Tracy Morgan Felt ‘Culturally Isolated’ During First 3 Years on SNL, ‘The Whitest Show in America’
The legendary comedian said things changed after a talk with Lorne Michaels.
Tracy Morgan is a legend on Saturday Night Live, but the famed comedian said he felt “culturally isolated” on the show as he was one of the few Black cast members at the time.
The SNL alumnus opened up in Peacock’s docuseries, SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night. When Morgan joined the iconic comedy show in 1996, he became only the ninth Black cast member in its history. While his standout performances cemented his place on the show, they came at a cost.
“I wanted to show them my world, how funny it was. But the first three years, I felt like I was being culturally isolated sometimes,” Morgan shared, according to People.
“I’m coming from a world of Blacks. I’m an inner-city kid. To be on the whitest show in America, I felt by myself. I felt like they weren’t getting it.”
His mindset eventually shifted after having an honest chat with producer Lorne Michaels.
“He said, ‘Tracy, I hired you because you’re funny, not because you’re Black. So just do your thing.’ And that’s when I started doing my thing,” Morgan recalled.
Morgan starred on SNL from 1996 to 2003. He followed in the footsteps of Garrett Morris (part of the inaugural cast), Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock, Yvonne Hudson (the show’s first Black female cast member), and Tim Meadows (whom Morgan worked with), among others.
SNL was a big break for Morgan, who had teased his talent in small roles on the hit sitcom Martin, as well as in films A Thin Line Between Love and Hate and Half Baked.
Morgan returned to the NBC family three years later to star with former SNL costar Tina Fey on the acclaimed sitcom 30 Rock (2006-2013). His work on the show earned him a Screen Actors Guild Award in 2009.
Issa Rae’s Buddy Comedy Starring Keke Palmer and Sza Boasts Impressive Opening Weekend
The Issa Rae-produced comedy made $14 million over the long weekend.
The results are in on the Issa Rae-producedOne of Them Days, starring Keke Palmer and Sza, and moviegoers are loving it! The comedy finished second at the box office, behind Mufasa but surpassing Blumhouse’s Wolf Man.
The Sony feature brought in $14 million over the 4-day weekend, earned an A- CinemaScore, an 84% positive audience rating, a 63% definite recommend score on PostTrak, and a Rotten Tomatoes critical and audience score of 96% and 94%, Deadline reports.
Directed by Lawrence Lamont and produced by Rae, the film follows two roommates forced into a wild neighborhood adventure after Alyssa (Sza) gives their rent money to her boyfriend, who keeps it for himself. Alyssa and her roommate Dreux (Palmer) race against the clock to avoid eviction and keep their friendship intact.
It was a labor of love for Rae and Lamont, who drew inspiration from classics like Ice Cube’s Friday when crafting the Black female-led buddy comedy.
“I think that’s what true friendship is,” Lamont added. “Drew and Alyssa, from day one on the page, felt like two girls that we just knew we grew up with. They might argue, but at the end of the day, they’re gonna love and uplift each other.”
Women are particularly enjoying the film, awarding it a 93% rating on PostTrak, with women under 25 giving it an impressive 97%. The film’s relatability, combined with the A+ performances of Sza and Palmer, was no surprise, as Rae and Lamont drew inspiration from their real-life personalities when developing the characters.
“You just know these people. And that was important to us to just make sure that we had elements of who Keke is and who SZA is, to put in these characters and make them whole,” Rae said.
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman wasted no time, requiring all workers to return to in-person duties.
Huffman noted the total number of hours of remote work done in 2024: 28.9% for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 24.4% for U.S. Coast Guard personnel, and 39.7% for the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency.
“These numbers are unacceptable,” Huffman said. “It is the policy of this agency for employees to work at their duty station—whether in an office or the field—to the maximum extent.”
