Protests over the killing of Hachalu Hundessa spread from Oromia, where he was seen as a hero.
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Sunday, July 5, 2020
Saturday, July 4, 2020
Kanye West announces he’s running for president in 2020
Kanye West is running to be president of the United States and made his announcement on the nation’s birthday amid the Fourth of July festivities.
On Saturday evening, the “Ye” rapper took to social media and declared that he was entering the presential race. He is putting himself in contention with President Donald Trump and presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.
READ MORE: Kanye West voting for Trump, walks back famous Bush comment
“We must now realize the promise of America by trusting God, unifying our vision and building our future. I am running for president of the United States Flag of United States! #2020VISION,” he tweeted to his almost 30 million followers.
Telsa CEO Elon Musk endorsed his campaign.
“You have my full support!,” he tweeted in response.
You have my full support!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 5, 2020
West has not yet announced what party affiliation he will be associated with or further details on his platform. TMZ also reported that West still needs to file the necessary paperwork to run this year with the FEC which is a requirement for anyone getting into the 2020 race.
Although his entry into the presidential race sent social media abuzz, it is not the first time that the outspoken star has entertained the idea.
Last year, West set his sights on the 2024 election to be commander in chief.
“When I run for president in 2024, we would’ve created so many jobs that I’m not going to run, I’m going to walk,” he said.
West’s political ambitions in 2020 will put him in direct contention with Trump, his friend, and whom West has vigorously defended over the years. West has made no secret that he supports Trump and his administration even if it has prompted backlash.
“I’m a Black guy with a red [MAGA] hat, can you imagine? … It reminded me of how I felt as a Black guy before I was famous, when I would walk in a restaurant and people would look at you like you were going to steal something. ‘This is your place, Ye, don’t talk about apparel. This is your place, Ye, you’re black, so you’re a Democrat,’” West told WSJ in March.
READ MORE: Kanye West compares his support of Trump to racial profiling
West also stated that he planned to vote for Trump despite not doing so in the last election.
“No, I’m definitely voting this time,” Ye told GQ in April. “And we know who I’m voting on. And I’m not going to be told by the people around me and the people that have their agenda that my career is going to be over. Because guess what: I’m still here!”
Trump has yet to comment on his latest challenger to his seat in the oval.
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Detroit activists aim to ban racist facial recognition software
Detroit has the highest percentage of Black or African-American people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, and activists in the city say that racist facial recognition software is hurting the population disproportionately.
In 2017, Detroit signed a contract with DataWorks, a software company that specializes in facial recognition software. The contract is now up for renewal after a month-long delay, but many are saying that continued expansion of this software could do much more harm than good.
Since 2017, DataWorks has installed about 700 facial recognition cameras across the city and the new system has not directly impacted the crime rate, according to CNET.
READ MORE: Black and brown faces not so recognizable to facial-recognition technology
Earlier this year, Robert Williams, 42, was arrested in front of his children for robbery charges. DataWork’s software matched Williams’ face to another man’s records. He was held for 30 hours and eventually released on bail, according to The New York Times.
Williams and the ACLU have now filed a complaint against the Detroit Police Department and are demanding they stop using the software.
Robert Williams was handcuffed and hauled away by Detroit police in front of his wife and young girls because of a false face recognition match. Facial recognition is inherently racist technology that has no place in our communities. https://t.co/POYBFMDRMB pic.twitter.com/LYMMCgUPJt
— ACLU of Louisiana (@ACLUofLouisiana) July 1, 2020
Since the murder of George Floyd, there has been a national outcry to prohibit facial recognition for all police departments across the nation.
The software has been cited as another instance of the police misusing their power. Amazon, IBM and Microsoft have stopped providing the police with facial recognition software.
Many independent entities have conducted studies about facial recognition, and the current technology has been shown to be riddled with racial and gender bias. The technology is more likely to make recognition mistakes with Black people, according to The New York Times.
“Even the manufacturers of this technology are pulling back and rethinking things, and we’re renewing. It makes absolutely no sense,” said Tawana Petty, director of the Data Justice Program for the Detroit Community Technology Project. “In the Blackest city in America, while the rest of the world is crying racial injustice and asking for overhaul, we’re doubling down.”
