• Sports

by Wendy Medina

February 20, 2022

Mike Tomlin Stands With Brian Flores, Named As New Steelers Senior Defensive Assistant/Linebackers Coach

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News of Black head coach firings in the NFL made headlines following David Culley’s dismissal from the Houston Texans, and Brian Flores’ firing of the Miami Dolphins, after the league’s pledge to promote diversity.

Flores however, is making a comeback after being named the new senior defensive assistant and linebackers coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Flores with work alongside the last remaining Black head coach in the league, Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mike Tomlin, Sports Illustrated reports.

“I am excited about Brian Flores joining our coaching staff given his history of developing and teaching defensive players during his time in the NFL,” Tomlin said in a press conference on Saturday.

“Brian’s resume speaks for itself, and I look forward to him adding his expertise to help our team.”

During his three-year stint in Miami, the Dolphins saw victory for the first time in 20 years, winning back-to-back seasons, which raised questions when news broke of his termination.  

As previously reported, Flores is currently in the middle of a lawsuit against the NFL alleging racial discrimination when it comes to hiring practices. Named in the lawsuit are the NFL, the Miami Dolphins, the Denver Broncos and the New York Giants, due to his firing from Miami and the interview processes of Denver and New York. 

Flores asserts what millions of fans, most Black NFL players, and coaches in the league know: Black coaches are discriminated against in the NFL.

In a statement, Flores stated: “God has gifted me with a special talent to coach the game of football, but the need for change is bigger than my personal goals. In making the decision to file the class action complaint, I understand that I may be risking coaching the game I love and has done so much for my family and me. My sincere hope is that by standing up against systemic racism in the NFL, others will join me to ensure that positive change is made for generations to come.”

• Entertainment

by Wendy Medina

February 20, 2022

New Netflix Deal Earns Dave Chappelle Four Comedy Specials ‘Chappelle’s Home Team’

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For as much as Dave Chappelle talks about being “canceled,” the money stays rolling in.

Fresh off his latest deal with Netflix earning him over $60 million for four specials – Equanimity, The Bird Revelation, Sticks & Stones, and The Closer – the comedy giant is back at it, with another four specials heading our way. 

While many consider him to be one of the greatest comedians of all time, Chappelle has faced backlash for his most recent The Closer special, in which he made controversial remarks about the trans community. This prompted a trans-Netflix employee to stage a walkout in protest of removing the special altogether, which ended in their firing after leaking financial data regarding Chappelle’s payout. 

The streaming service announced in a news release Friday that they will now pick up four specials executive produced and hosted by Chappelle, alongside some of his favorite stand-up comics, per NBC News. 

The new Chappelle’s Home Team will debut Feb. 28, kicking off the series with comedy vet Earthquake, otherwise known as Nathaniel Martin Stroman, titled Earthquake: Legendary. Additionally, the next special will cast the spotlight on Donnell Rawlings, a fellow comic that appeared on Chappelle’s Show.

“I’ve been doing this a long time and comedians like Quake and Donnell are not only friends, but have inspired my own career,” Chappelle said in an emailed statement. “Anyone in the comedy community knows these names and knows their time to shine is long overdue.”

Netflix confirmed that Chappelle will introduce the headliner in the new comedy series.

Most recently, the comic has landed in more hot water after convincing the Yellow Springs, Ohio city council to vote “no” on advancing affordable housing. He did so by​​ threatening to pull his millions in business ventures from the town if the proposal passed, sparking further outrage on social media.

Three decades ago, Martin domineered primetime television for five seasons. The show’s castmates will now appear on a reunion special that will begin filming for BET+ on February 20, 2022. In anticipation of the upcoming reunion special, fans can watch the series on BET+ now.

Martin stars Martin Lawrence, Tichina Arnold, Carl Anthony Payne II and Tisha Campbell, and some surprise guests will reunite to discuss the series’ influence on culture and fashion, its origin, crossover success and how the popular 90s series transcended time to reach a new and younger audience. Comedian and actor Affion Crockett will host the special.  

