public schools, Segregation
Photo by Oladimeji Ajegbile: https://www.pexels.com/photo/man-napping-on-books-3564013/
by Jameelah Mullen

April 4, 2025

Naval Academy Removes 400 Books In Anti-DEI Purge

Here we go.....

The U.S. Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books from its library after being instructed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s office to review and discard books that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, U.S. officials said, as reported by the Associated Press.

 Hegseth’s office instructed academy officials to review its library last week. The initial search identified approximately 900 books for elimination; however, 400 books were ultimately removed just before Hegseth visited the academy on April 1. 

Removing the books is part of the Trump administration’s effort to eliminate perceived DEI content from federal agencies. This effort encompasses policies and programs to ensure the fair treatment of marginalized groups that have historically faced discrimination in educational and workplace settings.

Since Hegseth took over as Defense Secretary, the former television host has aggressively advocated for removing DEI programs from the military. 

In February, without explanation, Hegseth fired Lisa Franchetti, the Navy’s first female chief. This came days after the president abruptly removed General CQ Brown Jr., a Black man who served as chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

In November 2024, Hegseth told CNN that he would advise the Trump administration to remove any military official who “was involved in any of the DEI woke sh*t.”

Hegseth faced backlash after actively urging the department to eliminate DEI programs and online media content. Lawmakers and leaders have expressed particular concern about the potential removal of historical figures and war heroes, such as the Tuskegee Airmen, the first Black military pilots who served in World War II.

Naval Academy employees removed items commemorating female Jewish graduates from a historic display ahead of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s visit to the school. However, they did not remove the photos of male Jewish graduates. After receiving a complaint from the Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF), the academy restored the images and issued a letter of apology. 

“Thank you for MRFF’s support in responding to the removal of the Distinguished Jewish Women graduates from the U.S. Naval Academy’s Levy Center Stein Fellowship Hall and Jewish Chapel. Following MRFF’s report, the Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy, along with her leadership team, returned the artifacts to the cases last night. The scores of midshipmen, staff, and faculty clients are grateful for MRFF’s quick and decisive action to address this injustice.” 

This misstep highlights the ongoing confusion surrounding the definition and purpose of DEI.

RELATED CONTENT: Target’s Drop In Foot Traffic In Its 8th Straight Week As DEI Boycott Continues

black owned bowling
photo credit: pexels
by Kandiss Edwards

April 4, 2025

Historic Chicago South Side Bowling Alley Will Remain Open After Successful GoFundMe Campaign

Skyway Bowl, the last Black-owned bowling alley on Chicago’s South Side, will remain open after a successful GoFundMe campaign, Block Club Chicago reported.

Owner Brunetta Hill-Corley appealed to the community for support due to low patronage, high expenses, and a hefty loan payment due to the pandemic shutdown. Hill-Corley received overwhelming support from locals and Divine Nine organizations, raising more than $17,000 to date. She credited media coverage for sparking the enthusiastic response.

“The article created a viral effect,” Hill-Corley said. “I feel relieved; I’m beyond energized. … The community, local organizations, nonprofits, schools—people are reaching out for events and social gatherings that will continue to create that next generation of love flowing through this center.”

Before the pandemic, Skyway Bowl thrived with a 35-week bowling league of 32 teams. But lockdowns brought business to a halt, forcing Hill-Corley to take out a disaster relief loan, which she is now repaying. The financial strain grew when the business’s tax assessment doubled, adding to an already tight budget.

After two years of closure, the bowling alley has struggled to rebuild its customer base, and league participation has dropped to just 10 teams.

“People feared, people died, leagues broke up, people didn’t come back,” Hill-Corley said. “People don’t want to commit to coming out for a 35-week league like they used to.”

Located at 9915 S. Torrence Ave., Skyway Bowl has deep roots in Chicago’s South Side. The property once belonged to Jacoby Dickens, a successful Black businessman and founder of Seaway Bank, one of Illinois’ largest Black-owned banks. In 2009, the site changed hands and was last owned by the late Johnnie Hill, Hill-Corley’s father. Since his passing in 2016, his family has continued running the business, with Hill-Corley at the helm, supported by her husband and children.

Determined to honor her father’s legacy, Hill-Corley remains committed to keeping Skyway Bowl alive.

“I told him, ‘You’re going home free of mind because I got it,’” she said. “He had a vision for his family to have something other than a 9-to-5. This is our last hurrah.”

