• Lifestyle

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 3, 2022

Jesse Williams Agrees to Settle Child Custody Dispute With Ex-Wife Aryn Drake-Lee

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A child custody dispute has been resolved between actor Jesse Williams and his ex-wife Aryn Drake-Lee. 

• Entertainment

by Atiya Jordan

March 3, 2022

Rapper T.I.’s Daughter Deyjah Shares Her Journey Experiencing Self-Harm

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T.I.’s daughter Deyjah Harris took to Instagram with a soul-baring message about her experience with self-harm to instill hope in her followers.

March 1 represents Self-Injury Awareness Day, a global awareness movement. In honor of the campaign’s significance, Harris posted a photo revealing her scars to display her own struggles and resilience.

“Perhaps I had to experience this in order to be able to help someone else that is or will deal with this…I mean we hurt so that we can help others heal from that same pain, right?” she wrote. “I don’t need any sympathy, I don’t need any of you to try and guess why I did this to myself, I don’t need you to tell me things like “oh you shouldn’t do that to yourself, you’re too pretty for that” etc. because that will change nothing.”

She continued:

“All I need for you to do is simply speak and live in your truth like i always encourage you to do. I need you to see that if i can be brave enough to share this part of myself/my journey with the world, then you can too.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Deyjah Harris🤎💫 (@deyjahimani)

In the post, the 20-year-old extended her message to all victims of self-injury while mentioning that the act can take on a variety of forms. She encouraged her followers to share their stories.

“A lot of people don’t talk about the fact that there are multiple forms of self-harm, so for those of you that can’t relate to cutting but you can relate to other forms, I see you too and you’re not alone, TRUST me when I say that.. but let me tell you this, don’t you dare spend the rest of your life hiding who you are/what you’ve been through,” she wrote.

She continued: “I don’t care if you think people will judge you, if you think people will think you’re not right in the head, if you think it’ll make people love or like you less, or if you think people will say you’re doing it for attention, you deserve to share your story…when or if YOU’RE ready. your story can + will save so many lives and you don’t even know it yet.”

Well-known for using her platform as a safe space, Harris concluded her message with support and love for those who need it.

“I love you/you are loved, you are seen, you MATTER, and you deserve everything good in the world,” she wrote. “Don’t you ever forget or doubt that.”

• Men

by Derek Major

March 3, 2022

Georgia Bureau Of Investigation Says It’s Committed To Prosecuting Officials Accused Of Misconduct In Ahmaud Arbrey Case

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The three men who cornered and killed Ahmaud Arbery will spend most of the rest of their lives behind prison bars, but what about the officials accused of misconduct?

In May 2020, the Georgia Attorney General’s office requested the state’s Bureau of Investigation (GBI) determine whether Waycross Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Barnhill and former Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney Jackie Johnson’s actions in the case amounted to prosecutorial misconduct.

Johnson was initially appointed to investigate Arbery’s murder. However, four days later, she wrote the District Attorney of the Brunswick Judicial Circuit and asked for the appointment of another prosecutor because Greg McMichael, one of the men convicted of Arbery’s death, was a former investigator in her office.

Johnson then handed the case off to Barnhill. However, an assistant district attorney in Johnson’s office, Barnhill’s son, previously worked with McMichael on a prosecution involving Arbery. However, Barnhill did not disclose that information until several weeks after he was appointed and provided an opinion to the Glynn County Police Department on February 24, 2020. In that opinion, he said that he did not see grounds for the arrest of any of the individuals involved in Arbery’s death, saying there was insufficient probable cause.

According to The Grio, a GBI spokesperson emailed them a statement saying it has completed its investigation and has passed it on to the Attorney General’s office. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr released a statement saying their investigation is still open and ongoing.

“As we mark two years since the murder of Ahmaud Arbery, our office remains committed to a complete and transparent investigation of how this case was handled from the outset,” Carr said. “While an indictment has been returned and we prepare for notice of an arraignment, our file is not closed and our full investigation continues. Our goal is to ensure maximum justice for Ahmaud, his family, the community, our state and our nation, and we will leave no stone unturned in our pursuit of the truth.”

Johnson was indicted last September for violation of the oath of a public officer and obstruction and hindering a law enforcement officer. Additionally, two Glynn County commissioners told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that Johnson told police not to arrest McMichaels. Johnson has denied the claims and instead pointed the finger at the police, saying they failed to arrest the men.

Meanwhile, Barnhill is still working as the Waycross Judicial Circuit district attorney. However, his co-workers aren’t happy about it. In August 2020, 300 state attorneys signed an open letter demanding Barnhill and Johnson resign.

• Career

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 3, 2022

‘NHL Bound’ Premiere Hopes to Inspire Quests of Black Coaches

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“NHL Bound,” a four-part series about two Black coaches interning with the Arizona Coyotes, premiered at the 2022 Truly Hard Seltzer NHL Fan Fair Friday.

