• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

June 3, 2021

Save Over 30% Off This Best-Selling Video Editor For a Limited Time

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Recording a screen may seem straightforward, but it actually takes some effort to create a recording that can be a source of information to someone.

Whether you’re creating a tutorial or demonstrating how to use a software function, a screen recording makes all the difference in the comprehension of your intended audience.

If you need to capture on-screen activity, Camtasia has all the tools you need to make a high-quality video. It makes creating and editing how-to videos, demos, and explainers an absolute breeze. And for a limited time, you can snag a lifetime subscription, with one-year maintenance support to boot, for 33 percent off.

Check it out:

Camtasia comes packed with pre-built video templates that help you create the videos you need with no trouble. It allows you to record your screen, import PowerPoint presentations, or add video footage you already have.

With an intuitive interface, Camtasia is quick to learn. You don’t need a big budget or prior experience with video editing, either. You can start with a template or just record your screen and add a few effects once you import it to the platform.

This limited-time-only deal not only include the latest version of Camtasia (2021), but it comes with a one-year subscription to their maintenance plan ($50 value). The maintenance plan guarantees you the next major version (2022), priority support, and access to exclusive training. Get the bundle now for $199.

Prices subject to change.

• Business

by Black Enterprise Shop

June 3, 2021

Insights & Tricks For Business Owners Sourcing Stock Videos And Images

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Today, studio-quality content and footage is regularly appearing in marketing and advertising campaigns developed by small- and medium-sized businesses. To compete, entrepreneurs who are growing a brand need to seek out a distinct and authentic source of visual media—especially video.

Opting for an affordable and top-quality service like iStock with its premier stock video library is a great way for new businesses to create an arsenal of engaging content for social, email, web, and beyond.

There are a number of ways to generate sales with access to libraries like this, which feature a diverse collection of 4K stock footage and HD clips. Looking to some of iStock’s own insights, it’s essential to build brand awareness, foster positive customer experiences, and increase conversions.

Land a Source of Quality Footage

When upwards of 60% of businesses use video as a marketing tool, those who are not actively promoting their brand with the power of the moving image are behind the curve.

iStock is home to a large pool of distinct and exclusive clips. With so much boring and forgettable stock imagery permeating the internet, this is an example of a library that really cuts through the noise.

Working hand-in-hand with top contributors to accumulate data, information, and tips on curating imagery that helps businesses generate sales, iStock is a great source for information on visual content marketing.

Promote Sustainable Retail Practices

The deterioration of the environment is an existential crisis that we all face, and there are a number of ways that you can signal your brand’s devotion to change with your marketing.

iStock says that 81% of consumers expect companies to be environmentally aware—so it helps to know that the videos you source for your business or brand shouldn’t feature increasingly out-of-date items like plastic straws or styrofoam cups.

Boost Finances with Humanity

Trends in searches and inquiries from subscribers inform content sources of what works. Images and videos of powerful business executives are not as engaging as they used to be. Rather than drawn to images of power, consumers seem to be more inspired by humanity. iStock’s reported increase in searches for the term “belonging” says a lot about the type of media that’s working for financial services today.

Celebrate Virtual Connection with Physical Media

In a day when more and more lessons and classes are moving online, we are all reckoning with how our relationships involve technology.

For brands who are promoting this technology, it’s important to represent the humanistic connections your product can give potential visitors or customers. So even if you sell a piece of tech, a piece of hardware, visually emphasizing the influence of your product with videos of people, places, and experiences could play to your advantage.

Check out the iStock Video library, as well as the plans and pricing to see how a subscription could help grow your business and generate a client base.

Robyn (Lil Bit Saucy) has been selected as LEGO Group’s first-ever kid creative director for Kids Creative Studio.

At the beginning of March, the company  hosted an open call for the position. Making a decision was far from a snap.

