Costco Drops Palmetto Cheese After Founder Calls Black Lives Matter a ‘Terror Organization’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 25, 2020

Costco Drops Palmetto Cheese After Founder Calls Black Lives Matter a ‘Terror Organization’

Warehouse retailer Costco has pulled Palmetto Cheese off of its shelves after the owner of the pimento cheese brand called Black Lives Matter a “terror organization,” according to CBS News.

Palmetto Cheese, which was being sold in more than 120 of its locations, will no longer be sold at Costco after founder Brian Henry, who also happens to be the mayor of Pawleys Island, South Carolina, wrote a scathing rebuke of the Black Lives Matter movement on Facebook on Aug. 25.

In the since-deleted post, he stated that he was “sickened by the senseless killings in Georgetown” following the deaths of two white people in Georgetown, South Carolina, in August, by a Black man who was accused of killing them in a dispute over a car crash.

Screenshots of his now-deleted post circulated on social media and called on shoppers to #BoycottPalmetto.

“2 innocent people murdered. Not 2 thugs or people wanted on multiple warrants. 2 white people defenselessly gunned down by a black man,” Henry wrote on Facebook. “So why do we stand by and allow BLM to lawlessly destroy great American cities and threaten their citizens on a daily basis … This BLM and Antifa movement must be treated like the terror organizations they are.

“Law and order, protection of liberty, and the right of peaceful enjoyment. If we don’t have that, we no longer have a country. My wife cried last night when she read about these murders. I’m sure their family is devastated. This did not have to happen. Does the senseless murder of these people not matter as much because it doesn’t fit the media narrative. You are damn right their lives matter. And we should all be outraged and engaged to demand action and stem the tide of lawless fringe. We can’t stay silent anymore. All lives matter. There I said it. So am I racist now? I think not. How about the POS who just gunned down 3 defenseless white people? You be the judge.”

“We need Law and Order. Now!” Henry ended his missive.

After calls for his resignation as mayor, according to Today, Henry released a statement.

“I am profoundly sorry to those I offended with my post last week. My comments were hurtful and insensitive,” Henry said. “I spent that past 10 days listening and learning. The conversations I’ve had with friends, our staff, the community and faith-based leaders provided me with a deeper understanding of racial inequality and the importance of diversity sensitivity, which is very much needed to heal Pawleys Island, Georgetown and our country.”

4 White Iowans Arrested After Black Man’s Body Found Burned in Ditch
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 25, 2020

4 White Iowans Arrested After Black Man’s Body Found Burned in Ditch

After finding the body of a Black man burned in a ditch in Iowa, authorities have arrested three white men and one white woman in connection with the death.

The victim, 44-year-old Michael Williams of Grinnell, Iowa, was identified through scientific methods by the Office the State Medical Examiner, and the DCI Criminalistics Laboratory. Although the people accused of the crime are white and the victim was Black, authorities are not labeling the killing a hate crime.

According to a press release by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Grinnell Police Department, and the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office, on Sept. 22, law enforcement officers arrested the following individuals in conjunction with the crime: Steven Vogel, 31, of Grinnell. Vogel has been charged with one count of murder in the first degree, a class A felony, and abuse of a corpse (a Class D felony). Vogel was already in custody at the Marshall County Jail on unrelated charges.

Fifty-five-year-old Julia Cox, 57-year-old Roy Lee Garner, and 29-year-old Cody Johnson, all residents of Grinnell. Cox and Garner have been charged with one count of abuse of a corpse (a class D felony), destruction of evidence (an aggravated misdemeanor), and accessory after the fact (aggravated misdemeanor). Johnson was charged with abuse of a corpse (a class D felony) and accessory after the fact (aggravated misdemeanor). All three are being held at the Poweshiek County jail.

Details on why the man was killed have not been determined but based on evidence and statements gathered during the investigation, Williams and Vogel were known acquaintances who often socialized within the same circle of friends.

The investigation revealed that Williams was killed on or about Sept. 12. His body was then wrapped in cloth and plastic, which was secured with rope and tape, then taken to rural Kellogg on Sept. 16, where the body was set on fire.

On Sept. 18, the Office of the State Medical Examiner classified Williams’ death as a homicide and his cause of death as consistent with strangulation.

