Bids for 200 pairs of Nike/Louis Vuitton “Air Force 1” sneakers designed by Virgil Abloh are running well beyond Sotheby’s initial estimates in an auction with a week to go.

The sale, which the Louis Vuitton creative designer helped to plan before his death from cancer at age 41 in November, will benefit The Virgil Abloh “Post-Modern” Scholarship Fund for Black, African-American and students of African descent in the fashion industry.

“We’re currently at around $6.1 million in hammer price,” said Sotheby’s Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectibles, Brahm Wachter, on Tuesday, when bids ran as high as $80,000, according to a press release.

The original total estimate was $1 million to $3 million for the Jan. 26 to Feb. 8 auction. On opening day, the number of bids broke Sotheby’s record for online sales.

The leather sneaker features Abloh’s signature quotation marks and Louis Vuitton’s emblematic patterns. Each comes with a limited-edition orange pilot case.

“On a size 5, there’s just one pair and a size 18, again, there’s just one pair. When you get to a size 10 or a size 8, there are more,” Wachter said.

The sneakers were the first official collaboration between Nike and Louis Vuitton.

“It’s really bringing together two of the great Goliaths of industry. And of course, the genius of Virgil Abloh, who so many people love and respect and miss,” Wachter said.

“Bringing all three of these worlds together is really an incredible thing, which I think is driving global interest.”

Abloh, one of the highest profile Black designers, had been the creative mind behind Louis Vuitton’s menswear collection since 2018. In July 2021, LVMH mandated him to launch new brands and partner with existing ones in non-fashion sectors such as furniture and luggage.

• Fashion & Beauty

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 10, 2022

Reginae Carter Talks New Fashion Lines Tom Girl & I FIT IN, Joining ‘Social Society’ + Acting Career

---

Actress, TV personality, influencer, and entrepreneur Reginae Carter appeared on BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s “Hip Hop and Enterprise” to introduce her new fashion line Tom Girl and fitness line I FIT IN.

After growing up in the spotlight, Carter has carved out her own lane in entertainment and business. Being the daughter of Grammy Award-winning rapper Lil Wayne and TV personality Toya Johnson has its perks. Still, Carter is also securing her bag outside of the paid advertisements by building an empire of her own.

She opened up about the launch of her fashion entities and how she wants to promote health, wellness, and style while engaging with her following in new ways. Working with her aunt on Tom Girl, Carter details how the family duo came together to release a fashion line that will take the ladies from comfortably running errands to socializing with friends.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Reginae Carter (@itsreginaecarter)

Reginae’s entrepreneurial endeavors come at the same time as her addition to season 2 of All BLK’s Social Society with Kendall Kyndall, Angela Simmons, and Kendra G. The quartet comes together weekly to discuss the trending topics, highlight some amazing Black-owned businesses, and tackle insightful discussions for viewers.

In addition to her new TV hosting gig, Carter continues to rise up the ranks as an actress and is set to appear in her first lead role in the upcoming film, Boxed In. Her deep passion for acting leads her to watch shows and movies in her free time, take acting classes, and dedicate herself to perfecting her craft.

At 23 years old, she knows exactly what she wants in life, and nothing will get in her way. She made sure to note that she’s happily single and enjoying dating while focusing on her business, career, and personal growth.

Press play below to learn the latest on Reginae Carter and find out more about her new fashion lines Tom Girl and I FIT IN.

• Lifestyle

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 10, 2022

Jeezy Switches First-Class Seat on Flight With 11-Year-Old Cancer Patient

---

Rapper Jeezy’s generosity shined through when he made a nice gesture to a young boy with cancer on a recent flight.

The entrepreneurial artist, who recently welcomed a baby with his wife, Jeannie Mai, took to his Instagram account to speak of the bravery a young 11-year-old boy is demonstrating.