Huffman is requiring all DHS officials who have not returned to in-person duties to provide documentation within 30 days. Possible reasons for continuing remote work due to “lack of adequate office space, physical inability of the employee, or a legal impediment,” he wrote.
Reuters reported that on Monday that the White House revealed only 6% of federal employees currently report to work in person. An August White House Office of Management and Budget report estimated that around 1.1 million people are eligible to work remotely,and over 200,000 are fully remote.
The U.S. Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services accounted for having the most remote employees.
JP Morgan Chase ignited an uproar from several employees after the company ended remote options and required existing workers to return to the office full-time.
Remote positions became a popular option for workers nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, Elon Musk condemned the “COVID-era privilege” of telework. It stated that “requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”
Trump’s executive order may provoke legal challenges and pushback because an estimated 26% of federal employees are unionized or covered by bargaining agreements.
Tara M. Lyons Appointed Acting US Attorney For Southern District of Georgia
As Acting U.S. Attorney, Lyons became the first Black woman to hold a top law enforcement job in the the Southern District of Georgia.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara M. Lyons has been appointed Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia (SDGA), making her the first Black woman to serve in the role as the district’s chief federal law enforcement officer.
The Evans, Georgia resident officially commenced the role as of Jan. 18, continuing a 20-year career with the U.S. Department of Justice, which recognized her as the first Black woman to hold a “top law enforcement job” in the the Southern District of Georgia. According to a press release from the federal agency, as Acting U.S. Attorney, Lyons will oversee the prosecuting of federal crimes for the district, defend the U.S. in civil cases, and collect debts owed to the U.S. Her responsibilities include leading the team of over 70 attorneys and staff for the Southern District of Georgia, which spans 43 Georgia counties and the cities of Savannah, Augusta, and Brunswick.
Lyons’ wealth of experience follows a longtime career with the Department of Justice where she handled cases affiliated with federal crimes, human trafficking, and child pornography. In previous roles as the District of South Carolina’s Project Sentry Coordinator and the Southern District of Georgia’s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Civil Rights Coordinator, Lyons handled cases connected to gun violence, childhood exploitation, and civil rights violations. She held positions as a law clerk for Henry F. Floyd, Public Defender in Richland County, South Carolina, attorney advisor for the U.S. Attorney’s Executive Office, District of South Carolina’s Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division the Southern District of Georgia’s Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division.
In April 2023, she began service as the First Assistant U.S. Attorney and was recognized in January 2024 with the 70th Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service. The award, which is noted as the second-highest in the agency, was distributed to Lyons and other staff members for their work on the Ahmaud Arbery case.
Lyons assumed her new role with the district following former U.S. Attorney General Jill Steinberg, who announced her resignation on Jan. 8.
Study: Hair Satisfaction Plays A Major Role In Black Girls‘ Mental Health
The study showed how hair satisfaction played a major role in Black girls' mental health, specifically.
A new study has revealed how the mental health of Black girls can depend on their satisfaction with their hair.
According to UConn research published inBody Image, 193 adolescent girls identifying as Black, white, and Latina were asked about their satisfaction with their appearance. The study also asked the girls about their experience with discrimination and symptoms associated with depression.
The study found that hair perception was the only area that varied among the racial groups. The Black participants specifically faced the most discrimination in regard to hair. Furthermore, the study concluded that hair discrimination and subsequent dissatisfaction predicted more depressive symptoms in Black girls.
“Black adolescent girls, significantly beyond their white peers and their Latina peers, were more likely to experience hair-related discrimination and hair-related dissatisfaction,” says Adenique Lisse, a Black graduate student at UConn studying clinical psychology. “That hair dissatisfaction was more likely to lead to increased feelings of depression compared to their peers.”
Given her own identity, Lisse wanted to explore how specific physical appearances mattered in the well-being of Black girls. She found that body image did not weigh as heavily for this racial group as opposed to white adolescent girls. Hair, however, has been an ongoing issue in the perception, and even policing, of Black girls and people in general.
