Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign’s First Black Leader Sues Over Termination Claiming Racial Bias
by Derek Major

February 6, 2022

Alphonso David, Human Rights Campaign’s First Black Leader Sues Over Termination Claiming Racial Bias

Alphonso David, the first Black president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) sued the organization in federal court this week alleging he was underpaid and terminated “because he is Black.”

David, a civil rights lawyer who led the HRC for more than two years, was fired in September after a report by New York Attorney General Letitia James detailed an effort David assisted to discredit a woman who accused former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment.

David, who served as Cuomo’s chief counsel from 2015 through 2019, denied the claims. In his suit, David added the HRC has “maintained discriminatory employment practices,” and has a “deserved reputation for unequal treatment of its non-white employees.”

David made other allegations against the HRC including that during his contract renewal negotiations, HRC board member “acknowledged” that he was paid less than his white predecessor “because of his race”

He also added he was told more than once not to discuss race in public and was criticized after issuing a statement in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. According to David, an executive expressed concern would alienate “white donors,” specifically “gay White men.”

“I just know how it could be when Black people get together like that,” David alleges the executive said according to NBC News. “It will be just like all the Black people looking out for each other. I don’t want them to not perform because they think that just because you are Black you are going to bail them out.”

HRC interim President Joni Madison said in a statement responding to David’s lawsuit, the organization is “disappointed” David decided to “take retaliatory action” against the organization “for his termination which resulted from his own actions.”

“Mr. David’s complaint is riddled with untruths. We are confident through the legal process that it will be apparent that Mr. David’s termination was based on clear violations of his contract and HRC’s mission, and as president of HRC, he was treated fairly and equally,” Madison added.

David’s lawsuit comes at the same time a bevy of people connected to the Cuomo sexual harassment investigation are leaving or being forced out of their positions.

CNN President Jeff Zucker, former CNN anchor and Cuomo’s brother Chris Cuomo, Time’s Up Board Chair, Roberta Kaplan and CEO Tina Tchen all resigned, quit, or were fired in the aftermath of the Cuomo investigation.

This Founder’s Startup Resource Is An Information Powerhouse
by Black Enterprise Shop

February 6, 2022

This Founder’s Startup Resource Is An Information Powerhouse

As more people have spent time indoors over the past couple of years, it’s allowed for the creation of a pandemic economy. As a result, many people with ideas or side hustles turned those creations into lucrative financial gains. The Internet has experienced something of a second boom since 2020, as people around the world are tapping into its vast space to explore different streams of income. While it’s been good for some, for others it has been nothing short of confusing.

If you’re someone with an idea or a concept but are lost when it comes to getting that idea or concept off the ground, look no further than Founders’ Book Lifetime Access. For a limited time, it’s available for $79. That’s a savings of 46% from its MSRP ($147).

Founders’ Book is a one-stop-shop for anyone looking to launch a startup or turn an idea into reality. It includes thousands of tools, platforms, and guides that offer invaluable information from those who have succeeded in successfully launching startups.

Choose from more than 2,000 articles and guides on different stages of startups, stories from startup founders, practice guides that have been vetted and written by company founders, and growth hacks.

Also included with your purchase are startup deals and credits that will save you thousands of dollars on software subscriptions. An included no-code bible teaches all you need to know about the current no-code landscape along with helpful tools and capabilities. Store and document all of your work in the Founders’ Hub, and use the 30-day startup feature, which gives you one task a day to ideate, build a prototype, and in some cases launch your startup in a month.

“It can save at least 200 hours of your time on the lookout for the right advice and resources which can 20x your speed of business growth,” writes Medium.com

For first-time founders, think of this product as a Yellow Pages. It’s an excellent resource and database for anyone looking to launch their startup. Purchase it today at its limited-time price of $79.

Prices subject to change.

California Couple Decapitates Two Older Children, Pleads Not Guilty
by Keka Araújo

February 5, 2022

California Couple Decapitates Two Older Children, Pleads Not Guilty

A couple charged with murdering their two older children by decapitating them have pleaded not guilty to murder and child abuse. 

On Wednesday, Maurice Jewel Taylor, Sr., 35, and Natalie Sumiko Brothwell, 45, pleaded not guilty to murder in a Los Angeles courtroom. Taylor and Brothwell were accused of murdering Maurice, Jr., 12, and Maliaka, 13.

