An excerpt from BlackAmericaWeb -
Simone Biles Named As TIME Magazine’s 2021 “Athlete Of The Year”
By Keenan "HIGz" Higgins
 |
| Simone Biles |
After a year of experiencing both career highs and personal lows, Olympic medalist Simone Biles has shown the world a strength that truly sets her apart from many in the realm of sports.
TIME Magazine recognized that excellence and all she had to overcome in 2021 by bestowing Biles with the prestigious honor as “Athlete Of The Year.”
From Newbreak -
Large California school districts eliminate ‘D’ and ‘F’ grades
By Nexstar Media Wire, Nancy Loo
An excerpt from NPR -
The FBI is trying to add diversity to its ranks by recruiting at HBCUs
By Ryan Lucas
The FBI has launched a new diversity initiative aimed at reaching out to historically Black colleges and universities to try to recruit more African Americans to be special agents.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Many things about the FBI are secret. This one is not. It has a diversity problem, particularly when it comes to its special agents. The bureau says it's trying to change that and has recently launched a new initiative reaching out to historically Black colleges and universities. NPR Justice Correspondent Ryan Lucas reports.
An excerpt from the Guardian -
‘It feels like home’: why are Black Americans moving to Costa Rica?
By Brianna Holt
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| Davia Shannon in Costa Rica. Photograph: Davia Shannon |
The Caribbean coast of Central America’s safest and most stable country offers Black expats a life that is less stressful, more affordable, and free from the burdens of everyday racism
When she first set foot in Costa Rica, Davia Shannon knew instantly that she would eventually return permanently. She loved being able to do yoga with the jungle as her backdrop and surf whenever she pleased. Even more, she valued the sense of freedom she gained. Free of the fear, anxiety and pain driven by not feeling accepted in the US, Shannon had found her future home.
Upon arriving back in California after her 10-day visit, Shannon, now 46, developed a one-year exit plan which consisted of renting out her house, selling her car, rehoming her furniture and downsizing to 12 suitcases.
In March 2016, Davia Shannon packed up her belongings and left her lifelong home in Los Angeles to move 3,500 miles away with her twin daughters.
The adjustment wasn’t simple. Shannon, who comes from a large family, was hoping to recreate the same communal atmosphere in Puerto Viejo, with people who understood her struggles and came from a similar lifestyle, but admits that settling in was challenging. “I couldn’t find anybody that looked like me and when I did, I felt like I couldn’t really connect with them,” she says.
Even the Caribbean women proved difficult to get close to, and Shannon says they rarely showed her kindness. “I was even having a really difficult time getting information and doing the basic things, like figuring out where to pay my light bill,” she says. Most of the Caribbean people in the area speak English and Shannon is fluent in Spanish, so a cultural barrier played a greater role than language.
Learning from her struggles, Shannon decided to open a relocation business, Life-A-Holic Costa Rica, to assist other Black American expats moving to the country. Since launching in 2017, the business has assisted 176 Black and brown people with their desire to relocate to the south Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. The relocation company also offers membership into a support group, referred to as the Tribe. Shannon describes the group as a ready-made family that helps expats comfortably transition to life in Puerto Viejo. A directory, numerous resources and social events like Soul Food Sundays, karaoke nights, family dinners and birthday celebrations, are just a few offerings provided in the Tribe.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/sep/09/black-americans-expats-costa-rica
An excerpt from Black Enterprise -
BLACK SANTAS WITH A ‘CAUSE’: BLACK WOMAN SELLS HBCU-THEMED BLACK SANTA FIGURINES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
by Alexa Imani Spencer
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| (HBCU Black Santas by Debra L. Mars/Etsy, Restore The Hope) |
After years of collecting Black Santas, this enthusiast has partnered with HBCUs to sell figurines themed after Black colleges and universities.
The figurines—designed by Debra L. Mars—feature sweaters, flags, bags, and ornaments repping Howard University, Morehouse College, Grambling University and FAMU, Good Black News reported.
The Inglewood, Calif. resident began stocking up on Black Santas more than 35 years ago.
~~~~~
For her, it’s an honor to represent HBCUs in this way. Though she didn’t attend one, while researching and finding out many great influential people, like Thurgood Marshall and Samuel L. Jackson attended, she was “so proud and a little remorseful that I did not attend a HBCU.”
