• News

by Christian Spencer

May 26, 2021

‘Confederate Mount Rushmore’ Will Stay In Georgia–With An Exhibit Explaining Racist Roots

---

On Monday, the Stone Mountain Memorial Association adopted four new resolutions, including how the exhibit will handle the stone carving of three Confederate leaders—Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson, 11 Alive, according to an NBC affiliate based in Atlanta.

It is one of Georgia’s biggest tourist destinations, but it is also high offensive; some would say the carving glorifies racism.

Critics may not be completely happy over the decision, but the Stone Mountain Park will add a museum to explain its racist roots for context and will relocate Confederate flags from a busy walking trail.

“Some people are going to say they’re not going far enough. Others are going to say they’re going too far,” Bill Stephens, the chief executive of the Stone Mountain Memorial Association, which oversees the park, told the New York Times.

Related stories: CITY OF ASHEVILLE SET TO REMOVE CONFEDERATE MONUMENT OF FORMER SLAVE OWNER

“All I know is, it’s important to tell the whole story. There’s plenty to be said, that most people don’t know,” he added, mentioning the Ku Klux Klan’s involvement in its creation.

VegOut has reported that a 19-year-old Howard University student opened a gourmet vegan bakery in Washington, D.C.

According to the story, Chanice McClover-Lee — founder of Baked By Chanice — opened the establishment between May 22-23 of this year.

The bakery operates on weekends, for takeout only, inside of a food hall called Tastemakers, said VegOut. Tastemakers is located at 2800 10th Street NE, Washington, D.C., 20017. The article also said that prior to opening there, McClover-Lee began selling baked goods at farmers markets in South Florida, which is her hometown.

McClover-Lee’s baking website states the that 100% gourmet vegan treats are made with love.

“Our baked goods are never made with animal products, but always made with love. No milk, dairy, eggs, or any animal byproducts. Yep, it’s that simple! Our cookies, cakes, and other sweet treats will completely transform your idea of what vegan can taste like, and you’ll be running back for more!” the website information said.

Additionally, website details explain that McClover-Lee starting baking in 2020, when she was stuck in the house during quarantine.

“One perfected vegan chocolate chip recipe and a gifted KitchenAid mixer later led to an assortment of 12 different cookie flavors that are equally delicious, unique, and addictive being created. After one bake sale, the overwhelming positive community response led to the creation of Baked by Chanice,” the information stated.

According to VegOut, Baked By Chanice’s menu includes unique cookie flavors such as s’mores, red velvet cheesecake, birthday cake, and chocolate chip coconut walnut.

“Guests can also order custom cakes and cupcakes, which are available in vanilla, chocolate, funfetti, red velvet, lemon, cookies & cream, carrot, and coconut varieties,” VegOut also reported.

McClover-Lee is no stranger to public endeavors and entrepreneurship. Enspire said that McClover-Lee published the book, Young Revolutionary: A Teen’s Guide to Activism. The activist also discusses social justice and politics in a blog called “Melanin Diary,” and curated an anthology called Gen Z Speaks, according to Enspire.

McClover-Lee’s latest endeavor adds to the teenager’s diverse accomplishments. Baked By Chanice also ships baked goods. Visit the website to learn more about McClover-Lee’s business.

If there is a hip-hop heaven, a legendary photographer will now join the ranks of some of the iconic artists he has photographed.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, hip-hop photographer, Chi Modu has passed away at the young age of 54. He is best known for the photographs he has taken over the years of some of the most prominent artists in hip-hop. The family of Modu asked for privacy on his Twitter account.