The news outlet reported that the parents stabbed the children to death inside their Lancaster, California home on November 29, 2020. After they murdered Maurice and Maliaka, Taylor and Brothwell demanded that the younger siblings look at their deceased brother and sister. The pair also withheld food from the frightened children and forced them to stay in a bedroom for several days. 

When authorities arrived at the home in early December, the bodies were still inside the house. 

Taylor, Sr., was originally arrested in December 2020 and Brothwell was arrested at her home in Tucson, Arizona, in September 2021. Not only were the couple charged with murder, but they also were indicted on two felony counts of child abuse under circumstances likely to cause great bodily harm or death with reference to their then eight and nine-year-old sons. 

Questions about Taylor’s mental health arose in 2020, preventing the case from moving forward. Last year, court proceedings were reinstated. 

There is no information concerning Brothwell’s job, but FOX11 reported that Taylor worked as a physical therapist. Due to the pandemic, he had been doing virtual sessions, and his clients became concerned and reached out to the police after he failed to report to work. 

The pair is currently incarcerated and has a $4.2 million bail. On February 15, Brothwell and Taylor are scheduled to appear in a California court.

If Taylor is convicted of decapitating his children, he can spend the rest of his life behind bars. It has not been determined if Brothwell faces the same fate.

by Keka Araújo

February 5, 2022

Opinion: British Actress Thandiwe Newton Cries Half-White Tears, ‘My Light-Skinnedness Has Been More Problematic Than Being ‘Black’

British actress Thandiwe Newton took to Beyoncé’s internet to cry half-white tears to her dark-skinned counterparts for essentially being the chosen one. 

While promoting her latest movie God’s Country, Thandiwe, formerly known as Thandie, projected her insecurities about her Blackness onto Black American women and then went full Karen during her interview with the Associated Press.  

“My internalized prejudice was stopping me from feeling like I could play this role when it’s precisely that prejudice that I’ve received,” she began. “Doesn’t matter that it’s from African American women more than anyone else, doesn’t matter. I received prejudice. Anyone who’s received oppression and prejudice feels this character.”

“I’ve wanted so desperately to apologize every day to darker-skinned actresses,” she continued. “To say, ‘I’m sorry I’m the one chosen.’”

Then Thandiwe turned on the waterworks as she described her dark-skinned Zimbabwean mother, Nyesha Newton, saying,  “My mama looks like you. It’s been very painful to have women look like my mom feel like I’m not representing them. That I’m taking from them. Taking their men, taking their work, taking their truth.”

For the record, Thandiwe’s husband, Oi Parker, is a whole white man. They’ve been married since 1998.

 

 

The peculiar commentary and video quickly went viral and garnered understandable reactions from Black people. 

 

In another clip, Thandiwe doubled down on her insensate jibber-jabber claiming she was “Black” and “dark-skinned’ in England, but once she came to America, she learned she was “light-skinned.”

“My light-skinnedness has been more problematic than being ‘Black’. My being light-skinned has been way more problematic than my being Black.”

 

If the 49-year-old actress’ goal was to gain understanding, she failed miserably. Though Thandiwe’s half-white tears may move some people, her erasure of actual dark-skinned British actresses is appalling. The Mission Impossible actress seemingly put herself over actresses like Marianne Jean-Baptiste, Michaela Coel, Adelayo Adedayo. Although complexion is subjective, Thandiwe (even with a white British father) isn’t on the lightest spectrum of light-skinned Black folks. 

Her insecurities and assigning blame to Black American women for her pain is rich given last year she said, she “didn’t want to be put in a box” over her skin color. Thandiwe also said that she didn’t want to participate in “the objectification of Black people.”

Also, issues of owning her Blackness and how she is perceived by Black people (specifically Black American women since we were the targets of her cryfest and faux apology) seem to be more internalized perceptions than actual experiences. Thandiwe’s name, which she changed back to after using Thandie since 1991, isn’t exactly in Black people’s mouths on a regular basis. 

The actress claimed that she became Thandie after her name was misspelled in the credits of an Australian film. However, she let the mistake rock for three decades before she decided to “reclaim” Thandiwe, which means “beloved” in Shona. 

In a 2020 interview with Vulture, the “Crash” actress projected her insecurities again when speaking about biracial actress Halle Berry.

She stated that although they both have a white parent, she didn’t feel inclined to post her white father because she wanted Black people to “trust” her.

“All these Black people in the public eye who are Black, and you don’t think about their white parents. Like on my Instagram, it’s always my mum. I don’t put my dad up much, and that’s because I want Black people to feel they can trust me and feel safe with me — that I’m not a representative of this Establishment that degrades people of color. All my f*****g career, I felt like, to Black people, I’m not a legitimate Black person.”

