Established on May 30, the new chapter comprises 25 professional women with portfolios across various industries, including real estate, finance, medicine, and business, Watch The Yard reports. Over the past year, the interest group, known as the Royal Pearl Society, led community volunteer efforts highlighting Alpha Kappa Alpha’s global legacy of sisterhood and service.
The new chapter marks Alpha Kappa Alpha’s first return to London in nearly 20 years, following the dissolution of the Tau Sigma Omega Chapter in 2006.
“As the 19th chapter in the Ingenious International Region, Alpha Delta Alpha Omega Chapter emerges as a beacon of sisterhood, service, and global impact,” the organization’s international region wrote in an Instagram announcement.
“Under the visionary leadership of International Regional Director Mrs. Carrie J. Clark, this milestone marks the beginning of a powerful new chapter in our legacy of excellence.”
“s members of the Royal Pearl Society, the women partnered with over a dozen local organizations to lead impactful initiatives, delivering more than 350 Childhood Hunger Power Packs (AKA CHIPP™ weekend meals), assembling over 200 Blessing Bags, hosting an eight-week entrepreneurship program for women, contributing over 200 volunteer hours, and investing more than £3,000 in Black-owned businesses.
“These women are already making an enormous difference in and around London,” said Carrie J. Clark, International Regional Director for Alpha Kappa Alpha. “They are an amazing group of servant leaders who I am confident will expand Alpha Kappa Alpha’s legacy of service in the Greater London area for years to come.”
“mong their first official acts as a chapter, Alpha Delta Alpha Omega members will join volunteers and visiting sorors to host a chchildren’sook drive, collecting and distributing titles by Black authors. Upcoming initiatives include gathering professional attire for women re-entering the workforce.
Nike Hosts 12 Female Sports Figures For 4th Athlete Think Tank
JuJu Watkins, Sha’Carri Richardson, Carson Pickett, Dora Atim, Erin Matson, India Sardjoe, Jess Sims, Leah Williamson, Sanya Richards-Ross, Sophie Hahn, Sue Bird, and Tayla Harris participated in the gathering of sports figures
Nike has been doing its Athlete Think Tank for several years and recently recruited 12 sports influencers and athletes to participate in the company’s fourth one.
According to Complex, the sportswear entity announced the 12 women who would give their thoughts and insights to help the company advance, as their feedback will be used for future purposes. Those 12 come from different aspects of the athletic spectrum: Carson Pickett, Dora Atim, Erin Matson, India Sardjoe, Jess Sims, JuJu Watkins, Leah Williamson, Sanya Richards-Ross, Sha’Carri Richardson, Sophie Hahn, Sue Bird, and Tayla Harris.
The gathering of women for the purposes of elevating the Nike brand was initiated five years ago as the athletic brand sought the input of selected individuals who are active in their respective sports and could give insight based on their experiences as athletes. The opinions and suggestions have been used to help the brand introduce new technology like Nike’s Leak Protection while receiving the women’s input regarding decisions that led to implementing community-focused initiatives. This also included the company allocating over $4.4 million to organizations supporting women and girls participating in sports.
The meeting reportedly took place on May 29.
📬 | leah via ig
“Nike Athlete Think Tank.
So grateful to have had the opportunity to be in conversation with these incredible women.
They inspired, educated and empowered me. I’ll be forever grateful to Nike for creating space for all the magic to happen.” pic.twitter.com/nEs7UQNELn
— leah williamson source (@lw6source) May 31, 2025
Footwear News reported that some members of this group met previously during the Paris Olympics last summer and then again in Mexico in November. The media outlet spoke to Richards-Ross about the Athlete Think Tank, as she has been with the brand for 20 years.
She said, “We’re headed in the right direction when it comes to supporting women in sports and giving women an opportunity to be heard and seen. Nike now pays so much attention to athletes holistically. And that’s the part that I want to continue to see. I feel like there’s always that athlete inside of us, whether we’re competitive professionally or not. So, what does that journey look like for all women? And how do we support women as they continue on that journey of being their best selves? I see that change, and I know we’re going to continue to get better at that.”
