50 Cent Is Donating $300,000 to Underperforming Houston Schools, Rebranding Himself in The Southwest
Rapper 50 Cent is donating $300,000 to three underperforming schools in the Houston Independent School District to secure that students get paid internships.
On a Monday press conference, the mayor of Houston, Sylvester Turner announced the G-Unity Foundation is partnering with Houston ISD and Horizon United to enrich poor Black students at Wheatley, Worthing and Kashmere high schools, KTRK-TV, a local ABC television station licensed to Houston, reported.
In addition to students from these three schools having paid internships and opportunities to connect with business leaders and 50 Cent himself, the rapper plans on expanding his educational venture, promising more to come.
Students will have access to the G-Unity Business Lab, a new entrepreneurial business program that some outlets like Vibe are describing as “MBA-level lessons that represent the full life cycle of a product or concept, from idea creation to marketing branding to running a company” designed for at-risk minorities.
“These programs will really get people excited to learn again after everything that’s been going on,” 50 Cent said.
“A quality of education is one of the best tools we can give students to succeed in the classroom and in their future professional career,” Turner said. “We want to create additional opportunities for young people who are going to be the scientists, entrepreneurs, engineers of the future.”
As it was reported on May 5, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson suddenly moved to San Antonio, Texas, after publicly announcing on social media that he was leaving his hometown of New York City. In addition to residing in San Antonio, 50 Cent apparently also lives in the Houston area, having made a connection with the local NAACP chapter and being welcomed by Turner.
“I am honored to be your mayor,” Turner said as he welcomed the philanthropist’s move to the city.
50 Cent has also been promoting himself, specifically his new liquor, Branson Cognac, in country destinations such as Omaha, Neb., Little Rock, Ark., and Indianapolis, Ind.
Mom Defends Son, Calls Out Teacher For Petty Exchange During Online Learning
Learning virtually during the pandemic has been tough for students and teachers. NPR reported that many teachers say they are reaching a breaking point. Ranker also shared
a thought-provoking email exchange that occurred between a Twitter user and her 7-year-old son’s teacher. @Cold_Case_Love said that the teacher could have shown her child more patience, when he forgot the educator’s name, during his online class.
Photo credit- Twitter- @Cold_Case_Love
“I want to thank me for speaking up and thank Ms. Teacher for making it right with my kid today. I don’t want to be a aggressive parent but I can’t let sh*t slide either,” @Cold_Case_Love tweeted.
Mother Lover 💛 (@Cold_Case_Love) reportedly addressed the teacher again, after the vocal parent was told that she took the teacher’s written response out of context. She also stated that the teacher did not address her or the student by name, upon responding. The parent also told the teacher that her son should be able to ask questions.
Twitter photo credit- @Cold_Case_Love
Some Twitter users defended the mother who shared the exchange, while stating that the mother did the right thing by addressing the matter.
Teachers have the ability to destroy their students self esteem. I applaud you for calling this out, your son will remember how you handled it and recognize inappropriate behavior instead internalizing it. I am glad the teacher took responsibility in the end. Thanks for sharing!
Some parents have given up on online schooling altogether. BuzzFeed contacted an overwhelmed mother named Sarah Parcak who said that her family stopped online schooling for the sake of her and her husband’s mental health, and the happiness of their son.
“It all got to be too much, and my husband and I discussed it at length,” Parcak told BuzzFeed. “It’s completely impossible, and it’s 100% not OK that every single parent I know is struggling and is 100% miserable. Who of you is happy right now about this? We need to be much more honest about how this simply won’t work for younger kids.”
As the school year begins to close, many families and teachers are struggling to reach the finish line of the academic year. Many would simply agree that it cannot arrive fast enough. A bigger question is how much younger students really did learn this year, under extremely stressful circumstances.
Naomi Campbell Welcomes Her First Baby, Shares Tender Photo on Instagram
Supermodel Naomi Campbell, 50, is now a mother. Many of her celebrity friends and fans responded enthusiastically with congratulatory messages on Instagram after Campbell shocked the world with the announcement today. She shared a tender photo of her cradling her baby’s feet, along with the big announcement.
