Gabe's Musings

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Gerald Moore Sr.: Committed to Preparing Black Boys For Careers in STEM

BE Modern Man: Gerald Moore Sr.

Cyber-security engineer, entrepreneur, author; 47; Founder, Gerald Moore Online Technology School for Black Boys

Twitter: @geraldmoore360; Instagram: @geraldmooreunplugged

My latest startup is the Gerald Moore Online Technology School for Black Boys. I have a goal of educating 10,000 young black men and boys ages 8-16 per year online. The school’s primary focus will be preparing black boys for STEM professions, by teaching computer science, coding, mobile app development, and website development. I also have a background in basic electricity which I will also be included. Registration includes the Black Boys Read Book Club. I’ve also just published my book, Motivate Black Boys, How to Prepare Your Sons for Careers in STEM.

I’m a cybersecurity engineer and in this line of work, or any of the engineering sciences, black men are not very well represented. In my 20 year career, I’m typically the only black man in the room. I have not seen much growth in black male representation over that time, but I have seen the tremendous growth of black women in engineering and information technology. This is why my personal focus is on preparing black boys and young men for success in STEM.

Coaching youth sports is another way I am preparing black boys for success. I have been fortunate over the years to have many of my players go on to get degrees in the STEM fields. Many of them have stated to me that I introduced them to how even in sports, higher level math and science was involved in how we play the game. If you’ve ever played for me, you have a clear understanding of what an engineer is, and he’s not some nerd who can’t play ball and doesn’t listen to hip hop.

I have helped young black men at this point earn well over a million dollars in athletic scholarships and I’m very proud that most of them graduate and understand the importance of giving back to their communities.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN LIFE?

What I am most proud of in life is that I have become a man that is respected in my community and a father that is revered by my children.

My father used to talk to me about respect and how to earn it, and as a black man, it’s important that people respect you. He also told me to never let anyone disrespect me. Over time as life happens and I have learned the importance of having respect. This leads me to live my life a certain way that has provided me opportunities which, as a young teen on a negative path, would have never happened for me. I am very proud of the man that I have become.

I have five children. My oldest son Gerald Jr. received a full athletic scholarship to Ohio University. My oldest daughter Andrea is currently a senior in high school and has multiple full-ride scholarships for tennis and academics. My middle daughter Lauren is an extremely talented drummer and singer/songwriter; her band has won many talent competitions. My youngest are boy/girl twins also uniquely gifted; Jada my daughter is an extremely gifted dancer and Jordan is on track to follow his brother to athletic stardom. When I look at my children and all that they are accomplishing, sometimes I sit at my desk and cry, because I am so proud that I have been there every step of the way.

HOW HAVE YOU TURNED STRUGGLE INTO SUCCESS?

The best example I could give of how I turned struggle into success is becoming a teenage father at 17.

I was always smart enough to know that I did not want to be a statistic growing up, but that was once the path I was on. By 13, I had dealings with the police. By 15, I was on probation and had to do a Scared Straight program in Rochester, NY. My best friends growing up were dealing drugs and I had become a product of my environment. I was a ‘D’ student and going nowhere fast. However, I was a star athlete, and sports gave me structure and good men I respected in my life, which may have been my saving grace.

In the black community, what comes with athletic stardom? Girls. In my senior year of high school I fathered a son, Gerald Jr. To make matters more difficult, I ended up with full custody of him at three months old. This probably saved my life, as I knew at that moment that a lot of what he would be able to do with his life would be predicated on the precedent that I set. By my senior year of high school, I was getting up and getting myself together, dressing my son and dropping him of with the daycare provider every morning, going to football practice every day after school, and working a part-time job. That was a real struggle, and where I learned the definition of perseverance.

Here I am, 18 years old, living out every negative stereotype and statistic for young black males. However, growing up with a father at home, I knew that I had to make an immediate change. During my senior year of high school, I had colleges recruiting me to play football, but because of my low GPA, I was eliminated from most of those opportunities. Also with a child, how could I even make it work? I remember talking to a recruiter on the phone and he asked if I were to come to their school what would I major in. I said, “Electronics engineering,” and he laughed at me.

I graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Science degree in electronics engineering technology from Norfolk State University. I have a successful 20-plus-year career as an engineer. I have launched several small business startups and I have impacted many successful young black men, most importantly my first son, as I was just a baby myself when he was born. I say all the time, we grew up together. I don’t know if I would have the type of focus that I do now without him being my driving force to be successful.

WHO WAS YOUR GREATEST MALE ROLE MODEL AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?

My greatest role model would have to be my father. My father was a great man with many flaws and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn great life lessons from his life and his words.

My father had a saying: “Do as I say, not what I do.” Somehow I got this message, as my father has had his struggles with alcoholism and drug addiction. To date, I have not done either. The most important thing that my father did for me is showed me how to work hard. I don’t remember a time where my father was not working. He went to work from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., then came home and worked until midnight in his own auto shop in our garage. From him, I learned how to work hard, the value of hard work and how to provide for my family.

My father was musically and technically gifted. These gifts have filtered through me and onto my children. My dad said to me, “It’s not the responsibility of the school to educate you, because the school does not know [you] nor can [it] cater to your interests.” This was really important as I learned to teach myself the things that I wanted to learn, which meant I did a lot of reading on my own and enjoyed absorbing knowledge of things that I was interested in. I was a ‘D’ student in high school and none of the teachers knew that I was putting in this type of work on my own and had far surpassed what they were teaching. I was reading engineering books in 9th grade and designing and installing complex audio systems by 10th grade.

My dad past away last July at age 70. I am grateful to have had him in my life and the opportunity to learn from his wisdom and his shortcomings. Definitely my greatest role model.

HOW ARE YOU PAYING IT FORWARD TO SUPPORT OTHER BLACK MALES?

I believe that I have a responsibility to give back to the community that birthed and nurtured me. I am nothing without all of the black men that poured into me especially my father, uncles, and coaches. These people are the reason I have been so successful. They are a big part of the why behind my mission of preparing black boys to succeed in life.

Therefore, the Gerald Moore Online Technology School for Black Boys—and its mission to develop a new generation of computer scientists, engineers, app developers, and designers—is how I pay it forward. Also, my Black Boys Read Book Club and its mission to make it cool for black men to read. I have several young men that I mentor. I have helped many young black men get scholarships to college. I’m all about preparing black boys for success.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE MANHOOD?

My definition of manhood is a simple one: It’s that point where you take total control of your own life, taking full responsibility for your actions and are accountable to those who depend on you for support and stability.

Now, this happens at different ages and stages for men. Some, very few, reach this point at 18. Some never reach this point. I feel I really achieved manhood at age 27, when I first felt in total control and in command of my life and where I was headed.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACK MAN?

There is a certain power and mystique that I love, that comes with being an intelligent black man. It’s really hard to quantify but I feel it when I enter a room; it’s that “IT” factor. Being a black man also comes with a struggle of having to do, be and give more, and still not be considered equal. However, I thoroughly enjoy breaking the stereotype of what or who the black man is perceived to be.

What I love most about being a black man is having the love and adoration of a black woman. There is nothing more powerful than how I feel with the support of the black woman in my life. When I say I am going to do something and she says, ”Baby, you can do it,” I’m invincible in that moment.

