Two NYPD Officers And A Racist Retiree Got Busted in Corruption Probe

by Christian Spencer

May 21, 2021

Two NYPD Officers And A Racist Retiree Got Busted in Corruption Probe

Two current New York Police Department officers and a retired officer, all from the 105th Precinct in Queens, are facing criminal charges for an alleged heroin trafficking operation.

The officers in question are Heather Busch, Robert Hassett, and Robert Smith. The latter, retired since March 2020, has been exposed as being the group’s racist ringleader, NBC News reported. They were arrested Tuesday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on charges of bribery and drug trafficking.

“As alleged, the defendants shamelessly violated their oaths of office and the public trust by trading their badges for cash payment,” Attorney Mark Lesko for the Eastern District of New York said.

Officials say the officers face five counts of using interstate facilities to commit bribery and two counts of conspiracy to violate the Travel Act, which focuses on the use of communications and travel facilities to perform the unlawful activity.

Smith, 44, and Hassett, 36, recruited Busch, 34, to join the scam after Smith entered into retirement.

First Black Woman Appointed Top Editor of Harper’s Bazaar Does The Important Work at an ‘Unprecedented Time’

In 2020, Harper’s Bazaar hired its first-ever Black editor-in-chief to lead the American fashion magazine, not long after protests flared over George Floyd’s death. Samira Nasr introduced herself by video on her Instagram account, while integrating support for Black Lives Matter.

“At this particular moment in our nation’s history, I am honored to be at the helm of such an iconic brand. As the proud daughter of a Lebanese father and Trinidadian mother, my world view is expansive and is anchored in the belief that representation matters,” Nasr said in the video. “My lens by nature is colorful, and so it is important to begin a new chapter in Bazaar’s history, by shining a light on all individuals who I believe are the inspiring voices of our time.”

Nasr also said that the position places her in a particular intersection that she does not take lightly. During her Instagram message, Nasr also mentioned that ‘great style is about more than the way we wear our clothes. It is also about how we see and occupy space in the world around us.’

Continuing to build Harper’s Bazaar’s tradition of being at the center of fashion, while also covering art, music, pop culture, and learning about important issues women are facing today were other goals for the magazine that Nasr shared. The fight for human rights, reproductive rights, and the fight for equity in the workplace were other noted topics.

CNN pointed out that Nasr’s appointment as the fashion magazine’s first Black editor-in-chief was the first time it happened in its 153-year-history. According to CNN, the employment shift marked Nasr’s return to Hearst. She previously served as fashion director at Elle—another of the company’s titles.

The New York Times added that Nasr also previously worked as the fashion director of the Condé Nast magazine, Vanity Fair. While employed there, Nasr oversaw the magazine’s presentation of celebrities. According to The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), Nasr is primed to bring a new dimension to Harper’s Bazaar’s legacy, while joining the magazine at an unprecedented time.

“The global pandemic has hit the fashion industry from every angle, and the killing of George Floyd has sparked global outrage and a call for all industries, including fashion, to implement changes for true equality,” CFDA said.

Vermont Police Outed for Discriminating Against State’s Only Black Lawmaker

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 21, 2021

Vermont Police Outed for Discriminating Against State’s Only Black Lawmaker

It took two years for the Vermont Human Rights Commission to determine that the Bennington Police Department failed to help protect the state’s only Black lawmaker.

Rep. Ruqaiyah “Kiah” Morris filed a formal complaint with the commission in 2019, one year after she stepped down from her legislature duties due to being threatened and harassed by local white supremacist Max Misch, VPR reports.

“This investigation recommends that the Commission find reasonable grounds to believe that the (Bennington Police Department) discriminated against [Kiah Morris] … and [her husband] James Lawton, on the basis of race and color,” the 54-page report said.

Misch had been harassing Morris with threatening messages on social media for two years before she decided to resign in 2018. The politician reported her concerns over the threat Misch posed to her and her family to the Bennington Police but said she was ignored.

“There was just some particular things that had happened that we went to law enforcement to gain counsel on, and try to seek support with, and what was just happening was that — nothing, to be quite frank,” Morris said. “It was weeks without an answer, it was weeks without a response, it was a shoulder shrug and a ‘good luck.’”

But following an investigation, the state’s Human Rights Commission found the department’s actions “endangered the complainants’ safety” and “deprived the complainants of information they could have used to seek a protective order” against Misch.

Now the former state legislature has lost faith in all law enforcement.

