damon dash, bowling alley, bankruptcy, florida
(Photo: Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Damon Dash Studios)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 28, 2025

Damon Dash Ordered To Pay $4M In Latest Lawsuit Filed By Movie Producer Josh Webber

Josh Webber won the default judgment after saying he lost business based on Dash making defamatory statements about him on a podcast

In another defeat for the Harlem-bred entrepreneur, Damon Dash has been ordered to pay a $4 million default judgment to movie producer Josh Webber in their ongoing legal battle.

According to TMZ, the dispute took another devastating turn for Dash when Webber filed another lawsuit against the former Roc-A-Fella label owner last year in April. When the paperwork was filed in a New York City courtroom, the producer alleged that, due to comments Dash made during an appearance on the Earn Your Leisure podcast, he lost potential business revenue that would have placed $4 million in his pocket.

While speaking on the program, Dash expressed to the show’s hosts, Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, that Webber stole from him due to their disagreement over the film Dear Frank. Stating that because of the defamatory comments from the Harlem business owner, he lost producing and directing business, amounting to $4 million.

In the papers Webber filed, he stated the video clip from the episode amassed hundreds of thousands of views and was told that due to the popularity of the video, he was informed that the $4 million offer for the job was canceled due to “Dash’s accusations of theft.”

This is the latest lawsuit filed against Dash by Webber. In the first suit, Webber won a judgment of $805,000, which included interest and attorney fees. The legal drama stems from a years-long altercation over the movie, which Dash initially worked on but was later removed from based on allegations of unprofessional behavior on set.

In February, a judge handed Webber a default judgment after the Roc-A-Fella co-founder violated various court orders. Judge John F. Walter said Dash failed to follow basic courtroom procedures, including not filing key legal documents, dodging a court-ordered mediation, and ignoring deadlines. The judge instructed Webber and his legal team to submit proof of damages caused by Dash’s behaviors.

RELATED CONTENT: Dame Dash Claps Back After Steve Stoute Calls Out His ‘Antics’ That Severed Jay-Z Relationship

Actress ,Harvard’s American Repertory Theater, lawsuit
(Photo: iStock)
by Sharelle B. McNair

March 28, 2025

Federal Employees File Anti-DEI Class Action Lawsuit Claiming They Were Fired For Not Being White Men

Several employees argue they were targeted due to suspected political affiliations or being discriminated against because of their gender or race.

American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, D.C., private law firms, and Democracy Forward have filed a lawsuit on behalf of federal employees who argue they were unlawfully terminated as part of President Donald Trump’s anti-DEI purge — and not being white men, NBC News reports. 

Trump’s controversial executive order to terminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the federal level resulted in thousands of employees being handed pink slips, including some who weren’t involved in DEI-related activities or simply participated in DEI training or an employee resource group. Former employees filed the complaint accusing the order of violating Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by singling out federal workers who don’t identify as white men for hostility, suspicion, job interference, and termination. 

Employees filed the complaint with the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board, which protects federal employees against abuses such as politically motivated terminations. They also allege that the mass firings violate their First Amendment rights for perceived political stances. ACLU-DC Legal Director Scott Michelman says the president’s moves prove his true agenda.

“Targeting hard-working civil servants because they are associated with an idea the government dislikes violates the First Amendment. President Trump can’t drag us back to a dark chapter in history where the government targeted people simply for their views or values,” Michelman said, according to The Grio. 

“The decision to go after people for DEI work they are no longer doing shows the administration’s true motive: to punish employees who they think hold values that clash with the president’s extremist agenda.”

While it is unclear how many people joined the class action complaint, several other employees, like Sherrell Pyatt, have plans to tap in. Currently, on administrative leave from her job at the Department of Homeland Security, Pyatt is one of several employees who argue there was a target on their backs due to suspected political affiliations or being discriminated against because of their gender or race.

“The team that I belong to that was put on administrative leave was majority women and majority people of color,” she said. 

“It’s disheartening. I’m an educated woman. I’m a hard worker. I do consider myself an expert in my areas of work, and so to know that all of that could be overlooked is unfortunate and a disservice to the American public.”

Former civil rights attorney Sheria Smith, who was let go by the Department of Education, said she experienced bias throughout her tenure and saw it coming.

“Earlier in the year, in January, they started putting people on leave for suspected DEI activity; 77 of our members were placed on leave, and none of those people actually worked in diversity, equity, and inclusion,” Smith recalls. 

