Iconic Black Business Leaders Honored At 25th Anniversary Of Wall Street Project
by Jeffrey McKinney

March 22, 2022

Iconic Black Business Leaders Honored At 25th Anniversary Of Wall Street Project

Three business icons—John W. Rogers Jr., Alan Greenspan, and Rev. Jesse Jackson—were honored by the Wall Street Project.

Rogers, chairman and co-CEO and chief investment officer at Ariel, and Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve, were recognized at the Wall Street Project Business Luncheon on Monday. Ariel Investments is No. 1 on the BE Asset Managers list. The previous head of the nation’s central bank, Greenspan served five terms as chairman of the powerful Fed.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Jesse Jackson (Photo Credit: Gerald Peart)

The recognition came as the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and Citizenship Education Fund began its 25th annual Wall Street Project Economic Summit, a two-day in-person and virtual event including entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and some of America’s leading policymakers to communicate and plan for the future.

Jackson accepted a tribute from New York City Mayor Eric Adams. Jackson and other minority business leaders launched the Rainbow PUSH Wall Street Project (WSP) in 1997. The WSP seeks to “[challenge] Corporate America to end the multi-billion-dollar trade deficit with minority vendors and consumers while working to ensure equal opportunities for culturally diverse employees, entrepreneurs, and consumers.”

The WSP has played an vital role in providing access for BE 100 financial firms to gain business via such means as securing major bonds, equity underwriting, and asset management deals. Rainbow PUSH has been a big advocate of opening growth and inclusion of Black Americans in Silicon Valley’s technology industry.

According to a news release,  Adams thanked Jackson for uplifting Black and Brown small businesses and communities for 25 years, “There is no greater ally in the fight for equality than you,” Adams said. “I have said it time and time again: social justice and the prosperity of New York City go hand in hand. We cannot have one without the other. My administration knows, we can, and we must do both.”

Another honoree was BNY Mellon’s Pershing, a provider of clearing and custody services. It won the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion award for its Minority Business Enterprise (MBE) Council.
“We are committed to creating opportunities for our clients and being inclusive fuels industry growth,” said Tonia Bottoms, managing director and senior managing Counsel, BNY Mellon’s Pershing. Check out day two of the virtual summit here.
Aunjanue Ellis Says Will Smith Advocated for Higher Salaries for ‘King Richard’ Cast
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2022

Aunjanue Ellis Says Will Smith Advocated for Higher Salaries for ‘King Richard’ Cast

Actress Aunjanue Ellis is giving Will Smith credit for going above and beyond to ensure that the King Richard cast performed well and were paid well.

Ellis, who played the role of Venus and Serena Williams’ mother, Oracene Wright, recently appeared on The Breakfast Club and confirmed the reports about Smith giving the entire cast bonuses following the film’s release and its success.

“He did, but I think what’s important to say about that…and I think it’s important that I say this. As I said, after you get the job, the fight is not over,” Ellis explained.

“You know you have to fight for equal pay and that kind of thing. I did that job, and I’m thankful for it, but I could have gotten paid better. So I told him this, and he did something about it.”

Not only did Smith make sure his onscreen wife was paid more, but he saw to it that the entire cast received a salary bump.

“As a result of his doing, his responding to the letter that I wrote to him, not only did he address that with increasing my pay, but the other actors in the movie also got their pay increased, which is the proof of when the Black women do well, everybody does well,” Ellis said.

Ellis’ role in King Richard garnered her first Academy Award nomination in the best supporting actress category. She was also nominated for SAG Awards, BAFTAs and Golden Globes.

The Lovecraft Country star has praised Smith for his treatment toward the cast and the jewels he shared.

“What surprised me most about him was the first day that I went into rehearsal with him, he had Post-It notes of every scene broken down of the entire movie…I just thought, ‘He doesn’t have to do that,’ ” Ellis told People of Smith.

“It just shows his level of commitment even at this stage of his career. I was so impressed by that.”

“The other thing that I loved about him and the experience of working with him is that it’s an education in how to be a great superstar, how to be a great movie star,” she continued. “But with him, it’s really an education in how to be a great man. That’s not celebrated enough.”

New Orleans Residents Living On Toxic Landfill Win $75M Settlement Against City, Housing Authority
by Atiya Jordan

March 22, 2022

New Orleans Residents Living On Toxic Landfill Win $75M Settlement Against City, Housing Authority

The current and former residents of a New Orleans neighborhood built on a toxic landfill won a $75.3 million judgment for emotional distress and property damage against the city and the other developers of the Gordon Plaza subdivision.

