The museum is unveiling the BlueCross Healthy Place at Founders Park, Oct. 4. The museum intends to bring forth a revitalized community space that blends history and reflection. The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation partnered with the National Civil Rights Museum to secure funding. The grand opening will feature live music, wellness activities, food trucks, and more. Registration is recommended but not required.
The park, located on South Main Street and Mulberry Street, connects visitors to the museum’s entrance. Additionally, the space also introduces the new Legacy Terrace. The terrace overlooks the site from which Dr. King was assassinated in 1968.
In a statement, Dr. Russ Wigginton, president of the National Civil Rights Museum, emphasized the importance of the project.
“This is more than a park — it’s a space where memory fuels movement, where the community can connect not only to Dr. King’s legacy, but to each other,” Wigginton said. “Founders Park is a bridge between past and present, and we’re proud to open it as a living, breathing extension of our mission.”
The design includes a reflective plaza, walking paths, educational signage, and spaces for rest. Entry to Founders Park will be free to the public, though regular admission applies to museum exhibits.
Dalya Qualls White, executive director of the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, said the collaboration is a manifestation of the foundation’s goal of creating spaces that bring communities together.
“We’re honored to partner with the National Civil Rights Museum to bring this shared vision for Founders Park to life,” she said. “BlueCross Healthy Places are about connection, and we look forward to seeing museum visitors and community members alike gather in this meaningful public space.”
The National Civil Rights Museum, located at the historic Lorraine Motel, has been a Smithsonian Affiliate since 1991 and attracts visitors from around the world. Furthermore, the institution received the 2019 National Medal from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation, established in 2005, has awarded more than $120 million in grants statewide.
Documents revealed Noreen Khan-Mayberry and her husband, Christopher Mayberry, fabricated income statements and manipulated loan paperwork over multiple transactions, according to federal filings. Noreen previously worked as a technical manager for NASA. Christopher had been employed by a NASA contractor, the Houston Chronicle reports. NASA’s Office of Inspector General Office of Investigations carried out the inquiry, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Winter is prosecuting the matter.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the defendant admitted to using phony pay stubs and other false representations to secure mortgage loans for a luxury home valued at approximately $850,000. In court documents, she acknowledged submitting fake employment and financial paperwork to lenders to inflate her income. The fraud enabled the scientist to obtain loan terms she would not have otherwise received. According to the U.S. Attorney’s office, the couple continued to commit fraud multiple times over in an attempt to cover the crime.
“The couple attempted to dispute the debts, claiming to be victims of identity theft. Khan filed a false police report, submitted a false report to the Federal Trade Commission and sent letters to credit bureaus seeking to have loans removed from her credit. As part of the scheme, the couple signed three separate loan agreements with mortgage lenders related to the financing of their home from 2017 to 2021,” the news release states.
The couple admitted to submitting false employment documents and tax statements to lenders and currently face up to five years in prison along with $276,709 in restitution.
Under the plea, they face up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. In addition, they must pay $276,709 in restitution prior to their sentencing, scheduled for Dec. 18, before U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge.
Remembering Through Art: BUTTER Artists Honor Black Stories On Canvas
This year’s festival surpassed last year’s total in two nights, logging $143,000 in sales, including a $15,000 acquisition by Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
The fifth annual BUTTER Fine Arts Fair returned to Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend, drawing more than 10,000 attendees to the historic Stutz Building and highlighting the work of 50 Black visual artists from Indiana and beyond.
Organized by cultural advocacy group GANGGANG, the four-day event ran from Aug 29 to Sept 1. It brought together artists from Houston, Los Angeles, New York, London, and other cities alongside Indiana-based talent. This year’s theme of “remembrance” saw artists draw from Black history and community to create their pieces, bringing buyers like Tyrese Haliburton and John Green to the fair.
Since its launch in 2021, BUTTER has positioned itself as “America’s equitable fine art fair,” designed to dismantle systemic inequities by ensuring Black artists can showcase and sell their work without commissions.
This year’s curatorial team—Jacqueline “Jac” Forbes, Janice Bond, Malina Bacon, Alan Bacon, and Samuel Trotter—assembled the largest and most diverse exhibition in the fair’s history, expanding the scale, style, and price points of the works shown. The theme, remembrance, invited attendees and artists alike to reflect on culture, unity, and community.
Long-time BUTTER associate and self-taught artist FITZ has been working to improve year after year. Drawing from his cartoonist, surrealist, and pop culture influences, he’s been pushed to higher levels of innovation with his piece titled “Community Outreach,” which blends colorful textures with acrylic on canvas.