“The Snowman” speaks of meeting a young boy named Andre, who is 11 years old, on a flight heading to Memphis. The pre-teen is fighting stage 3 cancer and was going to Memphis to get treatment. The former Boyz n da Hood group member offered the young boy his first-class seat on the plane and occupied the seat next to his mother. After conversing with Andre’s mother throughout the flight, Yeezy invited the young boy and his mother to his show. As Yeezy states in his post, Andre showed up to his show “like a boss.”

“Meet Andre, he’s 11 and one of the bravest young Kings I know. I met Andre on my flight to Memphis. Overheard he was battling stage 3 cancer and was on his way to Memphis for treatment. Offered him my first class seat so he can go to treatment like the boss he is. In taking his seat, I spoke with his amazing and strong mother. She told me about how mighty of a fighter her son has been. I invited Andre and his mother to my show. And like a boss he pulled up. Let’s show Andre some love 💯”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by @jeezy

The businessman just celebrated the birth of his fourth child and first with his wife Mai, a panel member on the daily talk show The Real.

Last spring, Vogue reported that after the rapper and talk show host tied the knot in an intimate ceremony at their Atlanta home, the charitable pair chose to give back to the community. People reported that Jeezy’s Street Dreamz Foundation teamed up with The Tony Robbins Foundation to give out 1,000 bikes to inner-city youth in Atlanta.

Wheels of Dreamz hosted the event at HBCU Clark Atlanta University ahead of a rally where Jeezy and then-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms gave speeches.

• Lifestyle

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 10, 2022

Comedian Tony Baker Returns to Stage, Eases Pain By Telling Jokes About Late Son

---

Comedian Tony Baker was spotted back in action less than a year after his son was killed in a car crash in August.

Baker’s recent performance was posted by a fellow comedian who uses the moniker Kevonstage on his Instagram account. In the posted clip, Baker speaks about dealing with his son’s death. Cerain Baker died, along with two others, in a car accident last summer.

Baker spoke about how he wants to talk about his son’s death, but people don’t know how to handle that.

“I be wanting to talk about my son’s death, but everybody be getting tight in the audience.”

He then goes into detail about viewing his son’s cremated ashes. He speaks about being unsure that the ashes in the urn are actually his son’s. “How do I know it’s Cerain in there?”

Joking about the ashes not belonging to his son and going to The Maury Show to find out if the ashes are indeed those of his deceased son. Jokingly saying, in Maury’s voice, “You are NOT the father of these ashes!”

“Listen on this weeks @keepyourdistancecomedy my good friend @tonybaker tells his first jokes after his son passed.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by kevonstage (@kevonstage)

In August 2021, Baker’s 21-year-old son died in a car crash involving a street race that he was not a part of. He was among two others killed in the fiery Southern California crash. Cerain Baker was riding in a vehicle with 20-year-old Jaiden Johnson and 19-year-old Natalee Moghaddam when they were hit by a driver who’d been street racing around 11:30 p.m., according to NBC 4.

Comedian Tony Baker’s son Cerain Baker was among 3 innocent victims killed in high-speed street racing crash in Burbank. | UPDATES on @ABC7 6:30am. https://t.co/a8eFAqjJ8p pic.twitter.com/EYNcbpJPH0

— Marc Cota-Robles (@abc7marccr) August 5, 2021

People reported that all died after their car was hit by two other vehicles that appeared to be involved in a street race. The 19-year-old driver reportedly responsible for the crash faces multiple murder charges.

Hamlet Arseni Aghajanyan was arrested and charged with three counts of murder and one count of reckless driving, a report from the Burbank Police Department said. A 17-year-old was also slapped with the same charges and is in a juvenile detention center pending a review of the case.

Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Antonio Brown, who famously left his last professional football game sans jersey as he headed off the field has taken his talents to Kanye West’s Donda Sports.

Brown took to his Instagram account to mention that the company has booked a suite at this year’s NFL Super Bowl, taking place Sunday in California at SoFi Stadium. In his post, he also reveals he is the president of Donda Sports.