READ MORE: Black homeless people in Atlanta targeted to improve Google’s facial-recognition software
Activists are proposing that the hundreds of thousands of dollars given to DataWorks be reallocated to community resources.
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Nigerian influencer nabbed for money laundering and cybercrime
A 38-year-old Nigerian businessman and Instagram influencer, Ramon Olorunwa Abbas, was taken into custody for money laundering and conspiracy charges, according to the Department of Justice.
Once known for rocking fancy watches, driving luxury cars, and wearing designer clothes, Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi on social media, was extradited to the U.S. from the United Arab Emirates. Abbas made his initial court appearance in a Chicago federal court on Friday.
READ MORE: Scams on the rise during coronavirus pandemic
I’m heading to Ivory Coast 
Abbas portrayed himself as a successful real estate developer while his alleged scams amassed over $431 million, The New York Post reported. One of the alleged victims lost about $1 million dollars in 2019, according to a federal affidavit.
The FBI and Interpol raided his Dubai apartment as he slept and seized more than $37 million, in cash.
“The suspects targeted victims overseas by creating fake websites for well-known companies and banks in a bid to steal victims’ credit card information and then launder the stolen money,” Dubai police Brig. Jamal al-Jalaf said.
Prosecutors believe that Hushpuppi is one of many leaders of a global network that uses business email compromise (BEC) to amass millions. Hackers infiltrate and redirect the communications of legitimate businesses in order to make wire transfers and launder money.
READ MORE: Stimulus checks sent to dead people must be returned, IRS says
“This case targets a key player in a large, transnational conspiracy who was living an opulent lifestyle in another country while allegedly providing safe havens for stolen money around the world. As this case demonstrates, my office will continue to hold such criminals accountable, no matter where they live,” U.S. Attorney Nick Hanna said in a statement.
If convicted, Abbas faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
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Frederick Douglass descendants deliver his famed speech: ‘What to the Slave is the Fourth of July’
The descendants of Frederick Douglass are not shying away from discussing the racist history of America.
The family of the 19th-century abolitionist and orator are taking time to reflect on the ongoing injustices that have become a centerpiece of our way of life.
Five of his descendants — ages 12 through 20 — read parts of the famed abolitionist’s speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July” in a newly released video by NPR. The roughly 7-minute video was published on Friday, one day before the Independence Day holiday.
“Are the great principles of political freedom and of natural justice embodied in that Declaration of Independence extended to us?” Douglass Washington Morris II, 20, read.
READ MORE: Black Twitter users celebrate Malia Obama’s birthday in lieu of Independence Day
“What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim,” the group read.
“To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery.”
READ MORE: Hamilton’s Daveed Diggs asks what 4th of July means to Black people
The special reading comes as the country deals with the loss of many Black Americans, including George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, unjustly killed by police. One descendant shared how it all ties in with Douglass’ speech.
“I think he’s mostly talking to the people who are already on his side, but believe that they can still try to talk this out or that things are still justifiable,” Zoë Douglass Skinner, 12, said. “I know a lot of people at the time were saying, and people now are still saying, that it’s not as bad as it could be.”
Frederick Douglass originally gave the speech to an abolitionist group on July 5, 1852.
NPR says the video was inspired by Jennifer Crandall‘s documentary project “Whitman, Alabama.” The project shows video of Alabama residents reading the words of Walt Whitman.
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Black high school baseball player target of racist taunts: ‘You Should Have Been George Floyd’
A Black high school athlete says his dreams were dashed when he was attacked with racist taunts during a baseball game in Iowa.
Jeremiah Chapman, a junior who was playing in his first game with Charles City High School since the coronavirus pandemic put the country on lockdown, was met with cheers from some and racist chants from others in the game against Waverly-Shell Rock High School
According to CNN, Chapman was called “Colin,” and told “You should have been George Floyd” and “Get back to the fields.” He says the incident has left him disheartened.
“I try my hardest to have everyone like me because that’s just my personality,” Chapman said. “And it’s just hard seeing that no matter how hard I try, people can’t accept me because of my skin color.”
