Tuesday, November 19, 2019
BE 100s Company Recognized by Ranking Senate Member For Its Exploits
K. Neal Truck and Bus Center, one of only two black-owned truck and bus suppliers in America, has been named the Senate Small Business of the Week. It received that designation on Nov. 14 from Senate Committee on Small Business & Entrepreneurship Ranking Member Ben Cardin (D-Md.).
Based in Hyattsville, Maryland, K. Neal Truck and Bus Center is a commercial truck and bus dealership serving the Washington, D.C. area. With revenue of $103.5 million, the company ranked No. 35 on Black Enterprise’s 2019 BE 100s list, an annual ranking of the top black-owned businesses in the nation.
As Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Sen. Cardin continues the tradition of honoring America’s small businesses and entrepreneurs. The committee oversees proposed legislation on matters relating to the Small Business Administration and investigates all problems relating to America’s small businesses. There are roughly 30 million small businesses in America.
Cardin’s Congressional Record statement honoring the company comes after he visited the company’s headquarters last month. K. Neal, which is the second-largest minority-owned truck and bus supplier in the country, has a long record of investing in the Prince George’s County community, Cardin stated.
He added, “For the past five years, the company has partnered with the Prince George’s County Economic Development Corporation to train workers from underserved communities to become diesel technicians, and the company also voluntarily banned the box for returning citizens convicted of nonviolent crimes.”
Ban the box refers to a set of policies designed to help formerly incarcerated individuals secure employment by omitting or delaying disclosure of a criminal record.
Cardin commented further, “I applaud Stephen and Korey for building a successful company and using their company to make a positive difference in the lives of so many. They have truly made Prince George’s proud.”
K. Neal President Korey Neal reflected on receiving the recognition.
“We’re grateful to Senator Ben Cardin and the US Senate on Small Business and Entrepreneurship for this recognition. It reinforces the importance of giving small businesses across the nation an opportunity to prosper so they can, in turn, reinvest back into their local communities.
He added the company has a new state of the art headquarters in Prince George’s County and projected 2019 revenue of $100 million. The company has just under 100 employees. Korey’s father, Stephen Neal, is the company’s chairman and CEO.
“Throughout our expansion of truck and bus dealership services and recruitment of top talent in the past few years, we remain steadfast in our core values, ” Korey stated. “Take care of the customer, Take care of the Associate, and to Reinvest Into the Community.”
The nation’s largest black-owned commercial truck and bus supplier is Sun State International Trucks L.LC. The Tampa, Florida-based company ranked No. 28 on Black Enterprise’s 2019 BE 100s list with annual revenues of $148.5 million.
Under Korey’s leadership, K. Neal has been named a 2018 Top 100 MBE winner by the Capital Region Minority Supplier Development Council. It was recognized in Washington Business Journal’s 2019 Family-Owned Business Awards; and received the 2019 Emerging Leaders & Influencers Award by the U.S. Black Chambers of Commerce. Korey Neal, 29, was named 2019 Millennial Entrepreneur of the Year by Prince George’s Chamber of Commerce
The full text of Cardin’s Congressional statement can be found here.
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T.I.’s daughter deletes her social media weeks after ‘hymen’ comment
It’s probably safe to say that Deyjah Harris is over the embarrassment that her dad-mandated hymen check has caused her, once her father spilled the news all across the Internet for all the world to see.
READ MORE: T.I. says half of his wife’s private parts belong to him
First rapper T.I.‘s daughter took her frustration out by unfollowing her dad, step-mom Tiny and sister Zonnique Pullins on Instagram. Complex reports that she has now deleted her own social media altogether.
Before she deleted her social media, Deyjah did thank her fans for their support. She also reportedly liked a series of tweets that called her father’s actions “disgusting,” “possessive” and “controlling,” before leaving Twitter.
READ MORE: After ‘intact hymen’ backlash, Deyjah unfollows dad T.I. on Instagram, parties in Mexico
Recently, rapper T.I. sparked public backlash after admitting in an interview that he accompanies his 18-year-old daughter to her gynecologist to make sure her “hymen is still intact.” Recently Deyjah was spotted in Mexico with the daughter of another famous rapper, Lil Wayne’s daughter, Reginae Carter, probably getting away from all the chatter about her private parts.
The blowback from the hymen controversy all started when T.I appeared on a podcast and revealed a little too much information.