BE Modern Man is an online and social media campaign designed to celebrate black men making valuable contributions in every profession, industry, community, and area of endeavor. Each year, we solicit nominations in order to select men of color for inclusion in the 100 Black Enterprise Modern Men of Distinction. Our goal is to recognize men who epitomize the BEMM credo “Extraordinary is our normal” in their day-to-day lives, presenting authentic examples of the typical black man rarely seen in mainstream media. The BE Modern Men of Distinction are celebrated annually at Black Men XCEL (www.blackenterprise.com/blackmenxcel/). Click this link to submit a nomination for BE Modern Man: https://www.blackenterprise.com/nominate/. Follow BE Modern Man on Twitter: @bemodernman and Instagram: @be_modernman.

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Kenya: Mobile camel clinic providing healthcare to nomads

The hardy animals are delivering health services for communities that would otherwise be cut off.

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Flexible yet sturdy robot is designed to “grow” like a plant

In today’s factories and warehouses, it’s not uncommon to see robots whizzing about, shuttling items or tools from one station to another. For the most part, robots navigate pretty easily across open layouts. But they have a much harder time winding through narrow spaces to carry out tasks such as reaching for a product at the back of a cluttered shelf, or snaking around a car’s engine parts to unscrew an oil cap.

Now MIT engineers have developed a robot designed to extend a chain-like appendage flexible enough to twist and turn in any necessary configuration, yet rigid enough to support heavy loads or apply torque to assemble parts in tight spaces. When the task is complete, the robot can retract the appendage and extend it again, at a different length and shape, to suit the next task.

The appendage design is inspired by the way plants grow, which involves the transport of nutrients, in a fluidized form, up to the plant’s tip. There, they are converted into solid material to produce, bit by bit, a supportive stem.

Likewise, the robot consists of a “growing point,” or gearbox, that pulls a loose chain of interlocking blocks into the box. Gears in the box then lock the chain units together and feed the chain out, unit by unit, as a rigid appendage.

The researchers presented the plant-inspired “growing robot” this week at the IEEE International Conference on Intelligent Robots and Systems (IROS) in Macau. They envision that grippers, cameras, and other sensors could be mounted onto the robot’s gearbox, enabling it to meander through an aircraft’s propulsion system and tighten a loose screw, or to reach into a shelf and grab a product without disturbing the organization of surrounding inventory, among other tasks.

“Think about changing the oil in your car,” says Harry Asada, professor of mechanical engineering at MIT. “After you open the engine roof, you have to be flexible enough to make sharp turns, left and right, to get to the oil filter, and then you have to be strong enough to twist the oil filter cap to remove it.”

“Now we have a robot that can potentially accomplish such tasks,” says Tongxi Yan, a former graduate student in Asada’s lab, who led the work. “It can grow, retract, and grow again to a different shape, to adapt to its environment.”

The team also includes MIT graduate student Emily Kamienski and visiting scholar Seiichi Teshigawara, who presented the results at the conference.

The last foot

The design of the new robot is an offshoot of Asada’s work in addressing the “last one-foot problem” — an engineering term referring to the last step, or foot, of a robot’s task or exploratory mission. While a robot may spend most of its time traversing open space, the last foot of its mission may involve more nimble navigation through tighter, more complex spaces to complete a task.

Engineers have devised various concepts and prototypes to address the last one-foot problem, including robots made from soft, balloon-like materials that grow like vines to squeeze through narrow crevices. But Asada says such soft extendable robots aren’t sturdy enough to support “end effectors,” or add-ons such as grippers, cameras, and other sensors that would be necessary in carrying out a task, once the robot has wormed its way to its destination.

“Our solution is not actually soft, but a clever use of rigid materials,” says Asada, who is the Ford Foundation Professor of Engineering.

Chain links

Once the team defined the general functional elements of plant growth, they looked to mimic this in a general sense, in an extendable robot.

“The realization of the robot is totally different from a real plant, but it exhibits the same kind of functionality, at a certain abstract level,” Asada says.

The researchers designed a gearbox to represent the robot’s “growing tip,” akin to the bud of a plant, where, as more nutrients flow up to the site, the tip feeds out more rigid stem. Within the box, they fit a system of gears and motors, which works to pull up a fluidized material — in this case, a bendy sequence of 3-D-printed plastic units interlocked with each other, similar to a bicycle chain.

As the chain is fed into the box, it turns around a winch, which feeds it through a second set of motors programmed to lock certain units in the chain to their neighboring units, creating a rigid appendage as it is fed out of the box.

The researchers can program the robot to lock certain units together while leaving others unlocked, to form specific shapes, or to “grow” in certain directions. In experiments, they were able to program the robot to turn around an obstacle as it extended or grew out from its base.

“It can be locked in different places to be curved in different ways, and have a wide range of motions,” Yan says.

When the chain is locked and rigid, it is strong enough to support a heavy, one-pound weight. If a gripper were attached to the robot’s growing tip, or gearbox, the researchers say the robot could potentially grow long enough to meander through a narrow space, then apply enough torque to loosen a bolt or unscrew a cap.

Auto maintenance is a good example of tasks the robot could assist with, according to Kamienski. “The space under the hood is relatively open, but it’s that last bit where you have to navigate around an engine block or something to get to the oil filter, that a fixed arm wouldn’t be able to navigate around. This robot could do something like that.”

This research was funded, in part, by NSK Ltd.

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Black cop fatally shot white woman after she approached him with scissors

A white woman in Louisiana who brandished scissors and called a Black police officer the n-word, was shot and killed after she refused to drop the shears.

On Oct. 25 at 5:45 a.m., Officer Patrick Edmonds Jr. responded to a report that there was a “disorderly person” at the La Quinta Inn in Bossier City, Louisiana. According to The Sun, this is when he encountered an erratic acting Shannon Rupert talking on the telephone in the hotel lobby area.

“Ma’am, put those scissors down,” Edmonds repeatedly told Rupert, according to The Sun. The officer’s bodycam recorded Rupert yelling a racial slur at Edmonds. And she never dropped the scissors.

“You’re gonna have to shoot me, n—-,” Rupert reportedly could be heard saying.

According to The Sun, Rupert approached the front desk lobby to hang up the phone, and that is when the officer pulled his gun out, flashing a light into her face.

“Hey, if you come over here, I will kill you!” Officer Edmonds Jr. warns her, according to The Sun.

Rupert, with scissors in hand, walks toward Edmonds and he fires twice. The officer then calls for help for the woman, as she lay groaning on the ground.

Since the incident, Edmonds has been on administrative leave. An investigation conducted by the Bossier City Police Department and a separate review by the District Attorney’s Office have called the shooting “justified.”

“No crime was committed by the officer as his actions constituted justifiable homicide,” the district attorney wrote in a letter on the incident, adding that Edmonds had a “reasonable belief that he was in imminent danger of losing his life.”

Rupert’s family is now left to grieve her loss.

Her cousin, Melinda Peterson, told KSLA-TV that Rupert has battled drug addiction.

“I knew she had been into drugs really bad. I tried helping her,” Peterson told the news station. “I tried talking to her to see if maybe we could get her some help, a recourse. Getting her into rehab or anything like that. She was just out of it.”

The Internal Affairs Division, per police department policy, is now investigating the incident to see if any department polices were violated.

The post Black cop fatally shot white woman after she approached him with scissors appeared first on theGrio.

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Rap Snacks, ‘The Official Snack of Hip Hop,” is Now Available in Walmart, Announces Partnership With Slutty Vegan

Rap Snacks, the popular potato chip brand that features the faces of rappers like Cardi B, Migos, and Fabolous, has secured another bag. Last month, the company announced that it is expanding from local delis and convenience stores into 4,200 Walmart stores around the country. In addition, it is partnering with Slutty Vegan to launch two new vegan chips later this year.