“This dream was planted in me over 25 years ago to create this line. This has been a master class on perseverance. Having the opportunity to represent our sacred jewels: The HBCUs is an honor that I do not take lightly.”
Through her esty.com store, Restore The Hope, Mars also offers Black nutcrackers, Santa-themed bracelets and more holiday goodies.
An excerpt from the Washinton Post -
Bidets are big, but do you really need one? Health experts weigh in.
Fans of the toilet attachment can’t imagine life without it, and doctors agree it’s good hygiene, but there are pros and cons to consider
By Angela Haupt
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| (stock) |
Carrie Verrocchio has a theory: Once you go bidet, you never go back. She’s so smitten with the toilet attachment that sprays water to clean your bum that her family had one installed in each of their four bathrooms — and they’re shopping for a travel bidet, a water-bottle-sized contraption to use when they’re on the road.
Where to start on the appeal? “It’s feeling clean all the time,” says Verrocchio, 55, a motivational speaker who lives in Binghamton, N.Y. “You know how when you go to the bathroom, you have to wipe a zillion times with dry paper? You don’t do that with the bidet. It literally just rinses it off, puts it in the toilet and you pat dry. I wish we’d done it years ago.”
Nikki Webster, 47, a writer from the United Kingdom who now lives in Florida, similarly considers her bidets essential. “When you wipe, you’re basically wiping what can be reached,” she says. “When you spray, you get into every nook and cranny, which leaves you way cleaner.”
Indeed, health experts generally agree that bidets elevate the bathroom hygiene experience, at least when used properly. What’s less clear is whether they serve any medical purpose beyond that: While there’s some indication that they could, for example, be helpful for those with hemorrhoids or mobility issues, research isn’t conclusive, and there are concerns that bacteria could fester on the device; plus, users could be scalded if the water gets too hot.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2021/11/30/bidet-hygiene-pros-cons/
~~~~~~~~~~
This is Faye -
An alternative to the bidet described in this article is the bidet sprayer that can be found on Amazon. I was introduced to this when I lived in the Middle East and was thrilled when I could find it here. I ordered it, installed it myself, and have been enjoying the freshness it provides with every visit to the toilet.
You're welcome.
Bidet Sprayer for Toilet, Handheld Cloth Diaper Sprayer, Bathroom Jet Sprayer Kit Spray Attachment with Hose, Stainless Steel Easy Install Great Water Pressure for Bathing Pets, Feminine Hygiene
https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DR83GQB/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
An excerpt from the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger -
Deion Sanders says Lincoln Riley 'better call Snoop' Dogg for recruiting help at USC
By Khari Thompson
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| AP USC SNOOP DOGG S FBC USA A ENT USA CA |
Sanders said recruiting in California versus Oklahoma is a whole different ballgame as well. Sanders suggested that Riley call rapper Snoop Dogg to help him navigate the recruiting landscape.
"California kids are a little different than these kids in other parts of the country, my man. I'm telling you what I know, not what I heard," Sanders said. "I'll tell you what, you better get some recruiters called Snoop Dogg and some other guys that's into the youth football that know dogs, and got dogs, and that's bringing dogs because it's a little different out there, my man."
Sanders also said he feels that recruiters don't get enough credit compared to head coaches for bringing in major recruits.
"This is what the reality is," Sanders said. "You've got certain guys who are up for certain positions all the time. Ain't nothing wrong with that, because I think they deserve it. I think they're a heck of a coach, coaches. They're more than worthy, they're really smart, savvy, they coach their butts off.
"But guess who is doing all the recruiting? The brothers. Isn't 70-75%, might be 70% of college athletes African-American? Who do you think they are sending into those homes?"
Please indulge me for a minute with this very proud momma moment. My oldest son Ben, a civil engineer, is featured on this podcast, "The Big Switch: Heavy Duty Truck." He begins at 7:12.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/heavy-duty-trucks/id1571177675?i=1000543648091
An excerpt from People -
Lawyer Recalls Winning His First Case in Same State Courts Where He Was Wrongfully Convicted
PEOPLE’s Voices from the Fight Against Racism will amplify perspectives on the push for equality and justice
By People Staff
When he was just 17 years old, Jarrett Adams' college plans — and his whole life — were blown apart when he was wrongly convicted of rape by an all-white jury and sentenced to 28 years in jail. In 2007, after nearly a decade in prison, Adams was exonerated. He went on to become a defense attorney, working with the Innocence Project, the same nonprofit that helped secure his freedom. Adams details his life before, during and after this nightmarish — and all too common — experience in his new memoir, Redeeming Justice. "I needed to hurt in order to give people this story, so we can prevent other people from being in pain," Adams says of the triggering writing process. Here, the founder of Life After Justice, a nonprofit that supports and empowers exonerees, remembers winning his first case in the same state courts that had sent him to prison years before, despite his innocence.