The show’s premise centered around Detroit-based radio and television personality Martin Payne and his relationships and shenanigans with his girlfriend Gina Waters, portrayed by Campbell, her sassy best friend Pam, played by Arnold, and Martin’s closest homies- Cole (played by Payne II) and Tommy.

Thomas Mikal Ford, who portrayed “Tommy” on Martin, passed away in 2016.

A press release from BET’s CEO Scott Mills promises in-depth interviews with the cast and original directors, special musical performances, and behind-the-scenes dialogue on why Martin was such a  cultural phenomenon. 

“Martin is one of the most beloved sitcoms in our community, both because it is hugely entertaining and because it played a pivotal role in changing the narrative of Black voices in entertainment and in culture through the portrayal of young, ambitious Black leads and healthy Black relationships,” Mills said about the series. “Decades later, that representation is still just as important, which is why we’re so excited to honor a series that put Black culture front and center on our platform that embraces Black culture every day.”

Actor, comedian and the show’s namesake Martin Lawrence also spoke about the upcoming reunion and what it’s like to be a part of such an impactful series.

“To be able to sit here thirty years later with this amazing cast that has had such an impact on pop culture is truly a blessing. I am always humbled that the fans still want more of the show and its characters. I am looking forward to the reunion special.” 

One of the upcoming show’s executive producers Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment, said, “Martin is one of the greatest sitcoms of all time.”

”The reunion is executive produced by Martin Lawrence, Robert Lawrence, Rae Proctor and Stacy Lyles through his company Run Tel Dat Entertainment. For Jesse Collins Entertainment, Jesse Collins and Dionne Harmon serve as executive producers along with Jeannae Rouzan-Clay, who is also the showrunner. The show is executive produced and directed by Stan Lathan. The special is written by Nile Evans as well as Bentley Kyle Evans, who also serves as a co-executive producer. Jesse Collins Entertainment’s Brittany Brazil is a producer.”

Last April, Campbell and Arnold appeared on The Tamron Hall Show and were asked about a possible Martin reboot. The actresses said that it wasn’t likely.

“It’s something that we wanted to happen. It’s something we tried very hard for it to have happen. But, the way it looks to me, realistically, it’s not gonna happen. Not unless it’s an animation,” said Arnold.

Campbell reportedly left the show before it ended in 1997 after allegations of harassment circulated. Campbell and Lawrence have since settled the case and have made amends.

The reunion special is slated to air this year.

An elementary school located in Chicago has shed the name of Louis Agassiz and is now renamed Harriet Tubman Elementary School in Lake View, joining the ranks of other educational institutions discarding racist affiliations, reports NBC Chicago.

A group of parents initiated the requests to have Agassiz’s name taken down, and they were not successful until last year. The Chicago school held a pep rally Monday to unveil the new marquee, and school officials said many more celebrations are ahead to honor the name change, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. 

During the 1800s, Agassiz was a Swiss American biologist and professor at Harvard who was a proponent for racial segregation and white supremacy, according to Harvard University. 

Two decades ago, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a school committee voted to remove his name from a school in the area and change it to Maria L. Baldwin School, the first Black principal of the school, reports U.S. News.

The Chicago school was motivated to remove Agassiz’s name when a Chicago Sun-Times newspaper reported several schools held the titles of slaveholders and racists.  

The Board of Education is voting on updating the school’s name next week, reports the Sun-Times.  

“The CPS Office of Equity is committed to a comprehensive review process to consider new school names when a school is named after individuals who do not represent the values of our students, families, faculty, and support staff,” CPS said in a statement. 

Harriet Tubman was born in the 1800s and escaped slavery and helped others gain freedom by transporting enslaved people using the Underground Railroad. She worked as a nurse, a Union spy during the Civil War, and a supporter of the suffragette movement. She is a highly revered American hero in history, and she continues to inspire many people with her acts of bravery, according to History.com. 

After Jordan Peele posted the official promotional poster for Nope on Twitter last July, fans have been buzzing with theories about what this eerie new film could be about. A trailer for the highly-anticipated new horror epic has been released, and is more confusing than ever.