FITZ explained, “It’s called Community Outreach. I really just kind of wanted to show, for lack of better terms, us serving our community; taking care of our grass, taking care of our environment, watering our flowers, you know, enjoying our environment, and taking care of it.”
FITZ. Photo Credit: Deon Spiller, @111lens
Paul Bacardi Smith, a Detroit-born artist who’s currently working in Indianapolis, said he embodied the theme of remembrance in his piece “Watermelanin” by drawing from the pain of the 2018 resurgence of Black Lives Matter in response to police brutality killings.
Smith toldBLACK ENTERPRISE at the BUTTER festival, “I was upset about a lot of stuff that was happening with police brutality, things like that, like all the different killings and stuff. And I was just like, man, how could I voice my disdain toward what’s happening to black people? So I started doing a deep dive. And one thing I did was I started looking at historical images, and I came up with the drawing of the slave ships, right? And when I first looked at the drawing of a slave ship, when I looked at it, the first thing I saw was a watermelon.”
He continued, “It’s like a play on words. I’m from hip-hop culture, so it’s all about double, triple entendres. When people were being kidnapped or sent off [to slavery], they didn’t have many possessions. So what they would do is take watermelon seeds, put them in their pockets. So when they get to these new lands, they would throw the watermelon seeds on the ground. So there’s a statement that goes with that. They didn’t know we were seeds when they tried to bury us. This is a layered piece about the transatlantic slave trade. It’s about economics. It’s about reparations.
“And if you look here, it’s also about the commodification of Black bodies, right? Yeah, you buy a piece of fruit, you get what you want. You discard it. Same thing with people. They treat us like livestock. So, it’s so much layered into this piece. And when I painted it, I’m like, man, I’m going to rock with that.”
Paul Bacardi Smith. Photo Credit: Deon Spiller, @111lens
For the past five years, the fine arts fair has grown rapidly, from $65,000 in sales its first year to over $900,000 in non-commissioned art by 2024. This year’s edition broke records early, surpassing last year’s totals in just two nights, with $143,000 in sales logged, including a $15,000 acquisition by Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Haliburton purchased two works, one from Chicago artist Blake Lenoir and a second from Indianapolis artist Israel Solomon.The 25-year-old two-time NBA All-Star told BLACK ENTERPRISE that the passion was tangible while walking through the fine arts fair on opening night.
“To meet all these people who have not just so much passion about the Indianapolis Pacers and this city, but also in their art, is really cool,” he explained. “It’s always cool to see people enjoying their passion. I think [BUTTER] is just immersing myself in the community. You can buy art from different places, but I prefer art with meaning, and I think that’s a really cool part of being able to come here and meet the artists and see all the artwork. Being able to get their stories means the world.
Other notable buyers included author John Green, who collected pieces by Houston-based artists Kaima Marie Akarue and Lovie Olivia, and the Art Museum of Greater Lafayette, which acquired Nanna’s Kitchen 2, 2025, by Kevin West. London artist Sonia Barrett sold seven works, while Indianapolis native Gary Gee, a five-time BUTTER participant, sold a record 34 of his hand-carved sculptural pieces.
This year, the fair carries more weight than ever at a time when artists nationwide face new political and cultural pressures.
Beyond sales, the event served as a cultural touchstone: 35 schools participated in BUTTER Education Day, and more than 360 creatives—including musicians like TI’s son Buddy Red, DJs, and photographers—were involved. To kick off the weekend, artist William Minion unveiled a mural of Haliburton at a local barbershop, honoring the Pacers’ recent playoff run to the NBA Finals.
Alonzo Mourning Helps Low-Income Seniors With Affordable Housing Project In Florida
'It’s a tremendous need. There’s a shortage of 7 million affordable houses across the country. You can’t build them fast enough.'
Hall of Fame basketball player Alonzo Mourning discussed his involvement in an affordable housing project in Florida while on The OGs podcast hosted by former Miami Heat teammates Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller.
According to AfroTech, Mourning who lived in Chesapeake, Va, grew up in foster care after being born to two teenage parents. A retired teacher, Fannie Threet, helped him gain some important life lessons as a child, which influenced Mourning’s thought process when he decided to give back to the community.
In May, The Miami Herald reported that Mourning and his nonprofit group, AM Affordable Housing, and Miami-based developer Housing Trust Group had opened a new $37.4 million, 120-unit affordable housing community for seniors.