“They were loan officers, they were IT professionals, they were civil rights attorneys, but of the 77, 70 of them were women, and of the 77, 30 of them were Black…To this day, the agency has not explained to us why they were placed on leave, what suspected DEI activity they actually had.”

In addition to the complaint, Trump’s anti-DEI executive orders are being challenged in lawsuits filed in federal court. Along with two other nonprofits, the National Urban League sued the President and the Office of Management and Budget, arguing the orders “expressly disadvantage people of color, women, LGBTQ people, and people with disabilities who face unfair disadvantages or inequalities by eliminating and delegitimizing targeted efforts that were specifically created to help them overcome the systemic discrimination that produced those disadvantages and inequalities.”

RELATED CONTENT: Libya’s Black Migrants Face Unprecedented Racist Violence Amid EU-Backed Policies

Michael Jordan, lawsuit, NASCAR, antitrust
(Photo: James Gilbert/Getty Images)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 28, 2025

Somebody Just Paid $4.2M For Michael Jordan’s Rookie Preseason Basketball Jersey

The jersey was worn in a 1984 preseason game in Jordan's first year in the NBA.

A basketball jersey worn by Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan in his rookie season sold for over $4 million.

NBA.com reported that in an auction that ended March 26 at Sotheby’s, a road Chicago Bulls jersey that was worn in a 1984 preseason game, sold for $4.215 million. The jersey was also signed by the basketball legend. The name of the seller was not revealed.

The auction house billed the item as the only game-worn photo-matched Jordan rookie jersey to be seen publicly at an auction. Another auction house, MeiGray, revealed that it may be the very first jersey that Jordan wore in his first season in the league. MeiGray stated that its findings, worked on with forensic analysis firm Proven Data, were based on video footage from Jordan’s first game in the NBA. That took place Oct. 5, 1984, in Peoria, Illinois.

Through its research, MeiGray photo-matched the jersey to Jordan’s fourth NBA game, which occurred Oct. 13, 1984. Sports Investors Authenticated photo-matched the jersey to a game that took place Oct. 7, 1984, his second NBA game.

In the auction listing, Sotheby’s stated its authenticity when it said it appeared that several other players had previously worn the jersey before it was given to Jordan. Dark stains appear under the name “Jordan” and under the number 23 on the uniform it appears that multiple players’ names and numbers had been there before.

Jordan did not wear the jersey much longer as he switched jerseys when the regular season started that year, and he wore the other jersey for the rest of the 1984-85 season.

ESPN reported that it wasn’t the most paid for a Jordan jersey, but it was the fifth-most-expensive NBA jersey bought at an auction.

RELATED CONTENT: Michael Jordan’s Love Letter To His High School Sweetheart Valued At Over $12K At Auction

Marvin Sapp, church, congregants, 40K, tithe, offerings
(Photo: Wikimedia)
by Kandiss Edwards

March 28, 2025

Pastor Marvin Sapp Defends His $40K Ask From Congregation: ‘Not Manipulation; It’s Stewardship’

Marvin Sapp pulls out scripture in defense of locking in his congregation and calling for an offering.

Pastor Marvin Sapp defended his $40,000 request to his congregation.

At a sermon at Chosen Vessel Cathedral in Fort Worth, Texas, Sapp instructed church ushers to “close the doors” of the sanctuary until attendees contributed the full amount. “Giving is worship,” he told the congregation, as he urged both in-person and online participants to donate.

After a service featuring the famed pastor went viral, fans and detractors critiqued Sapp’s request. But in a post on Facebook, the “Best of Me” singer set the record straight, lest the judgment continue.

Sapp assured critics and supporters that his plea was in the spirit of stewardship. The cathedral will hold the “Engage Conference: A 3N1 Experience” on May 22. Any funds raised during the service will cover the costs of the international gathering.

“Conferences have budgets. Churches have budgets. And people have budgets. As the assigned ministerial gift for this international gathering, one of my responsibilities was to help raise the conference budget. That’s not manipulation. It’s stewardship.”

He explained the risks of collecting large sums of money in a physical location, which led to the decision to lock the sanctuary doors.

“The truth is, when finances are being received in any worship gathering, it is one of the most vulnerable and exposed times for both the finance and security teams. Movement during this sacred exchange can be distracting and, at times, even risky. My directive was not about control. It was about creating a safe, focused and reverent environment for those choosing to give and for those handling the resources,” Sapp wrote.

