A week after the country celebrated the holiday of Juneteenth, Major League Baseball is doing its part in acknowledging a little Black history.

Major League Baseball (MLB) and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) have announced they are implementing a new digital and social media campaign that will support the “Negro Leagues 101” initiative led by the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM).

“The Negro Leagues Baseball Museum is thrilled to have the support of Major League Baseball and Major League Baseball Players Association to help amplify this important educational initiative,” said Bob Kendrick, NLBM President in a written statement.

“I don’t think there was ever a time that people didn’t want to know about the Negro Leagues. They just simply had no way to know about this rich history because it has never been fully documented in the pages of American History books. Our goal is to provide even greater access to this incredible chapter of baseball and Americana.”

Starting June 25th, there will be facts about the Negro Leagues that will be shared daily until Sunday, October 3rd, which marks the last day of the 2021 Regular Season, to commemorate the 101st anniversary of the establishment of the Negro Leagues.

The daily facts will be revealed by a Major League Player, legend, youth baseball or softball player, or general representative of baseball. There is also a dedicated page (MLB.com/NegroLeagues101) and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum social media platform (@NLBMuseumKC) that serve as the primary sources of the content. All MLB-related social media platforms from MLB, the MLBPA, and Clubs will support this campaign aimed at educating the general public about the rich and vast history of the Negro Leagues and Black excellence in the sport.

“We are proud to join the MLBPA in support of the ‘Negro Leagues 101’ educational initiative,” said Baseball Commissioner Robert D. Manfred, Jr. “The Negro Leagues is a story of excellence and resiliency by individuals who accomplished extraordinary feats in the face of bigotry and discrimination. Educating our fans and the public about this history will continue to be a priority for Major League Baseball in our continued support of Bob Kendrick and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum.”

“A full understanding of Baseball includes knowing the history and legacy of the men and women in the Negro Leagues who paved the way for so many of us,” MLBPA Executive Director Tony Clark said. “I commend the Museum for its commitment to preserve, celebrate and educate the public through this campaign and am glad that we can help raise awareness along with Major League Baseball.”

A Black Western called The Harder They Fall will be released by Netflix and premiere in select theaters this fall.

Netflix dropped the teaser with a star-studded cast which includes Idris Elba and Regina King. The film’s plot heats up when an “outlaw (Jonathan Majors) discovers his enemy (Idris Elba) is being released from prison, he reunites his gang to seek revenge in this Western,” per Netflix. Jeymes Samuel directed the action-packed flick and penned the screenplay along with Boaz Yakin. Jay-Z is listed as one of the film’s producers.

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This Fall, They Ride!

Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, Regina King, LaKeith Stanfield, Delroy Lindo, Edi Gathegi, R.J. Cyler, Danielle Deadwyler and Deon Cole star in The Harder They Fall pic.twitter.com/LG3fHLVJ9A

— Netflix (@netflix) June 24, 2021

Beyond the special effects and stunts, The Harder They Fall resurrects stories about real life cowboys.  According to SmithsonianMag.com historians believe that for every four cowboys in the American West, one was Black.

“Right after the Civil War, being a cowboy was one of the few jobs open to men of color who wanted to not serve as elevator operators or delivery boys or other similar occupations,”  William Loren Katz said to SmithsomianMag.com.

Katz is scholar of African-American history scholar who penned 40 books on The Black West, according to the interview. Per Shadow and Act, Samuel said that exploring the American West’s history from a Black perspective is rarely done, but he wanted to do it.

“I’ve been a follower of westerns since I was a child,” Samuel said. “I really, really loved westerns, but I would just see a really clear inconsistency with the portrayals of people of color, basically in the Old West and being such a fan of actors like Woody Strode, who was amazing in Spartacus but then you’ll see him pop up in The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance and he couldn’t get a drink in the bar. I just grew up wanting to know more about people of color and women and all of these ideas of the Old West that I was not getting from the Hollywood movies. And so I would just buy books and would…uncover amazing characters–both heroes and villains, both men and women of all colors.”

In this long overdue interpretation of Black heroes, Samuel added that The Harder They Fall offers new storytelling and portrayals of westerns. You may watch the official movie trailer by clicking this link.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that veteran actor Danny Glover will receive The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, and an Honorary Oscar will be presented to Samuel L. Jackson on January 15, 2022.

The actors are among four honorees who will be recognized in a special manner.

