The Sherwin-Williams Foundation and The Urban League of Greater Cleveland Partner to Foster Economic Inclusion for Minority-Owned Construction Companies
The Sherwin-Williams Foundation has partnered with The Urban League of Greater Cleveland (ULGC) to develop and launch an innovative new Construction Accelerator Program (CAP) with the goal of driving long-term growth and success for Northeast Ohiominority-owned businesses.
“The Sherwin-Williams Foundation is pleased to partner with the Urban League of Greater Cleveland to positively impact the greater Cleveland community and support minority-owned business growth through fostering economic inclusion for minority-owned construction companies,” said John G. Morikis, president of the Foundation, and chairman and chief executive officer of The Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE: SHW).
“The CAP aligns well with our Company’s commitment to create jobs and to positively impact the broader Cleveland and Northeast Ohio community, and we are excited to be on the ground floor of an instrumental program designed to accelerate the growth of minority-owned construction businesses for many years to come.”
Over the next three years, Sherwin-Williams, a global leader in the paint and coatings industry, will make a significant financial commitment by investing a minimum of $600 million in its Building Our Future (BOF) global headquarters and research and design center project, which includes meeting or exceeding robust economic inclusion requirements, according to a press release.
Through the pilot program, officially known as Construction Accelerator Program Powered by Sherwin-Williams, the Urban League will provide eligible minority-owned businesses with access to capital, mentorship, education on the Integrated Project Delivery (IPD) process, construction management best practices and an opportunity to build capacity. The program will also focus on intense technical and human capital enhancement, enabling participating businesses to qualify for a working capital loan through UBIZ Venture Capital operated through the Urban League’s Entrepreneurship Center.
“The Urban League is extremely excited to partner with The Sherwin-Williams Foundation on the Construction Accelerator Program because it directly supports our goals of economic inclusion and opens opportunities and access that will help reduce historical barriers that minority-owned businesses experience in the construction industry and across the board,” said Marsha Mockabee, ULGC president and chief executive officer.
The Construction Accelerator Program is targeting MBE-certified businesses in the construction industry who are in the growth or expansion phase, in business for at least three years, and meet a pre-determined minimum annual revenue threshold, in addition to other criteria.
Participating business owners will move through ULGC’s UBIZ Accelerator Curriculum, helping to transform their business infrastructure and operations for success and sustainable growth. Upon completion of the program curriculum, graduates of the CAP program will be eligible to apply for the Access to Capital and Credit Enhancement Plan, a working capital loan through UBIZ Venture Capital or its investment partners.
“Cleveland needs programs that ensure opportunities for employment of its residents, as well as growth opportunities for its minority and female-owned enterprises,” commented Tyson Mitchell, recently named director of the Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO) for the City of Cleveland.
“We commend The Sherwin-Williams Foundation and ULGC for joining forces to establish this new program. Their joint initiative is strongly aligned with the City and the OEO’s mission, and we’re encouraged by the workforce pipeline the CAP creates for projects today and into the future.”
The CAP is designed to incorporate strategies that will strengthen, accelerate and position businesses for next-level engagement in construction projects.
HBCU President First Black Woman to Lead 139-year-old Indianapolis Museum of Art
Educator Colette Pierce Burnette, current president of HBCU Huston-Tillotson University in Austin, Texas, is preparing to assume a historic role as the next president and chief executive of the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields.
The Cleveland, Ohio, native and Harvard graduate will be the first Black woman to lead Newfields in the museum’s 139-year history, Art Newsreported. She brings a laudable reputation and extensive experience in education, engineering, information technology, and public service.
“I am thrilled to become part of a team driven to meet Newfields’ mission of enriching lives purposefully and intentionally through exceptional experiences with art and nature,” Pierce Burnette said in a statement.
Pierce Burnette’s appointment follows the resignation of Charles L. Venable last year amid the uproar over a job listing seeking a director who would be responsible for maintaining a “traditional, core, white art audience.” The intuition apologized and is working toward an action plan that will meet the demands from “activists for a stronger diversity commitment and a healthier workplace culture,” according to Art News.