Contrary to opinions on social media, Sapp asserted that his request aligned with scripture. As a gospel singer and, first, a shepherd of the Lord, he turned to the word for support. He cited the story of David.

“The Bible says they gave gold, silver, bronze, iron and precious stones. Specific amounts were recorded not because God needed their money but because the people needed to show their commitment to the vision and because stewardship demands accountability. So when someone challenges people to give a specific amount, it is not unbiblical.”

The selection of scripture was taken from 1 Chronicles 29. Conversely, the same chapter was used in online critiques of the pastor. Many were displeased with the snippet of the service. The pastor was called a hustler. His dedication to the community was questioned. Some even claimed his actions would turn away potential believers. 

Sapp challenges those who covered the controversy to note his response. 

RELATED CONTENT: Marvin Sapp ‘Never Would Have Made’ 40K Without Confining Church Congregants

Ice Cube, Interview, Tucker Carlson, Joe Rogan, 9 million, Black people
(Photo: Paras Griffin/Getty Images)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 28, 2025

BIG3 Is Now Location-Based, Ice Cube Says

'Transitioning to a full city-based model for this season is another marker of the league’s continued exponential growth,' Ice Cube said.

Ice Cube has announced that his professional 3-on-3 basketball league, BIG3, will be location-based this season. 

Tip-off is June 14, 2025. 

The league, which started in 2017, was founded by Cube and entertainment executive Jeff Kwatinetz. It became a league for mostly former NBA players (Joe Johnson, Greg Oden) to participate in their sport without the rigors of the full-court 5-player teams.

Although the games were played throughout the country, each team, typically coached by legendary basketball players, was not connected to a city. Games were played in the same arenas throughout the BIG3 season.

The eight-team league will now represent teams from Boston, Chicago,.Dallas, Detroit, the DMV metropolitan area (Maryland, District of Columbia, and Virginia); Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami.

There are plans to possibly add four more teams next year, Ice Cube said in a statement.

“This is a landmark moment in our league,” Ice Cube in a written statement. “These cities have shown up for us year after year, and we are honored to represent and reward those fans with a new franchise of their own. The basketball energy in these cities is unmatched, and we’ve seen first-hand the power of their fanbases.

“Transitioning to a full city-based model for this season is another marker of the league’s continued exponential growth, and fans can expect an increased talent pool and a more competitive style of game than ever before.”

The teams are listed below with their head coaches:

Boston Ball Hogs – Gary Payton

Chicago Triplets – To Be Announced

Dallas Power –  Nancy Lieberman

Detroit Amplifiers – George Gervin

DMV Trilogy – Stephen Jackson

Houston Rig Hands – Calvin Murphy

Los Angeles Riot – Nick Young

Miami 305 – Michael Cooper

RELATED CONTENT: Ice Cube Returns To ‘OG’ Rap Roots On New Album, ‘Man Down’

‘Pop The Balloon’ Is Going To Be ‘Allll The Way LIVE’ On Netflix
by Kandiss Edwards

March 28, 2025

‘Pop The Balloon’ Is Going To Be ‘Allll The Way LIVE’ On Netflix

The live show on Netflix will be hosted by Yvonne Orji.

Netflix has acquired the popular YouTube dating show Pop the Balloon or Find Love, which brings the viral series to a wider audience with a revamped format.

The streaming service will introduce Pop the Balloon Live!, a high-stakes version of the show featuring new twists and real-time eliminations. The reboot will be hosted by actress and comedian Yvonne Orji (Insecure), who celebrated her new gig on Instagram.

In a post announcing the news, she wrote, “Big thangs POPPIN. See y’all Thursdays. It’s going to be ALLLL the way LIVE!!”

The original creators, Bolia Matundu and Arlette Amuli, will serve as executive producers. Amuli will no longer host. 

“We’re thrilled to see Pop the Balloon take on a new life on Netflix,” they said in a joint statement. “From day one, we’ve kept love and fun at the heart of the show, and watching it evolve and soar beyond our wildest dreams has been truly exciting. As executive producers, we’re proud to support this next chapter and can’t wait for both new and longtime fans to experience it.”

In addition to a new format, the show will include celebrity guests, interactive elements, and higher stakes. According to the official press release, the Netflix version will feature “fresh twists and celebrity surprises, all unfolding in real time.”