“Right after the birthday, we celebrate… usually the day after the party. She’s enjoying her gifts. I put a sticky note on the door: ‘Gyno, tomorrow, 9:30,'” Tip said on the Ladies Like Us podcast.
“We’ll go and sit down, and the doctor will come and talk, and you know, the doctors maintain a high level of professionalism. He’s like, ‘Well, you know, sir: In order for me to share information…’ I say, ‘Deyjah they want you to sign this…so we can share information. Is there anything that you would not want me to know?'” He then recalled asking the doctor to “just check the hymen please and give me back my results, expeditiously.”
READ MORE: New York state legislator’s bill seeks to outlaw hymen exams
T.I has yet to comment further on the matter, but let’s hope he’s learned his lesson not to police his daughters’ bodies.
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Kanye West partners with Dr. Dre to produce ‘Jesus is King Part II’
Kanye West has enlisted legendary Hip-Hop rapper and producer Dr. Dre for the second coming of his Jesus is King album.
READ MORE: Kanye West brings Sunday Service to Dayton, Ohio in honor of mass shooting victims
This record that Dr. Dre will work on will be the sequel to Ye’s newly released album is a Christian-themed collection of songs, Jesus is King, which was also accompanied by an IMAX film. This new project comes on the heels of the news that West will also drop yet another album on Christmas Day, his Sunday Service-inspired Jesus Is Born, Billboard reports.
Complex reports that one of the reasons that West plans on releasing Jesus is King II, along with Dre, an award-winning producer that he hasn’t worked with before, is because he has had a well documented admiration of his work.
West gushed before about his affection for Dr. Dre.
“I first met Dre in December of 2003. He asked me to produce a track for the Game. At first I was star-struck, but within 30 minutes I was begging him to mix my next album,” Kanye recalled. “He’s the definition of a true talent: Dre feels like God placed him here to make music, and no matter what forces are aligned against him, he always ends up on the mountaintop,” he said in Rolling Stone’s piece on 100 Greatest Artists.
West is moving not so silent with all his new life plans.
READ MORE: Kanye West says that he’s the ‘Greatest artist that God has ever created’
On Sunday, famed Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen stood beside Kanye West and let him finish all his thoughts about his newfound affection for the Christian faith.
The Jesus Is King rapper took to the pulpit at the megachurch in Houston for a powerhouse Sunday Service, PEOPLE reports.
West gave his personal dissertation about why he’s walking with Jesus now, and putting Hip-Hop on the back burner. And in West’s signature style, he was unapologetic about designating himself as the “Greatest artist that God has ever created.”
West is also gearing up for an opera event called Nebuchadnezzar, which is directed by Vanessa Beecroft, on Nov. 24.
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LeBron James Announces ‘Transitional Housing’ For Students in Need At His I Promise School
The ‘King’ has officially added real estate developer to his résumé. According to CNN, Los Angeles Laker LeBron James is renovating a building for transitional housing for families in need at his I Promise School.
James announced that his I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, is partnering with Graduate Hotels to launch the I Promise Village, a transitional housing opportunity for families in need. The public school is operated by the LeBron James Family Foundation and Akron Public Schools. The school opened in 2018 and currently has more than 340 students in third, fourth, and fifth grades.
The I Promise School announced the plan via Twitter.
This is about more than just getting kids to school. This is about keeping them alive. This is a place that will allow our families time & opportunities to grow while not worrying if they’ll have a roof over their head.
I PROMISE Village x @GraduateHotelpic.twitter.com/TsR7hEZZkM
— I PROMISE School (@IPROMISESchool) November 4, 2019
The I PROMISE Village by Graduate Hotels will begin renovations immediately and will be fully operational by the start of the I PROMISE School’s next school year in July 2020.
James also announced the renovation of the building through his Twitter account, “Proud of this!!!!! There’s always more to be done when it comes to giving my kids an opportunity to be successful in life. Every barrier we remove can possibly change their family’s life and we’re never going to stop!!”
“Initially, our work was focused on helping these kids earn an education. But we’ve found that it is impossible to help them learn if they are struggling to survive — if they are hungry, if they have no heat in the freezing winter, if they live in fear for their safety,” James expressed to CNN. “We want this place to be their home where they feel safe, supported, and loved, knowing we are right there with them every step of the way as they get back on their feet.”