“A beautiful little blessing has chosen me to be her mother, So honoured to have this gentle soul in my life there are no words to describe the lifelong bond that I now share with you my angel. There is no greater love,” Campbell said on her Instagram page.
Instagram photo credit- @naomi
Campbell’s mother tagged her in another post.
“Congratulations to my daughter Naomi on the birth of her daughter, I’m beyond thrilled as I’ve waited a longtime to be grandmother,” Valerie Morris Campbell said.
She posted the message with the same photo her daughter shared.
“We love you Mum ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,” Naomi responded.
Some inquiring minds want to know if Campbell gave birth to her first child, or if she elected to adopt. The answer is unknown. One Instagram user who asked was told by one poster that it was not his or her business.
In 2017, Campbell told The Evening Standard that she thought about having children all the time.
“But now with the way science is I think I can do it when I want,” Campbell said, during the interview.
Campbell also left the possibility of adopting open by answering “Maybe,” while teasing.
However, according to The Evening Standard, Campbell said that she did not want to be a single parent, because she thought that having a father figure was important.
The Wall Street Journalreported that Campbell was not ready to have children of her own in 2019.
“As for children, she says, ‘Not yet—I’ll see what the universe brings me.’ For now, what the universe has delivered is very much in the spirit of a “chosen family.” Adut Akech, the young model, calls her Mama, and she considers herself responsible for many of the children she meets through her philanthropic work,” The Wall Street Journal said.
Instagram photo credit- @naomi
Campbell’s time to become a parent has come on her own terms. No matter how her bundle of joy arrived in her life, the golden hour of her motherhood journey is a welcome one.
N.C. Prosecutor Says Andrew Brown Shooting Was Justified, Won’t Charge Officers
Reuters – A North Carolina prosecutor will not bring criminal charges against sheriff’s deputies for the fatal shooting of Andrew Brown, a Black man, outside his home last month, saying on Tuesday that the killing was justified because Brown endangered their lives by driving toward them.
Pasquotank County District Attorney Andrew Womble said he had concluded his investigation and found no wrongdoing by the deputies, despite calls for prosecution by lawyers for Brown’s family, who described his death as an execution.
Brown, 42, was shot as he resisted arrest and tried to speed off in his car during a morning raid at his home on April 21 in Elizabeth City, a riverfront community where just over half of the roughly 18,000 residents are Black.
“Mr. Brown’s death was justified,” Womble told reporters at a news briefing in which he also showed video taken from the body-worn cameras of the Pasquotank County sheriff’s deputies as they tried to arrest him on suspicion of selling illegal drugs.
Benjamin Crump and other lawyers representing Brown’s family, in a joint statement, decried what they called “Womble’s attempt to whitewash this unjustified killing,” and demanded that a North Carolina court allow the release of all videos.
The killing captured national attention, coming a day after former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted of murdering George Floyd in a highly publicized trial. It further fueled the raging debate over when police are justified in using deadly force in an arrest and when authorities should release body-worn camera video to the public.
Citing U.S. Supreme Court precedent on when deadly force is justified, Womble said the video showed the deputies behaving as any “reasonable police officer” would “when a violent felon used a deadly weapon to place their lives in danger,” describing how Brown drove his car toward them in a dangerous way. The officers would not face criminal charges, he said.
“The Constitution simply does not require police to gamble with their lives in the face of a serious threat,” Womble said. “They could not simply have let him go as has been suggested.”
VIDEOS OF SHOOTING
Womble said deputies arrived that morning to find Brown sitting in his car, talking on the phone. They surrounded the car, ordering him to show his hands and attempting to open the car door.
He played excerpts of video from the deputies’ body-worn cameras, which he said showed that Brown rapidly backed up, pulling a deputy over the car hood.
Brown continued to retreat until his path was blocked by his home, and then drove forward toward the officers. The officers repeatedly shouted at him to stop, but he ignored their commands and drove toward the same deputy who had been pulled over the hood.