During my own trial, it was so painful to sit there and be accused of a crime — a heinous crime against a woman — after being raised by all women. My mother was in tatters. I kept asking her, "Mom, you know who you raised. Why are you so nervous? Why are you so afraid?" She looked at me and she said, "When I see you, I see Emmett Till. You don't know what it's like. You don't know that being innocent ain't a savior when you Black."
When I appeared before the same state court 10 years after my release, I was working as a defense attorney with the Innocence Project. My client was also wrongfully convicted. During the hearing, I often relived certain moments in my own case, how vulnerable we were, how much we didn't know. It felt amazing to not only know the law, but to be able to calm my client and his family's anxiety by simply saying, "I understand." Because I do.
An excerpt from Black Enterprise -
Black Woman Entrepreneur Launches Shoe Company That Caters to Sororities and Fraternities In The Divine 9
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| b.c.e Shoes (Blacknews.com) |
Meet Kam Ballard, founder of b.c.e Shoes, an online company that customizes shoes for the sororities and fraternities in the Divine 9.
Ballard says that she started the company to offset college costs for her children.
“I started this company as a way to pay for my children’s college education. I wanted to break the cycle of graduating from college with a mountain of student loan debt. It has evolved into something bigger than I ever could have imagined,” Ballard said.
She is a member of and a certified vendor for Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and is also an approved vendor for the following organizations within the Divine 9: Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc., Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc., Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and Iota Phi Theta Fraternity, Inc.
b.c.e.’s products include a variety of shoes that can be worn in the board room or the ballroom. She has recently added an athletic shoe line.
Ballard’s goal is to provide stylish, comfortable, and affordable shoes. “I want to make shoes that cater to the seasoned professional, but also, keep them affordable where a Neo on the college campus is able to obtain them without breaking the bank.”
An excerpt from Black Information Network -
Jerry Lawson: The Black Engineer Who Revolutionized The Video Game Industry
By Zuri Anderson
 Gerald "Jerry" Lawson - Photo: Jerry Lawson Estate |
The new generation of video game consoles is here, and we have one man to thank for making it possible: Jerry Lawson.
Gerald "Jerry" Lawson is a self-taught electrical engineer who took the gaming world by storm in the 1970s. Back then, the industry was a fledgling compared to the multi-billion dollar beast it is today.
Born on December 1, 1940, in New York City, the Brooklyn native was inspired by the work of scientist George Washington Carver. Dabbling with electronics, he eventually became one of the few engineers working in Silicon Valley at the time.
Lawson worked for a company called Fairchild Camera and Instrument when he pioneered a historic invention: the Fairchild Channel F. If you're wondering what the "F" means, it stands for fun! "Channel Fun," to be more specific.
What made the 1976 console special was that it was the first video game console to utilize cartridges, paving the way for consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), the Playstation, Xbox, and other popular consoles.
Unfortunately, Lawson never got much credit for his work over the years. He passed away in 2011 at age 70.
It wasn't until the recent decade that more people started becoming more acquainted with his influential work -- a legacy his two children are working to continue.
Anderson and Karen Lawson remembered their father as a "gentle giant" who tinkered with many electronics.
From USA Today -
The Temptations team with Smokey Robinson for the first time in decades with new single
By Brian McCollum
An excerpt from Rolling Stone -
After 50 Years, a Gospel-Soul Legend (Finally) Gets His Due
Five decades after T.L. Barrett released highly regarded but largely unknown funk and soul gems, a new, career-spanning box set helps spread the Chicago pastor’s message to the masses
By DANIEL KREPS
“About five years ago, they told me that Kanye West was sampling — I had never heard the term — my music. And I said, ‘Well, I hope he likes it.’ I thought they meant he was listening to it,” Pastor T.L. Barrett tells Rolling Stone. “But my record company said, ‘No, it’s on his album. They want to use two of your songs.’ And it just took off like a rocket.”