Related: 5 Major Power Moves Made by LeBron James
“The I Promise Village by Graduate Hotels will be a monumental next step for us and LeBron and his Foundation’s commitment to the future of the students and their families,” said Graduate Hotels founder and CEO Ben Weprin in a statement. “It’s humbling to see the change they are affecting on a daily basis and we’re honored to be a part of the journey.”
According to the LeBron James Family Foundation’s website, its mission is to “positively affect the lives of children and young adults through education and co-curricular educational initiatives. We believe that an education and living an active, healthy lifestyle [are] pivotal to the development of children and young adults.”
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Monday, November 18, 2019
MIT Energy Initiative report charts pathways for sustainable personal transportation
In our daily lives, we all make choices about how we travel and what type of vehicle we own or use. We consider these choices within the constraints of our current transportation system and weigh concerns including costs, convenience, and — increasingly — carbon emissions. "Insights into Future Mobility," a multidisciplinary report released today by the MIT Energy Initiative (MITEI), explores how individual travel decisions will be shaped by complex interactions between technologies, markets, business models, government policies, and consumer preferences — and the potential consequences as personal mobility undergoes tremendous changes in the years ahead.
The report is the culmination of MITEI’s three-year Mobility of the Future study, which is part of MIT’s Plan for Action on Climate Change. The report highlights the importance of near-term action to ensure the long-term sustainability of personal mobility. The researchers ultimately find that continued technological innovation is necessary and must be accompanied by cross-sector policies and changes to consumer behavior in order to meet Paris Agreement targets for greenhouse gas emissions reductions.
“Understanding the future of personal mobility requires an integrated analysis of technology, infrastructure, consumer choice, and government policy,” says MITEI Director Robert C. Armstrong, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT. “The study team has examined how these different dimensions will develop and interact, and the report offers possible pathways toward achieving a more sustainable personal transportation system.”
The study team of MIT faculty, researchers, and students focused on five main areas of inquiry. They investigated the potential impact of global climate policies on fleet composition and fuel consumption, and the outlook for vehicle ownership and travel, with a focus on the U.S. and China. They also researched characteristics and future market share of alternative fuel vehicles, including plug-in electric and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and infrastructure considerations for charging and fueling, particularly as they affect future demand. Another main area of focus was the future of urban mobility, especially the potentially disruptive role of ride-hailing services and autonomous vehicles.
The researchers find that there is considerable opportunity for reducing emissions from personal mobility by improving powertrain efficiency and deploying alternative fuel vehicles in the coming decades. These changes must be accompanied by decarbonization of the production of the fuels and electricity that power these vehicles in order to reach global emissions mitigation targets and achieve cleaner air and other environmental and human health benefits.
“Our analysis shows that reducing the carbon intensity of the light-duty vehicle fleet contributes to climate change mitigation goals, as part of the larger solution,” says Sergey Paltsev, deputy director of the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change and senior research scientist at MITEI. “If we are to reach international goals for limiting temperature rise and other climate change-related impacts, we will need comprehensive climate policies that promote the adoption of alternative fuel vehicles in the transportation sector and simultaneously decarbonize the electricity sector.”
Several factors influence an individual’s decision to adopt an alternative fuel vehicle, such as a battery electric vehicle. The researchers found that the most important, interrelated factors that impact alternative vehicle adoption include cost, driving range, and charging convenience. They conclude that as production volumes increase, battery costs and the purchase price of electric vehicles will decrease, which will in turn drive sales. Improved batteries would extend the vehicle range, reinforcing the attractiveness of alternative fuel vehicles to consumers. Greater deployment of electric vehicles creates a larger market for publicly available charging infrastructure, which is critical for supporting charging convenience. Early government support for alternative fuel vehicles and charging and fueling infrastructure can help launch a self-reinforcing trajectory of adoption — and has already contributed to an increase in alternative fuel vehicle deployment.
“We found that substantial uptake of battery electric vehicles is likely and that the extent and speed of this transition to electrification is sensitive to evolving battery costs, availability of charging infrastructure, and policy support,” says William H. Green, a professor of chemical engineering at MIT and the study chair. This large-scale deployment of battery electric vehicles is expected to help them reach total cost-of-ownership parity with internal combustion engine vehicles in approximately 10 years in the U.S. It should also lead to new business opportunities, including solutions for developing cost-effective methods of recycling batteries on an industrial scale.
