• News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 26, 2020

Black Off-Duty Firefighter Dies After Rescuing Three Drowning Girls

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Late last week, a Black off-duty firefighter lost his life while helping to rescue three girls who were drowning in a river near Michigan’s Belle Isle, according to The Detroit News.

Detroit Fire Sgt. Sivad Johnson ended up going missing after saving the three girls from drowning in the Detroit River Friday night. He was off-duty at the time and jumped into action when he noticed the plight of the girls. He gave his keys and phone to his 10-year-old daughter Hayden and sprung to the rescue.

After saving the girls, Johnson never reappeared and after a six-hour search, the Detroit Police Department Dive Team found the body of the 48-year-old father about 1 p.m. Saturday, said the deputy commissioner of the Detroit Fire Department Dave Fornell. Although he was off duty when the incident occurred, Johnson’s heroic sacrifice will be labeled as a line-of-duty death with the department, Fornell said.

HERO! Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends and colleagues of @DetroitFire Sgt Sivad Johnson who, while off-duty, drowned saving three young girls. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” – John 15:13 – RIP Sir pic.twitter.com/oTplWGCU1v

— Toledo Fire & Rescue (@ToledoFire) August 23, 2020

“He’s a firefighter, he saw the girls in distress and jumped in. He’s done that his entire career,” the deputy commissioner said. “Something happened, and it’s unfortunate to have lost one of our own that way.”

He also stated that another person and a nearby boat assisted in the three girls’ rescue.

“From the civilian we talked to last night, there were a lot of rip currents and the sergeant went out into the water. One girl was rescued by the civilian and the boat picked up the two other girls.”

“It is believed the father may have been dragged underwater by the rip-current and no one noticed,” Michigan State Police said.

• Sports

by Derek Major

August 26, 2020

LeBron James To Recruit Poll Workers in Black Districts For 2020 Election

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NBA superstar LeBron James is launching a multimillion-dollar campaign to fortify the number of poll workers in vulnerable Black communities.

James’ voting rights organization, More Than A Vote, will bring together star athletes, state election officials, and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to draft young activists to work at polling locations for the 2020 general election. The campaign will focus on the southern and battleground states of Georgia, Michigan, Wisconsin, Florida, Ohio, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, and Texas.

“There are a lot of people who grew up in the inner city who are afraid to vote,” James, the star of the Los Angeles Lakers, told reporters last week while wearing a “More Than a Vote” T-shirt inside the NBA’s quarantined campus in Orlando, Florida. “We’re giving everyone the tools, outlets.”

Some of the states picked by James and the NAACP were states who had chaotic primaries. Wisconsin had issues when Gov. Tony Evers tried to block an election from happening and the State Supreme Court allowed the election to go forward. That led to long lines, a shortage of poll workers, and people literally risking their lives to vote.

Georgia had many of the same issues. Hours-long lines were compounded by problems with voting equipment and poll worker shortages, particularly in Atlanta’s populous Fulton County.

The campaign seeks to confront the shortage of election volunteers, especially when it comes to communities of color. Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, is home to 69.4% of the state’s Black American population, according to the most recent data cited by the state’s Department of Health Services.

More Than A Vote is also working on expanding polling locations to sports arenas. A model that was used in Kentucky’s primary elections in June with relative success. So fa,r More Than a Vote has joined forces with sports teams in Atlanta, Cleveland, Charlotte, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Sacramento.

Athletes who have joined James’ effort include NBA/WNBA players Brittney Griner, CJ McCollum, and Damien Lillard. MLB players include former Yankee CC Sabathia, David Price, and Jason Heyward. James’ effort also includes entertainers and celebrities Kevin Hart, Bun B, and Toni Braxton.

Today’s business landscape is becoming increasingly fluid, with more people than ever owning and operating professional enterprises—whether as their main occupation, a “side hustle” or both. In fact, one report reveals there are fully 582 million entrepreneurs in the world. This includes rental property owners; sellers on eBay, Etsy, Shopify, Amazon, and the like; and independents taking advantage of today’s burgeoning gig economy that’s transcending limitations of yore.

