• News

by Christian Spencer

June 15, 2021

HBCU Student Sues Male Security Guard Who Dragged By Her Hair

---

Keisha Young, 22, a student at Morgan State University, was dragged down a flight of stairs at Nellie’s Sports Bar on Saturday night, DCist reported. The graphic video circulated widely on social media and in response, protests have erupted on the streets of D.C.

In an interview with WUSA, the Washington, D.C. CBS affiliate, Young said she was misidentified as someone who brought in her own bottle from home.

Reuters – Former President Donald Trump pressed the Justice Department during his waning weeks in office to join his failed effort to overturn his election defeat based on his false claims of voting fraud, but its leaders refused, with one decrying the “pure insanity” of the claims, documents released on Tuesday showed.

The House of Representatives Oversight and Reform Committee, which obtained the records as part of an investigation, outlined a series of overtures made by the Republican former president, then-White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and an outside private attorney, Kurt Olsen, pushing the department to act on Trump’s claims.

The department ultimately did not join the effort and numerous courts rejected lawsuits seeking to overturn election results in various states.

Congress also is investigating the deadly Jan. 6 assault on the U.S. Capitol by a mob of Trump supporters trying to stop the formal certification of Democratic President Joe Biden’s election victory.

“These documents show that President Trump tried to corrupt our nation’s chief law enforcement agency in a brazen attempt to overturn an election that he lost,” said Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney, a Democrat.

These overtures were separate from the revelations that the Trump-era Justice Department secretly sought https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-leaks-justice/us-justice-dept-to-strengthen-policies-on-getting-lawmakers-records-idUSKCN2DQ1I3 the phone records of at least two Democratic lawmakers, a move that led Biden’s Attorney General Merrick Garland on Monday to vow to strengthen policies aiming to protect the department from political influence.

The department under outgoing Attorney General William Barr, who left his post on Dec. 23, and his short-term replacement Jeffrey Rosen decided not to act on the false claims of voting fraud. Biden took office on Jan. 21.

The emails showed that Meadows asked Justice Department officials to investigate an unfounded conspiracy theory called “Italygate” alleging that U.S. electoral data was changed in Italian facilities with the knowledge of the CIA.

On Jan. 1, Meadows sent Rosen a link to a YouTube video detailing the theory. Rosen forwarded the email to then-acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue, who replied: “Pure insanity.”

The documents also showed that Trump pressured Rosen when he was deputy attorney general to have the Justice Department take up the election fraud claims.

The emails showed Rosen declined to arrange a meeting between Justice Department officials and Trump’s personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani about his false claims that the November election was stolen from Trump. Meadows had asked Rosen to help arrange the proposed meeting with Giuliani, the emails showed.

“I flatly refused, said I would not be giving any special treatment to Giuliani or any of his ‘witnesses,’ and re-affirmed yet again that I will not talk to Giuliani about any of this,” Rosen wrote to a Justice Department colleague on Jan. 1.

Giuliani had played a prominent role in promoting Trump’s false election claims.

Trump, through an assistant, sent Rosen a Dec. 14 email with documents purporting to show evidence of election fraud in northern Michigan – a debunked allegation that a federal judge had already rejected.

Two weeks later, on Dec. 29, Trump’s White House assistant emailed Rosen, who by then was the acting attorney general, and other Justice Department lawyers a draft legal brief that they were urged to file at the U.S. Supreme Court.

The department never filed the brief. Emails released by the House committee showed that Olsen, a Maryland lawyer involved in writing Trump’s draft brief, repeatedly tried to meet with Rosen but was unsuccessful.

The draft brief backed by Trump argued that changes made by the states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania to voting procedures amid the COVID-19 pandemic to expand mail-in voting were unlawful. Biden won all those states

Similar arguments were made in a lawsuit filed by Ken Paxton, the Republican attorney general of Texas and a Trump ally. The U.S. Supreme Court rejected that long-shot lawsuit in December.