The first episode of the weekly series, which followed Duante Abercrombie and Nathaniel Brooks when they participated in the Coyotes’ inaugural coaching internship program at the team’s development camp in September, aired at the Ticketmaster at the Fan Fair, according to a press release.

Abercrombie, Brooks and Arizona president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez said they hope the series not only serves as a launching pad for the two coaches involved, but for other Black coaches who dream of being behind an NHL bench.

“This is what happens when you say, ‘There is talent out there,'” said Gutierrez, who became the NHL’s first Hispanic president and CEO in 2020.

“I think this proves exactly that they are the embodiment of what happens when you have talent that meets opportunity and creates success.”

Abercrombie is an assistant at Stevenson University, an NCAA Division III school outside Baltimore, and director of player achievement for the Washington Little Caps. He’s also an alum of the Fort Dupont Ice Hockey Club, the oldest minority-oriented youth hockey program in North America and an affiliate of the NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone Initiative.

“My biggest thing is this series makes it tangible,” Abercrombie said.

“It’s one thing to hear people say, ‘This is something that you can achieve, this is something that you can do.’ But until you’ve actually seen someone that looks like you or come from where you are, it’s like a fairy tale, a children’s book almost.

“But the moment they see Nate and I on that screen, they’re, like, ‘I can do this, I can have a career in hockey and not just in hockey, I can achieve anything in the world.'”

Brooks is an assistant at Ryerson University, a U Sports school, in Toronto. He is also a co-founder of Seaside Hockey, a Black-run program created in 2020 with a mission of reviving hockey in a section of Scarborough, Ontario, that has a rich history of producing Black NHL players, including Toronto Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds and former NHL players Mike Marson, Kevin Weekes, Joel Ward, Anson Carter, Anthony Stewart and Chris Stewart.

“For us, personally, we’re on the track already, we’re putting in the work already,” Brooks said of he and Abercrombie.

“For us, this is meeting more great people and other great coaches and people with influence who can help us in our journey, which is great. This is bigger than Duante and I. It’s obviously great for him and I, but it’s about people identifying with us, for sure.”

The series will be released Feb. 10, with episodes available each Thursday at YouTube.com/NHL. A compilation show will be available at the end of February via streaming on ESPN+ as well as broadcast on Sportsnet, TVA Sports and NHL Network.

“NHL Bound” was produced in association with NHL Original Productions and directed by Kwame Damon Mason, who produced the 2015 award-winning documentary “Soul on Ice: Past, Present & Future.”

NHL Chief Content Officer Steve Mayer is executive producer of “NHL Bound” and Robert Sevilla is producer. Mason said he hopes the series will inspire more NHL teams “to look within their programs and say, ‘How can we do more, especially in the coaching space?'”

“The talent is out there and ‘NHL Bound’ is going to show you that there’s talent out there that deserves a shot to be in the NHL,” Mason said.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

March 3, 2022

This Small Device Is A Portable Translator

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While being bilingual is a highly valuable skill in the professional world and for personal reasons, not everyone is skilled in the task of speaking more than one tongue. At times, it can be a detriment. Everyone from the college student to the businessperson to the person picking up a second language for travel, being able to understand different languages can come in handy in many situations.

Think of the NEWYES Scan Reader Pen 3 as a personal translator, as it effortlessly can translate hundreds of languages in mere seconds. For a limited time, it’s available for a limited-time price of just $124.99. That’s a savings of 37% from its MSRP ($199).

With this device, you’ll be able to understand any book or reading material despite its language. The state-of-the-art NEWYES Scan Reader Pen 3 can translate up to 112 languages, and it can recognize up to 3,000 characters per minute. Furthermore, it supports nine UI languages, 55 OCR languages, 112 text translation languages, and 112 voice translation languages.

While it shines as an instant translator, it’s capable of doing so much more, such as acting as a text and voice translator, a dictionary, a voice recorder, and even as an MP3 player. It supports Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity. With 98% accuracy for translation, you’ll be hard-pressed to find another device that packs so much in one shell.

The NEWYES Scan Reader Pen 3 can also be beneficial for people with dyslexia, reading, or learning disabilities. Avid readers who might need a dictionary from time will also find this device to be a great tool to enhance those reading sessions.

This small but powerful device can be charged via a Type-C connection, and its battery life spans 4-5 hours per charge. The NEWYES Scan Reader Pen 3 opens a world of opportunities and possibilities with its high-quality translation capabilities. Unleash its power and purchase it today for $124.99.

Prices subject to change.

• Black History Month

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 2, 2022

ChenMed Commits $100K to Activate Programming on Racial Equity

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For the second consecutive year, in support of Black History Month, ChenMed is committing $100,000 to organizations that assist in strengthening communities, breaking down barriers and creating a healthy dialogue around race, community and reconciliation.

This year, one of the first partners that the pledge is benefiting is Be the Bridge, an organization committed to empowering people and culture towards racial healing, equity and reconciliation.