Orleans Civil District Court Judge Nicole Sheppard‘s ruling on Monday stated that the 5,000 residents are entitled to the money, according to The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate.

She determined that the city, the Housing Authority of New Orleans, and the Orleans Parish School Board, were liable for the ramifications of building two residential communities—Gordon Plaza and Press Park— and Moton Elementary School atop the Agriculture Street landfill. The site was so contaminated, it was named a federal Superfund site in 1994. These sites call for the Environmental Protection Agency to clean up hazardous material contaminations in the area.

“This is a big deal for the residents of Agriculture Street,” Suzette Bagneris, a lead attorney representing residents, told the Associated Press. Bagneris initially filed the lawsuit in 1993 while she was still in law school. “Thirty years down the road, to see this come to an end, it’s an emotional moment.”

Many Black families still reside in the heavy polluted area and risk being affected with chronic health problems such as asthma, diabetes, and hypertension. According to a Toxics Release Inventory prepared by the EPA, African Americans and other minority groups make up 56% of those living near toxic sites such as refineries, landfills, and chemical plants.

Gordon Plaza homeowner Jesse Perkins said he’s pleased about the judgment but skeptical about how much it will actually help residents relocate.

“It’s good news that will hopefully get some of us off this nasty landfill,” said Perkins, a member of Residents of Gordon Plaza Inc., a nonprofit representing the subdivision’s residents.

Additionally, another concern for the residents is the city’s track record of more than 560 outstanding judgments and settlements in state and federal courts, some dating back 25 years, according to a Times-Picayune-New Orleans Advocate analysis. Residents doubt receiving compensation.

Bagneris told The New Orleans Advocate the $75 million will be distributed based on determinants, including the number of years each resident lived in the affected places and the locations of their homes. This means if someone lived in Gordon Plaza for 20 or more years, they could receive $25,000 and 20 percent of the value of their home.

However, most of the houses have little value due to their location.

“My property taxes were $57 last year. That gives you an idea of the value of my house,” Perkins said.

South Carolina Brings Back Death By Firing Squad
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2022

South Carolina Brings Back Death By Firing Squad

As many push for the American government to do away with the death penalty completely, the state of South Carolina has upped the ante on the controversial practice, bringing back death by firing squad.

On Friday, the state Department of Corrections said revisions to the death chamber where the executions will take place were completed, The New York Post reported. State legislation put in place on May 14, 2021, made the electric chair the primary form of execution in the state and allowed inmates the option to choose between lethal injection or death by firing squad.

The new death chamber sits in Columbia and cost $53,600 to build. It holds a metal chair with restraints that faces a wall with a rectangular opening where three shooters can carry out the sentence.

Prisoners will have a hood over their heads and be allowed to make a final statement. Witnesses will be able to watch the execution behind bullet-proof glass.

The return of death by firing squad comes after a decade-long pause in carrying out death sentences because of the state’s inability to obtain lethal injection drugs, Fox News reported.

State Sen. Dick Harpootlian (D) introduced the firing squad option and argued that it presented “the least painful” execution method to the inmate.

“The death penalty is going to stay the law here for a while,” Harpootlian said. “If we’re going to have it, it ought to be humane.”

State officials added protocols for carrying out the executions. The three shooters will all be volunteers who are employees of the Corrections Department. Their rifles will be loaded with live ammunition and their weapons trained on the inmate’s heart.

South Carolina is one of eight states that still uses the electric chair for death sentences. It is one of four to allow a firing squad, along with Oklahoma, Mississippi, and Utah. Only three prisoners in the United States have been executed using a firing squad since 1976; all took place in Utah.

Miami Beach Installs Curfew, Declares State Of Emergency After Weekend Shooting Hospitalizes Five
by Derek Major

March 22, 2022

Miami Beach Installs Curfew, Declares State Of Emergency After Weekend Shooting Hospitalizes Five

Miami Beach, Florida, has declared a state of emergency after spring break crowds overloaded the city, and five people were shot in two shootings last weekend.

NBC News reports college-aged tourists have flocked to the city’s beaches and bars, creating an “unacceptable” atmosphere of fear in the city, Mayor Dan Gelber said at a joint news conference with local police and other city officials.

“I know this might be happening all over the country, as I’ve seen on some national reports, but frankly, that doesn’t make anybody feel better right here,” Gelber said. “Because this is our city, and we cannot allow it to descend into this kind of chaos and disorder. “Five bystanders were shot in two shootings in addition to public drunkenness, fistfights, and hospitalizations for excessive drinking.