Former LAPD Sergeant on Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron: ‘He Is Skinfolk, Not Kinfolk’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 25, 2020

Former LAPD Sergeant on Kentucky AG Daniel Cameron: ‘He Is Skinfolk, Not Kinfolk’

After the announcement that the Kentucky police officers who shot EMT worker Breonna Taylor won’t be directly charged for her death, protesters have taken to the streets and social media to voice outrage about the ruling. Former LAPD Sergeant Cheryl Dorsey has also criticized Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron for the decision made by the grand jury in the Breonna Taylor case.

During an appearance on CNN’s The Lead With Jake Tapper, Dorsey blasted the Black AG, saying “I understand that he is skinfolk, not kinfolk” and “he doesn’t speak for me,” according to Blavity.

“It has nothing to do with Breonna Taylor. This was about officer Brett Hankinson firing rounds into the next-door neighbor’s apartment. It had nothing to do with the murder of Breonna Taylor,” she said. “Those officers, according to the attorney general, were justified in that use of force. Now I don’t know how 16 shots fired by one is justified use of force when officers are taught to fire two shots in rapid succession and then reassess the threat.

“I found it offensive that he would call out celebrities and alleged influencers because he too says he is a Black man and somehow celebrities can’t speak for Kentuckians but as a Black man he can speak for us. I understand that he is skinfolk, not kinfolk. He doesn’t speak for me.”

LAPD Sergeant Cheryl Dorsey
LAPD Sergeant Cheryl Dorsey (Image: Twitter)

Dorsey also spoke about their version of what took place versus what may have actually happened.

“We’ve got the attorney general saying that it was justified. Now they’re giving their truth [but] I don’t know if its the truth. They’re saying that Breonna’s boyfriend fired the first shot. I don’t know that that’s true. We know that they’ll lie. They have. They said that they rendered aid. They said that there are no cameras. They said that they announced and there has been evidence contrary to that.”

“So now we’re stuck with their version of events. And that’s what happens when the police kill us. There is only one version to tell and that’s the one they put forth. I’m not buying it.”

Watch the full interview below.

by Dana Givens

September 25, 2020

Issa Rae Is Now The Face and Co-Owner of Hair Care Brand Sienna Naturals

HBO’s hit show Insecure is known for its beautiful display of natural hairstyles thanks to creator and star Issa Rae. This week, the filmmaker announced she is now the co-owner and face of Sienna Naturals, a brand of natural hair care brand with clean ingredients.

Rae will join the team with founder and CEO Hannah Diop to work on expanding the collection and its customer base.

“I’ve known Hannah for a long time, and I got to see the brand evolve from her home. It’s expanded so much beyond that. The care and the research that has gone into this natural, safe, healthy brand, I knew that I wanted to be involved,” Rae said in a statement according to The Cut.

“We get coerced into manipulating our hair into styles not right for us or using damaging products,” Rae continued. “I have an opportunity to make hair care digestible via my sense of humor, my openness to my own hair struggle journey.”

Diop says she was happy to work with Rae and praised how she used Insecure to showcase the versatile beauty of Black hair.

“Sienna Naturals is not a company that is telling you how to wear your hair,” said Diop. “We believe in empowering our customers to be who they really are and have a product that supports them.”

Customers can add themselves to the waiting list to learn when the products will become available.

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley Defend the Cops Who Fatally Shot Breonna Taylor
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 25, 2020

Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley Defend the Cops Who Fatally Shot Breonna Taylor

Former NBA All-Stars Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal are catching heat for comments made on Thursday night’s pregame show on TNT.

Before the playoff game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, the two announcers stated that Breonna Taylor’s death should not be grouped in the same category as the deaths of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

“It’s bad a young lady lost her life. But we do have to take into account that her boyfriend did shoot at the cops and shot a cop,” said Barkley about the EMT worker who was killed in her home by police officers, according to USA Today. “So, like I said, even though I’m really sad she lost her life, I don’t think this is something we can put in the same situation as George Floyd or Ahmaud Arbery.”

O’Neal chimed in by saying, “I have to agree with Charles. This one is sort of lumped in. You have to get a warrant signed and some states do allow no-knock warrants. And everyone was asking for murder charges. When you talk about murder, you have to show intent. A homicide occurred and we’re sorry a homicide occurred. When you have a warrant signed by the judge, you are doing your job, and I would imagine that you would fire back.”


Barkley didn’t stop there. He also commented on the “defund the police” movement.

“I hear these fools on TV talking about ‘defund the police’ and things like that. We need police reform, prison reform … but you know who’s not going to defund the cops? White neighborhoods and rich neighborhoods,” Barkley said. “So that notion they keep saying, I’m like, ‘Who are Black people supposed to call? Ghostbusters?'”