Amid the escalating desire for the independence and control that comes with business ownership, for many there is a downside: compromised privacy. No matter the size of the enterprise or number of employees—even solo-preneurship—there are a multitude of situations and reasons one might prefer to keep their business ownership private. Doing so is nothing new and can be hugely beneficial. As one infamous example, in the early 1960s, the Walt Disney Co. formed various corporations under different names to purchase large parcels of swampland in Central Florida—land that Walt Disney World sits upon today. The plan for the land to be purchased by various “shell companies” was highly successful. The Walt Disney Co. was able to fend off a burst of land speculation that surely would have halted the project before it could get started, had word got out that Disney was expanding to Florida.

Of course, smaller business owners don’t need the clout and funds of Walt Disney to achieve some level of privacy and anonymity with their own business endeavors.  In fact, the concept is called “Anonymous LLC,” which is becoming increasingly popular amongst today’s breed of business owners. This momentum to shield one’s business ownership is due, in large part, to the Internet having reached critical mass — now a ubiquitous and readily tapped resource.  Privacy is no longer as simple as maintaining an unlisted number in the phone book. With the advent of the Internet, anyone in the world can access information about veritably anyone, every day, and at any time. Details that, in decades past, would have taken the expertise of a private investigator.

While the growing popularity of business ownership anonymity is understandable and even natural, response to today’s challenges in an effort to establish and maintain privacy has not been without controversy.  Some feel the practice of anonymous incorporation is abused or is simply an attempt to cover up illegal practices. To address this misconception and generally explore the benefits of anonymous enterprises, Law 4 Small Business (L4SB), a business law firm with multiple offices throughout the United States, provided some clarity on the matter.

At the forefront in helping business owners achieve venture anonymity is L4SB Principal Attorney, Founder, and Partner Larry Donahue, who has been a pioneer and preeminent advocate for the “Anonymous LLC” for nearly two decades. In fact, not only is Donahue credited for giving the “Anonymous LLC” its name, he is reportedly the first to provide this service to the public. So, it’s no surprise that, while his firm offers a breadth of business law services, Donahue cites Anonymous LLCs as his firm’s most requested service. Also notable is the fact that L4SB, one of the few law firms that has tackled the virtual legal landscape, has made it possible for anyone in the world to readily secure an Anonymous LLC online. This as Donahue champions the role an Anonymous LLC plays in protecting legitimate business owners in the modern era. Below are some of Donahue’s key insights in relation.

First, to cover the most fundamental question, can you elaborate on what an Anonymous LLC is and the process to set it up?

LD: Simply put, an Anonymous LLC is defined as a limited liability company whose owners are not publicly identifiable by the state. It avoids public disclosure of ownership information of the LLC (i.e. Members) in the state in which the LLC is registered. This is accomplished by registering a normal, regular LLC carefully and lawfully in the states that permit anonymity. And/or it can also be accomplished by creating what’s called a “parent/child” arrangement. In this scenario, the “parent” company is an Anonymous LLC that acts as a Holding Company, which then owns a lawful Operating Company (“child”) in any state where it conducts business.

To be clear, there is legally no such thing as an “Anonymous LLC.” Were you to walk into a bank and tell them you have an Anonymous LLC, they will probably look at you like you’re crazy.  An “Anonymous LLC” is actually a regular LLC, but one that’s registered by our firm in a specialized way that prevents public disclosure of ownership information.  Our law firm acts as the organizer and registered agent for the Anonymous LLC in select states and utilizes its status as a law firm to convey attorney-client privilege and confidentiality.  Thus, an Anonymous LLC helps preserve the privacy of business owners by not permitting the ownership information to be associated with the LLC filing.

When our firm files an Anonymous LLC for clients in a state where such anonymity is possible, their personal information remains undisclosed and unpublished to the public. Because of this, Anonymous LLCs protect privacy, preserve confidentiality, and even prevent harassment.

