TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Launch Texture Certification Program to Educate Stylists Nationwide in Textured Hair Care

TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Launch Texture Certification Program to Educate Stylists Nationwide in Textured Hair Care


Continuing their mission to bring quality salon care to women everywhere, TRESemmé is launching a new Texture Certification Program that will train and certify licensed hair professionals nationwide in treating, cutting, and styling textured hair.

This program is an expansion of the TRESemmé Future Stylists Fund, which was launched in 2020 to address bias and inequality throughout the beauty, fashion and entertainment industries. Created in partnership with textured hair expert and educator Diane Da Costa of SimpleeBEAUTIFUL CurlyTextured Academy, and shaped by celebrity stylists and TRESemmé ambassadors Lacy Redway and Nai’vasha, the TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Texture Certification Program will grant licensed U.S. stylists the opportunity to advance their skillset and ensure a fundamental understanding of textured, curly and coily hair care. By the end of 2022, TRESemmé aims to certify more than 1,000 stylists with this continuing education program, according to a press release.

To counteract the lack of textured hair training offered in cosmetology schools, the TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Texture Certification Program is designed to train licensed U.S. stylists who need additional instruction on how to treat and style textured hair types. Currently, no state cosmetology licensing departments require a fundamental understanding of textured and coily hair care, resulting in fewer stylists with the professional skills to serve diverse hair types. Informed by a nationwide survey of consumer clients and stylists, the program leverages findings from TRESemmé’s Hair Bias Report that revealed 86% of Black women reported facing challenges in finding consistent, quality hair care at salons.

Created in partnership with textured hair expert and educator Diane Da Costa of SimpleeBEAUTIFUL CurlyTextured Academy, and shaped by celebrity stylists and TRESemmé ambassadors Lacy Redway and Nai’vasha, the TRESemmé Texture Certification Program will grant licensed U.S. stylists the opportunity to advance their skillset and ensure a fundamental understanding of textured, curly and coily hair care.

Experiences ranged from difficulty finding a stylist who can care for their type or texture of hair, to facing bias and discrimination in the salon chair. Similarly, 65% of professional stylists wish they had more training on textured and coily hair (a number that jumps to 70% among white stylists). The TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Texture Certification Program will help to advance stylists’ cosmetology education and practice, and provide them with the vocabulary and skills required to confidently and competently serve all clients, no matter their hair type.

“I am extremely passionate about textured hair care and have dedicated my career to educating stylists and consumers on how to truly care for textured hair types,” said Diane Da Costa, celebrity stylist, author, and chief executive officer of SimpleeBEAUTIFUL who is the lead instructor for the Texture Certification Program.

“Partnering with TRESemmé not only brings awareness to this industry-wide issue of hair discrimination but will introduce this much-needed skillset to more stylists nationwide.”

Moving forward, TRESemmé will require all stylists who work with TRESemmé at future events, such as New York Fashion Week and Project Runway, to complete the Texture Certification Program so TRESemmé can continue leading by example in closing this training gap and increasing representation of diverse talent across the industry.

“As a leader in hair care, we have a responsibility to use our influence and platform to make a difference and bring awareness to the lack of certified textured hair care training in the industry,” said Jessica Grigoriou, brand director, TRESemmé.

“Every woman, regardless of hair type, deserves to have access and feel confident that they will receive quality hair care at every appointment so they can express themselves authentically, and we want to do our part to increase inclusivity in the beauty industry.”

(Image: PR Newswire)

The TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Texture Certification Program consists of the following three trainings to receive certification. Registration opens on Wednesday, Apr. 27 and closes on Tuesday, May 31. Seats are offered on a first come, first served basis for qualifying stylists:

– Texture fundamentals: Live webinar available for up to 1,000 licensed U.S. stylists to receive virtual training on the basics of textured hair care, including how to identify different texture types, speak with proper language and terminology, identify best product matches and use professional tools for styling and cutting textured hair. The completion of the Texture Fundamentals course will be required to register for the following two courses.

– Perfecting the textured cut: This hands-on training will educate on specific cutting techniques and tools to use when working with different textured hair types. This course will be offered in-person at a New York studio.

– The art of textured styling: This hands-on training will educate on specific texture techniques, product and tools for styling and will offer tips for working with different textured hair types. This course will be offered in-person at a New York studio.