Apple VP of Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson On Using Technology To Create Social Change And Knowing When To Make Your Exit
by Dana Givens

September 25, 2020

Apple VP of Social Initiatives Lisa Jackson On Using Technology To Create Social Change And Knowing When To Make Your Exit

This week, BLACK ENTERPRISE held the inaugural Women of Power Tech virtual summit featuring a lineup of innovative business and thought leaders shaping the technology sector. The online conference hosted by Ally had various thought-provoking sessions and workshops aimed for Black women looking to advance in a tech-driven world.

Our keynote speaker Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy, and social Initiatives at Apple, talked about how technology can be used to create social change and knowing your worth in the workplace. In a conversation with Women of Power Chief Brand Officer Caroline V. Clarke, Jackson shared insights on how tech culture is being influenced by current events and the value of knowing when to make your exit.

Here are some highlights from the Women of Power Tech’s “Masterclass with Lisa Jackson” session.

How Technology Can Create Social Change

Jackson discussed the importance of technology and how current events — from the viral outbreak to the protests over the deaths of those like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor — have influenced tech culture.

“I have always seen technology as an opportunity to push humankind forward…technology empowers people,” says Jackson. “I think we see somewhat indirectly exactly that in the moments of Black Lives Matter and in the moment the recent spate of murders…All of the sudden technology enabled that moment in a very real way for young Americans because it was on the phone right in front of them… It’s that moment of being confronted with your own racism that hopefully inspires change and whether that’s change on climate, whether that’s change on environmental justice, whether it’s change on accessibility for [disabled people]–all of those are opportunities for technology. And shame on us if we don’t take them.

Jackson is also leading Apple’s racial injustice initiative, which is committing $100 million to advance social change in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and the protests on police brutality.

“As the leader of social initiatives at Apple, when I spoke to [CEO Tim Cook] about it–[who] is also a product of the South like me–we know that system of inequities are hard to change, but Apple has a big role and a big voice,” said Jackson. “The idea is to take what Apple does and expand it outside of our four walls into communities, first in the United States and then around the world to challenge and change the systems of inequity.”

Needing More Diversity in the Sector

Jackson says he hopes to use the initiative and her role to cultivate the next generation of Black leaders in the technology sector that will speak up to make sure their voice is heard.

“We need to not just address the current systems of racism but make sure we are stopping the future ones,” she says.

“I think the real opportunity here is to marry our need to just invest in education with investing in workforce development [and] in investing in hiring so that there becomes a more holistic approach to technology…We want to make sure they are prepared [so when they get here and] that they are really able and equipped to bring their cultural diversity to the conversation.”

Knowing When to Make Your Exit

Jackson stressed the importance of knowing your value in your workplace setting and knowing when to leave when a job is not leading you in the desired direction.

“You can do a lot of things on your own, you can put up with a lot…But if your evaluation leads you to believe that you do not have a supportive management structure, you are probably in the wrong place,” says Jackson. She says that while it can be hard to know when that moment is, listen to your intuition when you are no longer worth it.

“Ask yourself is it worth it because walking away feels good and it may be the right decision, but you have to think deeply about that.”

 

Black Voters In North Carolina Are More Than Twice As Likely To Have Mail-in Ballots Rejected Than Any Other Race
by Derek Major

September 25, 2020

Black Voters In North Carolina Are More Than Twice As Likely To Have Mail-in Ballots Rejected Than Any Other Race

A new study of 2018 mail-in absentee ballot data from the State Board of Elections in North Carolina found ballots mailed-in by Black voters were rejected at more than twice the rate of any other race.

The study, conducted by ProPublica and WRAL News, raises concerns about the fairness of ballot counting and whether systemic racism is influencing elections.

According to the study, Black voters’ ballots made up about 14% of the about 104,000 ballots cast by mail in 2018. However, Black voters’ mail-in ballots saw a 14% rejection rate, which is more than twice the 6.3% rate for all voters statewide and easily the highest of all racial groups.

Black voters in North Carolina weren’t the only ones affected. Across all minority groups, voters were twice as likely to have their mail-in ballots rejected as white voters.

Local elections directors told ProPublica they were unaware of the racial disparities the study found and pointed out that voters still have time to fix the errors when they’re notified or to vote in person. However, 2018 data showed 85% of people who had their mail-in ballots rejected did not find another way to vote.

Even more concerning, is the same appears to be happening in the 2020 Presidential Election. According to Pro Publica, as of Sept. 23, the rejection rate for mail-in ballots submitted by Black voters was about 3%—almost three times as high as white voters, according to state data.

