• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

May 5, 2021

Create Multilingual Content and Expand Your Reach With This Video Translator

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If you regularly create and publish video content, you’re most likely only catering to a specific target audience. But if you wish to expand your reach and influence, you don’t have to craft an entirely different set of videos to connect with them. You can make your content relevant to other people via the magic of translation.

While streaming platforms like YouTube have built-in translation capabilities, you either have to add them yourself or depend on AI to translate your content for you, but the feature is still clunky at best. It’s better to use a platform specifically designed to translate videos and provide transcription, like Streamr.

Streamr is the only desktop-app multilingual video translator with built-in live streaming technology. Also, it boasts a chock-full of features for automatic transcribing, automatic translation, overlay subtitles, and automatic audio translation, effectively eliminating the tough work associated with translation. It leverages state-of-the-art artificial intelligence and an UN-style voiceover method. You can convert pretty much any video into a global sales machine and captivate audiences across the globe. Simply select the accent, dialect, and style from over 270 voices available.

Google Wavenet Voices is also integrated into the platform. This gives you the choice of converting your videos in any language and supporting multiple speech voices in a single video. In addition, there is even automated caption creation and a built-in live stream to YouTube and Facebook.

In this day and age, going global is no longer an option—it’s a necessity. With Streamr, tap into any market by instantly translating any English video into another language. The best part is you don’t have to cough up monthly fees to enjoy the service. You can produce unlimited multilingual videos for yourself or your clients with this versatile app. Grab a subscription today for only $49.99.

Prices subject to change.

• Business

by Derek Major

May 4, 2021

Business Groups Urge Texas Lawmakers To Reject Voting Restrictions

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(Reuters) – Two coalitions of business leaders on Tuesday urged Texas state lawmakers to reject any laws that would limit voters’ access to ballots, adding corporate America’s voice to a statewide debate over proposed voting restrictions.

American Airlines Group Inc, based in Fosarth Worth, Texas, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co, Microsoft Corp, Salesforce.com Inc and Unilever Plc are among more than 50 companies, chambers of commerce and business leaders in one of the coalitions, Fair Elections Texas.

“When more people participate in our democratic process, we will all prosper,” said the letter they released.

Texas state lawmakers are considering two bills, one from the House and one from the Senate, that would limit early voting, change polling locations, restrict how voters can apply for mail-in ballots and give partisan poll watchers more power.

RELATED CONTENT: Most Powerful Black Business Leaders Urge Corporate America to Fight For Voting Rights

The House is expected to hold a floor vote on its bill soon, after which lawmakers would try to reconcile the differences between the House and Senate bills in a separate committee.

The proposals are the latest among voting limitations also introduced by Republicans in Georgia, Arizona and Florida, citing unsubstantiated claims by former President Donald Trump that the November election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden was stolen from him.

Top U.S. companies decried Georgia’s law, and Major League Baseball moved its All-Star game out of the state in protest.

The second letter to Texas lawmakers on Tuesday came from a group of about 175 Houston-area business and community leaders. It said that the bills under consideration would “damage our competitiveness in attracting businesses and workers to Houston.”

The office of the state’s Speaker of the House, Republican Dade Phelan, did not immediately return a call for comment.

After American Airlines first criticized one of the proposed bills in April, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick accused American’s chief executive of failing to read it, something the airline denied.

(Reporting by Jessica DiNapoli and Joseph Ax; Writing by Julia Harte; Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Grant McCool)

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

May 4, 2021

NFL Hall Of Famer And Jackson State Head Coach Deion Sanders Furious No HBCU Players Selected In NFL Draft

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NFL Hall of Famer and Jackson State Head Coach Deion Sanders is angry that not one draft-eligible HBCU football player, including his own, was selected in the NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft took place last Thursday through Saturday and 259 players were taken to join one of the league’s 32 teams as rookies. However, none of the players drafted played at an HBCU school. Sanders, who took the Jackson State position in part to bring exposure to HBCU football was not happy about that.

In an Instagram post on Monday, Sanders expressed his frustrations at the league and its teams.

 

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A post shared by COACH PRIME (@deionsanders)

“And we have the Audacity to Hate on one another while our kids are being NEGLECTED & REJECTED,” Sanders wrote in the caption. “I witnessed a multitude of kids that we played against that were more than qualified to be drafted. My prayers are that This won’t EVER happen again. Get yo knife out my back and fight with me not against me!”