Known as “The Official Snack of Hip Hop,” CEO James Lindsay founded Rap Snacks Inc. in 1994 and began packaging the chips with a cartoon image of rap stars in 2003 after signing a deal with Universal Music Group. Each rapper is also given their own distinct chip flavor. Now, more than two decades later, Rap Snacks are being distributed via the highest-grossing company in the world.

“I am extremely excited to work with Walmart. If you think about the overall Walmart consumer options, as it related to food, Rap Snacks and Patty Pies are really the only African American branded products in Walmart,” he told BLACK ENTERPRISE in an email. “I am also excited to expand the overall brand, potentially opening up doors for other consumer product companies owned by African Americans to follow the same path.”

Lindsay says he landed the deal with Walmart about two months ago after a buyer at the retail giant reached out to his team. “She said that she had been seeing the brand and had actually reached out to my team on LinkedIn, wanting to put us in stores.”

The History of Rap Snacks

Lindsay launched the company after raising $40,000 with the help of family and friends, according to RapSnacks.com. He knew the chips would be a hit after he sold 800 cases of the product in his first meeting with a distributor. Eventually, Rap Snacks grew into a 7-figure business but temporarily stopped its production from 2010 to 2015 due to the smaller size of the bags, which wasn’t as profitable for its producers. During that five-year stint, Lindsay worked as a brand manager for rapper Meek Mill, which provided him with deeper insight into the power of the artist. The brand then revamped and relaunched in 2016 with larger bags and selling for a higher price.

James Lindsay, founder and CEO of Rap Snacks Inc.

The Future of Rap Snacks

Last month, Rap Snacks announced two new vegan chip flavors in partnership with Slutty Vegan, an Atlanta-based vegan burger restaurant. The new flavors will launch in December in over 100,000 stores across the country. Lindsay says the collaboration will help spread awareness about healthier food choices to underserved communities that may experience less access to vegan options otherwise.

“I am truly excited to partner with Slutty Vegan to bring our first-ever Rap Snacks vegan chip option to our customers,” he said in a press release. “Slutty Vegan has been immensely influential in introducing veganism to the culturally rich community of Atlanta and beyond. It’s always exciting to join forces with a brand that shares the same underlying mission as we do here at Rap Snacks—to push culture forward through food.”

Pinky Cole, who founded Slutty Vegan in 2018, says partnering with Rap Snacks has given her the opportunity to educate and empower disenfranchised communities. “It is especially important to me that this partnership allows Slutty Vegan the opportunity to introduce healthy vegan options to urban and underserved communities throughout the country,” she said. “Slutty Vegan and Rap Snacks complement each other perfectly, when someone walks into a Slutty Vegan restaurant they are greeted with hip-hop on the stereo and amazing food, and we can’t wait to expand our vegan movement nationwide with our new Rap Snacks line.”

Lindsay says his next goal is to make Rap Snacks into an international brand and continue to inspire people of color to become entrepreneurs. “My goal for Rap Snacks is to make it one of the biggest brands in the world. Hip-hop is one of the biggest streaming genres in the world today and our potential in that space cannot be limited. I want our community to believe that you can create momentum and brand recognition outside of just the music and expand globally.”

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Google Nest WiFi Review: Home Networking Made Easy

If you're already on the Google bandwagon, the Nest WiFi fits well with the company's vision of a connected home.

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Sen. Kamala Harris introduces bill that extends kids’ school day to 6pm

Parents spend thousands of dollars each school year in after-care expenses. Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) has proposed a bill that hopes to change this.

Harris’ proposal would extend the school day from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., which is several hours longer than a typical school day. The plan also calls for schools to only close for weekends, federal holidays and emergencies, in addition to the summers off. Her rationale is that “aligning school and work schedules is an economic growth and child development strategy,” according to Working Mother.

Mother Jones reports the additional hours would not mean teachers would be mandated to instruct for longer periods or that students would be seated at their desks for longer periods. Staffers, however, would likely have to work more, and would be paid accordingly.

Harris said if the bill passes, it would first start as a pilot program in roughly 500 schools nationwide. Schools with a high percentage of low-income families would most likely be the first to participate in the pilot initiative. Participating schools would be eligible to receive up to $5 million over a five-year time period. After the pilot concludes, the Education Department would be tasked with putting together a report that analyzes student performance, teacher retention and parental employment, Working Mother reports.

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We must work every day to create a brighter future and a safer world for our children.

A post shared by Kamala Harris (@kamalaharris) on Aug 17, 2019 at 9:02am PDT

The bill would also require schools to secure grants and other private funding sources that could match 10 percent of the federal grant. This would be key for the idea to work in the long-term.

The bill lacks details, as Harris wants to give schools the purview to shape it in the way that works best for their school. If the bill passes, schools would be asked to fine-tune the particulars by requesting that parents, teachers and other community leaders participate in surveys after the first year to find the best approach for their school.

We will be paying attention to see how this develops, but applaud Harris for thinking of plans to help working parents.

The post Sen. Kamala Harris introduces bill that extends kids’ school day to 6pm appeared first on theGrio.

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Umaru Bangura set to continue Sierra Leone career

Umaru Bangura is named in the latest Sierra Leone squad as he decides to continue his international career.

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Family of brain-damaged child wins $101M in medical malpractice case

A jury in Chicago has awarded what will likely be a $101 million verdict to a family whose son suffered brain damage due to medical malpractice.

Gerald Sallis suffered severe brain damage when he went for six hours without oxygen. Cook County jurors found that while Sallis was a fetus in his mother’s womb, West Suburban Medical Center nurses and staff failed to properly monitor her, even after she told them she couldn’t feel her baby move, according to CBS 2.

Tequila Snow was 34 weeks pregnant when she came to the hospital in 2014. She told CBS 2 she informed the nurses “My baby isn’t moving as he normally does. Something isn’t right,” yet hospital staff didn’t call a doctor and didn’t monitor Sallis’ oxygen levels resulting in him being born with brain damage.

Gerald, who requires around-the-clock care, is five years old but can’t talk or walk. Snow said although he smiles and laughs frequently and is the “bright light of everybody’s lives,” the negligent actions of hospital staff stripped her son of a good quality of life.

“He just isn’t a normal person, and that was taken away from him,” Snow told CBS. “I didn’t think the nurses and people who work at the hospitals didn’t care. I thought they were there to save lives. Instead, they ruined the wonderful family that I was looking forward.”

Snow said the money will give her the ability to bring Gerald home.

“He is all I have, and I’m going now to let him know that he’s coming home very soon,” she said.

CBS 2 reports that the nurse who neglected to check on Snow is still working at the hospital, however the ultrasound tech has retired.

After what the news station called a “record-breaking” verdict, an attorney who represents the company that owns the hospital released a statement that read: “We will not appeal. Although we are obviously disappointed with the jury’s verdict, we respect the will of the jury and wish the Sallis family well.”

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Egypt-Ethiopia row over River Nile dam

At the heart of the dispute is which country has the control of the crucial water source.

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Nicki Minaj put on blast for tweeting she prefers white media over Black media

Nicki Minaj is being called to task for a tweet claiming that online, she is treated better by white people than “the blacks.”

Who are “the blacks” that the rapper is referring to?

Minaj, who has since deleted the troublesome tweet, is believed to have been referring to Black media outlets– specifically, Wendy Williams.

“What the white ppl post. >>>>>>,” she wrote on November 5, according to Complex. “The blacks only post the few seconds where I raise my voice to push their narrative.”