The housing project started accepting applications from individuals who were at least 62 years old and met the threshold considered to be low income or below.
The development, Astoria on 9th, is a five-story building with one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 635 to 907 square feet. The units are being rented out for $322 to $1,316 per month. The local average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in that area is $1,693.
The complex features a clubroom, cyber cafe with a catering kitchen and bar, fitness center, and dog park.
“Not only is it obviously business, but also we’re helping our community as well,” Mourning said on the podcast. “It’s a tremendous need. There’s a shortage of 7 million affordable houses across the country. You can’t build them fast enough.”
Mourning played in the NBA for the Heat, Charlotte Hornets, and the New Jersey Nets during his All-Star career, which spanned from 1992 to 2008. He previously starred Georgetown University under legendary head coach John Thompson, who also instilled the knowledge and guidance to future NBA players like Patrick Ewing, Dikembe Mutombo, and Allen Iverson.
Mahogany L. Browne Selected By Princeton University For Holmes National Poetry Prize
'To receive this award, has been divine timing. There are many points in a poet’s career when you tap the mic to make sure you’re being heard.'
Mahogany L. Browne has been named the latest recipient of the Theodore H. Holmes ’51 and Bernice Holmes National Poetry Prize by Princeton University’s Lewis Center for the Arts’ Program in Creative Writing.
The $5,000 award adds to Browne’s impressive list of accolades, including the 2022 Kennedy Center Next 50 Fellowship, the MacDowell Arts Advocacy Award, and a New York Emmy nomination for the documentary How to Build a City.
A writer, playwright, organizer, and educator, Browne has also received fellowships from All Arts, Arts for Justice, Air Serenbe, Baldwin for the Arts, Cave Canem, Hawthornden, Poets House, Mellon Research, Rauschenberg, Wesleyan University, and the Ucross Foundation.
“To receive this award, has been divine timing,” Browne said in a statement to Princeton. “There are many points in a poet’s career when you tap the mic to make sure you’re being heard.”
Unfazed by conservative pushback for using her art to celebrate diversity, the Black Girl Magic author has faced frequent bans of her works Woke: A Young Poet’s Call to Justice and Woke Baby amid efforts targeting critical race theory (CRT). Despite these challenges, Browne continues to champion inclusivity through initiatives like the Woke Baby Book Fair.
“With the current climate, my poems feel strained for sunlight and justice,” she said. “Thank you for this acknowledgement. It is the support many dream of and may never receive. I write for the voices often spoke over or erased completely from the archive. I give thanks for the award and encouragement as I return to the page to honor my ancestors, elders, and kin.”
Browne’s works include Vinyl Moon, Chlorine Sky, and her poetry collection Chrome Valley, which was highlighted by Publishers Weekly and The New York Times and won the 2024 Paterson Poetry Prize. Her latest young adult novel, A Bird in the Air Means We Can Still Breathe, was longlisted for the 2025 National Book Award for Young People’s Literature.
“Mahogany Browne is an unrelenting dervish who refuses to let any aspect of the creative realm go unexplored and unconquered,” said award-winning poet and Professor of Creative Writing Patricia Smith. “She’s a literary and cultural activist and a children’s book author with a voice that calms, encourages and empowers. She pens YA novels focusing on experiences that mirror the lives of colored girls searching for the light of their own voices. And she’s a revelatory poet, consistently finding new ways to celebrate Black lives. She could definitely teach Princeton a thing or two. Nothing like Mo ever was.”
Stephen Curry, Gentleman’s Cut Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Introduce Player Exclusive: José Andrés
The whiskey, aged for 10 years and finished in Spanish Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks, will be a limited release of 800 bottles at a suggested retail price of $375.
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry, in collaboration with Gentleman’s Cut Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, has announced the release of their latest initiative, Player Exclusive: José Andrés.
The whiskey, aged for 10 years and finished in Spanish Pedro Ximénez Sherry Casks, will be a limited release of 800 bottles at a suggested retail price of $375.
This is the first Player Exclusive that isn’t directly tied to Curry’s achievements connected to a longtime friend and tastemaker.
From Kentucky to Spain, worlds of craft collide in our newest Player Exclusive Bottle, in partnership with award-winning chef, José Andrés! 🥃
Portions of the proceeds will support @WCKitchen mission to bring meals to communities in need. Order now at the link in our bio! pic.twitter.com/n11sacTFrY
“Gentleman’s Cut has always been about more than what’s in the glass; it’s about bringing people together, celebrating craftsmanship, and creating moments that matter,” said Curry in a written statement.
