British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie Arrested In U.S. On Drug Trafficking Charges
by Derek Major

April 29, 2022

British Virgin Islands Premier Andrew Fahie Arrested In U.S. On Drug Trafficking Charges

Andrew Fahie, the premier of the British Virgin Islands, was arrested on drug trafficking and money laundering charges.

The New York Times reports Fahie requested an upfront payment of $500,000 to move cocaine through the island’s ports to Miami and New York. In addition to Fahie, British Virgin Islands Director of Ports, Oleanvine Pickering Maynard, and her son, Kadeem Stephan Maynard, were also charged.

A man who presented himself as a member of the Sinaloa Cartel but who was working with federal authorities met with Maynard in March and asked her for help ferrying thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Columbia through Tortola, which is in the British Virgin Islands. Maynard agreed to help the man smuggle the cocaine and told him Fahie would also be open to the agreement.

On April 7, the informant met with Fahie, who requested the upfront payment and added Maynard could provide the licenses needed to slip the cocaine through the ports. According to the criminal complaint, the informant also gave Fahie $20,000 in cash “to seal that we have an agreement,” according to the criminal complaint.

The informant also discussed the idea of organizing and conducting bad searches and seizures to make it seem like Fahie was fighting drug smuggling.

DEA Administrator Anne Milgram reported that the arrests should send a message going forward.

“Anyone involved with bringing dangerous drugs into the United States will be held accountable, no matter their position,” Milgram said.

“Today is yet another example of D.E.A’s resolve to hold corrupt members of government responsible for using their positions of power to provide a safe haven for drug traffickers and money launderers in exchange for their own financial and political gain.”

Liz Truss, the British foreign secretary, said she has spoken to British Virgin Islands Gov. John Rankin, who will be holding an emergency meeting about the situation.

“I am appalled by these serious allegations,” Truss told the New York Times.

“This arrest demonstrates the importance of the recently concluded Commission of Inquiry.”

Lizzo’s Bringing In the Big Bucks, Net Worth Estimated at $12M
by Wendy Medina

April 29, 2022

Lizzo’s Bringing In the Big Bucks, Net Worth Estimated at $12M

Detroit born, Houston bred pop sensation Lizzo started from the bottom. Now she’s worth $10-$12 million, reports Parade. 

Her rise to the top wasn’t an easy one. She faced homelessness, poverty, and self-doubt all before hitting it big. That didn’t stop her grind and once she embraced who she was and challenged her self-confidence, everything began to align for the “Good As Hell” singer.

“I had to address every layer of insecurity. Cause I can’t just be like, ‘Alright, my arm’s not jiggly and lumpy anymore.’ That’s delusional. You have to be like, ‘That’s not ugly to me anymore and it’s not wrong to me, it’s beautiful to me,'” Lizzo said in an interview with CBS Sunday Morning’s For the Record.

Since the budding of her career, Lizzo has gone on to act alongside big Hollywood names, started her own reality TV series, collaborated on advertising and marketing campaigns with global brands, and began investing in high-end real estate. 

In a Vogue interview, the singer-songwriter shared that she’s financed some California real estate, including being owner of an Echo Park house and rents a charming apartment in Palm Springs.

“When ur 26 million dollar mansion don’t got no food,” Lizzo captioned a viral TikTok tour of her empty fridge.

Besides her first-look deal with Amazon Prime, where she stars in her reality show Watch Out for the Big Grrrls, her acting chops range from appearing in the 2019 hit movie Hustlers, voice acting in the animated UglyDolls, as well as the Disney+ reboot of The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder.

Lizzo’s dipping her toes in numerous industries to have multiple streams of income have earned her songwriting royalties, payouts from streaming platforms, merchandise, sales, touring, promotions and endorsements.

With her “Cuz I Love You” certified platinum in 2020, “Truth Hurts” having gone platinum seven times, “Good As Hell” at quadruple platinum and “Juice” going double platinum, it’s safe to say she’s making money, money.

In an 2019 NPR interview, the pop star revealed Prince signed her “first big check ever,” however, she took much more from working with the “Purple Rain” sensation:

“When you’re an artist, your career isn’t defined by trends or age. That’s the biggest lesson I learned from Prince: perpetuate positivity, and also art is forever. Be eternal,” Lizzo said.