In her role, Pierce Burnette will see through an action plan which includes a $20 million endowment to obtain works from underrepresented artists, establish a program for antiracist and bias training, and acquire hiring reforms.
“I am excited to lead Newfields at this unique moment to make it a place every person in Indianapolis and beyond is excited to visit, and every team member is proud to work,” said Pierce Burnette.
Pierce Burnette holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from The Ohio State University and a master of science in administration from Georgia College. She is a graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Management Development Program and the University of Pennsylvania with an Ed.D. in higher education administration.
Pierce Burnette was honored as 2021 Austinite of the Year by the city’s Chamber of Commerce as an educator and as co-chair for the Mayor’s Task Force on Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities.
She will start her new role August 1.
“Dr. Burnette was a clear standout amongst an impressive slate,” said Darrianne Christian, the first Black woman to be Newfield’s chair of the Board of Trustees, according toThe Indianapolis Star. “Her extensive professional achievements reflect her ability to deliver on her passion to innovate and advance the arts, education, and green spaces. She is lauded by her staff, peers, and the communities she served for being a humble leader with an immense amount of respect and empathy for everyone she encounters.”
Fort Mose’ Bourbon Named for America’s First Free Black Town Just Released by Victor George Spirits
Victor George Spirits announced today it has just released its new bourbon Fort Mose’ 1738 nationwide. Due to overwhelming demand, the inaugural edition will first be available online and to select retailers throughout the United States utilizing its network of distributors with Republic National Distributing Company being its largest.
Fort Mose Bourbon is named after the Florida town, Fort Mose which was established in 1738 just two miles north of St Augustine, Fla. This became the first settlement and town in which Black people could live free.
Known for making high quality spirits beginning with the nationally distributed Victor George Vodka, African American spirits maker Victor G. Harvey has expanded his portfolio of brands. Having acquired majority interest in Palm Beach Distillery (PBD), Florida’s first female owned distillery in late 2021, Harvey alongside master distiller and founder of PBD, Summer Piep saw this as an opportunity to release Harvey’s next line of spirits. Fort Mose’ is produced at Palm Beach Distillery located in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“When I first got into this industry in 2007 there were very few, if any, Black people with their own brands. I knew I just didn’t want to put a name on something as a private label but wanted to create, make and bottle our own products. Our goal is to be the largest Black owned spirits company in the world. To make history and be part of American history which is why we choose the names we do for our brands,” said Victor G. Harvey, founder of Victor George Spirits.
(Image: Courtesy of Victor George Spirits)
Future lines of products include a few flavored vodkas under the VG brand, a full tequila line yet to be named, and a soon to be released special edition aged rum, Riot Girls named after the famous rum runners of the 1930’s. This unique rum was aged and blended by Piep and will be a limited release by Harvey’s Palm Beach Distillery.
(Image: Courtesy of Victor George Spirits)
In November of 2021 Harvey was awarded $2.45 million dollars by the Fort Lauderdale Community Redevelopment Agency to build Fort Lauderdale’s first Black owned distillery. Project plans have been expanded to an 18,000 square foot building housing a distillery, restaurant, cigar lounge and rooftop patio and lounge. Expected groundbreaking is summer 2022.
Image: Courtesy of Victor George Spirits)
Fort Mose’ 1738 is a four-year aged bourbon with a unique mash combining corn, rye and malted barley delivering a refined exceptionally smooth taste. Retail price is $44.99 for 750ml. It is available online at http://www.buyfortmose.com.
Victor George Vodka is available in 44 states and carried by most major retailers across the U.S. such as Total Wine, Kroger, Trader Joe’s and others. Retail price is $19.99 for 750ml and $28.99 for 1.75L.
American Black Film Festival Reveals 2022 Spotlight Screenings Lineup
The American Black Film Festival (ABFF) announced its lineup of 12 spotlight screenings from its studio and network partners. The screenings include premieres and previews of feature films, documentaries and episodic series. Regarded as the preeminent showcase for quality Black content, the festival will take place live in Miami Beach June 15-19 and continues virtually June 20–30 on ABFF PLAY, https://abffplay.com/, the festival’s custom-designed online platform.