“We were so impressed by the diversity, passion, talent and unique personalities in each of your submissions. We saw show-stopping creativity from all types of creative kids including, filmmakers and photographers, to poets and musicians, to philanthropists and even young business owners. Narrowing down the 120+ submissions we received across the country was not an easy feat by any means,” LEGO said.

The job sounds like a dream for any young creative. “Mentored by leading creative professionals at the LEGO Group and Universal Music Group, Kids Creative Studio will discover and elevate the best creative kid talent with an amazing opportunity to create official LEGO content, along with music videos, that puts their full skills on display for the world,” LEGO said.

RELATED CONTENT: LEGO Releasing New LGBTQ+ Toy Set For Pride Month

Lil Bit Saucy mentioned her new position on her Instagram page.

“I have been hired as The First Ever Kid Creative Director For @lego. Orginal photo taken by @katiemakesfilms I will be working directly with my mentors from Lego and Universal Music Group to create awesome content using Lego Vidiyo. More details on my position on the Lego website and Facebook page. LINK IN MY BIO STAY TUNED YALL THIS IS GONNA BE EPIC,” Lil Bit Saucy informed in a post.

Lil Bit Saucy (aka Robyn) spoke about her life as a young artist in an interview. You may learn more about her by clicking this link. According to Robyn’s website, the Chicago area 12-year-old “delivers quality bars and flows jam packed with clever quotables that are caption worthy by kids and adults alike” through her Lil Bit Saucy brand.

Mary J. Blige is finally opening up about all the pain she endured during the early days of her rise to the top of the music industry.

The Grammy Award-winning singer released a trailer for her first official documentary titled, Mary J Blige’s My Life. Named after the legendary soul singer’s 1994 sophomore album, the film follows Blige’s journey during the time she released one of her best-received albums to date, Revolt TV reports.

“I’m so excited to share the trailer for my new documentary,” she captioned a video of the teaser. “Get ready to learn the story behind one of the most inspiring albums of all time in. #MJBMyLife with Yours Truly!!”

Created by Oscar-winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth,  executive produced by Blige, Diddy, and Quincy Jones, the documentary “reveals the demons and blessings that inspired the record and propelled her from the soul-crushing world of New York’s housing projects to international stardom,” Rolling Stone reports.

“My Life is probably my darkest album at one of the darkest times I’ve had,” she says in the trailer. “Most of the time, I was just depressed and didn’t want to live. I had it all inside and I was able to sing it and write it, and I didn’t know that so many people felt the same way.”

“My Life is the album that really bonded me with my fans who have since been along for what turned out to be a crazy ride,” Blige told People. “Going back and reliving that time and that music felt like an out-of-body experience, but one I’m so humbled by.”

Set to release on Amazon Prime on June 25 in honor of African American Music Appreciation Month, fans will also get to see the singer/actress perform the album live for the first time.

“Through all the highs and lows my one constant has been my fans, and I wanted to make this documentary for them,” Blige said. “To give them more insight into who I was and who I am now, where I’ve come from and where I still want to go and break down an album that completely changed everything for me.”

Former agent Phil Carson, someone who served in the Federal Bureau of Investigations for two decades, said he never witnessed a case as mishandled as Christopher “Notorious B.I.G.” Wallace’s.

Carson recalled being involved in the March 9, 1997, drive-by shooting of the Brooklyn rapper to the New York Post and All Hip Hop this Memorial Day Weekend. His story might sound familiar to some, but it confirms who really shot Biggie.

“[It] was the biggest miscarriage of justice in my 20-year career at the FBI,” Carson told the Post. “I had evidence that LAPD officers were involved and I was shut down by the LAPD and city attorneys inside Los Angeles.”

Carson said Death Row Records founder Marion “Suge” Knight orchestrated a hit on Biggie. He contacted a Nation of Islam hitman named Amir Muhammad, a convert whose real name is reportedly Harry Billups, who has ties with the Los Angeles Police Department.

Although it is news that a retired FBI agent has came front with this information–most agents, active or retired, do not speak or work for the press–a 2003 FBI report already pointed this out.

