• Technology

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 19, 2025

Will.i.am Staying Ahead Of Trends With His Next Tech Investment In Large Concept Models

Will.i.am is on the “hunt” for young fresh tech talent able to build large concept models.

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Will.i.am stays ahead of the latest tech trends with his newest investment in large concept models.

According to the Grammy-winning musician, entrepreneur, and investor, large concept models in the rapidly expanding world of artificial intelligence are poised to be the next big thing.

“I’m hunting for what they call large concept models,” Will.i.am told Fortune.

“Right now, we’re in large language models, but they’re not concepts. It’s just language—they’re just regurgitating our imagination and our concepts,” he explained. 

Will.i.am, an early investor in OpenAI and the founder of FYI—an AI-driven productivity and communication platform for creatives—has been ahead of the AI boom. Now, he’s aiming to stay ahead by seeking out young tech talent specializing in large concept models.

“Around the corner, someone’s going to build large concept models. So you want to hunt for that,” Will.i.am explained. “You want to hunt for the people that are out there doing that. They’re students right now, they’re at MIT, they’re at Stanford. They’re young kids, and they’re native to this. So you want to hunt for that. That’s the only thing I’m focused on.”

The “Where Is The Love” rapper highlighted his “pretty cool” early investments, which helped him develop an eye for spotting the following big tech trends: His portfolio includes Tesla, Pinterest, Dropbox, OpenAI, and Anthropic.

“I invested in Tesla in 2006, before Elon [Musk] took over the company, and he’s done great, taking it to where it is. Hopefully, he can figure out a way to get it back to its glory,” he shared. “I invested in Twitter early on. When Jack [Dorsey] left, I sold it. Made good there.”

One investment, Will.i.am, now regrets missing out on is Airbnb. When approached to invest $200,000 in an early fundraising round, he didn’t see the vision then. However, he views the experience as a valuable lesson.

“When you travel and you have success, you get used to the best hotels, the best service, right? So sometimes, when you’re used to the best, and you’re used to being pampered by the best, that could cripple you because when new experiences come, like Airbnb, you’re gonna base it off of the best,” Will.i.am explained.

“You’re gonna say, hey, so you guys have concierge, and he’s gonna say, no. That ain’t gonna work. So you guys have room service? No. That ain’t gonna work. So I was tunnel vision and pampered by luxury.”

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• News

by Kandiss Edwards

March 19, 2025

Mo’Nique Calls Out Tyler Perry After He Spoke At Angie Stone’s Funeral

Mo'Nique wrote an open letter to Tyler Perry critiquing his behavior.

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Comedian and Academy Award-winning actress Mo’Nique has written an open letter to filmmaker Tyler Perry addressing longstanding grievances and calling for accountability.

The letter came after the recent funeral for legendary soul singer Angie Stone, a trailblazer in hip-hop, R&B, and soul music. Perry, who attended the service, publicly lamented how Stone had been underappreciated and poorly treated throughout her career.

Mo’Nique seized the moment to critique Perry’s remarks and actions. The actress highlighted what she alleged to be similar treatment she faced at his hands. In the letter, Mo’Nique directly addressed Perry and outlined four key points detailing how, in her view, her contributions to the entertainment industry have been critiqued by the owner of Tyler Perry Studios.

“You labeled me ‘difficult to work with’ despite never having worked with me,” she wrote.

The comedian called on Perry, famously known for his Madea character, to take responsibility for actions she believed aided in her being blackballed in the entertainment industry.

“You asked, ‘Where is the money she is owed?’ Mo’Nique wrote. “The false narrative you perpetuated helped blackball me and cost me tens of millions of dollars,” she continued. 

The letter has sparked mixed reactions across social media, with some users supporting Mo’Nique’s candor and others criticizing the message and its timing. The Precious star has long been known for speaking out against inequality in Hollywood.

However, not all observers were sympathetic. An X user voiced frustration, writing, “At this point, Mo’Nique needs to see a therapist because turning someone’s funeral into a chance to say Tyler Perry owes you money is not something a functioning person would do.”

