After becoming the main topic of discussion after slapping comedian Chris Rock in the face on live television, Will Smith publicly apologized to Rock for his actions against him on Sunday night.

Smith took to his Instagram account and acknowledged his action while issuing an apology to the man he hit at the Academy Awards show.

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.

“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.

“I am a work in progress.“

 

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A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)

According to NBC News, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement that condemned Smith for slapping Rock during Sunday’s Oscars broadcast. They state that they are reviewing the matter.

“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” the Academy wrote in a statement that was released on Monday.

“We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.”

Comedian Chris Rock, while on stage at the Oscar presentation, had jokingly referred to Jada Pinkett-Smith, who was sporting a bald head as G.I. Jane (Demi Moore starred in the movie and wore her head bald for the role). Late last year, the actress took to Instagram to speak about having alopecia and how she is not going to let the balding condition stop her.

As Rock looked directly at Jada sitting at a table with her husband, Will Smith, the comedian blurts out, “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it. Alright?”

Apparently, that hit a sore spot as there were some gasps in the audience and the camera shows Jada not at all happy that Rock made that statement. Reacting to the crowd, Rock then states, “That was a nice one!” and quickly tried to get back to the presentation.

Initially, it looked as if Will was ok with the joke, but, obviously, it affected him so much that he got up from his seat and approached Rock on stage. As Will gets closer, he smacks Rock in the face, stunning the comedian as well as the world.

Boundaries are key to success in business and work-life balance. That’s why BLACK ENTERPRISE put together a panel of powerhouse female leaders to help offer insight on how to perform at your best without feeling walked over.

On Saturday, the Setting Boundaries at Work panel was hosted by Toyota and moderated by the Founder of The Corporate Alley Cat, Deborah T. Owens. Panelists included Senior Manager of the North America Executive Office at Toyota, Roslyn Barker, Equity Strategist and Waymakers author, Tara Jaye Frank, and Remote Work Expert, Libryia Jones.

Saying yes to everything, being available at all hours of the day, and never taking time off can put you on the fast track to burnout. Together, Owens led Barker, Frank, and Jones through an impactful discussion on setting boundaries without crossing team members.

When discussing how important it is to set boundaries at work, Frank explained how critical it was for her to understand her triggers.

“Boundaries keep me sane,” Frank said.

She also touched on how she is able to identify when a boundary has been crossed in a way that sets off a trigger because “something on the inside feels like it’s not right,” Frank said. “Over time you let it fester and it becomes a hot point.”

Barker shared how protective boundaries can be for our personal mental space and wellbeing. She also stressed the importance of “understanding” our priorities and capabilities, so that we can produce at our highest level.

Jones, who has dedicated her career to helping professionals adjust to remote work life, shared the mantra she takes into any job.

“I came on this planet to live. Not to work,” Jones said. “So boundaries help me compartmentalize on what’s most important.”

Elsewhere, the ladies explained how to identify boundaries and communicate them with your colleagues. Barker suggested respectfully asking a question in response to a colleague who might be crossing a boundary and setting off a trigger.

“Bringing it to their awareness in a way that isn’t offensive is very critical,” Barker said.

Frank suggested being “proactive and responsible” when communicating your boundaries as to not further ignite the fire in a potential work dispute.

The panelists recalled past work instances where white colleagues broke down in tears after being respectfully spoken to about boundaries. Some even provided examples on how to ask questions to help reach common ground instead of coming off hostile.

“Oftentimes we don’t enforce our boundaries because we assume other people’s expectations of us,” Jones said.

The ladies left some tips and tricks on the table for women in business to take with them to work.

“Understand when you’re the most powerful throughout the day and reserve that time to structure your schedule to be the most effective as possible,” Barker said.

For those who experience gaslighting at work, Frank suggested listening and responding with, “That’s not how I experienced that.”

They also encouraged other women to support someone who isn’t good with setting boundaries.

Cardi B is victorious once again in court as she wins a defamation lawsuit that was filed against her in 2020.

According to Complex, the Bronx rapper and her sister, Hennessy Carolina, were sued for defamation by several people they encountered in the Hamptons in Long Island, NY back in September 2020.

