by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 23, 2021

MLB’s Cleveland Indians Changing Name To Guardians at End of 2021 Season

The Cleveland Indians have announced that after the end of the current 2021 season, the organization will no longer use the moniker “Indians” and will instead revert to the new name of the Cleveland Guardians.

The name change for the team that will formerly be known as the Indians is its fifth name in franchise history. The franchise originally used Blues (1901), Bronchos (1902), Naps (1903-1914), and Indians (1915-2021).

The team announced the change via their Twitter account:

“We are excited to usher in the next era of the deep history of baseball in Cleveland,” Team Owner and Chairman Paul Dolan said. “Cleveland has and always will be the most important part of our identity. Therefore, we wanted a name that strongly represents the pride, resiliency, and loyalty of Clevelanders. ‘Guardians’ reflects those attributes that define us while drawing on the iconic Guardians of Traffic just outside the ballpark on the Hope Memorial Bridge. It brings to life the pride Clevelanders take in our city and the way we fight together for all who choose to be part of the Cleveland baseball family. While ‘Indians’ will always be a part of our history, our new name will help unify our fans and city as we are all Cleveland Guardians.”

The Indians name has, for years, been a sore spot for people, specifically Native Americans, who felt it was disrespectful and racist, along with the NFL’s Washington Redskins, who are currently using the temporary team name, the Washington Football Team until they come up with a more permanent name.

“Since the announcement to change the name in December, our team has been hard at work to ensure we pick a name that our community, fans, partners, employees, and players will be proud to have represent Cleveland Baseball,” President of Business Operations Brian Barren said. “Through our research and discussions, we identified a few key themes that were most important to fans—connect to the city of Cleveland, honor our rich baseball history and unite our community—and we believe Guardians upholds all three of those pillars.”

The club will finish the current season as the Cleveland Indians, and starting next season will be known as the Cleveland Guardians.

President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti said, “This is a historic moment for our franchise, and we are excited for our players and staff to debut our new team name and look in 2022. We look forward to our team proudly representing the city of Cleveland as the Guardians. Our club will strive to unite and inspire our entire community.”

HBO Announces New Docuseries ‘Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 23, 2021

HBO Announces New Docuseries ‘Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union’

HBO has announced that it is releasing a three-part documentary titled OBAMA: IN PURSUIT OF A MORE PERFECT UNION.

The docuseries will make its debut on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The series will then air the corresponding part over the next two days, Wednesday and Thursday.

It will showcase the personal and political journey of the nation’s first Black president as the country grapples with its racial history.

The series will show recorded conversations with colleagues, friends, and critics, and it will be interspersed with his own speeches and news interviews. It kicks off with President Obama’s childhood and takes us through his own journey as the son of a white mother from Kansas and an African father.

The three-part documentary, Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union will make its debut on HBO and is also available for streaming on HBO Max:

Part One takes us to the former president’s upbringing, being raised by a single mother from Kansas and white grandparents, through his early educational years in Hawaii and up to his collegiate education at Columbia University and Harvard Law School. Obama also reflects on having an estranged African father while growing up bi-racial and his changing relationship with the Black community in Chicago, where he worked with Black churches as a community organizer.

Part Two shows us Obama’s presidential bid to his election to the White House in November 2008. The journey explores the obstacles and successes along the campaign trail. With the constant pressure to define his identity along racial lines, Obama delivers his “race speech” in March 2008 and a plea to look beyond America’s “racial stalemate” to advance prosperity and unity.

Part Three brings us to the White House years and the many hurdles facing Obama as he tries to pass legislation in a bitterly divided Congress. After ultimately succeeding in getting the Affordable Care Act passed, he still had to deal with the difficulties as the rift between the parties in Washington grew ever wider. As the nation faced more reports around police brutality toward Black people and the fervent partisan battle over gun control, critics of President Obama accused him and his administration of not doing enough to lead a conversation about race.