Representatives for Trump did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The document release comes ahead of the House Oversight committee’s hearing with FBI director Christopher Wray and General Charles Flynn, brother of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, who has also voiced Trump’s election conspiracy theories.

(Reporting by Jan Wolfe and Susan Heavey; Editing by Will Dunham, Scott Malone and Steve Orlofsky)

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

June 15, 2021

Senate Confirms Ketanji Brown Jackson To D.C. Federal Appeals Court

---

The U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the District of Columbia federal appeals court Monday.

Jackson, is President Joe Biden’s first nominee to the U.S. appellate courts. She received support from Republican senators Susan Collins of Maine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and all Democrats. Jackson will now replace Merrick Garland, who is now the U.S. attorney general.

The D.C. Appeals Court is considered the second-most powerful court in the United States. Three former members of the court, John Roberts, Clarence Thomas, and Brett Kavanaugh used it as a springboard to the Supreme Court.

Jackson is likely to be considered for the High Court if a spot opens up as one of Biden’s campaign pledges was to nominate a Black woman to the Supreme Court. Biden’s pledge has pushed progressive judicial groups to call for Justice Stephen Breyer, who Jackson clerked for, to retire and allow Biden to name a successor.

Jackson has a wealth of legal experience including serving on the U.S. District Court in D.C. since 2013 and as the vice chair of the U.S. Sentencing Commission. Jackson also  was an assistant federal public defender in D.C., experience, which is severely lacking on the High Court.

The confirmation is part of President Biden’s effort to double the number of Black women serving on the nation’s federal appeals court from four to eight and ensuring that at least one Black woman is serving on more than half of the nation’s circuit courts.

Biden has also nominated Assistant Federal Defender Eunice Lee to the New York-based appeals court and senior counsel to the Office of the Federal Public Defender for Colorado and Wyoming and Veronica Rossman, to the Denver-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit.

Like Jackson, both women are on course for their nominations to be confirmed. If they’re all confirmed and none of the current Black judges retire, it will represent the largest number of Black women on appeals courts in U.S. history.

“Black women bring a perspective to the bench that is sorely missing,” Leslie Davis, CEO of the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms told USA Today. “It’s an exciting time for the president to be thinking intentionally about the need for that voice.”

• News

by Andrea Blackstone

June 15, 2021

Seven members of a Maryland High School Class Finally Received Their Diplomas 52 Years Later

---

A special graduation ceremony was recently held for La Plata High School’s Class of 1969 to finally give out official high school diplomas to seven students activists after a civil rights protest denied them of their certificates.

According to FOX 5, the Maryland students were severely punished 52 years ago, for taking part in a sit-in and walk-out at their school that also shut down the school cafeteria by blocking access to it.

Wilhelmina Travis said the protest started after no Black majorettes were picked during a school try-out. Travis said she taught approximately five students before try-outs, and noted that the girls displayed excellent performance skills.

However, after students expressed their concerns to school leaders, a sit-in at the school’s cafeteria was organized, because it ‘fell on deaf ears.’ Jimmy Mayola, one of the seven graduates who was honored during the special ceremony, was reportedly the only White student who was punished over the majorette twirler’s selection controversy.

Mayola noted that La Plata High School’s student body population was predominately comprised of Black students. According to reports, the protesters who supported the Black students veered off the parade route. School administrators opted to not allow the Black students who protested, in addition to Mayola, to receive their high school diploma at graduation with other students.

“There were probably 200 Black students and myself and my brother,” Mayola said to FOX 5, while recalling the protest, “What they were doing was wrong. It wasn’t fair. People need representation.”

The students received their diplomas in a special ceremony after a petition was circulated asking that board members hold the ceremony publicly instead of mailing diplomas.

The Charles County NAACP was also involved in helping the students receive their diplomas, according to the information posted online.

http:/

FOX 5 also reported that additional graduates were provided with a certificate for their activism from the Maryland General Assembly. Click this link to see the video of the graduates on their big day.

