Kanye West Adds Comedian D.L. Hughley To His Ever-Growing List Of Enemies
by Wendy Medina

March 13, 2022

Kanye West Adds Comedian D.L. Hughley To His Ever-Growing List Of Enemies

Ye is coming for comedian D.L. Hughley’s top after the comic shared some thoughts on the celebrity couple’s messy divorce. 

In a since-deleted Instagram post regarding his daughter North’s use of TikTok, which he previously expressed discontent, the rapper managed to call out Perez Hilton and threatened to hurt Hughley all in the same breadth.

“I told y’all before about this tik tok stuff Now my 8 year old on here singing she fell in love with an emo girl,” Kanye began his Sunday morning rant, referring to the TikTok in which Kim Kardashian, North and a friend sang along to Machine Gun Kelly’s “Emo Girl,” featuring Willow.

He finishes off with, “And DL Hughley is a pawn Yeah I know a king not supposed to address a pawn but I address everything and find addresses DL So don’t speak on me or my children I can afford to hurt u.”

The Donda 2 rapper then uploads another now-deleted video of Hughley passing out onstage in 2020 after contracting COVID-19.

He captioned it: “We gone stop letting practicing drug addicts be used by leftist to Willie Lynch our Future Black people with our own opinion are not allowed to speak in public.” He goes on to further insult the The Original Kings of Comedy actor.

In a third and final post, Ye posted a screenshot of the city where Hughley resides. “Wuuuuuut??? DL lives in Calabasas???????? Yoooooo God is good,” he wrote.

The rant was brought on after an interview Hughley did with Vlad TV, where he states nothing but facts.

“He’s stalking her,” Hughley said. “You can think it’s cute. If it was my daughter, I’d do something about it. I don’t think it’s funny… If you want your family back, stop doing the s— you did that made her leave.”

The legendary comic clapped back in a tweet soon after, “Hmmm! Ain’t it weird that #Kanye supposedly has all these goons who will kill for him, but not one of them will get his prescriptions filled? Here’s a thought while you’re on your way to kill me in Calabasas, how about somebody drop by CVS and pick up his Xanax! Lol #TeamDl.”

West’s Instagram has since been wiped clean.

‘Snowfall’s’ Damson Idris Will Star As Famed NBA Agent Rich Paul In New Biopic
by Wendy Medina

March 13, 2022

‘Snowfall’s’ Damson Idris Will Star As Famed NBA Agent Rich Paul In New Biopic

British hunk and star of L.A.-based drama Snowfall, Damson Idris announced during a March 3 interview on The Breakfast Club, about his new role as NBA agent Rich Paul. An upcoming biopic about the 40-year-old celebrity agent is said to be in the works, with Idris as its leading man. 

“It is time we start cherishing black moguls and Rich is someone that people need to know,” said the Franklin Saint actor. “This guy has completely changed the game, and I’m happy and fortunate to call him a big brother, and I can’t wait to honor his story.”

Recently making headlines after engagement rumors surfaced with British phenom Adele, Paul famously represents LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, John Wall, and Draymond Green, amongst other NBA superstars.

The acclaimed story of his meeting with long-time client James stems back to an airport in James’ hometown of Akron, Ohio. A 21-year-old Paul was said to be selling vintage sports jerseys out of his car when approaching 17-year-old James. Impressed by the Houston Oilers jersey of Warren Moon that Paul sported, the two struck up a conversation on their mutual love of sports. The pair kept in contact and the rest is history.

“It is going to be amazing, man,” Idris continued. “He completely transformed the game. I am just completely inspired by those people. I am fortunate to be in some really good circles, I am learning.”

TMZ caught up with the celeb agent as he was leaving LAX Thursday night and asked about Idris’ portrayal of him. 

“I like Damson a lot. He’s a great friend of mine,” Paul said. “Damson’s great man, he’s doing a great job. That’s my brother.”