“We are thrilled to present this year’s Governors Awards to four honorees who have had a profound impact on both film and society,” Academy President David Rubin said in a statement.

“Sam Jackson is a cultural icon whose dynamic work has resonated across genres and generations and audiences worldwide, while Elaine May’s bold, uncompromising approach to filmmaking, as a writer, director and actress, reverberates as loudly as ever with movie lovers.  Liv Ullmann’s bravery and emotional transparency has gifted audiences with deeply affecting screen portrayals, and Danny Glover’s decades-long advocacy for justice and human rights reflects his dedication to recognizing our shared humanity on and off the screen.”

The Governors Awards celebrates celebrities in an annual event which is granted by the Academy’s Board of Governors, as stated on the Oscar’s website.

Glover is a dynamic individual whose film credits include “The Color Purple,” the “Lethal Weapon” series, “To Sleep with Anger,” and  “Dreamgirls,” according to the announcement. However, Glover’s community activism stood out to the Board. He was selected as a recipient of The Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award because of his ‘humanitarian efforts have brought credit to the motion picture arts industry.’ Per Glover’s website, the actor has garnered respect for longtime activism and philanthropic acts. These activities include serving as a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Development Program and serving as UNICEF’s Ambassador.

Jackson is being honored with his first Oscar for different reasons. In 2011, The Hollywood Reporter wrote  about Jackson’s accomplishment of being ‘the highest-grossing actor of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.’ The veteran actor’s movies have made over $7.4 billion, according to the article.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ announcement reminded that Jackson’s film career contributions are evident  in over 100  films. “Pulp Fiction,” “Spider-Man: Far from Home,” “Shaft, “Django Unchained,” and  “Do the Right Thing,” are just a small portion of Jackson’s noteworthy credits. The Honorary Oscar will finally honor the highly accomplished actor’s  “extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture arts and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy.”

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Samuel L. Jackson among four selected for Oscar honors – Los Angeles Times https://t.co/tzlxh55cgf

— Samuel L. Jackson (@SamuelLJackson) June 24, 2021

• Business

by Black Enterprise Shop

June 25, 2021

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• Business

by Christian Spencer

June 24, 2021

‘A Black Version Of Birchbox’ Exists; Sells Curated Products From Black-Owned Businesses

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In the city of Louisville, which was the center of civil unrest after the police killing of Breonna Taylor, Black businesses have been a source of empowerment during tough times—one Black-owned business is designed to help multiple ones.

Black Business Boxes, a Black-owned monthly subscription box akin to Birchbox and Stitch Fix, is providing its curated products from Black-owned businesses, USA Today reported.

Related stories: 21 BLACK-OWNED PRODUCTS YOU NEED IN 2021 AND BEYOND 

Creators Savon Gray and Robbie Dobbs launched their service in 2020 as a means to bring people together.

“So while that was happening, we were brainstorm[ing] and we’re just like, ‘what can we do to make a difference in our city?,'” Gray said.

Upon researching their initial ideas, a staggering problem arose. The duo realized money spent within their Black community barely stays in the community.

“We found that we spend $1.2 trillion every single year, but on average, that dollar only stays in the black community for six hours, where it’s like days for other ethnicities and nationalities,” Gray said.

They introduced an innovative alternative that would encourage Black people to buy from Black-owned businesses, partnering with local businesspeople, and distributing their products such as a holistic Black skincare product line called Melanin Minerals based in Oregon and UBeauty Essentials, another skincare line that helps Black people with eczema and sensitive skin, based in Indianapolis.

“We have an online marketplace now with different vendors that you can just go on and shop from,” Gray said. “We sell our boxes that we curate with just different products or different businesses to kind of get them in your hand, which is what we consider the best way to market.”

With most of their efforts to promote Black businesses dependent on e-commerce, the duo pitches to small Black-owned businesses about building apps and coding.

“We’re really wanting to impact the world itself,” Dobbs said. “…just kind of change things for people that didn’t get a chance that they should have gotten.”

• News

by Derek Major

June 24, 2021

U.S. Government Shows It Can Actually Agree On Something As Biden OK’s $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Package

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President Joe Biden announced Thursday that the White House has struck an infrastructure deal with a bipartisan group of senators.

“To answer the direct question: We have a deal,” Biden said.

Biden, made the announcement at a White House press conference and was joined by Sen. Mitt Romney, (R-Utah), and Mark Warner, (D-Va). Biden added the bill focuses on “hard” infrastructure.