Stylists who attend and complete all three Texture Certification courses will receive an official certificate of completion from TRESemmé and SimpleeBEAUTIFUL, verifying that they are educated and trained in how to treat, cut and style textured hair. They will be able to better serve customers with textured hair types and will also be added to the TRESemmé online directory of textured hair certified stylists to increase their client network and visibility.

The TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Texture Certification Program is the latest announcement from TRESemmé highlighting their continued commitment toward becoming a brand that champions diversity, equity and inclusion for Black women. This announcement extends the offerings of their Future Stylists Fund Program, which recently announced this year’s $100,000 scholarship winners.

For more information about the TRESemmé x SimpleeBEAUTIFUL Texture Certification Program and details on how stylists can register, visit Tresemme.com/fsfcurriculum.

First-Ever Black-Owned Animation Network Set to Launch in Summer 2022

First-Ever Black-Owned Animation Network Set to Launch in Summer 2022


Animation has not been traditionally a representation for people of color. Coupled with this is the reality that animation distribution for creators is limited. The time has come for animation enthusiasts to rejoice; it’s time to delve into a world never experienced before. Husband and wife duo Jermaine and Whaketa Hargrove plan to launch the first-ever Black-owned streaming animation networkAnimation TV, in Summer 2022.

Animation TV is the first and only animation streaming platform that streams all aspects of animation culture, according to a press release.

Animation TV will become the sole medium that can introduce viewers to the versatility of animation and all it has to offer. This platform will allow viewers of all ages and nationalities to experience the beauty of animation culture.

Animation TV will offer its content with a subscription and linear channel model for ease of access to viewers. Animation TV will work in collaboration with Small Town Animation Studios to deliver original, exclusive animation content such as the highly anticipated diabetic superhero movie “Gumshe: The Type 1 Protector,” or faith-based series “The Sunday Schoolers,” and other originals like “Animate My Life, Welcome to Gamerville,” “Princess Tatenda” and the award-winning series “Shelly: The Dancing Spider.”

Animation TV is intentional about giving back and makes it a part of its business model. Animation TV is the only animation streaming platform that creates opportunities for future animation industry professionals by using a portion of its revenue to provide animation scholarships for students from under-served communities.

In line with this initiative, Animation TV has partnered with some of the biggest names in animation, including Kit Bash 3D and The Animation School in South Africa. The director and co-founder of The Animation School, Nuno Martins, has this to say about the initiative, “The Animation School continues to drive diversity through partnerships such as Animation TV. These [partnerships] highlight the importance of building a diverse community within the international animation industry.”

Chief executive officer and founder of Animation TV, Jermaine, also commented on his impending launch, stating, “We are using Animation TV and exclusive content to bring awareness to the lack of diversity and inclusion in the animation industry. By offering distribution to global animation creators, we will amplify the voices that sometimes go unheard. Structuring a theatrical partnership with a major film Studio for some of our stronger animation IP’s is also a goal of Animation TV. We are currently looking to finance, develop and distribute all forms of animation content(2D/3D) from creators all over the world.”

Please send all submissions here.

Animation TV is poised to be a platform that translates animation culture into real-world value by tapping into the metaverse and NFTs as features of the platform. Animation TV will also be distributed globally for users of all operating system interfaces, including iOS, tvOS, Android, Android TV and the worldwide web.

Retired Michigan Optometrist Charged With Federal Hate Crimes, Leaving Nooses For Starbucks Employees

Retired Michigan Optometrist Charged With Federal Hate Crimes, Leaving Nooses For Starbucks Employees


Federal officials announced on Tuesday that a Michigan man had been charged with hate crimes for leaving menacing objects and committing racial intimidation against those participating in the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Detroit News reported that Kenneth Pilon, 61, a retired optometrist, was charged with six counts in federal court after allegedly calling nine Michigan Starbucks locations and intimidating employees wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts in June 2020.

According to the FBI, these charges indicate a guilty plea to committing civil rights acts crimes and violating federally protected activities. The charge is a misdemeanor punishable by one year’s incarceration and fines. According to The Hill, ” I’m going tona go out and lynch me a n—–,” Pilon told one Starbucks worker, the Justice Department noted in its release.

The FBI agent wrote Pilon “made these communications for the purpose of issuing a threat and with the knowledge that the communications would be viewed as a threat.”