This year’s collection of live spotlight screenings include, Rap Sh!t, the new series created by award-winning actress/director/writer/producer and 2022 Festival Ambassador Issa Rae presented by HBO Max; Down With the King, starring rapper Freddie Gibbs from Sony Pictures Entertainment; a sneak peak of Prime Video’s A League of Their Own starring Chanté Adams; Onyx Collective and ABC News Studio’s Aftershock, a film that explores America’s maternal health care crisis; Disney+’s TheProud Family: Louder and Prouder, the critically acclaimed revival of Disney Channel’s groundbreaking original series “The Proud Family;” TV One’s upcoming Stranger Next Door from Emmy Award® winning director Victoria Rowell; A&E’s Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution, an exploration documenting how Black comedians used laughter to push social boundaries and cultural change; a first look at The SpringHill Company’s After Jackie documentary from Emmy Award® winning and Academy Award® nominated filmmaker Stanley Nelson and critically-acclaimed director Andre Gaines premiering on the HISTORY Channel®; a new episode of Black Love, entitled There Isn’t One Way, featuring couples Remy Ma and Papoose and Kenric and Sonequa Martin Green from Confluential Films, and; a compilation of shorts from BET Her, focusing on issues affecting the mental and physical health in the Black community, Behind the Smile! directed by Naturi Naughton andThe Pink Fight directed by LisaRaye McCoy. Previously announced, the festival will open with the Netflix documentary CIVIL, an intimate verité look at the life of maverick civil rights attorney Ben Crump directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren and produced by Kenya Barris, Roger Ross Williams and Lauren Cioffi.
(Image: Courtesy of American Black Film Festival)
“ABFF continues to be an unparalleled resource for studios, networks and streamers to promote and publicize their upcoming releases to Black audiences. We are excited to share these films and series with this year’s attendees,” said Jeff Friday, founder and chief executive officer of ABFF Ventures LLC.
Virtual spotlight screenings to be featured on ABFF PLAY include Color Of Change’s eye-opening documentary What’s Costing Hollywood?, a mini-documentary that explores how data is often used to inform executive-level decision-making in Hollywood with a talkbackmoderated by Kendrick Sampson and A Beautiful Resistance from The Boston Globe. Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution will have an encore presentation on the platform.
For more details on the spotlight-screenings see below and visit www.abff.com for the full schedule.
Rap Sh!t
Rap Sh!t follows two estranged high school friends from Miami, Shawna and Mia, who reunite to form a rap group. Cast: Aida Osman (Shawna), KaMillion (Mia), Jonica Booth (Chastity), Devon Terrell (Cliff,) RJ Cyler (Lamont) Executive Producer/Writer: Issa Rae (for HOORAE); Executive Producer/Showrunner: Syreeta Singleton; Executive Producer: Montrel McKay (for HOORAE); Executive Producers: Dave Becky and Jonathan Berry (for 3 Arts Entertainment); Executive Producer: Deniese Davis
Hip hop duo Yung Miami and JT of City Girls serve as co-executive producers, along with Kevin “Coach K” Lee and Pierre “P” Thomas for Quality Control Films and Sara Rastogi for HOORAE. Sadé Clacken Joseph directed the pilot. Rae’s audio content company Raedio will handle music supervision for the series.
Courtesy of Warner Brothers Discovery and HBO Max
Down With the King
Rap star Money Merc (Freddie Gibbs) has been sent by his manager, Paul, to a rural house in the Berkshires to focus on his next album. Disenchanted with his music career and the 24/7 upkeep that such fame entails, Merc has no desire to write or record music. Instead, he spends most of his time at his neighbor’s farm learning about farming and enjoying the simplicity of country life. After Merc abruptly announces his retirement on Twitter, Paul rushes to the countryside to lure him back into the music industry.
