Ronnie, Bobby, Ricky and Mike and Ralph and Johnny are back together again and the legendary New Edition group will be hitting the road for an epic tour, according to a press release.

Yes there have been a lot of bumps in the road for the legendary R&B group New Edition, but it seems they are starting anew and will be represented by Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for starters.

Group members Ronnie DeVoe, Bobby Brown, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ralph Tresvant, and Johnny Gill signed with Creative Artists Agency (CAA) to represent the R&B group and manage the members’ musical endeavors. CAA  is “the world’s leading entertainment, sports and media agency,” according to the company’s website.

New Edition will be represented by CAA for tours, “theatre, literature, TV/Film, production, and composing,” the statement also read. Members of the popular musical group which began to rise in popularity in the 1980’s experienced a great deal of transition, from solo careers to rifts, but now they returned to the music circuit together.

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Per, MSN’s 2020 report, Tresvant opened up to give his perspective about “his hiatus from one of the most successful R&B groups of the 80s and 90s, which led to his successful career as a solo artist.”

Tresvant—who was the lead singer of New Edition, was featured in producer Issac Taylor’s docuseries  which reflects “on their greatest success stories and open up about their most difficult moments” of “legendary artists.” The episode was shown on a streaming service which was also available through Amazon Prime video.

New Edition officially broke up for the second time in 1996, when songs such as “Candy Girl,” “Mr. Telephone Man,” “If It Isn’t Love” and “Can You Stand the Rain,” were released. Thereafter, Tresvant pursued his own music career.

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In 2020, TV One  provided tidbits about the contents of the docuseries and how it links to Tresvant “questioning if he should’ve pursued other opportunities.”

According to The Las Vegas Sun, Bobby Brown left New Edition in 1985 “to pursue a solo career” and “Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe” formed BBD. However, “New Edition reunited for more music and concerts, joining Brown, Bell, Bivins and DeVoe with original lead singer Ralph Tresvant and Brown’s replacement, Johnny Gill.”

The group’s life story was turned into a BET miniseries called “The New Edition Story.”  It was well received and “sparked a surge in the group’s popularity.”

Billboard said that New Edition was the recipient of a BET Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017.

Now they will reportedly tour the U.S. arena next year, along with a residency in Las Vegas.

• News

by Andrea Blackstone

July 7, 2021

Martin Luther King Jr. Statue Defaced in Southern California, Hate Crime Investigation is Underway

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A statue of the civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was spray-painted with graffiti and defaced in Long Beach, CA, according to The Los Angeles Times.

The statue was placed in a park located at 1950 Lemon Ave. in 1986, according to the Times,

“Police responded to a report of vandalism Friday about 3:15 p.m.,” per the news report. The graffiti was removed by a city cleaning crew and an investigation is underway. KTLA’s account of events provided additional details about the appearance of the statue after it was vandalized.

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The Long Beach Police Department is investigating it as a hate crime https://t.co/qHtujJJCs8

— KTLA (@KTLA) July 5, 2021

“A photo posted to social media shows the civil rights icon’s statue sprayed with what appears to be a swastika and SS Bolts,” KTLA reported.

On Monday, the Long Beach Police Department informed the news station that the vandalism incident “is being investigated as a hate crime.” Long Beach’s mayor Robert Garcia tweeted about the disheartening incident.

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I released this statement over the holiday weekend about the horrific vandalism at our Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. statue. MLK is a hero and inspiration. We are investigating this hate crime and are focused on arresting whoever committed this awful act. https://t.co/VLgitL7xwd

— Robert Garcia (@RobertGarcia) July 6, 2021

In another tweet posted by Mayor Robert Garcia’s Office, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. statue was described as “a symbol of hope and justice for the community.”

“This hate and desecration has no place in our city,”  an additional tweet also read.

According to Garcia’s spokesperson, the mayor and police department, as well as community leaders are discussing steps “to install security cameras near the statue,” per CNN.