“Specifically, Pilon intimidated and attempted to intimidate citizens from participating lawfully in speech and peaceful assembly opposing the denial of Black people’s right to enjoy police protection and services free from brutality,” the agent wrote in his affidavit.

The news outlet reported that the threatening calls came after Starbucks had announced its ambitious efforts to stand in solidarity with George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minneapolis police officers. Amid worldwide protests against racism and police brutality, the coffee giant said they were making 250,000 shirts available to employees to wear during shifts.

Pilon also left four nooses in parking lots and one in a 7-Eleven store. Each noose had a message saying it was an “accessory to be worn with your ‘BLM’ t-shirt. Happy protesting!”

On July 12, 2020, an interracial Saginaw couple found a noose and racist note in their car. Apparently, Regina   Simon wore a BLM T-shirt at home the day before.

 

‘Forbes’ Unveils ‘America’s Best Employers For Diversity’

‘Forbes’ Unveils ‘America’s Best Employers For Diversity’


Over the past two years, the focus on racial equity has been significant for minorities in the United States.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed inequities in healthcare. Remote learning exposed technology gaps for lower-income Americans The economic fallout hit Black workers the hardest and exposed the need for Black-owned businesses to have financial inclusion and access to capital.

Black workers especially have made significant strides and can express themselves and their culture without fear of retribution. Forbes‘ 2022 list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity reflects those strides.

This year’s Forbes list not only includes more companies in banking and finance, an area with little Black representation, as well as healthcare and education.

“The impact of COVID-19 took the world by storm and revealed the magnitude of inequalities that exist in communities of color, especially Black- and minority-owned businesses,” John Patton, head of U.S. diversity and inclusion at TD Bank, told Forbes. “To stay on track and continue on our path to diversify talent across the organization, we’ve enhanced our focus on diversity and inclusion and we report on our progress annually as part of our Environment, Social, and Governance Reporting suite.”

Progressive Insurance is at the top of the list and made the magazine’s list of America’s best large employers. Four more insurance companies—Mutual of Omaha, The Hartford, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina, and United Services Automobile Association—made the top 20.

Two banks (TD Bank at #9 and Quicken Loans at #10) made the top 10;  two more (Fidelity Investments and TIAA) made the top 30. Meanwhile, three IT and software companies (VMware, Adobe, and the SAS Institute) made the top 10;  two more (Linkedin and Nintendo) made the top 30.

Statista, who partnered with Forbes to make the list, found some of the top-performing companies on the list have actionable plans and initiatives aimed at providing support and representation for diverse employees, including leadership programs targeting underrepresented groups and women.

According to Statista, 16 percent of the groups that made the Forbes list have female CEOs and 31 percent have executive leadership and board positions filled by women. Additionally, more than half the businesses on the list (55 percent) have an executive leadership position with the task of promoting diversity and inclusion.

The full list can be seen here.

 

Demand For Brittney Griner’s Release Grows After U.S.-Russia Prisoner Swap

Demand For Brittney Griner’s Release Grows After U.S.-Russia Prisoner Swap


Calls for the release of Phoenix Mercury forward Brittney Griner from Russia are growing after the two countries exchanged prisoners earlier this week.

President Joe Biden announced Wednesday that U.S. Marine veteran Trevor Reed was exchanged for jailed pilot Konstantin Yaroshenko in a prisoner swap. The swap comes after years of advocacy by Reed’s family and recent reports that Reed’s health was declining.

Reed was arrested in Russia for public intoxication in 2019 while Yaroshenko was sentenced to 20 years in prison in 2011 after conspiring to bring more than $100 million worth of cocaine to the U.S.

Griner, who plays basketball in Russia during the WNBA’s off-season, was arrested in the country two months ago on accusations of drug trafficking over her alleged possession of hashish oil. The success of the prisoner swap has led many of Griner’s advocates to believe a release can be negotiated.

Griner’s wife, Cherelle, released a statement on Instagram welcoming Reed home. U.S. officials met with Griner late last month adding she was in good condition and spirits and her biggest gripe was that her bed wasn’t long enough.

While there is hope for Griner’s release, it took almost three years before Reed was released. Additionally, Griner’s drug charges are more serious than Reed’s, meaning it could take longer for Griner to be released.

