Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Welcome Baby Boy
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 19, 2022

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Welcome Baby Boy

Rihanna and rapper A$AP Rocky have welcomed a baby boy, TMZ reports. There’s no word on the exact date of delivery, but sources say the pop star gave birth sometime last week.

On Friday, reports surfaced on Twitter claiming the singer and beauty mogul gave birth to her first child. Apparently, the claims were leaked by hospital workers.

https://twitter.com/Wegotthatwork1/status/1525346429094416384?s=20&t=dVdaO-sKvnFkA_b7LdFMnA

Now sources confirm the rumors were true and Rihanna has given birth to a beautiful baby boy. No word on how much the baby weighs. But the “Diamonds” singer reportedly gave birth at a hospital in Los Angeles.

This is the first child for Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, who started dating in 2020 after years of being friends. Most recently, Rocky opened up about their relationship and becoming a father in an interview on Drink Champs.

“Just genuine real shit, just f*ck what the outside world got going on, f*ck what the outside world think and shit like that,” Rocky said.

“It’s really about an understanding between two components–you and your significant other.”

When NORE referenced his baby with Rihanna, Rocky said, “I’m proud, man.”

https://twitter.com/gabgonebad/status/1525510927273152512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1525510927273152512%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hotnewhiphop.com%2Fasap-rocky-on-drink-champs-rapper-says-he-aspires-to-remain-genuine-with-rihanna-news.151973.html

The baby’s birth follows A$AP’s recent arrest following the couple’s return to Los Angeles from a short trip to Barbados. The New York City native was arrested in connection with a shooting that took place last November, NBC News reported.

Rocky, real name Rakim Mayers, was booked into Los Angeles County jail and had his bail set at $550,000, the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department booking report said.

He was released less than three hours later after posting bond. He has a court date set for Aug. 17.

That didn’t seem to affect the relationship. TMZ reported that Rihanna attended one of his shows, cheering for him backstage a week after the arrest.

Rihanna fans have been celebrating her pregnancy and are sure to celebrate the arrival of her first child.

Rih Rih is officially a part of the Mommy Club!

CareerBuilder and Black Information Network Collaborate to Help Black Job Seekers
by Atiya Jordan

May 19, 2022

CareerBuilder and Black Information Network Collaborate to Help Black Job Seekers

While diversity and inclusion in the workforce have become more of a priority, companies are accomplishing these objectives through strategy and partnerships.

According to a press release from CareerBuilder, the talent acquisition and job marketplace platform, and BIN: Black Information Network, the 24/7 national audio Black News service, have teamed to “connect employers who are seeking a highly qualified and diverse workforce with Black American job seekers who are looking to advance to higher levels or start a career.”

This partnership includes the launch of a “100,000 Careers” initiative, described as the first of its kind. The program intends to equip job seekers with necessary resources to secure a career that offers growing benefits over time.

“This strategic partnership directly aligns with our mission of building personal success for all and will guide Black Information Network listeners to a host of tools that connect them to roles that best suit their skills leading to more meaningful careers,” said Kristin Kelley, chief marketing officer at CareerBuilder.

At every stage of the job seeking process, the two companies will see to it that candidates are supported with tools in resume building, job listings, and “custom content designed to help Black listeners identify their transferrable skills and discover new careers,” according to the release. It doesn’t matter whether they’re new or seasoned in the workforce, the “100,000 Careers” initiative aims to take steps toward building wealth in the Black community.

“One of our highest priorities has been to call attention to the disproportionate income and unemployment gaps the Black community faces,” said BIN President Tony Coles.

“That’s why we are thrilled that our partners at CareerBuilder have joined us in this effort to help 100,000 listeners not only find work but to help them leverage their transferrable skills to build careers.”

With the scale of BIN: Black Information Network, opportunities will be promoted across broadcast, podcast, digital, and social platforms. The support from over 100 iHeartMedia hip hop, rhythm, and blues and gospel stations will help sustain the goal.

Empire State Building to Celebrate The Notorious B.I.G.’s 50th Birthday
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 19, 2022

Empire State Building to Celebrate The Notorious B.I.G.’s 50th Birthday

The Empire State Building will mark the 50th birthday of another New York City institution, The Notorious B.I.G. The festivities will include a tower lighting and ceremony that will feature celebrities and the late rapper’s close friends and family.

“From one icon to another, the Empire State Building is honored to celebrate the life and legacy of the Notorious B.I.G. with an authentic experience for his family, friends, and fans in the heart of New York City,” said Abigail Rickards, senior vice president of marketing, public relations and digital at the Empire State Building.

“Fans will have a unique opportunity to connect with two New York City icons for a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Rickards added.