The researchers also examined the role of consumer attitudes toward car ownership and use in both established and emerging economies. In the U.S., the researchers analyzed trends in population and socioeconomic factors to estimate future demand for vehicles and vehicle travel. While many have argued that lower car ownership and use among millennials may lead to a reduced personal vehicle fleet in coming decades, the study team found that generational differences could be completely explained by differences in socioeconomics — meaning that there is no significant difference in preferences for vehicle ownership or use between millennials and previous generations. Therefore, the stock of light-duty vehicles and number of vehicle-miles traveled will likely increase by approximately 30 percent by 2050 in the U.S. In addition, the analysis indicates that “car pride” — the attribution of social status and personal image to owning and using a car — has an effect on car ownership as strong as that of income. An analysis of car pride across countries revealed that car pride is higher in emerging vehicle markets; among established markets, car pride is highest in the U.S.
The adoption of new technologies and business models for personal mobility at scale will require major shifts in consumer perceptions and behaviors, notes Joanna Moody, research program manager of MITEI’s Mobility Systems Center and a coordinating author of the report. “Symbolic and emotional attachments to car ownership and use, particularly among individuals in emerging economies, could pose a significant barrier to the widespread adoption of more sustainable alternatives to privately owned vehicles powered by petroleum-based fuels,” Moody says. “We will need proactive efforts through public policy to establish new social norms to break down these barriers.”
The researchers also looked at China, the largest market for new vehicle sales, to analyze how cities form transportation policies and to estimate how those local-level policies might impact the future size of China’s vehicle stock. To date, six major Chinese cities and one province have implemented car ownership restriction policies in response to severe congestion and air pollution. Our researchers found that if the six megacities continue with these restrictions, the country’s light-duty vehicle fleet could be 4 percent (12 million vehicles) smaller by 2030 than it would be without these restrictions. If the policies are adopted in more of China’s cities facing congestion and air pollution challenges, the fleet could be up to 10 percent (32 million vehicles) smaller in 2030 than it would be without those restrictions.
Finally, the team explored how the introduction of low-cost, door-to-door autonomous vehicle (AV) mobility services will interact with existing modes of transportation in dense cities with incumbent public transit systems. They find that introducing this low-cost mobility service without restrictions can lead to increased congestion, travel times, and vehicle miles traveled — as well as reduced public transit ridership. However, these negative impacts can be mitigated if low-cost mobility services are introduced alongside policies such as “first/last mile” policies (using AVs to transport riders to and from public transit stations) or policies that reduce private vehicle ownership. The findings apply even to cities with vastly different levels of public transit service.
Building on the research started under the Mobility of the Future study, MITEI has now launched a new Low-Carbon Energy Center, the Mobility Systems Center. Approaching mobility from a sociotechnical perspective, the center identifies key challenges, investigates current and potential future trends, and analyzes the societal and environmental impacts of emerging solutions for global passenger and freight mobility.
The Mobility of the Future study received support from an external consortium of international companies with expertise in various aspects of the transportation sector, including energy, vehicle manufacturing, and infrastructure. The report, its findings, and analyses are solely the work of the MIT researchers.
For more information or to access the "Insights into Future Mobility" report, visit energy.mit.edu/insightsintofuturemobility.
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Black-Owned Manufacturing Company Brings in $25K a Month
As a black woman, Pandwe Gibson knew that creating a new manufacturing company and providing circular economy goods through reusing what some consider trash to make products in a $300 billion industry wouldn’t be easy.
However, the startup founder of EcoTech Visions has fulfilled her incredible goal of acquiring 16 business clients in the first six months of starting her smart manufacturing company, gaining about $25,000 in revenue each month.
According to Atlanta Black Star, Gibson genuinely hopes that her business will develop into a large network of smart manufacturing facilities that help small business owners run their businesses.
Gibson says, “think of us like Kinkos but eco-friendly.”
Part of the goal of Gibson’s services is to provide entrepreneurs with eco-friendly packaging. Even better is that her ‘smart company’ can help entrepreneurs get access to eco-friendly materials for an affordable price. Gibson also started a nonprofit version of her company in 2015 called EcoTech Visions Foundation in which she trains aspiring workers, helping them to create green businesses.