“I distrust law enforcement and have lost confidence in that institution and its representatives to act with integrity,” Morris said. “I feel less secure now with the passage of time and the well-documented escalation of racialized incidents since our departure there.”

The town of Bennington released a 16-page response contradicting the commission’s findings. In the report, the city agreed that Morris has “undoubtedly been the target of abhorrent racist online harassment carried out by at least one known bigoted individual in the town of Bennington. But claimed, “there is no basis” for concluding the local police department violated Vermont’s Fair Housing and Public Accommodations Act.

The town’s board has agreed to pay the Morris family $137,500 and issue out a public apology “for the harms and trauma they encountered while residing in Bennington.”

NYPD Eliminates Application Fee Which Leads to a Spike in Black Applicants

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 21, 2021

NYPD Eliminates Application Fee Which Leads to a Spike in Black Applicants

The New York Police Department (NYPD) has a long history of being accused of treating Black people, as well as other minorities in New York unfairly, which causes tensions. Although there are some in the community who want to be part of the change in the culture of the NYPD, the entrance fee can be a hindrance toward that goal. But, there seems to be a change in the air, according to the police commissioner.

According to theGrio, at a press conference earlier this week, NYPD Police Commissioner, Dermot Shea, announced that the NYPD saw an increase in applications from minorities prepared to take the entrance exam in comparison to past years. This may be due to the elimination of an entrance fee typically associated with the exam.

In an effort to boost recruitment this year, NYPD officials said that it waived the usual fee of $40 for taking entrance exams and extended the sign-up period to encourage enrollment. The department also did an extensive recruitment drive on social media platforms and police officers went into neighborhoods to try to encourage applicants to sign up for the tests, the officials said. The slogan for the recruitment drive was “Be the Change.”

Mother Gains National Attention Recreating Fashionable Kids’ Clothing from Thrift Store Finds

Alissa Bertrand (Alissa B.) is an expert at making an old clothing style or fabric look updated or new again, while stretching dollars. Bertrand is a fashion designer who, according to Atlanta Magazine, is a mother of six who drew national attention with her upcycled clothing brand, Jabella Fleur. Bertrand is known to showcase redesigned thrift textiles on her Instagram page where she celebrates the intersection of nostalgia and fashion.

Atlanta Magazine said that the homeschooling mother became frustrated with limited clothing options for her three youngest daughters. After her 21-year-old daughter, Abigail began taking photos of some of her siblings wearing their mother’s retro designs and dresses, the brand—Jabella Fleur— was born. The creative mother learned how to sew as a child.

“Though Bertrand could find fun, vintage outfits for herself at places like Park Avenue Thrift and Value Village, the stores didn’t offer similar styles and fabrics in children’s sizes. So, about three years ago, the home sewer started creating dresses, jumpsuits, and separates for her girls using curtains, bedsheets, and other thrifted textiles sourced from Etsy and shops around the city,” Atlanta Magazine reported.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alissa B. (Designer) (@jabellafleur)

Bertrand also told Atlanta Magazine that thrifting is cost-effective. Reusing fabric made more sense than spending $15 per yard or more for new fabric.

In 2020, the home sewer told Vogue that she originally wanted to make womenswear and planned to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta. The pandemic interrupted her plans. Bertrand began focusing instead on planning her upcoming line for kids, according to Vogue.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Vogue (@voguemagazine)

“I just try to create what I would have wanted to see growing up,” Bertrand told Vogue. “I never saw images of girls in fashion. That sense of confidence, and power, I never saw that. I probably would be a different person by being exposed to something like that.”

Vogue also said that Bertrand plans to work on a women’s line down the road.

Singer Sewing Co. even featured Bertrand on its YouTube channel. In one video, the designer and upcycling master demonstrated her technique of turning a little girl’s vintage dress into an outfit for her daughters. Bertrand also worked with Pink Chicken clothing brand to design Mommy & Me dresses.

Gaming Enthusiast Uses His Platform to Raise Awareness and Money For Sickle Cell Anemia

by Andrea Blackstone

May 21, 2021

Gaming Enthusiast Uses His Platform to Raise Awareness and Money For Sickle Cell Anemia

According to the CDC, 1 in 13 Black or African American babies is born with sickle cell trait (SCT). The inherited red blood cell disorder reportedly affects approximately 100,000 Americans. AfroTech reported that a video game streamer name Ryan—who also goes by the gamer tag name “DaCommonCold1” online— decided to use his hobby to raise money for sickle cell anemia. He set a goal of raising $1,000 and will be accepting donations for the cause this month, according to AfroTech.