Biden said in a statement that the negotiation for Reed’s release was not easy.

“The negotiations that allowed us to bring Trevor home required difficult decisions that I do not take lightly,” Biden said Wednesday in a statement announcing the swap. “His safe return is a testament to the priority my Administration places on bringing home Americans held hostage and wrongfully detained abroad.”

While many were hoping Biden would mention Griner as a prisoner his administration is working to release, the president brought up Paul Whelan, who was arrested in Russia in 2018 and accused of spying. In June 2020, Whelan was sentenced to 16 years behind bars in Russia.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Officials in the Biden administration have said they have worked to ensure that Russians follow international conventions and treat her fairly.

“When it comes to Brittney Griner, we are working very closely with her team. Her case is a top priority for us,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN on Wednesday morning. “We’re in regular contact with her team.”
First Black Woman Appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of The Cleveland Foundation

First Black Woman Appointed Chair of the Board of Directors of The Cleveland Foundation


With the recent confirmation of Judge Ketanji Brown-Jackson, it’s refreshing to witness women of color making their mark in various spheres of influence.

Constance Hill-Johnson is no exception. She is the first Black woman to be elected chair of the Board of Directors of the Cleveland Foundation, the world’s oldest community foundation and owner of $3 billion in assets.

Hill-Johnson is the owner of Visiting Angels Living Assistance Services, a national franchise, in Cleveland. Visiting Angels is an in-home service provider assisting elderly and older adults to live as independently as possible by remaining safe in their regular environments. She credits BLACK ENTERPRISE as being heavily influential in her entrepreneurial journey.

Her new role at the Cleveland Foundation is a step in another promising direction.

“The timing was right in light of where we are as a nation in terms of racial injustice,” she says. “I’m happy to be the face of the brand. This is a good time to be in this leadership position.” Hill-Johnson was on the African American Philanthropy Committee of the Cleveland Foundation for about 10 years before she was  nominated to serve on the board.

She’ll meet with the full board in June. Members can expect Hill-Johnson to prioritize commitment to racial equity. The specifics and logistics on how it will look are to be determined.

“It needs to be an agenda item, clearly seen and reviewed at all times,” she explains.

Showing up at community meetings when possible is extremely vital to Hill-Johnson’s leadership style as well as eschewing micromanagement for a strong, consistent presence. “I think the community needs to see me, to see a Black woman in leadership,” she says. “We have a tendency to feel better and relate more when someone who looks like us is at the table.

“To see women in corporate America, on boards, and on paying boards, this is our time! We are lifting each other. We are encouraging each other. We are speaking each other’s names.”

Hill-Johnson is eager to advance women whether she’s on a board or a committee. She wants to speak up for what is right and for other sharp Black women. Her term as board chair is for two years, ending April 2024, gives her a great platform.

“This isn’t about power; it’s about serving the community and serving humanity,” she says. “We are centering the community. We are centering those we serve.”

The Cleveland Black Futures Fund (CBFF) was established “to invest in and strengthen Black-led and Black-serving social change organizations” and part of “a long-term community-wide effort to dismantle racist systems that have made communities of color vulnerable for generations.” The CBFF will have its second round of grants go out sometime early May.

The main criteria for an organization is to be Black-led and Black (community) serving. In other words, your infrastructure or leadership must consist of people of color.

According to Hill-Johnson, the foundation was overwhelmed with the number of applicants in the first round. It was particularly revealing that quite a number of Black-run, Black-led organizations didn’t even know they could apply for funds from the Cleveland Foundation. They didn’t see the foundation as an entity they could approach for funding. That narrative will change.

And Constance Hill-Johnson will make sure of that.

 

Emmett Till’s Family Implores Authorities to Arrest White Woman Who Falsely Accused Boy on Outstanding Kidnap Warrant From 1955

Emmett Till’s Family Implores Authorities to Arrest White Woman Who Falsely Accused Boy on Outstanding Kidnap Warrant From 1955


The family of Emmett Till is still seeking justice for the brutal way he was murdered in 1955.

The family believes that Carolyn Bryant Donham, the white woman who alleged that Till whistled at her and supposedly grabbed her, may have an outstanding warrant for his kidnapping, CBS News reports. They want her arrested on that warrant.

