Youth jobs
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 22, 2024

Black Medical Student Creates New Kid’s Show Inspiring Youth To Pursue Medical Careers

The show's intentions are toward increasing diversity in the medical field.

A Black medical student-turned-content creator has developed a new animated children’s show to inspire diverse youth interested in medicine.

Joel Bervell remains well known on the internet as the “Medical Mythbuster.” As he continues his mission of uplifting diversity in medicine, he will now do so in his new kid’s program, The Doctor Is In.

Bervell aims to teach children about opportunities in the medical field while encouraging them to pursue this career path. Bervell shared his intention for the project, as well as a Kickstarter fundraiser, to social media in September.

“I’m building an animated digital TV show to inspire the next generation of medical professionals, and I need your help,” explained the Ghanaian-American influencer. “For the past few years, I’ve been working on a project I wish I had growing up: *The Doctor Is In!* It’s a mixed live-action/animated series for kids aged 3-5, where Leland, a 5-year-old boy who loves going to the doctor’s office, and I explore medical topics with the help of Sammie the Stethoscope, Zada the X-ray, and Otto the Bag.”

The show will focus on a five-year-old Black boy named Little Leland. His curiosity surrounding medicine will lead him to explore new aspects of the field, including infections, parts of the body, and more. The show will teach science through animation and mixed reality to provide an educational yet immersive show for children of all backgrounds to enjoy.

The show also includes other characters, such as “Zada,” an x-ray machine, “Sammie” the stethoscope, and “Otto,” a doctor handbag. Together, they help Little Leland uncover more about the body and health in general.

The show hopes to help remedy a systemic problem with diversity in the medical field. The Association of American Medical Colleges’ 2022 Physician Specialty Data Report revealed only 5.7% of doctors identify as Black. While the number of Black medical students has also grown, they still only account for 10% of their entire U.S. cohort.

Currently, Bervell has a Kickstarter in place to raise money for the show’s production. Thus far, they have reached over 20% of their $60K goal, with a deadline of Oct. 31.

RELATED CONTENT: BLACK MEN IN WHITE COATS OFFERS BLACK CHILDREN REPRESENTATION IN MEDICINE

Shelitha Robertson, PPP, Atlanta attorney, SBA, ppp loan fraud, lawyer, Juventus Duorinaah, Carlos Moore
by Daniel Johnson

October 22, 2024

Juventus Duorinaah Becomes First Deaf Lawyer In Ghana’s History

Duorinaah wants to use his legal career to advance better protection for individuals who are deaf in Ghana

Juventus Duorinaah, a longtime advocate for Ghana’s deaf community, became the country’s first deaf lawyer, as reported by Ghana Web.

According to their report, Duorinaah began his journey towards becoming a lawyer after completing his studies at the Senior High Technical School for the Deaf in 2007.

Duorinaah enrolled at the University of Ghana, which awarded him degrees in Sociology and Political Science, which he used to springboard to the United Kingdom’s Cardiff University’s School of Law and Politics, where he earned his Master of Laws in Human Rights Law.

Following this, Duorinaah returned to his native Ghana, where he enrolled in the Master of Laws program at the University of Ghana.

After completing his studies there, he studied at the Ghana School of Law for six years before passing his entrance exam.

According to Deaf Legal Advocacy Worldwide, Duorinaah is also the Director of the Ghana National Association for the Deaf, where he supervises the implementation of advocacy projects intended to foster greater inclusion of deaf individuals in Ghanaian society. They noted that Duorinaah wants to use his legal career to advance better protection for individuals who are deaf in Ghana.

According to Dennislaw News, Duorinaah joined 777 new lawyers who were called to Ghana’s Bar on Oct 11, which made him the first deaf lawyer in the country’s long history.

As reported by Al Jazeera in 2018, the work of Duorinaah is necessary in a country that has long marginalized its deaf citizenry.

According to Issac Atah, who heads the State School for the Deaf, located in eastern Accra, this is not helped by the attitudes of some parents of deaf children.