Three of the deputies began firing at the car: one shot went through the windshield, and another five entered the car’s trunk and rear window, Womble said.
Brown suffered two gunshot wounds: a non-lethal shot to the shoulder and a fatal shot to the back of his head.
“Mr. Brown’s actions caused three deputies with the Pasquotank County Sheriff’s office to reasonably believe it was necessary to use deadly force to protect themselves and others,” Womble told reporters.
Womble said Brown was known to officers as having a long history of arrests and convictions dating back to 1995, including assault with a deadly weapon. Before heading to Brown’s home, officers were told that Brown had a history of resisting arrest or barricading himself against police, Womble said.
A chunk of crystal meth — an illegal stimulant — about as big as “a 50-cent piece,” was found in Brown’s car, Womble said. No weapons were found on Brown or in the car.
Lawyers for Brown’s family had previously said a 20-second portion of the video they were allowed to see showed he was “executed” by the officers, describing how they continued shooting at him as he drove away from them. In their statement on Tuesday, the lawyers said the videos showed that the officers were not in fear of their lives.
“Not only was the car moving away from officers, but four of them did not fire their weapons — clearly they did not feel that their lives were endangered,” they said.
Kristie Puckett-Williams of the North Carolina American Civil Liberties Union said the decision not to charge any of the officers was “business as usual” in a criminal justice system skewed against non-white people.
“Until we have radically changed the many ways the criminal legal system harms and kills Black and Brown people, justice will continue to elude its victims,” Puckett-Williams said in a statement.
The sheriff’s office did not respond to a request for comment. The three deputies who opened fire were put on administrative leave, and it was not immediately clear if or when they would return to regular duties.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation said in April it had begun investigating whether the deputies violated Brown’s civil rights.
(Reporting by Nathan Layne in Wilton, Conn., Barbara Goldberg in Maplewood, N.J., and Jonathan Allen and Peter Szekely in New York; Additional reporting by Sarah Lynch in Washington; Editing by Dan Grebler, Matthew Lewis and Steve Orlofsky)
Officer Who Shot and Killed Daunte Wright Faces Trial on December 6
A judge on Monday ruled that a trial could proceed regarding the death of Daunte Wright, saying there was probable cause in the case to support charges against the officer.
In a virtual conference, Hennepin County District Judge Regina Chu said Kimberly Potter, the officer who shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop after mistaking her gun for a Taser, could have a trial underway, the Associated Press reported.
Dec. 6 will be the tentative trial date for the trial.
It was on April 14, three days after the shooting, that Potter was charged over the killing in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota.
The 48-year-old officer, a 26-year veteran on the force, resigned on April 13. The Brooklyn Center Police chief Tim Gannon also resigned the same day citing the backlash from the community forced him out.
As BLACK ENTERPRISEpreviously reported, Potter had several mishaps on the force that some say suggests that she should have been fired.
“I do find that there’s probable cause to support the charge against the defendant, Ms. Potter,” Chu said.
In the year 2000, Potter was given a four-hour suspension after she missed an in-person training. In 2007, Potter was given a verbal reprimand for her work as part of a team looking into violent robberies in part of the city. In the write-up, a supervisor accused Potter of not doing enough to make direct contact with people in the area.
Potter was also disciplined for a number of on-the-job driving mishaps in 1995, 1996, and 1998. The latest findings point to a possible argument against Potter and the debated issue on whether or not police officers have been properly trained to combat issues, particularly with people of color.
However, Potter received a commendation involving a 2007 incident with a suicidal man and his 2-year-old daughter, and a few reprimands for driving mishaps.
Fisk University Receives Largest Gift In School History From Nashville Family
Fisk University has announced the single largest gift from a Nashville family since the school was established in 1866.
According to a Fisk University release, Amy and Frank Garrison gave a $2.5 million gift, which is the single largest gift the HBCU has received from a resident in the school’s hometown. The money will be used to establish an Endowed Chair in recognition of Diane Nash at Fisk’s John Lewis Center for Social Justice as well as an endowed scholarship fund.