“That made me think about my own experience growing up and how much conversation there is within the Black community about hair,” explained Lisse. “Recently, we’ve been seeing a movement for more hair acceptance and talking about that a lot more within different spaces.”
Lisse noted that modern movements sought to diversify messaging surrounding natural hair. The PhD student believes that these shifts have helped Black girls accept and take pride in their diverse hair textures, even when initial societal preferences championed looser curl patterns.
“A lot of Black adolescent girls may not have hair like that—they might have hair that is more coily in texture, and that leaves room for discrimination and microaggressions,” Lisse says.
However, the study participants provided a limited scope given the girls’ location in a Connecticut city. Despite this, its findings still could shed light on broader issues across the nation for Black girls and finding ways to directly address them. Ultimately, this may lead to eliminating the mental health stressors and depression triggers for teen Black girls.
“There has been more work within the last decade or so to kind of combat racial discrimination at work and school pertaining to hair,” added Lisse. “I think that this opens up a conversation about what more can be done, whether that’s things parents can do or teachers can do within the school because a lot of the messaging that we see happens among peers as well.”
With this in mind, Lisse is continuing her research and encouraging more cultural analysis in future studies regarding race.
NYC Mayor Eric Adams Cancels MLK Appearances For Trump Inauguration
New York Public Advocate Jumanne Williams had some harsh criticism of Adams, indicating that the mayor continually disappoints the citizens of New York City.
According to The Gothamist, New York City Hall released the mayor’s updated schedule on the morning of the inauguration. The schedule indicated that he had canceled his appearances at the Brooklyn Academy of Music and Convent Avenue Baptist Church, which were formerly scheduled as Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations.
According to Adams’ spokesperson, Kayla Mamelak, Adams received a late invite from Trump’s Middle East envoy, which she indicated came after midnight.
Fabian Levy, Adams’ deputy mayor for communications, posted some context on his social media account for the mayor’s abrupt change of plans.
In the early hours of Monday morning, the Trump administration reached out inviting Mayor Adams to attend the inauguration at the incoming administration’s request. Mayor Adams accepted on behalf of New York City.
“In the early hours of Monday morning, the Trump administration reached out, inviting Mayor Adams to attend the inauguration at the incoming administration’s request. Mayor Adams accepted on behalf of New York City,” Levy wrote.
He continued, “As the mayor has repeatedly said, America has chosen a new national leader, and we must work together to build a safer, stronger, and more affordable in New York City.”
Adams, who has reportedly been seeking favor from Trump, likely in hopes of being granted a presidential pardon, has been criticized by Rev. Al Sharpton, one of the mayor’s most prominent supporters, for his lack of candor about why he accepted a last-minute invitation from Trump.
”To say you’re not going to raise your eyebrows would be being dishonest,” Sharpton said during an appearance on MSNBC on Jan. 20. “I think this is going to cause a lot of us to say, ‘What is this all about?’”
Sharpton has long compared his activism to King’s, advocating nonviolent and principled resistance to racism.
“Our elected officials have got to talk to the president – I’ve got to walk on the president,” Sharpton said at the rally. “But be careful of people that will manipulate and use your presence in a way that is against the interests of your people. And we should be careful not to let them turn us against each other.”
Sharpton then directly addressed Adams, who had called to ask if he should attend the event.
“You come every year, and you’ve got to come this year,’” Sharpton said he told Adams. “‘I don’t know what Trump did to you down there. If he did something to you, I can baptize you again. I might have to put you down in the water this time,’” Sharpton said as the crowd laughed.
According to CBS News, at a Martin Luther King Day event in Harlem, the community noted Adams’ absence. It criticized him for seeming to swear fealty to the incoming Republican administration.
New York Public Advocate Jumanne Williams harshly criticized Adams, telling the outlet that Adams continually disappointed the citizens of New York City.