“WE THE OWNERS NOW !

• Lifestyle

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 10, 2022

Sherri Shepherd in Talks to Become Permanent Guest Host of ‘The Wendy Williams Show’

---

It’s official. This season, Wendy Williams will not return to host her talk show. Instead,  Sherri Shepherd is in talks to become the permanent guest host for the Wendy Williams Show.

As Williams works to get back to good health, there has been a revolving set of hosts for her show. TMZ reported that Shepherd would be taking over as a permanent guest host starting in September. As the deal is being worked out, producers of the show will continue to monitor Williams’ status and make a decision closer to September if her health is not in order. Sources state that Shepherd is very close to finalizing a deal.

The Wendy Williams Show is going into its 15th season, and there’s a possibility that if she does not return, the show could be renamed. The Fox Station Group is on board if that is necessary.

Last year, the show’s official Instagram account revealed Williams had tested positive for COVID-19. TMZ also reported that Williams voluntarily admitted herself into a New York City hospital for a psych evaluation. The hospitalization came after the talk show host’s COVID diagnosis was confirmed.

In January, hip-hop artists Fat Joe and Remy Ma (Jan. 3–7), filmmaker and actor Michael Rapaport (Jan. 10–14), comedians Kym Whitley and Finesse Mitchell (Jan. 17–21), and Shepherd (Jan. 24–28) took the reins of the show.

Williams’ current health issues have spilled into her finances. Reportedly, an attorney representing Williams has filed papers asking a judge to unfreeze bank accounts belonging to the TV personality.

According to The Sun, the ailing talk show host has asked a judge for an emergency order instructing her bank Wells Fargo to unfreeze several accounts.

Her attorney stated that Williams claims that Wells Fargo is in “possession of several million dollars’ worth of funds” that belong to her, and she has been denied access to her money for more than two weeks. The attorney asserts that Williams’ former financial adviser informed the bank that she “was of unsound mind.” Based on that, Wells Fargo has denied her access to the bank accounts and statements associated with it.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 10, 2022

NBC Resolves Leslie Jones Issue After She Threatened to Stop Live-Recapping The Olympics

---

After Leslie Jones announced her disappointment in NBC’s response to her well-received live recaps of the Olympic Games, the network has worked to rectify the issue.

On Tuesday, NBC Sports announced how they “resolved” the “error” that led to Jones’ Olympic recaps being blocked on social media, HuffPost reports.

“This was the result of a third-party error, and the situation has been resolved,” a network spokesperson said late Monday.

“She is free to do her social media posts as she has done in the past. She is a super fan of the Olympics, and we are super fans of her.”

The statement came after Jones became a trending topic on Monday when she took to social media to express her reluctance to continue her live recaps while suggesting NBC was actually the one “blocking” her commentary.

“I’m starting to feel like this should be my last olympics i live tweet,” Jones tweeted on Sunday. “I know I know, another celebrity bitching. But I’m tired of fighting the folks who don’t want me to do it.”

https://twitter.com/Lesdoggg/status/1490588583979192321

She also pointed out how “they” are attempting to block her videos and “get folks who think they can do it like me.” While responding to a fan, Jones confirmed the “they” she was referring to was NBC.

After swarms of fans started to call NBC out for seemingly not supporting Jones’ popular recaps, the network released a statement saying the Saturday Night Live alum could continue posting about the Olympic Games.

It looks like higher-ups were behind the initial snafu and not exactly NBC. The International Olympic Committee owns the Olympic broadcasting rights, NBC News reports. The network works to negotiate broadcasting rights with companies around the world. NBCUniversal had exclusive broadcasting rights for the Olympics’ U.S. audiences until 2032.

During the Summer Games in Tokyo last summer, the IOC cracked down on posting videos of the Games to social media. Even athletes were prevented from reposting videos.