The three plaintiffs filed a lawsuit for defamation and assault and battery against the sisters claiming that a video Cardi posted online of their confrontation accused them of being “racist.” In the suit, the plaintiffs also alleged that Cardi and Hennessy altered the video clips “to remove portions thereof, and thereby hold plaintiffs in a false light, so as to tend to expose and in fact expose each plaintiff to public contempt, ridicule and disgrace and harm.”

Rolling Stone reported that in New York, where the suit was filed, Judge William Condon dismissed the case stating that the lawsuit was “baseless.”

“[Plaintiffs] have failed to allege any special harm or defamation per se,” Judge Condon wrote in his decision. “They cannot specifically identify who the defamatory statements were made to. Further, neither Cardi B nor Michelle Diaz made any defamatory statements or publish(ed) any video to the Internet concerning the incident. The words uttered to plaintiffs do not arise to defamatory language as they were merely general insults.”

Billboard also reported that the three plaintiffs, Peter Caliendo, Pauline Caliendo and Manuel Alarcon claimed that they were at a beach near Smith Point on Sept. 6 when the incident took place. They accused Cardia B, Hennessy and Diaz of parking and blocking Alarcon’s vehicle. Alarcon, who was wearing a MAGA hat, stated he approached Diaz, who was driving and Hennessey started filming the interaction and allegedly “shouting foul and threatening language and defamatory statements.”

“These peaceful Suffolk County residents were quietly enjoying a Sunday at the Smith Point beach with their families, when rap celebrity Hennessy Carolina suddenly approached them, raging, spitting, insulting, assaulting, defaming and threatening them, all the while videotaping them because one of them wore a MAGA hat,” John Ray, the plaintiffs’ attorney, told ABC New York.

“Then Hennessy, Cardi B and celebrity model Michelle Diaz deviously edited the videotape and published the edited version all over social media, across the world for all to see, and maliciously falsely labeled these residents and their families as ‘N…s’ and as racists. … Real threats of harm were made. They live in fear now. Their reputations have been ruined.”

Earlier this year, the Grammy Award-winning rapper was paid nearly $3 million in punitive damages and attorneys fees after a jury found Tasha K, whose real name is Latasha Kebe, liable on counts of defamation, invasion of privacy, and infliction of emotional distress.

Variety reported the $3 million comes on top of the $1.25 million Cardi B was awarded.

Two weeks ago, Tasha K filed an appeal not to pay $4 million in damages to the Bronx rapper.

• Business

by Black Enterprise Shop

March 29, 2022

Leave The Web And Software Organizing To TabsFolders

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If you’re someone who spends any time on a computer whether for work or school-related activities, then you already know how helpful of a tool certain software programs or the internet can be.

While having access to seemingly countless web pages and folders to store your projects and ideas has been a game-changer, too much of anything can become overwhelming; the same can be said of the aforementioned folders and webpages.

With TabsFolders, you can save the organizing for someone – or something – else. For a limited time, a lifetime subscription to this organizational software is available for just $29. That’s a savings of 87% from its MSRP ($240).

TabsFolders gives users the capability to save, manage, synchronize and share bookmarks at high speed. It’s the perfect tool for those assignments or browsing sessions where you end up with countless tabs open without a streamlined way of saving and cataloging them.

For example, if you’re a student or a professional who needs to research information for an upcoming project and have stored all your information/bookmarks in folders or sub-folders, all you have to do is double-click on it and all the tabs will quickly open in a new window. Removing and adding tabs is as simple as just clicking the “save” button.

Additionally, you’re able to share your folders and their information with co-workers, fellow students, etc., across browsers with another simple click of a button.

“Great way of storing and organizing current and/or recently used tabs in order to keep track of what you have been working on without having a million tabs open at once. I really like the fact that this extension allows tabs to be organized into folders once stored,” writes Auden Turner, writer and web developer.

All that’s needed to run TabsFolders is a Chrome-based browser.

The flow of information has made our jobs, school work, and life in general much easier. Cataloging all that information can be a challenge, but this program works well to condense it and make all of it easily accessible. Purchase it today.

Prices subject to change.