READ MORE: Ian Desmond calls out MLB for racism as he opts out of 2020 season
His mother, Keisha Cunnings, was not at the game, but received messages from people in attendance. She hopes this is a wake-up call for her son.
“I was angry because as a parent, this is the one fear I have for him,” she said. “The other part of me was kind of relieved that it did happen because it opened Jeremiah’s eyes to not be so naive and colorblind and ignorant to the fact that things like this still happen.”
Cunnings said she doesn’t believe the people shouting things to her son were trying to be racist, but acknowledged the incident was racialized all in an effort to take him off his game.
“I feel like they were being kids and just trying to say whatever they could say to throw him off his game and unfortunately they took it to race,” she said.
Cunnings also posted a picture of her son and a message in response to the incident, saying “He is kind, sweet and talented.. if you can’t see beyond his skin color then sucks for you!” adding “he doesn’t care who you support politically..and he doesn’t remind you of George Floyd!”
This is my boy! He is kind, sweet and talented.. if you can’t see beyond his skin color then sucks for you! And just and FYI…he has never worked on a field…his name is Jeremiah not Colin…he doesn’t care who you support politically..and he doesn’t remind you of George Floyd! pic.twitter.com/t5YCZKkS9c
— Keisha M. Cunnings (@Mrz_Keisha) July 1, 2020
It is not clear who made the comments, but both the Charles City and Waverly-Shell Rock school districts called them unacceptable.
This is not the first incident of racism for players, according to Charles City Community School District Superintendent Mike Fisher.
READ MORE: Black women expose sexual harassment by Black Sports Online’s Robert Littal with #SurvivingBSO
Other players on the team have experienced similar forms of behavior at away games.
The Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District apologized in a Facebook post for the behavior during the game.
“This behavior is unacceptable. We make no excuses, because there are none,” Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District said in the post. “We do, however, wish to make a sincere apology to the Charles City school district and community and, in particular, the young man towards whom these comments were directed.
“We can’t undo what’s been done. But we are using this as a learning experience for the responsible party and, we hope, for many others in our schools and communities.”
Waverly-Shell Rock schools fully acknowledge that there was an incident at a recent baseball game that had one of our…
Posted by Waverly-Shell Rock Community School District on Thursday, July 2, 2020
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11-year-old boy becomes youngest patient to die of coronavirus in Florida
As the state of Florida sees a rise in COVID-19 cases, an 11-year-old boy has become the youngest person to succumb to coronavirus complications, as reported by CNN.
According to the Florida Department of Health, the boy, who was from Miami-Dade County and whose name has not been revealed, is the third minor to die from COVID-19 in Florida. The department also stated that the child had severe underlying health conditions.
Prior to that, a 16-year-old girl of Lee County and a 17-year-old boy of Pasco County both passed away after contracting the fast-spreading disease. As of July 3, more than 7,000 minors have been infected with COVID-19 in Florida. Cases of patients from 25 to 34 years of age account for 20% of the total cases in the state.
READ MORE: Florida coronavirus cases hit 10,000 in a day, sets new record
People between the ages of 15 to 24 account for 16% of Florida’s cases, and patients between ages 5 and 14 account for only 3%.
This news comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis reports that the average age of coronavirus cases has dropped from 65 to a median of 37 years of age.
Florida is seeing a surge of coronavirus cases as of late. On July 2, there were 10,109 new positive tests reported, which is a record for new daily cases. A Johns Hopkins University data analysis indicates that the Sunshine State is leading the country in average number of new cases per day.
READ MORE: Herman Cain hospitalized with COVID-19 after attending Trump rally
As of now, over 169,000 Floridians have tested positive for COVID-19. Of those infected, over 3,600 people have lost their lives.
Despite the uptick in coronavirus cases in the state, DeSantis stated that he is not going to halt plans for reopening the state.
“We’re not going back, closing things,” DeSantis said Tuesday. “I mean, people going to business is not what’s driving it. I think when you see the younger folks, I think a lot of it is just more social interactions and so that’s natural.”
DeSantis continued with a message to Floridians: “You have a responsibility not to come into close contact with folks who could be more vulnerable.”