“Amir Muhammad, AKA Harry Billups, the godparent to LAPD Officer David Mack’s two children, has been identified by several sources as the trigger man,” according to a request penned by Carson. “Mack is a registered owner of a 1995 Black SS Impala with chrome wheels, the exact description given as being driven by Wallace’s shooter.”

Related stories: THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.’S SON C.J. WALLACE SAYS HIS FATHER ‘WOULD BE HONORED TO SHARE THE ‘NOTORIOUS’ TITLE WITH’ RUTH BADER GINSBURG

In both All Hip Hop and the Post, the intended target of the shooting was Sean “Puffy” Combs whose vehicle was ahead of Biggie’s SUV.

Biggie died at the age of 24. According to the Post, it’s believed that Muhammad hiding in Georgia as a real estate agent.

In 2002, the Wallace family file a civil case lawsuit against the LAPD that contains much of the evidence about the murder, but their biggest challenge is that much of that information is redacted under order of a federal judge.

The criminal investigation into the murder officially remains open, though not much has happened.

Carson has worked with film producer Don Sikorski to create the movie City of Lies, which tells the story of how Biggie died, how it was investigated, and the consequences resulting from “the biggest miscarriage of justice.”

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 2, 2021

Mississippi Mother Dies During Weight Loss Surgery in Mexico

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A mother out of Biloxi, Mississippi, died after receiving low-cost weight loss surgery in Tijuana, Mexico. Now, one plastic surgeon is warning other women to steer clear from receiving cheap cosmetic enhancements in other countries.

Thirty-four-year-old Markita ‘Kiki’ McIntyre lost her life while undergoing sleeve gastrectomy surgery to have 80% of her stomach removed, WLOX reports. Her friend Francesca Moultrie was also set to receive the tummy tuck procedure but changed her mind at the last minute.

“I talked to my friend throughout the entire process,” Moultrie recalled. “We talked every day, and she was asking questions every day in the group, so she was very knowledgeable.”

She said her friend sound fine when she spoke to her hours before the surgery.

“I asked her how she was doing and she said she was ok,” Moultrie said. “I had posted something on Facebook and she laughed at it. I was going to talk to her after surgery around 2 or 3 p.m.”

However, by 5 p.m., Moultrie received a call from her husband telling her that McIntyre had passed away.

“It was very devastating,” Moultrie said. “I just want to be a voice for these women about surgeries. Y’all are getting these surgeries and they are not healthy, and they’re not good for your body. Don’t do it. It was a wake-up call.”

Now one plastic surgeon out of Mississippi is urging women to avoid going out of the country to receive plastic surgery that could potentially cost them their lives.

“Highly stop and rethink your options,” said Dr. Donald Balder, certified general surgeon and founder of the Mississippi Institute of Weight Loss Surgery in Gulfport. “We go and buy a car and we finance, and we don’t really rethink twice about financing it, right? But you’re going to go to another country, that might talk a different language, and you’re going to trust someone to do a surgery for a couple thousand dollars when you can finance your body for $10,000 or 12,0000, so I think they need to give it a second thought.”

• Education

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 2, 2021

Mississippi School Called Out For Naming White Students Valedictorian and Salutatorian After Two Black Students Were Already Chosen

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A Mississippi high school was blasted on social media after word got out on the two sets of students claiming the valedictorian and salutatorian titles.

On May 24 Ikeria Washington and Layla Temple were named the valedictorian and salutatorian of West Point Consolidated School District, according to BNC TV. However, shortly after the two Black female students were set to be awarded for their academic achievements, the school decided to change its ranking and recognize both with the highest Quality Point Average (QPA) and Grade Point Average (GPA).

While Washington and Temple have the two highest QPAs in the graduating class, two other White students had the highest GPAs, resulting in four students being recognized by the school as valedictorian and salutatorian.

A Mississippi HS had two black female students as their valedictorian and salutatorian.