Our hearts are broken… We continue the fight ©💪🏾

The family request privacy at this time 📷 pic.twitter.com/zaPXgvgdcm

— chi modu (@chimodu) May 22, 2021

He is probably re-acquainting himself with the deceased hip-hop artists he photographed that have also left us too soon. Modu has taken photos of Malik Izaak Taylor (Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest), Tupac Shakur, Albert Johnson (Prodigy of Mobb Deep), Eric Wright (Eazy-E of NWA), Christopher Wallace (The Notorious B.I.G.), Nathaniel Dwayne Hale (Nate Dogg), Chris Kelly (Mack Daddy of Kris Kross), Craig Mack, Russell Tyrone Jones (Ol’ Dirty Bastard of the Wu-Tang Clan), Keith Edward Elam (GURU of Gangstarr), and Richard Stephen Shaw (Bushwick Bill of the Geto Boys).

RELATED CONTENT: DMX To Be Honored During Opening of Universal Hip Hop Museum in the Bronx

The Nigerian-born photographer started his illustrious photography career with the Harlem-based New York Amsterdam News. He later connected with The Source magazine, where he became director of photography for the hip-hop publication. Modu ended up shooting 30 covers for The Source as well as shooting some iconic album covers for a number of artists including Snoop Dogg (Doggystyle), Method Man (Tical), Mobb Deep (The Infamous), and Black Moon (Enta Da Stage). He also worked for Rolling Stone and The New York Times. 

Five years ago, he published a photobook Tupac Shakur: Uncategorized, which featured pictures of the deceased rapper from the first time they met in Atlanta back in 1994 to his signing to Death Row records nine months before he prematurely died in 1996.

• Education

by Andrea Blackstone

May 26, 2021

A Toddler With a 146 IQ Became Mensa’s Youngest American Member

---

FOX 11 reported that a 2-year-old toddler from Los Angeles named Kashe Quest has been accepted into Mensa, which is the largest and oldest high IQ society in the world. Quest is the youngest member of American Mensa. She already has an IQ of 146, while the average IQ in America is 100, according to FOX 11.

According to American Mensa’s website, Mensa is an international society. The sole membership qualification is a score in the top two percent of the general population on a standardized intelligence test.

Sukhjit Athwal, Kashe’s mother, told FOX 11 that it was noticed that Kashe’s memory was “really great.” Anthwal remarked that Kashe picked up things really fast and was really interested in learning.

“At about 17, 18 months, she had recognized all the alphabet, numbers, colors, and shapes,” Athwal told FOX 11.

In the interview, Athwal added that although Kashe can also do things like identify all 50 states by shape and location on a map, learn Spanish, count to 100, and identify elements on the periodic table by their symbols, she is still a normal 2-year-old who has tantrums. Communication is a little different, because of Kashe’s ability to understand just a little bit more. But could giftedness could be an inherited trait, in some cases?

According to Mensa, young Mensans are one of the fastest-growing segments of Mensa’s membership. Programs and services offered through Mensa are specifically designed to meet their unique needs.

With more than 50,000 members, American Mensa is reportedly the largest national Mensa operating under the auspices of Mensa International, Ltd. There are currently more than 130,000 members worldwide.

“Mensa members range in age from 2 to 106. They include engineers, homemakers, teachers, actors, athletes, students, and CEOs, and they share only one trait — high intelligence,” Mensa’s information stated  online.

When it comes to conducting intelligence tests for children, Verywellfamily.com offered pieces of advice to consider, before testing a child for giftedness. It mentioned that the WISC-IV, Stanford-Binet, and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children are more accurate tests.

“Giftedness testing should be performed by someone who has experience in working with gifted children. Otherwise, test results may not be accurate,” Verywellfamily also reported.

• News

by Christian Spencer

May 26, 2021

White Woman Struck Two Black Women With Her Car at an Andrew Brown Jr. Protest; Faces Hate Crime Charges

---

A white woman almost ran over two Black women who were peacefully protesting in Elizabeth City, N.C.

In the small North Carolina town where Andrew Brown Jr. was fatally shot by police last month, protesters gather often for daily demonstrations. On May 24, motorist Lisa Michelle O’Quinn drove her car in the direction of two protestors, CNN reported.

