Toni Braxton Stars in Lifetime’s Fallen Angels Murder Club
Grammy® winner Toni Braxton returns to Lifetime this April to executive produce and star in the Fallen Angels Murder Club anthology movie series as Hollis Morgan, an ex-con turned amateur sleuth set out to investigate a series of murders at her book club.
The first movie, “Fallen Angels Murder Club: Friends to Die For” premieres on Saturday, Apr. 2 and will be followed by the second installment, “Fallen Angels Murder Club: Heroes and Felons” on Saturday, Apr. 9. The movies are based on the books “Fallen Angels Book Club” by R. Franklin James, according to a press release.
In the first installment, the members of the Fallen Angels Murder Club must have two things in common—a love for books and have a criminal record. Hollis Morgan (Braxton) meets both requirements. Left holding the bag in an insurance fraud scheme concocted by her ex-husband, Hollis served her time and now hopes the court will pardon her conviction so she can fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer. But when a member of her book club is murdered in a scene straight out of the previous night’s novel, Hollis becomes the subject of police scrutiny. Refusing to get stuck with another bad rap, Hollis sets out to investigate her fellow club members and after a second book-inspired murder, she races to identify the killer before she becomes the next victim. Also stars Eddie Cibrian from “Northern Lights,” and “CSI Miami.”
In the second movie, the Fallen Angels Murder Club must band together again as they search for answers surrounding the death of one of their own. Hollis finds herself at the center of the investigation when a journalist reporting on the murder also winds up dead. Kelly Hu from “List of a Lifetime” and “Scorpion King” also stars.
As bodies begin to stack up, and Hollis connects the dots, she must solve the murders before it’s too late.
Clark Atlanta University Awarded $11.8M for Knowledge Metaverse Hub
HBCU Clark Atlanta University will join the evolving metaverse with the help of a generous grant. EON Reality awarded the private university an $11.8 million grant to establish the Knowledge Metaverse Hub within the HBCU community.
The award is the first to be bestowed to a Historically Black College and University, according to a press release.
“Clark Atlanta University remains dedicated to our scholars and equipping with the best resources and innovative technologies,” said president George T. French Jr., Ph.D.
“As we accelerate our momentum, these essential partnerships support our efforts to step into the future of interactive teaching and learning through relevant and future-focused innovations.”
The university plans to expand its educational footprint.
The Knowledge Metaverse is an immersive world combining the real world around us with the digital information and additions of an extended reality or an XR-enabled universe. The concept is similar to immersive experiences in arts, gaming, and entertainment.
The grant will allow Clark Atlanta University to improve learning and training among faculty and students. Thanks to EON Reality’s work, the Knowledge Metaverse will provide the means for the university to “offer training to their faculty and students augmenting traditional in-person and online instruction.”
“Partnering with a respected HBCU like Clark Atlanta University, whose graduates shape our world every year, demonstrates the impact EON-XR can have on the future of academia and the sciences,” EON Reality founder Dan Lejerskar said.
“Clark Atlanta University is an invaluable addition to EON Reality’s network of U.S. institutions. The university brings its rich social justice history and research-intensive instruction to the Knowledge Metaverse. When a university with their commitment to social justice and deep focus on digital learning can utilize and add to the Knowledge Metaverse, the possibilities for reshaping our society are endless. I can’t wait to see how Clark Atlanta University incorporates EON Reality’s solutions into their curriculum.”
Global Poll: 52% Millennials Want to Diversify Portfolios with NFTs
NFTs are becoming a blazing option for young adults looking to invest their money.
A global poll reveals 52% of millennials and 74% of Generation Z are considering and open to including non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in their investment portfolios. The fresh poll comes from the deVere Group, one of the world’s top financial advisory, asset management, and fintech firms with reportedly $12 billion under advisement.
The firm said 600 of its clients age 42 and under were surveyed in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Latin America.
Growing rapidly in popularity with Black Americans, an NFT is a digital asset like an image or audio clip. NFTs are bought and sold often with cryptocurrency as part of the digital economy.