Are Anonymous LLC’s available everywhere in the U.S.?

LD: There are a number of states that permit Anonymous LLC’s, but the most popular are Delaware, New Mexico, and Wyoming.  There are advantages and disadvantages with all three, but New Mexico is considered very private.  That being said, for our firm’s part, L4SB utilizes all states as appropriate for each client, depending on where and how they are conducting business. New Mexico Anonymous LLCs proffer the strongest privacy.

I understand your firm is realizing exponential growth for its Anonymous LLC option. Who exactly is buying them?

LD: Everybody. Seriously. Our own firm has experienced year-over-year sales for Anonymous LLC’s, which are growing by triple digits. The types of owners are diverse and include everything from businesses you see when you drive down the street to those who own rental properties and would prefer their tenants utilize their property manager and not contact them personally.  Others include those who sell goods online through e-commerce platforms and do not want their names and home addresses published with their seller information. Some of our clients (or their families) were previously threatened, harassed, or stalked since their business ownership information was publicly accessible.

Yet other of our clients are abuse victims and want to own a company without disclosing their locations to their former abusers. A portion of our clients are of a higher profile, including celebrities, politicians, Fortune 500 executives and professional athletes who simply do not want to not have every business investment they make publicized.

I can tell you that all our clients place a lot of value in being able to avoid the massive amounts of robocalls and junk mail that commence once a company is publicly formed. Also, let me not forget “Asset Protection 101.”  Many of our clients are sent to us by their CPA’s, Estate Attorneys or Financial Planners since the main reason that LLC’s exist is to legally separate personal and business assets.

So, to be crystal clear, would you say it’s a misconception that anonymous business ownership is reserved for those wanting to do something illegal?

LD: (Laughs) Yes, that’s a complete falsehood. The urban legend or myth is that Anonymous LLCs are a way for people to evade taxes, for so-called Slum Lords to avoid accountability, or for “Dead Beat Dads” to flee their child support obligations. The list of presumptions goes on and I’m certainly aware of these criticisms. I suppose any procedure or law can be twisted or perverted to try to facilitate an unsavory outcome.  At the end of the day, criminals will find a way to commit a crime.  Remember Enron?  That was a very public company.  And I should underscore that Anonymous LLCs are not actually anonymous to financial institutions and the IRS.

Moreover, any licensed and upstanding attorney like myself would not facilitate unethical or criminal activity, which could result in disbarment and possibly jail time. These are two scenarios any legitimate and honorable attorney would want to avoid at all costs.  I cannot speak for those who are unethical, or even non-lawyers out there who are claiming to sell the same service.

Their objective need not be mal-intent when it comes to an Anonymous LLCs, but rather a feasible tool for legitimate businesses who seek privacy for justifiable reasons through legally-available means. I, myself, have been a business attorney for over 25 years and can tell you that lawyers are not who criminals call up ahead of time to consult with on the best way to break the law.

You mentioned that the facilitating law firm does play a role in the business owner’s enterprise. Can you expand on that?

LD: With respect to how we approach Anonymous LLCs, the structure is set up to place our law firm as the Registered Agent. This means communications to the companies we have formed flow through the law firm and we, in turn, forward those communications to our clients. It is the modern-day version of a business owner handing out their attorney’s card to anyone who has a question about the business.  If the concern is legitimate, it will be dealt with timely and professionally.  If the interest is simply to pry, solicit or harass, there is nothing there to see, so to speak. Those who have no legitimate need to inquire or poke around in the first place tend to move along, leaving our client and their business undisturbed.

So, why now?  If the concept of Registered Agents and “shell companies” have been around for decades, what is all of the recent attention about?    

LD: The foremost driver of the Anonymous LLC has really just been current circumstances. Modern technology makes it too easy for business and personal information to be searched and obtained. The toxic political, societal and other cultural environments also spur folks to seek out their adversaries and “make it personal”—all exacerbated by social media.  I do not feel like anyone welcomes the idea of having a public listing of their assets, investments, personal information, phone numbers, photos, addresses, family members and more on display for the entire world to see. Think about it; All this information, if not insulated in some way, is only a few mouse clicks away on, perhaps, all of us.

