• Career

by Andrea Blackstone

May 11, 2021

North Carolina Hair School Continues the Black Hair Braiding Tradition

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Hair braiding, hair weaving, natural hair care, and loctician certification course are among educational offerings at the school located at a Fayetteville, North Carolina-based school called hAirlooms Academy, which was founded by professional cosmetologist Dr. Airaina Griffith-Knight, according to the school’s website. The Fayetteville Observer said that Griffith-Knight aims to continue the hair braiding tradition in Black culture through hAirlooms Academy. It was licensed three months ago. The Fayetteville Observer also reported that the school started in 2001, but licensure in N. C. will now permit them to accept patrons for their students to get hands-on training in styling hair.

Griffith-Knight’s appreciation for hair braiding began when her single mother who was raising two girls did not always have time to do hair.

“When I was younger, my mom used to braid my hair all the time and some of the styles were kind of outdated,” Griffith-Knight told The Fayetteville Observer.

It was also noted that because of what Griffith-Knight learned from her mother, she later built a hair clientele on campus in college. Now, the cosmetologist and school founder said that teaching braiding techniques is important to her. It also inspired the name of her school.

“The heirloom is passing down the skill from aunts to nieces, cousins to cousins, sisters to sisters,” Griffith-Knight said, according to The Fayetteville Observer.

RELATED CONTENT: Texas Governor Signs Law Abolishing Natural Hair Braiding Regulations

The school’s website also mentioned that the hAirlooms Academy teaches care for the nails, skin, natural hair and scalp with a holistic approach. Griffith-Knight established North Carolina’s very first natural hair salon in 1997. She possesses over 20 years’ of experience in the natural hair industry and was a a natural hair lobbyist for the Natural Hair Bill, according to information provided there.

​ In 2020, NC Policy Watch reported about North Carolina lawmakers’ response to addressing hair discrimination. In the article, North Carolina Democratic Rep. G. K. Butterfield was named among  U.S. House lawmakers who pushed the anti-hair discrimination bill based on hair textures and styles.

“The bill, known as the CROWN Act, would clarify that discrimination based on race or national origin encompasses hair texture and style,” NC Policy Watch reported. “The issue is of particular concern to Black women, whose hair is more likely than white women’s hair to be perceived as “unprofessional,” according to a 2019 study of 2,000 Black and white women.”

Yahoo reported that California was the first state to pass The CROWN Act in 2019. It was recently passed in the tenth state, which is Nebraska.

Brooklyn Nets’ star player, Kyrie Irving, is once again blessing others with the fortune and goodwill he has amassed as a professional basketball player!

Irving and his company, KAI Family Enterprise, announced the launch of KAI Eleven Consulting, LLC (KAI 11 Consulting). The latest venture is a business consulting firm that was created to assist underrepresented entrepreneurs across a multitude of industries. KAI 11 Consulting intends to provide programs and mentoring that will give independent business owners and personnel access to seasoned development coaches, area managers, and growth groups that will also offer roadmaps to scaling and cultivating efficiencies. KAI 11 Consulting will be partnering with Michael Loeb, Bonin Bough, and Marcus Glover, co-founders of Lockstep Ventures, as they will provide resources that lessen the financial gap divide in various communities.

RELATED CONTENT: Venture Noire Launches New Cohort Program For Black Entrepreneurs With $1.3 Million Grant

“We must give our people the proper resources and stewardship for them to win beyond traditional investment vehicles,” said Irving in a written statement. “This is not only essential to closing the wealth gap, but it also fosters a more unified, empowered, and liberated society.”

The launch of Irving’s latest company, KAI 11 Consulting, is just the first of many steps in a comprehensive plan for the KAI 11 family of companies to work exclusively with mostly minority, woman-owned, and underrepresented businesses on a variety of initiatives. As more initiatives are scheduled, they will be announced later this year.

“At Lockstep, we are committed and passionate about finding solutions to reimagine equity for Black and women-led companies,” said Marcus Glover, co-founder and managing partner of Lockstep Ventures.

To learn more about KAI Eleven Consulting, LLC, you can send an email to info@kai11consulting.com and be added to the mailing list.