Larry Hoover’s Family Advocates For State Commutation From Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker
Larry Hoover's family is seeking state clemency to help the Gangster Disciples co-founder secure his freedom for the first time in over 50 years.
After receiving federal clemency from Donald Trump, Larry Hoover’s family has turned to Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker to seek a state commutation for the Gangsters Disciples co-founder.
The Hoover family visited Gov. Pritzker’s office May 31 to advocate for the release of Hoover, 74, after more than five decades behind bars, the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
Hoover’s wife, Winndye Jenkins-Hoover; their son, Larry Hoover Jr.; and nearly a dozen family members left Pritzker’s office feeling hopeful that the former drug kingpin and reformed gang leader may soon gain the governor’s support and reclaim his freedom.
“I think we have a great chance right now,” Jenkins-Hoover said.
State Sen. Willie Preston, D-Chicago, showed his support for Hoover’s family by joining them for the visit and calling the review process into Hoover’s clemency process on the state side “imperfect.”
Preston agrees that a case as sensitive as Hoover’s is “best handled directly by the governor through a swift and decisive action.”
“If we believe that no one is beyond redemption, then we have to look at the totality of this individual’s life, and I think, if we take all that into context, whether you’re Black, Hispanic, white, you will say that we need to allow this elderly man to come home and have some sense of humanity given back to him,” Preston said.
The office visit came days after Trump commuted Hoover’s federal life sentence, issued in 1998, for running the Gangster Disciples’ $100 million-a-year drug operation from behind bars while already serving up to 200 years for ordering a rival gang member’s murder in 1973.
Hoover remains incarcerated under his state sentence unless Pritzker commutes it or the Illinois Prisoner Review Board grants clemency.
“My father is not the notorious Gangster Disciples leader Larry Hoover…He’s not a murderer. He hasn’t murdered anyone,” Larry Hoover Jr. said. “He deserves a chance.”
“We just want him to come home so he can have his final days with the love and compassion and respect that we all have for each other, within our family,” Jenkins-Hoover said.
Keke Palmer Reveals How Jordan Peele’s ‘Nope’ Was The First Time She Got Proper Pay For A Role
Despite working since age 9, Palmer only recently scored a sizable paycheck for her acting.
Keke Palmer has entertained audiences since she was 10 years old. However, it took nearly two decades for her to feel that she received proper pay for her acting skills.
While she got her big break in the early 2000s with films like “Madea’s Family Reunion” and “Akeelah and the Bee,” the actress cites her 2022 film “Nope” as the first time she was paid adequately.
The 31-year-old told Business Insider how the Jordan Peele-directed film was her first paycheck worthy of her resume.
“‘Nope,’ that was probably the first time,” she told the news outlet.
Considering how pay gaps impact Black actors and actresses, Palmer tries not to compare her success to her Hollywood counterparts. She chooses to stay focused on her own career, especially given all the factors at play in “making it” in entertainment.
“I don’t compare — especially as a Black person, a Black woman — because it’s not a fair thing to do to myself,” Palmer continued. “I don’t think that comparing oneself makes sense in any regard because you’re not at the same vantage point, beginning or otherwise, as someone else.”
The “One Of Them Days” star has always kept humility at the forefront. This gratitude for where one is at has helped her stay positive even through some unfair moments.
“If you are getting your needs met, that has to be at the forefront of your mind,” she emphasized. “That doesn’t mean that everything is fair, but it’s an important thing to think about and have a particular perspective about.”
To make up for this income gap, the one who many deem “Keke ‘Keep a Job’ Palmer’ branched out. Beyond acting, Palmer has turned to television and podcast hosting, letting her real-life personality pay the bills.
“It’s essentially why I turned my brand into a holdings company with subsidiaries. You have to diversify,” explained the entertainer.
Pay discrepancy in Hollywood remains an ongoing issue in the industry, with fellow Black actors like Taraji P. Henson previously speaking out about the wage gaps. While Palmer has not been as historically vocal about the problem as Henson, her admission of not getting a sizable check until decades into her career makes clear how this impacts Black talent across generations.