Obama: In Pursuit of a More Perfect Union will make its debut on Tuesday, Aug. 3, at 9 p.m. ET/PT and can be viewed on HBO and HBO Max.

Lena Waithe to Produce ‘Being Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Documentary’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 23, 2021

Lena Waithe to Produce ‘Being Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Documentary’

Lena Waithe is throwing her hat into the documentary arena!

According to Variety, the entrepreneurial artist’s Hillman Grad Productions and Endeavor Content are teaming up to produce a documentary about actress Mary Tyler Moore. The upcoming project is titled, Being Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Documentary. James Adolphus (who directed Soul of a Nation) will be directing. The project is Hillman Grad’s first documentary project from its inception, and it is scheduled to be released in 2022.

“Mary Tyler Moore is an icon, mystery, and an inspiration,” said Waithe on behalf of her production company, Hillman Grad Productions. “With the help of her loving husband, Robert, and her friends and colleagues, we hope to reveal that America’s sweetheart was more human than they ever imagined and was often put on a pedestal she never felt comfortable standing on.”

Surprisingly, this is the first documentary on the fabled actress who broke barriers in the 60s.

Being Mary: The Mary Tyler Moore Documentary is the first authorized biography of the iconic actor and producer. The legendary actress died in 2017 at the age of 80. She got her iconic start when she starred with Dick Van Dyke as his wife on The Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966.

From there, she had her own self-titled television show for seven seasons with The Mary Tyler Moore Show. As a TV executive, she started MTM Enterprises with her then-husband Grant Tinker, as their production company produced The Mary Tyler Moore Show and its spinoffs Rhoda, Phyllis, and Lou Grant. MTM Enterprises was also behind The Bob Newhart Show, Hillstreet Blues, St. Elsewhere, and many more.

Endeavor Content has bought the exclusive rights from the Mary Tyler Moore estate for Hillman Grad and will finance Being Mary and handle its worldwide sales. Moore’s husband, Dr. S. Robert Levine, will be executive producing the documentary.

Malcolm X Television Series Being Produced by Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 23, 2021

Malcolm X Television Series Being Produced by Daughter Ilyasah Shabazz

We hope that you haven’t seen enough about controversial Black activist icon Malcolm X because there is more coming on the way!

Earlier this week, Variety reported that there is .

The television series will draw from two books, X: A Novel and The Awakening of Malcolm X. The two novels are co-written by Ilyasah Shabazz, Malcolm X’s daughter. X: A Novel was also co-written by Kekla Magoon, while Tiffany D. Jackson co-wrote the Awakening of Malcolm X.

Shabazz shared the news on her Instagram account.

Shabazz will share executive producer duties for the upcoming televisions series along with State Street Pictures’ Bob Teitel and George Tillman and 3 Arts Entertainment’s Jermaine Johnson and Molly Madden. Another executive, Jay Marcus, who works with State Street Pictures, will serve as co-executive producer while Ron Baldwin will produce. State Street currently has a first-look deal with Sony.

According to Business Insider, there have been several portrayals of Malcolm X on-screen after his assassination in 1965. The most well-known is found in Spike Lee’s movie, Malcolm X, which starred Denzel Washington in the 1992 movie. Nigel Thatch played the activist in 2014’s Selma and the cable TV series Godfather of Harlem in 2019. The most recent portrayal of Malcolm X was by Kingsley Ben-Adir in the recent film, One Night in Miami.

Shabazz has also written several other books: Growing Up X, the children’s book Malcolm Little: The Boy Who Grew Up to Become Malcolm X, and Betty Before X. She is also the co-chair of The Malcolm X & Dr. Betty Shabazz Memorial and Educational Center located at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem, New York, which is where her father was assassinated in 1965.

A Black Woman Will Lead ‘The Dallas Morning News’ as Executive Editor
by Andrea Blackstone

July 23, 2021

A Black Woman Will Lead ‘The Dallas Morning News’ as Executive Editor

Katrice Hardy—a Louisiana State University alumna and veteran journalist— became the first African American to be appointed as executive editor of The Dallas Morning News, according to the Associated Press.