British fave Daniel Kaluuya is back on the big screen with Peele, following the success of the 2017 box office smash Get Out, as previously reported. Kaluuya will star alongside Keke Palmer and South Korean actor Steven Yeun, who has won the hearts of horror aficionados after his performance in The Walking Dead. 

The two-minute trailer starts off with Palmer’s character proudly describing that the first motion picture was a two-second clip of a Black man on a horse, her great-great-great grandfather, to what looks like a movie crew set. The only other hint we get as to any context of the film is when she goes on to say, “Back at the Haywood Ranch, is the only Black-owned horse trainers in Hollywood.” 

From there, the desert terrain turns grim after a dark and mysterious cloud settles above the ranch, which can only be explained as not of this world. With an unsettling music score just as Get Out and Us have made us jump out our seats, Nope brings everyone’s attention to the skies, looking in horror as whatever entity has plagued their small town.

According to Rolling Stone, Universal Pictures reveals that the star-studded cast are “residents in a lonely gulch of inland California who bear witness to an uncanny and chilling discovery,” adding that Peele, “reimagines the summer movie with a new pop nightmare.”

With an equally unsettling landscape of inflatable tube men dancing in the wind across the barren ranch area, the trailer ends with Palmer being flung or sucked up into the sky, leaving us with more questions than ever. 

Catch Peele’s third film Nope on July 22, 2022, only in theaters.

• Business

by Yolanda Baruch

February 20, 2022

Next Act: Serena and Venus Williams Reveal Plans to Become BodyBuilders In Harper’s Bazaar Legacy March Issue

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Serena, 40, and Venus Williams, 41, graced the cover of March Harper’s Bazaar wearing black one-piece bathing suits and with their melanin dripping in Cartier jewelry. 

The tennis champions modeled an assortment of fashionable high-end ensembles that Serena posted on her Instagram grid. 

 

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The Williams sisters spoke with the magazine about their careers, father Richard Williams, and their plans to retire from playing tennis.  

“From such a young age, all we’ve done is work,” Venus, 41, told the magazine. 

“So I think for Serena and I to explore that freedom is surreal. We’ve never been free,” Venus added. Both rose to prominence when they were young pre-teens. 

Venus’s entrance into the tennis scene began in 1994, followed by Serena in 1995. Together, the sisters have dominated the exclusive sport and have won a combined 48 Grand Slam titles, 14 of which they shared as women’s double titles. Fueled by their champion mindset, both women have ventured into entrepreneurship and have created fashion lines, an interior-design company, and a venture-capital firm. 

Although tennis is their primary focus, Venus contemplates the future beyond the tennis courts. 

“Serena and I say we’re going to become bodybuilders after tennis. It might be extreme. It might not happen exactly like that, but you never know,” teased Venus.

Serena, however, is not prepared to consider when her last match will occur. 

“That’s something I don’t think about nor do I want,” said Serena. “I don’t want to think about what I’m leaving. I just think about who I am every single day behind closed doors and behind cameras. And that’s what I focus on.” 

The sisters owe their mental fortitude to the lessons they learned from their parents depicted in the movie King Richard that they executive produced starring Will Smith. 

As the film depicted, Serena said her father designated their health and well-being above their careers. 

“A lot of people get this different story of sports fathers—especially tennis fathers, who are really overbearing,” she said. “And that wasn’t necessarily my dad.” 

“Everyone’s like, ‘Well, how do you play tennis for so long?’ It’s because we weren’t raised in an environment where it was something that we abhorred,” Serena adds. 

Serena admits she wasn’t always forthcoming with her father when she suffers from injuries because he insists that she rest. 

 “He’s always like, ‘Take your time. You’ll be okay. Don’t play.’ “

One of the lasting lessons that the sisters took from their father was the ability to plan. 

Serena said, “My dad always told us to plan ahead. ‘If you fail to plan, you plan to fail,” and so far, the two tennis icons have yet to fail, meaning their planning is impeccable. 

The March 2022 issue of Harper’s BAZAAR is available on newsstands on March 1.

Oprah Winfrey Network created a new program that Tina Knowles-Lawson executive produced titled Profiled: The Black Man, a four-part docu-series, The Chicago Tribune reports.

