News Stories

*A good movie usually remains with you days after you’ve left the theater and although KIN the movie doesn’t hit theaters until August 31, producers of the project are gearing up for the film in a major way. KIN is the story of “an unexpected hero” destined for greatness.

Chased by a vengeful criminal, the feds and a gang of otherworldly soldiers, a recently released ex-con and his adopted teenage brother are forced to go on the run with a weapon of mysterious origin as their only protection.

KIN stars James Franco, Jack Reynor and Miles Truitt. To celebrate the film’s release, the studio invited EUR out for a fun game of laser tag with some of the most influential people on the gram.

We met up at UltraZone in Sherman Oaks where we were prepped on our mission for the day. Some of our favorite online personalities like Khadi, Dyvon, Arriana Jonae and E Breezy along with actress Aadyn Encalarde were in attendance to fight for their group’s championship on the battlefield. When I tell you these personalities are the best to play laser tag with, please, believe me.

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/thrilling-and-suspenseful-laser-tag-for-kin-the-movie-pics-trailer-look/

*A mystery has surrounded the tragic case of Emmett Till for more than six decades and it centers on a photo of his white classmates, particularly a white girl, who Till joked was his “girlfriend” when he visited Mississippi back in 1955.

Till, 14, was abducted Aug. 28, 1955, and murdered after supposedly whistling at a white woman, Carolyn Bryant, in a grocery store in Money, Mississippi.

J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant were acquitted in his murder but later confessed in a 1956 Look magazine story by journalist William Bradford Huie, USA Today noted.

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Yearbook photo of Joan Brody when she was 16. (Photo: Special to Clarion-Ledger)

In the doc, Till’s cousin Curtis Jones mentioned that Till had a “picture of some white kids that he had graduated from elementary school with … female and male.”

The girl in the photo has long been an enigma… but now, 63 years later, she has been identified as Joan Brody, who gave her first interview to the Clarion-Ledger about her relationship with Till.

The documentary’s producer, Henry Hampton, told NPR that Till showed this school photo to his folks in Mississippi, pointing to a white girl and saying she was “his girlfriend. In fact, it was his classmate.”

She was the only white girl in Till’s class.

“He had beautiful eyes,” she recalled while confirming that the two had quite the friendly relationship. It was at their graduation where the photo was apparently taken, but Brody said, “I had no interest in it.”

“He wasn’t a smart-alecky kid,” she said. “He wasn’t a person to smart off to a white woman or any woman.”

Joan Brody poses for a photo outside of her Chicago-area suburban home Aug. 19, 2018. (Photo: John Gress for USA TODAY)

The Look magazine article noted claims that Till said he’d had sex with white women. But his mother, Mamie Till, called it the report preposterous, saying her son would “never brag about the women he had. How could he? He was only 14.”

Brody agreed, saying “he was a gentleman” and calling the men that killed him “worse than animals.”

She also wonders what might have been if Till had lived.

“He had his whole life ahead of him – to be gone just like that,” she said. “And for what reason? He could have been president,” she said. “He was just a nice kid with a nice smile.”

*Steve Harvey is sporting a new style these days… as he has done away with his iconic mustache in favor of a full salt-and-pepper beard, ET online reports.

The media mogul explained to ET’s Kevin Frazier why he switched up his signature look, admitting: “Well this year you know we launched a new season so every now and then I reinvent myself,” the 61-year-old host and comedian explained.

Harvey also noted that his thick, black ‘stache was only prominent because he’s bald.

“When I was 49, about to turn 50, I went bald,” he recalled. “I always had a mustache, you just didn’t know I had one ’cause I had hair too.”

Harvey tried rocking a full beard last year but he “wasn’t confident” enough to pull it off in public.

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“Last year was the first time I had a summer off, so I didn’t shave. I grew a beard out,” he shared. “But last year there wasn’t enough grey in the mustache yet. It looked like I had stuff in it. So I had to wait another year.”

He continued: “This year, when I didn’t color it, it was a lot more grey so I’m flipping the script. I’m gonna see how the beard game go… I’m gonna just do something different. I’m gonna stay fly till I die.”

On whether or not he continues to sport the beard… 

And right now, he’s staying busy by hosting “Celebrity Family Feud” and serving as host and producer on “Little Big Shots.”

He added: “If you take every minute of the day and monitor every single minute of the day, you’d be stunned at what you can accomplish. But you gotta cut the BS out of your life. You can’t be at the club every time it open, you can’t make all the happy hours.”

