Things aren’t looking too bright for disgraced singer R. Kelly. The charges he faces in federal court can keep him in prison for many years. Now, it’s been reported that two of his attorneys on the case want to remove themselves right before it heads to court in August.

According to the New York Daily News, two of Kelly’s lawyers for his upcoming trial, Steven Greenberg and Michael Leonard, have filed a letter to the judge of the case, Brooklyn Federal Court Judge Ann Donnelly, to request to be taken off his legal team. They gave no specific reason for their request.

But Greenberg, in a telephone call with the publication, explained that it was due to friction with two new lawyers, Thomas Farinella and Nicole Becker, who don’t have any federal trial experience.

• Business

by Andrea Blackstone

June 9, 2021

General Mills, Target, Uber and Others are Among Companies Committing to Spend at Least 2% of Ad Dollars With Black-owned Media Companies

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Leaders of Black-owned media companies have been publicly voicing concerns over being left out of companies spending bigger advertising budgets with them.

GroupM — which is the world’s leading media investment company — stepped up to the challenge by announcing that 20 clients pledged at least 2% of their total annual media budgets would be spent with Black-owned publications. An initiative called the Media Inclusion Initiative (MII) will focus on Black-owned media. It was created to bring the lucrative promise to fruition.

“Directing investment toward Black-owned media is essential to the future of our industry and a priority for GroupM in our mission to create a more equitable ecosystem and make advertising work better for people,” Matt Sweeney, Chief Investment Officer of GroupM U.S., said in a press release.

“We are inspired by the immediate enthusiasm from this initial group of industry-leading clients, which reinforces our commitment to meaningful, long-term action.”

Companies such as AARP,  Adidas, Citizens, Danone, DoorDash, Ferrara, General Mills, L’Oréal USA, Mars, MGA Entertainment, Mizkan America Inc., maker of RAGÚ, Nestlé,  Uber, Ring, Target and others publicly committed to investing in Black-owned media, according to details.

A group of 20 brands that include General Mills, L’Oreal USA, Nestle, Target, Tyson Foods, DoorDash, Mars and WW have pledged to spend at least 2% of their annual media budgets in Black-owned media. https://t.co/dkYB3Udw4s

— Ad Age (@adage) June 8, 2021

The issue is not new. A few months ago, Deadline reported Sean “Diddy” Combs called out General Motors for not spending sufficient ad dollars with Black-owned enterprises. And in late March, Yahoo! News reported that Byron Allen was among seven prominent Black media leaders who accused Mary Barra, General Motors’ chief executive officer, of racism and economic exclusion. Allen took out an ad that included a signed open letter published in the Detroit Free Press. Barra would not meet with the group for five years, according to the article. It was also noted that General Motors spent under .5 percent with Black-owned media on advertising.

“The open letter and ad are signed by Allen, who is the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of Allen Media Group (which owns the Grio), Ice Cube of BIG3, Cubevision and CWBA, as well as Roland Martin, chief executive officer of Nu Vision Media, Inc.; Todd F. Brown, founder of Urban Edge Networks and HBCU League Pass; Don Jackson, founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Central City Productions; Earl “Butch” Graves Jr., president and chief executive officer of Black Enterprise; and Junior Bridgeman of Ebony Media,”  Yahoo! News reported.

An Oregon woman is launching a personalized rideshare app designed to make women and LGBTQ+ individuals feel safer.

Despite the convenience factor of quickly tapping an app to request a paid ride, not everyone feels completely comfortable using a ridesharing company. According to The Denver Channel, Trenelle Doyle recognized the need and founded a transportation company called Go Girl Ride in Portland, Oregon.

Doyle plans to launch her Go Girl Ride venture on Juneteenth.

“For me, what better way to launch and say we are here on a day, that is, about the liberation of Black Americans and it’s not just Black Americans who Juneteenth means so much to,”  Doyle said in an interview with The Denver Channel.

Her lived experiences as a rideshare driver gave way to the idea because many of her customers disclosed that they had been harmed while riding with other drivers.

The creator of @gogirlride says the stories she heard as a ride-share driver from her passengers of being harassed or assaulted on their rides made her realize there had to be a better ride option. https://t.co/b0SMhwKHC8

— ABC 27 (@abc27) June 8, 2021

Big companies are paying attention to similar ridesharing concerns. MSN reported that Uber and Lyft enhanced their safety features, since issues such as driver impersonation, possibly encountering sexual predators, and accident risks were a concern for riders.

A 2019 safety report from Uber highlighted the necessity for a company like, Go Girl Ride. MSN revealed details of the study indicating that there were 58 fatalities, 3,045 sexual assaults and nine fatal physical assaults reported out of 1.3 billion total rides in the U.S. in 2018.

Doyle emphasized that potential drivers will undergo a background check and interview process.

Portland Monthly noted Go Girl Ride has even sold safety kits for women and non-binary individuals to carry with them during ridesharing outside of Doyle’s company.

“The majority of women would get into my car and say, ’Oh, thank god you’re a woman,” she told the news outlet. “They would proceed to tell me their not-so-great experiences with a creepy driver, with getting dropped off around the corner because they didn’t want the driver to know where they lived, with being harassed, or kicked out of the vehicle.” 