The Hill-Corley family wants to fulfill their patriarch’s wishes and serve their community. If Skyway Bowl were to close, South Side residents would have to travel across the city to the North Side to find a bowling alley.

Keith Hamilton, executive director of the Illinois State Bowling Proprietors Association, stressed the importance of keeping the establishment open.

“Skyway is not only a bowling center but a driving force for the community,” he said. “It would be a serious loss for the South Side.”

RELATED CONTENT: Historic Black-Owned Portland Athletic Club In Jeopardy Due To Conservatorship, Infighting

eric adams, NYC mayor, albania
(Photo: Radin/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)
by Sharelle B. McNair

April 4, 2025

NYC Mayor Eric Adams’ Federal Corruption Case Dropped

Adams spoke out following the dismissal, saying the case 'should have never been brought and I did nothing wrong.'

New York City Mayor Eric Adams will avoid prison time after a federal judge permanently dismissed his criminal case following pressure from the Trump administration that prosecutors drop his corruption charges, BBC reports. 

Manhattan Federal Judge Dale Ho tossed the case “with prejudice,” meaning the Department of Justice (DOJ) won’t have the opportunity to refile the charges against Adams based on the same evidence. Ho said that while some people will find his 78-page decision “undoubtedly” unsatisfying, his decision ensured that the administration could not use the indictment as “leverage” over Adams or the city of New York.

“Dismissing the case without prejudice would create the unavoidable perception that the mayor’s freedom depends on his ability to carry out the immigration enforcement priorities of the administration and that he might be more beholden to the demands of the federal government than to the wishes of his own constituents,” the judge wrote.

The corruption charges resulted in Manhattan’s top federal prosecutor resigning after accusing the mayor of issuing a deal with the Trump administration in exchange for immigration enforcement.

According to the New York Daily News, Ho appointed independent lawyer Paul Clement to advise him on the situation, recommending the judge dismiss the case for good. The former solicitor general under President George W. Bush labeled the narrative of the mayor having an alliance with Trump over New Yorkers as “deeply troubling.”

However, acting deputy U.S. attorney general Emil Bove, appointed by Trump, ordered New York prosecutors to drop the case against Adams, arguing the case “restricted” the mayor’s ability to address key goals of the new administration like  “illegal immigration and violent crime.” 

Adams’ aligning with Trump has led to harsh criticism from New Yorkers and immigration advocates. Things took a hard turn when Adams appeared on Fox & Friends alongside Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, who mentioned being “up [the mayor’s] butt” if he failed to comply with the Trump administration while seeking to carry out deportations.

Adams was charged with conspiracy, fraud, soliciting illegal campaign contributions, and bribery in September 2024 after being accused of accepting gifts totaling more than $100,000 from Turkish citizens in exchange for favors. Following the dismissal, Adams said the case “should have never been brought and I did nothing wrong.” 

With the ruling coming less than three months before the June 2025 NYC mayoral primary race, Adams he will run for re-election not as a Democrat, but as an independent. He mentioned wanting to rally a campaign on “a solid base of people” outside of city limits of Manhattan, with a focus on ethnic minorities who helped him win his first election in 2021.

RELATED CONTENT: New York State Senate Leader: NYC Mayor Eric Adams Should ‘Move Aside’

North Carolina State Bell Tower
photo credit: Melizabethi123, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
by Sharelle B. McNair

April 4, 2025

NC State Senior Accused Of Embezzling $15K From African American Textile Society

Dargan received a $14,000 scholarship from the North Carolina Textile Foundation in 2021 after being inspired to pursue a fashion career at a young age.

Khiara Dargan, a North Carolina State University senior, is under fire for alleged embezzlement after being accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the African American Textile Society, a student organization on campus, while serving as president, WRAL News reports. 

Dargan allegedly embezzled a little under $15,000 of group funds. The group provides support for minority students studying textiles. The accusations claim the senior from Greensboro, North Carolina, misappropriated $14,695 of the group’s funds for personal use. Dargan faces felony charges of embezzlement by public officers or trustees, obtaining property by false pretense, and identity theft.

Dargan admits that she received access to the organization’s finances at the beginning of the 2024-2025 academic school year but lost access in November 2024. She said she felt lots of pressure to have things in order. “With me being the president, there was a lot of pressure and things needing to be purchased and set in order,” Dargan said. 