Dr. Diane Nash was a former student at Fisk and student leader of the school’s civil rights movement, where she took part in the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins. The Endowed Chair will be named the Diane Nash – Descendants of the Emancipation Chair.
In a statement, Nash thanked Fisk for naming the chair after her.
“This is the first and only endowed chair with my name and I am so pleased to have it at my alma mater. This is such an honor and it belongs not only to me, but also to the thousands of people who participated in the freedom movement with me.”
The attention and donations that HBCUs received last summer amid the Black Lives Matter movement has continued through 2021. Black celebrities, athletes, and entertainers have all chipped in over the past year to provide more attention, resources, and money to the education of Black men and women.
HBCUs in general are severely underfunded when compared to other public and private universities but are vital to the education of Black men and women. HBCUs account for about 3% of four-year nonprofit colleges, however, 80 percent of Black judges, 50 percent of Black lawyers and doctors, and 25 percent of Black undergraduates who earn degrees in STEM come from HBCUs.
In a statement, Amy Garrison called Fisk University an important asset for the city of Nashville.
“Fisk’s extraordinary contributions to the fabric of American life are well documented and today’s students are eager to continue in the footsteps of those legendary leaders, like Diane Nash and John Lewis, who helped shape a better future and set lasting examples of courage and purpose for all of us,” said Frank Garrison. Amy Garrison added “Fisk is such an important asset to our ever-changing city and we wanted to recognize that; Fisk is so deserving of city-wide support and we are very happy to be in a position to lend ours.”
Recording Artist Saint Cassius Collaborates With Local Business to Give Back to the Community
Collaboration in business is an important aspect for growth when you have the option to do so. When Black companies can get together to create something that can be beneficial to both parties, then everyone wins when it is a success. As an artist, collaborations can be essential for growing your audience and expanding your reach.
Recording artist, Khalil “Saint Cassius” Walton, Harlem’s own, connected with a neighborhood business and spoke to BLACK ENTERPRISE about the collaboration, future plans, and how the coronavirus affected his business.
As a recording artist, what made you decide to start your own business, and how do you separate your artistry from your business acumen? Is it one and the same when it comes to how you do business?
I contributed to records for artists. The most recognizable contributions are the Bruno Mars single “Just the Way You Are” & J. Cole’s most-streamed single “No Role Modelz.” My initial music business was the management of intellectual property I accumulated. I always had an entrepreneurial spirit but in music, my focus was on helping creatives, specifically of color, to create and independently manage their intellectual property. I’d like to believe I’m equally as artistic as I am business-minded. My ability to find business in the art is one of the principles I’ve built my reputation on.
You’ve recently collaborated with a local Black-owned business. Could you tell us what that is, who you’ve partnered with, and what plans do you have for it to become successful?
I created a record called “Harlem Hops” as a tribute to the Black-owned craft beer bar in my neighborhood. Their musical taste along with their spirit for giving back to the community was on par with what I moved back to Harlem to do. I suggested we pair the record with a beer. We were able to bring the vision to fruition with Harlem Hops, Harlem Blue, and Four City Brewery. I’m deeply grateful to Kim & Kevin at Harlem Hops for pushing it to happen. We’re nearly sold out of the collaboration already and the record has been streamed over 100K times.
Being that you are an entrepreneur, is there anything else you’re working on that you’d like to discuss or is there anything you’d like to work on next in the near future?
My next project is one of my favorites because, like the beer collab, it ties in multiple artistic disciplines. In late 2020, I released a song called “Brown Skin Girls.” The single artwork is a beautiful piece created by one of my favorite painters Lauren Muller. We are hosting Lauren’s first exhibit at Kente Royal Gallery in Harlem and auctioning off the original canvass piece that we used for the “Brown Skin Girls” piece. Anyone in the community will have the opportunity to see the piece in person and purchase the piece along with 5% of the streaming rights of the song. We want the community to have a more tangible relationship with the art they consume and we want to maintain the ideal that music is a creative art and not just a part of the sports and entertainment industry. The auction will span the length of the exhibit, the full month of June & the recipient will be awarded a certificate of authenticity for their portion of all streaming sales. Hopefully, we’ll create a model for others to follow and as the badge of honor for owning our own rights becomes less of an ego stroke and more of a new economy, we’ll be seen as innovators and early adopters.