Donham was named in a warrant almost 67 years ago, accused of being involved in the abduction of the young Black boy. Till’s family wants Donham arrested to try to bring some accountability for Till’s untimely death. She was never arrested or brought in as police officials stated that she was the mother of two young children, and they reportedly did not want to bother her.

In August 1955 in Mississippi, Bryant Donham claimed Till flirted with her, which led to her husband Roy Bryant and his half-brother, J.W. Milam, kidnapping the 14-year-old Black boy from Chicago for whistling at Bryant’s wife. 

The two men tortured Till, shot him in the head, attached a 75-pound cotton gin fan to his neck using barbed wire, and threw his body into the Tallahatchie River. The New York Times reports that detectives discovered his decomposed remains on Aug. 31. 

A trial accusing her then-husband and another man ended with an acquittal for the two men.

Till’s family attorney, Jaribu Hill, says that relatives of Till still prefer a murder prosecution. Since there has been no evidence the kidnapping warrant was ever dismissed, they feel it could be used to arrest Bryant Donham and get her before a criminal court.

“This warrant is a stepping stone toward that,” said Hill. “Because warrants do not expire, we want to see that warrant served on her.”

Till’s distant cousin, Deborah Watts, who runs the Emmett Till Legacy Foundation, said it’s about time for someone to arrest Bryant Donham in Till’s kidnapping.

“Mississippi is not the Mississippi of 1955, but it seems to still carry some of that era of protecting the white woman,” she said.

LeVar Burton To Be Honored With Lifetime Achievement Award At First Children’s & Family Emmys


LeVar Burton, the celebrated former Reading Rainbow host, will be honored with a Lifetime Achievement award at the 1st Annual Children’s & Family Emmy Awards, held Dec. 11 at the Wilshire Ebell Theater in Los Angeles.

According to TV Line, the Television Academy announced that this year would mark the first standalone Emmy awards show since the 1979 establishment of the Sports Emmy Awards and the News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Until now, children and family programs were typically nominated for Daytime Emmys.

“Recognizing that this is a growing sector of our industry, no longer limited by just three hours on Saturday morning across three networks,” NATAS president/CEO Adam Sharp previously said, as per Variety.

Burton said “Whoa,” on Twitter in reaction to Tuesday’s announcement. He received many congratulatory comments.

In 1983, Burton assumed the executive producer and hosting role for PBS kids’ Reading Rainbow program, which has won 12 Daytime Emmys and a Peabody Award throughout its 23-year run.

According to NPR, the beloved program is being rebooted as Reading Rainbow Live, but without Burton. A group of young adults named “The Rainbows” has been tapped to host.

A lifelong children’s literacy advocate, the Roots actor continues to use his voice on his podcast LeVar Burton Reads to narrate stories by Neil Gaiman, Haruki Murakami, Octavia Butler, Ray Bradbury, and more. In addition, he has also partnered with Fable to launch a book club and a recommendations series.

“Stories have been a central part of my life since I was a child,” Burton told Comic Book. “They have the power to feed our imaginations and explore the very nature of our existence here on earth and beyond,” Burton said. “Stories can even bring us closer together as human beings. For me, books are more than words strung together. They are portals into existences of every variety, stripe, and hue; the universe and all there is, captured in the pages of good books!”

BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported that Burton would be hosting the upcoming 94th Scripps National Spelling Bee on June 1 and June 2, 2022, near Washington, D.C.

United Partners with OneTen to Help Create One Million Family-Sustaining Jobs for Black Talent Over Ten Years

United Partners with OneTen to Help Create One Million Family-Sustaining Jobs for Black Talent Over Ten Years


United Airlines announced a new collaboration with OneTen, a coalition of leading chief executives and their companies committed to creating one million family-sustaining careers for Black talent with opportunity for advancement over the next 10 years. The collaboration with OneTen comes as United has already hired more than 6,000 people since January and expects to hire an additional 8,000 this year alone — with the goal to add 50,000 people to United in the next five years, according to a press release.

United joins more than 60 companies, part of the OneTen coalition, that have committed to significantly increase the hiring of Black talent without four-year college degrees into family-sustaining jobs by improving their hiring, retention, upskilling and advancement practices to support diverse talent.

