Athletic, Creative, and Super Talented

An excerpt from The Columbus Dispatch - 

Blacklick teen's customized sneaker artwork draws attention of athletes and celebrities

By Allison Ward

Gabrielle Anderson, 17, paints a show for a client
in the likenesses of Michelle Obama and Kamala Harris.
The Blacklick teen is a big-time basketball player
who is getting attention for her artwork on sneakers.
Fred Squillante / Columbus Dispatch

In between games with her traveling basketball team at a tournament in Tennessee last week, Gabrielle Anderson tried to keep up with running her business.  

She had too many orders of her hand-painted, customized sneakers to take a weeklong break from Graffiti by Gabby, the company the Blacklick 17-year-old started last summer. 

“She was painting in the hotel room,” said her mother, Celia. “We had to say, ‘We’d love to do the team movie, but she’s got to work tonight.’” 

Although a highly competitive and successful athlete who has committed to playing basketball at Harvard University in 2022, Gabrielle has found herself highlighted on ESPN and the SEC Network — not because of her skills on the court but because of her artwork.

A Graffiti by Gabby Creation
Courtesy of Gabrielle Anderson

https://www.dispatch.com/story/lifestyle/2021/07/20/ohio-teen-gabrielle-anderson-creates-customized-sneakers-celebrities-athletes/7891484002/

 

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Black Emmy Nominations

An excerpt from Black Enterprise - 

RECORD NUMBER FOR DIVERSITY IN 2021 EMMY NOMINATIONS

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton 

(Image: Twitter)

With the history of award shows typically favoring white performers and creators and being voted on by more white people as well, it has stirred up a call for more Black entertainers to get their nod with more diverse nominations at The Emmys.

According to Deadline, with the announcement of the latest Primetime Emmy Nominations, this is a record year when it comes to diverse talent being recognized (or, at least nominated) for the upcoming Emmy Awards.

There were a record 49 BIPOC nominees who were acknowledged in the acting and reality hosting categories. That number led to a 17% increase over last year’s diversity record of 42 BIPOC nominees.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/record-number-for-diversity-in-2021-emmy-nominations/

Black-Owned Ice Cream Makers

An excerpt from NewsOne - 

Black-Owned Ice Cream Makers You Should Support

There is no better time than now to support Black-owned businesses.

By NewsOne Staff 

What better way to counter the rising temperatures than with some freezing cold ice cream? That’s a trick question because while the obvious answer is to go grab some ice cream — which people can find anywhere — the better answer is to figure out where to get your ice cream from.

Baskin Robbins shops are easy enough to find, but that mega-business has been around for nearly 80 years. What about some of the local mom-and-pop ice cream shops? I’ll do you one better: What about those even fewer Black-owned ice cream shops — why not shop there?

Now, arguably more than ever, Black-owned businesses need our patronage. And what better time to start than on a sweltering National Ice Cream Day?

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 https://newsone.com/4174315/black-owned-ice-cream-makers/

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She Created Her Own Tequila Brand

An excerpt from Essence -

She Wanted A Healthier Spirit, Now She’s The First Black Woman To Lead A Tequila Brand

AFTER STARTING OUT AS AN OCCASIONAL TEQUILA DRINKER, NAYANA BECAME AN ENTHUSIAST DUE TO THE LOW-SUGAR CONTENT OF TEQUILA. NOW SHE'S AN ENTREPRENEUR SUCCESSFULLY SELLING THE SPIRIT. 

By VICTORIA UWUMAROGIE

MADDI IBANEZ

Nayana Ferguson was only an occasional tequila drinker when she met her husband, Don, in 2014. He loved the drink, and taught her about the different expressions, or types, including Blanco, Reposado and Anejo, and they came across some amazing, sip-worthy tastes.  It didn’t take long for her to become a tequila enthusiast.  

“We started tasting different tequilas and started learning more about the history of this amazing agave spirit,” she tells ESSENCE. “It takes the agave plant around seven to eight years to grow to maturity, just to get to the point where the tequila-making process begins. It is unlike any other spirit in the world, which is why tequila has become so popular now.”