The new season of “Steve” premieres Sept. 4 on NBC.

*Lauryn Hill keeps a relatively low profile and rarely does interviews and the only time she makes headlines these days is when she’s several hours late for a live show.

But Ms. Hill had time on Monday to set the record straight about recent claims made against her by a former member of her band, Robert Glasper.

Glasper dished about the drama during an interview on The Madd Hatta Morning Show on 97.9 in Houston on Aug. 13, claiming Hill “stole music” for her acclaimed album “The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill” and that she mistreated her band and can’t even tune a guitar.

Peep the full interview below, he speaks about Hill around the 27-minute mark.

As noted by Hip Hollywood, Hill was not having it though and penned an essay adressing his shady comments.

“I chose to wait until after the anniversary to post this,” she said in a message on Twitter. “Thank you everyone for the Love! I’d like to clear a few things up. -MLH”

*Evelyn Lozada filmed a two-part apology to her “Basketball Wives” costar CeCe Rodriguez after making a racist reference to her on this week’s episode.

Taking to her Instagram page on Tuesday afternoon, Lozada addressed the incident, which took place during an argument at dinner while the ladies were in Amsterdam.

After CeCe called Evelyn “EVIL-lyn”, Lozada responded with “I have a problem with you. I have a problem with you, Lee-Lee.”

CeCe was confused by the term, until cast member Malaysia Pargo explained that it was a reference to a nail shop technician, which CeCe immediately labeled as racist.

Many viewers also took offense to Evelyn’s comment and a petition has since been crafted pushing for Evelyn’s removal from the show.

Evelyn took to her Instagram on Tuesday, two days after the episode aired, to issue her apology in a 2-part video, as well as a pre-written statement.

“In the heat of a verbal battle, things are sometimes said that are hurtful, untrue and totally out of character. It’s not cool- but regrettably it happens,” she wrote. “I understand why many are upset by derogatory, stereotypical reference of another woman of color-and for that I’m so sorry. To intentionally add to a pot of racial divisiveness is not reflective of my heart. I extended a heartfelt apology to my castmate CeCe Gutierrez a few weeks ago back in which she graciously accepted. Moving forward… I have to do better!”

Source: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/i-have-to-do-better-evelyn-lozada-apologizes-to-basketball-wives-cast-member-for-racist-comment-watch/

*Charlamagne Tha God’s upcoming book has yet to be released but it’s already topping Amazon’s “New Releases” list in the category of “Rap & Hip-Hop Musician Biographies” Hot New Hip Hop reports.

The hardcover version of “Shook One: Anxiety Playing Tricks On Me” is available for pre-order. The official release date is October 23.

The radio personality shared this news with his fans on Instagram, along with the caption: “I have anxiety about releasing a book about anxiety but it’s a Number one new release and doesn’t drop until 10-23. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You!!!! #ShookOne “Anxiety Playing Tricks On Me” Pre Order Link In My Bio!!!!”

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The book’s title is a shoutout to the Mobb Deep song “Shook Ones.”
“That song is about not being soft or shook. But I am a shook one. … A lot of things I thought I did was fearless, but I realized a lot of things that I did, I did because I was scared,” said Charlamagne.

The rest of the title, Anxiety Playing Tricks on Me, is a nod to the Geto Boys’ track “Mind Playing Tricks on Me.” Charlamagne said the lyrics are all about anxiety, reports The Undefeated.

Last month, Charlamange sparked furor and debate across social media after sexual assault allegations against him were publicized. A petition was even launched to get him fired from co-hosting “The Breakfast Club.” But during his interview with the HBCU 468 podcast, he noted that he is trying to grow from his past mistakes.

“It’s difficult when you are thinking a different way and people are using things from five years ago, six years ago, seven years ago, eight years ago and trying to paint a narrative of you now. If you want to judge for me old things, I’m fine with that. My narrative has completely changed. But you can’t compare 20-year-old Charlamagne, 30-year-old Charlamange to 40-year-old Charlamagne, who’s a father and husband.”

Source : https://www.eurweb.com/2018/08/pre-orders-for-charlamagne-tha-gods-shook-one-top-amazons-new-releases/

Here’s the good news: Enrollment at Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) has never been higher, with the trend showing no signs of slowing anytime soon.

