by Kandiss Edwards

November 1, 2024

Clark Atlanta University Launches Institute For The Advancement Of Black Strategists

Clark Atlanta is opening the Institute for the Advancement of Black Strategists to fight wage disparity in the Black community.

On Oct. 30, Clark Atlanta, a historically Black college and university, announced the launch of its Institute for the Advancement of Black Strategists.

The institute is geared toward researching collective bargaining, unionization, and organization in the South. It is partnering with Jobs For Justice, an organization already active in progressing Black Southern workers.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics states, “Unionized workers only make up about 10% of the labor force nationally.”

This figure decreases in Southern states. Right-to-work laws make it easy for companies to terminate employment for any reason. These laws also make it difficult for employees to organize and negotiate, which may jeopardize their careers.

Erica Smiley, executive director of Jobs With Justice, spoke to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the lack of equity for Black workers.

“Black workers are less likely to have fair wages compared to counterparts in other parts of the country, are less likely to have good health insurance, are less likely to have a level of economic sustainability (and) more likely to have multiple jobs to make ends meet.”

Waffle House employees are the latest employees to engage in the fight for better working conditions and pay. BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on actions by Georgia Waffle House employees to prevent alleged “wage theft.”

Union of Southern Service Workers (USSW) filed a claim with the Department of Labor on behalf of workers.

“The complaint accused the Georgia-based corporation of violating the Fair Labor Standards Act’s tip credit requirements by failing to pay servers the federal minimum wage, which has been paused at $7.25 since 2009.”

An employee at the Conyers, Georgia, Waffle House detailed how extra, unpaid duties are assigned to workers, yet no compensation is offered.

The lack of a formal worker’s union forces employees to turn to organizations like USSW to advocate on their behalf.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 1, 2024

Bronny James Scores First Regular Season Points In Hometown Of Cleveland, Ohio

'It’s all love. It was a nice moment. The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it and it felt pretty good, especially coming from here.'

In front of his hometown crowd, Los Angeles Lakers rookie Bronny James finally scored the first points of his NBA career.

According to NBA.com, with the Lakers‘ first loss of the current season, Bronny obtained a footnote in his young career by scoring for the first time in a regular season NBA game in Cleveland, Ohio, where he grew up.

The most famous No. 55th pick of an NBA Draft got the chance to enter the game before the end of a blowout defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the fourth quarter. With a little more than two minutes left in the game, after dribbling toward the basket and coming back to just in front of the three-point line, Lebron Jr. hit the basket with an “all-net” shot over his defender.

Bronny James scores his first career bucket!

Special moment in Cleveland 💯 pic.twitter.com/pauUZQ14AX

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2024

The Lakers lost the game 134-110.

Although he was playing for the Lakers, Cavaliers fans started calling for the young James with the chant, “We want Bronny,” before Lakers coach J.J. Redick put him in the game with more than five minutes remaining. The crowd cheered whenever Bronny touched the ball. He also recorded two assists while on the court.

After the game, Bronny said, “It was insane. Much more than I anticipated, for sure. It’s all love. It was a nice moment. The chants really got me. I was straight-faced, but I felt it, and it felt pretty good, especially coming from here.”

His father, leading all-time career scorer LeBron, who started his career with the Cavaliers, stated, “To see him get his first NBA basket in this arena, where he grew up not too far away from here, that’s an unbelievable moment. Unbelievable moment for him and for our family; it’s just pretty cool to be a part of it.”

“It’s the greatest thing in the world.”

LeBron on Bronny living out his dream 💯 pic.twitter.com/r9LwH3nZkA

— NBA (@NBA) October 31, 2024

TED Talks, Brooklyn, comedy show, Black-Owned Comedy Venue, black music

by Kandiss Edwards

November 1, 2024

Black Music Action Coalition Uses Lyrics To Mobilize Georgia Voters

The Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC) is activating in Georgia to help get out the vote. The BMAC’s mission is to utilize the power of music “to create systemic change.” The coalition’s goal is to power music to reach the masses by mobilizing—literally.

The BMAC’s “It’s Your Fight…VOTE!” bus transports Georgia residents to polling locations and political rallies. The latest destination was the “Harris For President” rally, where the buses drove members of the “Georgia Student Voter” organization. Each bus is adorned with music lyrics that speak to the culture and current political moment.