• Lifestyle

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 28, 2022

Universal Hip Hop Museum Planning Metaverse Experience Before Construction of Venue Completed

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The birthplace of hip-hop, the Bronx, NY, will have its own museum in approximately two years when the construction of the two-floor Universal Hip-Hop Museum is completed.

According to CBS News, the borough that started the genre that is a multi-billion dollar business will be able to showcase items collected over the years to display in the upcoming museum. But, in the meantime, while construction is taking place, the metaverse will be the place where people can own a piece of hip-hop history.

The physical building will be located on East 150th Street in the vicinity of Yankee Stadium, but before the doors open, there will already be a metaverse for the organization.

The Universal Hip-Hop Museum has Microsoft as a technology partner. The executive director of the museum, Rocky Bucano, and his team will be collaborating with a group from MIT, led by D. Fox Harrell. They will work collectively to create their metaverse.

The metaverse has been designed and produced by Carnevale Interactive. The debut will happen before the brick-and-mortar museum opens and will showcase a subway that will serve as a gateway to virtually transport people into the different areas of the museum’s exhibits. Included would be the chance to incorporate NFTs and live performances spaces.

“We’re building a unique kind of museum experience. We’re not building the old traditional museum where you’re going to see a bunch of stuff on the wall and, you know, looks like old dinosaurs,” Bucano said.”My curator [Adam Silverstein, the museum’s director of archives and collections] says, we’re not building a mausoleum, we’re building a museum. You know, a living, breathing representation of hip-hop culture. Something that is always changing and evolving.”

The Universal Hip-Hop Museum is not scheduled to launch until 2024, but it is currently housed at a temporary location at the Bronx Terminal Market. In April, the UHHM plans to showcase the “Revolution of Hip-Hop” exhibit celebrating the genre’s golden era from 1986 to 1990.

For more information, visit uhhm.org.

• Business

by Derek Major

March 28, 2022

Three Black HBCU Entrepreneurs Receive $10K As Part Of The AT&T Dream In Black Award

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Entrepreneur Lori Harvey and YouTube sensation Terrell Grice presented three Black HBCU students with $10,000 as part of the AT&T Dream In Black Initiative.

Entrepreneurs and HBCU students Coi Mattison, Malik Waseem, and Journey Carter received the funds from AT&T to start their businesses and shine a light on Black entrepreneurs and their ideas. Grice told AfroTech the initiative is something he’s proud to be a part of.

“I am all about shining a light on amazing, young Black people all over the world. There is so much talent and culture that just needs a chance,” Grice told AfroTech. “They just need a shot, whether it’s capital, visibility, or a mentor, and that has always been a passion of mine, so when this opportunity came to my door, I knew it what perfect for what I believed in.”

Each of the winners has a business they are trying to grow while at the same time trying to help their communities and race with their products with the help of AT&T.

Mattison is the founder of Limbic Lamb, a set of coloring cards for children combining fun and play with uplifting words to boost a child’s self-esteem. Each card in the 48-piece set features an affirmation on one side and a picture on the other.

According to Yahoo, Mattison was inspired to create the deck of cards by the insecurities she faced as a child and later saw her daughters deal with. Mattison’s dream with Limbic Lamb is to help kids feel confident about who they are.

Waseem, meanwhile, is the creator and owner of Urbane Society, a marketplace app allowing independently-owned minority brands to sell their products from wherever they are. There are more than 70 independent brands on the app, which will enable sellers to create personalized and targeted marketing campaigns.

Waseem, who grew up in foster care, said he hopes to be an inspiration to those going through the system, and the goal is to give Black-owned businesses a way to scale up and develop a close relationship reaching a long-term customer base.

Carter created The Journey Collection when she was 12, designing apparel and accessories for the brand. Carter took the brand in a new direction when she was in high school and dealing with her self-image and wanted to build something that would help others love who they are — even if they feel different.

That led Carter to make hoodies, t-shirts, hats, sweatpants, and streetwear with a socially conscious theme. Today, the 18-year old HBCU student proudly calls herself the youngest designer with a store in the famous Beverly Center of Los Angeles.