“The blacks,” including some of Nicki’s fans, weren’t having it.

“The blacks ain’t sitting right with my spirit,” tweeted Hoekage @NelJayy.

The blacks ain’t sitting right with my spirit

— Hoekage🇯🇲 (@NelJayy) November 6, 2019

“You know what..I love your music. But the fact that you said ‘white ppl’ and then refer to us as ‘the blacks’ just furthers the idea that ‘blacks’ aren’t people. That’s an idea that goes wayyy back. I’m mad hurt. Unconscious ideas are a mf. You gotta be aware of what you saying,” tweeted @whooptywooop.

You know what..I love your music. But the fact that you said “white ppl” and then refer to us as “the blacks” just furthers the idea that “blacks” aren’t people. That’s an idea that goes wayyy back. I’m mad hurt. Unconscious ideas are a mf. You gotta be aware of what you saying.

— … (@whooptywooop) November 5, 2019

“Were you not complaining a few years ago about white media degrading black women and painting you as the ‘angry black woman?’ Seems like the music industry only lets coons succeed. Get some therapy before you do more damage to your legacy.”

Were you not complaining a few years ago about white media degrading black women and painting you as the “angry black woman?” Seems like the music industry only lets coons succeed. Get some therapy before you do more damage to your legacy.

— dysonmind (@pinginginging) November 6, 2019

The Queen Radio rapper’s tweet seems to be her response to an ongoing rift with Williams and the ensuing media coverage that comes from it. The latest development started when Williams brought up Minaj’s recent wedding to Kenneth Petty and went in on Petty’s criminal background.

“Now, he served seven years in prison and he’s also a sex offender,” Williams said. “So that means that he — is a manslaughter a killer? Okay, so he’s a killer and a sex offender. Well Nicki, congratulations.”

Minaj responded by bringing up Williams’ adulterous ex-husband, Kevin Hunter and his mistress. Earlier this year, the pair split after Wendy alleged that Hunter had gotten his mistress pregnant.

“So I really wanted to pray for you today, because look at where you are now in your life,” Minaj fired back at Williams. “Look at what age you are. You’re sat up there being vicious all this time, and paid for that man’s mistress all these years. You paid for her shopping sprees, you paid for her hotels, you probably even paid for her GYN bills, you paid to have that baby delivered, hoe.”

Ya’ll.

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A New Smoking Gadget Says It's Safe. Should You Trust It?

Not quite an e-cigarette and not the old paper kind either, the Iqos is the latest controversial device to enter the vaping wars.

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Celebrity Glass Slipper Shoe Designer Jessica Rich Gets Transparent About Her Success

Walking a mile in an entrepreneur’s shoes is no easy feat. Especially when they are in a lane of their own and breaking into industries with high barriers of entry.

Shoe designer and entrepreneur Jessica Rich, founder and CEO of The Jessica Rich Collection, has had that experience firsthand. Rich gracefully transitioned from the world of media and entertainment as a former TV personality to a designer of some of the most sought out stilettos on the market. Artists like Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez, Fantasia, and others can be found strutting in her transparent heeled sandals and pumps.

Before Rich became a self-taught designer, she was monetizing her industry contacts to work as a fashion PR professional and had a passion for fashion since childhood. Fast forward, Rich went on to own a clothing line and has designed for celebrities in the industry like Tami Roman, the Kardashian family, and more.

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Pivot with a purpose

After thinking of ways to pivot from PR to fashion full time, Rich decided to drop her clients and design a shoe line. “The fastest thing I could think of to make money was to drop my PR clients and work toward having my own store.”

Two years ago, she decided to create success as a shoe designer once the clothing side of the fashion industry became saturated. After going to the drawing board, she sought out manufacturers to help bring her stilettos and sandals to life.

“I was in clothing so I knew where to find shoe factories. Once I found them, I got samples from two of them to ensure the quality was up to par. Once I figured that out, I went ahead and produced the full run with that company,” says Rich.

With hard work and dedication, Rich launched her collection online and the high demand to expand from her e-commerce business prompted her to stop working from home, build a team, and open a brick and mortar store.

“I didn’t plan to have a store. I was very content with working out of my house. Once I had like over 100 orders I was shipping out in a day, I thought, now I need a team,” says Rich. After outgrowing a number of office spaces, Rich decided to take a leap of faith and open a store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles.

And she says that it was a decision well made.

I can’t imagine not having a store now because of the space that I have. It’s large and we do a lot of things there like TV filming and events. And people who don’t order online ironically still walk into the store. I know a lot of stores are closing now, but people still want to walk in and try on shoes,” says Rich.

While Rich may make being a designer and business owner look easy, over the years, she has learned a number of business lessons that keep her grounded and ready for coming opportunities. Two of them being that relationships and consistency is key.

Greatness takes time

One of the ways that Rich has been able to expand her footprint online and in the industry is through her solid brand and reputation of being persistent. As a result of her business savvy and strong brand, Rich landed a retailing deal with Macy’s after pitching to other companies.

The Rich Collection’s Macy’s Mule

When she reflects on that process, “Christian Louboutin didn’t become Christian Louboutin overnight,” is what comes to mind. And that is what motivated her. Rich’s transparent stiletto mule can be found in Macy’s stores all over.

And with the popularity of her shoes, Rich has made sure to patent certain styles as other designers and retailers attempt to duplicate them.

“We do send cease and desist letters out because different factories will replicate our shoes without knowing that the style is mine and patented. So after we contact the stores, they’ll stop selling on my behalf because they don’t want a lawsuit.”

All things considered, Rich says that while she prayed to be successful, she didn’t imagine the number of accomplishments she’s made as a businesswoman over the last year.

“I had different companies that I did this for that got the success and I was just stuck with nothing. I didn’t walk away with a percentage of the company or anything. I was very depressed about it. Like, wow, what about now? I had to figure it out on my own, you know, so it feels good to know I am where I am supposed to be,” says Rich.

To those looking to follow their dreams, she encourages them to invest in their dreams and go for it.

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This Martini Wants to Kill Climate Change One Sip at a Time

A carbon-negative vodka company makes its beverage literally out of thin air. Now that's booze you can use.

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M. Night Shyamalan's Apple TV+ Show 'Servant' Has a Trailer

Also, consumers are officially overwhelmed by their streaming video options. Whoops!

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Nigeria's Lagos governor says 'don't call me Your Excellency'

The head of Nigeria's richest state says titles spread "demi-god mystique" and enable "oppression".

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Wheelchair sprinter Nkegbe: 'I'm carrying the hopes of 5m disabled Ghanaians'

Paralympian Raphael Botsyo Nkegbe says wheelchair racing means more to him than just being an athlete.

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DR Congo's Bosco Ntaganda sentenced to 30 years for crimes in DR Congo

Bosco Ntaganda is the first person convicted of sexual slavery by the International Criminal Court.

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Sadio Mane: Liverpool forward says 'I won't change' over diving accusations

Liverpool forward Sadio Mane says he will not change his style of play despite manager Jürgen Klopp having to defend him from diving accusations.

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Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Quadruple amputee Alex Lewis climbs Ethiopian mountain

Alex, who lost all four of his limbs six years ago, climbed Ras Dashen using a specially-adapted buggy.

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The 'Bloodhound' supercar aiming to break the land speed record

The BBC met the driver of Bloodhound - part racing car and part spaceship - during testing in South Africa.

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The technology of enchantment

An audible gasp goes through the classroom as Seth Riskin, manager of the MIT Museum Studio and Compton Gallery, uses his hand to trace streams of light through the empty air. The illusion is a simple one: Gradually turning up the speed on a strobe light, Riskin creates the visual magic by sweeping his hand through the rapidly changing beam.

