FollowingFaye

Saturday, December 18, 2021

Adding Color to the Nashville Stage

An excerpt from Buzzfeed News -

Jason Isbell Is Tired Of Country’s Love Affair With White Nostalgia

“I think it’s possible to acknowledge that you have benefited from a system that’s unequal without feeling shame or even guilt from it.”

By Elamin Abdelmahmoud


	Jason Isbell during soundcheck at the Ryman Auditorium, Oct. 19, 2021

Diana King for Buzzfeed News

When you’re standing in front of the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, you might feel under siege. It sits a few feet away from Nashville’s rowdy Broadway strip, which means you have to wade through an army of bros and bachelorettes — folks who descend upon the city for a good time, if your idea of a good time is throngs of partyers in matching outfits, open-top buses aggressively blasting music, and more country cover bands per square inch than you can possibly count.

In sharp contrast to the loud nostalgia cosplay that surrounds it, the 2,300-seat auditorium, with its imposing Victorian Gothic architecture and distinctive stained glass windows, projects dignity and history. It’s one of music’s holiest sites, a storied hall that has been dubbed the Mother Church of Country Music. Everyone from Bruce Springsteen to Willie Nelson has a reverence for it. Word is Harry Styles once planned a whole tour just so he could perform here.

In mid-October, I arrived for the second show of Jason Isbell’s eight-night residency at the auditorium. The occasion is a perfect marriage of artist and venue: Isbell is one of America’s most potent songwriters, and the Ryman is a cathedral of song. For Americana fans, the singer-songwriter’s annual residency here has become a coveted pilgrimage. It’s for good reason that Isbell has come to be associated with the Ryman: In 2015, he played four consecutive nights backed by his band, the 400 Unit. He expanded this to six in 2017. In 2018, he did another six and released a live album called Live From the Ryman. In 2019, Isbell and his band performed at the venue for seven shows. This year, they’re doing eight. Every single one of these runs has sold out.

But if the Ryman has become a kind of home for Isbell, this year’s residency carried a different energy. It was historic. For seven of the eight evenings, he had a different Black woman opening for him. In an industry and genre that is consistently failing white women and is downright hostile to Black women, the choice to feature these openers is a small revolution.

The openers vary in age, fame, and career stages. Between them, they cover a variety of genres under the roots music umbrella, ranging from country to soul, blues to folk, Americana to rock ‘n’ roll. For many of them, it was their first time playing the Ryman at all.

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/elaminabdelmahmoud/jason-isbell-ryman-country-music-mickey-guyton

History in the Making at Jackson State

An excerpt from Yahoo Sports -

Jackson State legends beam over Travis Hunter's trailblazing choice, a decision they never had in segregated South

By Dan Wetzel·Columnist

Had college football recruiting services been around in 1963, scouts would have flocked to 33rd Avenue High School in Gulfport, Mississippi, to watch a gifted, mobile, do-it-all quarterback named Lem Barney.

At 6-foot and with game-breaking speed, Barney would have been a five-star recruit long before his Hall of Fame career as a defensive back/return man (and even punter) for the Detroit Lions.

He may have even been rated as high as current 18-year-old Travis Hunter, who hails from Suwanee, Georgia, but like Barney six decades prior, can play all over the field – defensive back, cornerback, kick returner. Hunter is considered the No. 1 recruit nationally in the Class of 2022.

Of course, there were no scouting services back in Barney’s day. There was hardly any attention paid to him at all. Gulfport’s schools were still segregated almost a decade after the Supreme Court ruled such a thing illegal. Such was the racist foot-dragging in Mississippi.

Barney and so many young African American men like him were largely ignored; including by the major universities of the South, which still fielded all-white teams. Alabama head coach Bear Bryant or Ole Miss coach John Vaught didn’t consider a kid from 33rd Avenue High, no matter how good he was.

So Barney went off to Jackson State, a Historically Black University located about 160 miles north of his home, where he joined a Southwest Athletic Conference (SWAC) that was so brimming with talent, he had to switch to defense to find playing time.