For more on Lockstep Ventures, please visit www.lockstepventures.com.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 11, 2021

Cases Dismissed After Former Baton Rouge Narcotics Officer Reveals Corrupt Policing

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Hundreds of drug cases have been thrown out after a former Black narcotics officer within the Baton Rouge Police Department revealed the shady corrupt police practices that were taking place.

Revelations made by former officer Jeremiah Ardoin have resulted in an investigation into the Baton Rouge Police Department, officers being transferred, one police officer being arrested, in addition to 640 dismissed drug charges, WBRZ reports. Ardoin’s exposé comes after he was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for buying stolen merchandise on the street. But he says the arrest was a setup in response to him wanting out of the department’s corrupt policing.

“At least three to four nights a week they would have us riding through the neighborhoods,” Ardoin recalled. “If you saw a random Black person walking around the street and hasn’t done anything, they would tell us just to jump out the vehicle, grab them and pat them down without probable cause. I voiced my opinions several times, and I didn’t agree with that.”

Ardoin’s complaints against the department started last August where he expressed his concerns about the narcotics division. He revealed practices where drugs were illegally stolen or planted on suspects, officers conducted “snapping” procedures where cops would “jump out” on random people (mostly Black) and subject them to unlawful search and seizures. He also told investigators that he watched his colleague, Jason Acree, steal drugs from the evidence room. The revelation led to Acree being arrested for malfeasance in office, drug charges, and obstruction of justice, Atlanta Black Star reports.

He also put in a request for a transfer. But shortly after word of his complaints spread, Ardoin was approached by a woman who wanted to sell him two cameras and a television. By December 2020, Ardoin was arrested for possession of stolen items.

“It was two Ring floodlight cameras and a TV,” Ardoin said. “It was about $500. It was a brand new package in the box, still had plastic wrap around the items, Styrofoam in the boxes. It wasn’t something I would have known was stolen.”

He recalled department detectives informing him that the items he purchased were stolen.

“As time went on, I started looking into things,” Ardoin said. “I realized the informant, the person that I purchased items from, was a confidential informant for detective Jason Acree.”

From there, Ardoin was convinced that his arrest was part of a larger coverup and retaliation from the department. “They realized I had spoken to administration and it could possibly cause them from being moved out of the division,” Ardoin said.

“Think about what this has cost,” Ardoin’s attorney Ron Haley said. “This cost folks jobs, housing, the bond money put up to post in some of these cases, attorneys fees to defend these cases, and these are things folks can’t get back.”

The Baton Rouge Police Department released a statement on Monday confirming that an investigation has been launched.

We can “assure the community that we have and will continue to take the appropriate actions, as these investigations progress,” the statement read. “As we strive to strengthen trust in our community, the Baton Rouge Police Department is committed to transparency, accountability, and integrity. I look forward to providing our community with a full report once these investigations are concluded.”

On Thursday, Mayor Sharon Weston Broome confirmed that “if the investigation determines the allegations are true, then those responsible for wrongdoing must be held accountable.”

Pop Smoke was naked and in the shower without protection against an opportunistic 15-year-old who stormed into his Hollywood Hills Airbnb.

New details have emerged that about the Canarsie, Brooklyn, up-and-coming hopeful’s death that some are saying made the situation much more tragic.

Related stories: RAPPER MASE: ‘THE WEAKEST THING A BLACK MAN CAN DO TODAY IS JOIN A STREET GANG’

In May, Los Angeles Police Department Det. Carlos Camacho said in a preliminary court hearing that the intruder was after Pop Smoke’s, whose real name is Bashar Barakah Jackson, Cuban link chain, The New York Daily News reported.

When the alleged gunman, Corey Walker, shot and killed Pop Smoke around 4 a.m. on Feb. 19., as Camacho described, “in the shower naked.” The 15-year-old was unsuccessful in his robbery mission and settled on taking his Rolex. It was reported that Walker sold the watch for $2,000.

“He admitted that he shot the victim three times with a Beretta 9 mm,” Camacho testified. “He said he shot him in the back.”