“Every time I think I can’t be more stunned and disappointed with this mayor, he says, yes, you can. You want to work with any administration to make sure you get the best that you can for the people of New York City, so that’s an important part,” Williams said before continuing. “You also want to make sure, if there are policies that are going to harm the residents of New York City, that you’re building up barriers for that to happen, and that’s where I think this mayor has failed miserably.”
Not So Fast: ACLU Fights Back Against Trump’s Executive Order On Birthright Citizenship
Trump’s order is instructed to take effect in the next 30 days
Lawsuits from advocacy groups led by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) have already started to pile in after one of Donald Trump’s first executive orders targeted birthright citizenship, as reported by USA Today
The suit, filed Jan. 20, challenges Trump’s executive order to eliminate the automatic citizenship given to children born in the United States. In his order, citizenship would be denied to children born to mothers and fathers presented as illegal immigrants when they were born, or if the parents’ presence was temporary. As the move is part of a swift strategy to combat immigration, the lawsuit from New Hampshire is fighting back to protect the rights given by the 14th Amendment. “Denying citizenship to U.S.-born children is not only unconstitutional − it’s also a reckless and ruthless repudiation of American values,” ACLU’s executive director Anthony Romero said in a statement.
“This order seeks to repeat one of the gravest errors in American history, by creating a permanent subclass of people born in the U.S. who are denied full rights as Americans.”
Trump’s order is instructed to take effect in the next 30 days and prompts the Social Security Administration to stop recognizing the children as citizens and for the State Department to stop issuing passports. However, legal experts warn the President may be in over his head with this issue.
The amendment was established during the Civil War so former slaves and their children were recognized as citizens but, according to NBC News, anti-immigrant advocates have used an alternative interpretation, which Trump has focused on. The order attacks language pertaining to birthright citizenship catering to those “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States.
“I expect the Trump administration to face substantial pushback from the courts when it takes illegal actions that are properly challenged in court,” Jonathan Adler, a professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law, said.
Trump’s amended language pushes the narrative for children born of parents who did not enter the country legally to be denied citizenship, but a majority of legal experts highlight the language only referring to people not bound by U.S. law, usually foreign diplomats.
Such fights have already been battled out in the Supreme Court. In 1898, the high court never directly ruled on the issue in the case of The United States v. Wong Kim Ark, after ruling a man born in San Francisco to Chinese parents was a U.S. citizen. Co-executive director of the advocacy group Make the Road New York, Theo Oshiro, condemned Trump’s moves, labeling birthright citizenship as “a cornerstone of our democracy.” To deny their children the same basic rights as all other children born in the United States is an affront to basic values of fairness, equality, and inclusivity,” he continued.
The 47th President is already receiving pushback from Democratic leaders, including Connecticut’s Attorney General William Tong, who professed the state will be “the first to sue” and has “every confidence we will win.”
Former ATL Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Reminds Trump: ‘You Can’t Fire Someone Who Has Already Resigned’
Lance Bottoms suggested Trump should pay more attention to the other pressing issues facing the U.S.
Atlanta News First reports that Former White House Export Council member and former Mayor of Atlanta Keisha Lance Bottoms reminded President Donald Trump that she resigned weeks ago after Trump claimed he fired her.
Using his infamous “You’re Fired!” catchphrase from the show The Apprentice, Trump took to his Truth Social platform to “fire” Lance Bottoms and other members of the Biden-Harris administration on Jan. 21. The now former White House employees include Chef Jose Andres from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition; Ret. Gen. Mark Milley from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council; and former State Department official Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars board.
Trump claims the group doesn’t “align” with his “Make America Great Again vision.” Lance Bottoms reminded Trump that it’s impossible to fire someone who has already resigned.
“A day late and a dollar short … My resignation from the President’s Export Council was submitted January 4, effective yesterday,” Bottoms wrote in response.