Another supporter backed Mo’Nique, saying she has a valid argument and is challenging the Black Hollywood elite.

“Mo’Nique wasn’t wrong at all,” the person said. “Y’all will criticize and critique Tyler Perry’s work but won’t call out his actions. He stood at Angie Stone’s funeral preaching about the very things he’s done to Mo’Nique. Everything she said in her post was absolutely true.”

Public reaction to Mo’Nique’s stance may vary, but the comedian has never shied away from speaking her mind. Polarizing at times, Mo’Nique has drawn criticism for her outspoken opposition to Black women wearing bonnets in public — a viewpoint some have dismissed as antiquated and rooted in respectability politics.

In addition to her recent address to Tyler Perry, Mo’Nique has also publicly confronted filmmaker Lee Daniels, accusing him of mistreatment and underpayment during their past collaborations.

Despite pushback from both the industry and the public, the Queen Of Comedy has consistently shown a willingness to challenge prominent figures and call out perceived injustices, regardless of the backlash.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘I Couldn’t Believe It’: Tyler Perry Pays Off Nashville Woman’s Mortgage

• News

by Kandiss Edwards

March 19, 2025

Mayor Andre Dickens Extends Amnesty To Atlanta Traffic Violators

The amnesty program provides a waiver for traffic violators who failed to appear in court.

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Mayor Andre Dickens is offering Atlanta drivers a fresh start by launching a new traffic amnesty program that aims to resolve outstanding violations without the threat of arrest.

The City of Atlanta posted the announcement on its X account. The initiative allows individuals who have received traffic citations in Atlanta and subsequently failed to appear in court to clear their cases. Eligible participants can resolve their outstanding tickets and related charges without facing arrest warrants.

According to the city, the program runs from March 17 through April 21. However, the amnesty applies exclusively to traffic-related offenses. Individuals charged with major or minor criminal offenses other than traffic violations will not qualify.

Atlanta residents and out-of-town motorists with eligible traffic offenses are encouraged to take advantage of the program. To qualify, citizens must have missed a scheduled court date for a traffic violation and have an active failure-to-appear arrest warrant related to that violation.

Extending the violators grace will help ease the financial burden of late payment, which carries a $100 fee. The fines for traffic violations must be paid in full for resolution. Dickens is extending court hours to give flexibility to working residents. 

“This program helps clear arrest warrants for those who qualify, offering a fair and accessible path to resolution. Court hours have been extended to make it easier for [residents] to participate,” Dickens said in an X post.

The announcement comes as Dickens recently declared his intention to seek reelection. The first-term mayor has highlighted his record of service to Atlanta’s most underserved populations, including seniors, youth, and low-income communities.

A native of Atlanta and a graduate of Georgia Tech, Dickens’ administration has prioritized affordable housing and support for seniors as well as expanded partnerships with major corporations to boost Atlanta’s digital infrastructure and economic development.

For more information on the amnesty program, visit atlantaga.gov or contact Atlanta Municipal Court.

RELATED CONTENT: Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens Announces Re-Election Bid

• Education

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 19, 2025

13-Year-Old Prodigy Manifests His Acceptance To Morehouse College

Upon learning that Dr. Martin Luther King attended Morehouse at age 15, Suddith decided to get in earlier.

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Joshua Suddith, an academic prodigy from Georgia, got his dream gift for 13th birthday: acceptance to Morehouse College, a goal he set when he was 4 years old.

His mom, Chaundra, always knew he was destined for greater things. Despite complications during her pregnancy, including an in-utero surgery, the young boy entered the world with a fierce determination. According to Chaundra, her son could speak by 9 months and learned to read well before he turned 2.

“His grit and determination are the most impressive things about him,” shared Chaundra to 11 Alive. “He didn’t let challenges get in the way of his dream.”

With an entire book written by age 3, Suddith began a career of academic achievement. He skipped numerous grades throughout his education journey, with his biggest jump being from seventh to eleventh grade. The then-12-year-old received multiple college acceptances, including to fellow HBCUs Miles College and Tennessee State University, while dual-enrolled at Augusta Technical College.

