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Shirlene ‘Ms. Juicy’ Pearson of ‘Little Women: Atlanta’ Hospitalized in ICU
Little Women: Atlanta star Shirlene Pearson, 50, otherwise known as Ms. Juicy Baby, was reportedly hospitalized in the ICU but has since been stabilized, according to a statement by her team on her official Instagram account Friday.
“At this time Ms. Juicy is stabilized in the ICU,” the agency representing Pearson wrote in the post. “The family is thankful for all the prayers and are asking for you to respect their privacy at this time. Please continue to keep Ms Juicy in your prayers. We will keep you updated with any changes.”
There were no further details regarding the condition or circumstances of the hospitalization of the reality TV star.
Production sources say Pearson has been concentrating on her diet and exercise for the past two years in an effort to maintain good health and were not aware of any serious health issues, according to TMZ.
Pearson made her acting debut in 2007 in Fred Hampton’s Christmans… Who Needs It and then on the TV series Meet the Browns. She went on to appear on Tyler Perry’s Madea’s Big Happy Family, T.Y. Martin’s Lord Why Me and eventually as a recurring personality on The Rickey Smiley Morning Show.
The Little Women: Atlanta star made her first appearance as guest star of the show at its 2016 premiere. After becoming a full-time co-star in the second season, she became a viral internet sensation with catchphrases like “Jesus Take the Wheel,” “I’m the Queen of Atlanta Boo,” and “It’s Ms. Juicy Baby.” Plenty of memes have been created of all her viral moments. Pearson has starred in the Lifetime series through season six, which premiered in January 2021.
The first episode of the latest season began with a special introduction in which the cast commemorated their late cast member, Little Women star Ashley “Minnie” Ross, who tragically died in a car crash on April 26, 2020, reports People. She was 34 years old.
Too Little Too Late: Terry Crews Apologizes for Inconsiderate 2020 BLM Comments During Book Promo Appearance
In his Thursday appearance on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, Terry Crews has apologized for his insensitive Black Lives Matter tweets during the highpoint of the racial movement in 2020.
During the nationwide protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd, Crews tweeted some controversial thoughts on the matter, igniting an onslaught of backlash on social media.
“If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed, and ideology. We must ensure #blacklivesmatter doesn’t morph into #blacklivesbetter,” read one of the tweets.
If you are a child of God, you are my brother and sister. I have family of every race, creed and ideology.
“Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth,” Crews wrote in another. “Like it or not, we are all in this together.”
Defeating White supremacy without White people creates Black supremacy. Equality is the truth.
Upon receiving the first couple thousand replies, he continued, “Any Black person who calls me a coon or and Uncle Tom for promoting EQUALITY is a Black Supremist [sic], because they have determined who’s Black and who is not.”
Any Black person who calls me a coon or and Uncle Tom for promoting EQUALITY is a Black Supremist, because they have determined who's Black and who is not.
While talking with Noah, following the plug of his recent book release Tough: My Journey to True Power, Crews owned up to his statements and apologized.
“I’m going to let you know, I really do want to apologize to anybody who was offended by these tweets, and was hurt deeply,” said the actor at the 19:40 mark. “Because as an example, as an African American man, a Black man here in this country, I did not want to give the perception that we’re supposed to gloss this over and forgive the death of George Floyd. The murder of George Floyd. And I want to apologize to everyone right now who was ever offended, because it hurt.”
While discussing his book, he touched on some points regarding his healing journey, attributing his need for validation as a source for his misguided tweets.
“I just wanted peace. And I guess it goes back to my approval. It goes back to my need for approval, it went back to that,” Crews told Noah. “And again, it was a mistake. It was a mistake to tweet that out at that time.”
However, the 53-year-old actor hints at how his tweets may have gone over many users’ heads. “You can’t have a nuanced conversation on Twitter,” he joked.
Crews ends his commentary on the show with, “The need is for us as a people to actually come together… This is our country. We died and fought, and I’m not giving it away. This is our inheritance.”
Black-Owned Entertainment App PopViewers Announces Steve Harvey Collab
Black-owned entertainment recommendation platform PopViewers has announced a collaboration with comedian and Family Feud host Steve Harvey.