A strobe light is hardly the most advanced technology found in an MIT lab, but as co-instructor and professor of anthropology Graham Jones comments, “In 10 years of teaching at MIT, I’ve never heard a whole classroom gasp like that.”

However basic, Riskin’s deft manipulation of light produces a profound effect, one that the students experience collectively in a moment of surprise and wonder. That’s what a new anthropology class, 21A.S01 (Paranormal Machines), is all about: exploring the human experience of the disconcerting and the uncanny in relation to technology and discovering how people and cultures build stories and beliefs around out-of-the ordinary experiences.  

Working across disciplines  

In everyday parlance, the word paranormal usually refers to the phantasmal world of ghost hunters and clairvoyants. But Riskin and Jones use the word differently, and more fundamentally, to encompass qualities of human experience that challenge our typical expectations and perceptions. It turns out that this is a great topic of mutual inquiry for the arts, with their capacity to create new and transformative experiences, and anthropology, a science that studies the diversity of experience. “When we explore the overlap of art and anthropology," says Riskin, “we find deep and complex connections.”

A cross-disciplinary class development grant from MIT’s Center for Art, Science and Technology (CAST) allowed Riskin and Jones to make this timely exploration. The qualities of experience that students in 21A.S01 are studying have a new relevance in our era, as artificial intelligence becomes ever more a part of our daily lives and we begin to encounter machines that seem to think, see, and understand — that can seem to have a life of their own. People perceive and experience such technology in a wide range of ways, including with wonder, anxiety, excitement, delight, fear, uncertainty, and affection.

Experiential learning  

Students in the course are making anthropological and artistic explorations of such perceptions, using a humanistic lens to better understand our evolving relationship to technology. The experiences generated in the class give students a chance to consider the ways human beings make meaning around multilayered and enigmatic experiences, including interactions with advanced technologies.

“The students are learning about the course content experientially,” says Riskin. “It’s a new method for many of the students that draws on art practice and perception.” 21A.S01 asks students to use a mix of creative interpretation, theoretical understanding, and personal reflection as well as technical knowledge and information.

“This approach allows us to learn along with our students,” Jones adds. “I’m constantly discovering things that enrich my anthropological understanding, and that I want to fold back into future iterations of the class. This is precisely why CAST’s support is so transformative.”

Students in the course are first introduced to anthropological readings and artistic creations — from kinetic art to ritual objects — then strive to develop an understanding of how the human mind can perceive these works as alive, aware, or responsive. CAST’s support also ensures that students have the resources to develop their own demos and engineer experiences that can produce wonder, uncertainty, or fascination.  

A laboratory for the visual arts  

The course runs in the MIT Museum Studio and Compton Gallery, a bustling, glass-walled workshop and experimental exhibition gallery in Building 10 operated by the MIT Museum.

Home to a creative community of practice exploring commonalities between scientific and artistic methods, the space dazzles with the lights and sounds of large-scale technological art pieces made by past students. Divided into alternating studio sessions and seminars, led respectively by Riskin and Jones, the course was developed by the two instructors collaboratively. “What’s interesting to us is looking at the kind of uncanny experiences or perceptions that can give rise to complex beliefs,” says Jones.  

“When you write about those things in an anthropological text you’re containing the power of the experience with language, analysis, and critical commentary,” he adds. “A part of what we wanted to explore with technological works of art is the possibility of engendering those kinds of experiences and perceptions and dwelling on them, focusing on experiencing their power.”

“We talk about the minimal amount of signal it takes for something to be perceived as human-like,” says class member Erica Yuen, a second-year graduate student in the MEng program. “Turns out that it doesn’t take that much. The course has challenged my perception of reality because it has shown that we project our past experiences onto ambiguous signals to create a story.”

Engineering emotive machines?

In one studio session focused on abstraction and ambiguity, students are presented with a thin sheet of translucent paper and an array of small lights. Using webcams and other sensors, the students can create real-time variations in the lights misted by paper. At the end of the studio session, one group has created a simple, soft glowing orb that used ultrasonic signals to detect movement. If someone moves too quickly or got too close, the orb vanishes, only to slowly reappear elsewhere on the array. Presenting the creation to the class, a fidget too close to the sensors means that the entire apparatus went dark.

“Careful,” says one student, “you’re scaring it!”

Why do we assign emotion and narrative to nonhuman, nonnarrative visuals? That’s one of the foundational questions of the course, and to begin to answer it, students explore the moments of ambiguity where those perceptions begin.

“Artists are interested in playing with states of indeterminacy or states of ambiguity,” says Jones. “Often the best art is powerful precisely because it can’t be resolved into any one simple interpretation, and the value of the artwork really hinges on the possibility that multiple interpretations might simultaneously be true, and not mutually exclusive. We’re trying to carve out a complementary space between anthropological ideas and artistic expression — in terms of these experiential moments of interpretive uncertainty.”

In one studio session focused on ambiguous mechanical motion, Liv Koslow, a senior majoring in mathematics, shows off her team’s demo: reacting to speed and proximity, the different materials of their mechanism move — some predictably, some unpredictably. While the machine doesn’t have a function the way that, say, a Roomba or a surveillance drone might, Koslow explains that the principle of its interaction with humans is the same: The machine is designed to immediately indicate an ability to sense and react — except in this case, it’s also conveying the appearance of emotive behavior.

The students don’t only work with ambiguity around machines’ perceived behavior. Using a metallic material that, through simple pressure changes, can be made to appear fluid, Ether Bezugla, a sophomore majoring in electrical engineering and computer science, demonstrates how design elements can elevate or manipulate human perception. Bezugla, who was drawn to the class by their interest in exploring ambiguity of the senses, uses this surprising design exercise to “explore the threshold at which a person perceives abnormality” and begins trying to make meaning to explain it.

The applications of ambiguity

Jones’s anthropological research has long focused on entertainment magic — what we think of as stage magic, tricks, and illusions. 21A.S01 is a departure for him; the class is about wonder, not illusion. Ironically, he says, “some of the fiercest critics of wondrous, enigmatic experiences can be magicians because they understand how easily people can be misled in their beliefs.”

The concepts developed in this course bring key questions and insights about human perception into contact with the cutting edge of human-interfacing technology: How can technologies deepen human experience and enrich the inner landscape? How do we push technology to feel more “alive” or more human? What — as we chat with Alexa or name our Roombas — makes us treat our technology as if it really has a life of its own?

Yuen says the illuminating experiences of the class will inform her work in a computational approach to cognitive sciences. Working with the most minute aspects of perception and reaction, she also plans to apply the experiences of Paranormal Machines to her artwork on ambiguity and facial structures.

Riskin sees the class as a contribution to what MIT President L. Rafael Reif has termed the “bilingual” educational mission at MIT: for students to develop expertise in both technical and humanistic fields and ways of exploring and knowing. “Connecting across disciplinary languages, in this case, art and anthropology, brings precision and method to what we mean by bilingual intelligence and how it adds up in a learning experience,” Riskin says.

Story prepared by SHASS Communications 

Editorial Team: Alison Lanier and Emily Hiestand  

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Twitter Insiders Allegedly Spied for Saudi Arabia

Hackers are one thing. But too few companies take the threat of an inside job seriously enough.

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'I was kidnapped and now only travel by train'

To avoid Nigeria's notorious kidnapping gangs thousands of commuters pack on to trains in the capital.

