Demond Cook Left The NBA To Get Minorities Involved In Cybersecurity
by Derek Major

February 28, 2022

Demond Cook Left The NBA To Get Minorities Involved In Cybersecurity

Demond Cook knows there are more than 3 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs in the U.S. today and he wants minorities to fill as many of those jobs as possible.

It’s why Cook left his job in corporate security at the National Basketball Association (NBA) to start the Cook Consulting Group (CCG) in 2020. Cook, who has worked in cybersecurity since 2012, noticed a significant disconnect between hiring managers and recruiters in the cybersecurity industry.

“I noticed the disconnect between hiring managers and recruiters in cyber security,” Cook told AfroTech. “Most recruiters have no idea what cyber security professionals do for a living, so I started CCG to bridge the gap. This would also put me in a position of influence to help more people of color break into the field of cybersecurity.”

CCG helps by vetting cybersecurity candidates for top companies and small businesses hoping to incorporate cybersecurity to land highly qualified candidates. Additionally, CCG provides awareness training, risk assessments, leadership services, and manages security services.

Cook Also has a Youtube page teaching those interested in how to begin and thrive in a career in cybersecurity and CCG won a Comcast RISE grant to help produce a 30-second commercial to be shown on Comcast’s XFinity cable networks.

There are significant racial gaps in the number of workers, managers and corporate executives in the tech and cybersecurity industries. Large tech companies including Apple and Amazon are now trying to defeat those gaps through training and career pipelines at HBCUs, which were developed and installed in the aftermath of the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement but more is needed.

CCG is also working to close those gaps and has been backed by several tech companies including CompTIA, a nonprofit that issues professional certifications for the information technology industry and Cyversity, which works to increase the number of women and minorities in tech.

Cook knows Cybersecurity can be an intimidating field to get into but says it’s easier than many make it out to be and there is a range of jobs available that can not only keep minorities interested and engaged but can also offer life-changing salaries and benefits.

“Most people of color I speak to view cybersecurity as an intimidating field of choice,” Cook told Afrotech. “They think that you have to be a hacker or a coder to break into cyber. I personally do not know how to hack or code, but cybersecurity has changed my life. It was the best decision I have made for my career.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 28, 2022

LeBron James Clarifies Statements About Playing With Son Bronny: ‘I See Myself Being With the Purple and Gold as Long as I Can Play’

Basketball superstar LeBron James raised eyebrows after telling The Athletic that he wanted to play his last season with his oldest son, Bronny, who isn’t NBA-eligible yet.

Yesterday, according to USA Today, James walked back those comments, clarifying his statement and reaffirming his commitment to his current team, the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I see myself being with the purple and gold as long as I can play,” James said last Friday night after the Lakers lost to the Los Angeles Clippers.

“But I also have a goal that if it’s possible—I don’t even know if it’s possible—and if I can play with my son, I would love to do that. Is that something that any man would want one day in life? That’s the coolest thing that could possibly happen. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be with this franchise.”

James previously said he wouldn’t rule out returning to his hometown team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. But he had to clarify what he meant. “I never said I’d see myself playing in a Cavaliers uniform” only that he meant possibly signing a one-day contract to retire with the team.

Several players have fathers who played in the NBA before they followed in their footsteps. Examples include Steph and Seth Curry, sons of former sharpshooter Dell Curry. Tim Hardaway Jr. is named after his father, All-Star point guard Tim Hardaway, and followed his career path. Klay Thompson followed his father, Mychal Thompson, a former number-one draft pick by the Portland Trailblazers.

No NBA player has ever played on the same team with his dad.

Just last week, Bronny signed a NIL (Name, likeness and image) deal before attending college. Underwear brand PSD signed a partnership deal with the high school standout, making Bronny the youngest athlete entrepreneur to sign with PSD.

Kroger Announces $1.1 Million Investments to Advance Racial Equity
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

February 28, 2022

Kroger Announces $1.1 Million Investments to Advance Racial Equity

The Kroger Co. Foundation (NYSE: KR), America’s largest grocery retailer, today announced two major initiatives through its Racial Equity Fund, totaling $1.1 million in philanthropic investments. Both the Changemaker grant and Next Generation scholarship program reflect measurable progress toward Kroger’s Framework for Action: Diversity, Equity & Inclusion plan, a 10-point commitment to help build more equitable, inclusive communities.

