by Ahsan Washington

November 7, 2025

MacKenzie Scott Dropped A Beau Coup Bag On These HBCUs

MacKenzie Scott, a billionaire philanthropist and ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, gained the bulk of her wealth after the couple’s 2019 divorce. Scott revealed her large-scale donation program, the Giving Pledge, back in 2020, which has distributed more than $19 billion to various charitable initiatives. Her current wealth stands at $34.5 billion.

In September 2025, Scott donated $70 million to the United Negro College Fund. The donation supports UNCF’s $1 billion capital campaign by maintaining scholarships and institutional development throughout its member institutions.

The most significant donation Scott has made to the Black community went to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). Scott’s philanthropic contributions are an investment in the financial stability and independence of Black education. Scott’s approach stands out because its unrestricted funding to Black institutions allows HBCUs to achieve their own goals without external interference.

The following list shows HBCUs that have received significant donations from Scott, establishing record funding for these institutions.

Howard University

The university received an $80 million unrestricted donation from Scott in November 2025, which became the largest HBCU donation in history. Scott donated a total of $132 million to Howard University through three separate donations, which included $40 million in 2020 and $12 million in 2023.

Morehouse College

Scott made a $20 million donation to the Atlanta-based, male-only institution in July 2020. The school received unrestricted funding, which enabled it to establish scholarships and maintain its financial stability for future years.

Spelman College

Spelman College shared on Instagram that it received the biggest single donation in its history when Scott gave $38 million to the school. The unrestricted gift will support scholarships, academic innovation, and student success initiatives.

Clark Atlanta University

Clark Atlanta University announced that Scott had donated $38 million, the largest private donation in the university’s 35-year history. Scott’s donations to CAU reached $53 million after she gave $15 million in 2020 and $38 million in 2025. The university will use the funds to build up its endowment, create more scholarships, and improve academic programs.

Bowie State University

Bowie State University received its biggest donation of $25 million in December 2020. The university used this funding to enhance its endowment while providing financial support to students.

University Of Maryland Eastern Shore

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore received its largest private donation, $20 million, in December 2020. The university dedicated these funds to developing new academic programs and building essential facilities.

Alcorn State University

The $25 million donation Scott made to Alcorn resulted in a new funding level more than twice the previous amount. The university stated that the donation would create better scholarship opportunities while funding academic development initiatives for the future.

Delaware State University

The university received its largest single donor gift of $20 million, which established a new record for the institution’s 130-year history. The school dedicated its $20 million donation to create scholarships and enhance campus facilities.

Lincoln University

The Pennsylvania institution received $20 million, which it used to build its endowment fund for future expansion.

Norfolk State University

Norfolk State University achieved a historic milestone when it received its most significant donation of $40 million from Scott. The university dedicated these funds to support student scholarships, academic programs, and building development projects.

North Carolina A&T State University

North Carolina A&T University received its largest donation to date when it accepted $45 million through Scott’s philanthropy. The donation helped the university establish success grants for senior students and build a new engineering facility.

Voorhees College

Scott donated $4 million to Voorhees, the largest single donation the college had ever received. The donation set up Voorhees to increase scholarship funding and implement technological improvements.

Morgan State University

Morgan State University received two substantial donations from Scott. The prestigious institution received its first major donation of $40 million back in 2020, which enhanced its endowment and student support initiatives. And again in October 2025, when she donated an additional $63 million

by Kandiss Edwards

November 7, 2025

Instagram Content Creator Keith Lee Asks Brands To Feed Those In Need

Lee is asking brands to help feed families instead of sending him promotional packages during the holiday season.

Food reviewer and TikTok creator Keith Lee is using his popularity and calling on brands to assist families this holiday.

Lee is asking brands to help feed families instead of sending him promotional packages during the holiday season. Lee, who travels the country reviewing local, family-owned food reviews to his 17 million followers, shared his personal experiences regarding groceries. The creator revealed he and his wife often relied on SNAP benefits and gift cards to eat and make the initial videos.