This issue is further explored in the documentary “Number One on the Call Sheet,” which features Black Hollywood giants as they dissect their plight of making it on the big screen.
Diddy Making Millions Renting Private Jet While In Prison
The Gulfstream G550 jet Diddy owns has reportedly made about $4 million since he was arrested
As the world tunes into the Federal RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act) trial for Sean “Diddy” Combs, and he may be paying a hefty price toward attorneys’ fees, he is also collecting millions through the rental of a private jet that the entertainment mogul owns.
According to The U.S. Sun, the Gulfstream G550 jet Diddy owns has made about $4 million in the past eight months since he has been jailed for the crimes he’s accused of committing. The plane has made approximately 126 trips since September 2024.
Customers have been renting the aircraft, which has 14 seats, on celebrity charter broker sites, not realizing that Diddy owns it. Luxury rental operator Silver Air operates the flights and advertises itself as a company with a “comprehensive fleet of luxury aircraft.” Records allegedly reveal that the Gulfstream G550 has been rented at least every other day as it has traveled 149,540 miles, with each trip averaging 1,186 miles.
A posting on the Jettly website states that renting out the costly aircraft will cost at least $32,597.
The plane, which was built in 2015, has used 136,665 gallons of fuel and is registered to LOVEAIR LLC, which is stationed at Van Nuys Airport in Los Angeles.
Diddy has been charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution. He has pleaded not guilty and faces the possibility of life in prison if convicted on the most serious count.
NBC News reported that the trial has continued with the testimony of a woman who purportedly worked for Diddy as his personal assistant for several years and is using a pseudonym, “Mia,” to testify against the No Way Out producer. She has returned to the stand after accusing Diddy of sexually assaulting her multiple times while she was employed by him last week in the Manhattan courtroom.
HBCU Graduate Loses Legs After Freak Accident In Bahamas
Police said alcohol may have prompted Hannah Smith to jump into the water, but her parents deny that happened.
A freshly minted Miles College graduate lost her legs after a freak accident in the Bahamas.
Hannah Smith was celebrating her accomplishment on a Carnival cruise voyage in the Caribbean last month when she fell off the side of a pontoon boat during an excursion in Nassau, her parents told The Daily Mail.
The boat’s propeller blades continued to keep Smith under, slashing her legs until two other female passengers lifted her back onto the ferry. The 22-year-old was promptly taken to the hospital and then airlifted back to the United States for emergency surgery.
Police said alcohol may have prompted Smith to jump into the water, which her parents deny.
“Hannah was not intoxicated,” insisted her mother, Tracy Smith. “She fell from the boat. It’s hurtful to say she jumped because she did not.”
Tracy Smith also called out investigators for not properly questioning others who witnessed the incident, including Smith’s best friend and travel mate Brooklyn Pitre.
“Do they have fun? Yes. Were they drunk? No. Did she jump?” Tracy Smith said. “No…Are we completely aware of what happened? No. But could there have been a safety mechanism that was off, was the boat rocking? We are not 100 percent sure of that.”
Smith’s father said that the doctor who first treated her in Nassau did not find her intoxicated. However, the boat’s captain told authorities that he heard passengers staying she “jumped off.”
“There are so many things that could have been happening. I want to know the truth,” added Tracey Smith. ” This was a young woman, happy, celebrating her life, and now she’s fighting for it.’
The family has since launched a GoFundMe to help cover Smith’s medical expenses. Calling her “the strongest of us all,” they have reached out to their overarching community for support during this “unimaginable” time.
“We’re praying you continue to be the strongest and fight for your life, your dreams and aspirations. This boating accident will not define your life. We need you to have many more birthdays, more holidays, more life experiences. We love you endlessly,” detailed the GoFundMe’s description.
The Delta Sigma Theta Sorority member received her bachelor’s degree in the arts last month from the Alabama school, graduating summa cum laude.