The WNBA has fined the New York Liberty $500,000 for breaking league rules and chartering flights on their behalf.

The Liberty was issued the biggest fine in WNBA history after the team’s new owners Joe Tsai, co-founder of the Chinese tech company Alibaba Group, and his wife, Clara, violated CBA rules and chartered private flights for their team, Sports Illustrated reports.

When they were caught, a league official proposed a $1 million fine, substantial loss of draft picks, and a possible “termination of the franchise.”

However, after Tsai “cut a deal” with the league, the team’s only punishment was a half a million-dollar fine instead. Chartering flights isn’t typically allowed in the WNBA due to worries of creating a competitive advantage for teams whose owners can afford the luxury arrangement.

The chartered flights came after the Liberty had already violated CBA rules chartering flights for five road games in the second half of the season, as well as a Labor Day weekend trip to Napa Valley for a team bonding experience.

But the fine is highlighting a broader issue where leniencies are taken into account for wealthier team owners. While all teams aren’t allowed to charter flights, if some owners choose to pay for them out of their own pocket, it’s allowed.

ESPN reports that Tsai has been campaigning for better travel accommodations for WNBA players. In October, Tsai tweeted that he was working with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert and airlines to find a charter sponsor for the teams.

Engelbert has said the league needs to see more financial growth as a whole before chartering would be allowed. The Liberty claims the WNBA Board of Governors rejected an “unofficial proposal” that would comp three years of chartered flights.

“At no point was there a New York Liberty proposal for the WNBA Board of Governors to consider offering three years’ worth of charter flights for WNBA teams,” a WNBA spokesman said in a statement. “It was agreed that the Liberty would explore opportunities regarding charter flights and present it to the Board. To date, that has not happened.”

News of the fine is being criticized on social media, with Sabrina Ionescu, the Liberty’s franchise player, tweeting that the entire situation was “a joke.”

The Arizona Coyotes announced today that the club has launched a coaching internship program that will provide young diverse hockey coaches with an opportunity to learn and develop by working directly with Coyotes Head Coach André Tourigny and his coaching staff during Development Camp.

Duante’ Abercrombie and Nathaniel Brooks will serve as the first two coaches to participate in the program from Sept. 9 through Sept. 13 at Gila River Arena.

“We are extremely proud to introduce this program that will provide diverse coaches with an incredible opportunity to gain invaluable experience and help them with their career advancement in our great sport,” said Coyotes President & CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez.

“The Arizona Coyotes are committed to advancing equality, diversity and inclusion in our game and will continue to do our part in the community and within the game of hockey to effect positive change.”

“We are very excited to launch this coaching internship program,” said Coyotes General Manager Bill Armstrong, according to a press release.

“This will be a great opportunity for Duante’ and Nathaniel to interact and learn from an NHL coaching staff and expand their knowledge about the game and the profession. I know André and his staff are really looking forward to having them join us for camp.”

“We are thrilled to have Duante’ and Nathaniel join our coaching staff,” said Tourigny.

“They are both impressive individuals and this will be a great opportunity for them to gain first-hand experience regarding practice and game preparation, communication with coaches and players, and time management. We are very excited to have them as part of our staff for development camp.”

Abercrombie is entering in his third year as an assistant coach with Stevenson University (NCAA Division 3). He will also serve as the head coach for the Washington Little Caps U-19 AAA team this season. Prior to joining the Mustangs, he served as the head coach of the Washington Little Caps U-16 AAA team and was an assistant coach at Georgetown Preparatory School.

Brooks has been a skill development coach for over 15 years with experience training players in pro and minor hockey. In addition, he served as the Head of Coaching and Development for the Forest Hill Hockey Association and was an assistant coach for the Ryerson Rams Men’s Hockey team from 2014-2019. He was also the Development Coach for Ryerson in 2019. In 2019, he was presented with the Herb Ebisuzaki Coaching Award (GTHL) and presented at the Coaches Site Conference in Toronto. Brooks also played hockey at various levels including the GTHL, OJHL, OHL, USHL and semiprofessional levels.

As part of the Coyotes internship coaching program, Abercrombie and Brooks will shadow the Coyotes coaching staff led by Coach Tourigny, take part in daily coaching and player meetings as well as assist the staff with on ice drills. They will also each serve as assistant coaches and be on the benches for the Coyotes Black & White scrimmage on Monday, Sept. 13. Game time is 6 p.m.

The Coyotes’ Development Camp begins on Thursday, Sept. 9 and runs through Monday, Sept. 13 at Gila River Arena.

With Major League Baseball’s players and team owners unable to agree on a collective bargaining agreement, a proper start to the 2022 season is going, going, gone.

The players rejected the last proposal the league presented to them. With no contract signed by yesterday’s 5 p.m. deadline, Major League Baseball announced that each team’s first two series of the regular season will not be played. The regular season will not start before April 7; spring training games will begin no earlier than March 12.