On a visit to the historic campus of Florida A&M University, a tour of the Meek-Eaton Black Archives, Research Center, and Museum, had us fully immersed in the history, culture, and contributions of African descendants living in the Southeastern United States.

“Our collection tells the story of FAMU, but also the African Diaspora. Professor James Eaton had the vision to educate the public about Black history during his tenure at the university, and since 1976 it has been the premier repository of the Black experience in the region,” Darius J. Young, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, Quality Enhancement Plan Director, and Interim Museum Director, told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Visit Tallahassee invited BLACK ENTERPRISE on an engaging walk-through of the facility, housed within the first Carnegie Library built on a Black land-grant college campus. It is here, in one of only 10 Black archives in the United States, that you can see Black history come alive right before your eyes. The white brick-and-mortar building was inviting.

In the words of Dr. James N. Eaton, founder and first director of the Black Archives, “African-American History is the History of America.”

Since its founding in 1976, “the museum is the more frontward facing part of MEBA, but the archives is a laboratory for our students in disciplines like, History, African American Studies, English, and Journalism,” Young explained.

In every room, visitors can feel the essence of the Black experience that spans thousands of years. While focusing on specific periods in time, the incredible archives showcases memorabilia of collections, including the Black Church Collection, African American Dance Collection, Negro Schools in Florida Photographic Collection, and many more.

In the African Art Gallery, the walls are adorned with hand-crafted folk art, traditional African masks, and sculptures. The Old South collection follows the journey of slaves from the African Diaspora to America with hundreds of maps, newspapers, and artifacts of the slave trade and plantation life.

“One of the archives’ most treasured collections is the Montague Collection. Donated by a FAMU alumni, the collection highlights the work of Black creators and visionaries. The incredible inventory boasts letters from Booker T. Washington, signed postcards from Mary McLeod Bethune, and a rare chalk drawing by George Washington Carver. From the artistry of the Harlem Renaissance to the resilience of the civil rights movement, the Montague collection is one of the many gems awaiting visitors to the Black Archives,” according to Visit Tallahassee.

The future of the Black Archives is especially hopeful this summer, according to Young, who has served as interim director since May 2021.

“This summer, we hope to launch our internship program as a part of our relationship with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture to begin digitizing our collections,” Young said.

The Union Bank Museum, Florida’s oldest surviving bank building, hosts special exhibits from the Meek-Eaton archives. It was built by slave labor in 1841 and has been standing ever since. The Museum features exhibitions of Buffalo Soldiers, notable Black Floridians, and scenes from Florida’s civil rights experience.

“We are hoping to do an exhibition on Black activism in the state of Florida for our Union Bank site,” said Young.

The Black Archives recently received a significant gift from Olympic commissioned painter, Steve R. Allen. The artist donated six paintings to the Museum last semester as a part of his multimillion-dollar art donation to several HBCUs.

While the legacy of Eaton’s hard work lives on, Young gives a nod to an individual who is responsible for the majority of the center’s archival holdings.

“Most of that credit belongs to Dr. E. Murrell Dawson who archived the majority of our collections, but has trained so many students on how to conduct archival/primary based research and now dozens of her students have earned Ph.D.’s in related fields and are professors, researchers, and authors in their respective fields,” Young said.  

To learn more about the Museum series, go here.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

May 11, 2022

Brooklyn Teen Fatally Shot In The Head While Recording TikTok Videos With A Loaded Gun

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An 18-year-old Brooklyn teen was shot after she and her friend were reportedly playing around with a gun and recording TikTok videos.

On Wednesday, May 4, Adriana Graham was found fatally wounded by responding police in the lobby of the Harding Arms Apartments on Sterling Place in Crown Heights, the Daily News reported.

Medical first attendants rushed Graham, who was in critical condition, to the Kings County Hospital. Three days later, she succumbed to a headshot wound.

To date, NYPD detectives are deeming the teen’s death a homicide. They believe that Graham and her friend were playing around with a gun when it went off. The friend has not been identified, and officials have made no arrests.