“When I first started making videos on this page, I was making food for my wife four times a day… How was I getting that food? On food stamps and gift cards people were giving me,” he said.

He continued making his call to action, “How Many Brands Can We Get In The Chat?”, inviting major food companies to pivot their influencer deals into charitable meals. “I refuse to take any money. I don’t want [any] partnerships… I want this to be specifically about the families we’re feeding and the holidays we’re making.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@keith_lee125/video/7567229736519240990?embed_source=121374463%2C121468991%2C121439635%2C121749182%2C121433650%2C121404359%2C121497414%2C121477481%2C121351166%2C121811500%2C121896267%2C121860360%2C121487028%2C74846154%2C121331973%2C120811592%2C120810756%2C121885509%3Bnull%3Bembed_blank&refer=embed&referer_url=www.msn.com%2Fen-us%2Ffoodanddrink%2Ffoodnews%2Fthis-is-about-these-babies-keith-lee-launches-food-initiative-to-help-feed-families-for-the-holidays%2Far-AA1POc74%3Focid%3DBingNewsSerp&referer_video_id=7567229736519240990

The response was immediate. Brands, including DoorDash, Panda Express, Cracker Barrel, and Chef Boyardee, engaged in the comments and pledged support via meal donations or gift cards. Lee told his followers that the logistics plan will include a warehouse drop-off and a meet-up event for families in need.

@DoorDash commented: We love this idea & LOVE to be a part of it!

@PandaExpress wrote: We’re feeling all the good fortune from this idea. We just sent you a DM, Keith.

@Wingstop replied: We would be honored to join you on this journey for the holidays… Check DMs

Rewrites of influencer outreach are gaining traction in a season where food insecurity spikes and federal benefit disruptions loom.

As Lee put it: “This is what it’s about. It’s about these babies. It’s about their holidays.”

Lee’s message is simple; he isn’t seeking commercial sponsorship or personal gain. This holiday season, he’s aiming to center the giving spirit of the Christmas season.

by Kandiss Edwards

November 7, 2025

KFC and Pizza Hut Franchisees Donate $18M To Jamaican Relief Efforts

The organization will donate both cash and meal support to the devastated island.

A franchise operator for KFC and Pizza Hut, Restaurants of Jamaica (ROJ), has pledged $18 million to assist locals in rebuilding their lives after Hurricane Melissa, donating cash and meal support to the devastated island.

The effort includes contributions to government agencies and nonprofits.

“Jamaica is our home, and we are deeply committed to helping our people rise again,” ROJ managing director Mark Myers said in a statement, according to the Jamaican Observer.

“While we support the ongoing national relief efforts, one of [our] main priorities also remains assisting the members of our own ROJ family, many of whom have been negatively impacted,” Myers added. “We have already begun to activate our internal relief programs to support those members of our team who are most in need at this time.”

Recipients of the funds from the $18 million donation include: the Salvation Army Corps in St. James, Westmoreland, and Trelawny; Manning’s Boys Home and St. Matthew’s Mothers’ Union in St. Elizabeth; and Windsor Lodge Children’s Home and Friends in Need in Manchester.

This is not the first time ROJ has stepped up. In August, the organization donated $7 million to 14 children’s homes as part of ROJ’s 50th anniversary, according to the Jamaican Observer.

“For five decades, Jamaicans have embraced and supported us. This donation is our way of expressing gratitude—by investing in the younger generation and the dedicated caregivers who work tirelessly to shape brighter, more hopeful futures,” ROJ Marketing Manager Andrei Roper said at the time.

While ROJ’s assistance will boost recovery efforts, more will be needed. Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall Oct. 28 as a Category 5 storm, sustained winds up to 185 mph. The hurricane overwhelmed infrastructure in several western parishes and left thousands of residents without homes.

Elevate Your Excellence: Ananda Lewis Remembered As The Luminous VJ Who Defined A Generation’s Voice

by Keka Araújo

November 7, 2025

Elevate Your Excellence: Ananda Lewis Remembered As The Luminous VJ Who Defined A Generation’s Voice

The talented journalist possessed an alchemy of striking, undeniable beauty and a fierce, disarming intelligence.