The move to Netflix is unsurprising given that Pop the Balloon or Find Love became a cultural phenomenon. The show lines up potential suitors who listen to a single contender answer questions. However, if at any point a suitor loses interest, they pop their balloon to signal their disinterest. The popper is then asked explain their decision, leading to rather heated discussions.

With nearly 50 episodes on YouTube, the show has sparked many online debates and viral moments. Contestants bring their best and sometimes worst selves leading to romance—and drama.

Pop the Balloon Live! will air weekly on Thursdays at 8 p.m. Eastern beginning April 10.

RELATED CONTENT: BLK Dating App Holds ‘Freedom Weekend’ Contest For Black D.C. Residents To Escape Trump Inauguration On MLK Day

Tim Scott, Republican
(Photo: North Charleston, via Flickr)
by Mitti Hicks

March 28, 2025

Sen. Tim Scott And A Band Of Republicans Vote To Make Banking Overdraft Fees Great Again

Under President Joe Biden, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) instituted a $5 cap on bank overdraft fees.  

Senate Republicans have voted to let banks take advantage of Americans by repealing the cap on overdraft fees, thanks to legislation put forward by Sen. Tim Scott.

Under President Joe Biden, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) instituted a $5 cap on bank overdraft fees. Thursday, Senate Republicans voted 52-48 in favor of legislation that would repeal the cap for banks.

Scott, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, argued for the resolution on the Senate floor, saying that removing the CFPB’s cap would be “good for consumers.”

The only Republican who voted no and joined Democrats in opposing the resolution said, “Why would we help the big banks at the expense of working people?” 

Consumer advocates are just as baffled. 

“The CFPB’s rule imposes reasonable limits that protect consumers from unfair fees while enabling banks to cover their costs,” Chuck Bell, advocacy program director at Consumer Reports, told  Bloomberg. “Repealing the CFPB’s overdraft fee limits will hurt working families who are already struggling with high prices and inflation.”

While this is bad news for consumers and most Americans, banks are celebrating. The American Bankers Association filed a lawsuit in December, alleging that the CFPB overstepped its authority. While then-CFPB Director Rohit Chopra said the cap on overdraft fees would save consumers $5 billion a year, the association argued the cap actually hurts consumers, Rolling Stone reports.

Republicans Signal That CFPB Will Be Eliminated

The move from Senate Republicans signals something darker under the Trump administration: the CFPB could be no more.

In February, billionaire Elon Musk, head of the highly criticized Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wrote on X, “CFPB RIP.”

Musk, who has been tasked with cutting U.S. government jobs and federal spending under DOGE, said in a follow-up post that the CFPB “did above zero good things” but “still needs to go.”

Now that the resolution has passed in the Senate, it heads to the GOP-led House.

RELATED CONTENT: Say No to Overdraft Fees

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Rep. Angela Moore
(Photo: Marvin Joseph/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 28, 2025

Divine 9 Members Appear At Indiana’s Statehouse Meeting To Advocate For Medicaid And Education Funding

Members of the Divine Nine in Indiana are "speaking truth to power" regarding funding for healthcare and education.

Divine Nine members in Indiana took to the Statehouse on March 25 to advocate for funding across healthcare and education.

WTHR reports that black fraternities and sororities spoke out on key issues, advocating for Medicaid funding, school board policies, and the repeal of a Senate bill requiring public schools to share property tax dollars with charter schools.

“We are speaking truth to power, and we are working on those pieces of legislation that are bad to make sure that it doesn’t see the light of day,” said Rep. Vanessa Summers (D-District 99), who is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Valerie Harvey, also an AKA, is actively opposing Senate Bill 2, which seeks to cap the number of Hoosiers receiving Medicaid through the state’s Healthy Indiana Plan. For her, the proposed cuts would directly impact her daughter’s access to essential medication.

“There is a difference between spending money and saving money and cutting resources that are reckless, and I think you have to be able to prioritize,” Harvey said.

“I have a daughter that suffers from schizophrenia. She has to have Medicaid in order to provide the services that she needs and to get her medicine.”

Stephon Jones, a member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and chair of mentorship at Ball State University, expressed concerns that education is under threat due to ongoing attacks on DEI efforts in both government and the business sector.