While there were no more details as to the start of production on the project, Idris was gleaming when sharing the news.

by Keka Araújo

March 13, 2022

Practitioners of African Traditional Religions Stood In Solidarity With Singer Summer Walker After She Was Trolled On Twitter

Practitioners of African Traditional Religions (ATR) united on Twitter after a call to action by a popular social media personality called out trolls who were demeaning a photo of singer Summer Walker wearing all white online. 

On March 10, a photo of Summer donning a simple white dress and white headscarf circulated on Twitter. The “Ex For A Reason” songstress looked radiant and happy as she shopped for healthy foods at the grocery store.

Folks with no home training began to share the photo with embarrassingly ignorant statements about her attire. 

Jay Versace, a comedian, actor and musician who got his start by making hilarious videos on various social media platforms, posted a poignant tweet regarding Summer’s attire. 

“I know y’all are posting this hoping to make everyone laugh, but we gotta create space for black women to navigate their spiritual practice. This is a African traditional attire for a specific spiritual practice. Let’s decide who we wanna tear down and who we wanna uplift,” he wrote.

 

The 24-year-old priest of Obatalá upped the ante by urging Black folks who understood the significance of Summer wearing white to drop their flicks in the comments. 

“Black folks wearing white thread, drop the pics.”

 

And did they. Although the singer didn’t directly say why she was dressed in that manner, people aware of certain practices spoke on her behalf.

Priests and non-initiates shared stunning images of themselves in white to show solidarity with the Summer and bring understanding about traditional African religions like Lucumi and Voudoun. 

 

Many of these faiths were practiced in secret as practitioners risked their lives if they worshipped openly. As more Black people step into traditional diasporic and African practices, awareness and teaching are key. 

Summer had the last word, though. She responded to naysayers and trolls on Instagram. The singer explained that she was, indeed, an iyawo who had permission to post the stunning photo from her godparents.

“Who’s the clown? The ones trying to reconnect to STOLEN practices? Or the ones who can’t see the importance of their own culture,” she wrote.

“Also, I know yawos aren’t supposed to post themselves, but I got blessings from my godparents to post myself for work. I wanna show how you can do your job and still be a yawo while still rejecting vanity. I’m doing this publicly to show how important it is to be in African religions / to de-stigmatize them.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Awkward Kween (@summerwalker)

And real talk– sis looked good. 

Blessings to her.

 

Former President Barack Obama Tests Positive For Covid-19
by Yolanda Baruch

March 13, 2022

Former President Barack Obama Tests Positive For Covid-19

Former President Barack Obama posted on his Twitter page that he tested positive for COVID-19, CNN reports.

“I’ve had a scratchy throat for a couple days, but am feeling fine otherwise,” he tweeted and reassured the public that the former First Lady Michelle Obama tested negative for the disease.

“Michelle and I are grateful to be vaccinated and boosted,” read the post. “It’s a reminder to get vaccinated if you haven’t already, even as cases go down.”

Mrs. Obama posted on social media in March 2021, encouraging Americans to get vaccinated. The Obamas publicized that they both received their COVID-19 vaccines last year.

 

“When you can get the COVID-19 vaccine, I hope you do—Barack and I are certainly glad we did. It’s our best shot at beating this virus, looking out for one another, and getting back to some of the things we miss. Getting vaccinated will save lives—and that life could be yours,” said Michelle Obama, according to The Hill.

How the Obamas Took On Covid Precautions Previously

There’s no telling who in Obama’s orb has been around him with COVID, but he’s vaccinated and seems to be doing just fine.

The Obamas have always been cautious about the company they keep given the quick spread of the coronavirus and last year even scaled back Barack’s 60th birthday bash.

As previously reported, the Obamas were set to have a 475-person guest list, including big names such as Oprah Winfrey and George Clooney. An additional two hundred staff members were also scheduled to attend.

Prior to the cancellation, there were some health and safety protocols in place for the large party.

“This outdoor event was planned months ago in accordance with all public health guidelines and with COVID safeguards in place,” said Hannah Hankins, a spokesperson for Obama.

“Due to the new spread of the delta variant over the past week, the President and Mrs. Obama have decided to significantly scale back the event to include only family and close friends.”