Even now at 76 years old, there are no regrets. Jackson State football, SWAC football, HBCU football, he says, forged him to the point where he was a Week 1 starter in the NFL.

“I was so nervous,” he said years later.

Not so nervous that it prevented him, on the first drive of that first game, from intercepting Green Bay legend Bart Starr and returning it for a touchdown. It turns out, he hadn’t missed a thing by not going to those big-name schools, he says.

Still, when word broke Wednesday that Hunter, a generations-later, Lem Barney play-a-like, had stunned the football world by signing with Jackson State despite being coveted by the powerhouses that once refused to even consider someone like him, there was no minimizing the significance.

https://sports.yahoo.com/2-jackson-state-legends-beam-over-travis-hunters-trailblazing-choice-this-is-just-unbelievable-211320191.html?guccounter=1

Supply Chain Chaos Explained

An excerpt from the Mercury News -

Q&A: What got us into this supply chain mess? When will it end? Stanford professor has answers

Kostas Bimpikis explains what it will take to end our supply chain nightmare

By LISA M. KRIEGER

Confronted by a pandemic, we suddenly couldn’t find what we needed: Hospitals ran short of N95s and ventilators, auto manufacturers didn’t have crucial components and store shelves suddenly emptied of everything from sneakers to sofas.

Kostas Bimpikis, an associate professor of operations, information and technology at Stanford Graduate School of Business, talked with this news organization about how to keep our supply chains reliable – even when the world is upended. His remarks have been edited for length and clarity.

Q: What did COVID-19 reveal about our supply chain?

A: It revealed two things. The first is how interconnected supply chains are. A disruption in Italy, Taiwan or Korea may be felt all over the world. The second thing it revealed was how fragile the supply chain is. Any deviation from normal operations creates a huge shock all over the world.

Q: What got us into this mess?

A: One trend is so-called “just in time” manufacturing. Typically, firms produce only as much inventory as they need to satisfy short-term sales. It keeps costs low. They do not necessarily hold excess inventory.

The second reason is the specialization of product lines. For example, cars are being manufactured that consist of thousands of components. Disruption in a supplier for a specific component – such as a small screw somewhere in the car — may hold up production of the entire car.

And the third thing is outsourcing and globalization of manufacturing. So a disruption in Taiwan, for example, affects our domestic supply chain, as well.

Q: What’s driving these trends?

A: Typically, companies take the view of minimizing costs, maximizing speed, maximizing efficiency and maximizing choice for consumers.

Costs are minimized by having very low “safety stocks,” because carrying excess inventory is very costly. Maximizing speed and efficiency means lean operations and “just in time” manufacturing. Maximizing choice for customers points to the specialization of the line. You can buy Nike sneakers in a zillion colors.

These have big advantages, but they do have disadvantages.

At the beginning of the pandemic, the shortages were mainly driven by a surge in demand for products. Now, more of the problems originate from problems with the supply chain.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/12/17/qa-what-got-us-into-this-supply-chain-mess-when-will-it-end-stanford-professor-has-answers/

Google's Treatment of Black Women Under Investigation

Excerpts from NBC News -

California investigates Google’s treatment of Black women workers

A state agency has already interviewed several Black women who have worked at Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company.

By Reuters

California’s civil rights regulator is investigating Google’s treatment of Black female workers following alleged incidents of harassment and discrimination, according to two people familiar with the matter and emails from the agency seen by Reuters.

Attorneys and analysts at the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) have repeatedly interviewed several Black women who have worked at Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company, about their experiences there, according to the documents and the sources. The sources spoke on the condition of anonymity to avoid jeopardizing the work.

Questions have centered on alleged harassment and discrimination in the workplace, according to the emails. Conversations have taken place as recently as last month, one of the sources said.

The DFEH declined to comment.