A famed Chicago preacher, civil rights activist, community organizer, power broker and — among a small congregation of music fans — a significant yet largely unknown gospel artist, Barrett pinpoints the exact moment where his name began gusting out of the Windy City: When West sampled his 1976 song “Father I Stretch My Hands” for the 2016 The Life of Pablo standout “Father Stretch My Hands.”
Fifty years after Barrett first recorded his debut LP — and nearly four decades since he created any new music — his devotional catalog has proliferated its listenership in unlikely ways outside of his weekly church service: The end credits of a movie here, the theme song for the NCAA basketball tournament there, a commercial, a sample, an interpolation, a Leon Bridges cover… little by little, music fans have come to discover the talent that Chicagoans have long cherished as their own.
“He’s not an obscure figure in Chicago. He’s got a street named after him now,” says Rob Sevier, whose archival record label Numero Group will release the first in-depth exploration of Barrett’s musical career, I Shall Wear a Crown, on Friday. For over 50 years, Barrett has preached within a two-block radius in Chicago. With the new collection, the pastor aims to spread his musical message to the masses.
https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/pastor-tl-barrett-numero-group-box-set-1229569/
An excerpt from Black Enterprise -
NAILAH ELLIS-BROWN RUNS ONE OF THE BIGGEST BLACK-OWNED BEVERAGE COMPANIES IN THE COUNTRY
by Jeroslyn Johnson
 | |
| Nailah Ellis-Brown (screenshot) |
Nearly 10 years after dropping out of college to launch her beverage company, Nailah Ellis-Brown is making history by running one of the largest Black-owned beverage company.
Years after launching Ellis Island Tea from her parent’s basement and landing the homemade product in Whole Foods locations across the mid-West, Ellis-Brown credits her hometown of Detroit with her company’s success.
“Growing up in Detroit, I knew nothing was going to be handed to me. I expected doors to be closed and knew I would need to work hard and never take ‘no’ for an answer,” she said. “I’ve heard ‘no,’ but I haven’t let that stand in my way. There is always a way forward,” she said previously.
Through partnership deals with major retailers and after winning Centric TV’s reality competition show Queen Boss, Ellis-Brown’s Jamaican-inspired line of naturally sweetened hibiscus tea beverages has caught the attention of Beyoncé, Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, and even received investment from Kevin Hart.
The recipe behind Ellis Island Tea comes from her great-grandfather, who immigrated to America from Jamaica by way of Ellis Island. The family’s last name and the history of their journey to America add to the special meaning behind the company’s name.
An excerpt from Black Enterprise -
MARRIED COUPLE, FOUNDERS OF BLACK HOME SHOPPING CHANNEL TO PRODUCE NEW CHANNEL ON AMAZON, ROKU AND APPLE TV
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors
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| Chris Roberta Holmes Black HSN (Blacknews) |
Chris and Roberta Holmes, the founders of The Black Home Shopping Channel streaming on Exposure Network TV, have announced that they are producing a new channel on the network. The Streaming Home Marketplace expands the power of 24/7 stream shopping at affordable rates.
The kickoff for the channel is an international vendor event that provides a platform for entrepreneurs to create infomercials to showcase their products or services worldwide. Content is accessible on Roku, Amazon Fire Stick, Android TV, Apple TV along with iOS & Android mobile devices the network’s app is currently reaching over 160 million homes in 128 countries.
During the pandemic, Exposure Network TV managed to gain over 800,000 app downloads. The meteoric growth of Exposure Network TV caught the attention of media executives and over the summer Exposure TV Network President, Tam Lawrence was awarded a $2.5 million dollar content merger with HBO.
An excerpt from Skysports -
Lewis Hamilton's charity aiming to boost number of black STEM teachers in England
Lewis Hamilton's charity, Mission 44, has partnered with Teach First to help recruit 150 black science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers in England; Hamilton keen to help improve diversity in the profession
By PA Media
 |
| Lewis Hamilton hopes to create a framework the wider education industry can implement |
Lewis Hamilton's charity is launching a partnership aimed at increasing the pool of black science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) teachers in England.
Mission 44, launched by the seven-time Formula 1 world champion earlier this year, has partnered with Teach First to work on research, mentoring and marketing campaigns designed to help recruit 150 black STEM teachers to work in disadvantaged communities across the country.
The hope is that the framework the partnership creates can then be adopted by other educational bodies to further improve diversity in the profession.
The project, which is launched on UNESCO's World Teachers Day and during Black History Month, follows findings from The Hamilton Commission that highlighted the lack of black STEM teachers as a barrier to students engaging with these subjects.