The Changemaker Grant

The Foundation’s Racial Equity Fund is awarding a combined $600,000 in Changemaker grants to build Black wealth and improve racial health equity in Ohio through partnerships with The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio, The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, and FundNOIRE, according to a press release. As a continuation of the Foundation’s previously awarded grants to Black Girl Ventures, Everytable, LISC and Thurgood Marshall Fund, totaling $3 million, the Changemaker grant reflects the organization’s commitment to mobilizing its people, passion, scale and resources to transform its culture and communitie

“The Racial Equity Fund Changemaker grant supports Kroger’s commitment to invest not only in new and innovative strategies to build and sustain Black wealth but also strengthen long-standing partnerships with local institutions to advance health and social equity,” said Keith Dailey, president of The Kroger Co. Foundation and group vice president of corporate affairs for Kroger.

“Kroger is proud to support the work these organizations are doing to uplift and inspire true change throughout Ohio.”

– The Urban League of Greater Southwestern Ohio will receive a $300,000 grant to advance workforce development, financial literacy, and social justice work in Southwest Ohio;

– The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center will receive a $200,000 grant for its Hunger and Race Equity Programming: Freedom Foods Initiative to bring awareness and inspire activism around health disparities and equitable access to healthy food for underserved communities of color; and

– FundNOIRE, a fund dedicated to helping 24 small Black-owned businesses launch and grow by way of non-diluted capital over the next several years in Cincinnati, is receiving a $100,000 grant to advance and retain Black entrepreneurship in the region.

The Next Generation Scholarship Program

The Foundation’s Racial Equity Fund is investing $500,000 in the Next Generation scholarship program in partnership with LeMoyne-Owen College in Memphis, Tenn., part of the network of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), and the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis. The scholarship program will promote access to higher education for local students by awarding scholarships to graduating seniors of Booker T. Washington High School who are academically motivated and want to attend LeMoyne-Owen College in the fall semester.

“Kroger’s Framework for Action features actionable goals we want to implement to achieve success in our workplace and the communities we serve,” said Teresa Dickerson, corporate affairs leader for the Kroger Delta division.

“Through the Next Generation scholarship program, we’re thrilled to uplift and invest in local students and support LeMoyne-Owen College – the only HBCU in Memphis – and the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis.”

The application period for the Next Generation scholarship program will launch this spring via the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis website.

Blacks In Ukraine Report Facing Racial Discrimination While Fleeing Russian Attacks
by Atiya Jordan

February 28, 2022

Blacks In Ukraine Report Facing Racial Discrimination While Fleeing Russian Attacks

Black people living in Ukraine during the height of the Russian attacks have reported facing racial discrimination from guards at borders and safety points while attempting to flee the devastated country.

Many Africans—mostly students and nationals—have been blocked from making border crossings to neighboring countries by Ukrainian soldiers, the Independent reported.

“There have been unfortunate reports (that) Ukrainian police and security personnel are refusing to let Nigerians board buses and trains” to Poland, said Nigerian presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu, according to Africanews.

Since Ukraine has closed its airspace to civilian flights, including from Kyiv, access to train and car transportation has been scarce.

Osarumen, a father of three, and his family were on a bus that was getting ready to cross the border but were ejected from the vehicle after being told, “No Blacks.”

“In all of my years as an activist, I have never seen anything like this,” the Nigerian national told the Independent. “When I look into the eyes of those who are turning us away, I see bloodshot racism; they want to save themselves and they are losing their humanity in the process.

“I cannot imagine a scenario where white Ukrainians would ever be denied asylum so how they’re treating us is unwarranted. It’s baseless. We are all escaping so let’s push a common thread.”

Osarumen is among many other Black migrants who have felt abandoned. According to the news outlet, 24 Jamaican students were forced to walk 20 kilometers to Poland after being blocked from boarding the bus that was carrying the students to Poland.

In the meanwhile, a video on Twitter has virally circulated of a Chinese man in Ukraine apparently blaming the lack of opportunities in the country on refugees and referring to them as “darkish people”.