A Harding Arms Apartments resident, Susan Semple, told news reporters that young people who might not even live at the complex often hang out in the lobby.

“They hang out too much in this building,” she said, offering her condolences to the family.

According to Graham’s Facebook page, she resided in Crown Heights and attended W.H. Maxwell Career and Technical Education High School in East New York.

Family and friends mourned her death on social media, sharing both shock and grief. Some posted videos of pink balloons being released in her honor and other heartfelt tributes.

“It don’t seem real. She just turned 18 at the end of January. She’s just a girl,” Graham’s uncle told the New York Post. “She’s not running around doing bad things,” he said, adding that his niece was a good girl.

“Things happen outside your control,” he continued.

A final viewing to celebrate Graham’s life will take place on Tuesday, May 17.

“Let’s all come out and celebrate our sweet baby girl Adriana Graham life,” wrote one of her friends alongside a detailed invitation about the event.

• Lifestyle

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 11, 2022

Regina King Looking Vibrant In First Photo of the Actress Since Her Son’s Death

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Actress Regina King has been understandably lowkey since losing her only child to suicide earlier this year.

But on Sunday, King’s cousin blessed fans with an update on the actress for Mother’s Day. A Twitter user with the handle @LawrenceCainJr posted a selfie he snapped during a Facetime call with the Harder They Fall star.

“Seeing Cuzo smile made today complete 🙏🏽 continue to pray for the mother’s who are living without their children,” he captioned the tweet.

https://twitter.com/LawrenceCainJr/status/1523433903926644739

Fans were excited to get a first look at King, who has understandably maintained a low profile after losing her son Ian Alexander Jr. to suicide in January.

“omggg bless her and you for sharing,” one fan tweeted. “I hope she knows we all love her.”

Another user shared the same sentiments.

“Thank you for sharing! It is wonderful to see her smile,” they added. “We are thinking of her and keeping her in our hearts ♥️.”

“We love her so much,” one user wrote.

Another user expressed how “Fantastic” it was “to see her smiling.” They asked King’s cousin to “Convey our love for her please.”

King lost her son on Jan. 21 to suicide. Alex was King’s only child, whom she shared with her ex-husband, record producer Ian Alexander Sr.

Alexander’s death came shortly after his 26th birthday. King released a statement asking for privacy while dealing with the tragic loss.

“Our family is devastated at the deepest level by the loss of Ian,” King told People. “He is such a bright light who cared so deeply about the happiness of others. Our family asks for respectful consideration during this private time. Thank you.”

King was chosen as one of the celebrity co-chairs of this year’s Met Gala. She wasn’t in attendance but still received the title alongside actress Blake Lively, her superstar husband Ryan Reynolds, and actor, composer, and director Lin-Manuel Miranda.

King is gearing up for the release of her starring role in the Shirley Chisolm biopic. Recently released photos show King’s striking resemblance to the first Black woman elected to Congress.

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

May 11, 2022

HBCU Delaware State University ‘Incensed After Black Women’s Lacrosse Team Bus Searched In Georgia

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Delaware State University‘s (DSU) women’s lacrosse team is shell-shocked after police stopped its charter bus in Georgia and searched their luggage.

USA Today reports the Delaware State Hornets were traveling north on I-95 in Liberty County, Georgia, late last month, returning home from playing Stetson University in Florida. Police told the Hornets bus driver Tim Jones the bus was stopped because he was improperly traveling in the left lane.

However, a video taken by DSU lacrosse player Saniya Craft shows an officer saying, “If there is anything in y’all’s luggage, we’re probably gonna find it, OK? I’m not looking for a little bit of marijuana, but I’m pretty sure you guys’ chaperones are probably gonna be disappointed in you if we find any.”

Shortly after, Liberty County deputies began removing DSU players’ bags from the vehicle’s cargo bay after asking Jones to open it. Police also had a drug-sniffing dog on the scene.