“Joining OneTen will build on our current talent practices to further develop, retain and advance diverse talent to positions across the airline, better reflecting the customers and communities United serves,” said United chief executive officer, Scott Kirby, who also serves as chair of the Business Roundtable’s Education and Workforce Committee.

“I look forward to learning from and working with other companies to close the opportunity gap for Black talent and increase opportunities for underrepresented groups in our workforce.”

OneTen brings together employers, education and training programs and community organizations to create accessible pathways for Black talent into family-sustaining careers with compensation that covers the basic needs for a family based on the cost of living in each city. As a OneTen member company, United will adopt skills-first hiring and promotion to emphasize the specific competencies a candidate needs to be successful in roles; this will help address the economic gap and systemic barriers for Black talent and help to build a more equitable work environment for everyone.

“OneTen is taking a different approach to job creation by challenging the status quo and barriers that have impeded Black talent. It can be difficult to think differently about recruiting talent based on their skills, not just their college degree, but that is exactly what we need to do,” said OneTen chief executive officer Maurice Jones.

“We are delighted that United has taken on that challenge. Together, we will work to create a new hiring ecosystem that will advance Black talent in the airline industry.”

United is the only major U.S. airline to own a flight training school. United Aviate Academy opened last year and welcomed a historic inaugural class of future pilots, 80% of whom are women or people of color. United Aviate Academy is a key part of the airline’s goal to train about 5,000 new pilots at the school by 2030, with the goal of at least half women or people of color. This unprecedented training commitment will dramatically expand access to this lucrative and rewarding career while upholding United’s world-class safety standards.

“United is leading transformative change by creating greater awareness and access to lucrative, lifelong careers through efforts like our United Aviate Academy,” said United’s chief diversity, equity and inclusion officer Jessica Kimbrough.

“This collaboration will position United to build upon that leadership role to continue driving sustainable change toward a more equitable workplace and world.”

Top Black Female Sports Broadcaster Headlines Legends Film on Juneteenth

Top Black Female Sports Broadcaster Headlines Legends Film on Juneteenth


Pam Oliver lends “voice” to documentary about Georgia’s Black athletes’ during segregation.

Pam Oliver, the nation’s highest-profile African American female sports broadcaster, is the voice actor of a historic documentary about Black athletes, coaches and sports auxiliary members who competed during the Jim Crow segregated years in Georgia. The documentary, “As If We Were Ghosts,” airs June 13 and Juneteenth 2022, on Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB), the third-largest PBS station in the U.S, according to a press release.

Veteran FOX sports analyst, Oliver, provides narration and select reenactments for the film, “As If We Were Ghosts.” The epic documentary is produced by Georgia-based Ours Studios LLC, which commissioned renowned independent filmmaker, Monty Ross, to become the senior producer. Airing on all GPB stations in Georgia, the documentary will reach approximately 3.4 million households.

“They didn’t do anything wrong. Yet, they were ignored and invisible by society’s accepted standards. Yet, they accomplished their strongest, swiftest, and highest athletic goals,” said the award-winning sports journalist.

Oliver, a two-time Hall of Fame inductee of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University’s track division, added, “I am honored to be a part of telling their stories at a time when all of us welcomes inspiration from these amazing over-comers in Georgia history.”

Also, a Georgia resident, Oliver joins Ross, who is the filmmaker-in-residence of Ours Studios. As alumni of historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) — Oliver, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, and Ross, Clark Atlanta University — they know-well the stories of racial barriers that hinder success.

“We appreciate Ms. Oliver’s involvement in this documentary. She is a bonus. Pam brings additional credibility to the hidden stories about the men and women. Monty and Pam allow the focus to be on the unknown champions while highlighting the better-known athletes hailing from Georgia,” said Ron Bivins, chief executive officer of Ours Studios.

A graduate of Morris Brown College in Atlanta, Bivins is the co-executive producer with Ross of “As If We Were Ghosts.” Bivins, a “ghost” football quarterback of Americus, Georgia’s former A.S. Staley High School, today is a prosperous businessman who owns the rights to the documentary.

Those unknown athletes who Bivins referred to, include 91-year-old Charles Freeman whose Eatonton, Ga. colored school basketball team won the state’s title in the 1949-50 season, NBA basketball hall of famer Walt Frazier, and 1968 Olympians Wyomia Tyus and Edith McGuire. All set the pace for hundreds of professional Georgia athletes to follow their feats.

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