The Notorious B.I.G., already an icon before his untimely death, was a Brooklyn-born rapper and songwriter. Born as Christopher Wallace and also known as Biggie, the legendary rapper was killed in a hail of bullets after attending a VIBE magazine party in California in 1997. He was just 24 years old.

The Empire State Building Observatory Experience will have a life-size photorealistic avatar of Biggie for guest viewing and pictures on Friday, May 20 and Saturday, May 21, from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Exclusive merchandise (Biggie x ESB hats, t-shirts and sweatshirts) will also be available for purchase Friday and Saturday, only at the observatory. Fans can also buy Biggie’s 11 times platinum album Life After Death along with the preorder for the eight-LP, Deluxe.

At the time of Biggie’s actual birth 50 years ago, 15 minutes after sunset on Saturday, May 21, the Empire State Building will light up in dynamic red and white with a rotating crown and the number “50” in the mast.

The Empire State Building Observatory celebration of The Notorious B.I.G. will be joined by the Estate of the Notorious B.I.G., Rhino Entertainment, Bad Boy Records, and Atlantic Records.

For more on Biggie’s life and cultural impact, read Just Tinley’s new book, It Was All Dream: Biggie and the World that Made Him. 

Dillard University Student Receives Special Graduation Ceremony In Hospital After Giving Birth
by Atiya Jordan

May 19, 2022

Dillard University Student Receives Special Graduation Ceremony In Hospital After Giving Birth

After four years of hard work, Dillard University student Jada Sayles was preparing to walk the stage on her graduation day, but her baby son made a heartwarming debut first.

“I thought I was gonna walk across the stage to get my degree, instead I got my baby,” Sayles writes on Twitter, along with a series of adorable photos.

“My sweet face decided to make his way on my big day (now his).”

Sayles was admitted to the hospital around 4:30 a.m., hours before she was scheduled to be at graduation on May 15, People reported.

“[The contractions] were getting stronger and stronger,” Sayles told WDSU. “It happened so fast. I didn’t even realize I was missing graduation because it was just such a fast labor.”

Once she knew she couldn’t attend the ceremony, Sayles notified Dillard’s outgoing President Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough. He deemed it a celebratory occasion for the new mother and graduate, so he was more than willing to bring a ceremony to her at the hospital.

“Jada went into labor on Friday evening. Texted me around 4:30 a.m. Saturday saying she was being admitted, and the baby was born on her graduation day,” Kimbrough wrote on Twitter.

“So we rolled up to the hospital, so I could finish my tenure in the most special way.”

Sayles, dressed in her cap and gown, was given the opportunity to accept her degree. She was especially proud having earned a 4.0 grade point average during her pregnancy. Her family can be heard in the background of a video cheering her on as Kimbrough declared the new mom an official graduate from the historically Black college. And her new baby boy was a special guest to the momentous event.

Taylor received her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with an emphasis in pre-law, according to WDSU.

“You can do it with a kid. You can do it without a kid. You can do it pregnant. You can do it not pregnant. You can do it,” Sayles advised.

Budget-Minded Americans Reconsidering (and Trimming) Streaming Services
by Jeffrey McKinney

May 19, 2022

Budget-Minded Americans Reconsidering (and Trimming) Streaming Services

Streaming services are among the latest ventures getting hit as people look to reduce spending.

A survey of 2,000 American adults revealed that people are rethinking what streaming services they pay for. A robust 57 percent are planning to erase some of their paid streaming subscriptions, and the average person is getting rid of three out of about five from their collection.

People with paid TV and video services do not foresee using or plan to say goodbye to subscription video-on-demand services, “including Netflix and Amazon Prime (75 percent), satellite TV (61 percent), along with pay-per-view services like Apple iTunes (52 percent) and cable TV (48 percent).”

Talker News reported that seven in 10 are reconsidering their streaming service expenses due to “changes to their financial situation.”

A “limited selection of titles (49 percent), lack of a user-friendly interface (34 percent) and poor customer service (33 percent)” were other reasons cited why people would detach from a streaming service. The poll was done by One Poll for the on-demand video streaming app Tubi.

So, what will make people keep a streaming service? The answer: “Affordability at 45 percent, a selection of content (44 percent), and a user-friendly interface that makes it easy to discover movies and shows (43 percent).”

“While people are looking for ways to cut back on their streaming expenses, they still plan on watching many hours’ worth of content this year,” a Tubi spokesperson said, according to Talker News.

“To capture the attention of and retain those viewers, streaming services need to focus on affordability, a wide selection of content, and a great user experience.”

Even with plans to retreat on streaming services, other people still plan to indulge. New data show the average person expects to stream over “290 different movies or TV shows this year.” Nevertheless, people feel they will stream “437 hours of content in the year ahead, equal to over 18 full days.”