Sarasvati Ananda Lewis, a pioneering broadcast journalist and television host, whose charismatic, intelligent presence on BET’s “Teen Summit” and MTV established her as a defining voice for a generation. Lewis died June 11, 2025. She was 52.

Her death, confirmed by her family, followed a courageous and public battle with breast cancer.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Stephanie Elam (@stephelamtv)

To a generation navigating the volatile currents of the 1990s, Ananda Lewis was more than a VJ; she was a guiding light to the culture and her people. Her name, Sanskrit for “bliss,” felt preordained.

The talented journalist possessed an alchemy of striking, undeniable beauty and a fierce, disarming intelligence.

Lewis was the embodiment of authenticity—a “free spirit” cultivated at the San Diego School of Creative and Performing Arts —who arrived on the national stage fully formed.

She was the cool, brilliant older sister the entire nation looked up to, capable of dismantling a complex social issue on “Teen Summit” in one breath and celebrating the joy of a music video on “TRL” in the next. Her smile and voice were sanctuaries of reason and compassion.

She was never reading a prompter; she was present, thinking, and genuinely connecting. Lewis’s uncanny ability to be both aspirational and accessible, to be a “trendsetter and a groundbreaker” while remaining disarmingly down-to-earth, is what cemented her as an icon.

Lewis’s death is not just the loss of a journalist; it is the silencing of a cultural navigator, leaving a void of grace and integrity that cannot be refilled.

Her career was a testament to her dual commitment to social advocacy and mainstream media. As a trailblazing Black woman in journalism, she consciously leveraged her platform to champion youth empowerment, ensuring perspectives often marginalized were given a national airing.

The proud Howard alum was a reluctant star, driven not by fame but by a mission to “impact people’s lives… and help people heal.”

Her career ascended at BET, where she hosted the revolutionary “Teen Summit.” The program was an unfiltered forum for Black teens, earning Lewis and her co-host, DaJour, an NAACP Image Award in 1997 for an interview with then-first lady Hillary Rodham-Clinton.

In 1997, Lewis made the pivotal move to MTV, a decision she weighed carefully. She saw the network as “access to the masses,” an opportunity to expand her influence beyond her “own people.”

She became a prominent VJ, hosting “Hot Zone” and “Total Request Live,” and later helmed her own nationally syndicated talk show, “The Ananda Lewis Show,” for two seasons.

Lewis’s drive was forged in her youth. A native of San Diego, she graduated cum laude from Howard University with a degree in history in 1995. At Howard, she was a noted activist, volunteering for programs like “Youth at Risk.” It was the teens in her program who, sensing her gift, urged her to audition for “Teen Summit,” launching her television career.

Her peers at Howard recalled her unique blend of substance and style.

“What struck me about Ananda… was that she was intelligent, stunningly beautiful, and very kind,” said Dr. Ben Talton, director of the Moorland Spingarn Research Center, to Howard University’s The Dig. “She was a unique soul.”

In her later years, Lewis demonstrated a down-to-earth authenticity. After taking a break from television to care for her grandmother, she earned an associate’s degree in carpentry and hosted TLC’s “While You Were Out.”

“Two-thirds of my life, she has been my ride or die,” said CNN journalist Stephanie Elam, her close friend and Howard classmate, who, according to The Dig, honored her friend on CNN after her passing. “I’m so proud of her for being open and honest and courageous. If she has encouraged anyone to get their mammograms… please do it. Save a life. Be here. Thrive. That’s what she wanted people to know.”

Lewis is remembered for her compassion, intelligence, and unwavering commitment to youth empowerment.

Atlanta Hawks, State Farm Arena, Job Fair

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 7, 2025

Ex-Atlanta Hawks Executive Accused Of Embezzling Nearly $4M From Team

Lester T. Jones Jr. has been accused of stealing almost $4 million from the team

Lester T. Jones Jr., a former executive of the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks, has been accused of stealing millions of dollars from the team and using the funds to pay for travel, luxury apparel, jewelry, car expenses, and tickets to concerts and sporting events.