Miami Beach Police found two women with non-life-threatening injuries after responding to reports of gunfire early Monday morning. Three other people were injured in separate shootings around the same time.

While Gelber acknowledged he can’t stop the influx of spring break crowds, he did push authorities to install a midnight to 6 a.m. curfew to push back against the thought that Miami Beach is a “24-hour party city.” According to City Manager Alina Hudak, the curfew will run through March 28.

This is the second year in a row the city has had to declare a state of emergency due to enormous spring break crowds after the COVID-19 pandemic led to thousands of students skipping the yearly celebration.

Local police have made hundreds of arrests as cheap airfares, warm weather, and a significant lack of COVID-19 restrictions in the state have led to more people enjoying the month-long festivities.

“It’s simply unacceptable at every level,” Gelber said at the news conference. “We simply cannot endure this anymore.”

Similar incidents have occurred at popular spring break destinations in Texas and Arizona.

Rising First-Gen College Student, Omarion Ikaika Calloway Secures 21 College Acceptances, $1.3 Million in Scholarships
by Atiya Jordan

March 22, 2022

Rising First-Gen College Student, Omarion Ikaika Calloway Secures 21 College Acceptances, $1.3 Million in Scholarships

Omarion Ikaika Calloway, a first-generation college student, is on his way to his dream school after receiving 21 college acceptances and over $1.3 million in scholarships, as reported by The Montgomery Advertiser.

Calloway, a senior at Park Crossing High School in Alabama,  maintains over a 3.9 GPA. He is an aspiring storyteller who is not only marking history as the only one in his family to attend college, but is narrating his success. He will attend his top choice, New York University. Calloway’s final decision was inspired by his late grandmother, whom he became a caretaker for at the age of 10. Her influence will live on.

(Photo Credit: Mickey Welsh/The Montgomery Advertiser)

Growing up, the rising college freshman enjoyed reading his grandmother’s stories in bed. He fell under a lot of stress during his earlier years and turned to storytelling as an outlet. With a small camera, gifted by his mother, Calloway discovered the joy of running around and filming his younger brother. Soon after, he would present the short film to his family.

“I would just write down my thoughts and project them onto like characters I made up in my head and just went from there,” Calloway recalled. “I just fell in love with storytelling ever since.”

For Calloway, the prestigious NYU creates “the next generation of storytellers and community builders.” His goal of becoming a storyteller, screenwriter, director, and producer is a vision he sees coming to fruition.

“I know at NYU I’ll be trained in a media-based environment surrounded by artists like me,” said Calloway.

As a student, Calloway is highly praised for his readiness to embark on his college journey. J. Kelley Ross, a facilitator for virtual learning, worked with him during a virtual program. He believes “[Calloway] has an extraordinarily positive attitude about absolutely every endeavor” which is “rare for a high school student.”

Additionally, the teenager interned at the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office last sumemer. His responsibilities included weed pulling and pressure washing. The experience improved his communication skills and helped him break out of his shell, according to Isaac Forbes, Calloway’s mentor at the department. Forbes recalled him being like a “sponge” and always having a smile on his face.

At NYU, Calloway is eager to get started on becoming a “community builder” and championing for “a better tomorrow.” He told The Montgomery Advertiser that he wants to be a “voice for the voiceless” and start an organization for “young caregivers,” where they can connect and raise funds.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 22, 2022

Living With Regret: Shaquille O’Neal ‘Hurt’ He Never Met ‘Queen of Basketball’ Lucy Harris

Last fall, NBA Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal signed on as executive producer of a documentary on one of the greatest women basketball players in U.S. history, Lusia “Lucy” Harris. Sadly, she died earlier this year in January.

In a recent interview, O’Neal said he regrets not taking the time to meet her in person.

According to Essentially Sports, the TNT commentator and entrepreneur expressed his regret during an interview with filmmaker Ben Proudfoot, who was behind the documentary of the legendary basketball player, Lucy Harris, The Queen of Basketball.

Discussing the documentary with Proudfoot, Shaq signals remorse for not getting to meet her in person, although they’ve connected via Facetime.

” I talked to her a few times and we FaceTimed and all that but when I got the news the same day you did, it kinda hurt me.

He also states that he has a habit of putting stuff off, and he did so with her and should have jumped at the chance to meet her before she passed away.

“I always put stuff off, I’m gonna do it next week, I should have jumped on the plane the first day you introduced me to this lady. As always, I’ll see you next week, I’ll see you next week and then I got the news. I would’ve loved to meet her.”