Long Beach Post News reported that “residents, elected officials and pastors hosted a rally in Martin Luther King Jr. Park to advocate for peace,” a day following the graffiti incident.

“Our hearts were broken when we saw the posts on social media,” Mary Simmons, who was the event’s cohost  said, according to the news report. “We can stand by and do nothing, or we can stand up against it.”

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• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 7, 2021

LA Family Heartbroken After Mother of Six Found Tied Up And Beaten to Death

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A mother of six in South Los Angeles was found inside of her home over the weekend bound, gagged with duct tape, and beaten to death.

The family of 53-year-old Fatima Johnson has been left grieving after the mother was discovered rolled up a blanket inside her home, Fox LA reports. They had been looking for her after she went missing for a few days, the family said. She didn’t show up at work and wasn’t responding to text messages.

“We hadn’t heard from my mother for over the last 48 hours,” Johnson’s daughter, Tyesha Harvey said. “My sisters and I contacted her best friend and we got her key, and my sisters found my mother inside her home… dead.”

Johnson was found inside her home by her daughter just after midnight Sunday, ABC7 reports. The family is asking police for help in identifying a suspect. Johnson’s boyfriend has reportedly been listed as a person of interest.

Her death comes just over a week ahead of what would have been Johnson’s 54th birthday. The family says the murderer stole Johnson’s silver Lexus, her jewelry, and cellphone.

“The scene that my sisters and I…witnessed first-hand and what happened to my mother is something that no child should ever see of their parent,” Harvey said.

The family believes Johnson’s boyfriend might be behind the fatal attack.

“He was just released from prison six months ago after completing a 25-year sentence for murder,” Harvey said. “We took it upon ourselves to start popping up on my mother and checking in on her to make sure she was all right because we didn’t feel comfortable with her relationship.”

The coroner’s office has yet to determine the cause of death but her daughter believes she was strangled.

“What happened to my mother is something that no child should ever see of their parent,” Harvey told the LA Times.

Johnson’s family described her as a “bubbly” and caring person who was studying to be a licensed vocational nurse at Westchester College of Nursing and Allied Health in Los Angeles. Johnson was halfway through her program while also working at a retirement home in South L.A.

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• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

July 7, 2021

Uncle of Teen Who Filmed George Floyd’s Murder Killed During Police Pursuit

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The uncle of Darnella Frazier, the teen who recently received a Pulitzer Prize for bravely recording George Floyd’s murder, was killed Tuesday night after he got caught in the middle of a Minneapolis police chase, NBC News reports.

Frazier’s uncle, 40-year-old Leneal Lamont Frazier, reportedly had nothing to do with the police chase. The officer involved was chasing down a driver of a carjacked vehicle involved in multiple robberies when the officer’s car collided with Frazier’s car.

The officer was taken to the hospital where he was treated for serious but non-life-threatening injuries, while the driver he collided with died shortly after arriving at the hospital, Fox News reports.

“I honestly can’t believe I’m making this post right now…I’m so hurt…nothing feels real,” Darnella wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post.

“Another black man lost his life in the hands of the police! I asked my mom several times ‘he died??’ I couldn’t accept what I was hearing and still can’t,” Frazier continued. “Minneapolis police has cost my whole family a big loss…today has been a day full of heartbreak and sadness.”

The officer involved with the crash has since been released from the hospital while the Frazier family has been left heartbroken over their loss.

“It’s not fair how the police can just go around killing people,” Darnella added before questioning why police were even conducting a high-speed car chase on a residential road.

She recalled her last time with her uncle where they enjoyed time at the beach together.

“If I would’ve known that would be my last time seeing you, I would’ve hugged you so much longer, told you I love you way harder….I love you so much…. please pray for my family,” she wrote.

Just three weeks ago, the Pulitzer Prize Board awarded a 2021 Pulitzer Prize Special Citation to Darnella Frazier—who exhibited the courage to record a video of George Floyd’s murder on her cellphone.