“Hannah exemplifies the Golden Standard, and we are believing in her full recovery,” Miles College wrote on Facebook. “We ask our Miles family and extended community to keep her lifted in prayer and to support however you can.”
Hannah Smith remains in critical condition as the Royal Bahamas Police continues its investigation.
Atlanta Celebrates The Life Of NBA Hall Of Famer Dikembe Mutombo
The public memorial took place at the McCamish Pavilion on the Georgia Tech campus.
NBA Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo, who died from brain cancer last year, was celebrated by the City of Atlanta at a public memorial on May 31.
According to 11 Alive, the service honored the legacy of Mutombo, a thoughtful humanitarian who gave back during and after his NBA career, which included a stint with the Atlanta Hawks.
The memorial took place at the McCamish Pavilion, located on the Georgia Tech campus. Mutombo, 58, who hailed from the Democratic Republic of the Congo died on Sept. 30, 2024.
“Atlanta has been our home for almost 30 years, and the outpouring of love and support for Dikembe has been overwhelming,” said his wife, Rose Mutombo. “We wanted to create a space for everyone to celebrate his life and the profound impact he had in this community and throughout the world.”
The family has also announced that it has created the Dikembe Mutombo Memorial Fund, which aims to help several organizations and projects that he championed, including: the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in the DRC and Friends of Africa.
Mutombo, a fierce shot-blocker who famously waved his long index finger toward opponents when he rejected their attempts, was diagnosed with a brain tumor several years ago. He pursued treatment in Atlanta.
Before his successful NBA career, Mutombo played his college ball at Georgetown University. Mutombo, Patrick Ewing, and Alonzo Mourning, three of the best centers to play in the NBA in the 1990s, were coached by the late John Thompson, the university’s revered longtime head coach.
Mutombo, one of only three players to win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year four times, retired after the 2008-09 season. Mutombo was selected to the NBA All-Star Game eight times and was a three-time All-NBA pick. In his career, he averaged 9.8 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. He was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015.
The African native spoke nine languages and founded the Dikembe Mutombo Foundation in 1997. He spent his remaining days involved in charitable and humanitarian causes.
Maryland Judge Ends Lawsuit Filed Against Gervonta Davis By Former Manager
The dispute dates back to a contract between the two from 2013
A legal dispute between boxing champion Gervonta Davis and his former manager has been settled by a Maryland judge.
According to The Daily Record, Davis, who is the current WBA lightweight champion, won a case filed by his former manager, Wayne Roy, and creditor, Kevin Batiste, that has been ongoing for over 10 years. Chief Judge Gregory Wells ruled that Davis no longer owed Roy any money after he satisfied a default judgment reached in 2019 against the boxer. The fighter paid Roy and Batiste $468,000 in 2022.
The saga began after Davis signed a five-year management contract in 2013 with Roy. The deal stipulated that the fighter would pay Roy 15% of all of his earnings from his boxing matches. That agreement was inked in October. However, in November, Davis acquired new managers, and Roy and Batiste agreed to a settlement arrangement in February 2014, where Davis would be released from the contract signed in exchange for $35,000. That money would be paid within two years.
After not satisfying the settlement deal in 2017, Roy and Bastiste took Davis to court for breach of contract. In their lawsuit, they claimed that Davis only paid them $2,000. After Davis failed to show up in court to respond to the lawsuit the following year, a default judgment was ordered against Davis.
Davis finally paid the duo $468,000 in 2022, but the payment was not reported to the court, and they continued further discovery efforts. Roy and Bastite then claimed a modification provision of the default judgment allowed them to continue discovery to seek payment from the earnings of Davis’s other boxing matches.
The judge disagreed, stating the pair was not entitled to further discovery due to Davis’ payment in 2022.
The boxer is scheduled to meet Lamont Roach for a rematch after a controversial decision after the two met earlier this year. The fight ended in a majority draw for Davis. The contest will take place on Aug. 16 and is slated to be streamed live on Prime Video pay-per-view in Las Vegas, although the venue has not been announced yet.