Gibson’s road to EcoTech Visions wasn’t an easy one. It was reported that her first start-up was a charter school network called ReNEW Schools and was growing in her career when tragedy struck and one of her students was murdered. Not only did it devastate her, but it also caused her to lose faith in the education system.
She then decided to provide both young people and adults with help to be able to prepare them for the world with knowledge that most schools couldn’t offer. After leaving ReNEW Schools, she was able to move to Miami and apply the same skill set she used while working in education to help support and grow three of her friends’ businesses before moving on to develop a plan to create her own business.
Gibson hopes to expand her company by 2025.
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Philando Castile’s girlfriend sues mayor over ‘crack cocaine’ tweet
Diamond Reynolds, who was front and center sitting beside her boyfriend Philando Castile when he was shot and killed by a cop in 2016, is suing the Elysian, Minn. Mayor for a tweet she says attacked her character.
READ MORE: Sheriff’s deputy tweets Diamond Reynolds will blow settlement on ‘crack cocaine’
According to the suit, Tom McBroom, a former Rice County sheriff’s deputy, launched a callous tweet back in 2017 aimed at Reynolds, saying that “she needs to come off County and State Aid now that she has some cash. It’ll be gone in 6 months on crack cocaine,” The Star-Tribune reports.
Reynolds, who is Black, live-streamed the aftermath of his shooting and received $800,000 in settlements. McBroom is white and was elected to mayor in 2018.
“The Defendant was alleging that Plaintiff is an abuser of serious drugs, has an addiction that causes her financial stress, and is someone who bases her entire existence in terms of her costs of daily living on support from municipalities and other state of Minnesota entities,” the suit said.
According to the suit, McBroom’s comments are “defamatory, false and racially motivated.”
When McBroom was previously asked why he assumed that Reynolds, who did not have a history of drugs, was a crack user, he replied, “History,” according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
McBroom has since tried to defend himself by claiming that his words were being misinterpreted, saying that he meant that he had seen a “history” of people blowing the money they got in settlements, according to City Pages.
McBroom was under fire and ultimately demoted for “misconduct” according to the outlet.
“His comments were not the beliefs of our agency, and we’re trying to move forward in a positive manner,” Sheriff Troy Dunn said. “I hope that [the public] just trusts that we’re in this to do the right thing and that we’re trying to provide great training and great people to do a job here.”
READ MORE: Philando Castile’s girlfriend receives $800,000 settlement
The suit contends that Reynolds is suffering from “pain, emotional distress and damage to her reputation.”
“The conduct of the Defendant delineated herein was intentional and constitutes intentional inflection of emotional distress …,” the suit said.
She is seeking $50,000 in damages and attorney’s fees.
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Oakland Pays Unprecedented Tribute to CEO and Hometown Hero Bernard Tyson
“Don’t ask permission to help improve the lives of the people and communities you’ve pledged to serve. Instead, march through the doors of red tape, make bold moves, and usher in access for your communities to be served.” — Bernard Tyson, 1959-2019
If the measure of a man can be taken by the outpouring of genuine sorrow and respect once he is gone, then the late CEO of Kaiser Permanente, Bernard J. Tyson, was without question among the rarest of revered corporate leaders.
On Sunday morning, Tyson’s flag-draped casket was placed in the center of the palatial circular lobby of the Rotunda, one of the most impressive and distinctive spaces in the city of Oakland, as a steady stream of admirers filed past.
Some, like Raymond McGuire, Citi’s Global Head of Corporate and Investment Banking, had flown in from New York in time to pay his respects a day before Tyson’s invitation-only memorial service, which will take place this afternoon at none other than the new San Francisco home of the Oakland Warriors.
For McGuire, Tyson was more than a professional peer, he was a friend.
To others, he was a mentor and a boss. Asked what set Tyson apart as a leader, John Nelson, Kaiser’s vice president of communications, struggled to compose himself before answering. He spoke first of Tyson’s deep humanity, his sense of humor, and how “he loved to laugh and to make people laugh.”
But Nelson, who worked closely with Tyson for the last decade, went on to laud the CEO for his constancy in pressing the organization to live up to its mission, “and not just in a trite way,” Nelson pointed out, “in a real way. One of his broadest accomplishments is that it feels like public service to work at Kaiser Permanente.”