“They have my word. I’ll stick with what we’ve proposed, and they’ve given me their word as well,” Biden told reporters. “None of us got all that we wanted. I didn’t get all that I wanted. But this reminds me of the days we used to get an awful lot done up in the United States Congress.”

The infrastructure package will include $579 billion in new spending. $312 billion will go towards transportation, with $109 billion invested in roads, bridges and other major projects, $66 billion in passenger and freight rail and $49 billion in public transit. $15 billion will go toward electric vehicle infrastructure and electric buses and transit, which is significantly less than what Biden initially proposed.

Another $266 billion will go towards non-transportation infrastructure including $73 billion for power, $65 billion for broadband and $55 billion for water.

The bipartisan group spent weeks negotiating the deal as both sides of the political spectrum had demands. The package does not include an increased gas tax or electric vehicle user fee, which Democrats opposed. The package also doesn’t include a corporate tax increase which Republicans opposed.

Instead, the infrastructure proposal calls for increased IRS enforcement to ensure wealthy people pay the taxes they owe and reallocates unused state and local coronavirus relief funds. Public-private partnerships will also be part of the package.

Eleven Republicans and 10 Democrats are supporting the infrastructure package’s framework. Now, they’ll need to convince the majority of the Democratic caucus to get the 60 votes needed to pass the package in the Senate.

While Biden is happy to have finally achieved a bipartisan agreement on something, some Senate Democrats have expressed disappointment in the package, which comes in significantly under Biden’s initial $2.1 trillion package.

Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass) told reporters “we have to have the whole thing, not just not just cleave off a little piece of it.”

However, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi have signaled they will support the infrastructure bill, but aim to pass it along with a larger bill that addresses more of their priorities.

Meet Dr. Mautra Staley Jones, the mother of three from Okla., who was named as a 2021 National Mother of the Year® by American Mothers, Inc. (AMI).

Staley Jones balances meeting motherhood and career demands. Staley Jones works as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement and External Affairs at Langston University and the Executive Director for the Langston University Foundation, according to AMI. She defies prevailing stereotypes that can be associated with Black motherhood.

SAGE Journals pointed out the importance of examining how assumptions combine with Black motherhood, while conducting an online study in which photographs of Black mothers were viewed. Study participants  perceived Black women in the photos as “more likely to be a single mother and to need public assistance than was a White target who was described as pregnant.” Jones— is the opposite of each stereotype. The Oklahoma Eagle also stated that she is the 75th woman from Okla. to receive the AMI honor.

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The married mother is highly regarded as  a young, thought leader in Okla.—per AMI. She also has held numerous offices with philanthropic and civic groups, earning multiple accolades within a broad assortment of agencies. The award carries notable significance. AMI’s website mentions that is the non-profit organization is 86-year-old. The mission of it is “to recognize mothers and their positive impact in communities through the annual Mother of the Year® award.” Mothers from 50 states are recognized.

“Being a mother is not for the faint of heart. It comes with its challenges. It teaches you tenacity, patience, flexibility, knowing that every single day looks different. But I think those challenges make you stronger. And I can say that being a mother has made me a stronger professional, a stronger community servant. I bring everything along with that amazing maternal energy, and I get to put it into play every single day,” Staley Jones told AMI.

Staley Jones’ LinkedIn account offers more tidbits of her work goals to make more “higher education systems more equitable.” through her work experiences which elevate institutions. She earned a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Oklahoma, an M.B.A., and also an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University. But Staley Jones’ Facebook presence seems to reflect her balanced love of motherhood and marriage. Reminding the world that plenty of Black mothers defy stereotypes is an important message. Staley Jones is is making history with grace and poise.

“Like all of the honorees before her, Dr. Mautra Staley Jones now joins the ranks of Oklahoma history, with the opportunity to become a part of American history as she represents the mothers in her state and is considered for the honor of 2021 National Mother of the Year®,” Connell Branan, Board President of AMI told The Oklahoma Eagle.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 24, 2021

Black Man Demands Action Against White 911 Caller Who Falsely Accused Him of A Crime

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A Black man in Oklahoma is demanding action against the White people who called 911 on him and falsely accused him of committing a crime.

Steven Bomar was held at gunpoint on June 15, handcuffed, and placed in the back of a police car at a local gas station. Body camera footage shows officers aggressively approaching Bomar while he pumps gas into his car, according to KOCO 5.