Hardy will begin leading the 125-year-old daily next month while also becoming the first female to lead the newsroom in Dallas.

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The start of her journalism career commenced at The Virginian-Pilot, located in Norfolk, Virginia. Hardy ascended through the ranks, eventually becoming managing editor. She recently served as The Indianapolis Star’s editor.

Hardy began working for Gannett in 2016 while serving as The Greenville News’ executive editor, in addition to being appointed as “regional editor for 13 Gannett-owned newsrooms in seven Southern and Southeastern states.” The journalism community and her colleagues have recognized her strong leadership. According to The Dallas Morning News, she is known for demanding excellence while pitching in to polish stories to make them shine.

Becoming a journalist was a personal goal Hardy had since middle school, although teachers suggested that she should come up with a “backup plan.” However, Hardy managed to prove them wrong. The Louisville Courier-Journal was among newsrooms under Hardy’s supervision. The newspaper was recognized as a 2021 Pulitzer Prize finalist in breaking news and public service categories. The Indianapolis Star earned an Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Medal.

“We conducted a very thorough search to find the best executive editor in the country and I am confident we found that person in Katrice,” Grant Moise, publisher of The Dallas Morning News, said in the article. “Throughout the search, it became increasingly clear she is the ideal person to fill this important role.”

Hardy is set to start her new position on Aug. 12.

“A news organization serves no purpose if it’s not producing work that makes a difference in the lives of those it covers,” Hardy told the newspaper. “And that’s what I’m excited about doing more of with the talented staff at The Dallas Morning News.”

Police Thwart White Ohio ‘Incel’ Plot To Conduct Mass Shooting of Sorority Women
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 23, 2021

Police Thwart White Ohio ‘Incel’ Plot To Conduct Mass Shooting of Sorority Women

A white man in Ohio has been charged with a hate crime related to a plot to kill a large group of women.

According to reports, the suspect reportedly was an incel or an “involuntary celibate,” part of a group of men who spew anger toward women they believe owe them affection. And some incels retaliate against women with violence.

The Department of Justice has announced that a federal grand jury has charged 21-year-old Tres Genco of Hillsboro, Ohio, who self-identifies as an “incel,” with attempting to conduct a mass shooting of women and illegally possessing a machine gun.

Genco had purportedly plotted to commit a hate crime by devising a plan to shoot female students in several sororities at a university in OhioFederal agents arrested him on Wednesday, July 20.

Genco has been charged with one count of attempting to commit a hate crime because it involved an attempt to kill, which is punishable by up to life in prison. The 21-year-old was also charged with one count of illegally possessing a machine gun which is punishable by up to 10 years.

In court documents, Genco has allegedly written a manifesto that stated that he would “slaughter” women “out of hatred, jealousy, and revenge…” and referring to death as the “great equalizer.” Law enforcement agents had discovered a note by Genco that indicated that he hoped to “aim big” for a kill count of 3,000 people and intended to attend military training to do so. The day he wrote his manifesto, he had searched online for sororities and a university in Ohio.

The document also claims that Genco conducted surveillance at an Ohio university on Jan. 15, 2020. On that day, he also allegedly searched online for topics that included “how to plan a shooting crime” and “when does preparing for a crime become attempt?”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 23, 2021

Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James Becomes First Active NBA Player to Earn $1 Billion

Just two weeks ago, it was reported that Los Angeles Lakers’ centerpiece basketball player, LeBron James, would likely claim the title of a billionaire by the end of the year.

No one realized that the timetable was off by approximately five months. It is now being reported that King James has earned the title of the first active NBA player to actually earn $1 billion over the course of his still-growing career.

According to Sportico, with the opening weekend total of James’ Space Jam: A New Legacy movie (which he produced and starred in) coming in at $32 million, it places him in a very rare category, billionaire status.