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Driver runs over two women protesters on Seattle highway
Two women were struck by a car in the early hours Saturday while protesting on a highway in Seattle, Washington.
The incident was captured on video by a fellow protester and posted to social media, but the user has since taken the video down.
According to The Associated Press, the women, Summer Taylor of Seattle and Diaz Love of Bellingham, were demonstrating with a crowd on the Interstate 5. Diaz was live-streaming the scene on Facebook under the title: “Black Femme March takes I-5.”
READ MORE: Man drives his car into Seattle protest for George Floyd, shoots man
As seen in a video captured by a bystander, the highway had been blocked off by a vehicle barrier. At 1:40 AM, a white Jaguar went through the blockade and ran through the crowd, hitting both Taylor and Love, sending them airborne in the process.
In the Facebook live stream, people can be heard screaming “Car!” as the camera shook prior to the strike, AP reports.
A Twitter user who goes by Larry and posted the footage to the social media site says he has since taken it down “out of respect for the victims.”
Out of respect for the victims, I have taken the video down. I can’t imagine the trauma they are dealing with right now. Please access any available resources and help provide to them.
— Larry (@LarrySubramania) July 4, 2020
Taylor, 24, and Diaz, 32, were taken to Harborview Medical Center, according to Washington State Patrol spokeswoman Susan Gregg. Both are in critical condition with multiple injuries.
READ MORE: I was on the ground for Minneapolis protests. Here’s what I saw.
The driver has been identified as 27-year-old Seattle resident Dawit Kelete. Washington State Patrol Captain Ron Mead stated that, although Kelete has not been charged as of Saturday morning, he is currently in custody.
Here are two pictures of the suspect vehicle that struck two protesters on I-5 this morning. Investigation into motive and point of entry in to I-5 are still under investigation. pic.twitter.com/gU1QH6TFTu
— Trooper Rick Johnson (@wspd2pio) July 4, 2020
Mead stated in a press conference that the Interstate had been shut down for 19 consecutive days by protesters. Seattle has been the site of several demonstrations since the May 25 killing of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man who died at the hands of Minneapolis police officers.
“My hope is, as a result of this tragedy, protesters will reconsider their desire to be on the interstate because I cannot guarantee their safety, plain and simple,” Mead said.
In another Twitter post, Larry claimed that the incident was a “purposeful attack.”
This was a purposeful attack, plain and simple. Pray the driver is brought to justice. #seattleprotests pic.twitter.com/yEyeDYP2kH
— Larry (@LarrySubramania) July 4, 2020
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Black Twitter users celebrate Malia Obama’s birthday in lieu of Independence Day
July 4 has been celebrated as the United States’ Independence Day since 1776.
While millions will be waving the American flag and watching fireworks to celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence, others are taking to social media to commemorate another event deemed important: Malia Obama‘s birthday.
The eldest daughter of former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama, Malia turned 22 on Saturday and Black Twitter is taking full advantage in lieu of Independence Day.
READ MORE: Malia and Sasha Obama to break silence in Neflix’s ‘Becoming’
Due to the racial unrest sparked by the unwarranted killings of unarmed Black citizens George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery, national protests have also sparked more enlightenment on the paradoxes of topics like American Independence.
Those choosing not to celebrate the holiday, which recognizes when the 13 American colonies gained independence from Great Britain making way for the founding of the United States, in opposition to America’s past institution of slavery and ongoing denial of equal opportunity and protection for Black Americans have decided to uplift Malia Obama on Twitter.
This outpouring of appreciation to Malia, currently a Harvard University student, is similar to when people dubbed June 14th as Obama Day to praise the former president in an effort to take attention away from current President Donald Trump‘s birthday, as reported by Variety.
As her father has been making public statements denouncing the government’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing unrest caused by police brutality, the public is pining for days when the Obama family resided in the White House.
READ MORE: Obama called back into politics due to the Trump campaign
Some of the posts that celebrate the eldest Obama daughter are direct in their intentions of rebelling against Independence Day:
“Today is a great day for our country. Today, we celebrate a day that means a lot to a lot of people around the world… the birth of Malia Obama,” Timaal Bradford wrote in a tweet.