Mercedes driver Hamilton is keen to help improve diversity in STEM after noting it had been a "lonely path" as a black individual in the F1 industry.
Speaking about the new partnership, Hamilton said: "We know representation and role models are important across all aspects of society, but especially when it comes to supporting young people's development.
Long goodbyes.
— The Dad Briefs™ (@SladeWentworth) August 31, 2018
Warm embraces.
Sweet chit chat.
Lingering gazes.
Multiple I love you's.
These life moments are NOT for the school drop off line.
Let's move it, people.
An excerpt from CNN -
This library lets you borrow people instead of books. It just may help bridge our bitter divisions
By John Blake, CNN
 |
| Two women -- one Muslim, one not -- talk at a Human Library event in London in 2018. |
(CNN)On a rainy spring morning in Muncie, Indiana, a White, middle-aged, conservative woman met a transgender woman for a date.
It did not start well. The transgender woman was waiting at a table when the other woman showed up. She stood up and extended her hand. The other woman refused to take it.
"I want you to know I'm a conservative Christian," she said, still standing.
"I'm a liberal Christian," the transgender woman replied. "Let's talk."
Their rendezvous was supposed to last about 30 minutes. But the conversation was so engrossing for both that it lasted an hour. It ended with the conservative woman rising from her seat to give the other woman a hug.
"Thank you," she said. "This has been wonderful."
This improbable meeting came courtesy of the Human Library, a nonprofit learning platform that allows people to borrow people instead of books. But not just any people. Every "human book" from this library represents a group that faces prejudice or stigmas because of their lifestyle, ethnicity, beliefs, or disability. A human book can be an alcoholic, for example, or a Muslim, or a homeless person, or someone who was sexually abused.
The Human Library stages in-person and online events where "difficult questions are expected, appreciated, and answered." Organizers says they're trying to encourage people to "unjudge" a book by its cover.
This setup leads to some of the most unlikely pairings anyone will ever see.
A feminist meets with a Muslim woman in a hijab and asks if she wears it by choice or compulsion.
A climate change activist meets with someone who thinks global warming is a hoax.
A Black antiracist activist meets with a supporter of former President Trump.
Or, in the case of Charlize Jamieson, a transgender woman meets a conservative Christian woman who thinks she is living in sin.
https://www.cnn.com/2021/11/14/health/human-library-blake-cec/index.html
An excerpt from WTAE -
Pumpkin pie no longer America's favorite Thanksgiving pie, study says
By Anne Newman
Pumpkin pie is no longer America's favorite Thanksgiving pie.
Google Trends data reveals that key lime pie is the most popular type of pie in the U.S. with it being the most Googled pie in eight different states.
The study conducted by photographic and printing experts Printique discovered the most favored flavors of pies in each state across America with key lime pie taking the top spot.
Key lime pie has 106,000 average monthly Google searches in the U.S.
The second-most-popular type of pie, being Googled the most in a total of eight states is pumpkin pie.
Lemon meringue pie was the third-most-popular type of pie with seven states Googling it.
The least popular types of pies were salted caramel, gooseberry, blueberry, and peach, all being the most popular in only one state each.
https://www.wtae.com/article/pumpkin-pie-no-longer-americas-favorite-thanksgiving-pie/38353978#
An excerpt from Yahoo Sports -
Schools reap benefits of hiring Coach Prime, Eddie George
By TERESA M. WALKER
 |
| Deon Sanders |
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Deion Sanders has been all over national TV, putting Jackson State in the spotlight every time his insurance commercials air.
Hiring Eddie George has had a similar effect at Tennessee State.
Thanks to their high-profile coaches, Jackson State and Tennessee State are reaping benefits from bigger crowds and more interest from top recruits to companies wanting to tap into all the hype, making deals with both universities and players under the new name, image, and likeness rules.
Just as university officials hoped.
“It’s just reestablishing our football brand that was so dominant for many decades and just restoring that,” Tennessee State athletic director Mikki Allen said of George. “He’s been everything that I could ask for in a head coach.”
Allen said Tennessee State’s enrollment already is up, and four-and five-star recruits are looking closely at George and the Tigers. Tennessee State hosted 317 recruits one weekend.
Tennessee State has had corporate interest from companies including The General, Best Buy, and bottling sponsor Coca-Cola. A six-figure gift from trucking company Western Express started a new weight room project for the indoor complex.