“BMAC is steadfast in our commitment to use the power of our voice to make positive, long-lasting change. We chose the words of artists who have moved the needle through music to adorn our bus and the image of the great truth teller, Muhammad Ali, to be the face of our bus as it moves through Georgia, fueled by the power of voters…It’s Our Fight…VOTE,” said Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, BMAC CEO and President.

Historically, music and civic engagement have always been intertwined. The efforts of musical artists like Nina Simone, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, and Stevie Wonder to speak to Black people with lyrics are cataloged in the annals of history.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Black Music Action Coalition (@bma_coalition)

The BMAC bus engages in this rich history by emblazoning these messages across its buses with lyrics from legends:

James Brown’s: “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud’; Queen Latitfah’s: “U.N.I.T.Y., love a Black woman from Infinity to Infinity”; Kendrick Lamar’s: “I got loyalty, got royalty inside my DNA”; Public Enemy’s: “Fight the power, We’ve got to fight the powers that be”; Beyonce’s: “And when they carve my name inside the concrete, I pray it forever reads– freedom.”

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported on Stevie Wonder’s continued efforts to get Americans involved in the election process.

Wonder set out on the “Sing Your Song! As We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart” tour. His goal is “joy over anger, kindness over recrimination, peace over war.”

The icon was joined on stage at his Oct. 17 show in Baltimore by former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama. President Obama reinforced Wonder’s message: “Get out there and vote.”

The last day to vote in the presidential election is Nov. 5. To find a polling location in your area, go to vote.org.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 1, 2024

Jalen Hurts Discusses Joining President Barack Obama On Pennsylvania Golf Course

'I told him he didn’t want these problems just yet. I told him I can’t golf right now. By contract, I can’t golf. But his day will come,” Hurts reveals

The former President of the United States had some company with him while playing golf earlier this week. Joining former President Barack Obama on the golf course this week in Pennsylvania was Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, running back Saquon Barkley, and team owner Jeffrey Lurie. Hurts revealed during a press conference that, although he didn’t get to play with the president, he warned that “his day will come.”

According to AL.com, President Obama was at the Merion Golf Club on Oct. 29 with the Eagles players and the owner. Hurts was on the golf course but could not play due to a contract clause preventing him from doing so. He admitted that he and the former president engaged in some trash talk; he told Obama that his day would eventually come for them to compete on the green.

He said that Obama was “kind of like an uncle figure out there. President Obama, all-time leader. A great presence. I guess the word is down-to-earth. I can only imagine that lifestyle and the different things that come with that, but nonetheless, to see him out there enjoying himself and talking a little trash; that was cool. I told him he didn’t want these problems just yet. I told him I can’t golf right now. By contract, I can’t golf. But his day will come.”

Jalen Hurts says he did not actually golf yesterday with former President Obama, Saquon Barkley, and Jeff Lurie. Jalen hung with the group the whole time. He says it’s in his contract that he can’t golf.

Saquon says it was one of the coolest experiences of his life pic.twitter.com/OJGFpG3wKQ

— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) October 30, 2024

According to U.S. News & World Report, Hurts teammate Barkley did play. He commented on the experience.

“It was probably one of the coolest experiences I’ve had in my life,” Barkley said. “Very personable. He’s awesome, to be honest. I got to spend about four or five hours with him and was able to do something I love to do, play golf.”

Oakland, Police chief, lawsuit, Florida,

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 1, 2024

Florida Man Sues Jacksonville Police Officers Caught On Video Beating Him

Le'Keian Woods has filed a lawsuit against the 4 police officers who were seen on video beating him last October

A Florida man who was severely beaten by Jacksonville police officers last year filed a federal lawsuit against the officers on Oct. 31.

According to NBC News, the incident that led to the filing occurred at a traffic stop on Sept. 29, 2023. Le’Keian Woods was seen on video bloodied and battered, allegedly at the hands of the police officers involved in the arrest. A police mugshot revealed the victim with two swollen, black eyes and lacerations on his face.

He spoke at a press conference announcing the lawsuit against the officers. The suit was filed at the Bryan Simpson United States Courthouse in Jacksonville.

“I was stopped at a traffic stop, and I ran. I got kind of scared; I knew they was going to shoot me. I panicked and I ran,” Woods said.