Turks and Caicos Black-Owned Swimwear Brand Roots Designs in Island Culture
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 29, 2022

Turks and Caicos Black-Owned Swimwear Brand Roots Designs in Island Culture

Meet bēchë (pronounced “beachy”), the Turks and Caicos-based swimwear line rooted in the owner’s proud Caribbean culture.

Cyprianna Green launched bēchë in 2016 after combining her passion for Turks and Caicos’ pristine beaches with her love for fashion. Born in the country’s capital Grand Turk, and raised between there and the island of Providenciales, Cyprianna grew up loving the beach.

Since its inception, bēchë has released three collections tailored to highlight the beauty of the island. The brand’s fourth collection is slated for release this summer.

Cyprianni Green (Image: Instagram/bēchë)

Green credits her love for her hometown for strengthening the look and feel of her swimwear pieces.

“bēchë has definitely strengthened my patriotism to my home country,” Green told Travel Noire.

“To adequately translate our culture, I had to school myself so I could gain a deeper knowledge.”

“In my quest toward that, I fell in love with TCI and that made me grow a more intimate connection to who we are as a people and where we’ve come from.”

While attending college in Miami, Green started modeling and attending fashion events. After experiencing Miami Swim Week, Green was convinced that swimwear was the way to go.

With eccentric pieces full of color and style for men and women, Green describes each style as a “physical love letter to Turks and Caicos.”

“Through every collection, I try to tell a story of who we are as a people, what is important to our country and what the TCI actually is,” she said.

“Far beyond the ‘sun, sand and sea’ description given to us by the masses. I feel like the more that we tell our story and demonstrate what our cultural DNA is, the more unique our country will be in comparison to others.”

Usher Sees His ‘Twin’ Court Side at NBA Playoff Game
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 29, 2022

Usher Sees His ‘Twin’ Court Side at NBA Playoff Game

Allegedly, we all have a twin walking around somewhere on this planet. Singer Usher Raymond IV ran into his twin at a recent NBA playoff game!

Memphis Grizzlies basketball player, Ja Morant has been tearing up the courts all season and is currently locked in a battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves as both teams vie to advance to the next round in the NBA playoffs. But, for a moment, the attention was taken off Morant for another Morant, his father, Tee. Since the start of the playoffs, Tee Morant has been seen on camera often. The more face time Tee got, the more comparisons surfaced of him favoring R&B singer Usher were made.

Well, guess who showed up at the Grizzlies versus Timberwolves game on Tuesday night?

As the “Look-Alike” cam scrolled through the audience, Usher’s face appeared on the screen after two look-alikes were revealed. The match? Of course, Tee Morant.

The 43-year-old singer and Ja’s father were even dressed similarly in a black T-shirt and shades. Tee had on one necklace while Usher sported several. The uncanny resemblance did not go unnoticed.

by Atiya Jordan

April 29, 2022

The Serena Williams Building At Nike Headquarters Has Officially Opened

Tennis titan Serena Williams has an entire building dedicated to her at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon. And it’s open!

In 2017, Nike announced its plans to erect four buildings, two of which would be named after Williams and Olympic Gold track star Sebastian Coe, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.

Two days ago, the 23-time Grand Slam winner posted to Instagram, sharing her excitement with her 14.6 million followers. Alongside a video unveiling the Serena building, Williams said it was a childhood dream of hers to become an athlete and have her own building.

“When I was just a kid, I visited the Nike campus, and I saw that athletes get buildings,” she wrote. “After that visit, I knew I wanted two things: to be a Nike athlete and to have a building. Can you believe it? I have a BUILDING Y’ALL!!! This is CRAZY!!!”

 

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A post shared by Serena Williams (@serenawilliams)

Opened in April 2022, the Serena Williams building was designed by Portland-based Skylab Architecture in collaboration with Mark Parker, executive chairman of NIKE, Inc. It is the largest structure on the Nike campus, situated at more than 1 million square feet and covering nearly three city blocks and 140 full-size tennis courts.