Walker is facing the death penalty if convicted, and three other underage suspects have been charged with murder and robbery too.

Walker confessed to using ski masks, gloves, and a police scanner, but oddly, the young man is pleading not guilty.

Christopher Darden, the former prosecutor in the O.J. Simpson trial, is Walker’s defense lawyer who made a motion to have this murder charge dismissed, saying Walker was simply the getaway driver and never stepped foot in the house.

• News

by Andrea Blackstone

May 11, 2021

NYC Street Renamed in Honor of Carlos Cooks, Often Forgotten Black Nationalist Who Coined ‘Buy Black’

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The northeast corner of West 166th Street and Broadway in New York was co-named Carlos Cooks Way on May 7, 2021, to honor the legacy of Black Nationalist Carlos Cooks, according to The Black Star News.

“Cooks was introduced to Marcus Garvey’s Black Nationalist fraternal organizations, the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA) and African Communities League, by his uncle and father, who were among the many St. Martiners who were Garvey followers,” The Black Star News reported.
At age 19, Cooks was officially recognized by Garvey and became a vital member of the movement.”

Not everyone has heard of Cooks, despite his history of once being highly regarded as a key activist. The Moguldom Nation said that Cooks was an important figure in the Black Nationalist movement.

“In many ways, he was the successor to influential Pan-African activist Marcus Garvey. Despite the major role Cooks played in the movement, he is not often remembered today,” The Moguldom Nation previously reported.

According to The Moguldom Nation, Cooks was born in the Dominican Republic on June 23, 1913. In 1929, Cooks moved to New York because he wanted to pursue higher education. Cooks’ leadership of the African Nationalist Pioneer movement entailed challenging popular thought in exchange for hardcore Black power.

“According to Cooks, the only way to secure a free future for Black people was through Black nationalism. In the African Nationalist Pioneer Movement’s national manifesto, he wrote, “The Black man, if he has any desire to survive, will have to embrace Black Nationalism — TOTALLY!” The Moguldom Nation also said.

The Pan African Alliance recalls that Cooks is known for many things, including administering the Advance Division of the Universal Negro Improvement Association (UNIA), after Garvey was deported.

Additionally, when it comes to the phrase “buy Black,” guess who is known for originally coining it? Cooks.

Hair Conking; Buy Black was one of his public lectures in 1955. During that time, Cooks talked about ‘The Buy Black campaign.’

Superior Court Judge Timothy Walmsley, the Georgia judge who is tasked with handling the trial of the three white men charged with killing Ahmaud Arbery, said the trial will start in the fall.

On Friday, it was announced that the murder trial of a 25-year-old Black man who appears to be innocuously jogging through Brunswick, Georgia, before he was allegedly shot by aggressive white men, will begin on Oct. 18, of this year, ABC News reported.

Related stories: AHMAUD ARBERY’S KILLERS ARRESTED AND CHARGED WITH MURDER AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULT

Greg McMichael, his son Travis McMichael, and their neighbor William “Roddie” Bryan will have their collective day in court.

Allegedly armed and seen in a truck on video on Feb. 23, 2020, Greg and Travis chased down Arbery who was jogging, blocked his pathway, and shot him with a shotgun, The Associated Press reported.

“On February 23, 2020, Ahmaud Arbery was in the Satilla Shores neighborhood in Brunswick, GA when both Gregory and Travis McMichael confronted Arbery with two firearms. During the encounter, Travis McMichael shot and killed Arbery,” the Georgia Bureau of Investigations said, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.

The video of the incident was not made public until the people advocated for its release. Two months later, the video sparked a national outrage that three men on tape could allegedly get away with murder. By that time, the men were formally charged.

A lawyer representing the three men says they were appending a suspected criminal. Some people had reported stolen belongings in the area and the McMichaels were making a citizen arrest.

They point to the security footage of Arbery looking inside an empty, soon-to-be constructed house to back up their argument. However, many others have noticed that nothing of value was stolen.

In June, it was reported that Travis used a racial slur after killing Arbery, showcasing how the citizen’s arrest was based on race and not rightful suspicion, Blavity reported.

• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 11, 2021

12-Year-Old Brooklyn Boy Dies After Classmate Punched Him in the Head on a $1 Dare

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A young boy has died after being punched in the head by a classmate, allegedly over a $1 bet in New York City.

According to ABC-7, a Brooklyn boy,12, is dead after he was attacked by a school classmate who punched him in the back of the head based on a “$1 dare.”

The young boy, Haitian-born Romy Vilsaint, had moved to New York to live with his father after his mother sent him to the United States for what she felt would be a better life for him. His family had stated that the boy was the target of violence and aggression by other students at the school he attended.

A 12 year old Brooklyn boy is dead. Family says Romy Vilsaint was beaten up at school twice. A relative says one of the beatings may have been a “$1 dare”. On Friday, was taken to the hospital where he later died. NYPD is investigating. pic.twitter.com/aEwXzXhCDe

— Lissette Nuñez (@LissetteNunezTV) May 8, 2021

After the incident at P.S. 361, paramedics were summoned and when they arrived, Vilsaint, who was conscious, had informed them that he was punched in the head. The family has stated that Vilsaint told them a boy was paid a dollar to punch him. He was taken to Kings County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The New York Police Department has launched an investigation into the matter.

NYC Councilmember Farah Louis has issued a statement about the tragic incident:

“Romy was only 12 years old and his life was invaluable, worth far more than the $1 dare that cut his life short and left his family searching for answers. This Mother’s Day weekend will be different for the Vilsaint family and his mother miles away in Haiti trying to cope with the loss of her son. This is a tragedy for a family who dreamed of a better life and brighter future for Romy now overwhelmed by grief and anguish. No parent should ever have to wonder whether their child will return safe and sound after school. We need to know more about what happened and how to prevent another family from this unimaginable experience. I am heartbroken by this news and extend my deepest sympathies to the Vilsaint family and the P.S. 361 community.”

The NY Department of Education also released a statement.

Statement from the Department of Education. The DOE is referring the incident to an independent body for investigation. pic.twitter.com/X4lkUmome4

— Lissette Nuñez (@LissetteNunezTV) May 8, 2021

A new documentary series chronicles the Washington, D.C.-area sniper and is narrated by the man himself.

Lee Boyd Malvo, who is serving a life sentence for his crimes in 2002, is the subject of VICE’s upcoming eight-part docuseries I, Sniper, where he discusses what he and former mentor John Allen Muhammad did, The Daily Beast reported.

Related stories: D.C. SCHOLAR, 16, WHO WAS DUALLY ENROLLED IN COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL DECIDES TO ATTEND FAMU IN THE FALL

I, Sniper, which premiered on May 10, had its challenges. Malvo could only be interviewed in 15-minute intervals due restrictions by Red Onion State Prison in Virginia, which meant the production took several years to complete.

“[The series] is most notable for putting its prime emphasis on the pair’s innocent victims, and the countless friends, family members and loved ones left to cope with unthinkable tragedy. To its admirable credit, it’s a true-crime affair that seeks to understand its “monsters” while simultaneously recognizing—and highlighting—the fact that such comprehension doesn’t necessitate empathy, especially when the atrocities in question are as inexcusably heinous as these,” Nick Schager of The Daily Beast observed

Muhammad, a scarred Gulf War veteran, took the 17-year-old Malvo under his wing. Malvo had a troubled childhood: his father left him and his mother. Malvo’s mother abused him and eventually left, too. Muhammad, who was executed in 2009, taught Malvo, a Jamaican-born citizen, how to hate America, in particular, the military, White people, and the American government system, theGrio reported.

It is also worth noting that Muhammad’s rage was fueled by the court’s decision to let his ex-wife, Mildred, have full custody of their children after he illegally took them without her knowing.

From September 5 to October  24, 2002, the D.C. sniper attacks lasted an entire month. Ten people were killed within what is commonly referred to as the DMV area, Washington, D.C, Maryland, and Virginia. However, the duo’s crime spree began in February 2002, and included murders and robberies in Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, and Washington.