The new data come after streaming giant Netflix stated this month it was laying off 150 employees about one month after disclosing its first paid subscriber losses in over a decade, according to Fox Business News.

BMF Actor Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Arrested for Stealing $250,000 Richard Mille Watch
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 19, 2022

BMF Actor Demetrius ‘Lil Meech’ Flenory Arrested for Stealing $250,000 Richard Mille Watch

Demetrius “Lil Meech” Flenory of the Starz series, Black Mafia Family (BMF), is in some trouble.

According to TMZ, the actor and son of the series’ biographical focus, Big Meech, has been arrested after being accused of grand theft for stealing a $250,000 Richard Mille watch.

Lil Meech who plays  his real-life father in the 50 Cent-produced series on Starz, was booked on two counts of first-degree grand theft. He was also arrested on a separate count of organized fraud on March 14.

According to local Miami police officers, Lil Meech went into Haimov Jewelers in Miami back in February and placed a down payment on the Richard Mille wristwatch using an $80,000 platinum Rolex. He apparently has not made a payment toward the remaining $200,000 balance. Lil Meech also has not returned the expensive jewelry.

Police are also accusing the BMF star of trying to trade the Richard Mille watch for another Richard Mille piece at a different store.  Official records show that Lil Meech was released on bond the same day he was arrested.
There has been no comment about the arrest from the show’s producer, 50 Cent, but he made a happy announcement last week: comedian Mo’Nique  will join the show in its upcoming second season in a recurring role. The Oscar-winning actress will join Leslie Jones, La La Anthony, Kelly Hu, and Christine Horn as Goldie, the owner of an Atlanta strip club who possesses swagger and street smarts.
The first season of BMF was the number-one premiere on the Starz app last year and ranked as one of the most highly engaged series premieres ever. The show tells the story of two brothers who created the clique, “Black Mafia Family.”
Five Black High Schoolers File Lawsuit Against School District For Ongoing Racial Discrimination
by Atiya Jordan

May 19, 2022

Five Black High Schoolers File Lawsuit Against School District For Ongoing Racial Discrimination

Five Black students and their families in Georgia have filed a federal lawsuit against against Floyd County Schools, claiming ongoing racial discrimination, failure to taking disciplinary action against racially motivated incidents, and persistent violations of their First Amendment rights.

The Rome-News Tribune reported that students of Coosa High School in Rome, Ga., along with their parents, announced the lawsuit at a press conference outside the federal courthouse Tuesday afternoon. The complaint intends to address the school’s slew of patterns that allowed racist incidents to go unpunished.

Photo Credit: Imani Beverly-Knox

“The plaintiffs, who are African-American, challenge Coosa High’s deliberate indifference to acts of racial animosity toward Black students perpetrated by white students and teachers; as well as the school’s viewpoint discrimination in its dress code and the inconsistent administration of disciplinary policies to the detriment of Black students,” the lawsuit says, according to CNN.

Additionally, the suit alleges several incidents, including an re-enactment of George Floyd‘s murder that occurred in the school hallway, a student wearing a Confederate flag belt and calling Black students “slaves,” and a white student telling Black students, “We used to whip you with this,” while holding a whip.

In October 2021 during Spirit Week, four white students had seemingly gone unpunished after waving a Confederate flag around the school and casting racial slurs, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported. A group of students organized a protest off campus in response to the school’s allowance of the flag. But the school “forcefully acted to shut the protest down,” the lawsuit claims.

The lawsuit also alleges that the school’s dress code permits the Confederate flag but prohibits the wearing of any and all “Black Lives Matter” apparel or apparel with George Floyd’s face.

The students were subsequently suspended after expressing their concerns with school administration.

“It’s shocking they were disciplined in the first place for planning a peaceful protest of the waving of Confederate flags and racist behavior by other students that didn’t get disciplined. And that can affect them going forward,” said Shannon Liss-Riordan, an attorney for the case, according to the Rome-News Tribune.

Lekisha Turner, whose children are among those suing, said she had complained numerous times to the school about addressing “the blatant racism that they clearly saw.”

“Some of the administrators were right in earshot of it and did nothing about it. My kids felt really, really bad, and as a mother, I felt like there was nothing else I could do with the school,” Turner said.
In historic move, U.S. Soccer to Compensate Men and Women Equally
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 19, 2022

In historic move, U.S. Soccer to Compensate Men and Women Equally

Soccer has equal pay for all.

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), the United States Women’s National Team Players Association (USWNTPA), and the United States National Soccer Team Players Association (USNSTPA) announced they have agreed to historic, first-of-their-kind collective bargaining agreements (CBAs) that promise equal pay for both genders.