Busted! Detroit Mailman Faces Federal Charges After Boss Catches Him In Scheme To Defraud The Government
The investigation revealed other unemployment insurance claims were filed by Powell with his social security number and birthdate in close to 10 states.
A Detroit-based mailman is facing serious federal charges after being caught in a scheme to defraud agencies of COVID-19 pandemic-era unemployment benefits, CBS News Detroit reports.
Christopher Powell admitted, after being caught by his supervisor, to using addresses from his delivery route in an effort to get unemployment insurance benefits. The federal criminal complaint alleges the scheme took place in Wayne County between July 2020 and April 2024.
Powell’s plan unraveled when a supervisor at the Jefferson Station Post Office noticed Powell was getting mail addressed to homes on his delivery route, where he does not live.
The unidentified supervisor then contacted the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (US-OIG) and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to prompt an investigation. The mailman told authorities that he filed an unemployment claim in Michigan in 2020 while being on “COVID Leave” from the mail agency and claimed he hadn’t received benefits from other states.
But that wasn’t the case.
The investigation revealed other unemployment insurance claims were filed by Powell with his social security number and birthdate in Arizona, California, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. He later admitted that a friend applied for unemployment insurance benefits in California on his behalf using his personal information.
According to Click On Detroit, after authorities showed the disgraced mailman pieces of mail addressed to him with addresses on his delivery route, he admitted to using vacant addresses along his route in order to have mail delivered to him instead of his own residence. One piece of mail confiscated during the investigation was a bank statement from Dec. 26, 2023 through Jan. 25, 2024 that detailed more than $25,000 in ATM withdrawals and Cash App transfers.
Powell faces mail and wire fraud charges after the USPS-OIG found an additional 26 claims filed with his home address. Seven of them were successfully granted in Michigan and Arizona.
Court documents highlight how criminals are able to pull off such schemes, starting with falsely obtaining funds and depositing them into a bank account. After funds are used or taken out, criminals then contact the bank and claim someone falsely gained access to their account and dispute all of the charges.
Financial institutions often believe the “customer” and will refund all the disputed transactions, leaving the criminal room to spend the funds.
Former Boxing Champion Mike ‘The Bodysnatcher’ McCallum Dead at 68
He was the first Jamaican boxer to win a world title
International Hall of Fame boxer Mike “The Bodysnatcher” McCallum was reported dead in Las Vegas on May 31 at the age of 68.
According to The Jamaica Observer, the legendary boxer, who won boxing titles at the junior middleweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight divisions, was reportedly driving to a gym when he got sick and pulled over to the side of the road. He was discovered unresponsive by police officers and later pronounced dead. No cause of death has been reported.
“The Ring is saddened to learn of the passing of boxing legend Mike McCallum. The ‘Body Snatcher’ was a three-weight world champion, having won titles at super-welterweight, middleweight, and light-heavyweight. Our deepest sympathies are with his friends and family at this time.” pic.twitter.com/71C4RMWpvc
The Jamaican native was acknowledged by Jamaica’s sports minister, Olivia Grange, who released a written statement regarding his death.
“It is with utter and complete sadness that I learned of the death of Jamaica’s three-time World Boxing Champion Michael McKenzie McCallum,” Grange said. “I express my personal condolences to his mother, siblings, and his children. On behalf of the Ministry of Sports, I take this opportunity to extend our sympathies to the family and friends of this legendary Jamaican.”
In 1984, the pugilist became the first Jamaican boxer to win a world title when he beat Sean Mannion in a boxing match at Madison Square Garden in New York. He left the boxing ring with the WBA Junior Middleweight crown that night. During his career, he also won titles in two other divisions. As a middleweight, he won the WBA Middleweight title, and as a lightweight, he became a WBC Light Heavyweight champion. After a successful career in the ring, McCallum was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003.
Ring Magazine reported that after fighting for 16 years, he retired with a record of 49-5-1, including 36 knockouts. After he stopped boxing professionally, McCallum became a trainer in various Las Vegas gyms.