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman defended the stop in a public address Tuesday saying after speaking with deputies, reviewing video, and other facts of the incident, he does “not believe any racial profiling took place during the stop.

“Before entering the motorcoach, the deputies were not aware that this school was historically Black or aware of the race or the occupants due to the height of the vehicle and tint of the windows,” Bowman added in the address.

Bowman also said that “no personal items on the bus were searched,” however multiple accounts by DSU lacrosse team members dispute that claim.

DSU president Tony Allen released a letter early Monday saying the university has informed Delaware Gov. John Carney, the state attorney general’s office, the Congressional Black Caucus, and Delaware’s congressional delegation about the incident. DSU Lacrosse Coach Pamella Jenkins called the incident “very traumatizing” and credited her team for staying “composed.”

According to The Hill, Gov. Carney and other state politicians have condemned the unwarranted stop and search.

“Moments like these should be relegated to part of our country’s complicated history,” Carney said, “but they continue to occur with sad regularity in communities across our country. It’s especially hard when it impacts our own community,” Gov. Carney said in a statement.

In a joint statement, Delaware Democratic Sens. Chris Coons and Tom Carper and Delaware Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester also condemned the actions of the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office.

Police searched the bus, but the only thing they found was a wrapped box belonging to senior Aniya Aiken. Police questioned Aiken about the box, which she said was a gift from her family and her aunt told her not to open it until she got back to campus. Deputies opened the package and found a jewelry box, which they returned to her open.

No one was charged and nothing illegal was discovered in this search.

• Lifestyle

by Corey Lee

May 11, 2022

NJ Woman Sentenced to Almost 100 Years after Killing Her Lover and Burying Her In Backyard

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According to People, Jennifer Sweeney, 38, of Tinton Falls, was sentenced to 95 years in prison for murdering Tyrita Julius, 41, who she thought was cheating on her.

Sweeney allegedly tried to put a hit out on Julius, and when that plan didn’t work, she later killed the woman herself.

Jennifer Sweeney of Tinton Falls first enlisted a friend to kill her lover. When that didn’t work, Sweeney strangled the woman herself, a judge said when sentencing her to life in prison on Friday. https://t.co/ebLdPKOPz8

— Asbury Park Press (@AsburyParkPress) May 7, 2022

Sweeney reportedly tried to have a friend kill Julius, who was shot eight times in 2015. After striking a utility pole, she and her teenage daughter, who was also shot, were found in their car. They both survived the shooting.

However, months later, Julius was reported missing. Her remains were found five months later in the backyard of 38-year-old Andre Harris, who was identified as the gunman in the previous shooting. He testified against Sweeney, saying she thought the woman was cheating on her. Harris took a plea agreement resulting in 16 years in prison.

Julius’ remains were wrapped in two garbage bags with an electrical cord wrapped around her neck. Sweeney’s friend, Harris, reportedly helped her dispose of Julius’ body.

After several years, Sweeney was sentenced this month for her crimes. She was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree conspiracy to commit murder, first-degree attempted murder, three related weapons offenses, second-degree desecration of human remains, and fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence.

“This sentencing is a fitting outcome to the prosecution of genuinely monstrous crimes,” Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Lori Linskey said in a statement. “This defendant’s actions were callous, calculated, and vicious, and ended the life of a woman beloved by her family and friends. I sincerely thank the detectives and assistant prosecutors who worked so diligently over so many years to see that justice was done in this case.”

• News

by Corey Lee

May 11, 2022

Prosecutor: No Charges Against Mike Tyson or Passenger Who Irked Him on Flight 

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Neither Mike Tyson nor the man who annoyed him on a flight out of the Bay Area last month will face charges.

The incident happened on April 20 on a flight out of San Francisco International Airport and later went viral. District Attorney Steve Wagstaff told KTVU that Melvin Townsend, the other party, would also not face charges.

“We now deem the case closed,” Wagstaffe said.