Today is a great day for our country. Today, we celebrate a day that means a lot to a lot of people around the world…
…the birth of Malia Obama.
Happy birthday, Malia! pic.twitter.com/ajbdkiLDSp
— Timaal Bradford (@timaal_bradford) July 4, 2020
Another user who goes by @yes_indee_d is in favor of renaming and repurposing the holiday as Malia Obama Day.
Renaming & repurposing this junk ass American holiday as Malia Obama Day!!!! https://t.co/KegNSf3NNy
— Justice For Breonna Taylor (@yes_indee_d) July 4, 2020
“We, black people, are NOT celebrating amerikka’s ‘Independence day,'” user @PardonMyFro said, rifting on the country’s troubled history with the KKK and white supremacy.
We, black people, are NOT celebrating amerikkka’s “Independence day”, we’re celebrating family time & Malia Obama’s birthday. O.k.
— Zwaa (@PardonMyFro) July 3, 2020
Some are commenting on the performance of the current President, including one user who goes by Mrs. Krassenstiein.
Happy 4th of July, and just as importantly, Happy Birthday to Malia Obama — a presidential daughter who doesn't accept patents on Chinese voting machines as payment for her daddy giving China a better trade deal.
— Mrs. Krassenstein (@HKrassenstein) July 4, 2020
Others are also highlighting other important events that happened on July 4:
Malia Obama’s bday is today.
Tuskegee was founded today.Keep it going….
— Was That a Nerve? (@DUCKedOff41) July 4, 2020
There are those who are praising Malia’s accomplishments:
the real celebration today : Malia Obama. Harvard student and equality activist. July 4th goes to you! Happy Birthday! pic.twitter.com/EjIKFiAztO
— nela. (@miss_anelalani) July 4, 2020
How will you be spending your Malia Obama Day?
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Alabama mall shooting leaves child dead, three others injured
An 8-year-old boy was killed and three others injured after shots were fired in an Alabama shopping mall Friday afternoon.
The shooting took place at the food court inside the Riverside Galleria in Hoover, Alabama. Royta Giles, Jr., who was a student at Jonesboro Elementary School, was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a local hospital, as reported by WVTM 13.
Giles is the only reported casualty. The conditions of the other three victims — identified only as a man, a woman, and a juvenile girl — are unknown at this time.
READ MORE: Alabama cop caught on video punching Black store owner who called for help
Dr. Autumn Jeter, superintendent of Bessemer City Schools, made a statement about Giles’ death.
“Our hearts are simply broken at the tragic loss of Royta,” Jeter said. “We are here for the family in every way possible, and we ask that everyone lifts the mother, family, and our school community in your prayers. This is tough.”
The Riverside Galleria also issued a statement addressing the shooting:
“We are heartbroken by the tragic, senseless incident that took place in our shopping center this afternoon. Riverchase Galleria was evacuated immediately and will remain closed while the Hoover Police Department conducts their investigation,” the statement read.
The shopping center remains closed Saturday, July 4.
READ MORE: A call to remove J. Edgar Hoover’s name from the FBI headquarters
As reported by WBRC 6, police say that the reason for the shooting is unknown at this time and no suspects have been apprehended.
“We don’t know at this point what led to the shooting or how many gunmen were involved,” the police department said.
Prior to the shooting, Riverside Galleria had reopened on May 5 as part of Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey’s plan to reopen the state from the coronavirus lockdown.
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Trump says protesters targeting statues are trying to erase history in divisive Mount Rushmore speech
On the eve of Independence Day in America, President Donald Trump gave a speech at the foot of Mount Rushmore. His speech was more about the protection of monuments and statues than about uniting the country during a time of racial unrest.
With several thousand attendees at the South Dakota rally, the president used this time to mostly address the demonstrators during the George Floyd protests, implying that these “angry mobs” possess malicious intent under the guise of Black Lives Matter.
“The radical ideology attacking our country advances under the banner of social justice. But in truth, it would demolish both justice and society,” the president stated in his Friday address.