The space also includes “140,000 square feet of showrooms and work space; a footwear materials library; a color lab; and the two-story, 140-seat Olympia Theater, named after Serena’s daughter,” as per the Nike press release.

PHOTO: RICARDO NAGAOKA/NIKE

“Architecture has long been a creative catalyst for Nike,” John Hoke, Nike’s chief design officer, said in a statement. “A manifestation of form and function following footprint, this building embodies Serena’s legacy as a force for positive change.”

According to the brand, the towering building was created with Williams’ mission of protecting the planet in mind. It is made up of recycled content that was harvested and manufactured locally.

“The whole building takes your breath away,” Williams, who has been a Nike athlete since 2003, shared in the press release. “Every element, everywhere you go, is an opportunity to be inspired. I hope this building encourages people to bring out the best of themselves and to dream bigger than they thought possible.”

Fidelity Investments To Let Individuals Add Bitcoin To Retirement Savings
by Jeffrey McKinney

April 29, 2022

Fidelity Investments To Let Individuals Add Bitcoin To Retirement Savings

In a groundbreaking move, Fidelity Investments will reportedly become the first major retirement-plan provider to let people place bitcoin into their 401(k) accounts.

Calling itself one of the largest financial services providers, the company just rolled out Fidelity’s workplace Digital Assets Account (DAA), per a news release.

Fidelity reported MicroStrategy would be the first employer to leverage the new product to its 401(k) plan later this year. Fidelity says it will be available to employers extensively by mid-year.

Dave Gray, head of Workplace Retirement Offerings and Platforms at Fidelity Investments, told BLACK  ENTERPRISE by email, “Fidelity is thrilled to launch a first-of-its-kind workplace digital assets account that will enable individuals to have a portion of their retirement savings allocated to bitcoin through the core 401(k) plan lineup. This new offering represents the firm’s continued commitment to evolving and broadening its digital assets offerings amidst steadily growing demand for digital assets across investor segments.”

Some 23,000 companies that use Fidelity to administer their retirement plans will have the choice to use bitcoin, the Wall Street Journal reported. According to CNBC, Fidelity is America’s largest retirement-plan provider with $11.3 trillion in assets under administration. Observers maintain Fidelity’s action could make cryptocurrency an even more attractive investment option for individuals.

The investment is catching on fast with people of color. Reportedly, Black American investors own cryptocurrency over twice as much as white Americans. And cryptocurrency has been gaining favor, notably with young Black investors.

Analysts continue to caution investors about the potentially high volatility of cryptocurrency and suggest that they do serious research before investing in it. Still, some investors are drawn to digital currencies due to the possibly high value they can bring in a short time.

It has not been determined if or how many companies will adopt the new product for employees.

Around 30% of U.S. institutional investors surveyed would prefer to buy an investment product with digital assets, per Fidelity Digital Assets 2021 Institutional Investor Digital Assets Study. Fidelity estimates that roughly 80 million U.S. individual investors now own or have invested in digital currencies.

Gray told the Wall Street Journal, which first reported on Fidelity’s plans, that Fidelity would allow “savers to allocate as much as 20% of their nest eggs to bitcoin, though that threshold could be lowered by plan sponsors. He added, “it would be limited to bitcoin initially, but he expects other digital assets to be made available in the future.”

“There is growing interest from plan sponsors for vehicles that enable them to provide their employees access to digital assets in defined contribution plans, and in turn from individuals with an appetite to incorporate cryptocurrencies into their long-term investment strategies,” Gray stated.

Yet, there could be some regulatory roadblocks before cryptocurrency gets the overall green light to be applied broadly to 401(k) plans. For instance, the U.S. Labor Department stated how cryptocurrencies could potentially bring weighty risks to retirement savings.

   
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 29, 2022

Las Vegas Raiders Owner Mark Davis Said He Would Welcome Colin Kaepernick ‘With Open Arms’

An NFL team owner has gone on record to say that he’d welcome former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick with “open arms.”

In an interview on the latest episode of Race in America: A Candid Conversation that aired earlier this week, Mark Davis, who owns the Las Vegas Raiders, said that Kaepernick is deserving of every chance to become a quarterback in the league once again, NBC Sports reports.