Woods’ attorney, Harry Daniels, gave the names of the Florida police officers involved in the lawsuit: Beau Daigle, Trey McCullough, Hunter Sullivan, and former Detective Josue Garriga. The four men are accused of using excessive force. According to the lawsuit, the officers violated Woods’ Fourth Amendment right after pulling Woods over for “an alleged seatbelt violation” and brutally beat Woods after he fled.

Woods is still receiving medical care from the beating and suffers from myriad mental health symptoms, according to WTLV.

“You had three deputy sheriffs … who weighed over 200 pounds beating Le’Keian, who may have weighed 150 pounds soaking wet. He had already been tased; he was already disoriented,” Daniels said at the press conference.

Police officers claim that Woods was involved in a drug transaction before they pulled him over. He allegedly took off running when they were handcuffing two other people at the traffic stop. Authorities alleged that the video created “the illusion of an inappropriate use of force.” Last year, Sheriff T.K. Waters said, “Just because force is ugly does not mean it is unlawful or contrary to policy.”

Video footage showed officers running after Woods through a yard, a parking lot, and then a grassy area before using a stun gun on him. After Woods fell on the street, the police officers were seen hitting him in the face, bloodying his jaw, and kneeing him in the head as they screamed at him to put his hands behind his back.

Woods pleaded guilty to misdemeanor resisting police without violence, and the other charges against him, armed trafficking in cocaine, armed possession of a controlled substance, armed trafficking in amphetamine, and tampering with evidence, were dropped as part of a plea deal, according to the Florida Times-Union.

5 Tips To Survive Your 9-5 With A Side Hustle

by Kandiss Edwards

November 1, 2024

Study Says Burnout Is Affecting Millennial And Gen Z Workers

British workers are burning out. Americans are right behind them.

A new employee analysis by Vitality, a health and life insurer, shows millennial and Gen Z workers are suffering in the workplace due to mental health issues and burnout.

The study surveyed 4,000 British workers and examined productivity levels based on sick days used, access to employer support, and mental health conditions like depression.

The study shows workers making less than USD 38,000 annually are more prone to depression, burnout, and lack of productivity.

“While physical health struggles led to a 54% productivity dip, mental health issues hit harder, causing a staggering 150% loss in productive days, particularly for the youth.”

The decrease in production and burnout reportedly cost the British economy $176 billion annually.

British workers are not the only ones suffering from decreased production due to declining mental health or burnout.

Mindy Shoss, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Central Florida and associate editor of the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, says, “There are many potential causes of burnout in today’s workplaces—excessive workloads, low levels of support, having little say or control over workplace matters, lack of recognition or rewards for one’s efforts, and interpersonally toxic and unfair work environments.”

The potential causes of burnout manifest physically and mentally. These causes sometimes lead to a lack of productivity or the need to remove oneself from the work environment. According to the American Psychological Association (APA), burnout leads to a “57% increased risk of workplace absence.”

The APA lists the three dimensions of burnout:

Feelings of energy depletion or emotional exhaustion
Increased mental distance from one’s work and negative or cynical feelings toward one’s work
Reduced sense of efficacy at work

Finding a solution for burnout is tricky, as there is no one-size-fits-all cure. Individual symptoms, work conditions, and life circumstances play a factor in how to address the issue. Here are a few tips to help alleviate burnout in the workplace.

Prioritize

Not all deadlines are hard deadlines. The old adage “Don’t put off tomorrow what you can do today” is exactly that: old. Jam-packing your schedule to ensure every task is accounted for daily can sometimes be counterproductive. What good is working ahead if it only leaves you exhausted and drained? Add tasks to your calendar with periodic reminders to give yourself leeway and stay on top of your work.

Delegate

If you are working in a team environment or managerial role, delegate. Ask for help managing your workload or give a smaller task to a capable subordinate.

Leave work at work

Decompress when the day is over. Your alone time is yours. Do not take the day’s work into your night’s peace. Pondering over the next day’s work leaves little space in your brain for personal reflection and rest.

Be firm about your needs

Talk to others involved and let them know what’s happening. If there is a way to lighten your home duties that will help relieve you of mental stress, ask for help. Look into mental health programs offered by your place of employment. Or seek professional help independently.

Most people need to work to sustain a decent quality of life. However, work does not have to be the reason you cannot maintain a good mental and physical quality of life.