During the incident, Townsend, who was reportedly intoxicated, threw a bottle of water at Tyson after the two were initially getting along. They even took a selfie together, witnesses said. Townsend leaned over his seat and was annoying the legendary and infamous boxer, who fired a flurry of punches.

TMZ was the first to report on the incident. Townsend was on a flight with a friend, who tried to keep him from further antagonizing the former heavyweight champion. After striking Townsend, Tyson exited the Florida-bound flight.

KTVU previously reported that Townsend has been convicted of fraud, grand theft, burglary and possession of controlled substances, according to Florida state records detailing his criminal history. 

The boxing legend was in San Francisco for a cannabis festival. He has been making inroads in that industry for several years. He currently has a partnership with wrestling legend, Ric Flair. Tyson 2.0 launched last fall, and offers around 15 products, including 1-oz. flower bags, vape pens, and a brand of edibles. The edibles are shaped like ears harkening back to when Tyson bit Evander Holyfield’s ear during a 1996 bout.

Tyson said he resumed smoking cannabis in 1996 after years of not using the plant. “When Tupac died, that’s when I started smoking marijuana again,” Tyson told The New York Post. “Because he always wanted to smoke marijuana with me, but I said, ‘I don’t smoke.’ So, I started smoking again when he died.”

Tyson and Earvin “Magic” Johnson have been confirmed as keynote speakers for the upcoming fourth annual Recession Proof Convention May 27-28 at The Mirage in Las Vegas.

• Arts and Culture

by Derek Major

May 11, 2022

Ten Young, Black Influencers Between 8 And 30 Are Living In The Collab Crib, An Atlanta Mansion Where The Eat, Drink And Create Content

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Ten young, Black influencers live and work in the Collab Crib, an Atlanta mansion where they live, work, and create content for their 30 million followers.

The Collab Crib is one of the nation’s only content houses specifically for Black influencers. It’s here where 10 Black content creators between the ages of 8 and 30 live, work and create content in the 8,500 square foot home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jyCZYLJjiY

The Collab Crib’s members include Marcus Bolton, 8; Khamyra Sykes, 15; Noah Webster, 19; Theodore Wisseh, 20; Oneil Rowe, 21; Kaychelle Dabney, 23; Kaelyn Castle, 24; Cameron Lee, 26; Tray Bills, 26; and Robert Dean III, 30. Six of the members live in the house full-time. The two women live independently but maintain a space at the mansion, while the two youngest also have space but live with their parents and are home-schooled.

Laughter, music, and positive vibes can be heard constantly throughout the Collab Crib. The group’s members hope to leverage their fame and the mansion to build their careers and break into music, television, and movies. The group includes aspiring dancers, comedians, musicians, pop stars, and rappers.

Keith Dorsey, the Collab Crib’s manager, told CNN the group has a simple strategy for success.

“We have a strategy, and that strategy is to work 100 times harder than everyone else,” Dorsey, a self-described talent manager and business developer, said. “They eat, sleep, strategize, and come up with new ideas and content. Together, they create magic. Our model is a video a day keeps the bill collectors away.”

Dorsey, 34, and his friend Dean, who became popular on the now-defunct app Vine, started the Collab Crib at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020. The two men chose the 10 members, some of whom they’ve worked with in the past and some based on their content and recommendations from others.

Some of those living in the mansion are skipping college or have left a 9-to-5 job on the table to live in the house, something several acknowledged wasn’t an easy decision.

One of the housemates, Cameron Lee, was hesitant to leave his job as a forklift operator because he didn’t have a large following at the time.

“A job – all you have to do is show up for work, and it’s guaranteed money, but I kind of woke up one day, and I was like, I am going full throttle with this.”

The group has led to other collaborations in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and other major cities. Living at the house has taught the group life skills, including getting along, problem-solving, divvying up chores, and collaborating. But the one thing they know how to do is have fun.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

May 11, 2022

HBCU Student Graduates Four Years After Being Paralyzed From Gunshot Wound

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Howard Boone Jr., a resilient survivor of gun violence, has propelled himself out of the darkness and finsihed what he started.