Following a successful run of a pilot program, the United Negro College Fund is set to train an additional 1,500 faculty members from HBCU and PBI schools across the country.

UNCF’s online learning training is made available through a partnership with Strategic Education Inc., a notable provider in online learning. The training follows a 2020 pilot program that was launched in response to faculty members forced to rapidly transition to online instruction in wake of the pandemic.

Through the pilot training, 400 faculty members from 14 HBCU and PBI institutions received development training to assist them with transitioning to virtual learning. Participant survey data found that faculty confidence to design online learning activities to facilitate learner engagement grew from 50% to 95% with faculty’s confidence in guiding online learning discussions increasing from 48% to 89%.

“It really started out of a need from our member presidents. They basically said, “Hey, we’re all moving online. Not many of our faculty have done online in the past, what do we do? And so with the support of the Lilly Endowment, Inc, UNCF received a million dollars to launch something,” Ed Smith-Lewis, Executive Director, Institute for Capacity Building, UNCF told Black Enterprise.

UNCF took the million dollars and partnered with four different organizations including Arizona State University, Blackboard, and the John Gardner Institute. “Each of them presented opportunities for either two, four, or six-week courses” aimed at training faculty members for free while incentivizing them at the same time, Smith-Lewis shared.

Faculty response to the program showed confidence in staff designing online learning activities that grew from 50% to 95%, as noted by Crystal Moore, vice president of Higher Education Partnerships at Strategic Education.

“Faculty confidence in terms of guiding and maintaining discussions have, that’s gone from 48% to 89%,” Moore explained. “So we know faculty feel more prepared. And we know that just purely from the stats. But also just the anecdotal feedback that we hear from them.”

Data shows that faculty online learning activities that help students construct explanations/solutions grew from 47% to 93% with faculty confidence to use techniques for peer assessment growing from 40% to 90%.

“Every day, I get an email and it reads something like, “I am so glad that UNCF is offering this opportunity. I feel more equipped,'” Moore said. “And so I think the feedback has been tremendous. The outcomes have been strong.”

Eligible applicants include those employed at a federally recognized HBCU or PBI and fairly new to delivering online instruction. Enrollment comes on a first-come, first-serve basis with scholarship opportunities available. As the country moves toward reopening, UNCF plans to continue the online learning program through Dec. 31, 2021. More information on the training can be found HERE.

According to a press release, a $5,000 pitch competition to connect and support Black women business owners, entrepreneurs, and “side hustlers,” after a four-week virtual program that will include panel discussions lead by entrepreneurs Beatrice Dixon, Angela Simmons, and Tai Beauchamp. From May 1- 22, two-hour virtual workshops will be held from 12 – 2 p.m. EDT. Panel discussions with business leaders, virtual classes, and opportunities to connect with like-minded women will be provided for participants.

Boss Women Media partnered with Creme of Nature to support women looking to take their small business to the next level. Creme of Nature’s website said that it has created a plethora of remarkable hair products to help women achieve their best hair for more than four decades.

Boss Women Media’s website describes it as “an online membership platform & offline women’s empowerment & educational community.” It creates ‘event experiences for women to connect through summits, conferences, and networking opportunities. Its Founder and CEO, Marty McDonald, had a dream of creating a community of empowerment, change, and freedom, following an 11-year corporate career.

“She took an idea based on connection and turned it into a movement including the multi-city Black Girl Magic Tour, the annual Boss Woman of the Year Summit, and a loyal community of more than 100,000 women,” reads the website.

“Our mission is to create a space for Black women and empower them as leaders in communities across the country,” McDonald said in the press release. “We are especially proud to partner with Creme of Nature as they continue to support our vision and serve as an ally by helping women launch the businesses of their dreams, leading to long-term wealth and economic impact across the country.”

Home Hustlers: Beauty Edition will highlight speakers who will share expertise around entrepreneurship, such as Courtney Adeleye, Dixon, and Simmons. Workshops will include topics such as writing a business plan, fundraising, running an online business, scaling, and diversifying your revenue.

Learn more about signing up for the virtual program by clicking here or visit Boss Women Media’s Instagram page.