However, his eyes remained on Morehouse, the school where he learned Dr. Martin Luther King attended at the tender age of 15. With its storied history, Suddith challenged himself to break this record. Now, he is creating his own legacy at the HBCU while still inspired by Dr. King.

Despite his above-average gifts, Suddith still feels like a typical teenager. He loves basketball and wants to finish his last year of high school before heading off to higher education. Suddith also plans to study international relations so he can foster change on a global scale.

Suddith still has to hear back from some Ivy League institutions. He has also applied to Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and MIT.

Moreover, he hopes to acquire more scholarships and grants to obtain his degree without any financial strain. He has already garnered support from Morehouse alumni and The Black Man Can Inc..

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• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 19, 2025

Prairie View A&M University Head Coach Resigns After Women’s Basketball Team Losses SWAC Tournament

After seven years of leading the team, Sandy Pugh has decided to quit the basketball program.

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After her team was blown out by a 20-point loss in the quarterfinals of the 2025 SWAC (Southwestern Athletic Conference ) Women’s Basketball Tournament, Sandy Pugh resigned as head coach of Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU).

After leading the basketball team for the past seven years, Pugh has decided to relinquish her position at the institution.

🥳I am Officially Retired from basketball…grateful to everyone for all the well wishes. 30+ years…It’s been fun…😘😎💃🏾🫶🏾🍀🙏🏾

— Only1CoachPugh (@COACH_S_PUGH) March 18, 2025

“As I step into the next chapter of my life,” said Pugh in a written statement, “I am filled with gratitude for the incredible journey at Prairie View A&M University. Coaching for over 30 years — the last seven as Head Coach of the PVAMU Women’s Basketball team — has been an honor. Through victories and challenges, the resilience and dedication of this community have shaped me in ways I will forever cherish. To my staff, fellow coaches, and the athletes I’ve had the privilege to lead, thank you for the camaraderie and unwavering support. The memories we’ve built together will remain with me always.”

The search for her replacement begins immediately, as PVAMU starts a national search for its next head coach of the women’s basketball program.

“Coach Pugh’s commitment to helping our student-athletes succeed both personally and academically is admirable,” said Prairie View A&M Athletic Director Anton Goff.

According to Sports Illustrated, Pugh stepped down after the team lost to Texas Southern University 69-49 at the Gateway Center in College Park, Georgia, on March 12. The team ended the season with a losing record of 10- 18.

The now-former coach started heading the program in May 2018 after leading the women’s basketball program for 18 years at Southern University. HBCU Gameday reported that in her first year as Prairie View A&M’s head coach, she led the team to a 17-14 record and the team secured the No. 2 seed in the SWAC tournament. That was the school’s best season since the 2012-2013 campaign.

Before taking the reins at the school, Pugh took Southern University to seven SWAC titles while winning four SWAC tournament championships. Southern University made several appearances in the NCAA tournament and the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (NIT) during her tenure at the school.

RELATED CONTENT: Aniya Gourdine Calls Dad After Winning HBCU Women’s Basketball Championship

• Celebrity News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 19, 2025

Jonathan Majors Secretly Marries Meagan Good Days Ahead Of ‘Magazine Dreams’ Coming Out

The duo wed as new audio confirmed the actor ‘agressed’ his ex-girlfriend Grace Jabbari.

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Jonathan Majors, 35, secretly married his fiancée Meagan Good, 43,in a ultra-private ceremony ahead of the release of his latest film, Magazine Dreams.

Entertainment Tonight confirmed that the Hollywood couple said “I do” at their Los Angeles home March 18. The duo kept guests to an absolute minimum, with only their mothers in attendance. Majors’ mom officiated the wedding, while the mother of the bride served as a witness to their union.

The couple announced their engagement in November at the Ebony Power 100 Gala. Since the debut of their relationship two years ago, also in the middle of Majors’ domestic assault trial, they have remained inseparable and gushed about one another to the media.

“We’re feeling great,” Good told People when news of their engagement broke. Majors added, “It’s a season of joy.”