According to The Associated Press, federal prosecutors have charged the former exec with a single count of wire fraud, after claiming he arranged for the NBA team to pay American Express nearly $230,000 for “fraudulently incurred personal expenses.” The filing states that he altered an email to make it appear that the reimbursement request was for expenses incurred while in Las Vegas at the Wynn Hotel during the NBA Emirates Cup.

In a court appearance on Oct. 29, Jones pleaded not guilty and was granted bond. He was ordered to notify the court within 15 days whether he would enter a guilty plea to the charge or go to trial.

Jones is also accused of embezzling almost $4 million while employed by the Hawks. He allegedly submitted dozens of fraudulent expense reimbursement requests, which included fake and altered invoices, while charging millions of dollars in personal expenses to corporate credit cards. Some of the expenses included travel to foreign locales such as the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Switzerland, and Thailand. He is also accused of purchasing Louis Vuitton apparel and incurring expenses for a Porsche. Prosecutors say that he embezzled more than $3.8 million.

Jones, who is no longer with the Hawks, had been employed in the accounting and finance department since March 2016, overseeing the company’s corporate credit card account with American Express and the electronic expense reimbursement program until June 2025.

A spokesperson for the Hawks declined to comment on the allegations.

USA Today reported that Jones has also been charged with federal wire fraud for allegedly faking emails and altering reports to cover his alleged activities.

ICE, Syracuse Player, Deportation, South Sudan

by Kandiss Edwards

November 7, 2025

ICE Agents In Chicago Enter Daycares And Senior Living Facilities

At the North Side Spanish-immersion daycare, Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center, a teacher was taken into custody.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents carried out arrests at a daycare center and a senior living facility in the Chicago area on Nov. 5.

At the North Side Spanish-immersion daycare, Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center, agents took a teacher into custody. The woman, identified as Diana Santillana from Colombia, was apprehended in front of children as parents dropped off their youngsters.

A video of the incident was shared rapidly by individuals and multiple news outlets. The footage shows two officers affecting the “arrest.” Both ICE agents appear to wrestle with Santillana as they attempt to bring her arms behind her back. Once the daycare worker appears to be subdued, one of the agents reenters the facility.

@nirvanatyler
ICE Agents detain teacher during class today from Rayito de Sol Spanish Immersion Early Learning Center at 2550 W. Addison St. in Chicago, Illinois of USA
♬ original sound – Nirvana ⚡️

“These are the nicest, kindest people. They don’t deserve, these children don’t deserve to be living through this,” Esmeralda Rosales told the Associated Press.

In a post on X, the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said its agents were acting in connection with a targeted traffic stop and pursuit of a “female illegal alien” who fled into the daycare. DHS contends the target was not the facility itself, though parents and staff dispute the claims.

Along with targeting youth facilities, ICE is also targeting elderly homes. The agency entered a senior retirement complex in Evanston, Illinois. Agents followed landscapers on the grounds and temporarily detained residents.

One resident, 89-year-old Don Rogan, was particularly disturbed by the incident. Speaking to Reuters, Rogan appeared to have flashbacks, saying it “brought back” an attack by authorities on the 1968 Democratic National Convention.

Since the launch of Operation Midway Blitz in September, the DHS says more than 3,000 people have been arrested in the Chicago area. The operations are often highly visible, which some argue targets nonviolent immigrants and creates fear among residents.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 7, 2025

Black Dems End GOP Super Majority In Mississippi State Legislature With Election Night Wins

Multiple seats in the Mississippi Legislature were flipped to the left following Tuesday's special election results.

Democrats are celebrating a monumental win in the Mississippi Legislature with Election Night working in their favor.

The Nov. 4 special election resulted in the collapse of the Republican supermajority in the state legislature. Voters exercised their right after a court-ordered redistricting measure, which ultimately helped Black Mississippians gain more representation in state government.