“I have two friends and an aunt who are affected by sickle cell. I had known about the disease for a long time but had never actively learned more about it. Once I started researching on my own, I noticed there weren’t many resources on the subject. I wanted to raise awareness and contribute for the people in my life who battle with sickle cell,” Ryan told AfroTech. “For a $1 donation, I’ll give a gracious ‘thank you’ on the stream. At $5, I do pushups on stream. There’s a whole spectrum of options. One person even donated enough to have me dance on stream to show my appreciation for their support.”

According to Ryan’s TWITCH streamer profile, he is teacher, father, husband, anime enthusiast, and avid music lover who streams PC, XBOX, and PS4 games.

“My favorite games are everything zombie-related, indie games, games I can play with my viewers,” Ryan said.

The gaming video enthusiast is touching upon an important health issue that still appears to be under-discussed. Fortunately, other gamers are periodically using their gaming platform to also raise awareness about sickle cell anemia.

In 2020, The Oakland Press said that during a 24-hour charity stream, Phillip Shaun DeVone and Miles Bond raised nearly $2,000 for the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America’s Michigan Chapter Inc.

According to the report, soon after DeVone and Bond met at Oakland Community College’s Orchard Ridge Campus, the friends discovered that they both live with sickle cell disease.

“This disease affects mostly minorities—people of African, Latinx, and Middle Eastern descent. For that reason, the disease isn’t talked about very much. The disease is extremely painful and even kills people,” DeVone said, during the interview.

You may leave a donation or message for “DaCommonCold1” via TWITCH, or you may connect with him through Facebook.

Nina King Becomes Duke’s First Black Woman Athletic Director

Duke University has named Nina E. King vice president and director of athletics of the amateur athletics powerhouse, making her the first Black woman to hold the position.

King, currently Duke’s senior deputy director of athletics for administration and legal affairs and chief of staff, succeeds Kevin M. White, who is retiring after 13 years in the position. King was chosen after a nationwide search.

“I am thrilled that Nina will be our Vice President and Director of Athletics,” university president Vincent E. Price said. “In her time at Duke, Nina has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, earning the esteem of our coaches, student-athletes, athletics staff, and colleagues in athletics departments across the country. Nina is recognized as a committed advocate for inclusive excellence in collegiate athletics, and she has represented Duke on committees of the NCAA, ACC, and many other national organizations. I can imagine no better person to carry on Kevin White’s exceptional record at Duke.”

According to The Charlotte Observer, King joined Duke in 2008. As senior deputy athletics director, King observed the football and women’s basketball programs. Among the varsity varsity sports offered at the school are men’s and women’s basketball to men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track & field.

“King becomes the sixth female athletics director among the Power Five conference schools. Three are in the ACC in King, Williams and Pittsburgh’s Heather Lyke,” The Charlotte Observer added.

According to the Associated Press, King is the third Black woman to works as an athletic director in the Power Five conferences. She will join Carla Williams at the Atlantic Coast Conference’s University of Virginia, and Candice Lee at Vanderbilt in the Southeastern Conference.

King joyfully tweeted about her promotion.

“Thrilled for this incredible new opportunity! Love my Duke family and so excited to continue our tradition of excellence. #GoDuke,” King wrote.

BEA, Wells Fargo Announce Fund For Black Entrepreneurs And Business Owners

by Derek Major

May 20, 2021

BEA, Wells Fargo Announce Fund For Black Entrepreneurs And Business Owners

The Black Economic Alliance and Wells Fargo have launched the Black Economic Alliance Entrepreneurs Fund (BEA Fund), to accelerate the growth of Black entrepreneurs and business owners.

The $50 million BEA Fund will provide seed, startup, and early-stage capital funding to businesses founded or led by Black entrepreneurs. Wells Fargo will help support the effort with a $20 million commitment over five years to help boost the program’s operations and investments.

“Business ownership has been one of the best paths to multi-generational wealth creation for some Americans, but too few Black entrepreneurs have secured the financial resources necessary to launch and grow successful businesses. The Black Economic Alliance is proud to marshal resources to support more Black-owned businesses and founders, which will leverage hiring more Black workers and additional investment in Black businesses and communities,” David Clunie, executive director of the Black Economic Alliance said in a release. “We are thankful to Wells Fargo for providing $20 million in anchor funding to catalyze the launch of this important, long-term investment in Black entrepreneurs.”