We can imagine how moving forward the Obamas will really have a smaller, tighter circle.

Connecticut Lawmakers Propose New Legislation In Connection To Lauren Smith-Fields, Brenda Lee Rawls Cases
by Wendy Medina

March 13, 2022

Connecticut Lawmakers Propose New Legislation In Connection To Lauren Smith-Fields, Brenda Lee Rawls Cases

Bridgeport lawmakers are presenting changes to state law in the form of House Bill 5349, which states there will be timely reporting to next of kin by the police following a death. It will require law enforcement to inform the family of the deceased within 24 hours of identification.

The bill comes following the deaths of Lauren Smith-Fields, 23, and Brenda Lee Rawls, 53, whose families were never notified of their passing. Both women died on the same day, Dec. 12, in Bridgeport, reports the New York Times. Both families had to beg police for details pertaining to their deaths.

Rawls’ family heard from a neighbor after not being able to reach her, but could not locate her body. Smith-Fields’ parents learned of their daughter’s mysterious death from a note posted by the landlord on her apartment door. 

State Rep. Antonio Felipe commented in a statement per the Connecticut Post, “It’s deeply upsetting that this legislation is even necessary. This is a wrong being righted.”

Families of Smith-Fields and Rawls testified last Wednesday at a public hearing before the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee in support of HB 5349.

Rep. Steve Stafstrom, chairman of the committee and author of the bill stated he penned the legislation after meeting with Smith-Fields’ family.

“When it comes to Black and brown people, you need to treat us like we’re human,” said Shantell Fields, Smith-Fields’ mother, in the hearing. “I just need for everyone to be treated as a human being, and be notified of their family’s loss and to be treated with respect and kindness, which the Bridgeport department did not allow us.”

Rawls’ sister, ​​Deirdre Owen, shared that, “instead of being able to mourn my sister’s death,” they had to carry out their own investigation to find out what happened to her, reports NBC News.

Both women died under strange circumstances around a man, however the medical examiner ruled their deaths as accidental overdose and natural causes.

Officers breaking the proposed law could be reported to the state’s Office of the Inspector General. Lawmakers vowed to pass the bill, although there was no official vote on it during the hearing.

Emmett Till’s Family Want The Department Of Justice To Re-Open His Case
by Yolanda Baruch

March 13, 2022

Emmett Till’s Family Want The Department Of Justice To Re-Open His Case

Emmett Till’s family wants the U.S. Justice Department to overturn their decision to close the investigation of the Black teenager’s 1955 lynching, according to the Associated Press. 

August 1955 in Mississippi, Roy Bryant and his half brother, J.W. Milam, kidnapped the 14-year old Black boy from Chicago for whistling at Bryant’s wife, now known as Carolyn Bryant Donham.

The two men tortured the 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. Detectives discovered his decomposed remains on August 31, The New York Times reports. 

An all-white jury acquitted Bryant and Milam, who later admitted to killing Till in an interview with Look magazine, according to AP.

Till’s family and supporters want to bring Carolyn Bryant Donham, who lives in North Carolina, to justice before it is too late. 

 

“Time is not on our side,” said Till’s cousin, Deborah Watts, at a news conference, ABC News reports.

Michelle Williams, chief of staff for Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch, is doubtful that the Justice Department will rescind their decision to re-examine the case they closed in December and charge Donham. 

“This is a tragic and horrible crime, but the FBI, which has far greater resources than our office, has investigated this matter twice and determined that there is nothing more to prosecute,” Williams said in a statement, according to the AP. 

Government authorities reopened Till’s case when the 2017 “The Blood of Emmett Till” novel by historian Timothy B. Tyson documented that Donham confessed to lying that Till attacked her; however, there was no proof to verify his record. Her family members also denied that she recanted her testimony, and Donham told the FBI that she still stands by her story, the Justice Department reported, according to ABC News. 

On Monday, the Senate passed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act of 2022, which makes lynching a federal hate crime, and now, President Joe Biden’s signature to make the bill into an official law, CNN reports. 