According to The New York Times, Democrats won two highly anticipated elections for seats within the State Senate. Despite being an off-year, voters flocked to the polls to change the leadership landscape, even if marginally.

A former Democratic nominee for governor, Johnny Dupree, beat GOP opponent Anna Rush for a newly drawn seat representing Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Dupree, also the city’s former four-term mayor, was able to secure for residents a familiar face that reflected their area. Black people account for over 50% of Hattiesburg’s population, numbers confirmed by Data USA.

Another win came from retired nurse Theresa Gillespie Isom. Gillespie Isom beat out a local Republican opponent to represent a new suburban district below the border of Memphis, Tennessee.

The election results broke the supermajority State Republicans formerly held in the Senate, leaving GOP lawmakers with only a 34-18 divide. While the GOP still owns the majority, these wins signal to the Democratic Party that growth is still possible in the Mississippi Legislature. This news is especially significant amid political shifts away from a Voting Rights Act provision that authorizes the creation of majority-minority districts.

With these districts, often the only ones led by Democrats, at risk, securing even a few seats in the state legislature is considered a major win for the left and a major blow for the right. State Republicans intend to “come back even stronger,” presumably for the midterms next year, according to the Party Chairman Mike Hurst.

Other southern states have also followed suit, with crucial wins for the left, such as Georgia, which made historic appointments of two Democrats to the Public Service Commission. In light of the 2024 general election, those disappointed by Trump’s win have evidently decided to fight back at the state and local levels.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 6, 2025

A$AP Rocky Sued Over NYC Condo Damage Attributed To ‘Catastrophic’ Flooding From His Unit

The Harlem rapper is being sued for $1.1 million.

Rapper A$AP Rocky has been sued by a Manhattan neighbor for $1.1 million after a leak made the person’s condo, located below the Harlem rappers, “completely uninhabitable.”

According to The Independent, the paperwork was filed Oct. 30 in Manhattan Supreme Court by Chez Ni, LLC (listed in public records as Annie Kang). In the lawsuit, the former A$AP Mob lyricist is named as well as ADE Painting, the building’s condo board, and Tyson Beem, Rocky’s business manager.

The plaintiff says the leak in Rocky’s $11 million condo caused “catastrophic” flooding that extended to the apartment below, destroying it.

The incident took place last December, with Chez Ni, LLC blaming he “devastating water intrusion” on the “negligence of the putative owner of Unit 5N, Rakim Athelaston Mayers (a/k/a A$AP Rocky),” and a local contractor, ADE Pro Painting.

According to the lawsuit, Unit 4NF “suffered damage and destruction” to its “fixtures, furnishings and improvements,” as well as to “furniture, clothing, and personal items” costing $700,000. The plaintiff has also incurred approximately $200,000 in alternative living arrangements and other out-of-pocket expenses since the Dec. 23, 2024, incident.

Chez Ni LLC is seeking a minimum of $900,000 from the parties named in the lawsuit, a minimum of $200,000 from the condo board, and a judgment declaring all defendants responsible for the $42,000 remediation, which the condo is attempting to charge back to Kang and her LLC.

In an email, the owner of ADE Pro Painting, whose name was not given, provided a statement to The Independent. “I signed an NDA with the rapper, so that prevents me from providing certain details. I want to say that we are also affected from this situation, and we did not get pay [sic] for certain services provided.”

Elizabeth Warren, Kroger's, Digital Price Tags, Surge Pricing, grocery stores, grocery prices

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 6, 2025

Philadelphia Grocery Stores See Sales Decline With SNAP Benefits Cut: ‘People Are Very Stressed’

Grocery stores in North Philadelphia see a drop in sales amid cuts to SNAP benefits.

With SNAP benefits reduced due to the ongoing government shutdown, grocery stores in North Philadelphia are reporting a decline in sales.

According to the nonpartisan Center for American Progress, supermarkets in high-poverty areas could see sales decline by 40% to 90% due to SNAP cuts. With SNAP payments not being distributed on Nov. 1 to 42 million Americans, including 2 million in Pennsylvania, 800,000 in New Jersey, and 100,000 in Delaware, Philadelphia grocers are already feeling the impact, NBC Philadelphia reports.