Poland’s ambassador to Nigeria, Joanna Tarnawska, rejected accusations of racism. “Everyone receives equal treatment. I can assure you that, according to the information I have, some Nigerian nationals have already crossed the border to Poland,” she told local media, according to Africanews.

However, a countless number of Nigerian students have continued to take to social media to share their concerns about the blatant lack of support from their government.

 

Suspected Proud Boys Member Caught Hurling Racial Slurs At Black Woman Before Punching Her In the Face
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 28, 2022

Suspected Proud Boys Member Caught Hurling Racial Slurs At Black Woman Before Punching Her In the Face

A man with possible ties to the Proud Boys has been identified as the person seen on video hurling racial slurs before punching a Black woman in the face.

In cellphone footage recorded on Sunday night, it appears 26-year-old Andrew Walls of Kent, Ohio, can be seen attacking a young Black woman in Akron’s Highland Square after calling her and others the N-word, the Akron Beacon Journal reported.

Walls has been charged with possessing a firearm while intoxicated and assaulting the 23-year-old Black woman. Capt. Dave Laughlin said Walls called Akron police about 9:30 p.m. Sunday and said he would turn himself in. However, by Monday morning, Walls still was not in police custody.

Video of the incident has spread on social media with many calling for Walls’ arrest.

It was on social media, where users started to connect Walls with a 2019 photo of a strikingly similar-looking man with the same name seen at a table filled with guns at a rally for then-presidential hopeful Beto O’Rourke, who is in favor of gun control.

At the time, Walls identified himself as the vice president of the Akron/Canton Chapter of the Proud Boys.

Now, police say they are investigating Walls’ possible involvement with the white supremacist group. They initially responded to reports of at least five people fighting.

Police arrived around 12:30 a.m. at the 800 block of West Market Street. Walls was still at the scene claiming to be the victim while refusing medical attention. It wasn’t until the young Black woman and her father arrived at the Akron police station that police learned the man who claimed to be the victim was actually the one throwing punches.

“He said he got jumped and they ran away,” Laughlin said.

The father said Walls dragged the Black woman by her hair into the street after punching her in the face. Witnesses also told police that they saw a firearm under Walls’ shirt tucked into his belt.

Because of Walls’ use of racial slurs, police are looking to investigate the case as a possible hate crime.

“The investigation is actively ongoing to determine if additional charges are appropriate,” Laughlin said.

Jay-Z & Beyoncé Spotted Having Dinner At New LA Restaurant and Bumps Into Aisha Tyler
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 28, 2022

Jay-Z & Beyoncé Spotted Having Dinner At New LA Restaurant and Bumps Into Aisha Tyler

Editor’s note: This story has been updated to note that Sasha Obama was not there as it was reported by the Daily Mail and it was instead Aisha Tyler. 

Beyonce and Jay-Z were seen out in Los Angeles having dinner when they were approached by an equally recognizable “celebrity.”

According to the Daily Mail, the Grammy-award-winning singer and her Hard Knock Life husband were spotted at the Hollywood hot spot, Mother Wolf enjoying a meal. While being there, talk show host Aisha Tyler was seen approaching the couple. Tyler is a former host of CBS’ The Talk.

(Twitter)

While we can’t publish the adorable pic, you can check them out HERE.

UPDATE:

Tyler took to social media to report messy journalism.

“Dear @DailyMailUK: I VERY much appreciate you mistaking me for the lovely 20-year-old Sasha Obama,” Aisha tweeted on Feb. 27. “I’ll assume that was due to my buoyant, youthful appearance & not just messy journalism.”

Tyler also wrote, “Regardless, it was fantastic to see the legendary @Beyonce & Jay-Z at dinner. They were dazzling and gracious (especially to my friend @JarettSays, just out of frame) & the meal at #motherwolfla was truly spectacular. Can’t wait to go back!”

They Out Here!

Beyonce and Jay-Z may have been celebrating his recent victory. The Big Pimpin star just scored $4.5 million in royalties from the perfume company Parlux after they dragged him to court for allegations that he breached a contract.

In 2016, Parlux launched a $68 million lawsuit against Jay-Z, accusing him of failing to uphold his end of a 2012 contract to promote his Gold Jay Z fragrance, Page Six reports. The three-week October trial ended with a jury ruling in Jay-Z’s favor.