WRAL reported that Boone graduated from HBCU Saint Augustine’s University this week with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, four years after being paralyzed from the neck down due to a gunshot wound.

Though he didn’t have a solid plan, Boone’s accomplishments were motivated by his father. “My dad, he was always the one that told me: ‘If you start something, you’ve got to finish it,’” he said.

That same mantra inspired Boone throughout his teen years. The Raleigh, North Carolina, native graduated from Broughton High School, where he played football, baseball, and lacrosse. When high school ended, he joined the military, which allowed him to attend college and get “a sense of direction.”

In 2015, Boone’s received a full-ride scholarship to Saint Augustines, courtesy of the U.S. Army Reserves and Military Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, according to WRAL.

But on March 18, 2018, Boone was shot at Columbia’s Five Points while celebrating his initiation into Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated after a gunman opened fire into a large crowd.

For almost two weeks, Boone was in a sedated coma before waking up. “I coded twice, on the scene and again during surgery,” he said.

In the following weeks, he learned a bullet had cut his spinal cord, immobilizing him from the neck down. “When it first happened, I always asked myself, why me?” the then 23-year-old told news reporters. “But like my family always says, ‘God doesn’t put his soldiers out for no reason. He tests his best soldiers.’”

Boone went into a rehab clinic in Atlanta. There, he met someone experiencing the same struggles he was. The loneliness subsided, which eventually sparked his goal of completing his criminal justice degree

The new graduate did the work, even learning how to write his assignments via voice commands on his iPhone. Now, as part of the Class of 2022, Boone wants to leave a legacy to inspire others.

“The whole time during the ceremony I’m in a daze, like I’m feeling like I’m going to black out because it’s unreal,” Boone said. “Like it’s my time for me to get to go up there.”

• News

by Atiya Jordan

May 11, 2022

Black Fashion Week Minnesota Pays Tribute To Prince At His Estate

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Prince‘s unparalleled breadth of style challenged the boundaries of masculinity, sex, race, and rock ’n’ roll with his fantastical onstage costumes.

This same fashion style has inspired a new Black Fashion Week Minnesota event to encourage a movement of creativity and empowerment in the Black design community.

“Design of the Times” takes place today at the legendary Soundstage at Paisley Park in Chanhassen, Minnesota, which was the estate and design studio home of the late music and fashion icon, the Star-Tribune reported. The event features fashion, music, and a Q&A panel with Prince’s longtime designer Debbie McGuan.

McGuan, who had worked with Prince from 1993 to 2007, recalled just how creative and innovative Prince was with his fashion style. From silk-screened suits to a white jumpsuit with a glyph sewn on the front, McGuan brought some of Prince’s iconic pieces to life from the singer-songwriter’s in-house wardrobe department.

“He [Prince] was very aware of fashion and looked at fashion and knew what he wanted, but was very open,” she said. “Sometimes he would like the inspiration of something but made in a different color. Or it was, ‘Use this vibe, but change it and maybe make the sleeves this way.'”

As McGuan remembers it, designing for Prince was a thrill and working with him was like living in a world that constantly relished in creativity.

“It was the best job. I gave it my all and I just loved it,” McGaun said. “He just challenged you to be creative because that’s what he did with his fashion and music and thinking ahead of the times.”

For her talk, McGaun will share some her favorite Prince pieces on display.

According to KARE11, “Design of the Times” starts at7:45 p.m.; doors open at 6 p.m.

“This particular show, we have 10 designers, 30 models showing their best. And one of the designs, each design, is a Prince-inspired piece as well as showing that creativity with the other ones,” explained Natalie Marrow, CEO and founder of Black Fashion Week Minnesota.

“It is important just to show that you can make and have clothes made for you right here in the Twin Cities with our local talent.”

For more information and tickets, click here.