After the officer told Bomar to place his hands behind his back, Bomar asked what he did to get arrested.

“We’ll tell you in a second. Someone called in on you,” the cop said in response.

It turns out, a driver had called 911 and reported that a Black man in a red Suburban pulled a gun on him near 24th and Robinson. The caller, a White person, claimed the Black man pulled a gun on him after cutting him off on the road. But Bomar claims he never brandished any weapon after the caller cut him off and called him the N-word.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmY2GnWRXgU

“They cut me off at the Carl’s Jr. They rolled their window down, called me a (N-word),” Bomar told the officers. “I didn’t say anything to them. Didn’t give them a reaction. I just kind of chuckled at them, and they followed me for like 3 or 4 miles. And now, you guys are pulling me over.”

Now Bomar is demanding that the caller be reprimanded for putting his life in danger, according to ABC News. On Wednesday, Lt. Cary Bryant, a police spokesperson, revealed that investigators have yet to locate the motorist who made the false complaint.

“It’s still under investigation,” Bryant said. “We take every one of those calls just as seriously because you never know in today’s climate. For the officers, they hate being in that position, too.”

Panasonic Corporation has recently announced that it has signed a brand ambassador agreement with professional women’s tennis player Naomi Osaka. The contract for this agreement is for two years which started on April 22, 2021.

The young tennis champion was selected by Panasonic after the company observed that her values and perspectives deeply resonate with its own management philosophy, especially with regard to the following three points:

“Osaka takes social issues seriously, looking beyond tennis to share her views on what a better society would look like in her own words. The founder of Panasonic, Konosuke Matsushita, held the notion that a stable state of happiness comes only when both mental stability and material prosperity are secured. Based on this idea, the company endeavors to create an ideal society where all of us can enjoy lives that are both mentally fulfilling and affluent in the material sense.

“Second, Osaka’s intense and powerful playing is a source of energy and courage for people all over the world. Panasonic has passed down the founder’s view that the mission of an enterprise is to achieve a prosperous society and to make people happy, and continues to work toward fulfilling a strong aspiration not only to provide products needed by society but also to make customers who use them feel happy and uplifted.

“Third, Osaka continues to grow and evolve as her magnificent track record being one of the world’s top athletes is the result of her tireless efforts to refine each and every move in the course of her daily training and matches. Panasonic also continues to grow and evolve in a range of fields, aiming to elevate its expertise for the benefit of customers and society and achieve constant evolution.”

Osaka is currently on hiatus from playing tennis.

“Naomi won’t be playing Wimbledon this year,” a statement shared by ESPN stated. “She is taking some personal time with friends and family. She will be ready for the Olympics and is excited to play in front of her home fans.”

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 24, 2021

Woman Loses Fiancé to Violent NYC Robbery

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A fiancée will not have her wedding day after her husband-to-be was killed following a fatal robbery.

As crime continues to spike in New York City, 34-year-old Milton Grant lost his life in one of the eight shootings that plagued the city on Monday, CNN reported. Grant was shot in the head while trying to get away from a car full of robbers in Manhattan’s Inwood community.

Surveillance video shows Grant seated inside of his car with another 33-year-old unidentified victim when three gunmen approached them and demanded their property. After being shot, Grant’s car crashed on the side of the street and the robbers came to remove his watch, ring, and a chain from his neck.

The other person riding in the car with Grant was shot in the groin while trying to flee the scene. The robbers took the other victim’s chain, CBS2 in New York reported.

“My husband liked nice things, Grant’s fiancée, Nixia Jordan, said. “He worked hard for his jewelry, his shoes, his clothes, his cars. and for someone to just murder him for his belongings, instead of working hard for getting his own, it’s just, it’s a slap in the face, to take a life–just for his jewelry, just for his things.”

The three suspects ran into a gray, four-door Honda Accord that was driven by a fourth individual and fled the scene,” police said. Authorities are asking for the public’s help in identifying the suspects.

“I never thought that my husband would be taken from me in this way,” Jordan said.

“We talked about having forever together about raising our kids, we just put them in sports, so now I’m thinking how am I supposed to take them to practice without their dad accompanying me, how am I going to do family vacations without him,” she added.

Grant’s murder comes amid a nationwide surge of violence and crime. On Wednesday, President Biden announced a plan to slow down all the violent crime plaguing cities across the country, the Associated Press reported.