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, this year’s NFL Combine was canceled. The Combine is a week-long invitational where draft-eligible college football players perform physical and mental tests in front of NFL coaches, general managers, and scouts. HBCU schools were slated to host their own combine before the NFL’s showcase, but like the traditional combine, it was canceled due to the pandemic.

The pandemic also upended the traditional fall college football season. Schools across the country spent the fall season canceling games, shortening seasons, or postponing their fall seasons until this spring which is what Sanders’ team did.

Although no players were drafted, three men, Grambling’s David Moore; Florida A&M’s Calvin Ashley; and North Carolina A&T’s Mac McCain were signed to free-agent contracts after the draft.

Hall of Fame quarterback Doug Williams, who attended Grambling and became the first Black quarterback to win a Super Bowl in 1987 shared Sanders sentiments.

“It’s hard to believe that not one guy is worth being drafted,” Washington Football Team senior adviser Doug Williams told The Washington Post

Notable HBCU Football players include Williams, Former Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders Head Coach Art Shell (Maryland Eastern Shore) Former Houston Oilers/Tennessee Titans quarterback Steve McNair, and former New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan.

A judge ruled that Columbus, Ohio, police officers have to stop using excessive force against nonviolent protesters.

A recent example would be the tear gas and rubber bullets that were used on peaceful protesters demonstrating for Ma’Khia Byrant, a 16-year-old young girl who was living in foster care who was shot and killed by officer Nicholas Reardon, The Washington Post reported.

Related stories: OFFICER WHO FATALLY SHOT 16-YEAR-OLD MA’KHIA BRYANT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED

Last Friday, Judge Algenon L. Marbley of the Southern District of Ohio said that he saw enough evidence that officers applied “random and indiscriminately” force to rattle up protesters.

“Some of the members of the Columbus Police Department had no regard for the rights secured by this bedrock principle of American democracy. This case is the sad tale of police officers, clothed with the awesome power of the state, run amok,” Marbley said, WBNS-TV reported.

The decision is part of ongoing litigation that involves 26 plaintiffs who sued the city in response to the handling of protests in July of last year: pepper spray, tear gas, sound cannons, batons, and rubber and wooden bullets used on peaceful Columbus, Ohio, protesters.

“We are pleased that the Court recognized the truth of the overwhelming testimony, shocking videos, and heart-wrenching pictures and issued an injunction which protects the people from the police,” said Sean Walton, one of the lawyers for the 26 plaintiffs.

Aggressive policing of protestors is not a problem exclusive to Columbus, Ohio.

Activists in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, are saying police officers are escalating tensions in the Andrew Brown protests, The Hill reported.

There are reports of the streets of Elizabeth City being littered with polices and special units from Homeland Security and officers from other jurisdictions.

The Hill also stated that the cost of aggressive and heightened police presence is $25,000 per day.

• Business

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 4, 2021

Lil Yachty Releasing Nail Polish Line ‘4 ALL GENDERS’

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Rapper Lil Yachty is known for his standout style that includes colorful braids and nails. Now the hitmaker is sharing his love for decorated nails with the world by releasing his own nail polish line.

The Indiana native announced his new beauty business venture on social media. “I’d like to introduce my new nail paint line @crete__co …. FIRST COLOR DROP MAY 21. 4 ALL GENDERS. FOR YOU, NOT THEM!,” he captioned a photo slide of him promoting his new products. 

 

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A post shared by ^CONCRETE BOY BOAT^ 👷🏾 (@lilyachty)

• Education

by Derek Major

May 4, 2021

Debate Ensues At New Jersey Law School After White Student Quotes N-Word

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Controversy has erupted at Rutgers Law School after a white first-year law student used the N-word while quoting case law during a professor’s virtual office hours.

According to the Daily Mail, the student repeated a line from a 1993 legal opinion that included the N-word. during a video conferencing session with two other students. The student hesitated, saying ‘He said, um — and I’ll use a racial word, but it’s a quote. He says, “I’m going to go to Trenton and come back with my [N-word]s”‘.

The incident has led to a debate on the rights of free speech on a college campus. Not long after the incident, a group of first-year Black students began circulating a petition pushing for the creation of a policy on racial slurs and asking for a formal public apology from the student and professor, Vera Bergelson, who told the New York Times she would’ve corrected him if she heard it.