According to the release, the BEA fund will recycle 100% of returns to support ongoing operations and investments in Black businesses and entrepreneurs.

Vanessa Bryant Being Accused of Leading a ‘Fishing Expedition’ Against the County of Los Angeles

With the pending lawsuit that Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, has filed against Los Angeles for first responders taking and showing photographs of the death scene to people outside of official capacities, it has become a back and forth between the two parties.

According to USA Today, Bryant, who is suing the county of Los Angeles for negligence and invasion of privacy, has accused county sheriff and fire department employees of sharing photos from the scene of the helicopter crash that took the lives of her husband, Kobe, and daughter, Gianni, along with 7 others. Los Angeles, in response, has stated in a new court filing that Bryant is leading a fishing expedition that is taking first responders away from their jobs. They also are claiming that this is also subjecting them to harassment after she sued them and posted four of the names of the responders on Instagram in March.

“This straightforward case, with undisputed facts, has turned into a fishing expedition that is taking first responders away from their jobs — and subjecting them to public harassment and threats,” it states in a filing submitted in federal court this week by attorneys for the county. “Defendants are eager to have their day in court and put an end to this.”

On Second Anniversary As Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot Grants Interviews To Reporters Of Color Only

In the days leading up to her second anniversary as mayor of Chicago, Lori Lightfoot made waves by announcing she would only do interviews with Black and Hispanic journalists.

Defending her move, Lightfoot said since she took office, she’s been surprised by the “overwhelming whiteness and maleness of Chicago media outlets, editorial boards, the political press corps and the City Hall press corps.” In a two-page letter she wrote to members of Chicago’s media Wednesday, Lightfoot doubled down.

“In the year 2021, with a Black lesbian mayor, a Black woman City Treasurer, a Latinx woman City Clerk, and a majority Black and Latinx City Council, the group of reporters assigned to cover City Hall is practically all white,” Lightfoot wrote. “While there are women of cover who sometimes cover my administration, there are zero women of color assigned to the City Hall beat. Zero. I find this unacceptable and I hope you do too.”

Several outlets, including the Chicago Tribune, have declined to participate in the interviews. WBEZ Chicago also disputed Lightfoot’s claim, noting two of its three City Hall reporters are minority women–one South Asian and one Hispanic.

Lightfoot’s two years in office haven’t been a breeze. She had a well-publicized fight with the Chicago Teachers Union, The Chicago Police Department issued a vote of no confidence against Lightfoot as she hasn’t been able to curb gun violence. She also admitted she knew about a police raid that left a naked Black woman handcuffed. The police later discovered they raided the wrong house.

The Board of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) agreed with Lightfoot’s call for newsrooms to diversify their press ranks, but added it cannot support Lightfoot’s action.

“NABJ’s history of advocacy does not support excluding any bona fide journalists from one-on-one interviews with newsmakers, even if it is for one day and in support of activism,” the NABJ board wrote in a statement Wednesday.

Two NYPD Officers And A Racist Retiree Got Busted in Corruption Probe

RELATED CONTENT: DAUGHTER OF FORMER NYPD OFFICER SAYS LETTER IMPLICATING FBI AND NYPD IN MALCOLM X’S DEATH IS FAKE

First Black Woman Appointed Top Editor of Harper’s Bazaar Does The Important Work at an ‘Unprecedented Time’

Vermont Police Outed for Discriminating Against State’s Only Black Lawmaker

NYPD Eliminates Application Fee Which Leads to a Spike in Black Applicants

RELATED CONTENT: Ben & Jerry’s is Sick and Tired of White Supremacy, Want To Defund The Police

Mother Gains National Attention Recreating Fashionable Kids’ Clothing from Thrift Store Finds

Gaming Enthusiast Uses His Platform to Raise Awareness and Money For Sickle Cell Anemia

RELATED CONTENT: This Mother-Daugther Duo Created An Mobile Gaming App Designed To Empower Black Girls

Nina King Becomes Duke’s First Black Woman Athletic Director

BEA, Wells Fargo Announce Fund For Black Entrepreneurs And Business Owners

RELATED CONTENT: Wells Fargo Investing $50 Million In Black-Owned Banks

Vanessa Bryant Being Accused of Leading a ‘Fishing Expedition’ Against the County of Los Angeles

RELATED CONTENT: Vanessa Bryant Files Lawsuit Over Release of Graphic Photos from Kobe’s Helicopter Crash Scene

On Second Anniversary As Chicago Mayor, Lori Lightfoot Grants Interviews To Reporters Of Color Only