum Cynthia Bailey and Fox Sports Studio Host Mike Hill Reportedly Heading Toward Divorce

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The road to divorce has been getting a lot of traffic lately.

Former reality TV personality, Real Housewives of Atlanta’s Cynthia Bailey and Fox Sports studio host Mike Hill are steering themselves toward divorce court according to a report by The Jasmine Brand.

EXCLUSIVE: Cynthia Bailey & Mike Hill Are Separated And Have Filed For Divorce, Says Source https://t.co/vp42NnVDyv pic.twitter.com/ec0vSCkg7D

— theJasmineBRAND (@thejasminebrand) October 11, 2022

Sources have stated that they are already separated and divorce papers have already been filed.

“They really do love each other and it wasn’t anything scandalous or anyone at fault…it just didn’t work out”.

According to reports, fans have noticed that although both have posted recently on their social media accounts, neither has the other in photos nor are there any photos of them together. Another clue eluded to the couple not posting any anniversary messages or acknowledging so on social media.

The removal of Hill from Cynthia’s last name was another noticeable sign that the two were no longer a unit. As well as Hill being seen in a video without his wedding ring.

The two were only married in 2020 after meeting each other on an episode of The Steve Harvey Show in 2018. About a year later in July 2019, they reportedly were engaged. For season 12 of the Real Housewives of Atlanta, Hill proposed to Bailey the opening of her wine cellar.

The two were married in Georgia on October 10, 2020, in a wedding that welcomed 250 guests. Both were previously married as this was Hill’s third time walking down the aisle and Bailey had been married to Peter Thomas between 2010 and 2017.

Neither personality has made any public comments regarding the report of their separation.

• Women

by Atiya Jordan

October 12, 2022

One of 50 in the US: Orthopedic Surgeon Operating to Bring More Black Women to Field

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Orthopedic surgeon, Shasta E. Henderson, is not only treating muscles and bones, but she’s flexing them.

With her group, Black Women Orthopedic Surgeons, Henderson has sought out even more people like her for support.

The South Carolina-based surgeon is one of only 50 Black women orthopedic surgeons in the country and among even fewer Black women who specialize in orthopedic trauma, the Post and Courier reported. She currently serves patients at Trident Orthopedic Specialists in a city where she represents only 6% of Black physicians.

The Los Angeles native discovered her passion for medicine quite early on. Her interest was ignited at the age of five when she joined her gastroenterologist father, Dr. Donald Henderson, on hospital rounds. However, she intended to pursue neurosurgery until she was introduced to orthopedics through her experience as a Division 1 athlete at Barnard College of Columbia University.

 

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Her admiration for science and engineering tied everything together for her.

“It’s a mechanical thing,” Henderson said, per the news outlet.

“I enjoy putting things back together. What I do in orthopedic trauma is just that. It is carpentry, if you will, in the operating room, using plates and screws.”

Since graduating college, Henderson has often had to pursue her passion alone, especially as a Black woman in a white-male dominated field. Her efforts to change that included founding “The Pipeline,” a student-led mentorship program in support of minority medical student retention.

“Certainly, it’s always interesting and a little uncomfortable being the only [black woman] in the room,” Henderson said.

“You feel it yourself, even if they don’t purposefully point it out, you feel that you know you’re different. That can be a little intimidating.”

Henderson’s career began at Yale University, where she completed her orthopedic residency at Yale New Haven Hospital, a level one trauma center. She went on to a fellowship in orthopedic trauma at the Penn State Milton Hershey Medical Center, and has been working ever since to bring more Black physicians into her field.

“People do seem to be more comfortable when they are cared for by somebody they can relate to, for whatever reason that may be,” Henderson said.

“So I think there is a lot of value in having a diverse population in the medical field and it’s important that you have varied ideas.”

The ambitious group has about 70 members and intends to mentor and empower residents, fellows, and medical students.

 

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