In an election year where more people than ever will be sending their ballots in by mail due to the coronavirus pandemic, the higher rejection rates of mail-in ballots from Black voters could have a significant effect in North Carolina.

Michael Bitzer, a professor of history and political science at Catawba College, told ProPublica there’s no intentional deceit happening. but understands why people believe there may be a conspiracy.

“There is no intentional malfeasance going on to deny someone their right to vote,” Bitzer said. “But with the history that North Carolina has of Jim Crow legislation, of poll taxes, of active voter suppression that this state has experienced firsthand for over 100 years, there is some reliable resentment and issues to be raised about this.”

Election officials told ProPublica they’ve implemented several new measures including required voter notification, streamlined ballot instructions, a pared-down witness requirement, and a new text alert app for tracking ballots, which will help voters navigate the mail-in process and correct any errors.

Seattle Police Officer Intentionally Rolls Bicycle Over Man’s Head During Breonna Taylor Protests
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 25, 2020

Seattle Police Officer Intentionally Rolls Bicycle Over Man’s Head During Breonna Taylor Protests

After the decision not to charge any police officers in Breonna Taylor’s death, many states held protests in opposition to the ruling. In Seattle, during one of those protests, a Seattle police officer was accused of purposely riding his bicycle over a protestor’s helmeted head as the man laid down on the street, according to The New York Post.

The incident, which was captured on video, shows a protestor wearing a white helmet, lying on the ground, and a police officer, who was walking his bike up to that point, steering his bike’s wheels directly toward and then on top of the protestor’s head.

Joey Wieser, who lists himself as an activist and humanitarian, captured the scene on his Facebook Live.

“I just watched a #SeattlePolice officer run over a protester‘s head with a bicycle tonight. And for no apparent reason other than to be cruel. Was the man on the ground actually injured? Idk. Maybe?

But in no world should this type of behavior ever be considered acceptable.”

The Seattle Police Department stated that it is aware of the incident.

“The Seattle Police Department is aware of a video circulating on the internet that apparently shows an SPD bike officer’s bike rolling over the head of an individual lying in the street. This matter will be referred to the Office of Police Accountability for further investigation.”

They reported that at around 10:45 PM a protestor approached the East Precinct and threw an explosive that went through a roll-up gate and exploded near police officers who were waiting with their bikes.

The police department has also reported that 13 people were arrested for charges ranging from property destruction, resisting arrest, and failure to disperse as well as assault on an officer. Several police officers were injured including one who was struck in the head with a baseball bat cracking his helmet.

These Black Women Are Joining The Board of Directors For Sports Betting Platform DraftKings
by Dana Givens

September 25, 2020

These Black Women Are Joining The Board of Directors For Sports Betting Platform DraftKings

This week, sports betting operator DraftKings announced the appointment of Jocelyn Moore and Valerie Mosley to its board of directors in addition to making NBA legend Michael Jordan the new Special Advisor to the board.

“I am very much looking forward to working closely with both Valerie and Jocelyn as we continue to grow DraftKings,” said Jason Robins, DraftKings co-founder, CEO, and chairman of the Board, in a press statement. “They each bring a unique skill set that will complement those of our existing members while simultaneously bringing new perspectives and ideas to the table.”

Before joining DraftKings, Moore served as executive vice president of Communications and Public Affairs for the National Football League and currently serves as the Executive-in-Residence at The Gathering Spot in Atlanta. “I am thrilled to serve on the DraftKings’ Board of Directors. With its innovative and engaging product offerings, DraftKings has revolutionized the way sports fans consume content,” said Moore in a press statement.

“As a responsible corporate citizen, DraftKings is also doing authentic, intentional work to support racial equality and social justice—as demonstrated by today’s Board announcement as well as the company’s $1 million annual commitment to its Inclusion, Equity, and Belonging initiative. I look forward to helping DraftKings continue to innovate for consumers and deliver value for shareholders.”

Mosley comes with years of leadership experience, founding a company called Upward Wealth, a tech platform that helps customers grow their net worth. She has also worked at global management firm Wellington Management Company L.L.P., managing numerous big clients.

“DraftKings is a fast-growing, powerhouse of a company with a strong, competitive, and compassionate management team. I look forward to helping DraftKings continue to add value to their shareholders and stakeholders,” said Mosley in a press statement.

“I have invested in and advised small private companies and large public ones, and I’m excited to help DraftKings continue its already impressive transition into a smart, strategic, and well-managed public company.”

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