The documentary, also executive produced by Golden State Warrior sharpshooter Stephen Curry has been submitted for consideration for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject.

Although not a household name, Harris won three national titles in college and took home a silver medal at Montreal’s 1976 Olympic games. Harris also became the first woman ever to be officially drafted by an NBA team. The New Orleans Jazz, before they moved to Utah, picked her in the 7th round of the 1977 draft. She was also inducted into the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Although selected by the NBA team, Harris chose not to try out for the New Orleans Jazz. She became the head coach at the school she played for, Amanda Elzy High School in Greenwood, Mississippi.

In the documentary, she discusses her struggles with mental health after she stopped playing basketball and her thoughts about predating the WNBA, which was started in 1996, 20 years after she won a medal at the 1976 Olympics.

Black Woman Makes History as the Owner of a 5,000 Sq Ft Warehouse, Manufacturing Potent Jamaican Black Castor Oil
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 22, 2022

Black Woman Makes History as the Owner of a 5,000 Sq Ft Warehouse, Manufacturing Potent Jamaican Black Castor Oil

Melichsia Boss, the owner and CEO of Potent Jamaican Black Castor Oil, is creating ripples through the hair care industry with her line of unique hair care castor products.

With a family recipe started by her late grandfather and her very own 5,000 square feet warehouse, she formulates and manufactures a suite of products geared towards healing damaged hair starting at the scalp. She is the first and only African American woman in the Chicagoland area to have accomplished this.

The Potent Jamaican Black Castor Oil (PJBCO) line of game-changing products has created healthy strands for thirteen years, with a dedicated website for over ten years. The line includes a sea moss collection, hair growth collection, hair growth oils, and Jamaican hair shampoos, conditioners, wholesale, and private label program.

Jamaican black castor oil has been the latest buzz product, taking over the hair care arena. However, Melichsia has taken her family recipe and refined it with a distinctive preparation method completed by a proprietary injection of essential oils and nutrients. The end result is an aromatic, rich, darkly hued concoction that takes damaged thinning hair and reinvigorates it with new luster and length.

Like all great inventors, Melichsia created this product as a solution to a personal problem. Recognizing that current hair products worked for her hair constantly, Melichsia recalled castor oil treatments of her childhood. A trip down memory lane brought back snippets of her Jamaican grandfather crafting his act of Jamaican castor oil hair treatment and applying it to her hair. With this in mind and releasing her adult hair in disrepair, she took to YouTube. Here she learned that a healthy scalp equates to a healthy head of hair. By combining family tradition with newfound knowledge, the professional marketer decided to build her own company.

Potent Jamaican Black Castor Oil still maintains the traditional way of deriving the oil from roasting instead of pressing. This method provides nutty undertones, creates a deep color, and the residual ash helps fight dandruff-causing bacteria. PJBCO’s offerings are bolstered by essential oils, vitamins, other natural nutritive infusions, and superior hair growth aids, unlike other castor oil items.

Never one to be complacent, Melichsia has now married her Potent Jamaican Black Castor Oil with the equally powerful sea moss. The Seamless Hair Collection is a super blend that aids in helping the entire body. Strong enough to wash away grime and significantly hydrates hair while being gentle.

While PJBCO is sold via Melichsia’s BDI Enterprises and Brands, she also believes in spreading the wealth by enabling entrepreneurs to enter the multibillion-dollar beauty industry.

She accomplishes this through her wholesale and white label program. Through the white label program, persons can purchase bulk unbranded ready-to-use products and add their labels. The wholesale arm sees the enterprise being the primary distributor of the finest black Jamaican castor oil to major brands and businesses.

While many brands can tout a good product, not many can boast an outstanding product that also creates wealth for others. When asked what motivates her to keep creating products, Melichsia shared, “I wanted to create innovative hair care products that focus on scalp care and improve all hair types. This gave me the inspiration and the motivation to join the business arena where I now have a positive impact in the beauty industry.”

This article first appeared on Blacknews.com. 

Billy Ray Turner Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Killing of Former NBA Player Lorenzen Wright
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2022

Billy Ray Turner Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder in Killing of Former NBA Player Lorenzen Wright

On Monday, a jury found Billy Ray Turner, 51, guilty on all charges related to the 2010 killing of former NBA player Lorenzen Wright.