On her Instagram page, Knowles-Lawson explained her role in the project was to discredit the harmful stereotypes about Black men. 

The Discovery+ series press release reads: “Through a powerful mixture of historical footage, real-life testimony, and commentary from an array of renowned thought leaders, Profiled: The Black Man aims to show the difficulties Black men have faced, both in the past and present-day, while also highlighting and celebrating the triumphs and resilience of countless extraordinary men.”

In addition, each episode will feature commentary from notable community members such as executive producer Tina Knowles-Lawson, civil rights activist DeRay Mckesson, activist Tamika Mallory, hip-hop culture icon Sway Calloway, the Grammy, Emmy and Tony award-winning Billy Porter, and more. 

Hosted by Tristan “Mack” Wilds, the first episode highlighted a Black-owned business called Black Bread Company in Chicago. The enterprise was created by three best friends, Charles Alexander, Mark Edmond, and Jamel Lewis, who all hail from the South Side of Chicago.  

The three friends describe using their company to shape “positive black images, unity, and a shift in generational success,” as stated on their website. 

In early 2021, the three businessmen appeared on the “The Ellen DeGeneres Show” and were given a $20,000 check from Shutterfly to use towards their business.

 Today, their bread is available in 44 Mariano grocery stores, and they are currently in talks with Target stores, Edmond says to the Chicago Tribune. Customers can also purchase their loaves and buns from the company and ship them nationwide.  

The formation of their company stemmed from the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin. The protests deeply moved the three men and expressed their perspectives in the first Discovery+ episode of Profiled: The Black Man, titled “Black Men are Dangerous.”

“For us to be on the first episode,” Alexander said to The Chicago Tribune, “it gives us a really unique opportunity to dismantle that stereotype, to talk about if we’re dangerous, we’re dangerous in a way of succeeding — dangerous in a way of overcoming stereotypes, overcoming obstacles in our current lived experiences. It’s a chance to mix in our lived experiences, and we’re coupling it with how we created our company.” 

“When we first started,” continued Edmond, “we were told from a gentleman that was in this industry for over 40 years, that this was the first time his people were sitting down with Black people. To hear those statements and realize the importance of African American business … our role is to say that all Black men are not dangerous. Just because we’re from Chicago, the South Side, young, Black males, we automatically have this stereotype, or stigma over us, which is not the case.” 

The men want their customers and supporters to champion “using our powers collectively to encourage creativity and ensure generational progression to sustain marginalized communities.”

• Education

by Yolanda Baruch

February 20, 2022

It’s a Family Affair! An HBCU Is Changing Its Admission Policy To Allow Students To Bring Family Members

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Paul Quinn College is shaking up the educational system by permitting students to pick two family members or friends to enroll alongside them and allow them to work towards a certificate or a degree, the Texas Tribune reports.

African Methodist Episcopal Church preachers established the college in Waco in 1872 to educate formerly enslaved people and their children. In 1990, the college later moved to Dallas.

The college will implement its new admission policy this fall. However, a few conditions apply; for incoming students to take advantage of this new beneficial direction, an accepted student must have a 3.0 grade-point average and qualify for federal financial aid.

If a student is accepted with at least a 3.0 grade-point average and qualifies for federal financial aid, they can choose two family members or friends to enroll with them.

While the cause is noble, the question is, why would Paul Quinn College offer such a generous educational path for students and their family members and friends?

The answer is simple yet poignant; their goal is to improve a family’s financial footing and alleviate the pressure of first-generation college students. When the whole family is working towards a goal like a certificate or a degree, the college reasons they will all benefit.

“Your teammates matter,” Michael Sorrell, president of Paul Quinn College, said to The Texas Tribune. “If you can invest in your teammates, if you can invest in your village, that makes the village stronger and that improves the odds and opportunities for your village to thrive.”

Family members and friends who enroll to pursue their education will be encouraged to go through the online degree program or achieve their certification through the school’s PQCx, a credential program. Sorrell understands that most adults have to work, and online schooling would be the most beneficial option.