O’Quinn, 41, was arrested on Monday for two felonious counts of assault with a deadly weapon, that being her car, with the intent to kill; one count of careless and reckless driving; and one count of unsafe movement, according to a release.

“A motorist struck two pedestrians who were peacefully protesting and exercising their constitutional rights,” the release said.

Because O’Quinn is white, police are investigating “to include potential aggravating factors for criminal enhancements for potential sentencing purposes of a hate crime involving this event.”

It is not clear if O’Quinn is being represented by a lawyer, but she is being held in the Albemarle District Jail with a $40,000 secured bond. She is due in court this Thursday for a hearing.

The two 40-something women who were struck did not sustain serious injuries, police say. They were treated at a hospital and released.

Related stories: POLICE OFFICER ALLEGEDLY URINATED ON THE FUNERAL HOME THAT SERVED ANDREW BROWN JR.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, the case of Brown, a Black man who was killed by North Carolina sheriff’s deputies while they were trying to arrest him, is under investigation. It occurred on April 21, a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd in a highly publicized trial.

The shooting, and a decision by authorities not to make public a video of the incident, triggered several boisterous but peaceful demonstrations in Elizabeth City, a riverfront community whose population of roughly 18,000 is half African-American.

Requests to release four videos of the shooting from police body cameras got rejected; officials sided with arguments the videos’ immediate disclosure could jeopardize active investigations.

Last week, BLACK ENTERPRISE had reported that Overtime Elite (OTE), a transformative new sports league that offers the world’s most talented young basketball players a better pathway to becoming professional athletes, had announced that Atlanta will be the home for its league. This week, the new league has made two more announcements that it has signed two sets of twins who will bypass college to play in the upcoming inaugural season in Atlanta.

Orlando Sentinel had reported that Overtime Elite had signed their first players for the upcoming basketball season. West Oaks Academy’s twin brothers Matt and Ryan Bewley, who were just in their sophomore seasons, have each just signed two-year contracts, reportedly million-dollar deals, to join the new Overtime Elite professional league. They are the first American players in the sport of basketball to sign with a U.S. professional league before finishing high school.

RELATED CONTENT: New Basketball League Will Debut in Atlanta, Plans to Pay 16-to 18-Year-Old Players $100,000 Salary

Luther Campbell, better known as Uncle Luke, has expressed his frustration regarding how he was not nominated into this year’s Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, according to AceShowbiz.

The music ceremony first recognized Black guitarists like Chuck Berry, Little Richard, and Jimi Hendrix, but in 2009, the awards show also gave recognization to hip-hop acts NWA, Run DMC, and Outkast.

One can argue the 2 Live Crew, a group formed in Miami and founded by Luke and three other bandmates, pioneered hip-hop’s sexual content and paved the way for explicit content for entertainment with songs like “Me So Horny” and “Pop that P****” in the late ’80s.

“S**t another year of not getting inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame,” wrote Luke, 60, on Instagram. “Unbelievable.”

To be considered for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, an artist or act has to have made their debut record at least 25 years earlier, which makes the 2 Live Crew eligible. The group, which introduced the first Asian American rapper in mainstream hip-hop, released their debut album “The 2 Live Crew Is What We Are” in 1986.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame announced on May 12 that it will be inducting Jay-Z, Foo Fighters, The Go-Go’s, Carole King, Todd Rundgren and Tina Turner into its class of 2021.

“This diverse class of talented inductees reflects the Hall’s ongoing commitment to honor artists whose music created the sound of youth culture,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation.

Despite the feeling of being snubbed, the 2 Live Crew has had recognization in the hip-hop industry, such as a Lifetime Achievement honor at the 2017 BET Hip Hop Awards.

Related stories: RAPPER JAY-Z CURVES CANCEL CULTURE, AVOIDS SOCIAL MEDIA

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 26, 2021

Yelp Adds Feature That Allows Companies to Self-Identify as LGBTQ-Owned

---

If you want to make sure you support businesses that are LGBTQ-owned, then Yelp has just made it easier to assist you in that goal!