Kamala Harris, Donald Trump, Debate, donations

by Mitti Hicks

November 1, 2024

Harris Finds Trump’s ‘Like It Or Not’ Comment ‘Offensive To Everybody’

Harris has remained consistent in her messaging

As Americans inch closer to Election Day, Vice President Kamala Harris is honing in on her message that her opponent, former President Donald Trump, is the worst option for women and women’s rights. During a campaign rally in the battleground state of Nevada, she told people that Trump’s latest comment that he would protect women whether they “like it or not” shows that he does not understand women’s rights to make decisions about their own lives and bodies.

“I think it’s offensive to everybody, by the way,” the AP reports Harris stated before a day of campaigning in Nevada and Arizona on Oct. 31

During a rally in Phoenix, she doubled down on her message, stating, “He simply does not respect the freedom of women or the intelligence of women to know what’s in their own best interests and make decisions accordingly. But we trust women.”

Harris has maintained consistent messaging as she crisscrosses the country to campaign. Women’s rights is one issue she hopes will influence women voters at the polls as Trump continues to struggle with the demographic.

Meanwhile, during a rally on Oct. 30 in the battleground state of Wisconsin, Trump reportedly admitted to his supporters that aides have urged him to refrain from using the term “protector” when discussing women’s rights because it’s “inappropriate.” Right after, he signals that he’s not dropping the word from his vocabulary. He went a step further and told the crowd that he told his aides, “Well, I’m going to do it whether the women like it or not. I am going to protect them.”

Political pundits have highlighted that his statements are often contradictory, especially since he appointed three justices to the U.S. Supreme Court, ultimately forming the conservative majority ruling overturning Roe v. Wade in 2022. Earlier in the year, Trump bragged about his role in overturning the constitutional right, calling it “a miracle,” as CBS reports.

While his messaging isn’t consistent, Trump occasionally states that he believes that abortion rights should be left to the states.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 1, 2024

Department Of Veteran Affairs Rehires 100 Terminated Employees

The Department of Veteran Affairs rehired over 100 terminated employees due to a court order.

Over 100 former employees from The Department of Veteran Affairs were reinstated after being fired under a controversial law that once simplified the process for removing personnel accused of misconduct.

Department officials say only 3% of the 4,000 employees dismissed under the 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act — roughly 120 individuals — have been rehired, and none of those reinstated were dismissed for serious misconduct, Federal News Network reports.

In addition to the rehirings, the department also paid out $134 million to 1,700 former VA employees who were dismissed under the Trump administration’s 2017 VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act. The reinstatements and payouts were part of a settlement it reached with the American Federation of Government Employees in July 2023.

A VA spokesperson said in a statement that the department “has ensured that bad actors cannot return to work and saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”

“VA continues to hold every employee accountable to delivering the world-class care and benefits that veterans deserve — and when they fail to do so, we take swift and decisive action,” a VA spokesperson said.

VA officials stated that under the Trump administration, they were unable to negotiate with the AFGE on implementing the 2017 law, which breached the union contract’s provisions. The department was in court from 2017 to 2023 trying to defend its position, but federal courts ordered the VA to reinstate employees dismissed under the 2017 legislation.

“The previous administration’s implementation of the 2017 law was repeatedly struck down by the courts, putting VA at risk of having to rehire individuals who committed patient abuse, harassment, and criminal activity — and putting taxpayers on the hook for more than $1 billion,” a VA spokesperson said.

Federal judges and the Merit Systems Protection Board restricted many provisions of the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act from applying to most of the VA workforce. In response, beginning in April 2024, the department ceased using the Act’s authorities to expedite employee terminations related to misconduct allegations.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 1, 2024

Young Thug Gets Probation And Time Served After Passionate Speech To Judge

The total sentence is 40 years

After many interruptions and miscues during the Young Thug RICO trial in Atlanta, the recording artist has entered a guilty plea to several charges, ending the longest criminal trial in Georgia history.

According to NPR, Jeffrey Williams, known to the world as Young Thug, pleaded guilty on Oct. 31 after prosecutors requested that he be sentenced to 45 years, 25 in prison and 20 on probation. Instead, Fulton County Judge Paige Reese Whitaker allowed the rapper to go free, with conditions. “The total sentence is 40 years, to serve the first 5 years in prison but commuted to the time you’ve already served.”

CNN reported that Young Thug agreed to enter a non-negotiated guilty plea deal. Some of the charges included firearm possession and participation in criminal street gang activity, and he also pleaded no contest to racketeering and leading a criminal street gang. He was in custody for more than 900 days after he was initially booked in May 2022. He was one of 28 people named in a 56-count indictment.