In February, AT&T announced it had spent $3.1 billion on goods and services from Black suppliers, eclipsing a pledge the telecommunications giant made two years ago during the Black Lives Matter movement.

In recent memory, there has never been a time when Beyoncé performs that is topped by anyone or anything! With the Will Smith/Chris Rock “altercation” taking place, it seems as if people have not been speaking about Beyoncé, except on social media, of course!

Mrs. Carter had a fulfilling performance decked out in all green as her daughter Blue Ivy joined her, exciting the audience who viewed the show. The performance didn’t exactly take place AT the Oscars but on a Compton, California, tennis court, where Venus and Serena Williams grew up honing their tennis skills with their father. The songstress performed her single featured on the King Richard soundtrack, Be Alive complete with dancers and a band dressed in bright green, matching the diva. And the dancers donned hair beads and cornrow hairstyles, giving a nod to the early years of Venus and Serena when they wore the iconic Black beaded hairstyles while playing tennis.

As the video starts, two young ladies, dressed as Venus and Serena with beads in their hair, marched down the street as another young lady rode on a horse. The children were heading toward the tennis court where Queen Beyoncé held her stunning performance blanketed in tennis green.

Will Smith’s antic may have taken away the attention, but Beyoncé, as usual, stole the show with her performance. Twitter took notice.

Beyonce has sat through Chris Rock getting slapped, Kanye interrupting Swift, Lil Mama jumping on stage…

— Kristy Tillman (@KristyT) March 28, 2022

me standing outside the tennis courts while Beyoncé performs #Oscars pic.twitter.com/p2ZYTFDv6P

— Brandon Hooks (@CaptainBHooks) March 28, 2022

Beyoncé did not have to eat us up like this pic.twitter.com/D2odiIUe64

— JÚNIOR (@eujuninho__) March 28, 2022

THE ARRANGEMENT THE PRODUCTION VALUE BEYONCÉ YOU ARE SO LOVED #oscars pic.twitter.com/dDqhAuQUC3

— َkathony diaries. (@ungodlywests) March 28, 2022

we don’t call beyonce mother for no reason pic.twitter.com/kg4mWYYIZC

— zay (@yonceunited) March 28, 2022

Blue Ivy is so generous to let Beyoncé share the stage with her #Oscars pic.twitter.com/n3omd2CMhV

— Agron (@Agronveliu97) March 28, 2022

Beyoncé sampled “Nuthin’ but a G thang” by Dr Dre & Snoop Dogg.
pic.twitter.com/rzYdz9OppQ

— (@lionbeyonce) March 28, 2022

Blue Ivy during rehearsals of Beyoncé’s #Oscars performance pic.twitter.com/vE0JBrsmCH

— mick (@yonceir) March 28, 2022

Beyoncé is a top tier performer she never fails to amaze me #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Wqd1b6ErXI

— (@JINS0N94) March 28, 2022

Rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs proudly stepped out onto the red carpet ahead of the 2022 Academy Awards with none other than his stunning 15-year-old daughter, Chance Combs.

The father-daughter duo understood the assignment as they dressed the part and walked the walk for the glitz and glam of the red carpet. They exuded elegance. Diddy wore a classic black and white tuxedo, while his daughter shined in a white, bejeweled dress with sparkly trimmed sleeves. They were all smiles as photographers captured the sweet moment.

 

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For Diddy, having his daughter with him as his date was not only gratifying, but he was honored.

“First of all, the biggest thing that’s going on tonight, me bringing my daughter to this because she’s an inspiring actress and we get to have a date, and I’m just so excited, and I’m just so stunned,” Diddy told Entertainment Live during a red carpet interview. “I’m at a loss of words, so I’m blessed to be here. I’m presenting tonight, and we’re having a good time.”

“I’m dealing with daddy emotions,” the father of five added.

During the evening, Diddy even took a step back to let Chance take center stage and debut her Oscars look solo. Chance is the 51-year-old rapper and record producer’s only child with his longtime associate and model, Sarah Chapman. The teenager has taken up modeling and even appeared in the September 2021 issue of Vanity Fair with her father and twin sisters.

As for this weekend’s awards ceremony, Chance witnessed her father take the stage to introduce a special tribute to The Godfather in honor of its 50th anniversary.