Director: Diego Ongaro
Producers: Rob Cristiano, Zach LeBeau and Kim Jackson
Cast: Freddie Gibbs, Jamie Neumann, David Krumholtz, Sharon Washington and Bob Tarasuk
Courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment
A League of Their Own
A League of Their Own evokes the joyful spirit of Penny Marshall‘s beloved classic, while widening the lens to tell the story of an entire generation of women who dreamed of playing professional baseball. The show takes a deeper look at race and sexuality, following the journey of a whole new ensemble of characters as they carve their own paths towards the field, both in the League and outside of it.
Cast: Chanté Adams
Co-creator: Will Graham
Executive Producers: Will Graham, Desta Tedros Reff
Head of DEI, Prime Video: Latasha Gillespie
Courtesy of Prime Video
Aftershock
Shamony Gibson and Amber Rose Isaac were excited mothers-to-be whose deaths due to childbirth complications were preventable. Directors Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee follow Gibson’s and Isaac’s bereaved partners as they fight for justice and build communities of support with other surviving Black fathers. Aftershock shines a light on the world of gynecology—one that has a long-standing history of exploiting and neglecting Black women in America—while simultaneously uplifting the families, activists and birth workers who are striving to bring change.
Directed and Produced by: Paula Eiselt and Tonya Lewis Lee
Executive Producers: Dawn Porter, Jenny Raskin, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Patty Quillin, Jennifer and Jonathan Allan Soros, Tegan Acton, Emma Pompetti, Janet Tittiger, Davis Guggenheim and Rahdi Taylor
Co-Executive Producers: Lauren Haber, Kelsey Koenig, Nina and David Fialkow, Barbara and Eric Dobkin, Donna and Kevin Gruneich, Bill and Eva Price
Courtesy of Onyx Collective and ABC News Studios
The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder
A continuation of the acclaimed series, The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder follows the adventures and misadventures of newly 14-year-old Penny Proud and her Proud Family as they navigate modern life with hilarity and heart. The 2020s brings new career highs for mom Trudy, wilder dreams for dad Oscar and new challenges for Penny, including a socially woke neighbor who thinks she has a lot to teach her, bullying social media influencers who want to cancel her and her own teenage hormones.
Cast: Kyla Pratt, Tommy Davidson, Paula Jai Parker, JoMarie Payton, Cedric the Entertainer
Executive Producers: Bruce W. Smith and Ralph Farquhar
Courtesy of Disney+
Stranger Next Door
Former police detective Rochelle Sellers (Vicky Jeudy) has had a year for the ages. After being shot by an unknown assailant and forced to retire, she divorces her husband and has to testify against him as the key witness in a high-profile police corruption trial. To ensure she is protected, she decided to live in seclusion and take on the role of caretaker for her ill father. However, when Jesse Holmes (Skyh Black) moves in next door, Rochelle is smitten. The perceived fairy tale takes a turn for the worst when it appears that Jesse is not the man he professes to be.
Director: Victoria Rowell
Cast: Tim Reid (Ernest Sellers), Vicky Jeudy (Rochelle Sellers) and Skyh Black (Jesse Holmes)
Produced for TV One by Je’Caryous Johnson (Je’Caryous Productions) and Jami McCoy-Lankford (Hillionaire Productions)
Courtesy of TV One
Right to Offend: The Black Comedy Revolution
This new two-part documentary event explores the progression of Black comedy and the comedians who have used pointed humor to expose, challenge and ridicule society’s injustices and to articulate the Black experience in America. The series examines Black comedy through a unique lens, tracing the evolution and social awakening of the courageous comedians who dared to push against the constraints of their time and spoke truth to power.
Directors: Mario Diaz and Jessica Sherif
Executive Producers: Alexa Conway, Mario Diaz, Loren Hammonds, Lance Nichols, Ian Orefice, Jessica Sherif, Brad Abramson and Elaine Frontain Bryant
Courtesy of A&E Network
After Jackie
During the 75th anniversary year of Jackie Robinson becoming the first Black player allowed to play modern Major League Baseball, this new two-hour documentary from The SpringHill Company After Jackie tells the often-overlooked story of the second wave of talented Black baseball players after Jackie Robinson, including Bill White, Curt Flood and Bob Gibson, who fought battles on and off the field to demand a fairer and more inclusive America for African Americans, and athletes around the world.