Google said it is focused on “building sustainable equity” for its Black workers and that 2020 was its largest year for hiring what it calls “Black+” workers, a designation inclusive of people belonging to multiple races.

~~~~~

For years Black men in the tech industry have said they have faced disparaging comments and discouraging experiences, such as being shut out of offices because security guards and colleagues questioned whether they actually worked there.

As more Black women have joined the workforce, such complaints have increased. Seven current and former Google employees told Reuters this year about being marginalized on projects as Black women and not taken as seriously as colleagues with different backgrounds.

Also earlier this year, an investigation by NBC News revealed that several Black, Latino, and other Google employees of color who had reported incidents of bias and discrimination were instructed to take medical leave. Some said they were eventually pushed out of their roles at the company.

Artificial intelligence researcher Timnit Gebru has said Google fired her a year ago for criticizing its lack of workforce diversity and for fighting managers who objected to publishing a critical paper she co-wrote. Erika Munro Kennerly, who oversaw diversity and strategy teams at Google before resigning last year, told magazine Corporate Counsel in January that “there’s an overall tone of being undervalued” as a Black woman at Google.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/california-investigates-googles-treatment-black-women-workers-rcna9154

Richly Deserved

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.”

https://blackamericaweb.com/2021/12/09/simone-biles-named-time-magazine-2021-athlete-of-the-year/?omcamp=es-baw-nl&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Top%20Stories%20%202021-12-18&utm_term=BAW%20Subscribers%20%28Daily%29

Thursday, December 9, 2021

No D's and F's. Is That a Good Thing?

From Newbreak -

Large California school districts eliminate ‘D’ and ‘F’ grades

By Nexstar Media Wire, Nancy Loo

LOS ANGELES ( NewsNation Now ) — Bad report cards could soon be a thing of the past in California as some of the state’s largest school districts are dropping “D” and “F” grades.

Sacramento City Unified, Los Angeles, Santa Ana, Oakland Unified and other California districts have decided to limit the use of “Ds” and phased out “Fs” in grading. High schoolers who fail a test or homework assignment can get a do-over or more time to complete the work.

Students who don’t ever finish the assignments or who fail the final exam would earn an “incomplete,” according to Bay City News .

The move is called competency-based learning. Advocates argue that assessment should be based on mastery of learning — what students have learned instead of how they test. Supporters also hope it will help kids re-engage after nearly two years of virtual learning during the pandemic.

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2455761290958/large-california-school-districts-eliminate-d-and-f-grades?pd=04GSxOoR&lang=en_US&s=i0

The FBI is Recruiting at HBCUs

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.

https://www.npr.org/2021/12/08/1062478183/the-fbi-is-trying-to-add-diversity-to-its-ranks-by-recruiting-at-hbcus

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Friday, December 3, 2021

Colour of Music Festival All-Female Virtuosi

https://youtu.be/ohasWjnnq_8

Black Violin Foundation || Giving Tuesday 2021

https://youtu.be/oTJnvvGkb-E

We're Moving to Costa Rica

An excerpt from the Guardian -

‘It feels like home’: why are Black Americans moving to Costa Rica?

By Brianna Holt

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

HBCU Black Santas

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

(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.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-santas-with-a-cause-black-woman-owned-store-sells-hbcu-themed-black-santa-figurines/

The Halftime Game | Pepsi

https://youtu.be/26WpGvLpFzw

Thursday, December 2, 2021

Bidets or Bust

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

(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

Coach Prime's Advice: "You Better Call Snoop"

An excerpt from the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger -

Deion Sanders says Lincoln Riley 'better call Snoop' Dogg for recruiting help at USC

By Khari Thompson

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?"

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/college/jackson-state/2021/12/01/deion-sanders-jackson-state-football-coach-lincoln-riley-usc-snoop-dogg-21st-and-prime-podcast/8825726002/

Stanford engineers create perching bird-like robot

https://youtu.be/JEKttzocgwU

Wednesday, December 1, 2021

Proud Momma Moment