“Parents and relatives expect the school to freely provide all services and goods, even when the children are at home during holiday breaks,” Atah said. “They want us to take full responsibility for their children, both financially and in their education, while instead, they should proactively try to learn sign language and guide their children into the working society.”

Obed Deki, a 23-year-old student at the school told the outlet that unless he is around other deaf people, he feels lonely.

“At home, I generally feel lonely,” Dekyi said. “There is no one able to communicate with me. Besides, there are no other deaf children to reach out to for a conversation or a game.”

Dekyi continued, “My father and mother don’t understand sign language, which constantly results in miscommunication. When I try to express myself, they frequently call me ‘stubborn’ and punish me for my behavior. As a result, sharing my adventures with them is rather difficult.”

According to Josephine Nkrumah, the chair of the Ghanaian government’s National Commission for Civic Education, “In order to treat people with hearing disabilities as equal citizens, we need to make access to justice free from all obstacles, whether these are laws, practices or infrastructure.”

Nkrumah continued, “For instance, if a deaf citizen goes to court, but no interpreter of sign language is provided during the process, the citizen has been denied access to justice due to the absence of effective communication or information,” Nkrumah said, “and similar obstacles are seen in public offices, police stations, and hospitals.”

Atah concurred with Nkrumah, as he told Al Jazeera, “In order to counter isolation and advocate for equal rights for the deaf, the government should provide basic education on sign language at regular schools around the country.”

Atah continued, “Additionally, interpreters should be available at public offices and government institutions at all times. Only by those means the lack of communication and isolated lives of deaf people can be countered.”

RELATED CONTENT: Ghana’s Parliament Passes Controversial Rigid Anti-Homosexuality Bill

high school, NIL deals, Mississippi college
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 22, 2024

HBCU Football Coach Issues Warning For Players Participating In Homecoming Activities

Alonzo Hampton said, 'Anybody that’s found out doing anything that’s not conducive to us winning this football game, they ain’t going to be here.'

Although homecomings are very joyous events that welcome back alumni and celebrate the spirit of the school, one HBCU football coach does not see that as an excuse not to focus on the team’s upcoming contest.

According to HBCU Game Day, Arkansas-Pine Bluff (UAPB) head coach Alonzo Hampton made it clear that instead of enjoying the festivities that come along with homecoming, he needs his team to focus on the upcoming task at hand, winning a football game. Specifically after a recent loss to Grambling State University.

“Homecoming is for the alumni and students, but our job is to perform,” Hampton stated during a recent SWAC weekly coaches call.

UAPB lost the last game by a score of 31-21. The loss dropped their record to 2-5 overall and 1-2 in their division. They are engaged in a three-way tie in the SWAC West, where they are only one game above the team with the worst record in the division. Their next match is against Mississippi Valley, who has yet to win a game this season. Mississippi Valley is riding a seven-game losing streak.

Hampton wants the team to concentrate on their next game instead of taking part in the tradition of homecoming.

“I don’t know how they could be distracted. I mean, we just lost a game, and we’re trying to build a program,” Hampton said. “Winning teams don’t get concerned with homecoming. You got to keep the main thing, the main thing. The main thing is you got to come back to practice correct the errors that you made on Saturday. And we got to stay focused.”

The coach did have a stern warning for the players who are not on the same program as he is on.

“Anybody that’s found out doing anything that’s not conducive to us winning this football game, they ain’t going to be here,” he said.

RELATED CONTENT: NFL Coach Jennifer King To Speak About Her Journey At Cornell University’s ‘Breaking Barriers’

Bible, Trump, Oklahoma, IVF, education
by Sharelle B. McNair

October 22, 2024

Why Donald Trump’s Random McDonald’s Stunt Failed To Affect His Campaign 

He tried it....

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump attempted to garner traction with a stunt in which he portrayed a fry cooker at a McDonald’s in Pennsylvania, but it failed, CNN reports.

Trump pushed the publicity stunt at a Feasterville-Trevose, Pennsylvania, location on Oct. 20 to upstage Vice President Kamala Harris, who, while on the campaign trail, has proudly boasted about working at a McDonald’s during her college years. However, the fast food conglomerate had nothing to do with Trump’s random appearance. McDonald’s operates on a franchise model, meaning most of the Golden Arches locations are independently owned and operated. 