• Black Lives Matter

by Derek Major

June 15, 2021

Michael Brown’s Father Joins Anti-BLM Movement As More Leaders Demand To Know Where Funds Are Going

---

Michael Brown Sr., whose 18-year-old son was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, Missouri, has joined growing calls to know what the Black Lives Matter (BLM) $90 million in funds have been used for.

Brown Sr., has joined BLM10Plus, a group consisting of the original 10 BLM chapters. The group is seeking additional transparency and accountability from the BLM organization on how its funds are being used.

The situation stems from former BLM co-founder Patrice Cullors, who resigned last month after her $3.2 million property portfolio was revealed. It has since been determined that Cullors’ properties were bought with funds she received from public speaking engagements and books she’s written.

According to the Daily Mail, BLM received $90 million last year and has a balance sheet of $60 million by the end of the year. About $8 million has been spent on staffing and another $20 million have been donated to local BLM chapters and nonprofits.

The surplus of money along with the news of Cullors’ property portfolio has led to complaints concerning a lack of transparency from the families of victims who previously supported the organization.

Brown Sr. is the most notable name to join the new organization. His son was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in 2014.

In addition to Brown, other parents whose children were killed by police also joined the BLM10Plus group, including Samaria Rice, mother of Tamir Rice, a 12-year-old boy who was killed by police in Cleveland in 2014. Lisa Simpson, whose son Richard Risher was killed by LA police in 2016, also added her name.

In a statement, BLM10Plus calls on the BLM organization to disclose how many chapters there are, how the various legal entities under the Global Network are related to each other, the salaries of staff members and the founders, deals with contractors, and more.

“Black Liberation must be about more than protecting the few of us that are doing well. It must be about building a movement that will ensure all of us get free,” the statement says. “Because successful movements are collective, not individual, they must be rooted in accountability that protects all of our people. Our love for the people means we have a duty to prioritize this principled accountability for each other, our communities, and the struggle for Black Liberation.”

Michael Brown Jr.’s death led to protests, former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the National Anthem and a Justice Department investigation into the Ferguson Police Department, which uncovered the department was unnecessarily violent, violated civil rights, and helped city officials to leech off the Black community through quickly escalating fines and penalties including jail time.

The BLM movement hit a resurgence last summer after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. Protests took place all over the U.S. but also in Germany, South Korea, Scotland, Canada, France, and Spain. Additionally, large national and U.S.-based corporations made commitments to racial justice and equity, and police budgets were cut to put money back into social services such as drug treatment, homelessness, and education.

• Business

by Christian Spencer

June 15, 2021

Magic Johnson Joins the Board And Talent Roster Of Video App Cameo

---

Earvin “Magic” Johnson is officially joining Cameo’s board of directors and talent roster on Father’s Day.

The NBA Hall of Famer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist will be in charge of helping the application—a video selfie service that connects celebrities, athletes, and influencers with their fans—grow the business and make decisions that will expand its diverse outreach around the world.

Related stories: EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON

“Magic joining our Board of Directors is a perfect match and a full circle moment,” Cameo Co-founder and CEO, Steven Galanis, said. “The idea behind Cameo—that the selfie is the new autograph—was partially inspired by a picture Magic took with me as a baby in Hawaii. Magic shares our team’s deep passion for building technology that can help talent of all backgrounds build their personal brands by creating deeper connections and magical moments with their fans. Magic’s presence will give a powerful voice to talent in the Cameo boardroom as we work together to fulfill our mission and vision.”

Johnson is more than qualified for the role, having helped companies like Starbucks and Square strengthen the brand of Los Angeles sports franchises like the Lakers and Dodgers.

“As a former athlete, I’ve experienced first-hand the challenges and opportunities in my journey to leverage my personal brand into businesses off the court—and that is why I support Cameo’s vision for the future of fan relationships that puts control in the talent’s hand,” said Johnson, who is also chairman and CEO of his own billion-dollar company, Magic Johnson Enterprises. “As the first-ever talent to join Cameo’s Board of Directors, I look forward to helping grow Cameo’s diverse talent base and thinking through new partnerships and opportunities to build the business globally. I’m also excited to personally connect with my fans in a whole new way—and have some fun while doing it.”