Now, here’s the, um, not so good news, at least for traditionalists: As that spike in students bolsters the bottom lines for schools which may not have been on the firmest of financial footings, it has also been threatening to change the typical racial makeup of HBCU students.

“In many cases, African-American students have ceased being a majority at HBCUs,” according to a new report from Diverse Issues in Higher Education published last week. “At some, they are a small minority among a White majority.”

The report did not single out schools in particular that apparently fell under that category, but a closer look at recent statistics showed an increasing number of white people have been enrolling as undergraduates at HBCUs over the years.

“Additionally,” the report said, “graduate, professional and online programs at HBCUs tend to draw non-Black students at higher rates.”

The percentage of white students at HBCUs stood at 17 percent, according to a report last year from Pew Research Center. That figure was up from 13 percent in 1980. Data provided by the National Center for Education Statistics confirm the steady rise in white students enrolling in HBCUs from 1976 through 2004. That could be the reason, at least in part, why HBCUs saw record growth in 2017.

However, coinciding with that rise in white students at HBCUs was the “lower shares of blacks attending these institutions,” according to Pew:

“As desegregation, rising incomes and increased access to financial aid resulted in more college options for blacks, the share of blacks attending HBCUs began to shrink,” Pew found. “By fall 1980, 17% of black students enrolled in degree-granting institutions were enrolled at an HBCU. By 2000, that share had declined to 13%, and it stood at 9% in 2015.”

For those aforementioned traditionalists, the surge of white student enrollment can be seen as a gift as well as a curse, metaphorically speaking. Adding more students, either white or of any ethnic background, is important to fend of an apparent existential crisis for many HBCUs that has forced some to shut down and others to ponder a new way forward, according to a professor at The King’s College in New York City.

“The reality is that if HBCUs — with the exception of maybe the top five or six — do not diversify, they’re all going to die,” Anthony Bradley, who has written about HBCUs, told Time in 2014. “While they may continue in their mission in respect to providing opportunities to African-Americans on paper, in reality they’re simply going to have to become more like any university in the country.”

Source: https://newsone.com

Once upon a time, ESPN made history with Jemele Hill and Michael Smith as the first all-Black anchor team on “SportsCenter” in February 2017. However, after Hill called out Donald Trump as a white supremacist, ESPN has not been supporting the anchor. Her hosting duties at “SportsCenter” (Smith left in March) ended and she was writing for ESPN’s Undefeated website. Now, her time at ESPN is reportedly over.

According to SportingNews.com, “The former ‘SportsCenter’ anchor will accept a buyout of the remainder of her contract with the network, said sources. Hill’s deal with ESPN still has at least two years to run and she stands to walk away with millions of dollars from ESPN parent Disney while she pursues other career opportunities, sources said.”

Yep, millions of dollars, and she deserves every penny.

This is no shock considering Jimmy Pitaro, the new president of ESPN, said he didn’t want any of the commentators to have political opinions, implying he will be kowtowing to whatever the NFL wants. Pitaro told The Washington Post on August 17, “I’ve spent a lot of time with league executives. The relationship is incredibly important to us. That programming cuts across everything we’re doing on the studio side, on the original content side. And we’ve made that very clear to the NFL.”

He also said, “If you ask me is there a false narrative out there, I will tell you ESPN being a political organization is false. I will tell you I have been very, very clear with employees here that it is not our jobs to cover politics, purely.”

Either way, Jemele Hill is going to be great. We are sure she has big things in the future.

Source: https://newsone.com

Eid-al-Adha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice”, is a two-day Islamic holiday celebrated around the world. Beginning Monday and ending Tuesday, Muslims traditionally give praise for when Allah appeared to Ibrahim in a dream and asked him to sacrifice his son, Ishmael, as a sign of his faith.

During the festival, Muslims gather in their best garb to eat traditional food, exchange gifts and pray. Check out some of the beautiful images from Eid-al-Adha across the globe.

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Source: https://newsone.com

Voting has long been a passionate subject for Michelle Obama. A new video sheds light on exactly why the former first lady is a strong crusader for voting rights—and why she is encouraging people to exercise their power at the polls.

Obama shared a powerful story about watching her father vote as a child in the clip, which is part of her “When We All Vote” campaign, an initiative that she co-chairs in an effort to spur voter registration ahead of the midterm elections. Before “When We All Vote” hits the road for a week of action from Sept. 22-29, the ex-FLOTUS had another Black excellence moment that she hopes will inspire people to head to the ballot box in November.