Owners are required to abide by specific guidelines tied to their agreements with the parent company, and the locations are open to invite political candidates to serve fries without McDonald’s consent. 

The company released a statement reiterating its nonpartisan stance. However, it emphasized how McDonald’s has been a staple of the American way of life for decades. “As we’ve seen, our brand has been a fixture of conversation this election cycle. While we’ve not sought this, it’s a testament to how much McDonald’s resonates with so many Americans,” the statement read, signed by the entire US senior leadership team, including President Joe Erlinger.

“McDonald’s does not endorse candidates for elected office, and that remains true in this race for the next President. We are not red or blue –- we are golden.”

While Trump may have thought he pulled off the ultimate stunt for American voters just a few weeks shy of Election Day, he continued to evade several questions that concern McDonald’s consumers, including whether he would support an increase in the minimum wage and his policy for the working class, according to The New Republic. This is unlike Harris and her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who outlined an extensive economic policy. 

However, franchise owner and operator Derek Giacomantonio said he and his team welcomed the Trump campaign with open arms, aligned with their values. “He was proud to highlight how he and his team serve their local community and make delicious food, like our World-Famous French Fries,” Giacomantonio said. “Upon learning of the former President’s request, we approached it through the lens of one of our core values: we open our doors to everyone.”

Not everyone was keen on Trump’s stunt, including several employees and customers who criticized the decision. On social media, the former president was called out after a sign posted at McDonald’s proved that the indicted businessman wouldn’t really be cooking for the general public as the restaurant was closed until 4 p.m. 

This wouldn’t be the first time a McDonald’s franchise was caught up in political turmoil. Following the attacks from Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023, an operator in Israel offered discounts to soldiers and security forces. Once the move made its way to social media, customers boycotted McDonald’s in Muslim-dominated countries, resulting in a massive decrease in its earnings.

RELATED CONTENT: Twitter Reacts to Candace Owens Being Snubbed As Speaker For Republican National Convention

A$AP Rocky, CDFA, Fashion Icon, Ray Bans
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 22, 2024

A$AP Rocky To Buy Soccer Club In $16M Deal With Investment Group

With Rocky's participation, the investment groups hopes some celebrity publicity will take the Tranhere to new heights.

A$AP Rocky is expanding his business portfolio to a new field. The rapper-turned-entrepreneur is set to buy EFL Club Tranmere Rovers, an English professional soccer team.

Rocky will participate in the 15 million euro deal, equivalent to USD 16 million, with an investment group led by high-profile attorney Joe Tacopina. According to The Daily Mail, the lawyer, who once represented former President Donald Trump, has almost inked the deal to acquire an 80% stake in the English Football League sports club.

A source told The Sun that Rocky remains “tight” with Tacopina. Once the ink on the deal dries, the 36-year-old rapper will attend one of the games.

“Rocky is tight with Joe and has committed to the Tranmere bid,” shared the unidentified source, reported by The Sun on Oct. 20. ” Joe has been to Tranmere matches, and Rocky has plans to go over too after the deal is completed.”

However, the deal remains under wraps until formally approved by the EFL. Rumors continue to swirl that the father of two will see the team play at Prenton Park stadium. Fans may even see the mother of his two children, Rihanna, in the stands.

Moreover, a documentary may be underway about Rocky’s journey to revamping the club. The sports docu-series would be similar to Disney+’s Welcome to Wrexham, which followed actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney as they transform Welsh Football club Wrexham A.F.C.

With Rocky’s participation, the investment groups hope some celebrity publicity will take the Tranhere to new heights.

The source added, “Joe thinks Tranmere—a famous club near Liverpool—is undervalued and that, by clever marketing and celebrity endorsement, he can transform it.”

While the deal closes, Rocky and Rihanna share similar entrepreneurial ambitions. The Fenty beauty and Savage X founder recently became a billionaire. Now, her life partner continues building his own empire through fashion and sports.