How has the coronavirus pandemic affected you and your business aspirations? Did you have to change anything businesswise?
Our experiential marketing has always superseded our digital marketing. The pandemic changed everything. Our ability to be charming in person and develop relationships was lost in the quarantine. I was fortunate enough to bring a baby girl into the world right before the quarantine. Watching her grow has become a symbol of the way the company has grown. We’ve taken our time to determine what impact we want to have in the community, with whom, and how we intend to go about it. We’ve become savvier in the digital space but have leaned in even more heavily to make sure our physical presence is felt. The craft beer collaboration has helped, the gallery exhibit will be the next step.
What suggestions and/or advice would you give to anyone who is looking to become a successful entrepreneur?
The best advice I have is to find an entrepreneur and study under them. The spirit of an entrepreneur, the detail, the responsibility, and the mental ownership is necessary for anyone to be successful. The diamonds are always there, we just typically see them as rocks. It is the entrepreneur who has the foresight to see them as more and takes on the task of turning them into beautiful treasures. The ability to watch someone do that allows you to dream your own dreams with realistic expectations. If you pair your experiences with books that detail actionable steps and where to start, why to start, how to start and methods to guide you, I believe anyone can make something from nearly nothing. Good to Great, by Jim Collins, Tribes by Seth Godin, Do You by Russel Simmons, and The 4 Disciplines of Execution by Sean Covey are books I recommend to everyone I work with as they’ve reinforced what I saw from entrepreneurs around me.
Celebrity Choreographer Ekandem Essiet Creates COVID-19 Relief Fund to Assists Dancers in Need
South Florida-based business owner, philanthropist, and dancer Ekandem Essiet has been in the choreography and dance industry for nearly 27 years. Having worked with Pitbull, Nicky Jam, Trina and Trick Daddy, Bobby Valentino, and Jae Holiday on Kings of Love Tour and Lil Wayne and 2 Chainz on the BET Awards. In addition, Essiet has worked with America’s Got Talent and choreographed the feature film Break The Stage.
Choreography and dance have fueled Essiet’s philanthropic efforts to assist dancers who have been affected by COVID-19 and now look for opportunities to earn during the ongoing crisis.
BLACK ENTERPRISE had the opportunity to speak with Essiet about the Miami Dancer Relief Fund, what has changed for dancers, and advice for dancers hesitant to pursue their dream amidst crisis.
What has changed for choreographers and dancers since the start of the pandemic?
There have been several changes. From the very beginning, the entire industry was shut down including TV, Film, and Stage. The shutdown took away a source of revenue and income not just for choreographers and dancers but for entertainers as a whole. The majority of dancers are 1099 independent contractors, which means you are getting paid per job.
Not being an employee made it very hard to apply for unemployment and for those that can receive unemployment it was very minimal.
What is the Miami Dancers Relief Fund?
I’ve always been very involved in the dance community. Some people lay foundations and other people that benefit from it. I always wanted to be a part of the foundation building by helping other dancers and choreographers. Leo Chavez reached out to me and asked if there was a way we could formally help out dancers. Miami Dancers Relief Fund, a community response to COVID-19 was born. We created a GoFundMe and began by reaching out to our contacts to start the donation process to receive assistance outside of our funds. It has gone pretty well with dancers receiving $500 a month through the program. It’s not a whole lot but it is something.
What advice do you have for dancers who are hesitant to pursue their dreams as a result of the pandemic and limited work?
I’ve always believed that if you work toward something and you push toward that goal it will make room for you. So if you’re training to be a dancer and trying to be the best you possibly can be then you’ll find your path. We can only control what we can control. We have to pursue our dreams regardless of the things happening around us.
LAPD Investigating Sexual Assault Charges Against T.I. And Tiny Harris
The sexual assault allegations against T.I. and Tiny Harris don’t appear to be dying down. The Family Hustle stars are now being investigated for new allegations coming out of Los Angeles.