“U.S. Soccer and the USWNT and USMNT players have reset their relationship with these new agreements and are leading us forward to an incredibly exciting new phase of mutual growth and collaboration as we continue our mission to become the preeminent sport in the United States,” said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone in a written statement.

She said the agreements “have the potential to change the game around the world.”

Both collective bargaining agreements, slated to run through 2028, attain equal pay for equal play, through identical economic terms. These financial terms include the same compensation for all competitions. This includes the FIFA World Cup and the introduction of the same commercial revenue-sharing means for both teams. The negotiated terms of the contracts will guarantee that U.S. Soccer’s Senior National Team players stay among the highest paid in the world.

“They said equal pay for men and women was not possible, but that did not stop us and we went ahead and achieved it,” said Walker Zimmerman, a member of the USNSTPA leadership group. “We hope this will awaken others to the need for this type of change and will inspire FIFA and others around the world to move in the same direction.”

The CBAs will take place over the next two World Cup and Olympic cycles and ensure that USWNT and USMNT players are among the highest-paid National Team players in the world.

Thomas Lane Accepts Plea Deal in George Floyd Death
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 19, 2022

Thomas Lane Accepts Plea Deal in George Floyd Death

Former Minneapolis police officer, Thomas Lane, who held down the legs of George Floyd as he was killed, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter Wednesday as part of a plea deal arrangement.

Lane, 39, was one of three former police officers slated to face charges of aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter and aiding and abetting second-degree unintentional murder related to the killing of Floyd in May 2020.

Prosecutors agreed to dismiss the murder charge in exchange for the guilty plea, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office told CNN.

“I am pleased Thomas Lane has accepted responsibility for his role in Floyd’s death,” Ellison said. “His acknowledgment [that] he did something wrong is an important step toward healing the wounds of the Floyd family, our community, and the nation. While accountability is not justice, this is a significant moment in this case and a necessary resolution on our continued journey to justice.”

Lane is scheduled to be sentenced September 21 on the state charge.

“My client did not want to risk losing the murder case so he decided to plead guilty to manslaughter with a three-year sentence, to be released in two years and the murder case dismissed,” his attorney, Earl Gray, said. “The sentence will be concurrent with his federal sentence and he will serve his time in a federal institution. He has a newborn baby and did not want to risk not being part of the child’s life.”

Lane would have faced a mandatory 12-year sentence if he were to be found guilty of the murder charge.

Floyd’s family attorneys Ben Crump, Antonio Romanucci, and Jeff Storms released a statement:

“Today’s guilty plea by former officer Thomas Lane brings the Floyd family another step towards closure for the horrific and historic murder of George Floyd. While today is a step in the right direction, we only need to look to the recent and tragic killing of Amir Locke to understand that the City of Minneapolis has a long journey ahead to regain the trust of its citizenry.”

Lane was among three former police officers who were convicted in a federal court February for violating Floyd’s civil rights.

17-Year-Old Maryland Teen Charged in Murder of Missing Classmate Found Stabbed to Death
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 19, 2022

17-Year-Old Maryland Teen Charged in Murder of Missing Classmate Found Stabbed to Death

A 17-year-old Maryland has been charged for murdering his classmate who was found stabbed to death at a creek in January.

Ta’Quawn Deon Henderson, 17, of Germantown, Maryland, was charged with first-degree murder in the stabbing death of 17-year-old Jai’lyn Jones. Henderson, who was charged as an adult, turned himself in three days after a May 12 arrest warrant was issued, Fox News reports.

The teens were classmates at Northwest High School. But tragedy struck in January when Jones’ mother reported him missing days after he was last seen leaving their home around 4:30 p.m. on January 21. Jones was found three days later near a shallow creek with multiple stab wounds to his head and torso, Montgomery County Police Chief Marcus Jones revealed on Monday.

A DNA profile found a mix of Jones’ blood and a second individual. Through questioning, authorities were able to determine that Jones told a few others that he had plans to meet with “Tay”, believed to be Henderson.

Following a search warrant, DNA determined that Henderson was a match in Jones’ murder, WTOP reports.

“It makes no sense that this young man has lost his life,” Marcus Jones said.

While Marcus Jones says police are “very confident that [Henderson] played a significant role,” there may be other people involved. “We’re not done yet,” Jones said.

Authorities are still investigating to determine a motive and if gang activity or bullying played a factor. Marcus Jones also confirmed that police aren’t sure if Jones and Henderson knew each other personally.

“This is a double tragedy; let’s be real. We have a 17-year-old arrested for murder … [and] it makes no sense that this young man has lost his life.”

Montgomery County District Judge John Moffett ordered Henderson held without bond on the single count of premeditated first-degree murder. If found guilty, the conviction holds a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

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