Great Speaker, Oakland Champion, and Jay-Z Fan
While Tyson was outspoken in his advocacy of making healthcare affordable, it was in part his affection for and commitment to the city of Oakland that led Kaiser to hold Sunday’s public viewing. It was an unprecedented gesture, and Nelson admits the team of about 20 volunteers wasn’t sure what to expect.
By Nelson’s estimate, about 2,000 people paid their respects, gently directed by a team of hostesses, all volunteers from Kaiser’s African American Professional Association, which Tyson helped launch several years ago.
Among the personal friends like McGuire, and colleagues like Nelson, were those who didn’t know Tyson. They only knew of him but were nonetheless moved to come to the Rotunda to pay their respects.
A local kid (Tyson hails from another Bay area city, Vallejo) who began working at Kaiser as an intern while pursuing his M.B.A. at Golden Gate University, he became the model smart, young black male who could start at the bottom and make it to the top. The fact that he did so without losing himself or his ties to the black community is a primary aspect of what many say set him apart.
“My favorite thing about Bernard was his authenticity and how comfortable he was with himself and how down to earth he was,” said Dr. Linda Oubre, president of Whittier College. “He believed not only in climbing up the ladder of success, but also made sure to pull up others with him. He was as comfortable giving a speech to corporate executives or playing Jay-Z at a business meeting.”
Oubre and her husband, Nate Oubre, a Kaiser executive, attended Harvard Business School with Tyson’s widow, Denise Bradley-Tyson, and have known him for almost 30 years. “Today’s repose was quintessential Bernard: warm, loving, calm, and respectful. It was beautiful to see so many people whose lives were touched by Bernard come together.”
Many of Kaiser’s 200,000 employees came. Some knew and worked with him during his more than 30-year career at the healthcare provider. Others only knew of him but, with heads bowed and in hushed tones, they expressed their appreciation for his work and their shock at his sudden death on November 10.
Tyson, who knew he had a heart condition, died in his sleep mere hours after speaking at Afrotech, which he attended with his family.
Paying Honor, Shedding Tears for Bernard Tyson
Patricia J. Titus is a Los Angeles County Superior Court judge who attended Stanford University as an undergraduate with Bradley-Tyson. A second marriage for both, the Tysons recently celebrated their 10th anniversary.
“A lot of our peers from Stanford are Kaiser doctors,” Titus noted. “They’re devastated. You expect the family to be devastated, but the reaction of the staff has been unprecedented.”
Without question, she added, Tyson made an indelible impact not only on his peers in corporate America, healthcare, and the nonprofit world, but also on average people—especially African Americans in California, where this native son is revered as much for being a hometown hero as a giant in business.
“Today’s ceremony was done with such excellence,” Titus said. “It was very befitting a man of his stature.
“It was important for me to be here,” she added, “and not just as a friend. He took his job seriously and he did so much good. It’s important to pay honor to whom honor is due.”
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JAY-Z is hot with Colin Kaepernick for not ‘playing ball’ on NFL’s terms
Once again, the NFL is pissed with Colin Kaepernick.
READ MORE: As Jay-Z is reportedly linked to Kaepernick’s NFL workout, some issues with the league surface
Many people had concerns about whether or not the NFL’s workout offer was a legit opportunity for the former quarterback to show his best moves in front of the league’s coaches. Even the principled quarterback had reservations about the gesture. And so when Saturday’s “opportunity” arrived, Kaep flipped the script and changed the location of his NFL workout from the Falcons facility to a local high school, in a move that gave him more control over the narrative.
That move didn’t sit well with the league, Sports Illustrated reports.
Earlier in the week, Kaepernick learned that the NFL has opened up an opportunity for him to be evaluated by teams at a private workout over the weekend. During this session, teams would be able to assess his readiness to play professionally once again.
But then questions surfaced over the legitimacy of the opportunity, after it was reported many of the team head coaches and scouts wouldn’t even be in attendance and no media was invited to capture the moment.
Also, JAY-Z’s name was raised as having a hand in opening up the chance for Kaepernick to be scoped out.
Initially the rapper received a ton of flack not just from fans but also from members of Kaepernick’s inner circle after it was announced that through his company Roc Nation, JAY-Z would be co-producing the Super Bowl Halftime show and also contribute to Inspire Change, a foundation the NFL started in response to public outrage over their mishandling of Kaepernick’s peaceful #TakeTheKnee protest.
Now a source revealed that JAY-Z is “disappointed with Colin’s actions and believes he turned a legitimate workout into a publicity stunt.”