Bergelson added that she was not made aware of her students’ objections until the petition began circulating in April.

RELATED CONTENT: White Woman Fired For Being Racist; Called Neighbor The N-Word, Called The Police On Her

One of the other students on the call contacted the student who said the N-word to say she would’ve avoided using the word and offered her phone number to continue the discussion with the third student. One of the students on the call told a Black classmate and a recording of the meeting was discovered online and shared.

The situation has been complicated by students and faculty who are showing support on both sides. A number of Black professors at the university have signed the student’s petition and their request for an apology, including professor Adam Scales.

“There is something extremely antiseptic about the term ‘N-word’. There is something that softens the impact,” Scales told the Daily Mail.

On the other side, professors and students have signed a statement of support for Professor Bergelson and the student who made the comment.

Educators across the country have faced a reckoning on the use of the word and ideas on race. Duquesne Professor Gary Shan was fired late last year for using the N-word three times during an online lesson. A high school teacher in Houston was stripped of their teaching duties and placed on administrative leave in April following a lesson on the N-word.

• News

by Christian Spencer

May 4, 2021

Al Sharpton Rebuked Sen. Tim Scott’s ‘America Is Not A Racist Country’ Remark

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At the funeral of Andrew Brown Jr., a Black man who was shot in the head while being served a search warrant in North Carolina, Al Sharpton said the eulogy for Brown’s loved ones, but he also served Sen. Tim Scott (R- S.C.) in his own way.

Scott, who is currently taking criticism from Black social media, for saying “America is not a racist country” in response to President Joe Biden’s address to Congress, received a response on Monday from Sharpton who told Scott, Yes it is, NewsOne reported.

Related stories: MSNBC HOST TIFFANY CROSS CALLED SEN. TIM SCOTT ‘TAP DANCING’ SLAVE OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY

Sharpton was in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, where Brown was killed and laid to rest when he said America was founded by racist policies.

The civil rights leader also took note that Biden, an elderly white man, motivation’s are more aligned with what Black people think than the lone Black Republican in Congress whose remark denies systemic oppression of people of color, including his own.

While Sharpton did not resort to calling Scott “Uncle Tim” or an Ore like Texas Democratic leader Gary O’Connor did on his personal Facebook, he made a list of points to back up his claims of why America is racist.

“The practice of America was built on racism. We were brought here to work and never get paid. That’s how the country was founded,” Sharpton said. “In 1847, Black people were chattel in Elizabeth City. What do you mean America is not racist? It was started off racism!”

“We still have racism in a systematic way in America,” he added, noting how there are examples of inequality that persisted throughout the years.

More importantly than addressing Scott’s opinion, Sharpton is more intrigued with why law enforcement has yet to release the bodycam footage of Brown’s death.

As reported by USA Today, Sharpton compared the police timidness to be transparent to a con.

“I know a con game when I see it. Release the whole tape, and let the folks see what happened to Andrew Brown,” Sharpton said.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 4, 2021

LeBron James Admits to Fueling ‘The Wrong Conversation About Ma’Khia Bryant’

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Ten days after LeBron James’ tweet-and-delete regarding the fatal police shooting of Ma’Khia Bryant, the NBA champion is owning up to his poor choice of words.

James made headlines after he tweeted out a photo of the officer who fatally shot Bryant and said YOU’RE NEXT #Accountability,” WKYC reports. The tweet came after James tweeted the word “ACCOUNTABILITY” in response to Derek Chauvin being found guilty of killing George Floyd. After leaving the tweets up for a few hours, James deleted the tweet and claimed it was being used to spread more hate.

On Monday, James returned to Twitter and admitted to sending out a poorly worded tweet after Bryant’s death. “I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it,” the four-time NBA MVP wrote. His tweet included a link to writer Fabiola Cineas’ Vox News article entitled “Why They’re Not Saying Ma’Khia Bryant’s Name.”

“Thank you @fabiolacineas for educating us about Ma’Khia and her story and why this needs to be about her. #sayhername #Blacklivesmatter,” James wrote before adding an additional tweet that read “Protect our Young Black Women & Men!”