Or he could be dipping into the stash for a company that he has recently bought into. Jay-Z, Meek Mill, and several other celebs have partnered to purchase Mitchell and Ness, a highly revered Philadelphia sportswear company. Michael Rubin, founder, and CEO of online sports retailer Fanatics and co-owner of the Philadelphia 76ers, will retain 75 percent ownership of Mitchell and Ness. The remaining 25 percent will be distributed among the investors, like Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Maverick Carter, LeBron James’s business partner, Lil Baby, and the TikTok influencers D’Amelio family, and others Complex reports.

“Fashion is cyclical, but classics are forever. Mitchell & Ness is a true classic,” Jay-Z said in a written statement. “I was an early adopter of this brand, as well as a part of a departure from athletic wear. I’m proud to play a small role in bringing it back, and in some cases, introducing the authenticity and quality of the Mitchell & Ness brand to a new generation.”

The deal is worth $250 million, a source who is close to the deal said.

Wendy Schofield Becomes First Black Woman to Lead Atlanta Film Production Company
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 28, 2022

Wendy Schofield Becomes First Black Woman to Lead Atlanta Film Production Company

Wendy Schofield is the first Black woman to become director of operations at West End Production Park Film and TV Studios in Atlanta.

Schofield initially worked with the production company as a client through her own marketing and production company. Her performance impressed the company and ultimately led to a full-time position that has now evolved into a director role.

“We were just talking and they just said, ‘Hey, you know what? We need somebody to be over the WEPP. You’ve got a great history, a background in broadcasting and in production. We’d love for you to take this position,’ and so that’s how it happened,” Schofield told 11 Alive.

With her new promotion, Schofield now joins the 25% of women working in key executive roles within the film industry, as noted by the Center for the Study of Women in Television & Film.

“It feels awesome to be the first Black woman in this role as director of operations at the West Production Park,” Schofield said. “What I do is negotiate contracts. I make sure that the day-to-day operations are going smoothly and everything’s working the way it should and everything’s going the way it should. So it’s just basically the day-to-day.”

After years of working her way through the entertainment industry. Schofield decided to launch her own production company to bring some of her ideas to life.

“I started having ideas for great TV shows and a format and production company and now here I am,” she shared.

Aligning herself with WEPP, the production company behind projects like Ozark, Stranger Things and Avengers: Endgame, Schofield will work to continue expanding the company’s brand awareness.

“Our goals are to produce great content and to house great productions and to get our name out there as one of the top production studios in Atlanta and in the world,” Schofield said.

Black Heart Association Founder Launches Mobile Heart Center To Screen Black Women For Heart Disease
by Atiya Jordan

February 28, 2022

Black Heart Association Founder Launches Mobile Heart Center To Screen Black Women For Heart Disease

A three-time heart attack survivor is leveraging her resilience to advocate, spread awareness, and prevent heart disease and strokes in the Black community.

By 40, Tara Robinson of Grand Prairie, Texas, would suffer from the same disease that has been a silent killer among Black men and women. The fight for her life would motivate her to be the conduit between the Black community and heart health.

“I suffered three heart attacks over three days and died during the third attack. After volunteering for the American Heart Association for years, I noticed that there wasn’t a community connection between their organization and Black people,” Robinson said in an interview with Voyage Dallas.

Now 48, Robinson is the CEO and founder of the Black Heart Association, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to “significantly lower the number of Black deaths caused by heart disease and stroke each year.”

“As a survivor, I believe there is no one better to take up the mantle of reaching and awakening the heart of trauma achieve their greatest level of overall well-being through mental, physical, and emotional healing,” she said.

“What sets us apart is that we target one group of people but will help anyone, but our data, research, and knowledge is all culture-specific.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death for Black women. The risks can be reduced by lifestyle changes and getting routine screenings for a variety of factors, including cholesterol, obesity, blood pressure, and more.

While taking action through advocacy, Robinson’s ambitious efforts continue to educate Black women about managing heart health. She has launched her organization’s mobile heart center, a bus that strives to be a pillar in the community by providing free health screenings throughout the Fort Worth, Texas, area.

“Our goal with the mobile bus is to make sure that we are wherever our people are — that’s at the car wash, the barbershop, the beauty shop, the church,” she told Good Morning America. “Wherever you are, that’s where the bus can pull up to.”