Kaepernick told the league instead that he opted to move the workout to Charles R. Drew High School in Riverdale, Ga on Saturday. A handful of scouts were on hand. However, Hue Jackson, who was leading the first NFL workout, instead returned to the airport and didn’t attend.
“From the outset, Mr. Kaepernick requested a legitimate process and from the outset the NFL league office has not provided one,” his agent, Jeff Nalley, and attorney, Ben Meiselas, said in a statement.
“Most recently, the NFL has demanded that as a precondition to the workout, Mr. Kaepernick sign an unusual liability waiver that addresses employment-related issues and rejected the standard liability waiver from physical injury proposed by Mr. Kaepernick’s representatives.”
Mike Florio from Pro Foot Ball Talk, a site powered by NBC Sports believes that what makes this clause even more sinister is that if signed, it would have legal prohibited Kaepernick from ever addressing the collussion allegation in the courts again.
However journalist Mark Maske of the Washington Post, received a tip from an anonymous source from the NFL that contends that “[t]he employment clause in the waiver that the NFL wanted Colin Kaepernick to sign was related to potential worker’s compensation issues if he’d been injured and was not related to any of Kaepernick’s collusion-related claims, in the league’s view.”
READ MORE: Colin Kaepernick posts video of private workout session with Odell Beckham Jr.
The NFL has responded in a length post saying they were “disappointed” Kaepernick didn’t show up for the Falcons facility 2:30p.m. workout to show his football readiness.
The NFL responds on the change to the Colin Kaepernick workout. pic.twitter.com/xfUxAGKfN8
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 16, 2019
Kaepernick even wore a “Kunte Kinte” shirt, alluding to the fact that he is not a slave who is willing to turn into a Toby.
We stan(d) for Kaep.
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Hundreds gather to honor and celebrate Alexis Crawford’s life at her funeral
On Saturday, hundreds of people paid tribute to Alexis Crawford, the young Clark Atlanta University student who was killed earlier this month.
READ MORE: MISSING: Clark Atlanta student hasn’t been seen in almost a week—
The funeral for Crawford was held nearly a week after her body was recovered, following the filing of a missing person’s report by her family members.
Crawford, 21, was killed allegedly by her roommate, Jordyn Jones, and the roommate’s boyfriend Barron Brantley. Jones was reportedly Crawford’s best friend, and both suspects have since been arrested and charged with murder.
Family and friends gathered at Cornerstone Church in Athens and remembered Crawford as a “smart” and “bright” student who touched many lives, 11 Alive reports.
“Alexis Janae Crawford was just a quintessential college student from a small town,” the Rev. Markel Hutchins said. “She was smart and brilliant and beautiful.”
Kelly Girtz, the mayor of Athens where Crawford’s family lives, embraced the CAU student known as “Lex,” as everyone’s daughter.
“Alexis is every one of our daughters,” Girtz said. “Alexis is every one of our friends.”
Crawford’s friend Deajia Kershaw reminisced about how the two would dream about their future.
“We would just sit and just talk about how we are going to be so rich,” Kershaw said. “How we’re going to be so rich and have a big house. So, Lex, for the both us, I’m going to get that degree.”
Alexis’ sister Alexandria Crawford shared an intimate moment, which would be the last that two would share.
“I would like to share with you all, one of her last texts with me. On Monday, she texted ‘All of this is in God’s plan, it will work out for me. Praying it will,’” Alexis’ sister said at the funeral.
“I will never forget you. I remember your love forever, said Crawford’s friend Khadijah Grier, said.
“I can rest better now, knowing she’s in heaven,” her brother said.
Crawford and Jones reportedly got into a fight in their off-campus apartment, after they went out to buy alcohol. Warrant documents states that Brantley, Jones’ boyfriend, then got involved in the altercation.
READ MORE: Murder suspect has been charged in Clark Atlanta University student case
“Something is broken and I’m going to fix it as chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners,” Fulton County Commissioner Robb Pitts promised. “Crawford family, you have my word.”
“It hurts to the core,” said Dr. George French Jr. the president of Clark Atlanta University.
“But God still loves this family. God still has your back.”
One of Crawford’s friends also promised to start aa scholarship on her name.
The post Hundreds gather to honor and celebrate Alexis Crawford’s life at her funeral appeared first on theGrio.