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Burkina Faso: Gunmen ambush mining firm convoy and kill 37

Five buses are ambushed by gunmen in the West African country, where jihadist violence is rife.

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Ibrahim Traore receives first Ivory Coast call-up at 31

Slavia Prague's Ibrahim Traore receives his first call to an Ivory Coast squad at the age of 31.

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PGA WORKS Is Making Sure All Backgrounds Can Access Career Opportunities in Golf

How do you reach the next generation of professionals and let them know about career opportunities they may have never considered?

That’s a question the The PGA of America is working to answer, as it tried to ensure that its workforce mirrors America in terms of diversity. That’s why it has partnered with Black Enterprise for the video podcast series On The Tee, to “grow the game and drive greater inclusion across golf” by showcasing “the successes of people from diverse backgrounds working and playing in the industry.”

In the second episode, PGA’s Chief People Officer Sandy Cross introduces PGA professionals Scooter Clark and Rachel Melendez Mabee to talk about PGA WORKS.

“PGA WORKS is a strategic workforce diversification under PGA REACH, which is the foundation of the PGA of America,” says Mabee, the PGA WORKS program specialist. “It’s really an intentional effort for us to diversify our workforce and inspire and engage people from all backgrounds to learn about careers and opportunities within the golf industry. We want to make sure that we have adequate representation from all backgrounds, from all dimensions of diversity, in our sport and in our workforce.”

That diversification is a priority, given that the golf industry’s workforce, including PGA Membership, is demographically homogenous. The boards, senior leadership, and full time staff are 95%, 97%, and 86% white, respectively.

“The career expo is a career development opportunity for our student-athletes,” says Clark, manager of the PGA WORKS Collegiate Championship. “We typically have 18-22 exhibitors that come to the golf course and speak to the student-athletes about careers in the industry of golf.”

In addition to Collegiate Championship, there are a number of other programs under PGA WORKS, such fellowships and scholarships to let diverse audiences know “there are people that look like them in the industry,” Mabee says.

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Scammers Are Exploiting a Firefox Bug to Freeze Your Browser

Fraudulent tech-support sites are causing the browser to lock up and display a disturbing message. Force quitting is the only way out.

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Libya migrant attack: UN investigators suspect foreign jet bombed centre

July's strike near Tripoli, which killed 53, was described by the UN as a potential war crime.

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Carmelo Montalvo: Medical Device Startup Exec Has A Heart For Family And Hard Work

BE Modern Man: Carmelo Montalvo

Medtech startup exec, NCAA football coach; 28; VP of Operations, Forest Devices Inc.

Twitter: @raulmontalvo_; Instagram: @raulmontalvo_

As a startup exec, I’ve been working to better the outcomes of stroke patients worldwide. At Forest Devices, a Pittsburgh-based medical device startup, we have developed a device called Alpha Stroke that can detect strokes in the prehospital setting, enabling the correct and swift triaging of stroke patients. Due to this increased efficiency in the triage setting, we can get stroke victims to the appropriate level of care faster, reducing time to treatment, ultimately reducing the likelihood of disability due to stroke. Stroke is the most debilitating disease on earth and with our technology, we can change that fact. We are currently in clinical trials and look to launch commercially by Q2 2020.

At Forest Devices, I oversee companywide operations at both the strategic and tactical level, while also managing the human resources department. I also helped lead Forest Devices in competing in the annual RICE Business Plan Competition (RBPC) to win first place and over $600,000 in cash and prizes in 2017.

I am also a collegiate football coach with the Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) football team, an NCAA Division III program. As the defensive line coach, I manage more than 15 student-athletes across three position groups, while also serving as the lead recruiting coach for those positions.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF IN LIFE?

I am most proud of my family and the bond we share. Being a good husband to my wife, a good father to my daughter, a reliable brother to my siblings, and a good son to my parents are my greatest accomplishments.

HOW HAVE YOU TURNED STRUGGLE INTO SUCCESS?

My parents did all they could to provide for us. I had a great familial upbringing, however, we struggled financially at times. I remember days where the refrigerator was empty, and the lights were off. I remember seeing my parents grind, working many jobs to make ends meet. I used their example and the work ethic they instilled in me to get where I am today.

WHO WAS YOUR GREATEST MALE ROLE MODEL AND WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM HIM?

I have two. I am fortunate to have two loving fathers. My biological father taught me that my potential was limitless and that if I wanted it, I could achieve it. My step-father taught me to welcome hard work and challenge myself to always be better than I assumed I could be. Collectively, they taught me how to be a man in a world that wouldn’t be as kind as they were to me.

WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE EVER RECEIVED?

Three defining conversations in my life yielded advice I’ve leaned on for the last 20 years, including in my vocations as a startup exec and football coach:
– “Remember, it is better to push a pen rather than a mop.”
– “Strive to be three times better. No one will be able to deny you.”
– “Death and taxes are the only things you’re promised. You have to work for everything else you want.”

HOW ARE YOU PAYING IT FORWARD TO SUPPORT OTHER BLACK MALES?

I have volunteered at local high schools as a mentor. I have also been working with my fraternity, Phi Beta SIGMA Fraternity Inc. on several community initiatives targeted toward young black males.

HOW DO YOU DEFINE MANHOOD?

I judge my manhood by my ability to provide for my family; by responding appropriately in times of adversity; and by being a man of conviction and reason.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT BEING A BLACK MAN?

I love the uniqueness that my Afro Latino heritage has afforded me.

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Chicago family files federal lawsuit against city for wrongful raid

A Chicago mother has become the latest to sue the city of Chicago, alleging police officers wrongfully raided her house back in 2015.

The federal lawsuit was filed Tuesday by attorney Al Hofeld Jr. on behalf of Jalonda Blassingame and her three sons, Jaden Fields, Jeremy Harris, and Justin Harris. In the suit, Blassingame blasts the officers for refusing to listen to her claims that they were raiding the wrong home and pointing their guns at her sons.

According to CBS 2, Blassingame alleges that this incident not only traumatized the boys, but has them still leery of police four years later.

Turns out, the raid was erroneous.

Derec Bell, the man whom police were searching for based on a tip by a confidential informant, was not selling heroin from Blassingame’s home. Instead, he was already in jail some 200 miles away, and had been there for six years.

Hofeld said Blassingame waited to file a lawsuit because she initially gave officers the benefit of the doubt, believing they made an innocent mistake. But then she learned that the Chicago police department had a history of wrongful raids in Black and Brown communities, and realized like many others, her constitutional rights had been trampled on.

“These raids, these wrong raids, have been going on for decades in Chicago’s communities of color, and people have just accepted them as a fact of life,” Hofeld told CBS 2.

At the time of the raid, Blassingame said her sons were ages 10, 6 and 4. She said after police broke into her home, they forced everyone, including a cousin, to lie down on the kitchen floor and held them there at gunpoint for three hours.

“I felt like, the way they was screaming and everything, if any sudden movements … I really thought they was going to shoot one of the kids by mistake, because the guns were so close to them and to me,” Blassingame told CBS 2.

Although she told officers many times that they were making a mistake, Hofeld said police proceeded to raid her house – damaging items, breaking toys and destroying other valuables. In the lawsuit, Blassingame is also accusing the officers of stealing her jewelry.

“They shouted profanity, and used abusive and dehumanizing language towards the boys and their mother throughout the raid,” he said.

Blassingame also said that when the officers failed to find any heroin or other items that justified their search warrant, they left the house without ever apologizing or offering up an explanation.

The ordeal caused her sons to become distrustful of police and Blassingame said they now demonstrate symptoms of PTSD.