“It would transform justice into an instrument of division and vengeance and turn our free society into a place of repression, domination and exclusion. They want to silence us, but we will not be silenced.”
READ MORE: Trump angrily responds to Black Lives Matter mural to be painted in front of Trump Tower
While invoking the names of the former presidents depicted on Mount Rushmore – George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt – the president said that the monument would never be defaced and accused those who were destroying statues across the country of trying to erase history.
“Make no mistake, this left-wing cultural revolution is designed to overthrow the American Revolution,” the president continued. “In so doing, they would destroy the very civilization that rescued billions from poverty, disease, violence, and hunger, and that lifted humanity to new heights of achievement, discovery, and progress.”
READ MORE: Donald Trump Jr.’s girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle tests positive for COVID-19
According to The Hill, most of the statues that have been removed by protesters have been of people with a history of tyranny against people of color, such as explorer Christopher Columbus, Confederate officer Albert Pike, Confederate general J.E.B. Stuart and Confederate Navy captain Charles Linn.
As reported by The Washington Post, the President recently signed an executive order aimed at punishing those who deface or forcibly remove statues and refused to consider renaming U.S. military bases named for Confederate officers.
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Acting student’s TikTok reel impresses Disney’s Bob Iger: ‘The world’s gonna know your name’
Julian Bass is a student at Georgia State University, majoring in theater. It looks like his TikTok may be just as effective in getting him acting work as his classes after one of his videos caught the attention of a Disney big wig.
The 20-year-old made a TikTok video of himself transforming into some of his favorite superheroes. In 20 seconds, Bass makes himself a Jedi from Star Wars after he pulls out a lightsaber. He slices through the screens with the laser sword to reveal his now Ben-10’s Ben Tennyson, the long-running cartoon hero who can transform into 10 different aliens.
From Ben-10, he becomes Miles Morales’ Spider-Man, in the style of the Oscar-winning animated feature, Spider-Man: Into the Spiderverse. He posted his clip on Twitter with the caption: “if y’all can retweet this enough times that Disney calls, that’d be greatly appreciated.”
if y’all can retweet this enough times that Disney calls, that’d be greatly appreciated pic.twitter.com/GrKlIRxg3J
— Julian Bass (@thejulianbass) July 2, 2020
READ MORE: TikTok star Tabitha Brown gets her own show on Ellen Degeneres digital network
Well, his wish came true.
The video went viral, garnering over 1.2 million likes and 524,000 retweets. He got a reply from Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger.
“The world’s gonna know your name!!!” the former chief executive said in a tweet response.
The Disney executive wasn’t the only one who was impressed with Bass’ video clip. The official Sony Twitter account also replied with wide-eye and wow-face emojis. Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn joined in as well, replying with a hand clap emoji. Actor Zach Braff of Scrubs fame replied to Gunn with, “Hire this man, Gunn!”
READ MORE: TikTok protests urge support for Black creators in honor of Malcolm X
While Bass and the world await to see if a collaboration comes out of this, things look promising for the young student. Other popular TikTok users have parlayed their platform into Hollywood success.
Popular TikTok star Tabitha Brown recently signed with top talent agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) and is set to have her own show “All Love” on television host Ellen Degeneres‘ digital network.
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Artist Hebru Brantley Collaborates With Bombay Sapphire Gin For Limited Edition Bottle To Support Black Lives Matter Chicago
Since the start of the protests sparked by the viral video of a police officer suffocating George Floyd, corporations and public figures have been more public with their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and have been pressured by consumers to work toward social change and combatting racial injustice. One Chicago artist decided to use his art to help the cause with a collaboration for a limited edition gin to support the Black Lives Matter movement.
Chicago artist Hebru Brantley has his Afro-futuristic designs displayed in galleries all around the world including Hong Kong, London, and Basel, Switzerland. His work has earned some celebrity collectors including Jay-Z, LeBron James, and Swizz Beatz. This week he unveiled a new collaboration with Bombay Sapphire for a limited-edition bottle to benefit the Chicago chapter of Black Lives Matter. The design would be the company’s first ever artist collaboration.