“You can’t fire someone who has already resigned. Of all the things happening in the world, not sure why I’m on Donald Trump’s mind at 1:30 am following his inauguration, but I count it as a badge of honor.”
She recommended that Trump pay more attention to the other pressing issues facing the U.S., such as the growing wildfires in Los Angeles.
“No matter how you voted, I think we can all agree that targeting me, along with a man who is feeding displaced people in Los Angeles and a decorated military General in the early morning hours via social media is not the best use of time for the President of the United States,” she said.
Several supporters joined Lance Bottoms in shifting the indicted president’s focus back to other issues by congratulating her on a job well done in the White House.
“He behaves like a toddler …thank you for your service sis,” @vanilla_sky81 wrote.
Another user questioned how someone could be officially fired on social media. “How you fire someone via social media???,” @tarratresha said.
Host of Sirius XM’s “The Reecie Colbert Show” @reeciecolbert said the script is the same as that of Trump’s first term. “New term. Same script of using Black women and brown men as red meat for his rabid base. I’m so disgusted we are back to waking up,” the media personality wrote.
She was later appointed to the role of principal national advisory committee on international trade in July 2023. She then joined Biden’s official campaign in June 2024, just weeks before he handed the baton to former Vice President Kamala Harris to run as the Democratic presidential nominee.
Despite Musk’s assertions, the proof is in the pudding. Neo-Nazis across the world have responded to Musk’s gesture with glee.
According to Nick Martin, an investigative journalist who tracks extremist groups, Musk’s gestures were unmistakable Nazi salutes.
“The entire neo-Nazi movement seems to be eating it up,” Martin told Wired.
“He gave two unmistakable Nazi salutes and they got the message loud and clear.”
Evan Kilgore, a Holocaust denier and far-right political commentator, who likely would have been banned from Twitter in the past, which Musk bought and rebranded X, indicated his pleasure via a post on the platform.
“Holy crap…did Elon Musk just Heil Hitler at the Trump Inauguration Rally in Washington DC…This is incredible.” Kilgore followed it up later, writing, “We are so back.”
Musk has been criticized for his overt embrace of far-right ideology, recently he has promoted Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany, and in an interview with the party’s leader, Alice Wiedel, earlier in January, Musk indicated that he believes the conspiracy theory that Hitler, a Nazi, was actually a communist.
Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity.
People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all. https://t.co/0gLdMCU3UV
In a bizarre move, the Anti-Defamation League, a group purportedly dedicated to combating anti-semitism, indicated in a post on Musk’s platform that it does not believe Musk’s salutes were Nazi salutes, which actual Nazis have applauded as a mainstream moment for their brand of hate.
The ADL’s statement was widely panned, including a quote tweet from Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who indicated that the organization had abandoned its post.
“Just to be clear, you are defending a Heil Hitler salute that was performed and repeated for emphasis and clarity,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez wrote. “People can officially stop listening to you as any sort of reputable source of information now. You work for them. Thank you for making that crystal clear to all.”
50 Plus 1 Sports Will Invest $70M To Save Saint Augustine’s University
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) removed the HBCU’s membership following significant financial issues, including a $32 million debt and an IRS battle.
In December 2022, Saint Augustine’s University was placed on probation after failing to meet accreditation standards. The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) removed the HBCU’s membership following significant financial issues, including a $32 million debt and an IRS battle.
“We were introduced to the University back in October, and from that very first moment, our first statement was that we wanted to help the university keep its land and be self-sufficient,” Monti Valrie, founder and CEO of 50 Plus 1 Sports, tells BLACK ENTERPRISE
Based in Miami, 50 Plus 1 Sports is one of the nation’s fastest-growing stadium and mixed-use development firms. It’s the first national sports financing and development firm to require 50% minority and women participation in every project the company finances or partners in.
50 Plus 1 Sports and Saint Augustine’s University agreed on a ground lease: a long-term agreement between a landowner, in this case, the university, and the tenant, which is 50 Plus 1 Sports. The agreement allows 50 Plus 1 Sports to develop on the university.