The white woman energy Thandiwe seems to give may be the reason why Black folks aren’t checking for her versus her perceived “light-skinnedness.”

And only a therapist can help with that. 

by Derek Major

February 5, 2022

Michigan Court Denies Challenge To Redistricting Maps Made By Black Lawmakers

The Michigan Supreme Court denied a challenge of new congressional and legislative maps by Black lawmakers late Thursday night.

According to MLive, the court denied the challenge in a 4-3 decision.

Chief Justice Bridget McCormack and Justices Megan Cavanagh, Elizabeth Clement, and Elizabeth Welch concluded the Detroit Caucus and other plaintiffs who claimed the new maps impeded Black voters’ ability to elect their preferred candidates, did not violate the Civil Rights Act.

“Plaintiffs have not identified grounds or legal authority that would allow us to question the Commission’s decision not to draw race-based, majority-minority districts,” wrote Chief Justice Bridget McCormack and Justices Elizabeth Clement, Megan Cavanaugh, and Elizabeth Welch according to Fox2Detroit.

The previous maps had 15 majority-Black voting districts, under the new maps, two in the US house, two in the state Senate and 11 in the statehouse. Under the new maps that will drop to seven, all in the state House.

Black lawmakers and residents sued a 13-member commission that was created by voters in order to take the effort out of politicians’ hands. An attorney for the commission urged the court to deny the suit, saying the new maps will give Black voters greater influence in more districts under the new maps.

The minority judges said in their opinion the dismissal was premature and “unjust” adding the court should have appointed an expert to assess the evidence because the subject of the suit is complex.

“As a matter of procedure, the majority’s decision today is completely unprecedented,” Justices Brian Zahra, David Viviano, and Richard Bernstein wrote. They said, “it does not accord with any notion of fair play.”

Two other redistricting lawsuits in the state are still pending. Courts across the country are dealing with these kinds of suits and Democrats and Republicans battle for position in the midterm elections.

In New York, Republicans are suing Democrats over new election maps they called “undeniably politically gerrymandered in their party’s favor.”

Similar lawsuits are playing out in Ohio, North Carolina and Alabama, and Georgia where Governor Brian Kemp is also trying to create an election police force.

Wells Fargo Gives $20 Million That Could Benefit Black Small Businesses In Atlanta
by Jeffrey McKinney

February 5, 2022

Wells Fargo Gives $20 Million That Could Benefit Black Small Businesses In Atlanta

Aiming to help primarily Black small businesses build assets and make physical upgrades, Wells Fargo is donating to support entrepreneurs in Atlanta.
According to a news release, the bank’s funding program will center mainly on Black and diverse-owned businesses negatively affected by COVID. The banking giant reported the funding would consist of grants and loans dispersed by United Way of Greater Atlanta and Invest Atlanta.
The donation comes from the Wells Fargo Open For Business Fund, a roughly $420 million fund that the firm created in July 2020 to help small businesses remain open during the pandemic. According to the bank, the drive will be focused on these four initiatives per the news release:
  • “Small Business Loan Fund — Low-cost loans, capped at an interest rate of 3%, are designated to help small businesses grow ownership of tangible assets.”
  • “Asset Building Assistance — Working with nonprofit organizations, including in south and west Atlanta, this effort will enlist experts to craft asset-building strategies for roughly 200 small businesses, such as moving from renting or leasing commercial space to owning it.:
  • “Façade Improvement Grants — Grants of up to $50,000 for exterior improvements for small businesses that give a 20% match to their project.”
  • “Commercial Ownership Growth — Capital to help small business owners facing rising rental costs, including down payment assistance grants of up to $200,000 to purchase commercial real estate.

“As a company, we have a commitment to make the communities where we operate stronger, and to do it at a very local level,” said Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf.

“Making a large donation in Atlanta — one of the largest donations we’ve made from the Open for Business Fund — was important to us. We know it will make a difference for small business owners here,” he concluded.

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens added these statements, “This Wells Fargo grant program gives small business owners the opportunity to grow and expand by owning more of their own assets—which can be a game-changer for the financial health of any business. As a former small business owner, I understand the vital role of small businesses in Atlanta’s economy and community, and we are excited to announce this program in the first few weeks of our new administration.”

by Keka Araújo

February 5, 2022

Pretty Ricky’s Baby Blue Prepares To Go To Federal Prison After Being Found Guilty Of PPP Loan Fraud

Pretty Ricky’s Baby Blue is set to turn himself in to the feds on Feb. 7. He will serve his 20-month sentence in federal prison for committing fraud in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)  loan scam.  