Her story underscored her father’s passion and dedication for voting despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis.

“I grew up in a household where voting was something you did all the time,” Obama said in the video. “And my father, who had multiple sclerosis, I remember going to the polling place with him and how much effort it took for him to park his car, to get his crutches, to walk into the church basement in our local neighborhood where he voted. And to stand there, holding himself up, making sure he cast his ballot. I remember my father doing this exercise every single election.”

Seeing her dad vote made Obama think about what a “special responsibility” it was — a right that African-American groups fought for during the civil rights era. The clip makes clear that voting was not only a right for Obama, but a rite of passage. She encourages voting in the presidential election and at the local level.

Source: https://newsone.com

African-American leaders sent condolences to the family of Sen. John McCain, who leaves a mixed legacy with the Black community.

McCain succumbed on Saturday to his battle against brain cancer. The lawmaker and Vietnam War hero, who ran twice for U.S. president, died at his home in Arizona at age 81.

“Today we not only lost a war hero and savvy politician but a man that always put true American values before himself. He was often open to dialogue and conversation about some of this country’s most controversial issues, and he will forever be remembered for his fighting spirit,” NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson said. “We send our condolences to the McCain family and the constituents he proudly served in Arizona for 33 years.”

President Barack Obama, who ran for president in 2008 against McCain, tweeted this message:

The Congressional Black Caucus had this to say:

Many recalled that McCain defended Obama on the campaign trail in 2008, when he shut down a birther who raised doubts about Obama’s birthplace and religion. He’ll be remembered as one of the few Republicans who openly criticized President Donald Trump for calling Haiti and African nations “shithole countries.” Democrats also cheered the dramatic moment on the Senate floor in 2017 when McCain, while battling cancer, gave the thumbs-down on the GOP vote to permanently repeal Obamacare.

There was another side to McCain that brings balance to his legacy. McCain was indifferent to his Black constituents in Arizona, according to Politico.

McCain “has pretty well zero relationship with the African-American community that I know of,” Oscar Tillman, the former Arizona NAACP head, told Politico in 2008. “I don’t recall him ever attending any function with the NAACP. Each year we send them an invitation [to an annual banquet], and each year they say no.”

The senator was also a staunch opponent of the national Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Even after President Ronald Reagan finally decided to approve the bill for MLK Day, McCain voted against it.

He later regretted his opposition to celebrating the civil rights leaders, and he apologized for his support in 2000 for keeping the Confederate flag flying atop the South Carolina statehouse.

Source: https://newsone.com

Yesterday, the French Tennis Federation president, Bernard Giudicelli, went viral after banning Serena Williams‘ catsuit from the French Open. Everyone has been blasting the 60-year-old and now Nike has responded.

Nike responded on Twitter with a photo of Serena with text that read, “You can take the superhero out of her costume, but you can never take away her superpowers. #justdoit” See below:

Giudicelli said in an interview with Tennis Magazine’s 500th edition, “I believe we have sometimes gone too far. Serena’s outfit this year, for example, would no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place.”

Twitter is obviously outraged by the decision, which is clearly racism and sexism. Click here for the reactions.

Considering the serious backlash, it would be no surprise if the French Open decides to “reverse” their ban. Saying Williams doesn’t have respect for the game is asinine and insulting. Serena Williams is the winner of 23 Major singles titles at the French Open. The reason why the French Open sells tickets is partly because of Serena’s presence. No one has more respect for the game than Serena.

Put some respect on her name, Mr. Giudicelli.

Source: https://newsone.com

Pursuing higher learning can cost a lot. Historically Black Colleges and Universities, however, have succeeded at staying below the national average when it comes to tuition.

The typical cost of attending a private university was $34,740 for the 2017-18 academic year, according to College Data. Costs added up to $9,970 for state residents at public colleges and $25,620 for out-of-state residents attending public universities this last year. Spelman College, a private liberal arts university in Atlanta and the most expensive HBCU according to Student Loan Hero, costs $28,181 for both in-state and out-of-state students for the 2017-18 year. Public HBCU Cheney University of Pennsylvania costs $18,386 for out-of-state students.

Public schools have lower costs than private universities, however, out-of-state students will see higher attendance fees than those who are in-state. Still, there are more than 100 HBCUs that are educating students at an affordable fee.