James is still chasing the accomplished and arguably the G.O.A.T.—professional basketball player Michael Jordan—when it comes to NBA championships. James has four titles under his belt versus the six Jordan secured with the Chicago Bulls. However, the Los Angeles Laker has achieved billionaire status as a current player, something Jordan couldn’t do.

James made sure his detractors and critics knew of the box office success of the sequel to his hero’s movie, the original Space Jam.

The comparisons between the two have been never-ending since James entered the league with the hype of having a comparable or even better career than Jordan.

Just last week, it was reported that the media and entertainment firm, SpringHill Co., which is led by James and his business partner, Maverick Carter, is in early talks with potential investors to possibly sell a piece of the property that has a valuation of up to $750 million.

The King, as he is referred to, is the NBA’s top-earning player for the seventh consecutive year, and that includes his off-court income, as the 2016-17 season was the only season of his professional basketball career that James had the highest playing salary in the National Basketball Association.

Arsonists Set Fire to Louisiana Home Reportedly Owned by Beyonce and Jay-Z
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 23, 2021

Arsonists Set Fire to Louisiana Home Reportedly Owned by Beyonce and Jay-Z

Police are investigating a suspicious fire classified as arson at a home in New Orleans that is believed to be owned by music moguls Beyoncé and Jay-Z, NBC News reports.

A New Orleans Police Department spokesperson said Thursday a “suspicious” person was reported to be lurking around the property when the fire started.


According to reports, Louisiana state records and Orleans Parish property records name the listed owner is linked to Beyoncé’s Parkwood Entertainment L.L.C. The superstar couple reportedly purchased the 13,292-square-foot home located in the city’s historic Garden District.

Zillow listed the home as “seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, bold arched windows, 25-foot ceilings, and a rooftop garden.” It comes with views of the city— including the Mississippi River Bridge and the Superdome.

Additionally, according to the outlet, property records show Sugarcane Park LLC as the owner, which shares a mailing address with the management company, Parkwood Entertainment LLC in New York City, that Beyoncé founded.

On Thursday, police said the fire was being classified as arson.

“The report for this incident is still pending approval, so we cannot provide additional details at this time,” the police spokesperson said in an email to the outlet.

According to Zillow, Beyonce and Jay-Z purchased a historic 1925 mansion in New Orleans’ romantic Garden District for $2.6 million.

The singer has a lot of love for NOLA and, back in 2018, purchased a 7,500 sq. ft 100-year-old stone church that was listed at $850,000.

The church has served its time, and many members had passed on, but Bey had plans to revitalize the early 20th-century staple, TMZ reported.

Tuskegee Airmen Inc. and RedTail Flight Academy Partner to Support Underserved, Aspiring Aviators
by Andrea Blackstone

July 23, 2021

Tuskegee Airmen Inc. and RedTail Flight Academy Partner to Support Underserved, Aspiring Aviators

Imagine a time when young men eagerly met the challenge of becoming “America’s first Black military airmen” by volunteering to do it, although the odds were stacked against them.

According to the MIT Black History Project’s website, history unfolded when the “66th Air Force Flying School was opened at the historically Black college Tuskegee Institute, now known as Tuskegee University in Alabama.

The need for more pilots led Tuskegee Airmen Inc. and RedTail Flight Academy to partner to support aspiring aviation professionals from underserved communities.

Tuskegee Airmen Inc. is investing in the next generation of aviators, with the RedTail Flight Academy, by providing six inaugural scholarships for a program.

Tuskegee Airman Inc is providing the six scholarships. The academy, based at the New York Stewart International Airport in New Windsor, is set to provide a 10-month curriculum while certifying students from 18-21 with “a FAA Part 141 multi-engine commercial pilot license and an instrument rating,” according to a press release.

A 1920s War Department report stated “that blacks weren’t smart enough or disciplined enough to fly a plane,” so the school was “set up as a tool to back up the findings,” according to the MIT Black History Project.