Executive Producers: LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Jamal Henderson, Phil Byron of The Spring Hill Company; Stanley Nelson, Andre Gaines;Eli Lehrer, Jim Pasquarella of the HISTORY® Channel:Nick Trotta, Jon O’Sheal of Major League Baseball
Courtesy of the HISTORY® Channel, The SpringHill Company and Major League Baseball
Black Love
Black Love, from filmmakers Codie Elaine Oliver and Tommy Oliver and Confluential Films, seeks to answer, “What does it take to make a marriage work?” In the 6th and final season premiere, a diverse set of couples detail the early days of their relationship and how they knew the other was the one. From meeting and marrying in under a year, break ups to make ups, dating a coworker, and a pre-prison proposal, these couples highlight their beginnings and the hurdles they faced along the way.
Couples: Remy Ma and Papoose, Kenric and Sonequa Martin-Green, Ashleigh Blaine Featherson and Darroll Jenkins, Codie and Tommy Oliver
Director: Codie Elaine Oliver
Executive Producers: Tommy Oliver, Codie Elaine Oliver
Courtesy of Confluential Films
A compilation of shorts:
Behind the Smile!
Focuses on a newly promoted anchorwoman who falls into a severe depression when she is forced to choose between her dream job and her Vitiligo support group.
Director: Naturi Naughton
Executive Producer: Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood
Written by: Lori Conway Ray
Courtesy of BET Her
The Pink Fight
Revolves around a female boxer who is diagnosed with breast cancer and follows her battle as she and her wife fight for survival both in and out of the ring.
Director: LisaRaye McCoy
Executive Producer: Tressa “Azarel” Smallwood
Written by: K. Senay
Courtesy of BET Her
CIVIL
CIVIL, directed by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren, is an intimate vérité look at the life of maverick civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Considered a trailblazer of his field, Crump gives viewers an inside look at his mission to raise the value of Black life. As the civil lawyer for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Black farmers and banking while Black victims, Crump challenges America to come to terms with what it owes his clients.
Directed and Produced by: Nadia Hallgren
Produced by: Kenya Barris, Roger Ross Williams and Lauren Cioffi
Executive Producers: Erynn Sampson, Matthew Carnahan, Geoff Martz
Courtesy of Netflix
Spotlight screenings that will appear virtually on ABFF PLAY are:
A Beautiful Resistance
The Boston Globe culture columnist Jeneé Osterheldt created A Beautiful Resistance to carry on the tradition of Black arts and Black journalists in reclaiming the truth of Black folk. Like Frederick Douglas taught us, there is power in representation. Too often, we are measured by our suffering. Blackness must not be defined by our brutalization. We are more than death. When we are depicted by our extremes, the truth of us is lost. We live, fully. Our joy, our dreams our everyday stories? That’s a beautiful resistance. Every season consists of a weekly mixtape: we deliver a short film, a longform story, a question and answer, and we invite the community to share their own beautiful resistance on Instagram. There is music, there is story, there is love. Joy lives her. Join us Globe.com/abeautiful resistance.
Courtesy of The Boston Globe
What is Costing Hollywood?
“What’s Costing Hollywood?” explores the ways in which more transparency around data collection and use can help the film and entertainment industry address costly racial disparities. The mini-documentary develops the story through the lens of changemakers like Kendrick Sampson (actor, activist, and co-founder of BLD PWR); Tas Plater (head of human resources at Endeavor Content); Fanshen Cox (inclusion rider co-author and development executive at Pearl Street Films); and Alex Simmons (data scientist at Snap Inc.) who provide insight into the underlying root issue of data collection and discriminatory algorithms— depicting a clear path for a new paradigm shift in the entertainment industry.
ABFF 2022 sponsors and partners to date include Warner Bros. Discovery and HBOÒ (Founding); Cadillac, City of Miami Beach, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Prime Video (Presenting); American Airlines, Comcast NBCUniversal, Meta, Bounce TV, UPS, IMDb (Premier); ALLBLK, Prudential Financial, Variety, TV One, Netflix, Starz, Disney+, Onyx Collective, (Official); Accenture, Motion Pictures Association (MPA), A and E, The SpringHill Company, The Boston Globe, Color Of Change, Confluential Films, BET Her, Morgan Stanley, VCA, (Supporting); Frankfurt Kurnit Klein and Selz, Endeavor Content (Industry).