Private and public schools have been able to control costs in the face of a number of odds. For example, HBCUs typically receive smaller endowments than historically white institutions, according to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund.

The most affordable schools have been ranked by Student Loan Hero. Here are the five most affordable public HBCUs:

1. Elizabeth City State University: Elizabeth City, North Carolina

In-state tuition and fees: $4,986

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $18,130

Total undergraduate enrollment: 1,310

2. Fayetteville State University: Fayetteville, North Carolina

In-state tuition and fees: $5,183

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $16,791

Undergraduate enrollment: 5,393

3. University of the Virgin Islands: Virgin Islands

In-state tuition and fees: $5,235

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $14,496

Undergraduate enrollment: 2,112

4. Harris-Stowe State University: Saint Louis, Missouri

In-state tuition and fees: $5,340

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $9,973

Undergraduate enrollment: 1,442

5. Albany State University: Albany, Georgia

In-state tuition and fees: $5,675

Out-of-state tuition and fees: $16,136

Undergraduate enrollment: 6,262

Source: https://newsone.com

On April 25, Sadaria Davis, 15, was last seen leaving her West Garfield Park neighborhood in Chicago. On May 11, Davis’ body was found several blocks away, according to the Chicago Sun Times. She is one of four girls and women who have gone missing in Chicago since mid-March, but she is the only one whose body has been found.

Now, Davis’ family has spoken out for the first time. They held a vigil where her daughter was found and asked the public for help,ABC 7 reported.

“The last time I saw my daughter she was sitting on the foot of my bed talking to me,” her mother, Nicole Sargeant, said. “I cant’ sleep. I can’t eat. Every time I close my eyes, all I see is my baby because I know she didn’t deserve what you did to her.”

Davis’ cousin Luwana Johnson appealed to the public for help.

“Anybody who has any type of information please come forward and share that information,” Johnson said. “We want to put Sadaria to rest. We want to know what happened.”

On social media, there were reports that Davis’ fingers were cut off and some of her organs were removed. However, the Chicago Police Department told NewsOne it “cannot confirm those details and the cause of death is unknown.”

As of Sunday, “the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has still not been able to determine how she died.”

There are fears of a serial kidnapper in this area of Chicago. On March 16, Anna Stanislawczyk, 18, went missing and has not been seen since. On May 25, Shantieya Smith, 26, went missing and has not been seen since. On June 5, 15-year-old Victoria Garrett also vanished.

Our thoughts go out to everyone affected by these tragedies. Anyone with information about Davis’ death has been asked to call Chicago detectives at 312-744-8266.

Source: https://newsone.com

“Ford Motor Company’s partnership with us in the Ford First Gen program brings a comprehensive, innovative and collaborative approach that exemplifies an important part of ‘the Spelman Promise’ – ensuring that every Spelmanite graduates with a competitive edge,” says Mary Schmidt Campbell, President, Spelman College.

In an effort to increase the representation of Black first-generation college students at Spelman College, the institution has teamed up with Ford Motor Company for the creation of a new initiative, the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education reported.

Dubbed Ford First Gen, the program is designed to help aspiring college students overcome socio-economic barriers that prevent them from furthering their education, the news outlet writes. Through the initiative, participants will be able to take advantage of services and resources that will ensure their personal, academic, and professional success; including being mentored by students who are in their junior year at Spelman. After going through the program, students will have the opportunity to mentor those who are following in their footsteps. Mentors will be awarded $10,000 towards their tuition.

Under the program, there will be seminars hosted that are related to career development and goal setting, trips that will give participants the opportunity to interact with individuals who are making moves in industries that they aspire to pursue careers in, and students will also be aligned with summer internships to build upon their professional experiences.

Mary Schmidt Campbell, President, Spelman College, is excited about the partnership with Ford Motor Company and believes that the program will be nothing short of impactful. “Ford Motor Company’s partnership with us in the Ford First Gen program brings a comprehensive, innovative and collaborative approach that exemplifies an important part of ‘the Spelman Promise’ – ensuring that every Spelmanite graduates with a competitive edge,” she said in a statement, according to the news outlet. Ford is looking forward to helping students of color overcome barriers to education. “Ford First Gen is a unique approach to helping break down barriers to success that are sometimes faced by first-generation students,” Pamela Alexander, Director of Community Development at Ford Motor Company Fund told Diverse Issues in Higher Education. “We are very excited about the opportunity we have to impact students’ lives through the mentorship, education and cultural experiences that Ford First Gen will offer, and given Spelman’s rich legacy of success, we could not ask for a better partner for this program.”