Despite it all, the airmen’s services to escort fighter groups during World War II were in high demand because they had “one of the lowest loss records of all the escort fighter groups,” according to Tuskegee University.

In response to a desire to invest in underserved, aspiring aviation professionals, Tuskegee Airman Inc. (TAI) will team up with the RedTail Flight Academy. Six room and board scholarships will be provided by TAI for selected attendees this fall, according to a press release.

Photo courtesy of RedTail Flight Academy

“TAI encourages innovative aviation programs—such as the RedTail Flight Academy—to create a bridge to the future for underserved and minority aviators,” Tuskegee Airmen Inc. Board President Jerry “Hawk” Burton said in the announcement. “This program is a great opportunity for eligible students across our 53 local chapters to be considered as candidates for the RedTail Flight Academy’s inaugural class.”

TAI focuses “on honoring the accomplishments and perpetuating the history of African Americans who participated in air crew, ground crew and operations support training in the Army Air Corps during WWII,” according to information provided on the organization’s website. The Lee A. Archer Jr. Red Tail Youth Flying Program (RFA) for youth is “based at the New York Stewart International Airport,” according to the press release.

“RFA will help develop a pipeline of diverse aviators through a 10-month Part 141 flight training curriculum, where students graduate with a multi-engine commercial pilot license and instrument rating,” according to announced details.

Although it has been proven that Blacks can achieve aviation careers, people like Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, the U.S. Navy’s “first Black female fighter pilot,” remains rare.

“I’m excited to have this opportunity to work harder and fly high performance jet aircraft in the fleet,” Swegle told Fox 13 News. “It would’ve been nice to see someone who looked like me in this role; I never intended to be the first. I hope it’s encouraging to other people.”

According to a release, the RedTail Flight Academy is striving to “increase the percentage of minority aviators from less than 2% to 4% in the next 10 years.”

Click here to learn more about the RedTail Flight Academy.

 

by Andrea Blackstone

July 23, 2021

Junior Olympians and Sisters Who Were Once Homeless Featured in a Netflix Documentary

With the help of a caring mentor, three young girls named Tai, Rainn, and Brooke Sheppard focused on their goals and made it to the Junior Olympics, despite being reared in a homeless shelter by their single mother.

Sisters on Track is a thought-provoking Netflix documentary featuring “three track-star sisters” who “face obstacles in life and in competition as they pursue Junior Olympic dreams,” according to Netflix.

Although Jean Bell was raised in the housing projects of the Bedford Stuyvesant section in Brooklyn, she became an “administrative law judge” and dedicated youth mentor through her Jeuness Track Club, according to People. Her “most famous athletes” who became “Junior Olympic superstars” are “featured in the new Netflix documentary,” per the interview.

 

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The Netflix trailer shows the sister’s journey to keep big dreams front and center, despite their circumstances.

“The Sheppard girls, the girls on the team, they just take it in stride. I’m glad that it’s happening because people now get to see the team and the girls and what we’ve been doing all along,” Bell told People.

Bell’s Brooklyn-based Jeuness Track Club Inc. for girls was “ founded” to give “young girls who are ages 5-17  “an opportunity to grow in the sport of Track and Field while excelling in academic achievement and life experiences,” according to information provided on the club’s website.

sisters on track

Bell said that she would be glad if girls who participate in her track club accomplish the Olympic level. Still, a message to pursue higher education is emphasized to enable her mentees to have a better life. According to People, Fred Thompson was Bell’s former mentor—and also a track coach and attorney— who echoed the same sentiments.

While appearing on The View, the athletic sisters were given a $25,000 educational fund each, compliments of Brooks Running. Bell was surprised with $5,000 to help the Jeuness Track Club.

          

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Sisters on track
Sisters on Track” is a thought-provoking Netflix documentary that features three sisters who run track and excel against the odds.
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