PopViewers is a relatively new TV and movie app, having launched in 2020, with the mission to make more diverse voices heard in entertainment, and with the help of the two-time Daytime Emmy Award-winner for Outstanding Game Show Host and Outstanding Talk Show Host, PopViewers is about to reach a whole other level.
“PopViewers is creating a more inclusive viewing experience and building a space which represents the voices and perspectives of viewers from diverse backgrounds,” said Harvey, per Deadline. “Most media critics don’t look like me or Chris [the PopViewers founder], and this impacts how movies and shows are sold to wider audiences. This is why I like the vision and why I decided to do this partnership. By bringing in more diverse voices, we can elevate great talent, making sure that it can be recognized and appreciated globally.”
Chris Witherspoon, CEO and founder of PopViewers, expressed his admiration of the veteran comic: “Growing up in Warren, Ohio I used to watch The Steve Harvey Show after school. Through the screen, he taught me valuable life lessons. I told myself then that if Steve Harvey could dream big enough to make it out of Cleveland, Ohio to be on my TV, I could do the same.”
Currently available in the Apple store, PopViewers is composed of community feedback on movies and TV series which is then used to suggest to other users with similar media based on what the viewer has already watched. Not only that, but lends its data as a market resource for streaming apps, theaters, studios, and TV networks.
“One of the most important things I’ve learned on my journey as a Founder and CEO is to have a clear, unwavering vision – no matter the obstacles before me – and to lead with passion and conviction,” said Witherspoon. “I learned that from a talk Steve Harvey gave years ago which makes it feel surreal to have him as a partner to help PopViewers flourish.”
Prepare for takeoff! We've got your lineup of all of this weekend's hottest new shows! https://t.co/6ma2NnxMRk
Since its launch, the app saw “a growth in installs of 10-14% per week,” according to the outlet.
Harvey continues to widen his portfolio of investing in Black-owned businesses through Harvey Ventures, which has previously propelled MOON Ultra and Brotha Bakes.
PopViewers is available for download in the Apple app store.
Bid Denied: UK Metropolitan Police Publicly Names Officer Who Paralyzed Black Man
Thirty-five-year-old U.K. police officer Imran Mahmood was charged with grievous bodily harm by the Crown Prosecution Service on March 31, after paralyzing a Black man from the chest down. The officer petitioned for anonymity from the Westminster Magistrates’ Court and was denied after claiming he feared for his life because the now-wheelchair-bound man he injured had criminal ties, reports the Guardian.
Jordan Walker-Brown, 25, believes authorities initially targeted him because of his skin color, which led to a police pursuit in Haringey, north London, in May 2020. Mahmood proceeded to shoot Walker-Brown with a Taser as he attempted to scale a wall, resulting in a fall where he sustained a life-altering injury.
The Metropolitan cop alleged the suspect was gang-affiliated, urging the magistrates court to omit his name from being released to any media organizations.
(Image: PA)
After denying his petition, Chief Magistrate Paul Goldspring described Mahmood’s fear as “speculative” and is “a quantum leap from the fact that it can happen, to cogent evidence that such an imminent threat exists in this case, otherwise every case with a link to gangs would merit an anonymity order.”
He continued, “The police habitually manage such risks in the community by a variety of measures, which may well be appropriate in the present case, but anonymity is not justified.”
Mahmood of Plaistow, east London, submitted a plea of not guilty while appearing in court last Thursday.
He was released on bail and the next court date is set to May 26 at Southwark Crown Court.
Per the outlet, Black people in England and Wales are five times more likely to face police force than their white counterparts. While the British police force largely don’t use firearms, nearly 7,000 carry Taser guns, with figures expected to rise to 10,000 this year.
According to police, any additional misconduct will be examined pending the results of the court proceedings.
Viola Davis Debuts The Trailer For Her Film ‘The Woman King’ At CinemaCon
Many critics expressed their concern with how Viola Davis portrayed Michelle Obama in Showtime’s drama series The First Lady. Get ready, Davis’ new project will undoubtedly redeem her in the eyes of the public.