“Since none of us had access to the account to check the balance or anything, we weren’t able to see the charges or revert them.”

Feeling “embarrassed and blindsided” by the accusations, Dargan says there is a lack of oversight on the charges against her since any N.C. State students can gain access to group funding. “I still [don’t] understand or feel the charges are fitting, and if this can happen to any student with access to bank accounts under N.C. State, there needs to be a process to explain to students how to go about using them in ways that aren’t inappropriate or landing them in situations like this,” she said. 

“I feel very distraught about the charges, but unfortunately, there is nothing I can do. The point of student organizations is to teach them the mechanisms they’ll need to use in real companies –- not land them in situations like this.” 

According to WXIII 12, court documents claim Dargan may have used other people’s credit cards to make unauthorized financial transactions after receiving a $14,000 scholarship from the North Carolina Textile Foundation in 2021. The scholarship announced the senior student as interested in a fashion career that started at a young age, “when she was inspired by the styles in ‘Bratz’ and ‘Barbie’ movies.” 

Dargan’s disposition hearing is scheduled for April 16. Dargan, who is pursuing an English degree, says she wants to move past the issue and continue her education. “I wish there was more I could say, but I can’t,” the college student said. 

“I just want to move on and be able to live my dreams, which is why I am in college in the first place.”

RELATED CONTENT: North Carolina State Alumni Reveal Reports Of Cancer Diagnosis Possibly Linked To Campus Building

Galveston, Texas, Black lifeguards
Photo by Mike Delima/pexels
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 3, 2025

Jacksonville Beach Denies Permit For ‘HBCU Beach Day’ Event

'From the email, we thought that everything was a go.'

Organizers of the third annual “HBCU Beach Day” said the event was denied a permit by Jacksonville Beach officials.

The event, set for April 12, is expected to attract hundreds of college students to Jacksonville Beach, First Coast News reports. Organizers also received a cease-and-desist letter from city officials, warning of potential consequences if the event goes ahead without a permit.

“It’s historical for the Black community,” organizer Tyree Jackson said. “Just to bring everyone together and just to show everyone that we can come together and we can have a good time, and we can do everything the right way without having any issues.”

Jackson said the application was submitted in March. He and fellow organizer Jarrod Gunn believed they were in the clear to proceed.

“We weren’t told that we can’t even have the event,” Jackson said. “From the email, we thought that everything was a go.”

However, city officials said the permit application was denied because it was submitted fewer than 90 days in advance, a violation of city regulations.

“There’s rules, state statutes, there’s city ordinances, all of those are in place to protect everybody from the people that are visiting here,” Sgt. Tonya Tator with the Jacksonville Beach Police Department said.

Organizers noted that it’s too late to cancel, as many students have already booked accommodations and made travel arrangements. With college students from across Florida expected to attend, “we actually want to do it the right and the legit way,” Jackson said.

Jackson said officers declined payment offers to ensure safety at the event. He also emphasized his desire to distance the “HBCU Beach Day” event from any negative incidents that occurred during other gatherings they had no involvement in.

RELATED CONTENT: Florida Cop Charged After Shooting A Driver With His Own Gun

Tupac Shakur, Brenda's Got A Baby
(Photo: Raymond Boyd/Getty Images)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 3, 2025

Dr. Khalid Muhammad’s Estate Sues Over Unauthorized Use Of Speech In Tupac Shakur Song

The speech was used in 1996's 'White Man'z World'

The estate of Dr. Khalid Muhammad has filed a suit against Tupac Shakur’s estate, stating that the Brooklyn-born artist lifted a political speech from Muhammad when it was featured on Tupac’s “White Man’z World,” AllHipHop reports.

Muhammad’s estate claims no permission was sought for the speech to be used on the 1996 track that appeared on The Don Killuminati: The 7 Day Theory as Tupac’s alter ego, Makaveli.

The suit also names Suge Knight, Interscope Records, Death Row Records, Universal’s publishing arm, and the producer of the song, Darryl “Big D” Harper, as co-defendants.

The lawsuit claims Shakur, who died in September 1996 at the age of 25, used a seven-line excerpt from a speech given Muhammad during 1993’s “Black Holocaust Nationhood Conference.”