The Tigers also have partnered with OpenDorse to help athletes who’ve signed deals with restaurants, vendors, barbershops, and cell phones on handling name, image, and likeness issues. Allen said brands wanting to tap into George’s star power is transferring to his players.
“There’s a lot of brands who want to be connected, obviously, to our head coach,” Allen said. "But then I think a lot of that star power that he has transferred over to our student-athletes in the sport of football.”
https://sports.yahoo.com/schools-reap-benefits-hiring-coach-070523704.html
An excerpt from Your Tango -
Alcohol Detection Systems Will Now Be Mandatory In All New Cars To Prevent Drunk Driving
By Isaac Serna-Diez
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration did a study in 2019 that shows 28 people die every day in drunk driving crashes — that's one person every 52 minutes.
Although that’s actually the lowest percentage since 1982 when NHTSA started tracking data, it’s still a lot more than is necessary when these deaths could all be prevented.
Thankfully, new legislation seeks to minimize drunk driving and its effects by mandating systems that will detect blood alcohol levels in all new cars.
Are alcohol detection systems required in cars in the US?
The 2021 U.S. Infrastructure Bill included a law that requires alcohol detection systems in all new cars.
Biden’s new $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill included a mandate that requires all car manufacturers to include alcohol detection systems in the making of all new vehicles after 2026.
https://www.yourtango.com/news/are-alcohol-detection-systems-required-cars-us
An excerpt from Black Enterprise -
TWO BLACK FRATERNITY BROTHERS BECOME FIRST BLACK MENSWEAR HAT BRAND IN NORDSTROM
by Jeroslyn Johnson
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| (Courtesy, WEAR BRIMS) |
Meet the two Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. members who made history at Nordstrom with their Black-owned luxury hat collection.
Co-founders Tajh Crutch and Archie Clay III broke into the fashion industry in 2016 with their high-end hat line WEAR BRIMS. Modeled around three basic principles: family, faith, and confidence, the Troy University and Tuskegee University alums came together to break generational curses and secure their family’s future.
“When I reached out to Tajh, I knew he would be the creative genius to help bring this to life. So from there we started the journey and building the #1 hat company in the world but minority-owned was the goal because they aren’t any major big box hat companies that are minority-owned.”
The fashion entrepreneurs first met in the spring of 2011 during a new members cluster for Alpha Phi Alpha. Their bond as fraternity brothers carried over into their ambitions as fashion designers and helped them make history at a major retailer.
In addition to becoming the first Black-owned luxury hat brand to be sold in Nordstrom stores within the United States and online, WEAR BRIMS has also secured a partnership with Neiman Marcus. The genuine support the brand has received from the likes of Lance Gross, Keri Hilson, Eva Marcille, Chris Paul and Cedric the Entertainer helped get visibility in several Nordstrom stores as well as a spot in Beyonce’s Directory of Black-owned Businesses.
This powerful article frames this debate in terms everyone can understand, and most people will appreciate. It is so worth the read. You'll need to subscribe or signup for a 7-day free trial. - Faye
~~~~~
An excerpt from PUCK NEWS -
My Mother, America: Or Critical Race Theory in 2021
White backlashes against racial progress are as American as genetically-modified apple pie. But critical race theory has unleashed a new torrent of grievances. I can’t solve everyone’s problems, but I think I can suggest a more useful way to frame the debate.
By BARATUNDE THURSTON
Iam not a parent, but I have been a child, and I have friends who are parents, and I know for sure that no parent really knows what they are doing, and that the job is hard. Covid made the job harder, and I have so much empathy for the added stress that parents are facing in this moment. But there’s something disturbing happening with parenting in this country. Many white parents are losing their ever-loving minds over “Critical Race Theory,” something that many of them cannot define.
I’ll share a partial definition from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, which I find to be a credible source on the matter. C.R.T. is “an academic and legal framework that denotes that systemic racism is part of American society,” and critically (see what I did there?), that racism isn’t merely a matter of individual actions and biases but something deliberately embedded in our legal, economic, and social systems. Many of the disparate outcomes we see in health, wealth, and justice are the result of that system’s design, the one that made it hard for Black people to build wealth through homeownership by, for example, systematically denying home loans to us for generations—a fact so egregious that the Fair Housing Act had to be created to correct it, in 1968, and one that remains still unresolved.