Items are available for sale through Go Girl Ride’s website, which also mentions that the service is being launched to make a diverse community safer.

Go Girl Ride is currently recruiting drivers. Some women replied to a social media post about how to become drivers for the transportation service. The employment may offer more safety perks for drivers, too.

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 9, 2021

Sanyika Shakur, Former Gang Member Turned Motivational Speaker, Passed Away At 57

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A former Los Angeles gang member who left the streets to become an author and motivational speaker has died at age 57.

According to Hip-Hop Wired, reports of the death of former Crips gang member Sanyika Shakur, who was also known as Monster Kody, began appearing on Twitter on June 8. Shakur was once a notable member of the Crips gang in Los Angeles. He got his nickname, according to AllHipHop, when, as a young teenager in the mid-1970s, he was known to viciously beat his victims, be involved in shootouts, and commit robberies. Shakur, born Kody Dejohn Scott on November 13, 1963, was mentored by the co-founder of the Crips, Tookie Williams.

Hip-hop artist Vince Staples acknowledged Shakur’s death in a social media posting.

Rest In Peace pic.twitter.com/uuE1yg3ZcQ

— Vince Staples (@vincestaples) June 8, 2021

Shakur was a member of the Eight Tray Gangster Crips in Los Angeles back in the ’70s. When he spent time in prison in the 1980s, he connected with the Republic of New Afrika movement, and this was when he changed his given name. In 1993, he published a memoir titled “Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member.”

The former gang member had also converted to Islam while serving time at Pelican Bay State Prison.

“I was a criminal. I became a revolutionary. And people expected me to commit class suicide as a successful writer and become a noted author, and to me, I didn’t want to go that way. I didn’t want to be the go-to guy when they said, ‘What about gangs?’ Because that’s not what it’s about,” he had written in his tome.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 9, 2021

Tory Lanez Speaks On The Celebrities Who Distanced Themselves After Megan Thee Stallion Shooting

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Rapper Tory Lanez is speaking out amid his ongoing shooting case against fellow emcee Megan Thee Stallion.

It’s been almost a year since the two rising stars were involved in a violent incident in Los Angeles that put Megan in the hospital and Tory in jail. Since the encounter, the two rappers have taken shots at each other, with Megan boldly naming Tory as her alleged shooter while he continues to deny the claim.

The Toronto native recently appeared on the “Million Dollaz Worth Of Game” podcast, where he candidly addressed the case and gave a shout-out to the celebs who haven’t turned their back on him. While the “Say It” singer understands that high-profile talent had to protect their brands, he also noticed how others were afraid to express their support for him publicly.

“You gotta understand, people have brands. Before I look at Tory Lanez like it’s me, Tory Lanez is a brand,” he said, as noted by The Shaderoom. “Whatever artist is their brand. At the moment, it wasn’t the look to put their brand on it. Unless you were somebody who stood so far into the brand, that your brand was so you, that your personal life is reflected on your brand.”

The shooting took place in July 2020. Tory and Megan were leaving a party in the Hollywood Hills when the two engaged in an argument while inside a car, Vulture reported. Megan claimed during an Instagram Live that when she went to leave the vehicle, Tory shot at her outside of the car’s back window.

Though Tory followed up Megan’s claims with an IG Live session and a mixtape denouncing the claims, many have still been looking at him sideways, wondering which one of the two rappers is telling the truth.

“When it started there were very few people like that on the outside, but on the inside it was love,” Tory said during the interview. “That was the weird thing about it for me.”

The case remains ongoing. In February, Tory was denied the right to speak on the case, Page Six reported.

Marsh McLennan is partnering with the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) and Fisk University to announce the launch of RISE– a global MBA fellowship program.

The RISE program, which stands for racial inclusion and social equity, will provide second-year Black MBA candidates and graduates in the U.S., UK, and Canada with an enlightening curriculum focused on practical business knowledge and tools for advocating for social justice within a business environment.

The program is being launched in celebration of Marsh McLennan’s 150th anniversary. The first classes will begin this September, with a completion date set for March 2022.

Marsh McLennan CEO Dan Glaser said in a release that the RISE program would boost diversity efforts in an industry that’s struggling with it.

“We’re committed to the principle of responsible capitalism and doing business in ways that generate a more just and compassionate world,” Glaser, President & CEO of Marsh McLennan, said. “RISE will help us form a more diverse, inclusive and vibrant Marsh McLennan and professional services industry.”

Additionally, Marsh McLennan’s Executive Committee will participate in an intensive social justice module at Fisk University. Fisk is one of the oldest colleges in Nashville and one of the oldest HBCUs in the country.

Fellows in the program will participate in an immersive social justice program through the John Lewis Center for Social Justice at Fisk. An eight-month paid fellowship incorporating thought leadership and mentorship from Marsh McLennan executives, and NBMBAA leaders will follow the social justice program.

Joe Handy, president and CEO of NBMBAA, said the program would help Black MBA candidates bring their skills and experience to boardrooms across the country in the future.