Turner was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and conspiracy, WREG reports. He will receive life in prison for the first-degree murder charge, a total of 60 years in Tennessee, and is expected to be sentenced for the other two charges on April 22. The additional two charges carry between 15 and 25 years in prison each and could be served concurrently.

The conviction comes nearly 12 years after Wright’s body was found lying in a muddy swamp riddled with bullet wounds on July 28, 2010. The 34-year-old father of six had been missing for days before his body was discovered in a remote area.

The case went cold until 2012 when Sherra Wright’s cousin Jimmie Martin came forward and revealed that his cousin, Lorenzen’s ex-wife Sherra Wright, had recruited him and Turner to help plot and execute Lorenzen, Law and Crime reports.

At the time of Wright’s killing, Martin faced charges for killing his girlfriend, Martha Jean Bownes, and claims that Sherra Wright reached out to him offering to pay some of his legal fees. Martin was convicted and is currently serving prison time in that case. However, he received immunity from being prosecuted in the Wright case.

Sherra Wright and Turner were indicted in December 2017. Sherra entered a guilty plea in July 2019 and was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Now that Turner has been sentenced, Lorenzen Wright’s mother Deborah Marion said, “Maybe I can sleep all night.”

“It’ll never be closure, because I’ll never see my son again,” Marion said. “This is just some satisfaction for me and my family.”

ESPN reports that Lorenzen Wright was a 6-foot, 11-inch center who played 13 seasons in the NBA before retiring after the 2008-09 season.

Hampton University Faces Backlash After Offering Free Schooling to Over 50 Students in Ukraine
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2022

Hampton University Faces Backlash After Offering Free Schooling to Over 50 Students in Ukraine

Amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, the country is receiving swarms of American support. Last Wednesday, HBCU Hampton University announced its plan to aid the European country by offering free room, board, and tuition to Ukrainian and international students.

An official announcement from the school states:

“In a humanitarian effort to help those college students and families affected by the current conflict in Ukraine, Hampton University President Dr. William R. Harvey has announced that it will invite 50-100 Ukrainian and international college students presently studying in Ukraine to continue their education on HU’s campus this summer.”

After enjoying a summer of free education at one of the top HBCUs in the country, the Ukrainian and international students would have the option to stay at HU for regular tuition and fees once the summer semester ends, NBC 12 reports.

“The collective Hampton University faculty, staff and students are heartbroken because the war-torn country of Ukraine must deal with atrocities like the bombing of maternity wards, hospitals, and other civilian areas,” Dr. Harvey said.

“I think this partnership is something that can be beneficial to a great number of students and families. My entire career has been focused on helping people to achieve and meet their goals.”

HU’s announcement referenced a similar agreement offered to students from the University of the Bahamas in 2019 after their north campus was destroyed in Hurricane Dorian.

However, once HU alumni caught wind of Dr. Harvey’s offer to Ukraine, many took to social media to call him out.

“Tomorrow, every person who cares about the safety of black students at #hamptonuniversity need to call Dr. Harvey office and demand they rescind this offer immediately or the alumni will not give back or attend homecoming this year,” one alumnus wrote.

https://twitter.com/nuriamiraj/status/1504551801416298564?s=21

“I attend @_HamptonU now, and I recently took out $10,500 loan to pay my remaining balance, I am beyond livid about what they are doing,” another user wrote. “I am in the process of sending an email to the president and seeking legal options. I could use that money, and other students like me.”

https://twitter.com/WCM3/status/1504620076833685508?s=20&t=JqpWApFRKqDFyQs0NR4-Gw

Others noted how “embarrassing” the entire situation was for HU’s legacy.

“Damn bringing Ukrainians to come to an HBCU to complete their studies. Where are the white Ivy league Universities or White State Land Grant Colleges making that offer? You know what?” another person tweeted. “They ain’t making that offer. @_HamptonU is taking a big L. Not a good look.”

https://twitter.com/HebrewJake/status/1504651927904301105

Over on Instagram, after The Shade Room shared the news story, many started sounding off.

“That’s amazing but ummmmmm…I know some kids around the corner from Hampton that need school at no cost too, some kids in Harlem, some kids in Philly, some kids in Atlanta,” wrote TV personality Yandy Smith. “Hmmmmmm happy for the Ukrainians tho.”

“But did they offer their own students that are affected by hardships any free tuition?” asked someone else.

“All those young people graduating with all that student loan debt, but go off Hampton… Chillllleeeee… Bye!” one user wrote.

“It’s crazy how much support they’re giving those outside of this country yet there are students in house that can’t even afford their tuition let alone the application fees. But be great,” another person added.

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