On Jan. 31, Diamond Blue Smith took to social media to share the latest update with his followers. The “Grind With Me” singer posted his inmate number, the location of where he will serve time and where he could receive packages.

“Turning myself in to the Feds on Monday, Feb. 7. If you wanna write me or send me anything, see info below… Diamond Blue Smith # 11322509 FCI COLEMAN LOW FEDERAL CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTION SATELLITE CAMP P.O. BOX 1027 COLEMAN, FL 33521 (White Envelopes Only).”

Some fans responded with love and support.

In August, Blue was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Miami-based singer took out two PPP loans that totaled over one million dollars. He reportedly falsified documents and gave specious information for two businesses– Throwback Jersey LLC and BlueStar Records LLC. Blue was ordered to pay $1,111345.23 in restitution and $1,134,782 in forfeiture. The singer acquiesced to using the PPP loan proceeds to ball out at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and buying luxury items, including a Ferrari, designer clothes and larger-than-life gold chains.

Blue dropped the video to his brand new track “Jerry Rice’ where he seemingly brags about doing his bid and stunting. The song is a far cry from his December post on Instagram. 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Blue (@babybluewhoaaaa)

In December, the recording artist wrote that there were lessons to be learned from his arrest and subsequent sentence in federal prison.

“I can’t go back and change the beginning but I can start where I am and change the ending. There are things in life we don’t want to happen but have to accept; Lessons in life we don’t want to know but have to learn. We have to remember that life’s greatest lessons are usually learned at the worst times and from the worst mistakes,” he wrote. “Sometimes the bad things that happens to us end up putting us on the path to the best things that will ever happen to us. Life can change in a second, can be taken in a second so live your best life! Do what you can for others. Always be there for the ones you love the most and understand that not everyone you love will stay, not everyone you trust will be loyal. Some people are lessons. Some people exist as an example of what to avoid. Learn from yesterday, live for today, prepare for a better tomorrow.”

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Baby Blue (@babybluewhoaaaa)

On  Saturday, Blue also took to Twitter to give the women he’s dating permission to move on for Valentine’s Day as he heads to federal prison.

“I wanna send a huge apology out to the women I’m currently dating. Even though we’re all single and having fun, I apologize for being incarcerated during VALENTINE’S DAY. I understand if you want to spend that day with someone else this year.  You have my blessing.”

We hope he’s learned his lesson.

‘McDonogh Three’ Marker Honors Trailblazers and Ruby Bridges For Integrating Louisiana Public Schools
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 5, 2022

‘McDonogh Three’ Marker Honors Trailblazers and Ruby Bridges For Integrating Louisiana Public Schools

A new marker was established Tuesday in New Orleans that recognizes three Black young children known as the “McDonogh Three.”

The three girls were Leona Tate, Gail Etienne, and Tessie Prevost. The trio, along with Ruby Bridges,  helped officially integrate a public school, William Frantz Elementary in New Orleans, in 1960.

According to NOLA.com, one of the three girls, Tate, and Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser unveiled the marker outside the former McDonogh Elementary located on St. Claude Avenue.

This is added to the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail, a patchwork of historically significant places in the civil rights movement. Sites along this trail include Little Union Baptist Church in Shreveport, Dooky Chase’s Restaurant in New Orleans, and the Old State Capitol in Baton Rouge.

In the 1960s, three young Black girls outfitted in freshly-pressed dresses and hair ribbons walked through crowds of angry protesters and proceeded up 18 steps to enter McDonogh 19 Elementary School. The girls were escorted by U.S. Marshals.

“You just don’t know how many people we’ve gone to that didn’t know the history of what happened in this building,” Tate said Tuesday morning. “It takes a lot–and I don’t like talking about it–to tell them the story. But we’re here and we’ll have some racial healing in this building.”

Louisiana News reported that McDonogh has been renamed Tate, Etienne, Prévost Center (TEP) after the McDonogh Three. The marker will be located at the entrance of their former first-class classroom.

According to WDSU News, the Louisiana Civil Rights Trail was thought up by Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, who saw projects like this emerging in other Southern states.

“I don’t think a lot of people realized how much history was here and how many of the things that happened in Louisiana led to the civil rights movement,” Nungesser said. “To be able to put all of this into an educational plan is going to be invaluable for generations to come.”