“I’m just trying to reinforce to my kids that it’s still good cops that’s out here,” she told CBS 2. “It’s not all bad cops, it’s just that one rotten apple that spoils the whole bunch.”

At least 10 other Chicago families are suing the city for wrongful raids. CBS 2 broke the stories a year ago.

“We are saying again, today, to the mayor and the superintendent: how many innocent children of color in Chicago have to be traumatized in wrong raids before the city realizes it’s too many? Enough is enough,” Hofeld said to CBS 2.

The post Chicago family files federal lawsuit against city for wrongful raid appeared first on theGrio.

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Cameroon keeper Andre Onana open to Premier League move

Cameroon and Ajax goalkeeper Andre Onana says he would be interested in a future move to the English Premier League.

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The 8 Best Robot Vacuums for Every Home and Budget (2019)

We've tested dozens of robot vacuums. Whether you're up against pet hair, carpet, or hardwood floors, we have a pick for you.

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Somalia floods: Massive aid effort as thousands hit

370,000 people have been displaced after two main rivers burst their banks in Somalia.

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Club Africain fans donate US$450,000 in one day

Fans of Tunisia's Club Africain donate more than US$450,000 in one day to help the cash-strapped team.

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Amazon Echo Buds Review: Alexa Is Ready for Your Ears

Amazon's first wirefree earbuds let you take Alexa anywhere.

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If You Want a Robot to Learn Better, Be a Jerk to It

When humans give robots “tough love” by trying to knock objects out of their hands, it actually helps them find the best ways to hold things.

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Francis Ngannou the 'physical monster' taking UFC by storm

BBC Sport meets Cameroon's Francis Ngannou who survived the migrant trail, crossing the Mediterranean by boat and living on the streets of Paris to become the number two ranked UFC heavyweight fighter in the world.

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Nigerian police free 259 from illegal detention in mosque

Police rescue 259 people being held in an illegal detention centre inside a mosque compound.

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From child freestyler in Guinea to playing at Old Trafford

The journey of Guinea's Seydouba Soumah from 12-year-old freestyle footballer to playing against Manchester United.

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Bloodhound goes faster still at 491mph

The UK-led challenge to the land speed record ups its pace in trials in the Kalahari Desert.

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Granit Xhaka: Arsenal midfielder stripped of captaincy, says Unai Emery

Midfielder Granit Xhaka has been stripped of the Arsenal captaincy, manager Unai Emery confirms.

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Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Giving voice to a student community with a “silent” identity

On a sweltering August day, a group of 16 incoming MIT undergraduate students gathered in West Lounge for “Identifying the Identity,” a workshop designed to help them explore their backgrounds and experiences as first-generation students. Presenter and MIT senior Tina Pavlovich neatly encapsulated a shared strength on an overhead slide: “First Generation/Low Income students possess especially strong determination, persistence, and resilience. It is the ability to overcome significant hardship that makes us uniquely driven. Remember that.”

That was just one of many takeaways of a new preorientation program sponsored by the First Generation Program (FGP). Known as FLIPOP (shorthand for First Gen/Low-Income Pre-Orientation Program), the six-day program aims to ease the transition from high school to college. Guided by Pavlovich and three other student counselors — all first-generation students themselves — participants became familiar with resources and opportunities, explored the MIT campus, and began to create an enduring community.

Beyond introducing the nuts and bolts of campus life, “we wanted to start them off at MIT by saying, ‘You are going to be OK.’ There are people here who’ve been through what you’re about to go through and have the backgrounds that you have,” says sophomore and FLIPOP counselor Tanner Bonner.

FLIPOP is part of a suite of new programs and events — from mixers to mentoring — that FGP is offering this year to increase visibility and bolster a sense of belonging among this population. “Last year, we surveyed our students to get input on how we can improve,” says Taylor Pons, FGP advisor in the Office of the First Year. “And our student leaders have really drawn inspiration from connecting with first gen students at other colleges. We are channeling all of that into FGP, and I’m excited about the changes we’re making this year.”

Navigating the “hidden curriculum”

First-generation students comprise roughly one-fifth of the undergraduate population at MIT. And yet, it can feel like an invisible identity, because some students believe that there’s a stigma attached to being first generation. “It’s hard to speak up about the fact that you are first gen,” says Pavlovich. Students that are also low-income may feel even more stigmatized. “Those issues overlap greatly,” notes Bonner.

“Many of our first gen students have overcome significant challenges just to get to MIT. They develop amazing resilience and coping skills, which is great. But once they get here, there are a number of issues they may have to navigate,” Pons says. “These tend to revolve around finances, academic preparation, and just figuring out how college works — often without guidance from home.”

“There’s also the social aspect,” Pavlovich adds, “like, ‘I’m hearing conversations about people going out to this restaurant that is very expensive that I can’t afford. How do I navigate that? Or, how do I make friends with people who I feel comfortable with if being first gen is such a big part of my identity, but it’s an invisible part of my identity?”

Another common theme is “breakaway guilt,” says sophomore Claudia Cabral. “The trouble is in navigating these in-between worlds. … You feel guilty for feeling like you’re leaving your family behind. It’s hard to dive in and say, ‘This is for me to build my career, my future, and I need to think of that right now,’ when in the back of my mind I always have, ‘It’s for us, it’s for all of us; my successes are your successes.’”

Despite these common experiences, a conundrum remains. “It’s a very interesting dynamic,” says Cabral. “How do you build a community with a silent identity?”

Catalytic conversations

Pavlovich, Bonner, and Cabral had the opportunity to probe that conundrum last February. They were among seven students who, along with Pons, attended a conference for first-generation students last February at Princeton, called 1vyG. The annual event provides an opportunity for first gen and low-income students to share experiences, forge connections, and empower each other.

“It was incredible,” Bonner says, from the deep, authentic conversations about their identity to learning what other colleges are doing to support first gen and low-income students. “That trip validated feelings I had about myself, about issues I’d faced. It taught me that I’m strong; I’m not weak. There are so many other people going through this. I want other people at MIT to know that.”

It was eye-opening for Pavlovich, as well. “There are people across the U.S. who are going through so many similar experiences,” says Pavlovich. “We may feel kind of alone when we’re on campus, but coming here we feel so connected. I realized we need to be able to talk about [our experiences] … this is what we could do at MIT.”

Pons and the students identified key takeaways from 1vyG and brainstormed ways to incorporate their ideas into future FGP programming. “Once the conference happened, there was enough activation energy to be like, ‘Let’s do this! Let’s make some changes!’” says Cabral.

Bonner, Cabral, and Pons began planning FLIPOP shortly after they returned to campus. In addition to plugging in practical information and fun activities, they allocated ample time to talk about being first gen. Those conversations paid off; one participant wrote afterward, “I wasn’t expecting myself to have such a tight-knit family by the time I got out of FLIPOP.”

Making the invisible visible

In addition to FLIPOP, Pons and the students are rolling out new FGP programs throughout the year. Inspired by discussions at 1vyG about intersectionality — the interconnections between different social groups — they planned two mixers in October, in partnership with the International Students Office, Office of Minority Education, and LGBTQ+ Services. Monthly family-style dinners and an open mic night are also in the works, among other events.

FGP is also piloting a peer mentoring program and has developed new training for faculty advisors, to help them understand issues first gen students may face and familiarize them with available resources. Meanwhile, the Office of the Vice Chancellor recently formed a First Gen/Low Income Working Group, co-chaired by Pons, to assess the Institute’s overall efforts to support first-generation and low-income students.