On Monday, a member of the LAPD confirmed an ongoing investigation into claims made by an anonymous accuser in April, People reports. The charges stem from an unnamed woman who met with authorities in April to share her alleged encounter with the famous couple in 2005, via The Daily Beast.
The new charges coincide with another woman in Las Vegas who filed a police report with similar charges earlier this month. But Steve Sadow, an attorney for the couple, maintains their innocence considering the Harrises don’t know who the women are who have been making the accusations.
“The Harrises have not spoken to or been contacted by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), the Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD) or, indeed, any member of law enforcement from any other jurisdiction in the country,” Sadow said in a statement.
“Even assuming the story in the Daily Beast is close to accurate, it appears the LAPD ‘accuser’ has chosen once again to remain anonymous, thereby preventing us from being in a position to disprove or refute her allegations — or even examine them,” the statement continued. “Meanwhile, although we now appear for the first time to have the name of an ‘accuser’ who supposedly filed a police report with LVPD, we have absolutely zero details about her or her claim.”
The latest accusations come from a woman who says she met the couple at a Los Angeles nightclub and had accepted a sip of Tiny’s drink. She recalled the couple inviting her back to their hotel room where the three allegedly showered together. The woman says she fell ill while T.I. performed a sexual act on her despite her telling him “no.”
She said her last memory was throwing up in the bathroom before she woke up the next morning “very sore” with a “burning/itching sensation” in her genital area.
Since February, multiple anonymous claims have been made against the couple after a former friend, Sabrina Peterson, came forward with claims that T.I. put a gun to her head.
“The Harrises have had difficulty with this woman for well over a decade,” a statement read at the time. “[The couple is] taking this matter very seriously, and if these allegations don’t end, they will take appropriate legal action.”
Recently, claims came forward from a woman who says the couple allegedly forced her to sleep with the rapper, Nelly. Their family reality show has been halted as the rapper and singer try to privately handle all the allegations coming their way.
Family of Tamir Rice Urges Biden Administration to Reopen Investigation Into His Death
It’s been seven years since the fatal police shooting of 12-year-old Tamir Rice and his family is hoping that a new president will bring a new turnout to the investigation into his death.
The family has been pressuring authorities to reopen the investigation into Rice’s death after former President Donald Trump quietly closed the case in December and said the officers involved wouldn’t be charged. Last month, they launched Tamir’s Campaign, an effort to urge the Department of Justice to reopen Rice’s case and investigate Trump’s actions before leaving office, Forbes reports.
“Tamir would have been 19 years old in June,” Tamir’s mother, Samaria Rice, said in a statement last month. “I’m still in so much pain because no one has been held accountable for the criminal act that took his life. I’m asking DOJ to reopen the investigation into my son’s case; we need an indictment and conviction for Tamir’s death.”
Now, she’s spearheading a campaign to get the Biden administration to do what Trump failed to do and thoroughly investigate his death.
“It means everything to me and my family that we get some justice for Tamir,” Samaria said during a call with community members this week, BuzzFeed reports. “What that looks like for me is accountability, and an indictment, and a conviction. So I’m keeping the pressure on — we’re going to keep doing the work and we’ll keep everything going until they give me some answers.”
Reopening the investigation is the last step to holding former Cleveland police officer Timothy Loehmann accountable for the child’s murder. Just last month, Leohmann requested the Ohio Supreme Court look into his termination. He was fired from the department for lying on his job application, not for killing a 12-year-old boy. He was acquitted in 2015 by a grand jury who declined to charge him with Rice’s death.
“We are mindful that no one can guarantee a conviction and that prosecutions against police officers present special challenges,” the attorneys for the family of Tamir Rice wrote to the Justice Department last month. “But it is vital for [the] DOJ to establish that those who enforce our laws are subject to our laws.”
Though they have yet to hear back from the DOJ, the family is hopeful the Biden administration will help get the case reopened. Biden recently announced investigations into the fatal police shooting of Ahmaud Arbery and reviews of the police departments in Minneapolis and Louisville following the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