I unequivocally agree that businesses should be registered with the state and everyone should pay their taxes, but I disagree with the notion that the average citizen forgoes their right to privacy when they decide to form a business entity or invest their assets. I view the Anonymous LLC as a critical instrument helping owners conduct business without placing themselves or their families at risk of harm or harassment.

One would be hard-pressed to argue that the rapid sharing of ideas and information has diminished privacy on some level, if not profoundly. On the upside, the Anonymous LLC exists as one of the few legal, viable and readily-accessible tools available to protect it.

Forbes Business Council Member Merilee Kern, MBA is an internationally-regarded brand analyst, strategist and futurist who reports on noteworthy industry change makers, movers, shakers and innovators across all B2B and B2C categories. This includes field experts and thought leaders, brands, products, services, destinations and events. Merilee is Founder, Executive Editor and Producer of “The Luxe List” as well as Host of the nationally-syndicated “Savvy Living” TV show. As a prolific business and consumer trends, lifestyle and leisure industry voice of authority and tastemaker, she keeps her finger on the pulse of the marketplace in search of new and innovative must-haves and exemplary experiences at all price points, from the affordable to the extreme—also delving into the minds behind the brands. Her work reaches multi-millions worldwide via broadcast TV (her own shows and copious others on which she appears) as well as a myriad of print and online publications.

Connect with her at www.TheLuxeList.com and www.SavvyLiving.tv / Instagram www.Instagram.com/LuxeListReports  / Twitter www.Twitter.com/LuxeListReports / Facebook www.Facebook.com/LuxeListReports / LinkedIN www.LinkedIn.com/in/MerileeKern.

• Politics

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

August 26, 2020

RNC Speaker Abby Johnson Once Said ‘My Brown Son is More Likely to Commit a Violent Offense Over My White Sons’

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Republicans invited a number of controversial speakers at this year’s Republican National Convention. One such speaker is pro-life advocate Abby Johnson, who spoke on Tuesday at the virtual event.

In a YouTube video discovered by Vice, Johnson made controversial statements regarding her biracial son, who she describes as a “perpetually tan-looking little brown boy.” She also said that it would be “smart” for a police officer to racially profile him, stating that “statistically, my brown son is more likely to commit a violent offense over my white sons.”

“I recognize that I’m gonna have to have a different conversation with Jude than I do with my brown-haired little Irish, very, very pale-skinned, white sons, as they grow up,” Johnson said in a 15-plus-minutes video posted in late June.

The mother of eight goes on to say that her biracial son will eventually grow into an “intimidating-looking brown man” in comparison to her white kids, who will “look like nerdy white guys.”

“Right now, Jude is an adorable, perpetually tan-looking little brown boy. But one day, he’s going to grow up and he’s going to be a tall, probably sort of large, intimidating-looking-maybe brown man. And my other boys are probably gonna look like nerdy white guys,” she said.”

“Statistically, I look at our prison population and I see that there is a disproportionately high number of African-American males in our prison population for crimes, particularly for violent crimes. So statistically, when a police officer sees a brown man like my Jude walking down the road — as opposed to my white nerdy kids, my white nerdy men walking down the road — because of the statistics that he knows in his head, that these police officers know in their head, they’re going to know that statistically my brown son is more likely to commit a violent offense over my white sons.”

She added, “So the fact that in his head, he would be more careful around my brown son than my white son, that doesn’t actually make me angry. That makes that police officer smart, because of statistics.”

Johnson, who has a colorful history within anti-abortion circles, is a former Planned Parenthood employee who says she quit working at a Texas clinic more than 10 years ago after witnessing the abortion of a woman who was 13 weeks pregnant. Vice reports that details of Johnson’s story have been questioned. 

On Tuesday, Johnson championed President Trump as “the most pro-life president we have ever had.”