“Our young prospective members are among the sharpest business minds in the country, and any organization that invests in their success is sure to see an impressive return,” Handy said. “We are grateful to Marsh McLennan and Fisk University for their cooperation in making this program a reality and excited to see the benefits it produces.”

“Black MBA candidates have a rich set of experiences to bring to the professional services sector,” said Vann Newkirk, Sr., president of Fisk University. “It will be exciting to see how these cohorts of fellows implement a social justice agenda within their careers and beyond. It is wonderful to see companies like Marsh McLennan taking a leadership role and partnering with Fisk University to address the next generation of diverse C-suite and executive leaders.”

• Education

by Andrea Blackstone

June 8, 2021

Six Schools in Jacksonville will be Renamed Because the Current Names Honor Confederate Leaders

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Six public schools in Jacksonville, Florida, will be renamed because they are named after Confederate leaders. The Florida Times-Union reported that the change to rename Joseph Finegan Elementary to Anchor Academy; Stonewall Jackson Elementary to Hidden Oaks Elementary School; Jefferson Davis Middle to Charger Academy; Kirby-Smith Middle to Springfield Middle School; J.E.B. Stuart Middle to Westside Middle School; and Robert E. Lee High to Riverside High School would go into effect on Aug. 3, 2021. Superintendent Diana Greene gave it the green light of approval.

“Keeping the names of Confederate generals in our children’s schools is a slap in the face to every African American that attends these schools,” Wells Todd of Take’Em Down Jax told The Florida Times-Union. “Those that oppose the names being changed are acknowledging their support for the Confederacy and all that it stood for.”

First Coast News pointed out that changing school names includes various steps which require money to cover needed expenses, although funds must only come from private funding or beverage contracts. The Jacksonville Public Education Fund said that it is chipping in by helping with renaming expenses. Needs include raising money to cover paint, uniforms, signs, and even gym floors. The fund is serving as a fiscal agent and private donations are allowed.

The debate over school names is far from over. Next up for consideration: schools named for individuals who negatively impacted indigenous people. The Florida Times-Union also reported that Andrew Jackson High School, Jean Ribault High School, and Jean Ribault Middle School are additional schools under consideration on a new renaming list.

A bill introduced by Ashley Smith-Juarez entails beginning a process since renaming is not automatic. Opinions about how to proceed will be voiced by Superintendent Diana Greene,  community members, students, and even PTA groups.

“We began with six schools named for Confederate officers. We should continue with schools that are named for people responsible for systematically marginalizing and killing Indigenous people,” Smith-Juarez said, according to The Florida-Times Union. “It is the place and time in the history of our city and our school district that we are engaging in the process of enacting the renaming policy for alignment to the mission, vision and core values of Duval County Public Schools.”

• News

by Andrea Blackstone

June 8, 2021

F.D.A. Approves Alzheimer’s Drug, Hope is Needed Within the African American Community

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Alzheimer’s disease remains a major health concern in the Black community. The Food & Drug Administration’s recent approval of Biogen’s drug called Aduhelm (aducanumab)to fight the disease in patients diagnosed with the disease could bring hope to patients and families of color.

“This approval is significant in many ways. Aduhelm is the first novel therapy approved for Alzheimer’s disease since 2003. Perhaps more significantly, Aduhelm is the first treatment directed at the underlying pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease, the presence of amyloid beta plaques in the brain,” Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, director, FDA Center for Drug Evaluation and Research wrote on the agency’s website. “The clinical trials for Aduhelm were the first to show that a reduction in these plaques—a hallmark finding in the brain of patients with Alzheimer’s—is expected to lead to a reduction in the clinical decline of this devastating form of dementia.”

According to a special report, Race, Ethnicity and Alzheimer’s in America, presented by the Alzheimer’s Association, there is a higher percentage of elderly Black and Hispanic Americans who have Alzheimer’s, or who experience missed diagnosis, when compared to white elderly Americans.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided concrete numbers in 2018.

“Among people ages 65 and older, African Americans have the highest prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (13.8 percent), followed by Hispanics (12.2 percent), and non-Hispanic whites (10.3 percent),” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported. Researchers estimate these numbers to increase, by 2060, 3.2 million Hispanics and 2.2 million African Americans with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as deaths from other chronic diseases declines and more people survive into older adulthood.

The urgency in improving Alzheimer’s treatment is building. Dr. Cavazzoni mentioned that the disease ranks sixth when it comes to causes of death in the U.S. She also pointed out that as Americans grow older, the number of Americans who live with it is expected to exceed the current 6 million mark. Aduhelm’s approval could offer a step in a positive direction, but it has garnered some debate.

“We know that the Peripheral and Central Nervous System Drugs Advisory Committee, which convened in November 2020 to review the clinical trial data and discuss the evidence supporting the Aduhelm application, did not agree that it was reasonable to consider the clinical benefit of the one successful trial as the primary evidence supporting approval,” Dr. Cavazzoni also said.

Despite differing perspectives, approval of the drug was granted under the “Accelerated Approval pathway.” The FDA’s press release explained that drug approval for a serious or life-threatening illness can be granted through the program, if it could provide meaningful therapeutic benefit over existing treatments, despite uncertainty about the drug’s clinical benefit.