The Hollywood Star recipient is a talent in his own right, being able to lend his expertise on what would entice more celebrities to join the service.

Johnson is not the only Black talent to join Cameo: Bloomberg reported that Brooklyn Nets point guard James Harden joined its board, and likewise, Variety reported that West Coast rapper Snoop Dogg is  an executive consultant.

During the pandemic, Cameo has been thriving since 2020 as the lack of social events provides more availability for stars to make a profit on Cameo. The company stated it has secured more than 10,000 new talent onto the platform with the company expecting to come out with new products down the pipeline like Cameo Calls and Fan Clubs.

Ladies will definitely be first at the 2021 BET Awards, where Taraji P. Henson will host and Queen Latifah will be honored for her breadth of musical work and acting achievements.

Black Entertainment Television (BET) revealed Henson, a filmmaker and philanthropist, will host this year’s awards, and GRAMMY^® Award-winning musician, critically acclaimed Golden Globe®-winning, and Academy Award®-nominated actor Dana Owens, also known as Queen Latifah, will be honored with the Lifetime Achievement BET Award.

“For more than 20 years, the BET Awards have been a celebration of Black creativity, art, and excellence,” said Taraji P. Henson in a written statement. “Returning live, this year’s show will be unlike anything we have ever seen before, and I am honored to be sharing the stage with so many powerful and prolific women in music and entertainment. The BET Awards will once again be at the forefront of Black culture.”

“Black women have been essential drivers of change throughout history, from the political sphere to the cultural zeitgeist,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. “The BET AWARDS is the ultimate celebration of Black culture, and we are looking forward to spotlighting and celebrating Black women during this year’s show, recognizing them for everything they’ve accomplished and applauding them for what’s to come.”

Orlando will oversee The “BET Awards” 2021 and will also serve as executive producer along with Jesse Collins, CEO of Jesse Collins Entertainment.

The “BET AWARDS” will be airing live later this month on BET, Sunday, June 27 at 8:00 PM, ET/PT. Voting for the 2021 BET AWARDS ‘Viewer’s Choice Award’ is currently open and anyone who wants to participate can do so by clicking this link.

• News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 15, 2021

Black Mother of Two Charged With Attempted Murder After Throwing Babies From Second Floor Window

---

Investigators are still unpacking a horrifying alleged murder attempt by a 24-year-old mother of two who hurled her children out of a second-story window before jumping out herself in Brooklyn, N.Y. on Saturday.

According to police, around 11a.m., Dejhanay Jarrell was in her apartment on Rockaway Parkway in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn with her one-month-old daughter and a two-year-old son, when she allegedly pushed an air conditioner out of a window and then her babies, before she jumped out butt-naked.

Jarrell has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault and two counts of reckless endangerment, ABC 7 reports.

Her one-month-old daughter landed face down on the concrete and remains in a local hospital in critical condition, according to reports. Her two-year-old son endured less severe injuries but both are still hospitalized.

The shocking turn of events horrified neighbors and onlookers who watched the chaos unfold from a building on the other side of the street.

“The two-year-old, he looked fine. He wasn’t crying, he wasn’t moaning in pain, but the infant looked like she was going in and out of consciousness because her eyes were- she was trying to open her eyes and they were closing. Like half of her face was bruised,” eyewitness Carl Chin told the outlet.

Chin also revealed that he witnessed Jarrell try to hurt her kids even more, before he intervened.

“She had the baby in her grip, and I had to take the baby out of her grip and hold her until the police and paramedics came. As she was trying to hurt her children, and I was getting them out of her grip, she kind of thanked me and told me to take care of them,” he told the New York Post.

Chin added that Jarrell was tired of being alone. We hope this mom gets the help she needs.

Black businesses will get a boost thanks to Amazon.

The company launched the Black Business Accelerator (BBA) today and will provide access to financial assistance through grants, business education and mentorship, and marketing and promotion, to assist both current and aspiring Black small business owners with growing their businesses and maximizing selling opportunities on Amazon.