The asset class blasted off big-time last year with a digital-only piece of art selling for $69 million, deVere reported. According to the firm, since then a growing number of celebrities, artists along with fashion, music, tech, and sports brands have been creating, buying, and selling NFTs.
According to Investor King, deVere Group CEO and founder Nigel Green said, “The findings of this poll underscore that digital natives—those who have grown-up immersed in a fully accessible digital life—understand that unique, highly portable, and transferable digital assets have an intrinsic value and that this is a trend that will inevitably grow moving forward.”
He explained that vigor of digital engagement is creating new business models in many sectors.
“Sensibly, younger generations—who instinctively better understand it—appreciate that, therefore, it’s going to shape the future of investing.”
oHe added, “They’re keen to have a stake holding in this new financial ecosystem by including NFTs in their portfolios.”
Green also reflected how diversification can mitigate risk and capture opportunities.
“NFTs have a very low correlation to other assets, such as stocks and bonds, and can therefore, lower your portfolio’s overall risk and volatility levels.”
Yet, people wanting to buy NFTs should do their homework and research before investing in the commodities. Insiders contend potential investors should ask themselves, will they be able to find a buyer for their NFT and how long will it take?
Another point to examine closely is not every NFT will become valuable, increasing the risk of whether it will be a good investment or not.
Examining various sites that dive into the NFT mania could be helpful.
AJ Crimson, Celebrity Makeup Artist for Missy Elliott, Angela Bassett and More, Dead at 27
Famed entrepreneur and self-taught celebrity makeup artist AJ Crimsondied Wednesday. His death, the caused of which was not revealed, was confirmed by a representative.
“Our entire team mourns this tragic loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with AJ’s family,” the representative said in a written statement, according to Pop Sugar.
“Our deepest sympathies go out to them. We absolutely loved AJ, truly one of the sweetest, most humble people we have ever had the pleasure of working with. We are all devastated.”
Crimson’s family also released a statement.
“AJ Crimson was a makeup industry leader that set a standard of beauty that was elevated, beautiful, and accessible to people of all colors,” the statement read.
“We as a family are heartbroken and devastated by his passing, but thankful for the lessons that he laid on each of us with his truth, directness, and leadership.”
Crimson started his own company, AJ Crimson Beauty in 2013. According to his website, some of his clients were Fergie, Hilary Duff, Adrienne Bailon, Missy Elliott, and Angela Bassett.
AJ Crimson Beauty products have been used on the sets of TV shows such as “Scandal,” “The View,” “The Real,” “Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce,” “American Horror Story” and VH1’s “Hit the Floor.” Crimson products were also used on the sets of hit movies like “The Hunger Games.” The brand has also been featured in leading publications, including Vogue and Glamour.
Crimson started with lipstick and glosses before he expanded his brand into a full range of products. The brand grew from eight shades of “highly pigmented, accurate, and rich shades” to 12 core foundation shades, 32 lip shades in various formulations, and two signature powders.
“My vision for AJ Crimson Beauty was luxury cosmetics with Black women in mind first. As a makeup artist, my entire career I gravitated to luxury products for my clientele,” he told Hello Beautiful in October 2020, according to People.
“Yet there weren’t always products at that level that worked with some of my more melanin rich clients. I thought it was a shame only drug store options [were] available, so I knew I had to change that.”
Chris Rock Shuts Fan Down for Yelling Obscenities About Will Smith
It seems the world has taken a Chris Rock versus Will Smith mindset after the latter slapped the former during Sunday’s Academy Awards ceremony. Yet, Rock is taking the high road as he shut down a fan of his at a recent show who screamed, “F**k Will Smith!”
According to People, Rock, 57, responded to his taunts by saying, “No, no, no, no, no…”
This took place on the second night of his most recent Ego Death World Tour at The Wilbur in Boston on Thursday.
According to Variety, on Wednesday, the popular comedian received a standing ovation when he stepped on stage for his first stand-up show since he was slapped in the face onstage by an angry Smith, who didn’t appreciated Rock joking about his wife’s appearance.
Jada Pinkett Smith is bald due to alopecia. Chris Rock made a joke to the actress starring in G.I Jane 2. The rest is history.