“This election is a choice between two radical anti-life activists and the most pro-life president we have ever had. That is something that should compel you to action, go door-to-door, make calls, talk to your neighbors and friends, and vote on November 3.”

You can view Johnson’s remarks about her biracial son below.

Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew are paving the way through their mentorship and internship program, Power 2 Inspire. This program was created to help cultivate and develop the next generation of Black and Brown music creators and music business leaders. From the applicants, 25 hand-picked, creatively talented mentees between the ages of 18–24 will receive a four-week virtual experience to learn the ropes from professional music producers, singers/songwriters, and music label executives. These future music moguls will get a front-row view of what it takes to succeed in the music industry and complete projects under the tutelage of mentors from across the United States and abroad. “Our overall goal is to help these young music professionals ascend to their highest selves,” says Scott Chew.

African Americans have transformed culture and society through music since its origin. “It is more important than ever that the music business equip young musicians and music professionals with opportunities to lead and excel. We believe that by granting mentees with access and exposure, they will be equipped with the experience and relationships needed to succeed in the music business,” said Ray Chew and Vivian Scott Chew.

BE: What does your mentorship program offer participants?

Vivian: Even though it’s 25 mentees, it’s a very intimate setting between the mentor and the mentee. We have 75 mentors. We wanted them all to get a great 360 view of what the music industry is. From the music industry lane, musician/producer, singer/songwriter, the mentees are very well-versed in the industry.

BE: What inspired you to launch this program?

Ray: Community responsibility. My mother was a community activist. She instilled in me and my sister the value of helping people in the community. And also the community at large. With that, I’ve been helped and mentored in my life and in my career.

Some of the mentors the mentees have are David Massey, former President of Island Records, and president of Arista, entertainment maven Ramon Hervey, Lynn Scott (HitCo), MC Lyte (alongside her business partner Lynn Richardson), Makeba Riddick-Woods, Bob Celestin, and so many more!

Dr. Jessica Mosley is a serial entrepreneur who loves teaching fellow CEO women how to show up in their truth & power. As Steward Owner of MizCEO Entrepreneurial Media Brand, Sovereign Care Home Care, Sovereign Care Medical Training Center, and Deborah’s Place for Battered Women, Jessica is busy making moves that impact her community & those connected to her.

The legacy of Los Angeles Lakers’ legend Kobe Bryant continues.

After the celebration of what would have been Bryant’s 42nd birthday this week, it was announced that the late retired basketball player will have a street named after him, according to Yahoo Sports.

President of the Los Angeles City Council Herb J. Wesson Jr. made the announcement Monday, revealing that a portion of Figueroa St. will be named after Bryant.

Figueroa St. will soon be Kobe Bryant Blvd. between Olympic & MLK.

Kobe’s legacy is bigger than basketball. #KobeBryantBlvd will be a reminder to everyone, young and old who drive down it, there is no obstacle too big and that with the #Mambamentality , anything is possible. pic.twitter.com/gvekIFOU5u

— Herb J. Wesson, Jr. (@HerbJWesson) August 24, 2020

Figueroa Street will be renamed Kobe Bryant Boulevard between Olympic Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, according to Los Angeles City Councilmember Herb J. Wesson Jr.

Earlier this week, The Los Angeles Lakers sported “Black Mamba” jerseys for its playoff game against the Portland Trailblazers. Nike also is honoring Bryant this week after launching “Mamba Week” on Aug. 23, which would have been the five-time NBA champion’s 42nd birthday.

There are several legendary Lakers with statues in front of Staples Center: Shaquille O’Neal, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Bryant will be the second Lakers icon honored with the renaming of a street after legendary sportscaster Chick Hearn, who was the first to get the distinction.

Bryant played his whole 20-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a five-time NBA World Champion, a two-time Finals MVP, and the 2008 Most Valuable Player. During Bryant’s career, he made the All-Star team 18 times and he was the youngest player to ever reach 30,000 points. Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016, scoring an NBA-season high 60 points in his final game.