“I believe in Colin Kaepernick,” he said during the discussion. “He deserves every chance in the world to become a quarterback in the National Football League. I still stand by it. If our coaches and general manager want to bring him in or want him to be the quarterback on this team, I would welcome him with open arms.”

Davis also compared the ex-quarterback to Tommie Smith. He was a gold medal-winning sprinter who set a record in the 200-meter race at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Smith and bronze medalist John Carlos were expelled from The Games after raising their fisted gloves during the medal ceremony to protest oppression.

The American power structure vilified the two athletes. They both paid a steep price for standing up and exposing the inequality they and others like them faced back in America.

“In the same vein, Colin Kaepernick has sacrificed a lot of the things that he could have been doing in his life to get a message across about police violence and equity and inclusion in America,” Davis said. “I stand by that.”

Davis, the son of his legendary NFL football coach and owner Al Davis, also feels that Kaepernick is misunderstood.

“I think Colin is a very misunderstood human being,” Davis remarked. “I’ve gotten a chance to talk to him. I never really knew Colin, and I didn’t understand him. I didn’t understand the kneeling, what that meant initially. Over time, I have learned a little bit more about it.”

After Being Released From Prison After 32 Years, Florida Man May Have to Return
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 29, 2022

After Being Released From Prison After 32 Years, Florida Man May Have to Return

Last year, a 63-year-old man from Florida who spent 32 years in prison for a crime he did not commit was released. Now, after being free, the man may have to go back to jail after an appeal by the state overturned the decision.

According to The Washington Post, Crosley Green, who was released from prison on April 8, 2021, was in jail for more than 30 years following a murder conviction that he has always denied committing. Now, he faces the possibility of having to go back to prison after a recent court ruling.

The state appealed the release of Green, now 64, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit has thrown out the lower court’s decision to vacate his conviction. Last month, “the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled a federal district judge improperly overturned” Green’s conviction, and now he may have to go back to prison.

In 1990, a jury convicted Green of killing 21-year-old Charles “Chip” Flynn Jr., after Flynn’s ex-girlfriend, Kim Hallock, told police officers that he had been robbed and shot by a Black man. Although there was no evidence linked directly to him, Green was found guilty.

In 2018, a federal court reversed the conviction, stating that the prosecutor in the case had withheld information suggesting investigators suspected the ex-girlfriend of committing the crime.

U.S. District Judge Roy Dalton determined that the original prosecutor withheld evidence that could have altered the case’s verdict. He cited the prosecutor’s handwritten notes from a discussion with investigators at the scene.

“Mark and Diane suspect girl did it,” one of the written notes stated. Hallock was never charged with Flynn’s death. “She changed her story a couple times.”

In its ruling, the appeals court stated that Dalton erred in his decision, arguing that matters over withheld evidence had already been exhausted at the state court level.

Green has faith that he will prevail.

“There’s nothing I’m going to let stand in my way of moving forward and doing the right thing,” he said. “I got family I want to be here for. The good Lord brought me this far; he’s going to continue to carry me.”

Brooklyn Subway Shooter’s Defense Attorney Accuses Federal Prosecutors of Obtaining His DNA Improperly
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 29, 2022

Brooklyn Subway Shooter’s Defense Attorney Accuses Federal Prosecutors of Obtaining His DNA Improperly

Defense attorneys for the alleged Brooklyn subway shooter claim that the FBI obtained DNA samples from the shooter improperly without contacting his counsel.

According to CNN, lawyers for alleged Brooklyn subway shooter Frank James filed papers claiming his constitutional rights were violated when FBI agents seized some DNA samples from him.

Federal public defender Mia Eisner-Grynberg said multiple oral swabs of James’ DNA were taken by FBI agents who went into his jail cell at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn earlier this week on Tuesday, she claimed in a letter sent to US Magistrate Judge Roanne L. Mann.

The agents also questioned him and made the suspect sign several documents.

Although attorneys are typically informed of such matters in advance, Eisner-Grynberg wrote in the letter that neither she nor the other attorneys representing James had been informed ahead of time about the DNA samples taken by the FBI.