RELATED CONTENT: DC Ghana Week Celebrates Art, Culture, and Soccer

exonerated 5, The Exonerated Five, Central Park Five
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 22, 2024

The Exonerated Central Park Five Sue Donald Trump For Defamation

Their lawsuit stems from the GOP nominee making false comments about the Central Park case during the Sept. 10 Presidential Debate.

The Exonerated Five, formerly known as the Central Park Five, filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump for defamation.

The lawsuit stemmed from the GOP nominee making false comments about their case during the Sept. 10 Presidential Debate. According to the Associated Press, they filed the federal lawsuit on Oct. 21. They have asked for a jury trial in an effort to receive damages.

“Defendant Trump falsely stated that plaintiffs killed an individual and pled guilty to the crime. These statements are demonstrably false,” detailed the legal filing.

During the debate, Trump’s opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, mentioned his history of further vilifying the proven innocent men for the case. He responded, further perpetuating the false narrative surrounding the group. The Neighborhood Talk reposted a clip of his words.

“They admitted, they said they pled guilty, and I said, ’Well, if they pled guilty, they badly hurt a person, killed a person ultimately … And they pled guilty, then they pled not guilty,” Trump said.

At the time of the 1989 incident, in which a white woman was raped and assaulted while jogging through Central Park, Trump purchased a full-page newspaper ad that called for the reinstatement of the death penalty. Many thought the advertisement alluded to executing the then-teenagers. Past and present opposers believed the act had racist motivations.

In his newest words, Trump continued to suggest that the men held some guilt in the case. Given his infamous connection to their case, Yusef Salaam, Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Raymond Santana, and Korey Wise have decided to take legal action against the former president for his harmful words about them. Notably, Trump has also never apologized for the news ad.

Trump’s team deemed the lawsuit “frivolous” and in line with his election interference accusations.

A Trump spokesman called it “just another frivolous, Election Interference lawsuit, filed by desperate left-wing activists, in an attempt to distract the American people from Kamala Harris’s dangerously liberal agenda and failing campaign.”

In adulthood, the Exonerated Five have campaigned for Harris throughout the election. One member, Salaam, also holds office as a New York City Councilman. As they seek justice for Trump’s words, they continue to hit the campaign trail to rally support for Harris.

RELATED CONTENT: Yusef Salaam, Central Park 5 Exoneree Turned NYC Council Candidate, Champions Forgiveness And Advocacy For New York City

DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 22, 2024

NBA Player DeMar DeRozan Discusses Mental Health In New Book

The Sacramento Kings player details his struggle in 'Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm'

Newly-acquired Sacramento Kings player DeMar DeRozan has been a mental health advocate and his latest move involved releasing a tome that chronicles his journey.

He announced plans to release the book, Above the Noise: My Story of Chasing Calm on his social media account earlier this year. The book was released on Sept. 10 and is available online on various sites.

“This is my story of chasing calm.

My memoir ABOVE THE NOISE is now available for preorder. Check the link in my bio to preorder your copy today.

#AboveTheNoise“

 
 
 
 
 
View this post on Instagram
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A post shared by DeMar DeRozan (@demar_derozan)

According to The Associated Press, the former Chicago Bulls player admitted that this journey started after he sent out a Tweet in 2018.

He stated the admission in the book.

“I wrote my tweet during a moment of vulnerability and transparency. But that moment had passed,” DeRozan stated. “Now I was on the job, so to speak, doing my duty. So I went back to being myself, suppressing my true feelings and sweeping it all under the rug. Deep down, their worry meant a lot to me.”

Although mental health has been a taboo topic, specifically for Black men, he stated that after sending out that Tweet, concerns for his well-being started pouring in, even getting attention from fellow players like Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Even the NBA front office inquired about his thought process.

“The way I saw it, all I had done was shared an honest moment — the kind of thing countless people are feeling on any given day,” DeRozan said in the book. “Neither of us realized it at the time, but it was a perspective that hadn’t been expressed by an athlete at my level on that kind of platform.”

The book may be out, but the journey doesn’t stop as it is a daily struggle at times.