Their wedding came days before Magazine Dreams‘ March 21 release. While doing press for the drama, which Majors stars as an aspiring bodybuilder, Majors nearly blew his cover by referring to Good as his wife in an interview with ET before the news broke.

Notably, the duo wed s newfound information came to late regarding the actor’s prior assault case with ex-girlfriend, Grace Jabbari. In new audio obtained by Rolling Stone, the 35-year-old could be heard confirming that he “aggressed” his former partner. In the clip, he agreed that he did strangle and push her against a car.

I’m ashamed I’ve ever— ” Majors started as he cutting himself off. “I’ve never [been] aggressive with a woman before. I’ve never aggressed a woman—I aggressed you.” 

“You strangled me and pushed me against the car,” Jabbari said. 

“Yes, all those things are under ‘aggressed,’ yeah.” Majors said. “That’s never happened to me.” 

Neither party released a further statement on the matter. Their official trial ended in December 2023, with Majors found guilty of two counts of misdemeanor assault and harassment. Jabbari later sued Majors for defamation, assault and battery, and malicious prosecution in March 2024. The exes reached a settlement that November.

Majors and Good have yet to publicly comment on their marriage.

RELATED CONTENT: Jonathan Majors’ ‘Magazine Dreams’ Gets Release Date

• Business

by Stacy Jackson

March 19, 2025

Costco Thriving After Retailers Like Target Roll Back DEI Initiatives

During a four-week period, Costco saw an increase of over 7 million shoppers compared to Target's decrease of nearly 5 million.

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Black and Hispanic shoppers spend their dollars at Costco, while retailers like Target have seen declining in-store visits, analytics firm Numerator stated in a March 5 report that the shift may be linked to retailers’ adjustments to DEI initiatives.

“Black and Hispanic households appear to be reducing visits at disproportionately high rates in the weeks following Target’s DEI rollback,” the report states. “Meanwhile, Costco—maintaining a strong DEI stance—has attracted many of these same consumers.” In year-to-year visits, Target saw a decline in nearly 5 million shoppers during a four-week period that ended Feb. 9. For Costco, the big-box store corporation saw an increase of 7.7 million visits.

The decline in Target’s traffic may reflect its decision to switch things up on customers. One-third of survey respondents knew about the Feb. 28 economic blackout.

“That kind of seesawing back and forth and saying one thing and doing another, that’s what gets brands like Target in trouble,” Collage Group’s chief insights officer, David Albert, told Business Insider. “We’ve seen here, especially with Target, is that they’ve eroded that trust.”

Target announced its decision to roll back its DEI initiatives Jan. 24 following President Donald Trump’s order following his inauguration to cease DEI programs.

According to a companywide memo, the retail giant stated the changes would better align with the Target consumer base. During a Jan. 30 news conference, civil rights attorney Nekima Levy Armstrong stood outside the retailer’s Minnesota headquarters and called for a nationwide boycott on Black History Month’s first day. Keeping the momentum, New Birth Missionary Baptist Church Pastor Dr. Jamal Bryant announced a 40-day fast from Target, which commenced March 5. In a press release, the pastor urged 100,000 Black shoppers to “halt all purchases” and “divest any stock holdings” in the company.

Costco, on the other hand, has not changed course. “Our commitment to an enterprise rooted in respect and inclusion is appropriate and necessary,” the wholesaler’s board wrote in a memo, per The Independent. Costco CEO Ron Vachris urged shareholders to support the wholesaler’s commitment to DEI initiatives, which he believes contributes to boosting profits.

Walmart’s performance remained consistent during the four weeks examined. The report suggested that even though Walmart also rolled back DEI initiatives, such strategies were never a central focus.

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• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 19, 2025

Let Him Cook! Anthony Mackie Wants Kids To Know ‘Success Is Given, Not Earned’

Anthony Mackie says we need to 'stop lying' to kids about how to obtain success.

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Anthony Mackie believes kids are being taught the wrong lesson about working hard for success. The Captain America: Brave New World star argues that “success is given, not earned.”