To help first gen students feel more part of the fabric of the campus, FGP has launched a sticker campaign, with a logo featuring Tim the Beaver wearing a FGP t-shirt and cap. The stickers are available to first gen faculty and staff — or anyone who wants to show their support. “If you walk by a professor’s office and you see that sticker, it almost changes the way you think about your relationship with them and what you might be able to talk to them about,” Bonner explains. He and other FGP student leaders will be in Lobby 10 handing out stickers and other first-generation swag on Nov. 8, as part of National First-Generation College Celebration Day.

“It all goes back to seeing an invisible identity on campus,” he says.

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Uber’s Self-Driving Car Didn’t Know Pedestrians Could Jaywalk

The National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday released hundreds of pages related to the 2016 crash in Tempe, Arizona, that killed Elaine Herzberg.

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TikTok Is Having a Tough Time in Washington

The popular video app gets slammed by lawmakers over everything from children’s privacy to national security, as well as for its ties to Beijing.

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Springboks bring Rugby World Cup home

South Africa fans gathered at OR Tambo International Airport to greet the victorious squad.

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South African golfer SimTiger aims for world championship

Simthandile Tshabalala, aged seven, has been nicknamed “SimTiger” and marked out as a future star.

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‘I Love Daddy’: Drake shares rare glimpse of his son Adonis

This week Drake gave fans an incredibly rare glimpse of his 2-year-old son Adonis on social media.

The rapper, who still has yet to share a full photo of his firstborn, took to social media to post a photo of his son’s leg. And the toddler can be seen wearing an adorable sock that reads, “I Love Daddy.”

Recently, Drizzy threw a big bash for Adonis’ birthday at his new mansion in Toronto, and most notable on the guest list was the mother of his child, Sophie Brussaux, who shared photos from the celebration.

Last month, Brussaux kicked off their son’s birthday month by putting up an Instagram story photo of her posing in front of the mirror in a sleek black dress, showing off her baby bump.

“Today, it’s been 2 years I was having 50-sec contractions every 3 min for 24 hours man…all worth it,” reads the caption. “Only a handful of weeks left, over 200lbs. Looks like I’m carrying twins, but I swear I’m not.”

Adonis was born on October 11, 2017, less than two weeks before his father who will also be celebrating a birthday on the 24th.

On the song “March 14“, Drake alludes to this birthday coincidence, rapping “October baby for irony sake, of course,/ I got this 11 tatted for somebody, now it’s yours / And believe me, I can’t wait to get a hundred more.” The middle bar referring to Adonis being “October’s own” just like his dad.

Per TMZ, the rapper has made sure both Adonis and his mother Brussaux, who was widely reported as being a former porn star, are financially provided for despite the fact that she reportedly got pregnant from a one night stand.

She is now an artist who lives in Europe and seemingly spends her time taking care of her child and painting portraits of celebrities like, Angelina Jolie, Angela Bassett, Amy Winehouse, Leonardo DiCaprio, Michelle Obama, and Beyoncé.

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Happy Birthday King 💙

A post shared by champagnepapi (@champagnepapi) on Oct 11, 2019 at 4:05pm PDT

The post ‘I Love Daddy’: Drake shares rare glimpse of his son Adonis appeared first on theGrio.

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The Story of Sandworm, the Kremlin's Most Dangerous Hackers

For three years, WIRED has tracked the elite and shadowy Russian vanguard of cyberwar.

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This Nielsen SVP Is Making Sure Brands Recognize the Power of African American Consumers

Cheryl Grace has spent the last 15 years with Nielsen, the company perhaps best known for TV ratings. But it—and she—do so much more. As the senior vice president of U.S. Strategic Alliances and Consumer Engagement, Grace is the creator of the Diverse Intelligence Series, the premier source of data about multicultural consumer markets. She recently sat down with Black Enterprise to give us exclusive insight about African American consumers and their latest report, It’s in the Bag: Black Consumers Path to Purchase:

What is the Diverse Intelligence Series and why does Nielsen do it?
We started producing these reports in 2011 because we felt like our clients needed to understand the value of African American consumers. And it was such a success that we also then started adding reports for Asian-American consumers and our Latinx consumers. And we have found that brands really do care about what information they can get to help them make their decisions. But not only that, consumers really love this information too, and small black-owned businesses love this information. It’s been really, really popular among consumers and brands alike.

This is the ninth year of the series. Why do you personally do this?
Because I didn’t know about this until I started working on the consumer division of Nielsen. I had no idea of what our power was. I had no idea where we were spending our money. When I started seeing that information, it made me recognize that if this is of interest to me, I think it would be of interest to consumers across the board and certainly brands would be interested in knowing how much we spend on what we spend, and why we get there. When I meet somebody and they hear I’m with Nielsen, they hear my name, they say ‘Oh my god, your report changed my life. I took it into a business meeting.’ We ran into Marc Morial one day, and he’s like ‘I carry this report with me.’ It’s my contribution to doing something that is going to be a positive influence on the economy.

This year’s report is focused on everyday purchases. How can African American consumers be more conscious when they’re making their everyday $5, $10, $20 purchases?
One of the things that we included in this report is that we use an influencer ourselves. We’ve tapped into Angela Rye, and her quest to keep people woke. She has a guest commentary in the report, where she actually talks to brands and to consumers about why this everyday spending is so important. And how you as consumers can ask yourself questions, which Nielsen has been encouraging you to ask since 2011, before you make any purchases. Can I find this product in my neighborhood? Does this brand hire people who look like me? Do they portray them in a positive way? And do they support causes that are important to me? The fifth question is, if any of the answers to the other four is no, do you still want to spend your money with this brand. So that puts a little bit more onus on you, as a consumer, to not just hand out your money to strangers but know who you’re spending your money with.

Nielsen report African American consumers

What do you think is the biggest misconception out there about African American consumers?
That because our household income tends to be a little bit less than the total population, that we don’t have money to spend. And some brands will stop there at making their decisions about which target audience to go at, and not consider the fact that we’re trendsetters, that if you attract us, you’re also going to attract other demographics; that our celebrities are the celebrities that everybody wants to emulate, regardless of color. They’re not taking that into consideration. And that’s a big miss.

One of the links between this report and the last is about the importance of community.
You know, we didn’t talk about the Popeye’s [chicken sandwich] campaign from a community perspective. That’s an example of how when we get behind something, we put our power behind something, it’s incredible. I just wish we would recognize it more often. And use it for good.

How do African American consumers make decisions differently than the general consumer?
A lot of it has to do with where we’re spending our time and our money. And the advertisements that are coming at us through those sources, those devices, or those platforms. We’re being exposed a little bit differently. And then we also pay more attention to which brands are telling our story, or which brands are trying to connect with us to get it right, in a positive way, not like a stereotypical way. That’s how our brain kind of works. And again, I use that Popeye’s experience as an example of that, or the Nike experience, or the McDonald’s experience, or P&G, you know, ‘The Look,’ ‘The Talk,’ My Black Is Beautiful. We’re loyal. And we have long memories. If right off the bat, you get us wrong, there’s not a lot of coming back from that.

It’s a huge report filled with a lot of good information. But if people only took one thing away from this year’s study, what would you want it to be?
That niche content matters. That is one of the biggest changes that I’ve seen, is that with the influx of Netflix and Prime and all the streaming devices, you start to see that we are more likely to be watching programs that tell our stories in a number of different ways. That matters. That’s a huge shift right there. Because we have choices now.

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Thursday, November 7, 2019

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The Future of Rap Snacks

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