“His presence on ‘White Manz World’ reinforces Tupac Shakur’s role as not just an artist, but as a voice for Black empowerment and resistance against oppression. At a time when hip-hop was a leading force in shaping political discourse among Black youth, Dr. Khalid’s inclusion gave ‘White Manz World’ an undeniable authenticity, elevating it beyond music into a revolutionary message against racial injustice,” the lawyer for Dr. Muhammad’s estate, Malik Z. Shabazz, said.

The estate claims that neither Tupac nor any of the aforementioned names above ever requested a license, gave credit, or compensated them for the copyrighted works. The estate stated that the parties should have known the speech was protected work as access to the public records showed it as such.

Muhammad’s estate is requesting at least $5 million and a permanent injunction to block further exploitation of Muhammad’s voice as well as attorneys’ fees and the impoundment of infringing materials.

Muhammad, the former Nation of Islam official, died in 2001. He was 53.

RELATED CONTENT: You Can Own Unreleased Handwritten Lyrics From Tupac Shakur For $250K

Jason Whitlock
Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 3, 2025

Jason Whitlock Questions Authenticity Of Basketball Team Photo Featuring Stephen A. Smith—Real Or AI?

Whitlock doesn't know if a Winston-Salem State University basketball team photo featuring Smith or if it was altered

The feud with LeBron James has not ended with Stephen A. Smith. Still, another of his adversaries, Jason Whitlock, has launched another attack on the ESPN analyst as he doubted that a photo of Smith on an HBCU basketball team was really him.

According to HBCU Gameday, Whitlock cast doubt on a photo the platform’s owner, Steven Gaither, posted on another platform he runs, WSSU (Winston-Salem State University) Ram Nation. Gaither posted a team photo that showed Smith beside current North Carolina A&T head coach Monté Ross. The picture was from the 1991 season. Although it was previously mislabeled as the team that made the playoffs in 1992, Gaither assured his readers that the photo was genuine and the person was really Smith.

Clutchpoint reported that during his appearance on his recent podcast, Fearless, Whitlock stated he saw the photo and immediately questioned if it was real or artificial intelligence.

“ We’ve done the homework, and we know where this picture comes from. It comes from whatever conference they were in the 90s, the 1992 Postseason Conference for Winston-Salem State. It was in [the] media guide for that postseason conference tournament. This picture was in, and I’ve said here I’m not sure if this is AI. I’m not sure if that is actually Stephen A. Smith.”

Still doubting the picture’s validity, Whitlock continues by trying to point out inconsistencies with stories Smith has mentioned over the years.

“Yes. There’s a striking resemblance between this man next to Monte Ross and Stephen A. Smith. But, even according to Stephen A. Smith’s own telling at the time of the 1992 postseason tournament of the conference that they played in, Stephen A. Smith was working at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution or the Winston-Salem Journal. Winston-Salem State or Winston-Salem Journal, whatever. He was already started his media career. He was already graduated from Winston-Salem State. They can’t keep their lies straight.”

Gaither points out Whitlock’s insistence on attacking Smith because “he never misses a chance to take a snipe” at his known adversary. But, the HBCU Gameday founder reassures us that the picture IS authentic.

RELATED CONTENT: Alexis Ohanian, Husband Of Serena Williams, Claps Back At Jason Whitlock For Calling Him A Simp

Aurora James
(Photo: UKinUSA, CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
by Stacy Jackson

April 3, 2025

Fifteen Percent Pledge Founder Aurora James Addresses DEI Rollbacks, Consumer Boycotts

Despite recent DEI rollbacks, The Fifteen Percent Pledge maintains almost 30 retailers. And James plans to double down on her organization's mission

In a discussion with Fortune, fashion designer Aurora James said her non-profit, The Fifteen Percent Pledge, has not experienced any retailers or other companies bowing out of their commitments to the organization amid DEI rollbacks.

James started The Fifteen Percent Pledge in Many 2020 after she challenged major retailers and corporations to support its mission and dedicate 15% of their shelf space to Black-owned brands in an effort to create a more equitable economic future.

Despite orders like the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision to end affirmative action and President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which targeted DEI initiatives in government, The Fifteen Percent Pledge maintains over 28 retailers, which include Sephora, Nordstrom, Macy’s, Ulta Beauty, and Victoria’s Secret.

According to the organization’s website, the pledge has shifted nearly $14 billion of revenue to Black-owned brands.