The freed rapper made a statement to the court after agreeing to the terms the judge handed him.

Thug took “full responsibility” and apologized to his family and immediate circle.

“I am a smart guy, I am a good guy, and I really got a good heart. I found myself in a lot of stuff because I was just nice and cool, and I understand you can’t be that way when you reach a certain height because it could end bad.”

Thug promised Judge Whitaker that she would not see him again unless they happened to be at the same bar in the future. He told the judge that he had learned from his mistakes.

Although his freedom was on the line and he was incarcerated for the past two years, Thug expressed to the judge that her taking over the trial was “the best thing” that had happened to him because she had been fairer than the previous judge and the prosecutors involved in the case. After acknowledging that the court staff had put in extra time to work the trial, he asked the judge to allow him to go home to his family.

The “Go Crazy” rapper then told the judge that he understood his rise in the hip-hop game comes with the responsibility of being a positive role model for his community.

“I know what I bring to the table and I know what I am,” he stated. “I know the heights I’ve reached and I know the impact I’ve got on people in the community.”

In mentioning his community involvement, Thug told Judge Whitaker about doing free shows and giving back. He once gave $1.8 million to a charity that supports single parents. Thug also told the judge about contributions he made to a breast cancer organization by doing “like two or three shows that made like $700,000 apiece” while putting “millions of dollars back into my community for real.”

In his final plea, he tried to make her understand the environment he was raised in. He also assured her that he had grown up and would do better, even in his music, to showcase the positive aspects of life instead of the negative ones he rapped about previously.

Before handing Thug his sentence, Judge Whitaker stated, “I want you to be more of the solution and less of the problem.”

Her last statement to him included a warning and a wish for luck in his latest opportunity to keep his nose clean.

“Good luck to you. There better be no violations, but if there are any, you’re coming back to see me.”

The conditions Thug agreed to include no longer residing in Atlanta for the first 10 years and not being present in the city unless it is essential for family functions like weddings and/or funerals. While on probation, he has to perform community service several times a year.

Variety reported that three of Thug’s co-defendants, Rodalius Ryan (aka Lil Rod), Quamarvious Nichols (aka Qua), and Marquavius Huey (aka Qua) took pleas of their own earlier this week. Ryan, who is currently imprisoned for life for a previous murder case, pled guilty to a conspiracy to violate the RICO Act. His 10-year sentence has been commuted to time served. Nichols was sentenced to 20 years in prison after having several charges dropped; he is also required to serve seven years on probation. Huey had some of the charges against him dropped or reduced. He was sentenced to 25 years, of which only nine will be served in prison.

town homes, 20 million, San Francisco, downturn, crime, luxury home, house, Russian hill

by Jameelah Mullen

November 1, 2024

City Approves $700 A Month Sleeping Pods In San Francisco

Developers converted a bank into affordable housing units

According to Apartments.com, the average cost of renting a one-bedroom apartment in San Francisco is about $3,000 per month. Brownstone Shared Housing has created a more affordable option: sleeping pods.

For $700 a month, San Francisco residents can rent a pod the size of a twin-sized bed. The four-foot-tall pod has two fans, a mirror, and a privacy curtain. The sleeping units are housed inside a building with shared restrooms, storage facilities, and a workspace. The price is ideal for up-and-coming entrepreneurs living in one of the most expensive cities in the U.S., where the cost of living is 70% above the national average.

“I was living in the Presidio before and was kind of looking for cheaper options just so I could keep working on the stuff I wanted to and working on open-source projects,” Ben, a resident and entrepreneur, told ABC 7 News, San Francisco.

When the housing project gained popularity last year, the city threatened to shut it down due to a lack of proper permits. Brownstone Shared Housing Co-Founder James Stallworth said they were forced to stop renting pods to potential residents until they received the required permits from the city.

“There was never anything illegal about the pods. It’s just that we didn’t have a change of use because this building used to be a bank. So, we went through that process for about a year. In the meantime, the planning department at some point said that we can’t list it because people were complaining thinking we were renting illegal housing,” Stallworth told ABC 7 News, San Fransisco.

Additionally, Stallworth said they had to make some repairs in the building to comply with city safety standards. After a year-long process, The San Fransico Department of Inspections issued a letter of approval for the pods.

Stallworth said they are creating additional housing pods in a larger building, which is slated to open early next year.