Non-voters, disillusioned,
by Daniel Johnson

October 22, 2024

Non-Voters Feel Abandoned By The Political Process Leading To Disillusionment

Some of the approximately 47,000 people in Georgia's majority-Black and impoverished Bibb County may not turn out to vote because they believe their material conditions don't change no matter who is president.

In 2020, nearly 67% of eligible voters cast ballots, the highest presidential election turnout in the last 120 years. However, that also means approximately 80 million Americans did not vote in that year’s election.

According to NPR, some reasons non-voters gave for not voting included not being registered to vote, not being interested in voting, not liking the candidates, disillusionment with voting, and indecision about who to vote for.

In 2024, some voters in Georgia, a battleground state in this election, have expressed some of those same concerns to The Associated Press.

According to the AP, some of the approximately 47,000 people in Georgia’s majority-Black and impoverished Bibb County may not turn out to vote because they believe their material conditions don’t change no matter who is president.

As Sabrina Friday, the executive director of Mother’s Nest, an organization that provides baby supplies, training, food, and housing to needy mothers, told the outlet, “When a mom is in a hotel room and there [are] six or seven people in two beds and her kids are hungry, and she just lost the car, she doesn’t want to hear too much about elections,” Friday told the AP. “She wants to hear how you can help.”

Linda Solomon highlighted Friday’s concerns. She told the AP that neither she nor her daughter planned to vote in the upcoming election because “nothing changes” regardless of which political party is in the White House. “Why are you going to vote, and ain’t nobody doing nothing?”

Although Vice President Harris’ campaign has focused solidly on the middle class, it has primarily ignored voters like Solomon, which Elise Sampson, a 20-year-old political science major at Atlanta’s Spelman College, highlighted in her comments to the AP.

“It comes down to an accessibility issue,” Sampson said. “When people don’t feel heard and represented, it is hard to want to participate in a political system that doesn’t hear and represent you.”

According to 19th News, caregivers and single mothers have effectively been disenfranchised. However, some organizations are trying to eliminate barriers that have barred those groups from political participation.

One of those organizations is the Chamber of Mothers, a nonpartisan group that advocates for mothers in 33 states. The group is working diligently to change the nonparticipation of single mothers. Chamber of Mothers has created a voter education website that lets mothers pre-fill their ballots, saving mothers precious time.

According to Erin Erenberg, the group’s co-founder and executive director, “What is consistent among these moms is that they are exhausted, they feel dismissed by the political process, they are overwhelmed, and they feel frozen about how to engage.”

Erenberg continued, “When you’re depending on the most overwhelmed, the most exhausted group of folks to fix the system for themselves, that is incredibly hard to sustain.” Erenberg told 19th News. “Very often, we rely on the people who are harmed to undo and fix the harm. I’m grateful to be in a moment where moms are banding together and insisting that our concerns become a priority. I just think that we’re sort of at the beginning of that wave.”

According to AP Votecast, whose data was collected by the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs and Research, most non-voters in 2020 were poor, young, less educated, unmarried, or minorities.

According to the AP, that data suggests that people who live below the poverty line make up a large portion of non-voters. This certainly seems to be the case with Solomon, who informed the AP that she won’t cast a ballot because she feels forgotten.

“If you ain’t got nothing, nobody has time for you whether you are Black or white. If you’re poor, you’re poor, and they ain’t got time,” Solomon said.

Levita Carter, a 55-year-old teacher and church member at Unionville Missionary Baptist Church, echoed those concerns, but she emphasized that participation in local voting is more important and impactful for the folks using Mother’s Nest.

“Our children are coming to school hungry,” Carter told the AP. “They don’t have sufficient food. They don’t have sufficient clothing.”

Carter concluded, “Our vote counts right here. We need to start small in our town and our place and get some people in place right here that can affect change here before we can even get to voting for president.”

RELATED CONTENT: NAACP To Spend $20M In Effort To Mobilize Black Voters

WNBA, Angel Reese, nickname, Chicago Sky
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 22, 2024

Charge It To The Game! Angel Reese Signs New Deal With Cash App In Her First WNBA Off Season

The Chicago Sky player will become the face of giveaways, limited-edition debit cards, and a financial literacy campaign.