For festival information and to obtain an ABFF pass, visit www.abff.com. Follow @ABFF on Twitter and @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram and Facebook.
Time’s Up! Controversial Chef Darius ‘Cooks’ Williams Issued Warning By Better Business Bureau
Chef Darius “Cooks” Williams, Atlanta-based culinary entrepreneur, has been warned by the Better Business Bureau of Metro Atlanta as a result of nearly 100 consumer complaints.
FOX 5 Atlanta reported the BBB issued a warning May 18 regarding Williams and DariusCooks, LLC, his online business of cookbooks, apparel, and accessories.
DariusCooks, LLC, which earned an “F” rating, received the lowest score by the BBB due to recent unanswered complaints. Consumers have reported that they purchased Williams’ products or tickets to his cooking events and received nothing.
“Over 70 consumers reported to BBB that the company failed to deliver products ordered by their customers, did not provide requested refunds, did not communicate reasons for shipping delays, and provided poor customer service,” according to the bureau’s warning statement.
As reported by the BBB, Sherrica B., a Minot, North Dakota woman, said she placed an order with DariusCooks, LLC for two physical cookbooks. On April 6, 2021, she received a notification that a shipping label had been created, but she received no further notifications from the company.
“I emailed the business to ask the whereabouts of my order, and I received no response,” she told BBB. “I called the post office, and they said they hadn’t received the items.”
She added that she attempted multiple times to reach out to Williams after seeing other complaints similar to hers, but was ignored and blocked on social media.
In May of 2021, Sonya T. of Montgomery, Alabama, said she purchased tickets for the “Dining With DariusCooks” event, but it was canceled twice due to COVID-19. Her attempts to get a refund failed.
“I emailed in January and February and got no response,” she said. “Finally, in April, I received an email saying he had another dining event in 2021 and I would have the first choice, but he needed the order number from the original purchase in October 2019. I no longer had the emails from October 2019 that contained the order number. I was told I couldn’t get a ticket to an upcoming event, nor could I get a refund without the order number.”
According to the Georgia Secretary of State, DariusCooks, LLC was administratively dissolved in 2019 for “failing to file annual registration and/or failure to maintain a registered agent or registered office in this state.”
The Chicago native previously told BLACK ENTERPRISE, “I don’t typically respond to BBB’s only there’s so much more that goes along with it, right.” He added, “If you go on my platform, nobody is complaining that they didn’t get their book. Nobody is complaining that they didn’t get their cake. Nobody is complaining that their credit score didn’t increase.”
BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported that the celebrity online chef has been accused of stealing money and scamming consumers along with a barrage of harassment claims and credit card fraud complaints.
Williams denied all allegations, claiming that they were “untruthful.”
Dave Chappelle Attacker Charged with Attempted Murder After Stabbing Roommate
The man who attacked Dave Chappelle at The Hollywood Bowl several weeks ago has been arrested and charged with attempted murder in an unrelated incident prior to his assault on the comedian.
According to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, Isaiah Lee pleaded not guilty and is slated to return to court on June 2. He has been charged with stabbing his roommate during a fight on December 2 at a transitional housing apartment.
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced the charge on Thursday. Earlier this month, the District Attorney’s Office referred the misdemeanor assault case that involved Chappelle at the Hollywood Bowl to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office.
Gascon stated that all the publicity around the assault against the popular comedian led to assisting police officers in solving the incident involving Lee.
“The publicity generated by the attack on Mr. Chappelle helped police solve this crime,” Gascón said in a written statement. “The incident that occurred at the Hollywood Bowl was misdemeanor conduct and rightfully referred to the City Attorney’s Office. Based on the nature and severity of the December attack, Mr. Lee is now facing felony charges which my office will prosecute.”