Source: https://newsone.com

Journalism pioneer Alice Allison Dunnigan will be honored posthumously by the Newseum in Washington, D.C. According to the New York Times, the institution plans on installing a statue to honor Dunnigan, who was the first Black woman to receive press credentials to cover the White House.

Dunnigan—a journalist, civil rights activist, and author—took the helm of the Associated Negro Press Washington Bureau 71 years ago. She spent over a decade penning pieces for various publications and many of her pieces were featured in African-American newspapers that were distributed nationally. During WWII Dunnigan served as a typist for the government. She broke many barriers for Black women in journalism, becoming the first African-American woman to not only provide coverage on the White House but the State Department and the Supreme Court as well.

After her days as a journalist, she worked with presidential committees to create programs for youth and people of color. In 1974—nine years before her death—she released an autobiography about her life and experiences as a woman of color in the media industry titled A Black Woman’s Experience: From Schoolhouse to White House. Dunnigan—a National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame inductee—has received 50 awards for her contributions to journalism throughout her career.

The Newseum believes that it’s time for her unsung story to be brought to the forefront. “Alice was such a barrier breaker for women and people of color, we were happy to have the opportunity to embrace her here at the museum,” Carrie Christoffersen, curator and vice president of exhibits at the Newseum, told the news outlet.

The 6-foot bronze statue—which is being created by Lexington, Kentucky-based artist Amanda Matthews—will be on display at the museum from September 21 through December 16 and then it will be moved to the West Kentucky African-American Heritage Center in the town where Dunnigan was born and raised.

Source: https://newsone.com

AHoward University student and two of her siblings are taking their talents to the 2020 Olympics. Senior Latroya Pina and her sister and brother Jayla and Troy have been selected to be on the Cape Verde National Swim Team during the Summer Olympics which is slated to take place in Tokyo, Japan, the Sun Chronicle reported.

Pina has been racking up several accolades at Howard for her swimming skills, the news outlet writes. She came out victorious in the women’s 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley against Marymount during the 2017-2018 season. The honors went beyond the swimming pool for Pina. She made the 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Commissioner’s All-Academic Team and the 2018 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Spring President’s Honor Roll List. Although having the opportunity to compete in the Olympic Games is a huge honor for Pina and her siblings, she says their accomplishment isn’t “far-fetched.” “We’re not just swimming for our colleges or schools, but for a nation so we want to do our best,” she told the Sun Chronicle. Pina also added that she’s proud to be representing Cape Verde. “Cape Verde is trying to make swimming a big sport now, so it’s our responsibility to represent our country. People in Cape Verde and all the Cape Verdeans in the U.S. will be looking up to us.”

Howard’s Swimming & Diving Head Coach Nicholas Askew is excited for Pina and her siblings. “To represent your country at the Olympic level is every swimmer’s dream,” he said in a statement, according to HU Bison. “We are excited for Latroya and have no doubt, she will make Howard University and Cape Verde very proud.”

The siblings are slated to compete in the Confederation Africaine de Natation Championship Meet in Algeria next month

A venture capitalist firm is aiming to level the playing field for Black women when it comes to securing funding for their business ventures. Backstage Capital recently announced that it will invest $36 million in the entrepreneurial endeavors of African American women, Business Insider reported.

The firm unveiled the plan for the fund at the United State of Women 2018 Summit in Los Angeles, the news outlet writes. Through the initiative, Backstage Capital plans to invest in nearly 20 companies over the next three years. Arlan Hamilton, the founder and managing partner of the firm, says that the statistics surrounding Black women securing venture capital are alarming and it needs to be changed. “I think the figures speak for themselves: less than .2% of all early-stage venture funding goes to Black women, while we make up approximately 8% of the U.S. population and are one of the fastest growing entrepreneur segments in the country,” she told Tech Crunch. She also believes that its unfair Black women have had to “accept scraps” when trying to get financial backing for their business endeavors.

According to Business Insider, the first group of entrepreneurs will be awarded this year.

Many Black entrepreneurs are launching initiatives to help their fellow Black business owners thrive. Marceau Michel—creator of Black Founders Matter—is aiming to raise $10 million for visionaries of color in the tech industry. “By raising awareness, using our supporters as walking billboards and reaching our community, I believe we can raise more than enough funds to shake up venture funding as it pertains to people of color and make them pay attention to our resourcefulness and resilience,” said Marceau.