Rock entered the stage at the Wilbur Theater wearing an all-white ensemble. He was treated to a hero’s welcome in the sold-out arena as the audience gave him an almost two-minute standing ovation. The smiling comedian started the show by stating, “Yo, let me do the show!”
Although the comedian didn’t have much to say about the situation that transpired on Sunday, he did promise the crowd that he will be forthcoming.
He stated, “I don’t have a bunch of s**t about what happened, so if you came to hear that, I have a whole show I wrote before this weekend. I’m still kind of processing what happened. So, at some point, I’ll talk about that s**t. And it will be serious and funny.”
The show was Rock’s first stop on his Ego Death tour, which is expected to close in November at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles—the same venue where the Oscars took place.
Be Rooted, Black-Owned Stationery Brand, Named One of TIME’s 100 Most Influential Brands
In under a year, Jasmin Foster has made history with the company she built from the ground up. Be Rooted is not only the first Black-owned stationery brand to be sold at Target, it is changing the face of the stationery industry for Black women.
The brand, which launched in 2020, has been named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 most influential brands of the year.
“To me, this award is validation that chasing your dreams and staying true to your purpose is always enough,” Foster said in a statement.
“We are just at the beginning of our journey, and we have so much more to come. We want to thank each one of you for all of your support. You have been rocking with us since day 1, and it means the world because we are nothing without your support.”
The self-made entrepreneur’s passion for inclusion and creative diversity has already opened many doors through her efforts to make journaling an accessible and inclusive form of self-care.
“As a brown-skinned girl growing up, it was hard not seeing myself represented or included,” Foster, the founder and CEO of Be Rooted, told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“When you watch mainstream media or go into stores, you may ask yourself, ‘Why do I not see myself included here?’ For my entire career, I’ve always centered my work on the stories of Black women and women of color. It only made sense to start my own brand centered around women of color because I am one.”
With a lineup of colorful journals, planners, and writing instruments all designed by Black and brown artists, Be Rooted aims to reflect your mood and uplift Black women with positive affirmations like “Act Up Sis,” “Guard Your Heart,” and “Hustle Harder.” The designs highlight a range of Black skin tones and protective hair stylings, all while fostering positive representation and authenticity.
“I want my brand to cut through the noise and be the uplifting voice that reminds women of color that we are deserving, bold, and strong. Be Rooted is here to remind women of color all that we are is already inside of us,” Foster said.
UPS Ignite Programs Fuel Women-owned and Diverse-owned Companies to be Unstoppable
UPS planted its flag last November as a proud supporter of diverse small business owners and is committed to working tirelessly to empower them through leadership programs.
They have since made good on their word. Through the recently launched UPS Ignite program 140 outstanding innovators now have access to mentors, coaching, executive-level education, leadership programs, and a wealth of other resources.
One of these Small Businesses is Frères Branchiaux Candle Co. Founded by brothers Collin, Ryan, and Austin, with support from their parents Patrick and Celena Gill. Celena is now part of the UPS Ignite executive education program with Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management.
“It is of the utmost and paramount importance for minority businesses to have support. Oftentimes, many of us do not have adequate access to capital or a blueprint for building a successful business,” said Celena Gill.
“Young minority entrepreneurs are especially in need of support and resources because many of them haven’t had enough time to build up their own funds to start their businesses or to create a solid network of business peers and advisors. Without this vital support, many young minority entrepreneurs are finished before they even start.”
There is more work to still do. Diverse small business owners still face daunting challenges regarding access to capital.
University of Michigan: non-Black owners are 30X more likely to get federal relief than their Black counterparts
ProjectDIANE: The median seed round for a Black woman founder is 1/20th that of the national median
These figures are staggering. It is no secret that all stakeholders in the economy step up and provide solutions to address this disparity. Enter UPS and the ACCION Opportunity Fund.
Capitalized businesses have the best opportunity to scale.
The two organizations have partnered to increase access to capital for diverse founders. 10 of the aforementioned 140 fearless founders in the UPS Ignite program will receive a $10,000 grant to help grow their businesses. Other diverse founders will enjoy access to small business loans, business advising, and a host of other digital tools.