“DEI is impacting institutions. Designated scholarships for minorities fall under DEI. Are those going to be eliminated if we don’t speak up? And how are those funds going to be appropriated?” said Jones.

The legislative session will conclude by the end of April. Harvey is hopeful that lawmakers will consider their concerns.

“And be able to understand that even though they don’t understand and maybe haven’t had that issue in their personal life there are a lot of us who are dealing with that,” she said.

RELATED CONTENT: Old Dominion Honors Legacy Of The Divine Nine With On-Campus Monuments

Whitney Museum of American Art
photo credit: Kidfly182, CC BY 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
by Stacy Jackson

March 28, 2025

Whitney Museum Displays Amy Sherald’s ‘Four Ways Of Being’

The "Four Ways of Being" portraits invite museum visitors to explore the complex ways our histories shape our understanding.

As New York locals pass through Gansevoort Street, a billboard across from the Whitney Museum of American Art displays four portraits by artist Amy Sherald.

The newly commissioned work, titled “Four Ways of Being,” explores the “intersection of past, present, and future,” according to the Whitney Museum. “Each painting captures a distinct way of existing in the world.” Sherald’s work portrays four individuals from diverse backgrounds and generations as they coexist at a common point. Some of the paintings are new to the New York art scene. The four portraits invite viewers to “contemplate the fluidity of time and the complex ways our histories shape our understanding of ourselves,” the Whitney Museum captioned a clip of the billboard installation.

The Georgia-born painter is known for her depictions of the contemporary African American experience in the U.S. Her work offers a distinct use of color, composition, and figuration. An event at the Whitney Museum, called “Archiving Everyday Life: Amy Sherald and Representation in American Art,” highlights how the New York-based artist’s “intentional focus on everyday Black life speak to absences in the archive, situating her practice within a broader lineage of artists who have sought to redefine representation.”

Sherald is a pioneer in the art scene. In 2016, she made history as the first woman and African American to receive the Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition grand prize from the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C., per Hauser & Wirth. The year after, she was honored with the Anonymous Was A Woman award before she drew the attention of former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama, who tapped her to paint her official portrait for the National Portrait Gallery in D.C. In 2019, she received the Smithsonian Ingenuity Award.

“Four Ways of Being” is on display now, throughout September. In April, the museum will open an exhibition showcasing Sherald’s “American Sublime” with a preview night and opening ceremony on April 2. A mini version of the Michelle Obama portrait will be featured in the upcoming exhibition.

RELATED CONTENT: 9 Black Galleries That Amplify Black Art

Mike Tomlin, coach, Pittsburgh, steelers, Lombardi trophy, youngest coach
(Photo: Michael Allio/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 28, 2025

Pittsburgh Steelers Lose Top 2 Quarterbacks To New York Teams

The Steelers also lost their third-string quarterback to the Detroit Lions.

The Pittsburgh Steelers lost their top two quarterbacks last season over the past week.

According to Steelers Now, last season’s starer, Russell Wilson, signed with the New York Giants. The news came after Russell’s back-up, Justin Fields, signed with the New York Jets.

Even the third-string quarterback from last season, Kyle Allen, bolted. Allen signed a free-agent contract with the Detroit Lions, a team that should contend for the Super Bowl.

So, for the second straight season, the Steelers will have a new starting quarterback in 2025.

Who will it be? Good question.

Legendary quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who spent the last two seasons with the Jets, has talked to the Steelers. The free agent met with head coach Mike Tomlin, general manager Omar Khan, team owner and president Art Rooney II, and several coaches for six hours recently, according to ESPN. But nothing is definite. Rodgers, 41, is also on the downside of a brilliant career.

In the meantime, the team has brought back former backup Mason Rudolph and signed Skylar Thompson, late of the Miami Dolphins. Neither evoke memories of Terry Bradshaw. Or even Mark Malone.

The upcoming NFL Draft is an option. While management tries to hammer out the options for the next starting quarterback, the team has shown interest in potential late-round picks like Jalen Milroe of the University of Alabama, and Quinn Ewers, who played for the University of Texas after a stint at Ohio State.

Although head coach Mike Tomlin has kept his streak of winning seasons intact at 18 and counting, he hasn’t had a steady option at the quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2021. It looks like he could have another year of uncertainty when the NFL season starts again this fall.

RELATED CONTENT: Mike Tomlin Signs 3-Year Contract Extension With Pittsburgh Steelers

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