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

Sunday, November 28, 2021

Soul on a Roll Food Truck

https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2374800816518/black-owned-soul-on-a-roll-food-truck-a-success-story-for-the-formerly-incarcerated?noAds=1&_f=app_share&s=i0

A Sweet Victory

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.

https://people.com/human-interest/lawyer-jarrett-adams-recalls-winning-his-first-case-voices-against-racism/

She Caters to the Divine 9

An excerpt from Black Enterprise -

Black Woman Entrepreneur Launches Shoe Company That Caters to Sororities and Fraternities In The Divine 9

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.”

https://www.blackenterprise.com/black-woman-entrepreneur-launches-shoe-company-that-caters-to-sororities-and-fraternities-in-the-divine-9/amp/

He Revolutionized the Video Game Industry!

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.

https://www.binnews.com/content/2021-09-23-jerry-lawson-the-black-engineer-who-revolutionized-the-video-game-industry/

85 YO Grandpa Goes Viral on TikTok

From abc7 -

https://abc7.com/tiktok-charles-mallet-alzheimers-viral-videos/11039122/

Smokey Robinson & the Temptations

From USA Today -

The Temptations team with Smokey Robinson for the first time in decades with new single

By Brian McCollum

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2021/09/24/temptations-smokey-robinson-new-single-is-it-gonna-be-yes-or-no/5841367001/

He's Getting His Due

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/

She's Got the Goods!

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.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/nailah-ellis-brown-runs-one-of-the-biggest-black-owned-beverage-companies-in-the-country/

Black Home Shopping Channel Creatives Making Moves

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

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.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/married-couple-founders-of-black-home-shopping-channel-to-produce-new-channel-on-amazon-roku-and-apple-tv/

Champion Racer Boosting Number of Black STEM Teachers

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.

https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/12426388/lewis-hamiltons-charity-aiming-to-boost-number-of-black-stem-teachers-in-england

Keep It Moving Folks!

Long goodbyes.
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.
— The Dad Briefs™ (@SladeWentworth) August 31, 2018

Rain Man 2?

@victoriaprettymuch
##FYP ##foryoupage ##tiktok ##viral ##trending ##follow ##PINKHolidayRemix ##smart ##kids
♬ original sound - Victoria Pretty Much

The Human Library

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

What's the Most Popular Pie in Your State?

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#

Schools Reap Benefits of Hiring Coach Prime and Eddie George

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

Alcohol Detection Systems Will Be Mandatory in All New Cars

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

Tuesday, November 23, 2021

I Love The Lord

https://youtu.be/iPLP1ui4YNc

The O'Jays - Use Ta Be My Girl (Official Audio)

https://youtu.be/0fNxgaw8I7I

Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Hope That We Can Be Together Soon (Offi...

https://youtu.be/yr-vZKBMx-o

It Is Well With My Soul - Fingerstyle

https://youtu.be/lDl5fa6pZTU

Sunday, November 21, 2021

Woodturning - The Coffee Spoons

https://youtu.be/eOU7a1iQC2Y

Two Frat Brothers Make History With Menswear Hat Brand

An excerpt from Black Enterprise -

TWO BLACK FRATERNITY BROTHERS BECOME FIRST BLACK MENSWEAR HAT BRAND IN NORDSTROM

by Jeroslyn Johnson

(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.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/two-black-fraternity-brothers-become-first-black-menswear-hat-brand-in-nordstrom/

First Hispanic Drum Major at an HBCU

https://abc13.com/prairie-view-am-university-hbcu-hispanic-drum-major-makes-history/11247630/

Framing Critical Race Theory

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/

First Black Woman to Join Space Station Crew

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

Nurse Explains What to Expect at End of Life

https://nypost.com/2021/11/17/im-a-hospice-nurse-and-this-is-what-most-people-say-before-they-die/

Deaf Football Team Prove They're Winners

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.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/15/us/riverside-california-deaf-football-team.html?referringSource=articleShare

Sunday, November 14, 2021

Mom & Daughter Black-Themed Bags

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.

https://theblackdetour.com/mom-daughter-launch-black-themed-backpacks-handbags-to-show-everyone-black-is-beautiful/