UPS wanted to tackle the lack of access to capital for diverse small business owners head-on. It needed a partner that checked three boxes; a mission to empower diverse communities, an innovative business model, and a proven track record.
It found all three in Accion.
The CDFI works tirelessly to create an inclusive and accessible financial system.
Through its non-profit business model, the company reinvests funds from borrowers’ repayments into other businesses seeking support. (A business that takes out a loan is therefore creating additional opportunities for other small businesses in their community and beyond.) As a result, UPS expects to be able to provide even more grants throughout 2022.
Accion has originated 20,000+ loans in its 27-year history, with 60% reporting an increase in sales after securing the loan.
Black business owners know the impact this partnership can have. This is the beginning of UPS’ work. Small businesses are the heartbeat of our economy, and the world’s largest transportation provider wants to do its part to empower them, including those who face unique challenges on their journey. Kevin Warren, UPS Chief Marketing Officer, said it best, “By investing in diverse SMBs, David & Goliath can be a real thing.”
If you have ideas on how we can best achieve our mission of empowering Black founders, we would love to hear from you. To share your thoughts or be notified of 2022 opportunities, please reach us at: diversitygrowth@ups.com
Until then, we will continue to do our best to move the world forward by delivering what matters – for you.
New Jersey Community Accused of Paying Thousands to Hide Mayor’s Use of Racial Slurs
Clark Township, New Jersey, is under fire over accusations its local leaders paid thousands to ensure secret recordings of the mayor using racial slurs didn’t come to light.
Antonio Manata, a former police lieutenant, came forward with the recordings. He claims Clark officials paid him $400,000 to turn over the tapes containing evidence of several Clark Township officials using racial slurs and making derogatory statements, The Daily Beast reported.
In the recordings, that have since been published, Clark Townships’ Republican Mayor Sal Bonaccorso and two top police officials refer to Black people as “spooks,” “shines,” and “n—s.”
In one recording from 2019, Bonaccorso was leaving a meeting at the Clark Recreation Center when he was asked by an officer about some ropes that were hanging from above.
“We [expletive] hang the spooks up there,” Bonaccorso replied while laughing.
“So the [Arthur L. Johnson High School] incident all over again,” the cop replied, in reference to a 2017 incident where a Black puppet was found hanging at a local high school.
“How about I go to a Plainfield [expletive] council meeting in front of a room full of them and get up and talk about it?” Bonaccorso said.
A separate recording from that same year reveals Clark Police Chief Pedro Matos speaking about reopening an investigation into the high school incident.
“I’m going to prove that them [expletive] n—-s did it,” Matos says.
The recordings were obtained and published by NJ.com.
, “I have many, many Black friends in my life, many of them; and employees here and everything else,” Bonaccorso told the outlet. “…I’ve been here for 22 years, never had a problem, and all of a sudden this is coming up? I find it offensive. I do.”
Since the recordings were brought to light, there have been calls for Bonaccorso to resign, Tap Into Clark reported. The Clark Police Department was placed under the supervision of the Union County Prosecutor in the summer of 2020.
Meanwhile, Chief Pedro Matos, Captain Vincent Concina and Sergeant Joseph Testonremain on leave with full pay as the situation reportedly remains under investigation.
‘Take Care’ Panel Discussion Tackles Professional Anxiety and Workplace Bullies at Women of Power Summit
BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s Women of Power Summit is aimed at fostering the continued growth and elevation of women in business. As part of this year’s summit, a panel tackled issues related to workplace anxiety and bullying.
Image Credit: The Tyler Twins – Black Enterprise Women in Power Summit – Las Vegas 2022
“Take Care: Dealing with Professional Anxiety, Burnout, & Bullies” brought together four professional women who provided attendees with a new bag of tricks to deal with common workplace stressors.
Herschenia Arianne Brown, founder of Mind Over Matters Holistic Mental Healing, moderated the discussion between Shavonne Gordon, head Of enterprise diversity recruiting at Capital One; Minda Harts, founder and CEO of The Memo and author of Right Within: How to Heal from Racial Trauma in the Workplace; and Sabrina Madison, founding CEO of Progress Center for Black Women.