Honoring Lena King: Surviving Member of Only All-Black WWII Women’s Army Corps Unit, ‘Six-Triple Eight’
by Atiya Jordan

February 5, 2022

Honoring Lena King: Surviving Member of Only All-Black WWII Women’s Army Corps Unit, ‘Six-Triple Eight’

After a childhood friend was shot down in battle, Lena Derriecott King enlisted in the military in hopes that she could contribute to aiding her country.

Now, the 99-year-old is one of the surviving members of the WWII Black Female Battalion Unit, Six-Triple Eight, whose contributions continue to inspire generations, according to Today.

The 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion

In February 1945, the “Six-Triple Eight,” as it was known, sailed for Britain, becoming the first and only all-Black Women’s Army Corps unit to be sent overseas during WWII. They were assigned the special task of sorting through millions of backlogged pieces of mail intended for members of the U.S. military, U.S. government personnel, and Red Cross workers.

The women worked three shifts a day, seven days a week, under grimy conditions at the warehouses in Birmingham, England. King, who was assigned to the Battalion at 18 years old, recalls seeing letters and packages stacked to the ceiling.

According to the former corporal, the unit’s motto was “No mail, low morale.” To ensure that the mail reached troops in the field, they were determined to accomplish their goal in half the time they were instructed to finish. In just three months, King and her unit processed 17 million pieces of mail.

“We had promised that we could get it done,” King said.

The Importance of the Battalion Unit

Having ended the backlog of mail in Birmingham, the female soldiers continued their work in Europe until March 1946. They received high praise for achieving success and efficiency in solving the military’s postal problems despite the racial and gender discrimination they often faced.

When they returned home, King described the experience as “so disappointing” in an interview with Today. Her unit didn’t feel appreciated, especially in America’s climate of Jim Crow segregation.

“There were no parades. There was no thank you. There was no nothing,” King said.

King explained to the news outlet that her unit’s achievements were a “moral victory.”

“I think our motivation was to feel that we were making a contribution,” she said. “We wanted to show proof that we loved our country, even if they didn’t love us back all the time.”

King, alongside these women of the Six Triple Ei deserves their flowers.

In April 2021, the “Six Triple Eight” Congressional Gold Medal Act was passed by the Senate. The House of Representatives is set to vote on the bill is set to vote next week.

Berhan Shaw Talks RHONY, Relationship with Eboni K. Williams, Mental Health App + More
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 5, 2022

Berhan Shaw Talks RHONY, Relationship with Eboni K. Williams, Mental Health App + More

Bershan Shaw has kept herself busy since wrapping filming for the latest season of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of New York City”.

Working as a Tech founder, motivational speaker, business coach, author, and interior designer, Bershan and her decorated resume are moving with purpose.

Her latest business venture is a mental wellness app called UR A Warrior. Having been diagnosed with Stage 4 breast cancer and beating it twice, Bershan’s experience with depression and loneliness led her to look to so many places to find the answers and support she needed. It was important for her to create one dedicated platform where those in need could connect with others.

Through the app, Bershan aims to bring some diversity to the tech space with her app that was coded by a team of Black women and is women-invested. The platform will be centered on 4 Pillars: Personal Development, Self-Improvement, Motivation, and Support and will serve as a one-stop-shop for mental health and wellness.

The app will offer resources, coaching, chat rooms, journals, self-help quizzes and more for users of all backgrounds. Bershan also recently released her new book The Unstoppable Warrior Woman, highlighting the stories of incredible women who have survived unthinkable odds and found the strength to succeed through their struggles.

The busy businesswoman also hosts her own podcast Buckle Up with Bershan where she challenges her listeners to live life on purpose. She does all this all while running her interior design business, Shaw & Shaw Design.

Elsewhere in the interview, Bershan dishes on her own mental health journey, making history in the tech space and on reality television, and the rumored issues of racism on RHONY. Bershan also opens up about her relationship dynamic with Eboni K. Williams and why they didn’t build a genuine friendship.

When it comes to being one of the first Black housewives on RHONY, Bershan is proud of the accolade but explains why Eboni was a “safe” choice for the network that has struggled with diverse onscreen representation across the Housewives franchise.

For RHONY fans who want the show to come back and want Bershan on it, she encourages you to make your voices heard.

Press play below to learn more about Bershan’s new mental health app and how her own journey inspired the product, her experience growing up as the daughter of a Civil Rights activist, and her thoughts on the issues of diversity and racism within the Housewives community.

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