The 41-year-old basketball legend died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California, along with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven other people on Jan. 26.

• Criminal Justice Reform

by Derek Major

August 26, 2020

3 Nashville Police Officers Suspended After Raid Hits Wrong Apartment

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Two Nashville Metro Police supervisors and an officer have been removed from duty after police raided the wrong apartment, terrifying a Black woman and two children.

Azaria Hines told News4 Nashville she just finished a late shift at her job and was home sleeping on the couch unclothed, when she heard loud banging at her door. Before Hines could react, police came bursting through her door with a battering ram, smashing the door frame and pointing guns at her.

Hines said her 15-year-old cousin and her 3-year-old nephew were inside the apartment at the time and now they’re traumatized by the incident.

“We are very much traumatized. Every time I think about it, I just want to cry,” Hines told News4. “I literally thought it was a dream. These kind of things need to stop. It just needs to stop.”

Hines said she reached to put on a shirt and was ordered by police to stop. After a few minutes, police came to Hines with an admission; they had the wrong apartment. The botched raid happened at Edgehill Apartments, an affordable-housing property in Nashville.

The incident is almost exactly the same as the situation in Kentucky that led to the death of Breonna Taylor. Taylor, an EMT worker, was shot eight times and killed March 13. The act occurred after officers of the Louisville Metro Police Department executed a search warrant at the wrong house

Interim Chief John Drake said during a press conference Wednesday that information from an outdated database led to the incident. Drake added the two supervisors and an officer at the West Precinct would be decommissioned while an investigation into the incident continues.

On Wednesday, Midtown Hills Commander Dwayne Greene met with Hines and apologized on behalf of the department. Hines said she accepted the apology but hopes the police will learn from the incident.

“These things can’t continue to happen because people are losing their lives,” Hines said. “I’m not a criminal. Like I was literally scared in my own home. I’m not really comfortable there.”

Drake admitted the department made a mistake and it won’t happen again, but Hines isn’t so sure.

“I hope the police department, I hope that everyone can be a little more kinder and be a little more cautious when it comes to things like this, because everybody is not a criminal,” Hines said.

• Entrepreneurship

by Dana Givens

August 26, 2020

Black Beauty Entrepreneur Says This Natural Ingredient is the Secret to Healthy Glowing Skin

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More and more consumers are turning to organic and plant-based products in the beauty and wellness industry. One Brooklyn-based entrepreneur found a way to use turmeric and other healthy superfoods to make unique latte powders that promise to give consumers beautiful glowing skin. Meet Trinity Mouzon Wofford, the co-founder and CEO of Golde, a wellness company that creates different health and beauty products using turmeric.

“Turmeric is a really fascinating one because the benefits are from head to toe,” said Wofford in an interview with Inscape. “Because it’s so anti-inflammatory, it will target any areas of imbalance. Inflammation isn’t just about joint pain — it has a huge impact on your skin, your digestion, your immunity, and even mental health!”

Wofford uses the superfood to make items ranging from face masks, detox powders, and healthy latte powders. She also offers DIY recipes to help empower consumers to take charge of their self-care regimen, believing the holistic remedies she learned growing up to be vital in her daily health regimen.

“I’ve always been big on wellness and holistic health. I grew up in a crunchy town upstate not far from Vermont,” she said. “I was also raised by a single parent who was dealing with an autoimmune disease: Rheumatoid Arthritis. At one point, my mom switched over to seeing a holistic physician and saw a huge improvement in her symptoms.”

She added, “Making wellness more accessible means tuning into how to make the experience feel good from start to finish — a good price point, great branding, and a delicious product don’t need to be optional just because it’s healthy.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Iced turmeric latte at home 💛 Mix 2 tsp Original Turmeric latte blend with 1 oz hot water. Add honey if you like! Pour over ice and top with your fav milk 🥛 @thatcurlytop

A post shared by GOLDE (@golde) on May 8, 2020 at 5:08am PDT