On Monday, director Gina Prince-Bythewood (The Secret Life of Bees, Love & Basketball) debuted the movie trailer for The Woman King at CinemaCon and electrified the viewing audience during the convention’s premiere, according to The Wrap.
Davis plays the role of Nanisca, the general that led an all-female military unit to fight against enemies of The Kingdom of Dahomey.
“She is everything we believe her to be, and she kicks ass in this film,” said Prince-Bythewood during the Sony presentation.
Other cast members include Thuso Mbedu, Lashana Lynch, Sheila Atim, Hero Fiennes Tiffin, and John Boyega, The Wrap reports.
The historical film draws inspiration from actual events that occurred during The Kingdom of Dahomey, an empire that reigned in the 18th and 19th centuries in the present day of southern Benin.
“Viola Davis has been championing this movie as a producer since Day one,” said TriStar Pictures President Nicole Brown at CinemaCon, during The Woman King CinemaCon session.
CinemaCon presented Davis with the inaugural trailblazer of the year, which she called The Woman King, her “magnum opus.”
“You know the five words I don’t want to take to my grave would be, “I was not brave enough.’ That I didn’t risk discomfort, failure exposure,” said the actress, according to Deadline.
While giving her acceptance speech, she paid homage to the late Cecily Tyson.
“I just knew that when I was nine years old and I saw [her] for the first time and saw that vision jump out of the screen, the radical power that gave me to believe in something bigger than my world, it touched down and landed in me and it landed in a generation of artists. And I wanted to do that in my work as an actor I wanted to play characters that have never been seen before in a body that looked like mine… and be a producer who championed those stories with people, with a history that looked like me.
The movie will be exclusively in theaters on September 16, 2022.
A quaint fishing village on the far east bank of the Mississippi River, a little over an hour from New Orleans and a population just over 100, sits Pointe à la Hache. The river bank was the source of food and livelihood for the predominantly Black community in Plaquemines Parish, but has since diminished by destruction of climate change and the intervention from the state of Louisiana.
Byron Encalade, founder of the Louisiana Oystermen Association, a primarily Black union that fights for the common interests of oystermen of color, recalls how his grandfather passed down the tradition of fishing and harvesting oysters.
“This was known as one of the richest oyster grounds in the world,” he said. “This was the main source of revenue for the community. The old people would come down here, catch the boats comin’ in, would get ’em a few oysters, crabs, shrimps, and stuff.”
While this diverse and delicate ecosystem has withstood the test of natural and man-made disasters, toxic spills, and racist policies, rising sea levels and vigorous storms thanks to climate change, are destroying the once-fertile land and forcing its residents out.
The state however, wants to reroute part of the Mississippi River straight to the wetlands so the land can gain back some sediment and reverse what’s been eroded. According to the state of Louisiana, this is the last resort before villages like Pointe à la Hache are lost under water.
The only problem is the Mississippi River consists mostly of fresh water. Oysters can only survive in brackish water, a mix of fresh and saltwater. Remaining residents are faced with the impossible decision of saving the land or destroying Pointe à la Hache’s rich Black cultural heritage of oyster fishing.
“They didn’t drop bombs on us with a plane, but they dropped the Mississippi River right in our lap,” says Encalade. “And the results were the same: You destroyed a community.”
Byron Encalade, founder of the Louisiana Oystermen Association. (Image: Oxfam America)
Black oystermen in Louisiana date back to enslaved Africans working the same waters. Following emancipation, many Black fishermen stayed on, working on white-owned boats and earning a minute sum of the profits.
Pointe à la Hache endured the racist Jim Crow laws, redlining, and Hurricane Katrina; though torn and battered they ultimately survived. However, when the BP oil spill of 2010 happened, the worst offshore spill in American history, irreversible damage was done and made worse by the clean-up chemicals after.
When the State of Louisiana redirected fresh water to the waterways covered in oil, the massive amount of freshwater ended up killing most of the oyster and thus the livelihood of Pointe à la Hache.
“Then BP, when they set up a compensation fund to take care of the people, the people in this community was left out,” said the third-generation oysterman.
Because life at the village seems bleak, many oystermen are encouraging their kids to go off to college and pursue other professions although they had planned to pass their businesses down to them.