Angel Reese is charging it to the game. The WNBA rookie signed a new deal with Cash App in the off-season.

Vibe reported Reese’s new venture with the digital banking service. The Chicago Sky player will become the face of giveaways, community empowerment initiatives, and some limited-edition debit cards.

Cash App announced The Angel Machine to celebrate their collaboration on Oct. 21. Launching in Chicago, local fans can play an interactive game where the prizes include Reese’s memorabilia, like her crown and college jersey. Reese shared her gratitude to partner with Cash App, becoming part of their first campaign with the WNBA.

“I’m grateful to partner with Cash App, a brand that is committed to supporting my efforts in driving impact on and off the court,” shared the 22-year-old in a statement to VIBE.

Moreover, the two parties will renovate a basketball court in Reese’s hometown of Baton Rouge. In December, a block party will celebrate the upgrades.

Reese added, “I established the Angel C. Reese Foundation to empower girls and future generations, and I’m thrilled that as part of this overall partnership, we will be able to collaborate with Cash App to renovate a basketball court in the city of my alma mater, Baton Rouge, a place and community that means so much to me personally.”

Cash App users and Angel Reese fans can showcase their admiration for the record-breaking athlete. They will be able to design their debit card with Angel-approved stamps. Customers with a Cash App card can get up to 25% off all Angel Reese merchandise purchased on her website.

However, the deal extends even further. Reese will encourage financial literacy in Cash App’s new campaign, set to debut by the end of this year.

“Angel Reese is redefining what it means to be a game changer, authentically pushing the boundaries between sport and culture,” said Catherine Ferdon, Cash App CMO. “Together with Angel, we aim to improve the future of the sport while supporting her unapologetically bold endeavors, create world-class experiences for fans, and provide access in the community for girls to play basketball.”

As all their endeavors begin, Reese’s Unapologetically Angel podcast viewers will see Cash App as the latest sponsor. The podcast recently guest-starred Glorilla, which gives fans a deeper look at Reese off the court.

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Idris Elba
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 22, 2024

Idris Elba Looks to Revolutionize African Entertainment Industry With Film Studios, Digital Wallets For Creatives

Idris Elba is focused on establishing Africa's entertainment industry through creative spaces and better payment structures.

Idris Elba is building film studios across Africa to give natives “the chance to tell their own stories.”

The Luther star, who has made a name for himself in both the U.K. and U.S. entertainment industries, is now on a mission to revolutionize the entertainment scene in Africa. Speaking at the Stellar Development Foundation’s Meridian conference in London on Monday, Elba shared his ambitious vision to establish a global entertainment hub on the African continent.

“Much of the imagery about Africa isn’t even generated from Africa,” Elba, whose parents are from Sierra Leone and Ghana, told CNN. “A lot of media is centered around (negative depictions of Africa). But the median age in Africa is 19; these young people are optimistic and deserve the chance to tell their own stories.”

Although “it’s all been a puzzle” navigating the challenges of building a new industry, Elba is confident that “it will grow, and it can grow. “

Elba’s first project is a film studio in Zanzibar, the semi-autonomous Tanzanian island famous for its white sand beaches. The government of Zanzibar has committed nearly 200 acres of land for the development, which Elba envisions as the foundation for a global entertainment hub.

“Idris Elba will be building a modern studio similar to Hollywood, Nollywood (in Nigeria), or Bollywood,” Zanzibar’s Minister for Investment, Shariff Ali Shariff, announced in August. He even teased his hopes of naming the studios “Zallywood” or “Zawood.”

One of the key challenges Elba faces in building the studios is ensuring creators get paid in countries with limited banking infrastructures. To address this, Elba partnered with Stellar, a blockchain-based platform, to launch Akuna Wallet—a digital wallet tailored for the creative economy. This wallet enables artists, filmmakers, and musicians to manage payments and royalties without depending on traditional banks.

This week, a pilot program was launched in partnership with Ghana’s government to streamline payments for local creatives and increase financial inclusion within the industry.

“Popular platforms for monetizing creative work often require bank accounts, which excludes many young Africans,” Elba said. “We need a financial model that allows for consistent quality creation.”

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