In addition to being impressed with the story behind the spirit and admiring the flavors, Nayana, a pancreatic cancer survivor, found that since tequila is a drink naturally low in sugar, it was a superior option for her as she prioritizes keeping her sugar intake low. 

~~~~~~~~~~

As her appreciation for it grew, she was soon inspired to find ways to bring flavorful, but still healthy versions of the spirit to the masses. So she decided to develop a premium tequila with Don. That’s how Anteel Tequilla, named with the Antillean Crested Hummingbird in mind that the couple encountered during a trip to the Dominican Republic, came to be. During that trip, he proposed to her. It was also the first time they broached the topic of creating their own tequila brand, a discussion that was delightfully interrupted by the hummingbird that would be the brand’s logo and the inspiration for its name. 

                                                                        ~~~~~~~~~~

The tequilas, which are already attracting serious clientele by generating nearly a quarter of a million in sales and receiving rave reviews (they have won gold at the SIP Awards, as well as silver and bronze at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition) can currently be found in eight states. (Michigan, California, Georgia, Texas, Florida, the New York metro area and Colorado). The brand has plans to expand to more states in 2022. It can also be purchased on the Anteel Tequila website, which ships nationally.

https://www.essence.com/lifestyle/anteel-tequila-nayana-ferguson/

Many American High School Students are Heading to Europe for College

An excerpt from the Observer - 

Why American High School Students Are Flocking to European Colleges

By Arick Wierson 

For many high school seniors and their families, it boils down to simple economics. Even after factoring in the higher costs of travel, the all-in cost of studying at most European universities pales in comparison to the costs of attending college in the U.S.

“With just a handful of exceptions, across continental Europe, $10,000 a year is pretty much as high as it gets as far as tuition—and most are a lot less,” remarked Jennifer Viemont, a Lisbon-based American who runs Beyond The States, an online resource and full-service consultancy that helps match American teenagers with European-based undergraduate programs. “That’s quite a bit less than most state schools and a mere fraction of what it costs to attend the top American colleges and universities, which top out at over $60,000 a year in tuition. Throw in room and board, travel, books and extras, and you could easily spend $75,000 a year in the U.S.” 

https://observer.com/2021/07/us-high-school-graduate-attend-europe-university-trend/

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The Best Heist Movies You've Probably Missed

An excerpt from Looper - 

The Best Heist Movies You've Never Seen

By Patrick Phillips

Widows (2018)

With bold new additions to the superhero set, a handful of caustic social satires, a few artistically ambitious genre offerings, and a couple of potent comedic farces, 2018 is certain to earn a place one of the better years for movies of late. Unfortunately, it'll also go down as the year that moviegoers completely balked at paying respects to two high-quality, female-fronted heist flicks. The first was a fun but flighty addition to the Ocean's franchise by the name of Ocean's Eight. The second was a legit modern feminist crime classic that should've been one of the year's biggest hits.

That film was Steve McQueen's bracing, politically savvy crime saga Widows. For those who missed out, Widows was adapted by McQueen and Gillian Flynn (Gone Girl, Sharp Objects), it's set on the streets of modern-day Chicago, and it follows four women thrown together and forced into a life of crime thanks to their criminal husbands.

Read More: https://www.looper.com/144414/the-best-heist-movies-youve-never-seen/?utm_campaign=clip

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS THAT WILL RESTORE YOUR FAITH IN HUMANITY!

Truck Drivers Helped to Save a Life

From Upworthy (April 2018) - 

13 truck drivers parked side by side in the middle of the night to save a life.

By Eric Pfeiffer

Around 1 a.m. on April 24, semi-truck drivers in the Oak Park area of Michigan received a distress call from area police: An unidentified man was standing on the edge of a local bridge, apparently ready to jump onto the freeway below.

Those drivers then did something amazing. They raced to the scene to help — and lined up their trucks under the bridge, providing a relatively safe landing space should the man jump.

Fortunately, he didn't.

This photo does show the work troopers and local officers do to serve the public. But also in that photo is a man struggling with the decision to take his own life. Please remember help is available through the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. pic.twitter.com/RBAlCIXT1o

— MSP Metro Detroit (@mspmetrodet) April 24, 2018

Black-Owned Etsy Shops

From Elite Daily - 

These Black-Owned Etsy Shops Are Creating Fire Fashion & Beauty Products

BY THERESA MASSONY AND MARGARET BLATZ 

https://www.elitedaily.com/style/black-owned-etsy-shops-fashion-beauty-products

Restaurant Owner Repairs Junk Cars and Donates Them To Those in Need

From Black Enterprise - 

South Carolina Restaurant Owner Turns Junk Cars Into Treasures, Donates Them to Those In Need

By Andrea Blackstone

Eliot D. Middleton fixes old cars,
then gives them to others in need of transportation. Image - Twitter

Who knew that run-down rides and ribs go together like peanut butter and jelly!

Well Eliot D. Middleton, 38, a restaurant owner from South Carolina, must have had an inkling of some sort because he will give you some ribs if you give him your raggedy car so he can fix it and transform it into a treasure to give to people in need of transportation in the rural area, according to CNN.

The community helper is honoring his father’s legacy by turning inoperable cars into working vehicles. So far he has “collected 100 cars and surprised 33 community members with a repaired ride — without asking for a single thing in return,” according to the outlet.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/south-carolina-restaurant-owner-turns-junk-cars-into-treasures-donates-them-to-those-in-need/amp/

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The Most Famous Invention From Every State

An excerpt from the Family Handyman - 

The Most Famous Invention from Every State

By Marissa LaLiberte

Which great American invention comes from your state? 

Alabama: Windshield Wipers

DI STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK

On a trip to New York City in 1902, Mary Anderson realized what a nuisance the falling snow was for her streetcar driver. Anderson couldn’t drive, but back home in Birmingham, she sketched up her design for windshield wipers. Don’t miss these other 16 things you didn’t know women invented.

https://www.familyhandyman.com/list/the-most-famous-invention-from-every-state/