“After more than 200 failed attempts to outlaw lynching, Congress is finally succeeding in taking the long-overdue action by passing the Emmett Till Antilynching Act. Hallelujah. It’s long overdue,” said Majority Leader Chuck Schumer on the Senate floor.

Family Of Donnell Rochester Demand Justice After Being Fatally Shot By Baltimore Police
by Wendy Medina

March 13, 2022

Family Of Donnell Rochester Demand Justice After Being Fatally Shot By Baltimore Police

Eighteen-year-old Donnell Rochester was shot and killed by police on Feb. 19 in northeast Baltimore. According to WBAL-TV, at about 3:15 p.m. that Saturday, officers responded to a vehicle of interest in connection to a robbery in the 3200 block of Hillen Road. 

Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison said the BPD’s Mobile Metro Unit approached the car, causing the driver, later identified as Rochester, to get back in and take off. Body cam footage shows the officers flanking the car and while Rochester attempts to get away, hits an officer; in response the cop begins shooting into the vehicle. 

Harrison confirms a second officer on foot also starts firing. It is still unclear however, what exactly caused the officers to open heavy fire at what appeared to be the start of a police pursuit.

After a short distance, Rochester stops the car and surrenders, having been hit by the gunfire. He was reportedly handcuffed while bleeding out. The teen died shortly after being taken to a hospital. 

Rochester’s family called for justice last Tuesday in front of the Baltimore police headquarters. 

“He’s supposed to still be here, and it’s just not fair,” said Rochester’s aunt, Markai Jackson.

The officers involved, Robert Mauri and Connor Murray, are currently on administrative leave as the department conducts their investigation. 

“It’s innocent until you’re proven guilty. Don’t forget that. So, you can’t even charge him with anything because he wasn’t even proven guilty of anything,” said Shanika Jackson, Rochester’s cousin. “He shouldn’t have died like that, period.”

Baltimore police simply told the outlet they were aware of the protest “and will continue to support individuals’ rights to peacefully protest in Baltimore.”

Kevin Jenkins, 18, friend of Rochester, told the Baltimore Sun, “The police, they treat people like they’re not human. His story needs to be heard because it’s not just him — it’s Freddie Gray … and all the others. This is part of a trend.”

The Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division and state protocol are looking further into this case.

by Yolanda Baruch

March 13, 2022

Akon Responds To His Former Business Partner That He Is Running A Ponzi Scheme

In response to his previous business partner’s accusations that he is running a Ponzi scheme, Akon issued a statement reports Complex.

 Black Enterprise previously reported that Devyne Stephens is suing the Senegalese singer for close to $4 million based on unpaid royalties owed to him via a contractual agreement between the two parties.

Stephens alleges that Akon’s plans to build a futuristic Akon City in Senegal that will use Akoin, a digital currency, to sustain the local economy, are fraudulent. 

The singer intends for Akon City to operate as a “100 percent crypto-based city” on 2,000 acres granted by the Senegalese President. According to Akoin’s website the project will be a “leading Smart City planning designs with a blank canvas for cryptonizing our daily human and business exchanges, towards inventing a radical new way of existence.”

Former Federal Special Agent Scot Thomasson said that “The Akon City and Akoin ventures have many of the trademark characteristics (known as ‘red flags’) of fraudulent business ventures such as Ponzi schemes and pyramid schemes. Therefore, it is likely that Akon City and Akoin are part of a fraudulent money-raising scheme,” based on the affidavit filed on March 7, Complex reports.

Akon’s reps sent a statement to Page Six arguing there is no evidence to substantiate the allegations against the “Locked Up” singer’s plans to break ground for the $6 billion city. 

 “Mr. Stephens’ allegations about Akon City and Akon’s business ventures are not based on any evidence.”

“They are nothing but innuendo and speculation, made by someone who had a claim against Akon dismissed,” said Akon’s rep addressing a previous lawsuit made by Stephens that tossed out of court. 

“Akon is proud of the efforts he is undertaking to create opportunities for his homeland in Senegal,” ended the statement.