“Partnering with José on this Player Exclusive release is special because he embodies those same values through his food, his vision, and his commitment to community through his World Central Kitchen non-profit,” he added. “Together, we’re not only raising a glass to great bourbon, but also to the impact it can have when we use it to give back.”
The Player Exclusive: José Andrés reveals the bourbon’s vanilla backbone with notable flavors of dark raisins, fig jam, and honey steeped in spiced rum. The finish has threads of leather, nutmeg, and espresso roast. The spirit measures at 107 Proof, with the ingredients being 78% corn, 13% rye, and 9% malted barley.
The purchase of the bottle doesn’t just satisfy the taste buds; a majority of the proceeds will go toward World Central Kitchen, the nonprofit founded by Andrés in 2010, which provides food relief to communities facing crises around the globe.
“To me, food and drink provide a common language, a way to share joy and create community at home and around the world,” said Andrés. “It is an incredible honor to partner with Stephen Curry, a friend who shares the same passion for bringing people together, as we launch the first collaborative edition of Gentleman’s Cut: Player Exclusive series.”
The Player Exclusive: José Andrés can be purchased online through the Gentleman’s Cut website, as well as select retailers, via Southern Glazer Wine and Spirits.
Trump Seeks Emergency Order To Remove Lisa Cook From Federal Reserve
Donald Trump is looking for help from the Supreme Court.
While the president does not control the Federal Reserve, Donald Trump is pushing hard to have Lisa Cook removed from its board of governors.
Trump’s latest move involves seeking an emergency order to remove Cook after an appeals court rejected his previous attempt, the Associated Press reports. The unprecedented effort to reshape the Fed board, intended to remain largely independent, would make him the first president in the agency’s 112-year history to fire a sitting governor.
In its new filing to the Supreme Court, the Trump administration is asking Chief Justice John Roberts for a temporary order that would effectively remove Cook from the board and a more lasting order from the whole court that would be in place while her legal case continues.
This follows the court’s recent rejection of Trump’s attempt to fire Cook, a setback that may be unfamiliar to him, as he has previously secured orders from the conservative-majority court to remove presidentially appointed leaders of other independent agencies, including the National Labor Relations Board and the Federal Trade Commission, even while legal battles over their positions were ongoing.
Those firings were at will, with no cause given, but the Supreme Court has distinguished the Federal Reserve, strongly suggesting that Trump can’t act against Fed governors without cause.
In August, Trump attempted to fire Cook over alleged mortgage fraud involving two properties in Michigan and Georgia, which she was said to have claimed as primary residences in mid-2021.
However, a federal judge recently ruled the removal illegal and reinstated her to the Fed board. Documents show Cook’s Atlanta condo was listed as a “vacation home” and described as a “second home,” undermining the administration’s fraud claims. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that Fed governors can only be fired “for cause,” limited to misconduct while in office.
Cook was not on the board until 2022, when she was appointed to the Fed’s board by President Joe Biden.
Cobb also noted that Trump’s firing would have denied Cook her due process. After a 2-1 vote blocked the administration’s request to proceed, Trump’s lawyers argued that even if the alleged conduct occurred before her tenure as governor, it “indisputably calls into question Cook’s trustworthiness and whether she can be a responsible steward of the interest rates and economy.”
Cook’s lawyers are urging the justices to reject Trump’s “extraordinary step” to remove her.
“Temporarily removing her from her post would threaten our nation’s economic stability and raise questions about the Federal Reserve’s continued independence—risking shock waves in the financial markets that could not easily be undone,” Cook’s lawyers said.
NAACP Questions Conservative Social Club At A Greenville High School
The Turning Point USA club has been active at J.L. Mann High School for four years.
The Greenville County (SC) NAACP has formally requested an investigation of a meeting held by Turning Point USA at J.L. Mann High School during what the organization said were school hours.
The group is “deeply concerned” over what it describes as a meeting by a political advocacy organization promoting conservative ideology, one often associated with “MAGA rhetoric.”
Turning Point USA was founded by conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot last week at an event in Utah. Greenville County Schools said the Turning Point USA club has been active for four years at J.L. Mann.
The NAACP’s concerns center on whether the meeting’s timing violated policy by impinging on classroom hours or creating pressure for students to attend. The group is asking that the district investigate how and when the meeting was approved, its format, and how students were notified.
According to reporting by KOLR, the NAACP sent the school a letter questioning the circumstances surrounding the meeting.