Footage circulating on social media showed Lee charging onto the stage and tackling Chappelle as he was performing. The comedian was immediately dragged off by security, the videos showed. Police sources told ABC News that Lee, 23, possessed a gun-shaped knife when he was taken into custody.
That onstage altercation came a month after Will Smith stormed on stage and slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars, leading him to banned from the event for 10 years. According to an ABC report, Rock, who performed earlier in the night, came on stage with Chappelle moments after the attack and joked: “Was that Will Smith?”
Rock, who embarked on a stand-up tour after the slap heard ’round the world, has half-joked he will discuss the incident when he gets paid.
News Platform Launches to Celebrate the Success of Black Women and Moms
As Black women continue to make history and pave the way in business, sports, entertainment and community service, BlackWoman.com has been launched to pay tribute to one of the most celebrated demographics in the world. The website highlights recent and past accomplishments of women of color from all over the world.
For many centuries, the accomplishments of Black women have largely been ignored or downplayed. However, in recent years, they have proven themselves to be one of the most powerful groups of people on earth.
Here are just a few examples:
– In business, Rihanna has recently become one of few Black female billionaires globally.
– In sports, Erin Jackson has recently become the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal in speed skating.
– In politics, Kamala Harris has recently become America’s first-ever Black female vice president.
– In public service, Ketanji Brown Jackson has recently become the first Black woman elevated to the Supreme Court.
And the list goes on with many other similar accomplishments and feats by other women that often receive little publicity.
“For this reason, it was very much needed to launch a blog that focuses entirely on what Black women have accomplished and continue to accomplish,” says Dante Lee, founder and publisher of the blog.
“We will continue to put the spotlight on them in the best way possible and try our best to publicize every single story that will empower and inspire.”
For more details and/or to subscribe to the free blog, visit BlackWoman.com
‘She Is One In A Million’: Army Reserve Soldier Surprises Sister At College Graduation
LaDyra Lyte, a Central Michigan University graduate, received an unforgettable surprise as she walked the stage at her commencement ceremony Saturday.
The 23-year-old Southfield native was moments away from being declared an official graduate when the university president unveiled a special letter from Lyte’s brother. LaDaryl Lyte has been deployed for nearly one year with the U.S. Army Reserve, Good Morning Americareported. His sister couldn’t hold back the tears while the letter was read aloud on his behalf.
“I want you to tell my sister how proud I am, how gracious she is, how superlative she is, and I know that she is going to do amazing things in her life,” LaDaryl wrote. “She is one in a million with a special talent of knowing just how to move forward.”
The new grad was at center stage by the time her brother walked out from the packed auditorium behind her. The surprise on LaDyra’s face was priceless and the tears overflowed.
(Photo: Central Michigan University)
“For a moment I thought I’m dreaming,” LaDyra Lyte told GMA. “I just felt just really overwhelmed, in a good way.”
The incredulity comes from LaDaryl not being able to attend his sister’s graduation in 2017 due to basic training duties. But he made sure that LaDyra’s college graduation would unfold with a bang once he was approved for leave.
With the help of the school’s officials, LaDaryl was told he could be a part of the graduation.
“They had me show up to the graduation two hours early so they could hide me upstairs so my family wouldn’t see me,” he said. “The night before I couldn’t even sleep because I was nervous, so I was essentially up for like 36 hours to do this surprise.”
He continued: “I got, like, 10 feet away from my sister and I heard my family start screaming and then the whole crowd started screaming and clapping. After that it was kind of a blur because my adrenaline was rushing.”
LaDyra Lyte earned her degree in fashion merchandising and design. She aspires to attend graduate school and pursue her dreams of becoming a fashion designer.
(Photo: Central Michigan University)
Her designs were showcased on the graduation gown she wore. LaDayra intended to pay tribute to the lives of Black people taken at the hands of racial injustice. Names imprinted on her gown included Trayvon Martin and Breonna Taylor.
“I wanted to tribute every single Black or Brown individual that died too soon because of police brutality and I wanted them to walk across stage with me,” said LaDyra Lyte. “So graduation really wasn’t for just me. I wanted to make sure it was for every person in my community, to let them know that I see them too.”