Then suddenly, hours before the graduation, they announced two additional students were ALSO the valedictorian and salutatorian for a total of four. The school has deleted their social media pic.twitter.com/CkAKQ5nKjL

— chris evans (@chris_notcapn) June 1, 2021

“The two students with the highest QPA are Ikeria Washington and Layla Temple. The students with the highest GPA are Dominic Borgioli and Emma Berry,” the school reportedly wrote in a since-deleted Facebook post. “The WPCSD feels it necessary to recognize four seniors at graduation,” IT added.

But after one Black alumna took the issue to Twitter, the school went viral for what many are deeming as a race-filled decision.

“So my high school had a [B]lack valedictorian and Salutatorian AND THEY WERE FEMALES !! and now since a [W]hite person was mad about it,” she wrote. “They decide to call the girls back and let them know that it will now be two valedictorians and salutatorians. This is wrong!”

So my high school had a black valedictorian and salutatorian AND THEY WERE FEMALES ‼️ and now since a white person was mad about it. They decide to call the girls back and let them know that it will now be two valedictorians and salutatorians. This is wrong!

— Ke✨ (@KierraMarcia) May 27, 2021

The school responded to the backlash in a statement to WCBI News on May 27 in which it cited page 10 of its handbook.

“There are two methods to determine a student’s class rank. The first is Quality Point Average, or QPA. The second is Grade Point Average, or GPA,” the school wrote before naming the two sets of valedictorian and salutatorian. “The two students with the highest GPA are Dominic Borgioli and Emma Berry. The WPCSD feels it necessary to recognize all four seniors at graduation.”

It went on to accept “full responsibility for this misunderstanding” while apologizing for “any confusion and problems this has caused.”

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 2, 2021

Black “iCarly” Actress Targeted in Racist Social Media Attacks, Experts Reveal Widespread Behavior

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After a Black actress was cast in the iCarly reboot, she received an onslaught of racist, hateful messages on social media. Now experts are pointing out how widespread these types of attacks have become for Black entertainers.

After Laci Mosley was cast to portray Harper in the upcoming reboot, show writer Franchesca Ramsey took to Twitter to reveal some of the racist messages Mosley had received from online trolls. Ramsey asked fans of the show to join her in calling out the racist activity.

“Hey #iCarly tweeps! I’m seeing a looooot of racist abuse being hurled at one of our stars & I’d love if you’d join me in calling it out it when/if you see it,” one tweet read. “I’m sad this has to be said but if I’m being honest…I kinda expected it. And I hate that. It’s heart breaking that Black women just EXISTING results in an onslaught of racist abuse. It’s not ok. And being a bystander isn’t ok either,” she added.

Hey #iCarly tweeps! I’m seeing a looooot of racist abuse being hurled at one of our stars & I’d love if you’d join me in calling it out it when/if you see it. pic.twitter.com/8bhWnCD1FC

— Franchesca Ramsey (@chescaleigh) May 16, 2021

The original iCarly aired from 2007 to 2012 without a Black person in the main cast. As with many recent reboots, show producers worked to add more diversity. While star Miranda Cosgrove, Jerry Trainor, and Nathan Kress returned, fans noticed Jeannette McCurdy’s character, Sam Puckett, missing from the bunch. Many took their anger out on the show’s only Black newcomer.

Mosley noticed.

“Being a Black woman is exhausting. We all deserve better,” Mosley later tweeted in  response to her initial curse-filled rant that made headlines.

Following Ramsey’s tweet and Mosley being targeted online, experts looked into the mistreatment many Black entertainers face in Hollywood, Yahoo reported. Taking a dive into racism many Black actors face from trolls who struggle to accept diversity in newly introduced television shows, experts noted the importance of calling out the racist behavior to spawn change.

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 2, 2021

Illinois May Become First State to Bar Police From Lying And/Or Deceiving Minors During Interrogations

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During police interrogations, the officers are allowed to lie to suspects in hopes of either drawing a confession or misleading them into anything that will help their case in the prosecution of the people in custody.