On Monday, Stephens requested that a New York judge freeze Akon’s assets for “flagrantly breaching two separate contractual promises.” Stephens also claims there are irregularities with the paperwork filed for Akon City and unregistered investments, reports Complex. 

 

Ohio Grand Jury Will Not Indict Officer After Killing 16-Year-Old Ma’Khia Bryant
by Wendy Medina

March 13, 2022

Ohio Grand Jury Will Not Indict Officer After Killing 16-Year-Old Ma’Khia Bryant

Ma’Khia Bryant was only 16 years old when being fatally shot by Columbus, Ohio, police in April 2021, moments after arriving at the scene in response to a 911 call. 

The Columbus Dispatch reports that there was no formal charge brought upon officer Nicholas Reardon as he stood before a Franklin County grand jury on Friday. 

President of the Fraternal Order of Police Capital City Lodge No. 9, Jeff Simpson, stated that the grand jury submitted a “no bill,” meaning no probable cause was found that the officer had committed a crime after shooting the teenage girl four times.

While Bryant was found to be wielding a knife outside a Southeast Side foster home at the arrival of law enforcement, family and witnesses say that she was only acting in self-defense against others at the house that were the aggressors. The 911 caller stated a disturbance involving a person with a knife at a home on the 3100 block of Legion Lane. Bryant and her 15-year-old sister were staying at that foster home, as previously reported.

She died at a nearby hospital the same day Derek Chauvin was pronounced guilty of George Floyd’s murder.

Michelle Martin, the Bryant family attorney said in a statement, “Ma’Khia’s family has long wondered why this officer opted for lethal force even though there should have been other non-deadly options available to deal with this situation… As the one-year anniversary of Ma’Khia’s death approaches, her family is resolute in their fight for justice on her behalf.”

Martin also called out Ohio’s foster care system, claiming it is failing children.

Simpson said Reardon “acted appropriately,” and that, “It’s unfortunate when anyone loses their life, but the officer saved lives that day and did what he was trained to do.” 

After the announcement that Reardon will not be charged, the Ohio Department of Public Safety released a statement that they will now conduct an administrative investigation “whether the officer’s actions were within Division policy.”

US Representative Says It Is ‘Extremely Concerning’ Brittney Griner Has Been Blocked From US Embassy Contact
by Wendy Medina

March 13, 2022

US Representative Says It Is ‘Extremely Concerning’ Brittney Griner Has Been Blocked From US Embassy Contact

Continuing coverage on the detainment of Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner in Russia, uncertainty about her well-being grows every day. Going on a month of imprisonment, the WNBA center was detained at an unclear date about a month ago and her physical location is still unknown, mounting on the heightened fear that she may become a political pawn, reports CNN. 

Griner’s wife, Cherelle Griner, and multiple U.S. representatives have called for her release, however, she still remains “without official government access to her​,” stated Texas Rep. Colin Allred, per the outlet. 

The U.S. Embassy has on multiple occasions seeked consular access to her but has been repeatedly denied for the duration of her detainment. Allred says this is “unusual and extremely concerning.”

“For Brittney’s sake, we don’t want her to become a part of this kind of political battle that’s going on, and we want to make sure that her rights are respected and that we are able to get access to her, and that she can get through the process and get home as quickly as possible,” Allred told CNN on Thursday.

Griner’s arrest came days before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and as previously reported, a member of the U.S. House Armed Services Committee said it would “be very difficult to get Griner out of Russia,” considering the deadly conflict.

Griner has allegedly been in contact with her Russian lawyer, who has been communicating with her agent and family back in Texas.

Not only is Griner a Black woman in a foreign country at war, she is a gay woman in a notoriously anti-LGBTQ country.

“Our diplomatic relationships with Russia are nonexistent at the moment,” said California Rep. John Garamendi. “Perhaps during the various negotiations that may take place, she might be able to be one of the solutions. I don’t know.”

More than 57,000 people have signed the “Secure Brittney Griner’s Swift and Safe Return to the U.S.” petition on Change.org as of today.

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