“[My partnership with Bombay] started [a couple] years back,” says Brantley in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “Folks [at Bombay] watched my growth as a visual artist [over] the years [and] they reached out to see if I was interested in participating in some of their [projects moving forward]. I had participated in their Young Artisan series [previously]…There was an idea that we could do some collaboration together and the bottle was [a part of that].
“The inspiration arrived from when I was a part of the Artisan series years ago,” explains Brantley. “The piece [that won] for Chicago was one of my profile heads with this loose abstraction surrounding it. For me, it was [a] full-circle moment [in] thinking about what I wanted for the design to be [about]. I thought it would be cool for me to go back to how it all started for me with Bombay. With this particular design, I appreciate it because it expresses for me a lot more than one single thought but multiple ideas and to encapsulate a few different feelings and emotions.”
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Black Father and Son Launch Online Summer Camp to Teach Financial Literacy and Investing
Kevon Chisolm, founder and president of Black Wallstreeter Consultation Services, is teaming up with his 13-year old son, Kamari, to launch an online summer camp that teaches African American teens how to invest. The camp is great for preventing learning loss and offers a fun environment for students to learn financial concepts while simultaneously learning about African American history.
Kevon comments, “In addition to topics like budgeting, banking, and investing in the stock market, our camp goes beyond others by exploring community wealth building through investment clubs.”
The course, Junior WallStreeters: Empowering Youth with Financial Wellness, will teach students life-long financial education skills and discipline through 10 lessons with an emphasis on African American history and culture.
Kevon has witnessed how these same financial lessons have changed how his son understands money and his goal is to help other young people. Kamari, although only 13-years old, understands investing so well that he currently manages his own portfolio of stocks and ETFs.
“Simply put, our goal is to teach financial knowledge to eliminate the wealth gap by showing young people how to properly use money as a tool,” he adds. The online camp will primarily be taught by Isaiah Cromwell, a high school teacher who helped Kevon develop the curriculum.
The camp will be held for two weeks between July 13-24 from 11:30am to 3:30pm with a 1-hour lunch break. Students must be between the ages of 14-18 and have a computer with Internet access. The cost of the two-week camp is just $250. This fee includes course materials such as an electronic student handbook, Junior Wallstreeters Envelope Budgeting System with tracking sheets, and a Stock Tracker Notebook.
A few scholarships are available for low-income students to attend the camp. “We want to give as many students the opportunity to obtain a financial education regardless of their financial situation,” Kevon says. Interested sponsors should contact the company for more information.
Limited spaces are available. Register today online at:
www.theblackwallstreeter.com/shop/campregistration
For additional information, visit their website at TheBlackWallstreeter.com or contact Kevon Chisolm, Esq. at kevon@theblackwallstreeter.com
This article was originally written by BlackNews.com.
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Investors Buying Entire Blocks in Houston to Revitalize and Bring in Black-Owned Businesses
Real estate developer Chris Senegal and broker Jay Bradley are teaming up to buy several blocks to renovate and revitalize in Houston. Together with Cocoa Collective Xchange, they are helping bring back Black-owned businesses into the Fifth Ward community through a Buying the Block campaign.
The project was started by buying abandoned properties and turning them into new construction homes. It has, so far, attracted a number of young Black professionals to be homeowners as well. New homes for families who have lived in the Fifth Ward for decades will also be built in some of the redeveloped blocks.
More than that, the main purpose of the Buying the Block campaign is to attract more investors into the community in order to fund long-term rentals for businesses such as restaurants, coffee shops, and office space. The campaign has raised more than $720,000 from over 1,100 investors.
“I have enough to complete the project,” Senegal told Chron. “Additional investor funds will be used to acquire adjacent properties to expand the scope of the project.”
For Senegal, the project has been beneficial to alleviate the damage caused by flipping houses. Bradley, who owns the Equinox Realty Group, shares the same sentiments, believing better opportunities come with having strong ties within the community.
“You create opportunities to have something better in the community,” Bradley said. “At this point, it’s really about helping people who are trying to do good things with the community.”
For more information about Buying the Block campaign, visit BuytheBlock.com
This article was originally written by BlackBusiness.com.
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