Until now.

According to USA Today, Illinois may become the first state to prohibit police from lying to minors during interrogations. Critics have stated that this tactic significantly increases the risk of obtaining false confessions.

A bill that the Illinois General Assembly recently passed, “amends the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 and the Code of Criminal Procedure of 1963. Provides that an oral, written, or sign language statement of a minor, who at the time of the commission of the offense was under 18 years of age, made as a result of a custodial interrogation conducted at a police station or other place of detention on or after the effective date of the amendatory Act shall be presumed to be inadmissible as evidence in a criminal proceeding or a juvenile court proceeding for an act that if committed by an adult would be a misdemeanor offense under the Sex Offenses Article of the Criminal Code of 2012 or a felony offense under the Criminal Code of 2012 if, during the custodial interrogation, a law enforcement officer, juvenile officer, or other public official or employee, knowingly engages in deception.”

Gov. J.B. Pritzker is expected to sign it into law in the coming weeks.

RELATED CONTENT: Minneapolis City Council Votes To Defund Millions From Police Budget

State Senator Robert Peters (D-Chicago) released a statement pertaining to the bill:

“When a kid is in a stuffy interrogation room being grilled by adults, they’re scared and are more likely to say whatever it is they think the officer wants to hear to get themselves out of that situation, regardless of the truth,” Peters said. “Police officers too often exploit this situation in an effort to elicit false information and statements from minors in order to help them with a case. Real safety and justice can never be realized if we allow this practice to continue.

“Senate Bill 2122 provides that if during an interrogation, a law enforcement officer intentionally engages in deception of a minor under the age of 18, any statements provided the minor would [be] inadmissible as evidence in court. Under the legislation, deception is defined as ‘knowingly providing false information about evidence or leniency.’ Police officers should not be able to lie to kids for their own gain, period. It’s a disgusting practice, and I’m glad that my colleagues in the General Assembly agree.”

by Andrea Blackstone

June 2, 2021

New Report Tells of Racism and Sexual Assault at Virginia Military Institute

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A 145-page state-sanctioned report, authored by an independent law firm and released by the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, claims “racial slurs and jokes are not uncommon” at Virginia Military Institute (VMI) and “contribute to an atmosphere of hostility toward minorities.”

The Roanoke Times reported that Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam, a 1981 VMI graduate who ordered the investigation, said the findings so far were “very disturbing.”

Northam and legislative leaders called for an independent investigation last October, according to a press release from the governor’s office. Northam, Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax, Attorney General Mark Herring and many others issued a collective statement.

“The investigation found that institutional racism and sexism are present, tolerated, and too often left unaddressed,” the statement partially said. “The Commonwealth will study this report carefully and then take appropriate action. VMI would be wise to do so as well. VMI is an agency of state government, and we will hold it accountable.”

“Those who use slurs and who are reported to the administration are at times excused by administrators based on a lack of diversity in the cadets’ upbringing,” the report also stated.

Racial slurs and jokes are not uncommon at VMI, according to the report. However, this is not the first time that VMI’s  ‘culture’ has been questioned.

The report also found that sexual assault is prevalent at VMI, but inadequately addressed. A survey revealed that 14% of female cadets reported being sexually assaulted there, while 63% said that a fellow cadet had told them that they were a victim of sexual assault while a VMI cadet.

Founded in 1839, VMI is the oldest state-supported military college in the United States.

The VMI Board of Visitors said it has received a copy of the review.

“These are serious allegations and are being treated as such,” its statement read. “VMI is not immune to the challenges all colleges face in this area, and there have been incidents on our campus which we have documented and shared as part of this investigation. Let us be clear though, this behavior has never been tolerated and, as an oversight board, we are committed to assuring every action is being taken to maintain a safe and welcoming environment for all at our school. During the time this investigation has been ongoing, VMI has been busy taking action on many of the concerns that were identified earlier last year.”