“We encourage people, we encourage everybody, to share still pictures of performances, but the video obviously belongs to the rights-holding broadcasters,” IOC spokesman Mark Adams said last summer.

Nearly 70 years after Brown v. Board of Education ended racial segregation in schools, several HBCU presidents say Black history lessons taught in schools are insufficient and under attack.

Howard University President Wayne Federick told Axios that HBCU officials and Black Americans need to stand up and fight against this.

“They’re trying to erase not just the history of those things happening to African Americans, but really the American history,” Frederick said. “We have to take a fuller stand and be bold that this is American history — and it’s not going away just because you don’t tell people or limit who knows about it.”

Black students and educators are facing several issues. Some states are using Critical Race Theory, which is taught at the college level, to ban lessons and books on racism and slavery in U.S. History.

At the same time, HBCUs are dealing with bomb threats, leading to canceled classes and campus-wide evacuations. Since January, three sets of threats have been called into multiple HBCUs, and while six people are persons of interest, no one has been arrested or charged for the ongoing threats.

According to five HBCU presidents interviewed by Axios, there are three reasons the teachings of Black history is insufficient in America: Black history is typically only taught in February, Black history is often separated from American history in schools, and Black history education is rarely taught outside the classroom and often doesn’t include trips to museums, exhibits, and events.

The presidents say one of the things that should change in the teaching of Black history is shifting the focus from the most prominent figures in Black history and focusing more on everyday and lesser-known Black heroes. Tuskegee University President Charlotte Morris added that the lessons taught can be incomplete or misguided because it is not being led by individuals who believe Black Americans contributed to American society.

Other events and lessons, such as the Tulsa Race Massacre, are completely left out, meaning an entire generation may not know an event took place at all.

Some HBCUs are trying to reverse these issues by integrating Black history into extracurricular activities, including speeches, roundtable discussions, symposiums, and fairs. HBCUs are also using book clubs or volunteer opportunities with alumni to integrate Black history into their lessons.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

February 10, 2022

Turn Any Room Into A Theater With This Portable Projector

---

Streaming services are offered for nearly every surface. Netflix, Hulu, Peacock, HBO Max, FUBO TV, the list goes on. Portable access to watch whatever you desire has been a game-changer. You can now take your favorite shows and movies on the go with you, whether that’s on the airplane, the subway, or on road trips.

While viewing on your phone or tablet has provided countless hours of entertainment, there’s a way to get even more out of the streaming experience. Turn nearly any environment into a theater with this Mini Portable Smart Projector. For a limited time, it’s available for $265.99. That’s a savings of 43% from its MSRP ($469).

The Mini Portable Smart Projector is more than just a projector. It’s a device to which you can download your streaming service apps. It comes with dual WiFi capabilities so you watch your favorite series and movies without having to worry about annoying buffering.

This device ships with Android 2.0, and its 5,200mAh battery supports up to five hours of viewing entertainment. Entertainment is viewed at theater-quality, thanks to its 150” screen. Its dustproof projection lens offers optimum protection against unwanted scratches to the screen. With its dual-band (2.4/5GHz) capabilities, the device can support AirPlay, Miracast, as well as DLNA protocol.

Video isn’t the only thing the Mini Portable Smart Projector does well. Two five-watt speaker outputs are built into the device, giving you all you need to enjoy your video with crisp and crystal-clear sound. There’s also a headphone port with a 3.5mm connector.

If you’re ready to take your entertainment viewing up a notch, then the Mini Portable Smart Projector is just what you’re looking for. Purchase it while it’s available at its limited-time price of $265.99.

Prices subject to change.

Entertainment media mogul Byron Allen has announced that he will be bidding to become the first Black owner of a National Football League (NFL) team.

According to Bloomberg, Allen, the owner of Entertainment Studios, discussed the possibility of becoming an NFL owner. He stated that the commissioner of the league, Roger Goodell, and the owner of the New England Patriots, Robert Kraft, approached him several years ago about placing a bid to purchase a team.