In celebration of Pride Month, Yelp has made finding businesses that are supportive of the same values easier to locate. Yelp has introduced an attribute that allows companies to self-identify themselves for consumers who want to specifically support LGBTQ-owned businesses. The business finder website is also highlighting restaurant, food, and nightlife businesses that identify as LGBTQ-owned or Open to All on Yelp with rainbow-colored map pins for the entire month of June in order to help people find relevant venues to celebrate Pride Month.

Open to All Director Calla Rongerude said in a written statement:

“With hate violence at an all-time high, it’s more important than ever for people to be able to find safe and welcoming spaces to celebrate LGBTQ+ equality. We’re thrilled to partner with Yelp to help users identify not only LGBTQ-owned businesses but also the hundreds of thousands of Open to All businesses that will celebrate equality not only during Pride but year-round.”

RELATED CONTENT: Gay Pride Parade Wants No Parts of The Po-Po, Bans NYPD For At Least Four Years

Currently, consumers can now search for and find LGBTQ-owned businesses on the Yelp website. This new feature is free and opt-in only, to give LGBTQ-owned restaurant owners the decision to let the world know. Consumers will be able to see the LGBTQ-owned attribute in the Yelp mobile app by going to the business page under the “more info” section, and on Yelp’s website in the “amenities and more” section of a business page. Yelp is also proactively monitoring pages for hate speech and/or comments against the LGBTQ+ community and intends on removing any hateful, racist or harmful content that violates their content guidelines.

Starting next month, Yelp will be featuring rainbow map pins on LGBTQ-owned and Open to All restaurant, food, and nightlife businesses. These pins can be found by searching for LGBTQ-owned and Open to All businesses or restaurants. It will also be seen on the home page on the Yelp mobile app and a banner on the Yelp search page on desktop.

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

• Education

by Derek Major

May 26, 2021

National 4-H Council Teams With Verizon, Microsoft and Others To Teach Adults Digital Employability Skills

---

The National 4-H Council announced an expansion of its 4-H Tech Changemakers program, which will be supported by Verizon, Microsoft, Land O’Lakes Inc., and Tractor Supply Co.

The program, which was established in 2017, trains and equips teens to teach adults digital employability skills including online job seeking, social media marketing, and more. Verizon, Land O’Lakes, Microsoft, and Tractor Supply Co. have committed a total of $8.5 million that will allow 4-H teens to help more than 50,000 adults in 164 communities across the country. The program will focus on rural communities and communities of color.

The digital divide for low-income Americans and minorities across the U.S. is shrinking but is still vast. The most affected are school-aged children, who struggled to get access to high-speed internet during the coronavirus pandemic, and older Americans who are unable to keep up with the quick changes of the internet. Rural Americans are also affected as they’re 10 times more likely to lack high-speed internet access than their suburban and urban counterparts.

RELATED CONTENT: Tennessee Owes Its State HBCU More Than Half A Billion Dollars

“Broadband access is critical to helping young people and adults develop digital skills for today’s jobs,” Vice President and Lead of Microsoft Philanthropies, Kate Behncken said in a statement. “We helped launch 4-H Tech Changemakers to align connectivity with digital skills training and are thrilled to see other companies recognize the importance of encouraging students to be digital advocates in their communities.”

The 4-H changemakers program is working to close those gaps in digital learning and skills by making digital skills accessible to those who need them most. Teens will become credentialed through formal training in teaching digital skills to adults. The program has already assisted more than 10,000 adults in digital skills training in collaboration with Microsoft.

“This program empowers young people to identify which skills are most needed and by whom in their community, and then to go out and teach them,” Jennifer Sirangelo, president and CEO of National 4-H Council said. “In this model, teens leverage their digital skills to give back to their communities while building critical leadership and organizational skills.”

The 4-H Changemakers program will be implemented in 23 land grant universities, 11 of which are historically Black colleges and universities