A higher education policy and sociology professor at Temple University, Sara Goldrick-Rab, said this new model could improve retention and increase enrollment. This new strategy can assist first-generation college students who often grapple with the guilt of being the first college-educated individual in their family.

“He’s recognizing that you can take a student and get them more education,” she said of Sorrell. “But if the family doesn’t have resources, there is a pull towards home that can bring them down.”

Goldrick-Rab observed that most educational institutions might not be able to follow this model, but for PQC, it could be successful.

“Bringing people with you who you know makes college a family affair,” she said. “Which, to be honest with you, I think would particularly resonate with African American families who are very close-knit. That is wicked smart.”

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

February 20, 2022

Step Up Your Mobile Photography Game With This Smartphone Mount

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Cameras on mobile devices today rival even the best point-and-shoot cameras from a decade ago. Whether you use an Apple or Android device, you know you’ll have some of the best camera and video technology at the time.

Because of these advances in technology over the years, many people have opted to use their phones instead of a traditional point-and-shoot camera whenever they want to capture the moment. Even professional photographers and videographers turn to their phones for certain assignments.

Whether you’re an amateur photographer or a professional with your studio, a stable camera is essential to good photos. The Pivo Pod Red Auto-Tracking Motion Smartphone Mount is one of the best in the business, and it’s available for a limited-time price of $99.99. That’s a savings of nearly 10% from its MSRP ($109).

Currently, this device is the deal of the day, so it can be purchased for the low price of $89.99 until 11:59 p.m. Pacific on Feb. 18.

This all-in-one photography tool helps you prepare, capture, and produce quality photo and video content on your own. It comes with remote control, which is almost like having an extra photographer with you.

The auto-tracking technology allows you to capture the perfect action shot or selfie, and it’s great for group photos, dynamic videos, or panoramic images. It’s perfect for creative shots.

Watch this video.

Software features include virtual presentations, tracked presentation overlay, fun create modes, record and share function, among other intuitive options. Not only is it great for taking photos and videos, but it works just as well with video calls.

The Pivo Pod Red Auto-Tracking Motion Smartphone Mount is powered by a 500mAh battery, and it can be charged via Micro-USB Port. It also has a wireless range of 33 feet along with Bluetooth BLE 4.0.

Enhance your photo and video skills with this intuitive device today while it’s still available at a low price.

Prices subject to change.

• Entertainment

by Wendy Medina

February 19, 2022

Lizzo Helps Women Exude Body Positivity In New Amazon Prime Trailer ‘Watch Out For The Big Grrrls’

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Empowerment, choreography, and drama are wrapped up with a Lizzo soundtrack.

A new trailer for Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls has been released on Amazon Prime, due to debut next month. The eight-episode unscripted dance competition featuring curvaceous women, is part of Lizzo’s brand new deal with Amazon Studios. 

Lizzo will star as the host of the new reality series and “search for dynamic, full-figured women to join her world and perform with her on stage,” said the studio. “Only the most talented dancers and models will have what it takes to twerk it out on tour and stomp it out on the runway.”

The selected dancers will then join her on tour, but only after living together in a house and facing off in a dance bootcamp audition, per Glamour. 

According to a press release, the series follows “global superstar and icon Lizzo, who is on the hunt for confident, bad-ass women to join the elite ranks of the Big Grrrls and join her world tour. With 10 hopeful women moving into the Big Grrrls House, they must prove they have what it takes to make it to the end and join Lizzo in front of a global audience on the center stage.”

Iconic choreographer Tanisha Scott and dancers Chawnta’ Marie Van, Shirlene Quigley, and Grace Holden will co-star alongside the “Juice” singer in recruiting the backup dancers. Essence reports the series will also include several special guests, including choreographer Charm La’Donna, body movement expert Rashida KhanBey Miller, and Grammy Award-nominated R&B star SZA.

The pop sensation first revealed she’d soon share her “vision with the world” by developing a new television series amid striking the deal with Amazon Studios in August 2020. 

“Girls who look like me don’t get representation,” Lizzo says in the two-munite trailer. “It’s time to roll up my sleeves and find them myself.” 

Lizzo’s Watch Out For The Big Grrrls premieres March 25 exclusively on Amazon Prime.