Brown started the empowering chat by asking how many people in the audience have suffered or are suffering from workplace anxiety and bullying. Judging by the hands raised in the audience, it was clear the topic rang true for those in attendance.
Linking to the Supreme Court hearings of Katanji Brown Jackson, the ladies explained how the hearings were a perfect example of the microaggressions and workplace bullying many Black employees deal with on a daily basis.
“I had normalized the treatment. That is just the way it is for Black women. I normalized the micro aggressions,” Harts said.
While reassuring the audience that long gone are the days where Black staffers are made to feel silenced at the workplace, the Right Within author explained why “We don’t have to suffer in silence anymore. We can create boundaries,” Harts said.
The ladies also tackled topics related to toxic workplaces and how they are an epidemic. When they were asked why Black women have seemingly normalized workplace mistreatment, Gordon shared how Black women have always been in survival mode.
“You just learn what you can to survive,” Gordon said. “Survive in the environment that we are a part of.”
The ladies gave tips on dealing with toxic work environments like getting a career coach or mentor to help navigate the trauma these types of settings can cause. They encouraged attendees to find their voice and once they do, help someone else struggling to find theirs.
“Pass on new tools of thriving instead of adapting to the toxic behavior,” Gordon said.
One main tip: start working on your exit if feeling weighed down by an unhealthy workplace.
“Don’t create that boundary for yourself that says you can’t leave,” Gordon said. “Is it time to write my exit plan?”
Warning signs to look out for when feeling burnt out include exhaustion and fatigue. Therapy and mental health professionals are a phone call away; all of the panelists urged attendees to speak to someone instead of keeping emotions bottled in.
“Therapy is not a bad word,” Madison said.
The ladies ended the discussion by reminding the women in attendance to set healthy boundaries at work.
“You belong in every room you go into but not every room deserves to have you,” Harts said.
Will Packer Acknowledges LAPD Was Prepared to Slap Cuffs On Will Smith After Slapping Chris Rock
This year’s Academy Awards producer has confirmed that the Los Angeles Police Department was prepared to arrest Will Smith after the former rapper slapped Chris Rockon stage this past Sunday.
According to ABC News, Will Packer, this year’s Oscars producer, spoke candidly about the shocking moments after the incident between Smith and Rock transpired.
On Friday on Good Morning America, the first Black producer of the Academy Awards show told ABC News‘ TJ Holmes that the Los Angeles Police Department was willing to “arrest” Smith after he slapped a stunned Rock at the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday night.
When Packer spoke to Rock, he said that the comedian handled it well, even joking about what had just happened.
“I said: ‘Did he really hit you? And he looked at me and he goes: ‘I just took a punch from Muhammad Ali.’ It’s exactly what he said, as only Chris can, you know. He was immediately in joke mode, but you could tell that he was very much still in shock.”
The producer said the police officers were instantly backstage and were ready to pounce on Smith and arrest him if Rock so desired.
“I made that clear, like, ‘Rock, you tell me, whatever you want to do, brother,'” Packer said.
“The LAPD came and needed to talk to Chris. And so they came into my office and they were laying out very clearly what Chris’ rights were. They were saying: ‘This is battery. We will go get him. We will go get him right now, you can press charges, we can arrest him.'”
Packer explains that Rock would not agree to have Smith arrested and just wanted the show to continue and stating that he was fine. Packer goes on to say that the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences was about to remove Smith from the ceremony. Although he was not a part of that conversation, he immediately went to the Academy leadership and told them that “Rock doesn’t want that’ and “made it clear that he does not want to make a bad situation.'”
Packer acknowledged the grace that Rock handled the situation with.
“Chris handled the moment with such grace and aplomb — it allowed the show to continue,” Packer said. “Because Chris continued the way that he did, he completed the category. He handed the trophy to Questlove, who I feel like was really robbed of their moment. It gave us license in a way to continue the show, which is what we were trying to do.”