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• Business

by Derek Major

July 7, 2021

Morgan Stanley Hosts Summer Cohort Of Its Multicultural Innovation Lab And Demo Day

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Morgan Stanley hosted the summer edition of its Multicultural Innovation Lab and Demo Day Wednesday afternoon. The event featured 15 technology and technology-enabled startups with multicultural and women founders and teams representing fintech, healthcare and wellness, learning and development, consumer and enterprise software.

The investment bank‘s Innovation Lab and Demo Day marks the completion of a five month innovation program and highlights the companies in the current cohort who were selected from more than 700 applicants across the globe.

Shelley O’Connor, the vice chairman, managing director and head of external affairs for Morgan Stanley, said the Demo Day gives the chance for startups to work with industry experts and mentors to grow their platforms and showcase their products to those looking to invest.

“It culminates our five-month program where we provide access to capital, an extensive curriculum and help from mentors and industry experts within Morgan Stanley to help these companies throughout,” O’Connor said in the opening remarks.”

The startups selected for the program who gave presentation included:

Kanarys, a tech company focused on providing organizational tools needed to create systemic change around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

KeyCaliber, a cyber enterprise resource learning platform that enable cybersecurity leaders to allocate resources, devise roadmaps and articulate the value of cybersecurity programs

Virtual i, a remote AI-based risk underwriting platform allowing insurers and brokers to have real-time visual data and professional assessment on assets located anywhere in the world.

Zirtue, the world’s first peer-to-pay relationship based lending application that simplifies and structures loans between friends, family and trusted relationships. Zirtue incorporates direct payment of borrowed funds to pay for needs such as medical and utility bills.

FilmChain serves the film and TV industry by collecting revenue and paying production beneficiaries in a transparent and automatic manner. FilmChain modernizes payments for producers, financers, sales agents and actors, who struggle to get paid their correct entitlements.

SupportPay, the first automated child support payment platform enabling parents to manage child support payments, alimony and additional shared child expenses.

Elly, a digital healthcare app which helps chronically ill patients manage their illnesses and improve the quality of life through motivational messages, exercise videos, meditation practices, symptom management, classes and patient stories.

Mira is building the next generation health delivery network helping individuals who can’t afford traditional insurance receive affordable care.

Zaya enables previously out-of-network specialists to take insurance at rewarding terms to help mothers afford full-spectrum maternity care.

Fashion Bomb Daily is a fashion media and e-commerce brand that empowers multicultural designers and keeps consumers informed on the latest trends, fashion news and celebrity styles through its shop and magazine. 70% of the  designers on the app are Black women.

Lillii RNB, a retail technology firm has created a platform that enables retailers to seamlessly integrate their point of sale systems with the latest return management applications saving both time and money for clients.

ABF Creative, a multi-ethnic podcast network that bridges the gap between culture and media. ABF aims to reach 100 million people of color through audio.

Adobe has developed a nationwide real estate platform that allows property sellers to easily list, market and sell their homes at a flat fee, making it more cost effective than transacting with traditional brokers who work on commission.

Cognitive Toy Box, an early childhood assessment platform, combines teacher observation with research-driven game-based assessments to evaluate students for kindergarten readiness and support early childhood development.

SecondKeys is a property management platform that enables property managers and tenants to seamlessly facilitate rent payments, track maintenance requests and communicate with tenants in real-time to save costs and keep tenants happy.

Alice Vilma,  the director and co-head of multicultural client strategy for Morgan Stanley noted how little representation minorities and women have in venture capital.

“Just one percent and 1.8% of venture backed founders are Black and Latinx respectively and less than 3% of venture capital founders are women,” Vilma said. “There’s clearly an inefficiency in the market and we believe whenever there’s an inefficiency in the market, there’s a great commercial opportunity.”

Morgan Stanley hosted the demo day in collaboration with its partners Hearstlab and Newark Venture Partners.

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