I fueled the wrong conversation about Ma’Khia Bryant and I owe it to her and this movement to change it. Thank you @fabiolacineas for educating us about Ma’Khia and her story and why this needs to be about her. https://t.co/Owh1vDJWXi   #sayhername #Blacklivesmatter

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 3, 2021

James was under fire for his since-deleted tweet that included a photo of Nicholas Reardon, the officer who fatally shot 16-year-old Ma’Khia Bryant amid her physical altercation with a group of young girls. In the aftermath of James’ tweet, the Akron native faced public scrutiny from conservative pundits and law enforcement officials who took issue with his message.

Detective James McBride appeared on Fox News and called James a “hypocrite” who was “inciting violence…towards police officers.” There was also a union letter that asked NBA commissioner Adam Silver to launch an investigation into James’ tweets.

Disgraced NFL champion O.J. Simpson even called James out and told him he should have done more research before speaking too soon. But it looks like LeBron is taking accountability and turning the since-deleted tweet into a teachable moment.

Former rapper and hip-hop executive Bryan Christopher Williams, who was once in a group with producer Mannie Fresh known as Big Tymers, is also the co-owner and founder of Cash Money Records. With an artist roster consisting of Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Tyga, and artists who were formerly on the label such as Juvenile, Cory Gunz, and Hot Boys, the publishing checks must be incredible! Especially owning the masters of all the aforementioned artists.

According to Complex, Williams once known as Baby and now simply known as Birdman, had an exclusive sit-down with Wallo of Where’s Wallo, and during the interview, the label owner revealed the amount of money he and his label, Cash Money Records typically make yearly from owning the masters of its current and former artists. He revealed that the label pockets between $20 and $30 million per year.

“If it has a value. That’s a value. If you don’t have a value, you sitting on some sh*t that’s dead — but it’s still your sh*t. But our sh*t had value. We license the music. I just started letting people sample my sh*t. There’s a gang of ways to make money off your masters. We generate $20 to $30 million dollars a year just on our masters.”

The artist who has been on the label the longest, Lil Wayne, actually sued Cash Money Records back in 2015 for $51 million. According to HipHopDX, Lil Wayne settled the suit for over $10 million and had his imprint, Young Money Records transferred from Cash Money to Universal directly. The 49% stake Birdman possessed in Young Money was also transferred to Wayne. Then in June 2020, Lil Wayne sold his masters to Universal Music Group for $100 million.

In a 2016 interview with ESPN’s His & Hers, Lil Wayne said, “Everything I’ve done for them, they wouldn’t be them without me,” he said at the time. “But I’m off the team, so it’s, ‘Screw him as long as we can, make sure we’re going to screw him as much as we can, and when we can’t no more, let’s see what happens to him.’

The acquisition of the Tidal streaming service is now complete. Business titans Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Jack Dorsey have reportedly finalized the deal that was first announced back in March with Dorsey’s Square taking majority ownership of Jay-Z’s Tidal.

Earlier this year, Square Inc. announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire a majority ownership stake in the Jay-Z helmed TIDAL. TIDAL is the global music and entertainment platform that brings fans and artists together through unique music, content, and experiences. With this transaction, Square was anticipated to pay a mix of cash and stock worth $297 million for a majority ownership stake, and the existing artist shareholders will be the remaining stakeholders. TIDAL will operate within Square, alongside the Seller and Cash App ecosystems.

RELATED CONTENT: Jay-Z Launches His Own Cannabis Brand, Monogram

According to TMZ, the deal was finalized late last week for a reported $302 million that gives Square 80% of the company which has a $350 million valuation. Jay-Z and Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez are staying on board.

At the time of the initial announcement, Jay-Z stated, “I said from the beginning that TIDAL was about more than just streaming music, and six years later, it has remained a platform that supports artists at every point in their careers.”

“Artists deserve better tools to assist them in their creative journey. Jack and I have had many discussions about TIDAL’s endless possibilities that have made me even more inspired about its future. This shared vision makes me even more excited to join the Square board. This partnership will be a game-changer for many. I look forward to all this new chapter has to offer!”

“It comes down to one simple idea: finding new ways for artists to support their work,” said Jack Dorsey, co-founder, and CEO of Square. “New ideas are found at intersections, and we believe there’s a compelling one between music and the economy. I knew TIDAL was something special as soon as I experienced it, and it will continue to be the best home for music, musicians, and culture.”