Girlfriend of Dallas Shooter Says He Fears People of Asian Descent
Jeremy Theron Smith was arrested Tuesday for wounding three Asian women during a shooting in a hair salon. His girlfriend said Smith has a fear of Asian Americans.
The 37-year-old Dallas man is currently being held on a $300,000 bond after shooting at the Hair World Salon in Dallas’ Koreatown last Wednesday, The Washington Postreported. He faces three charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and could be hit with hate crime charges pending an FNI investigation.
“Right now, it’s an issue of hate. It’s a hate crime. However that manifests itself, I’m not here to say that,” Dallas police Chief Eddie Garcia said.
“I can tell you that I know our community sees it as a hate crime. I see it as a hate crime and so do our men and women.”
However, Smith’s girlfriend says he developed a fear of Asian Americans after getting into a car accident with an Asian man two years ago. The girlfriend says Smith’s delusions about Asians sent him to mental health facilities several times.
Whenever Smith gets around Asians, “he begins having delusions that the Asian mob is after him or attempting to harm him,” his girlfriend told police, adding that he was fired from his job after “verbally attacking” his boss, who was of Asian descent.
On Tuesday, the FBI announced a federal hate crime investigation that will be conducted with federal prosecutors in Texas and the U.S. Department of Justice’s civil rights division. Garcia said the shooting could be connected to two previous shootings at businesses run by Asian Americans, KXXV reports.
Smith’s possible hate crime came just days before a white supremacist gunman opened fire at a grocery store in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday and killed 10 Black people. On Sunday, a gunman that police say had a hatred for Taiwan wounded five people and killed one at a Southern California-based church with mostly Taiwanese members.
Buffalo Dispatcher Could be Fired After Hanging Up on Tops Employee Whispering During Massacre
A 911 dispatcher has been placed on leave and could be fired after she hung up on a supermarket employee during the Buffalo shooting that killed 10 Black people.
NBC News reported that the Office of Erie County Executive said the dispatcher who took the call has been placed on administrative leave pending a disciplinary hearing set for May 30 where “termination will be sought.”
Latisha Rogers, an assistant manager at Tops Friendly Market, told the Buffalo News she called 911 and whispered to the dispatcher because she feared the shooter would hear, and in the hope that the dispatcher would realize the situation was serious. However, the dispatcher dismissed her with “a very nasty tone.”
“The dispatcher comes on and I’m whispering to her and I said, ‘Miss, please send help to 1275 Jefferson there is a shooter in the store,'” Rogers said.
“She proceeded in a very nasty tone and says, ‘I can’t hear you, why are you whispering? You don’t have to whisper, they can’t hear you,’ so I continued to whisper and I said, ‘Ma’am he’s still in the store, he’s still shooting! I’m scared for my life, please send help!’ Out of nervousness, my phone fell out of my hand, she said something I couldn’t make out, and then the phone hung up.”
The dispatcher, whose name has not been released, has been on the job for eight years. The call is unlikely to be released to the public as dispatch calls are only released in the state of New York through a court order.
The shooter, Payton Gendron, 18, was indicted by a grand jury Thursday and will remain in custody. Gendron has pleaded not guilty to the murder charges.
Authorities believe Gendron drove to Buffalo from his home in Conklin, New York, and targeted the supermarket in the majority Black neighborhood due to a hatred he harbored for minorities that was fueled by Internet-promoted conspiracy theories that white Americans are being replaced by Black Americans and other minorities.
Multiple local media outlets have reported that Gendron was questioned last year after he made a “generalized” threat at his high school. Gendron was given a mental health evaluation at the time but was released after a day and a half.
Investigators at multiple federal agencies are now examining evidence at the scene and online to piece together the scope and motivation behind the shooting. Federal prosecutors are also determining whether to charge Gengron with hate crimes, which could add significant years to any sentence he receives and could include the death penalty.
After the dispatcher hung up on her, Rogers called her boyfriend and directed him to call the police. After Rogers told local media of her experience, county officials began investigating, eventually locating the call in question and finding the actions of the dispatcher to be “completely unacceptable,” according to Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz.