“Contrary to standard practice, the government committed this intrusion absent advance notice to counsel, depriving us of an opportunity to be heard or to be present. Neither did the government provide subsequent notice to counsel,” Eisner-Grynberg wrote in the letter.

Eisner-Grynberg stated that she only found out about the action from James and had to ask the FBI for copies of what he signed. Attorneys had only received a copy of the search warrant after it was carried out.

“It is the standard practice in this District that when the government obtains a search warrant for buccal [oral] swabs from a represented, post-arraignment defendant, the government informs counsel of same before its execution, and offers an opportunity to be present.”

Federal prosecutors have defended the legality of the FBI’s getting the DNA samples from James. They stated in a court filing that the DNA samples were acquired through a judicially authorized search warrant.

“No violations of any of the defendant’s constitutional rights occurred in the execution of the warrant,” prosecutors wrote in the filing to Mann.

Earlier this month, James was arrested, suspected of setting off smoke bombs and firing shots inside a New York City subway car. The incident caused 23 people to be injured. He was arrested on a federal charge of violently attacking a mass transportation system, capping an around-the-clock manhunt.

A 10-page criminal complaint filed by federal prosecutors in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn charges James with a single count of committing a terrorist or other violent attack against a mass transportation system. If convicted, he could face life in prison, officials said.

Grammy Award-Winning Director Alan Ferguson Creates New Ads Tackling Credit and Personal Finance
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 29, 2022

Grammy Award-Winning Director Alan Ferguson Creates New Ads Tackling Credit and Personal Finance

Fresh off the heels of winning a Grammy for directing Jon Batiste’s FREEDOM, Alan Ferguson shares his personal finance story in a series of new advertisements created for Self Financial.

As part of Ferguson’s partnership with Self Financial, the credit-building platform that works to increase economic inclusion and financial resiliency, the award-winning director is able to share his passion for financial management.

Ferguson spent his life avoiding debt and credit, often working with cash even after building a successful career as a music video director. However, he learned that credit and debt are the building blocks of personal finance, often dictating where people live, the cost of a loan, and even where folks work.

“The current situation for a lot of people is that the lack of financial literacy, education, and support leads to a famine of opportunity,” Ferguson told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“It’s important stuff, but credit can make people’s eyes glaze over. That’s why when we went to make this Self campaign, we knew we gotta make this thing interesting. Make it feel like something you can’t wait to do. That’s why we infused it with so much joy.”

Ferguson chose to partner with Self Financial to create ads exploring the financial dreams of everyday people and used actors to capture them elevating into those dreams by leveraging Self’s credit-building tools.

 

Ferguson only chooses projects that speak to him. His work on these ads is part of his and Self’s mission to spread the word about credit-building tools to remind people, especially communities of color, that they’re not on their own when navigating finances and creating financial resilience.

“In my life before, I was always going by some of my dad’s old principles about, ‘Hey, if you don’t have it, don’t even spend it,'” Ferguson admitted.

“It was only about maybe eight years ago where it became more relevant for me to understand. I’m like, OK, I have to understand this game. I got to master it so I can make really informed decisions.”

“Financial literacy should be a part of our basic educational system. Especially middle school and high school,” FerGuson added.

“There should be all kinds of courses that are part of your curriculum. Like a semester learning about credit. A semester about investments. A semester about the power of compounding interest. So when you come out of school, you have a basic proximity to and understanding of it.”

“That’s the biggest thing. People feel like they have no control. This system that we’re in — credit is a primary tool or primary aspect of the way the system works. So if that’s the case, then we have to learn the game and what the rules are of that particular game.”

Self Financial applauded Ferguson’s ads and sees them as a way to connect with consumers who can benefit from their mission and services.

“At Self, we’re providing millions of people the tools they need to build credit for their future. It’s wonderful to work with Alan, a director who identifies with our mission and only takes on projects that resonate personally, to capture and depict the realization of dreams of our customers and many Americans,” Brett Billick, chief marketing officer at Self Financial said.

“With these ads, we’re trying to show what’s possible when people are empowered to build credit and savings,” said Brett Billick, Chief Marketing Officer at Self Financial.

“We hope viewers will see themselves reflected in these vignettes and be reminded that they’re not on their own when navigating finances and creating financial resilience.”

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