Valrie says his company invested the ground lease payment upfront, enabling the university to clear its debt and move forward. For the first 10 years, there is a 65/35 split on revenue between 50 Plus 1 Sports and SAU. Years 11 through 99 include a 60/40 split on revenue.
“Our estimates at year 50 are over a billion dollars back to the university in revenue split,” says Valrie. “This gives the university the opportunity to carry out their mission in the community.”
Valrie says while his company is based in Florida, the partnership with the university is a “homegrown project.” This means an overwhelming majority of the workforce needed as development happens will come from the Raleigh area.
An Uphill Battle With Raleigh Business Leaders
The investment from outside of North Carolina comes after what Board of Trustees Chairman Brian Boulware says have been roadblocks from Raleigh business leaders.
In February 2024, Boulware says the school asked for financial assistance from Durham-based Self-Help Credit Union, a national financial institution on a mission to “create and protect ownership and economic opportunity for all, especially people of color, women, rural residents, and low-wealth families and communities.”
“At that time, we talked to them probably for four months, asking for their assistance and helping with finance donations and a loan opportunity,” Boulware says. “They said they didn’t really have an appetite for it.”
Boulware says the credit union changed its tune after the university’s land, which sits within one mile of the Governor’s Mansion, was appraised for roughly $207 million. The credit union joined other local investors interested in loaning the university between $20 and $30 million, Boulware says.
The deal would have required the land be removed from the university’s name and two board members removed. Business investors would also choose the president of the university and the board chair. The university, however, would receive no revenue share, according to Boulware.
Business Leaders Tell Saint Augustine’s To Merge With Other HBCU
In a June 2024 letter obtained by BLACK ENTERPRISE that Boulware sent to students and staff, he discussed the challenges SAU faced with leadership changes and financial status.
“One example of our difficulties occurred during a business meeting with influential Raleigh business leaders,” he writes.
“In attendance were a television station owner, a former editor of the local newspaper, a prominent local developer, and executives of another local higher educational institution. After exchanging pleasantries, the owner of the television station stated, ‘Let’s get to the bottom of this: Raleigh doesn’t need two Black universities. We need the two to merge. I don’t care what you call it. However, we need them both on SAU’s property because we need downtown land to expand the development footprint.'”
(Boulware confirmed to BLACK ENTERPRISE that local leaders wanted Saint Augustine’s to merge with Shaw University.)
“Additionally, the local developer stated, ‘You have no leverage in this situation. You need to consider this as an option,'” Boulware wrote in his letter. “The developer informed us that the Raleigh business community shared similar sentiments, thus limiting our access to financial resources.”
University leaders rejected the proposal, according to Boulware, favoring an “immediate short-term financial solution” to address payroll, student refund compensation, and more.
The short-term fix? Saint Augustine’s received a $7 million loan from Gothic Ventures, LLP to pay off its debts. The loans have a 24% interest rate and a 2% loan management fee. Martin Eakes, who leads Self-Help Credit Union, called the deal “abusive” and “predatory” in a recent interview with WUNC.
“The question I always had in my mind was, ‘Why wasn’t the university able to go out and secure a loan that covers some of the debt?’” says Valrie. “When you look at it deeper, there wasn’t anybody willing to help the university.”
Where Does Saint Augustine’s University Go From Here?
According to Board Member Sophie Gibson, the agreement between 50 Plus 1 Sports and Saint Augustine’s would resolve debt, provide critical operational funding, establish a revenue sharing model that secures universities financial sustainability for decades to come, and bring in opportunities for students, scholarships, community engagement, and economic development beyond the university and into Raleigh.”
The university is waiting for the attorney general to approve the 50 Plus 1 Sports agreement. The school received a letter from SACSCOC on Jan. 15 stating it has 10 days to respond on the sustainability of the university.