Before making his presentation, Diddy played peacemaker during his remarks after Oscar nominee Will Smith slapped presenter Chris Rock in the face after the comedian cracked a joke about his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, 50.

‘I did not know that this year was going to be the most exciting Oscars ever. OK, Will and Chris, we’re going to solve that like family at the gold party, OK? But right now, we’re moving on with love,” Diddy said as Will and Jada were shown smiling in the audience.

Tiffany Haddish admires Will Smith for acting upon his love and duty as a husband when he delivered an open-headed slap across Chris Rock’s face for joking about Jada during the 94th Academy Awards on Sunday.

While Black Twitter memes engulf the internet, the stand-up comedian explained why the viral yet controversial moment was the “most beautiful thing” she had ever seen.

“When I saw a Black man stand up for his wife, that meant so much to me,” Haddish told PEOPLE at the Governors Ball following the ceremony. The actress continued to uphold her argument that Will’s actions were notable, especially for protecting his wife.

“As a woman, who has been unprotected, for someone to say, ‘Keep my wife’s name out your mouth, leave my wife alone,’ that’s what your husband is supposed to do, right? Protect you. And that meant the world to me,” she said.

“And maybe the world might not like how it went down, but for me, it was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen because it made me believe that there are still men out there that love and care about their women, their wives.”

Haddish went on to directly address Rock’s actions. While noting that he’s a “friend” of Will and Jada, she also questioned his intentions behind the joke. “Why would you do that? He didn’t even run the joke by her, but she was hurt though. Would you do that for your wife? Would you say, ‘Keep my wife’s name out your mother fucking…’ Like, yes! Yes!”

“If she wouldn’t have been hurt, [Will] probably wouldn’t have said nothing,” said Haddish. “But you could see he was clearly… And they exploited it. They exploited her, so ‘I have to do something’… He protected his wife.”

The Smiths have been longtime friends with Haddish, who starred in the 2017’s blockbuster comedy Girls Trip with Jada. During the film’s press tour, she told several stories about her newfound friendship with the Hollywood power couple, including inviting them out to a Groupon swamp tour. She also praised them for showing her the ropes in the industry.

First-time director Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson took home the Oscar for best documentary feature Sunday night for Summer of Soul, a breathtaking revival of the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival.

In Summer of Soul, the renowned DJ, Roots drummer, producer, and bandleader intentionally recounts Black history using music as a foundation for musicians to share heartfelt stories.

Congratulations to #SummerOfSoulMovie on winning the Academy Award for BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE. @Questlove @SearchlightPics @Hulu @OnyxCollective #Oscars pic.twitter.com/9J5VlAuAyC

— Summer of Soul (@summerofsoul) March 28, 2022

During an emotional speech, Thompson expressed his gratitude to his parents, and even got choked up as he referenced his father, musician Lee Andrews who died in 2016. He also declared that his directorial debut of this pivotal moment had less to do about him and more to do with the crucial political and social issues facing Black people in 1969 and beyond.

“It’s not about me. It’s about the marginalized people in Harlem that need to heal from their pain,” Thompson said during his emotional speech. “Just know that in 2022, this is not just a story about 1969 marginalized people in Harlem.”

For the West Philly native, the Oscar win was a shock to him. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Thompson was initially reluctant to take on the film. For his directorial debut — a job he was unfamiliar with at the time — he was responsible for the special task of retelling an almost erased part of Black history. The festival attracted large crowds and talented acts, yet still managed to go under the pop culture radar.

“Now, we’re just having that conversation about Black joy. It’s an important part of our story. It’s not just the bloodshed and the pain we’ve had to endure,” Thompson told the outlet. “There’s also a joy factor that we have to include in the narrative, that makes us human. Hopefully, this film will do that.”

The Oscar-winning director beat out fellow nominees including Emmy-winning filmmaker Stanley Nelson’s Attica, a film that recounts the 1971 uprising at Attica Correctional Facility, and award-winning directors Sushmit Ghosh and Rintu Thomas’ Writing With Fire, a film about women journalists of India’s all-female Khabar Lahariya (“News Wave”).