C.R.T. is academic jargon. It’s not used in everyday conversations by anyone I know involved in bending the arc of this nation toward liberty and justice for all. It’s certainly not taught in K-12 schools. But it’s become a catch-all phrase that serves as . . .
https://puck.news/my-mother-america-or-critical-race-theory-in-2021/
An excerpt from the NY Times -
NASA Astronaut to Be First Black Woman to Join Space Station Crew
Jessica Watkins, who joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 2017, is scheduled to fly to the orbital outpost in a SpaceX capsule in April.
By Joey Roulette
 |
| Jessica Watkins, left, during a ceremony at the Johnson Space Center in Houston in 2020 to announce the astronauts assigned to NASA’s Artemis program. Credit...Mark Felix/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images |
Two decades after the International Space Station became humanity’s long-lasting home in orbit, Jessica Watkins, a NASA astronaut, is poised to become the first Black woman to join its crew for a long-term mission.
NASA announced on Tuesday that Dr. Watkins, a geologist raised in Lafayette, Colo., would serve as a mission specialist on SpaceX’s next astronaut flight, known as Crew-4, to the space station. She will join two other NASA astronauts and an Italian astronaut for a six-month mission aboard the orbital lab that is scheduled to start in April.
In an interview, Dr. Watkins said she hoped going to the space station would set an example for children of color, and “particularly young girls of color, to be able to see an example of ways that they can participate and succeed.”
She added, “For me, that’s been really important, and so if I can contribute to that in some way, that’s definitely worth it.”
Only seven of the 249 people who have boarded the space station since its creation in 2000 were Black. Victor Glover, a Navy commander and test pilot who joined NASA’s astronaut corps in 2013, became the first Black crew member in a regular long-duration mission at the station; his mission started last year. The six Black astronauts who had visited the space station before Mr. Glover were part of space shuttle crews that stayed for roughly 12 days.
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/16/science/jessica-watkins-nasa-spacex.html
https://nypost.com/2021/11/17/im-a-hospice-nurse-and-this-is-what-most-people-say-before-they-die/
An excerpt from the NY Times -
Underdog No More, a Deaf Football Team Takes California by Storm
The California School for the Deaf, Riverside, is steamrolling its opponents, electrifying a campus that has seen more than a few athletic defeats.
By Thomas Fuller
 |
| On Friday night, the Cubs beat the Desert Christian Knights, 84-12. Credit...Adam Perez for The New York Times |
RIVERSIDE, Calif. — The athletic program at the California School for the Deaf, Riverside, has suffered its share of humiliations and harassment over the years. There was the time that a visiting team’s volleyball coach mocked the deaf players. And another time a hearing coach for the girls’ basketball team listened as opponents discussed how embarrassing it would be to lose to a deaf team.
It did not help morale that the varsity football team, the Cubs, recently suffered seven straight losing seasons, leaving the school with the sinking feeling that opposing football teams came to the Riverside campus expecting an easy win.
No one is disparaging the Cubs anymore. This season, they are undefeated — the highest-ranked team in their Southern California division. Through 11 games, they have not so much beaten their opponents as flattened them.
On Friday night, the second round of the playoffs, the Cubs trounced the Desert Christian Knights, 84-12, a score that would have been even more lopsided had the Cubs not shown mercy by putting their second-string players in for the entire second half.
Led by the school’s physical education teacher, Keith Adams, a burly and effervescent deaf man whose two deaf sons are also on the team, the Cubs are a fast and hard-hitting squad. Wing-footed wide receivers fly past defenses, averaging 17 yards per catch. The quarterback doubles as the team’s leading rusher, with 22 touchdowns on the season. A system of coded hand signals among tight-knit teammates and coaches confounds opponents with its speed and efficiency.
With Friday’s win, the Cubs are two games away from capturing the division championship for the first time in the school’s 68-year history. But coaches and players say they already feel like winners.
From The Black Detour -
Mom & Daughter Launch Black-Themed Backpacks, Handbags to Show Everyone Black Is Beautiful
By The Black Detour Team
Chrishonda Benson wanted to show her daughter and the world that brown skin is beautiful. Therefore, she decided to create Pretty Dope Society, an extensive collection of products that incorporates the illustrations of Black artists according to Black News. In October 2020, the company set out to breathe life into Black art has since sold thousands of products that hope to fill the representation gap. They offer diaper bags, travel bags, blankets, drinkware, and more.