Missouri School District Reinstates Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ After Banning It
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 28, 2022

Missouri School District Reinstates Toni Morrison’s ‘The Bluest Eye’ After Banning It

Missouri’s Wentzville School District Board of Education has decided to allow Toni Morrison’s novel The Bluest Eye to return to school bookshelves after an earlier vote that banned it.

On Friday, the school board voted on rescinding the book’s ban that was agreed to in January, KSDK reports. The vote came after students sued the school district over restricting several books.

Morrison’s 1970 novel tells the story of a Black girl who desires blue eyes to fit into society’s Eurocentric standard of beauty. In January, CNN reports that Wentzville board members voted 4–3 to remove the book from school library shelves and restrict digital access.

A group of parents voted on banning the book claiming it contained “graphic sexual language” not suitable for children. But the American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri (ACLU), filed the lawsuit on behalf of the students arguing that the restricted books engage students with a “diversity of ideas and minority viewpoints, including with respect to race, gender, and sexual identity.”

The ACLU accused the board members of banning the books because of “ideological disagreement.”

The school board’s vice president Daniel Brice said parents who don’t want their children to access the book can still prohibit them from accessing The Bluest Eye.

“I think we’ve brought enough attention to this book that the parents are aware that this book is going to be in the library,” Brice said.

Anthony Rothert, director of Integrated Advocacy of ACLU of Missouri, raised awareness around the fact that parents can still work to prohibit their children from reading the list of banned books.

“Wentzville’s policies still make it easy for any community member to force any book from the shelves even when they shamelessly target books by and about communities of color, LGBTQ people and other marginalized groups,” Rothert said.

Other books banned by the Wentzville school board include Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic Paperback, by Alison Bechdel; All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson; Heavy: An American Memoir, by Kiese Laymon; Lawn Boy, by Jonathan Evison; Gabi, A Girl in Pieces, by Isabel Quintero; Modern Romance, by Aziz Ansari; and Invisible Girl, by Lisa Jewell.

Young Thug Offers to Help African Immigrants Stranded At Ukraine Border Over Racist Treatment
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 28, 2022

Young Thug Offers to Help African Immigrants Stranded At Ukraine Border Over Racist Treatment

Rapper Young Thug has offered to aid the African immigrants who are reporting racist treatment as they try to flee Ukraine.

A humanitarian crisis is underway in Eastern Europe after Russian president Vladimir Putin launched a widely condemned attack against Ukraine. As many civilians rush to flee the country amid the ongoing war, African immigrants in Ukraine are reporting racism at the country’s borders, Newsweek reported.

African students trapped in Ukraine have started sharing their experiences on social media using the hashtag #AfricansInUkraine. Many African immigrants are reporting being turned away from boarding trains due to a “Ukrainians first” policy that is preventing them from entering neighboring countries.

Videos posted online show Black immigrants being denied entry onto trains with one video showing Ukrainian forces pushing a Black girl off a train and allowing a white woman to board.

Another account from a Nigerian student claims their university bused British students to Poland’s borders but left the African students, the Irish Times reported. Many have expressed outrage by the treatment the African immigrants are being subjected to as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/AttorneyCrump/status/1498100894268858371?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1498100894268858371%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhiphopdx.com%2Fnews%2Fid.68397%2Ftitle.young-thug-helps-african-immigrants-ukraine-racism

As the public speaks out about the mistreatment of African immigrants in Ukraine, rapper Young Thug is throwing his hat into the ring. The “Lifestyle” rapper took to his Instagram Story on Sunday to ask for help from other lyricists in aiding the African students, Hip Hop DX reported.

“If some of my rap brothers are in I’m willing to help Africans get out of Ukraine however I can sense [sic] they not letting us pass,” Young Thug wrote.

“Who ever holds the info for these movements please contact me ASAP I’m ready.”

 

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Fellow rapper Gunna, shared a tweet showing support for Ukraine.

https://twitter.com/1GunnaGunna/status/1496990867969740808?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1496990867969740808%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fhiphopdx.com%2Fnews%2Fid.68397%2Ftitle.young-thug-helps-african-immigrants-ukraine-racism

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