James said that Target’s January announcement to roll back its DEI programs was a major change. “The first idea that I had for The Fifteen Percent Pledge was because I was on the phone with someone talking about Target,” she said. “They’re based in this city where George Floyd was murdered [Minneapolis]. The pledge has had a fairly public ongoing discourse with them because they always refused to take the pledge. And I think that’s because [DEI] was largely optic [for the company].”

The idea that DEI is solely about offering opportunities to people based on gender and skin color is a huge misconception, James said. “That’s really not what it’s about. It’s about creating a diverse meritocracy…casting an incredibly wide net and including people that normally don’t have access to shoot their shot.”

She believes there is power in consumer boycotts with the number of consumers that refuse to spend their hard-earned dollars in stores that fail to align with their values. A survey conducted by The Fifteen Percent Pledge and the Global Strategy Group revealed that 61% of registered voters said it was necessary that companies they purchase from actively support DEI initiatives, while 40% said they would fall back on purchasing from companies that decide to roll back or eliminate DEI programs.

“If we look ahead a decade, right, we’re going to see that a lot of these companies that haven’t embraced diverse thought are going to really struggle,” James said. She believes small businesses are the backbone of the American economy, and as a founder of color, she plans to double down and continue to support the partners of The Fifteen Percent Pledge.

RELATED CONTENT: 4 Black Businesses Gain $350K At Fifteen Percent Pledge Gala, Exceeding $500K In Grants

civil lawsuit|ja morant
The Memphis Grizzlies' Ja Morant. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)|
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 3, 2025

Ja Morant Scrutinized For Gun Gesture During Recent NBA Game

The NBA is reportedly 'looking into' the incident due to past suspensions related to gun-related issues

Memphis Grizzlies NBA player Ja Morant is in the hot seat again after another controversial move he made emulating “firing” a gun in the direction of an opposing player while on the basketball court in a recent game.

The explosive point guard was suspended two times by the league for issues around publicly handling guns in social media video clips. There was also another reported incident where he was allegedly seen with his friends brandishing a firearm at opposing players after an NBA game. Due to these incidents, the gesture brought Morant unneeded attention. While walking past several Golden State Warriors players during a timeout, Morant can be seen using his arms and fingers in a shooting motion toward the Warriors bench.

After fans and basketball enthusiasts started talking about Morant’s gesture, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported the NBA is reportedly looking into the incident due to Morant’s history regarding guns.

NBC New York reported a back-and-forth between Morant and Warriors guard Buddy Hield. Hield reportedly made a gun gesture (akin to trash talk on the basketball court and used by many basketball players) toward Morant before the Grizzles guard repeated it toward him. Both players received technical fouls but were allowed to stay in the game. The situation for Morant is being looked at due to his past gun-related issues, which are seemingly the primary reason for further investigation by the NBA.

The league will also speak to Hield before talking to Morant.

RELATED CONTENT: BIG3 Is Now Location-Based, Ice Cube Says

Carmelo Anthony, soccer trial, Puerto Rico, invstment
(Photo: Bryan Steffy/Getty Images)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 3, 2025

Report: Carmelo Anthony Part of 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class

Will he enter the Hall of Fame as a Denver Nugget or as a New York Knick?

ESPN’s Sham Charania is reporting that retired NBA superstar Carmelo Anthony is will be part of this year’s class of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

In a social media post, the NBA insider revealed that the successful businessman was told that he had recently become a first-ballot NBA Hall of Famer.

“First ballot: Carmelo Anthony has been notified that he’s been elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2025, sources tell ESPN. Anthony made 10 All-Star appearances and six All-NBA teams in 19 seasons to go along with three Olympic gold medals for Team USA.”

Although Anthony never won an NBA title, he was one of the most respected players in the league in his lengthy NBA career, which featured star-making runs with the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks. He ended his career with the Los Angeles Lakers.

During his only season of college basketball, he led Syracuse University to its first and only NCAA men’s basketball tournament championship. He then entered the 2003 NBA Draft, where the Denver Nuggets made him the third overall pick.

Anthony is among the most decorated players in the United States Olympic men’s basketball history. In four Olympics, he won three gold medals and became the all-time leader in games played and rebounds while ranking second in points. He set the U.S. Olympic scoring record in 2012 with 37 points in a game against Nigeria.

After 19 seasons in the NBA, Anthony retired and is now concentrating on a variety of businesses.

RELATED CONTENT: DON’T COME FOR BLACK WOMEN: White Reggaeton Artist Dragged After Targeting Missy Elliott For Handling Her Business

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