Source: https://newsone.com

Even in supposed defeat, LaVar Ball is winning.

The face of the world’s newest professional basketball league has been raked across the coals for what critics have described as sparse attendance at the games that feature lower tier talent in the Junior Basketball Association’s (JBA) inaugural season. But after just about three weeks’ worth of games, online metrics show that there was a much higher interest in the JBA than critics care to admit, no matter who was running the league.

With all of its games streamed on Facebook, the JBA has averaged “between 100,000 and 200,000 views” for each contest, according to a report published in the Undefeated on Friday. When Ball’s son and star player, LaMelo, plays, his “games have closer to 800,000.”

Source: Alius Koroliovas / Getty

Those enviable analytics could end up helping to disprove the naysayers who have gleefully predicted the demise of the JBA – and LaVar Ball – since the day it was announced. Those statistics could also pave the way for “views of more than a million per game” and “potential Fortune 500 advertisers,” Ball’s JBA co-founder Alan Foster said. If that were to become a reality, the longevity and overall sustainability of the league would be all but solidified.

While it’s tough to accurately translate those views into immediate dollars, Facebook’s continued relationship with Ball – don’t forget he has a successful reality show in its third season streamed and documenting his family life – shows LaVar’s brand has an audience the social network trusts to reliably bring in a dedicated viewership, something that is far from a guarantee in digital media.

And before you go dismissing shows on Facebook as inconsequential, the uber-successful, all-world soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo was reportedly negotiating a deal for his own reality show to stream on the social site. If it goes through, he could make an eye-popping $10 billion for just 13 episodes, according to CNBC.

Now, of course that doesn’t mean LaVar will ever see that kind of money from Facebook (or does it?). But given that payday for Ronaldo, it’s pretty safe to assume Ball’s compensation from Facebook alone will reach, if not break, the seven-figure mark.

That’s not including revenue from his Big Baller Brand sports apparel company and other professional ventures and business dealings that the public may not know about. (Never mind the fact that Ball has created a viable alternative to college basketball – which has repeatedly been likened to slave labor – that actually pays its players on their quest to ultimately compete in the NBA or other professional leagues around the world.)

Not bad for a guy who’s been branded by critics as a loudmouth helicopter dad who jeopardized the basketball careers and overall livelihood of his children while trading barbs with the president, who supposedly negotiated the jail release of son LiAngelo for trying to steal a Louis Vuitton belt.

The death of 18-year-old Nia Wilson, who was fatally stabbed in the neck in Oakland last month, could have been stopped, lawyers for the slain teen’s family said Friday (Aug. 17).

Wilson’s death at a BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) station on July 22 has sparked outcry, and John Lee Cowell was charged with the murder. The killing happened just days after two other female passengers faced a similar threat from Cowell, attorneys said in a claim filed against BART last week, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. One of the women was physically touched by Cowell, who slid his hand across her neck to suggest he would slice her throat open, at the Civic Center BART Station in San Francisco. Another woman saw the man reveal a knife on a train in a separate incident, lawyers said.

The women weren’t able to get help from BART workers during the incidents — events that may not have been followed by Wilson’s death if transit agency personnel had heeded warnings, attorneys said.

“Nia’s death is not some horrific anomaly that occurred in two seconds that nobody could do anything about,” said Robert Arns, a lawyer for Wilson’s family. “There’s a serious and endemic public safety problem on BART, and just about everybody who rides BART knows that.”

Wilson’s killing was a “simple case of cause and effect,” attorneys also said. If Cowell was taken into police custody and BART personnel did more to protect riders, Wilson may have never been harmed, they added.

Grief-stricken family members represented by the attorneys were teary-eyed on Friday. Wilson’s sisters, Letifah and Tashiya Wilson, both saw their sister take her last breath on the BART station platform that day. Letifah Wilson was also stabbed in the neck but survived.

The family should get “just” compensation, with a dollar amount that would likely be decided on by a jury, according to the suit. Attorneys, on behalf of the family, also want “transparency when it comes to criminal activity on BART property” and “a new system to prevent fare evaders.”

BART tried to defend themselves against the family’s and attorney’s statements, saying that “safety” was a “top priority.” The agency is investigating the threats outlined in the claim, Anna Duckworth, an agency spokeswoman, said.

Source: https://newsone.com