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Dwyane Wade Launches Sock Line PKWY at Target Stores Nationwide
Retirement isn’t really retiring when you’re still working. According to BET, former Miami Heat basketball player Dwyane Wade has launched a sock line.
Wade’s sock line, PKWY, which was founded back in 2013,is now be available nationwide at Target stores. Dwyane is a co-founder of the company and hopes this new venture will breathe new life into the brand. PKWY, which launched last year in February, was co-founded by Wade in a partnership with Stance. Wade and Stance have worked together since 2013 when he became the first NBA athlete to represent the company and co-created an ongoing collection that carried his name.
“I’ve always loved socks as a fashion piece because they add a true layer of personality to your style,” Wade shared in a press release. “This new joint venture is the perfect next step in what’s been an amazing partnership, and it only makes sense that the first lifestyle socks to come out under the PKWY umbrella pay tribute to a city I love so much.”
PKWY at Target (Image: Dwyane Wade/Facebook)
As Wade says on the PKWY website, “We don’t just make socks, we make true colors. New collections to reveal the uniqueness of your voice. New styles to amplify the passion in your heart. The world is full of expression, so don’t be afraid to put it out there. What you believe can unite us in our diversity. If it can inspire us through our differences. It can elevate us through our uniqueness. Because it all belongs on your sleeve … or your feet … or your anywhere.”
Wade is a retired three-time NBA Champion (2006, 2012, and 2013) and 12-time All-Star selection. In 2006, three years after first joining the Heat as the No. 5 overall draft pick, he led the team to Miami’s first-ever NBA Championship and was named MVP of the Finals. In 2012 and 2013, Dwyane won his second and third NBA Championships. In 2004, he created the Wade’s World Foundation, which provides support to various educational, health, and family service programs, in particular, those that benefit underserved communities in Miami and his hometown of Chicago. In 2011, Wade was appointed to President Obama’s Fatherhood Task Force. In September 2012, he became a New York Times best-selling author, with the release of his first book, A FATHER FIRST: How My Life Became Bigger than Basketball.
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Kanye West says that he’s the “Greatest artist that God has ever created”
On Sunday, famed Lakewood Church pastor Joel Osteen stood beside Kanye West and let him finish all his thoughts about his newfound affection for the Christian faith.
READ MORE: Kanye West brings Sunday Service to Dayton, Ohio in honor of mass shooting victims
The Jesus Is King rapper took to the pulpit at the megachurch in Houston for a powerhouse Sunday Service, PEOPLE reports.
West gave his personal dissertation about why he’s walking with Jesus now, and putting Hip-Hop on the back burner. And in West’s signature style, he was unapologetic about designating himself as the “Greatest artist that God has ever created.”
“I know that God’s been calling me for a long time and the devil’s been distracting me for a long time,” West confessed.
The rap artist also spoke candidly about his mental health issues.
“When I was in my lowest points, God was there with me and sending me visions and inspiring me, and I remember sitting in the hospital at UCLA after having a mental breakdown and there’s documentation of me drawing a church and [wanting to] start a church in the middle of Calabasas,” he added.
West continued, “all of that arrogance and cockiness that y’all have seen from me, God is now using for him,” he said.
“Because every time I stand up, I feel that I’m standing up and drawing a line in the sand and saying, ‘I’m here in service to God and no weapon formed against me shall prosper,’ ” he said.
“Jesus has won the victory. I told you about my arrogance and cockiness already. Now the greatest artist that God has ever created is now working for him,” he added.
West still, however, had some of that cockiness on deck when he silence someone off camera. He told them to stop talking while he was speaking because sometimes he gets a stream of consciousness, and needed to concentrate.
READ MORE: Kanye West performed two secret concerts for Harris County jail inmates
“I go into these streams of consciousness when I’m talking, and when you speaking in the middle of it, it distracts me,” he told someone. “I really appreciate the support, but I would like for everybody to be completely silent so I can let God flow through me as I speak to you guys today.”
Some 15,000 free tickets were distributed for the service which were gone in a record seven minutes.
The church itself welcomes some 50,000 people a week, Chron.com reports.
Kim Kardashian, West’s wife, was front and center smiling watching him from the audience.
“He reaches people that we will never reach in the church world,” Osteen told ABC after the service.
The post Kanye West says that he’s the “Greatest artist that God has ever created” appeared first on theGrio.
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