According to an exclusive interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE, the largest online retailer in the world is committing $150 million over the next four years to lend a hand to Black entrepreneurs, while providing tools for them to become successful Amazon sellers.

“I’m proud to be an active member and now advisor for our Black Employee Network (BEN) which works to support Black employees as well as embrace diversity, equity and inclusion as valuable assets that strengthens the bonds and capabilities of Amazon,” Lorenzo Patton, VP, Amazon Finance, told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator began as an idea from a BEN leader who works directly with sellers every day and saw an opportunity to help spur growth, advance equity, and drive success for Black selling partners,” he said.

Amazon said that the commitment is tied to Black-owned businesses being disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. House Small Business Committee. Additionally, the initiative which is intended to target barriers to access, opportunity, and advancement created by systemic racism across America was created through a partnership with Amazon’s coalition of strategic partners, in addition to the company’s Black Employee Network. According to Amazon’s website, the Black Employee Network’s (BEN’s) mission is to recruit, retain, and empower Black employees. BEN has also connected with engaging with organizations, Historically Black Colleges and Universities and a team who launched a black haircare store called Textures & Hues on Amazon.

Amazon also informed BLACK ENTERPRISE that third-party sellers on Amazon mostly comprised of small and medium-sized businesses. They represent almost 60% of product sales in their store and record sales growth was achieved in 2020. The company stated that that it would like additional Black-owned businesses to enjoy this kind of success.

One key BBA participation benefit would involve gaining access to services and grants, such as Amazon credits and services which are valued at $3,900. This includes free product imaging services and advertising credits.

“We are also excited to offer an initial round of $10,000 cash grants in partnership with Hello Alice, an organization dedicated to helping entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses. Applications for these grants will open on July 1, 2021, and be awarded on September 2, 2021,” Amazon representatives also informed.

Toyin Kolawole, CEO of Iya Foods; Karen Blackwell, founder and CEO of Kanda Chocolates; and Rodney Marshall, founder and CEO of Aldevra were BBA’s pilot participants.

“Through this program, we have a partner who has helped us better understand how to use Amazon’s tools and analytics to expand our sales and help me connect with business customers,” Marshall said on Amazon’s blog.

Grant applications open on July 1, 2021. Visit this link, or Hello Alice’s website, to learn more about Amazon’s BBA.

• Business

by Black Enterprise Shop

June 15, 2021

Master American Sign Language With This Set Of Courses

---

Like many Gen Z-ers her age, Nakia Smith has a massive following on TikTok. But she doesn’t share viral dance routines that much, nor does she often participate in challenges. Instead, she’s famous for her videos on sign language lessons—particularly Black American Sign Language (BASL)—and insights on issues the hard-of-hearing face. 

BASL is the sign language equivalent of the ‘Blackcent,’ and you can learn all about it through Smith’s TikTok account. But to get baseline knowledge of the American Sign Language, you can receive a primer from the Ultimate Learn American Sign Language Bundle, which is currently on sale for an extra 20% off.

Taught by Able Lingo, a platform that offers customized English and American Sign Language courses to students from around the world, this instructional package will teach you ASL in a simple yet effective way, with lessons spanning from the alphabet to phrases you can use every day.

Consisting of a whopping 21 courses, this bundle pulls all the stops when it comes to teaching you the ABCs of ASL. It kickstarts with basic fingerspelling skills and signing multiple letters and then jumps on to teaching you essential vocabulary words.

The rest of the lessons are centered on vocabulary words and sentences you can use day-to-day. You can expect to sign, recognize, and understand personal pronouns, personality adjectives, parent and child phrases, days of the week, places, and so much more. There’s also training on fingerspelling, as well as facial expressions and head movements, so you’ll have no trouble understanding and communicating statements and questions.

By the end of all 21 courses, you’ll have the confidence to fully converse in ASL and open up a new world. Get Ultimate Learn American Sign Language Bundle for $15.99 (reg. $4179) with code WELOVEDAD. That’s less than $1 per course.

Prices subject to change.