“Pastors and community leaders have conveyed alarm that this kind of activity can deepen divisions, sow confusion in young minds about civic responsibility versus partisan propaganda and violate the trust we place in public schools to be safe, inclusive spaces,” the statement said.
The Greenville County School District, responding via letter, cited Board Policy JHCA, which governs how student clubs form and meet on campus. The district emphasized that its policy aligns with the federal Equal Access Act.
“Curriculum-related clubs, such as a French Club, may meet during instructional time with principal approval. Non-curriculum-related student-led clubs, including those with political, religious, or philosophical viewpoints, may only meet outside of class time and within what is known as a ‘limited open forum.’ These meetings must be voluntary, student-initiated, not school-sponsored, and do not occur during instructional time (i.e., during a regular class period).”
Clubs with political or civic themes already exist in the district, including Young Republicans, Young Democrats, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The district described Turning Point USA as one among several similar student-led organizations.
Miami Gardens Unveils Street Renaming After The Links
Miami Gardens honored The Links, Incorporated, with a street named in the organization's honor.
Miami Gardens officials have unveiled a street named in honor of The Links, Incorporated. The Links, Incorporated Way, celebrates the organization’s commitment to DEI—”Dedication, Education, and Ingenuity.”
The Links, Incorporated Way, honors the contributions of one of the nation’s oldest and largest volunteer organizations of professional women of African descent, The Culture XYZ reports. Founded in 1946, the group now has 17,000 members across 299 chapters and a longstanding legacy of civic engagement and community leadership, celebrated through the newly named street.
“Dedication, Education, Ingenuity = DEI,” said National President Ethel Isaacs Williams, J.D., who used her keynote address to describe the unveiling as a testament to the organization’s mission, its lasting impact, and the work that remains ahead. “Leave the door cracked for those coming behind us.”
The unveiling was supported by local chapter members, including Jessica Garrett Modkins of the Greater Miami Chapter, who served as Mistress of Ceremonies, and Dr. Linda J. Johnson, also of Greater Miami, who delivered the invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Georgia McLean of the Miami-Biscayne Bay Chapter.
Chapter presidents Sabrina Thomas Knight (Greater Miami), Teresa Brown (Dade County), and Reva Vangates (Miami-Biscayne Bay) offered greetings, joined by Anne Turner Herriott of the National Executive Board.
Local and state officials in attendance included Mayor Rodney Harris, Councilman Reggie Leon, who presented the street sign, Councilwoman Linda Julien of Miami Gardens, and Florida state Reps. Felicia S. Robinson (D-Miami Gardens), and Ashley V. Gantt (D-Miami).
Rev. Tawnicia Rowan of the Dade County Chapter closed the ceremony with a prayer.
“We are proud to be the home of the first street in the United States dedicated to The Links, Incorporated,” Leon said.
Reebok Angel Reese 1 Sells Out Online Minutes After Debut
'I’m in full tears right now. Taking a leap of faith and launching three of my signature shoes at once was a huge risk—but guess what? They all sold out!'
The Reebok Angel Reese 1, which was previewed at July’s WNBA All-Star Weekend, officially sold out on the sneaker giant’s website minutes after its debut.
The second-year player took to social media to show her gratitude.
“I’m in full tears right now. Taking a leap of faith and launching three of my signature shoes at once was a huge risk—but guess what? They all sold out! I’m sooooo THANKFUL & beyond GRATEFUL and just want to thank everyone for the amazing support. REEBOK IS BACK!
The Angel Reese 1 comes in three colorways: the “Mebounds,” the “Diamond Dust,” and the “Receipts Ready.” Sports Illustrated reported that the sneakers went on sale Sept. 18 at 10:00 a.m., selling for $120.
Fans who missed out on this collection will have another opportunity to purchase Angel Reese-branded Reeboks in the future. The company will release the “Charm City” colorway in October, which honors her hometown of Baltimore. The “King Tiago,” which is named after her pet dog and “Giving Grace” colorways will arrive in November.
Reese’s second year in the WNBA featured a ton of individual accomplishments but few wins for the Chicago Sky. She spent time injured and was suspended for accumulating too many technical fouls. In addition, she was penalized for half-game for making public comments that were “detrimental to the team.”
However, she left a promising message on social media once the long and fruestrating season ended.
YEAR 2. You taught me so much. You taught me so many lessons. You showed a TON of growth. You fought through SO much adversity. Yet you still PREVAILED, still showed up, and God has a plan for you. This is only the beginning.” ♾️ pic.twitter.com/UB0cFnUJRV