An excerpt from Upworthy -
NBA star Chris Paul is bringing plant-based foods to Historically Black Colleges and Universities
By Rebekah Sager
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An excerpt from AfroTech -
These Are The 14 Richest Black Athletes In The World, Based On Their Net Worth
Bernadette Giacomazzo
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| Photo Credit: CJ Rivera / George Pimentel / Bennett Raglin |
When you think of the world’s richest Black athletes, you may automatically think of basketball players. But there are Black athletes of all stripes all over the world — and some of them play sports that barely make waves on American shores.
One of the richest Black athletes in the world, for example, is a French soccer player by the name of Paul Pogba. He’s a midfielder for Manchester United, one of the most popular soccer teams in the world, and he previously played for Juventus. But while Pogba is a current athlete, there are some Black athletes who made this list that no longer play the game.
For example, Michael Jordan — the GOAT of the NBA — is better known for his sneakers than his hoop game today, while Shaq is known as the cantankerous commentator on “NBA on TNT.” LeBron James — who is on the road to a billion — has reached a point where he doesn’t have to play basketball anymore, but it’s clear that he still wants to.
And then there are some players whose true underdog stories are nothing short of an inspiration. You won’t believe how Vinnie Johnson flipped a meager NBA salary into the world’s largest supplier of auto parts, or how Junior Bridgeman went from earning a paltry few hundred thousand into tying with the Magic Johnson to become the world’s third-richest Black athlete.
Let’s take a look at the richest Black athletes in the world, based on their net worth.
https://afrotech.com/richest-black-athletes-net-worth?item=1
An excerpt from Travel Noire -
The Jenesis House: Arizona's First Black Woman-Owned Resort
Black Owned Business , Phoenix , United States , Prescott , United States
By Ayah A.
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| Photo courtesy of The Jenesis House |
An excerpt from Essence -
This HBCU Alum Turned a College Fair Into An Organization That Generated $52M in Scholarships-Here's How
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| CREDIT: SHENAY RIVERS |
“With grades like these, you won’t even get into community college.”
When Andres Martin recalls his final days of high school, they aren’t with much fondness. His guidance counselor told him his options were limited leading up to graduation. Fortunately, through the support of his family, he pivoted and looked into schools with programs that aimed to not only provide a traditional curriculum but also offer college success skills for incoming freshmen.
The Connecticut-native didn’t have much insight into Historically Black Colleges and Universities as a teen.
“I remember my mother and my aunt trying to encourage me to keep my head up and be positive,” he said. “This led to me to move in with my aunt in Dallas and attend an HBCU tour to view schools like Texas Southern, Prairie View A&M, & Grambling State. I ended up learning about a lot of strong legacies and impactful leaders who graduated from HBCUs and envisioned myself being on one of these campuses.”
Shortly after the tour, Martin applied and was accepted into Grambling State University, which ultimately changed the now 31-year-old’s life. Also a graduate of Howard University, Martin said he often volunteered on-campus as a way to reach back and expose aspiring college students to the value of the HBCU experience they would have otherwise had no idea about. In fact, despite some preconceived notions, these institutions have been making an impact in the lives of their students that extend beyond the classroom.
UNCF reports a “whopping 25% of African American graduates with STEM degrees come from HBCUs. Eight HBCUs were among the top 20 institutions to award the most science and engineering bachelor’s degrees to black graduates from 2008-2012. An HBCU graduate can expect to earn an additional $927,000 in their lifetime, which is 56% more than they could expect to earn without their HBCU degrees or certificates. From start to finish, an HBCU education is a setup for success.”
Martin wanted to give back to HBCUs and encourage enrollment, so he created HBCU Night in 2019, a non-profit organization that creates awareness for Historically Black Colleges & Universities through large-scale events like college and resource fairs. These programs, Martin says, are critical to addressing access gaps Black students have when applying for college.
Seventy-two percent of Black students take on debt as they seek their degrees, as opposed to 56% of their white peers. And while college enrollment in this group has increased significantly over the years, African American enrollment at the nation’s most elite colleges has remained mostly the same.
Martin has been making significant strides to change that. To date, HBCU Night has facilitated 1,611 scholarship offers amounting to more than $52 million. He recently sat down with Essence to discuss the incredible impact of HBCUs and why his organization is transforming the college fair experience.
https://www.essence.com/news/money-career/hbcu-night-andres-martin/