The older fisherman, however, plan to spend the rest of their days in what they’ve only ever known as home. “This is home. There’s no place like home, you know? I’m gonna be here forever,” said fisherman Keslyn Williams.
In Georgia, Protesters March at Monument to U.S. South’s Pro-Slavery Past
By Rich McKay
ATLANTA (Reuters) – Carrying signs decrying “racist traitors,” about a hundred civil rights activists marched and chanted at Georgia’s Stone Mountain on Saturday to protest at the return of an annual celebration of the Confederacy at the foot of a towering monument to the heroes of the South’s pro-slavery past.
The Confederate flag flutters as supporters gather during Confederate Memorial Day at Stone Mountain Park east of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. April 30, 2022. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers
As dozens of state and local police, including SWAT teams with armored trucks, looked on, the state chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) with 200 supporters gathered for its celebration, which it says honors the sacrifices of their forebears.
The Atlanta NAACP and other civil rights supporters, some using megaphones to try to shout down the event, which it views as a salute to the South’s legacy of racism.
“We stand against the celebration of chattel slavery,” said Gerald Griggs, state president of the NAACP, before the march began. “We cannot celebrate the world’s largest monument to white supremacy.”
Meymoona Freeman of Stone Mountain Action Coalition speaks as counter-protesters gather during Confederate Memorial Day at Stone Mountain Park east of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. April 30, 2022. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers
The event, which returned after a two-year hiatus, took place at the foot of a 90-foot-tall, bas-relief sculpture depicting three Confederate leaders on horseback that is notched in Stone Mountain’s granite face.
The Stone Mountain Memorial Association, which runs part of the sprawling park about 20 miles northeast of Atlanta, cancelled the gathering in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the potential for violence at the event.
Stone Mountain has long held symbolism for white supremacists. The Ku Klux Klan, a hate group formed by Confederate Army veterans with a history of lynchings and terror against Black people, held its rebirth ceremony atop the mountain in 1915 with flaming crosses.
Supporters gather during Confederate Memorial Day at Stone Mountain Park east of Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. April 30, 2022. REUTERS/Dustin Chambers
In recent years, tensions between the two sides “began to create a clear and present danger”, the association said in a statement. Even so, it said it would let this year’s event go ahead and welcomed peaceful gatherings “from all quarters.”
Timothy Pilgrim, the Georgia Division Director of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, spoke even as protesters shouted over him with “Boos” and obscenity laced calls to “shut up.”
“We are here about heritage and history,” Pilgrim told Reuters before the event. “This has nothing to do about race, we welcome all to our programs.”
Martin O’Toole, a SCV spokesman and keynote speaker at the event, is also a leader in the Charles Martel Society, a self-avowed white nationalist group based in Atlanta.
O’Toole said the gathering honors those who fought in the 1861-65 American Civil War on the Confederate side, which sought to secede from the Union to determine its own destiny.
“The South remembers its dead,” O’Toole said. “They were the patriots of their day.”
Richard Rose, the NAACP’s Atlanta chapter president, said he personally wanted to see the images of General Robert E. Lee, Confederate President Jefferson Davis, and General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson removed from the mountain.
He said it was clear to him that the memorial service is a glorification of the pro-slavery cause.
“We have to be there and stand against this,” Rose said. “Silence gives consent and they glorify a past of chattel slavery and its horrendous violence against humanity.”
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Mark Heinrich and Daniel Wallis)
Twitter Explodes When A Poster Shows An All-White Panel For A Juneteenth Celebration In Arkansas
Organizers of a Juneteenth soul food festival in Arkansas pulled the event after social media erupted when a leaked advertising poster proof revealed the headlining hosts as an all-white panel, Salon reports.
A Twitter user shared the picture of the event’s poster on Tuesday and captioned the post with, “Somebody has to explain this to me.”
— 🇯🇲Black🇭🇹 Aziz 🇳🇬aNANsi🇹🇹 (@Freeyourmindkid) April 26, 2022
The individuals featured are Rex Nelson, the senior editor of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette; Heather Baker, the president and publisher of AY Media Group; and David Bazzel, an Arkansas radio and TV personality, according to Salon.