Mackie recently joined the Pivot Podcast, where he discussed how luck, relationships, and hard work play major roles in achieving success.

“We are lying to our kids,” Mackie said. “We tell [them]…if they do right and they make the good grades, and they go to the programs, they will become successful. ‘If you work hard enough, your work will [pay off].’ And that’s not true.”

Mackie further explained that, in many cases, “Success is given, not earned.”

Mackie certainly put in the effort before landing his career-changing Marvel role, but luck also played a key part. The Notorious star had been acting in Hollywood for 10 years before securing the role of Sam Wilson in 2014’s Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

His big break came years after he graduated from The Juilliard School in 2001. He performed in both on- and off-Broadway productions and Academy Award-winning films like The Hurt Locker (2008). Despite his experience and his educational pedigree, Mackie struggled to make a major breakthrough in Hollywood.

In 2023, he estimated that he had “put in 10,750 hours of training” before landing his life-changing MCU role. However, he was also proactive, writing letters to executives at Disney’s Marvel Studios more than a decade ago, hoping for a part in one of their superhero films.

The letters didn’t immediately lead to any roles, but Mackie eventually secured a meeting with directors Anthony and Joe Russo, who offered him a part in an upcoming film, though they couldn’t share many details at the time.

Mackie agreed, and the rest is history. But he doesn’t attribute his success to hard work alone—luck played a role, too.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Twitter Drags Jermaine Dupri for Allegedly Admitting to Cheating on Janet Jackson in Lifetime Doc

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Mary Spiller

March 19, 2025

Pentagon Defends DEI RollBacks But Restores Removed Webpage for Black Medal Of Honor Winner

US army Maj Gen Charles Calvin Rogers recieved the Medal of Honor in 1970 from President Richard Nixon.

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The United States Defense Department’s webpage dedicated to celebrating the Black Medal of Honor recipient, U.S. Army Major General Charles Calvin Rogers, was removed for including DEI descriptions. Although it has since been restored as of March 17, the letters have been removed and the Trump administration has doubled down on its decision to scrub diversity, equity and inclusion from governmental record keeping and entities.

The removal of Rogers’s page occurred March 15, according to The Guardian. U.S. Army Major General Charles Calvin Rogers’ Medal of Honor webpage led to a “404” error message when searched.

Rogers valiantly earned his designation through serving in the Vietnam War, where he was wounded three different times while defending a U.S. base. He died in 1990, but President Richard Nixon awarded him the Medal of Honor, which is the country’s highest military honor. In 1970 Rogers became the highest-ranking African American to receive the Medal of Honor.

Writer Brandon Friedman posted a screenshot of the error message received when going to Rogers’ page and noted that it previously stated, “As a Black man, [Rogers] worked for gender and race equality while in the service.”

By Monday, the site was restored. A defense department spokesperson told The Guardian, “The department has restored the Medal of Honor story about army Maj Gen Charles Calvin Rogers … The story was removed during the auto removal process.”

Despite claiming that Rogers’s page was taken down mistakenly, the defense department under Trump’s administration doubled down on their campaign to remove all content that highlights DEI from these informational websites.

Spokesperson Sean Parnell defended the campaign that has since been removing the stories of contributions made by women and minority groups.

As previously reported, hundreds of pages dedicated to honoring these contributions have been deleted and taken down to wipe away diversity, equity and inclusion from the federal government.

“I think the president and the secretary have been very clear on this – that anybody that says in the Department of Defense that diversity is our strength is, frankly, incorrect,” Parnell said.

Co-CEO of the Black Veterans Project — Richard Brookshire — rebutted, “The full-throttled attack on Black leadership, dismantling of civil rights protections, imposition of unjust anti-DEI regulations, and unprecedented historical erasure across the Department of Defense is a clear sign of a new Jim Crow being propagated by our commander in chief.”

Over the course of Trump’s presidency beginning in January, the republican president has continued to roll back on DEI efforts across the federal government and corporations.

RELATED CONTENT: Trump’s Latest Executive Order Reflects His Desire To End DEI