“I really think it’s not going to be a holiday this year,” Alex Ibrahim, the manager of Cousin’s Supermarket in North Philly, said of Thanksgiving. “I think already people are very stressed and only spending the couple of dollars they might have saved.”

Ibrahim noted that his store has experienced a drop in sales since SNAP payments were paused. While prices haven’t increased, he has observed changes in customers’ spending habits.

“I believe it is really affecting all our customers, like our revenue went down 50-60%,” Ibrahim said.

Jose Rodriguez, a North Philadelphia resident, warned that SNAP cuts could push people to take drastic measures to put food on the table.

“It is bad because the parking lot is empty. That means the supermarket is going to make no money,” Rodriguez said. “I think people are going to start stealing. They are going to start doing things just to start putting food on the table. People are capable of doing anything when it comes to hunger.”

With the government shutdown ongoing, the Trump administration announced it will reduce November SNAP benefits by slightly less than initially planned. In updated guidance to states, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said maximum allotments will be cut by 35% rather than the previously proposed 50%.

The administration announced that participants receiving the maximum SNAP benefits will now get roughly 65% of their usual assistance in November. Advocates and policy groups note that most recipients, those with additional income from Social Security, disability, or employment, will see significantly smaller payments.

In a letter to the USDA, Pennsylvania Human Services Secretary Val Arkoosh criticized the federal government for “directing states to use the most complex and labor-intensive approach possible.” Pennsylvania is seeking to use a more straightforward, faster method previously allowed for pandemic-related aid, which would provide everyone with roughly half their SNAP payment.

Meanwhile, concerns over delays and missed payments have prompted a coalition of cities and nonprofits to return to federal court in Rhode Island, seeking to compel the Trump administration to resume SNAP aid “expeditiously.”

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 6, 2025

White Man Fired From Paramount Sues Company Over Alleged Prioritization Of Hiring Minorities

A former white executive is suing Paramount, alleging racial and age discrimination.

A white former Paramount executive has filed a discrimination lawsuit alleging that he was fired last year during a time when the company was pushing diversity.

In a lawsuit filed in California federal court on Oct. 31, Joseph Jerome challenges Paramount’s now-defunct DEI policies, which allegedly linked staffing goals and executive compensation to diversity metrics, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Although some of these guidelines were rolled back earlier this year amid scrutiny of corporate DEI practices, Jerome alleges he was fired because he is not a person of color.

Jerome, a 30-year Paramount veteran from 1994 to 2024, most recently served as senior vice president of business and legal affairs and production counsel to Entertainment Tonight. In his lawsuit, which also alleges age discrimination, he claims he was one of three CBS Media Ventures (CMV) attorneys—all over 50 and white—terminated last year and replaced with younger, minority employees.

According to Jerome’s suit, a 25-year-old Black law school graduate and former CMV intern took his role, while his two former colleagues were replaced by younger Asian attorneys whose previous positions were eliminated in a corporate restructuring, though they have not filed lawsuits over their terminations.

The lawsuit claims that at the start of last year, CMV’s legal team was roughly balanced between white and minority attorneys. It adds that all lawyers let go in 2024 were white and over the age of 50. Jerome references a November 2023 meeting led by then-CBS News president Wendy McMahon, during which she reportedly expressed concern over the older demographics of her division’s shows and instructed staff to hire younger employees to attract younger viewers. Soon after, Jerome claims he was criticized for thinking “old” when he raised a misused legal term in a prospective deal.

The lawsuit comes after CBS Studios reached a settlement in April with a SEAL Team script coordinator who alleged that Paramount enforced illegal diversity quotas that discriminated against straight white men. The settlement coincided with a broader Hollywood reevaluation of DEI policies, with Paramount citing federal mandates that required changes in its approach to inclusion. Paramount joins other major media companies, including Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery, in rolling back or rebranding DEI programs following a Trump administration executive order targeting DEI.