The event was scheduled for June 17 to celebrate the emancipation of enslaved people, which is usually commemorated on June 19, after they received their freedom when President Abraham Lincoln signed the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation, the New York Times reports.
President Joe Biden officially recognized the date as a federal holiday in 2021, according to NPR.
The community gathering was slated for the Little Rock War Memorial Stadium and would host “3 floors of food from some of Arkansas’ top restaurants and caterers.”
Muskie Harris, a Black former Razorback football player, was the organizer for the event immediately canceled after the backlash, according to Arkansas Times.
“I got a rope around my neck and I’m tarred and feathered over an event that’s already dead,” said Harris, a former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.
And just like that, it is fixed/canceled.
They knew it was inappropriate with the name and all. Especially using logos without organizations approval. MTCC did not give permission to use logo or was in on planning. Checking with Urban League now. pic.twitter.com/01uRLoaT2V
— Natalie James for U.S. Senate (@JamesForAR) April 27, 2022
Harris said the disclosed image was just a proof and not the final version.
“It just got perceived in the wrong way, and my sponsors said to leave it alone. It’s dead. It’s dried up,” he intended the event to promote unity, the Arkansas Times reports.
The Arkansas branch of The Urban League quickly made its stance public on its Facebook page. The organization declared it had no prior knowledge of the event, even though they are listed as a beneficiary on the poster.
“Please read — the Urban League of the State of Arkansas is and was not involved in any aspect of this program,” the organization posted on Tuesday. “We are concerned about the appearance of participation without our approval. It’s unfortunate that some failed to recognize the optics and the absolute need to engage prior to this being developed.”
Harris will let the dust settle and told Arkansas Time he would plan the event again for next year.
Study: Black Americans Among College Graduates Expecting First-Year Salaries Nearly $50,000 Over Average Pay
With the graduation season looming, Black Americans are among college graduates who could likely be soon entering the nation’s workforce.
Still, they could be facing an unpleasant reality when it comes to the lucrative amount of money they hope to earn as they take on their first career job.
However, Black respondents expected an average annual salary of $104,810. That’s just a tad more than the expected comparable salary of White respondents of $103,820. That means the salary expectation now by graduates is roughly doubled — by a whopping nearly $50,000.
The online study by Real Estate Witch consisted of 1,000 people who identified as college students pursuing a bachelor’s degree surveyed in March 2022. To gain insight on their salary expectations, they were asked several questions ranging from their financial situation to the job market. Of those surveyed, 185 self-identified as Black.
Upcoming graduates will enter a job market rebounding quickly from the COVID-19 pandemic. “Job openings hover near record highs, and desperate employers are raising pay to entice top talent amid ongoing labor shortages,” per the study.
It was not precisely pinpointed why graduates have such a bullish pay outlook. The fresh study suggested a stronger economy possibly spurred unrealistic salary expectations that may leave students “disappointed.” It indicated that “students graduating in 2022 have a strong job market awaiting them, with employers planning to hire nearly 27% more graduates” from this year’s class versus those in 2021.
Other findings revealed of students with jobs set up after graduation, just 51% are pleased with their starting salaries. Some 31% doubt they will make enough to live cozy after graduation. And 43% will graduate with at least $30,000 or over in student debt, 29% graduating with $50,000 or more.
Jamie Seale, the study’s author, says the slight difference in salary expectations is possible because Black respondents are graduating with higher-paying degrees. “Our data shows a higher proportion of Black students than the average majored in finance/accounting, and that major has above-average salary expectations at the one-year mark.”
Yet, she disclosed that black respondents expected a mid-career salary 0.5% below the overall respondent average of $200,270. White respondents expected a mid-career salary 1.2% above that average. “Black workers are underrepresented in senior roles, which could be why they expect lower salaries by mid-career.”
So, what is the downside for Black graduates if their salary expectations are not met, and is there anything they can do about it?
Seale says Black college graduates owe, on average, $25,000 more in student loan debt than white college graduates. “If their starting salaries don’t meet expectations, it may prolong the amount of time it takes to repay their student loans.” She added black respondents could try negotiating for a higher salary or refuse the offer and keep looking for a higher-paying job.
