Tag Archives: Atlanta

Beyonce and Jay Z Make These Students Dreams Come True

Beyonce and Jay Z weren’t kidding about their promise to upgrade us. The power couple did just that for three high school seniors this past week.

During their OTR II tour stop in Orlando, forever hype man DJ Khalid announced the first three recipients of the BeyGood Initiative and Shawn Carter Foundation’s tour scholarship, which awards $100K to each student to go toward college enrollment.

Congrats to Keshawn Morgan. He’s more than deserving of that $100K bag with # 3 ranking of his class at Evans High School and president of Spanish Honor Society.

A day earlier in Atlanta, Beyonce and Jay Z awarded Karissa Jackson with scholarship for her community service work and 3.8 GPA at Discovery High School. Thanks to the Carters’, Karissa will be joining Kennesaw University’s 2019 class.

She told Gwinnett Daily Post that she was blown away by the scholarship.

“I had no idea I was going to get that. It’s really exciting and I couldn’t stop crying because it’s really a blessing to awarded something like this.”

The next student to go Apeshit over Jay Z and Beyonce’s generosity is Emily Geray from Miami Beach High School.

Emily will take her talents and award money to study criminology at Florida International University.

And the Carters’ are just getting started. They are dropping scholarship money in Arlington, Phoenix, LA, San Diego, New Orleans, Houston, Santa Clara and Seattle. Boys and Girls Club members are nominated for the scholarship award.

If you need another reason to see this tour, black excellence is def one of them.

How Drake, TI and Reginae Carter Made Us Ugly Cry

Allergies. Yup, that’s why my eyes are glistening. Damn pollen.

Okay, fine. You caught me. It’s not flora triggering my tear ducts–Drake fulfilling a fan’s wish to meet him is definitely doing the trick.

How could it not?

The jury’s still out on Kiki’s affections for him, but Sofia Sanchez is definitely feeling Drake after the “God’s Plan” rapper surprised the 11-year-old heart condition patient with a hospital visit on Monday.

Drake dropped by Lurie children’s hospital in Chi-Town, a week after Sofia–who is battling cardiomyopathy and seeking a heart transplant–took the “In Your Feelings” challenge, asking him to visit.

This is by far the cutest plug ever with Sofia rocking Scorpion cap. For those living under a rock it’s the title of Drake’s latest album.

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😍💙😍

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Long live the king of the South, especially if he continues to be this generous.

Rapper TI donated a year’s worth of lunch money to University High School sophomore Danielle Aiken, after learning on Twitter the Florida teen was denied lunch for being 15 cents short.

Like, really? The lunch lady aka Nazi couldn’t let the girl slide this once.

Thankfully TI took to Twitter to not only rant about it, but be the solution.

Danielle confirmed receiving TI’s blessing to WKMG. And revealed he wasn’t the only one offering to pay her lunch tab.

Prompting her to launch a GoFundMe account for students struggling to pay for school lunch.

Great way to pay it forward, sis.

Just like our girl, Reginae Carter and boo YFN Lucci is doing for Atlanta kiddies.

The power couple hosted a Back to School Field Day event in Atlanta’s Grant Park Recreation Center where they handed out backpacks full of school supplies.

And of course played games. Reginae and family took part in potato sack races, three legged races. In addition to face painting and bracelet making. To top it off there were food and ice cream trucks.

Sounds like a fun-filled day.

May your weekend be in the same vein.

Future and Baby Future’s Holiday Homecoming ! Rapper Throws Toy and Charity Drive in ATL

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Santa, take note, my brother. Yes I said brother. Ask about the chocolate Santa come up.

Anyway, he may wanna pull out a pen and pad because Future is giving him a run for his money.

Yesterday, the “Married to the Game” rapper held his fourth annual Winter Wish Land charity and toy drive–through his non-profit, Free Wishes Foundation that encourages kids to dream big.

 

The ATL kiddies sure did. They piled into Atlanta’s Bessie Branham Park where Future hooked up over 1300 dreamers with some Christmas wishes sans the Santa suit. That doesn’t mean he didn’t have elves…err corporate friends/sponsors.

Like Reebok who partnered with Free Wishes by donating 500 pairs of kicks to the cause.

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Thank you @reebok #freewishesfoundation #winterwishland

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Samsung doled out free tablets and headphones for the young’uns. Use with caution…

 

In all 1300 kids walked away with new shoes, coats and toys.

But that’s not all.

Ciara’s baby daddy was all about philanthropy this weekend. Future also attended the UNCF Masked Ball alongside Usher, Tyrese and Jeezy. All three made a gentleman’s pact to donate $25K each to the non-profit supports. Black students journey towards college enrollment.

Future is slaying the giving game this holiday season.

 

 

 

‘Empire’ Star Jussie Smollett Donates to Boys & Girls Club

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Just in case you weren’t paying attention, Jussie Smollett is winning in life. Not only is he really Pepsi’s new spokesman. It wasn’t all an act ladies and gents. He flew from Chi Town (where “Empire” is filmed) to ATL to accept keys to the city, and announce an “ambassadorship” with Sean John fashion line.

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Yep. They’re still around.

The ‘Empire’ star was honored in swanky Buckhead’s Lenox Hill Square alongside Sean John for his work on the Dream Big campaign, which partnered with the Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta.

Sean John returned the favor by donating $5000 to BGC and Jussie matched that amount. Then had a sit down with 10 lucky BGC members. He also had a meet and greet with all attendees, which according to Kiwi the Beauty was a pretty large crowd, and took pics with supporters.

The former Mighty Duck even squeezed in a trip to the Waffle House.

If You Blinked Woman Crush | Jada Pinkett-Smith’s Mission to End Human Trafficking

jadapinkettexploitJada Pinkett Smith’s one hour CNN takeover (don’t worry Don Lemon stayed home) exposing the atrocities of human trafficking, makes her our Wednesday Woman Crush.

Human trafficking is the illegal distribution and sale of girls and boys for the purpose of forced labor and commercialization of sex through exploitation.

Jada tapped into her inner Diane Sawyer to interview, be interviewed, narrate and exec-produce CNN’s special report;  “Children for Sale: The Fight to End Human Trafficking.” The report is one-part “How to Catch a Predator” where a Georgia-based special victims unit detective races around the state to nab exploiters. Mostly found at the airport where most human trafficking is committed.

The second half. The most important half. The part that’ll make you want to lock your sons, daughters, nieces and nephews in their room forever–is when we meet the survivors. The teenager so desperate for friends she’s lured into the sex trade by a friendly face. Her void of companionship was filled with a series of johns.

“I had sex with almost 40 guys in one day,” recalls the teen when describing her abuse.

Jada Pinkett Smith boosted her advocacy of human trafficking after learning from her own daughter, Willow Smith, that human trafficking is right in their backyard.

In 2012, Mrs Will Smith appealed to Congress to create tougher sanctions for human trafficking aka modern day slavery.

Five Takeaways from CNN Special Report: ” Children for Sale”

  1. Girls or Boys that feel lost or abandoned are susceptible to being Human Trafficked
  2. A pimp could easily trade a girl or recruit her by making eye contact.
  3. An average human trafficker in Atlanta can make $32,000 a week.
  4. Georgia is one of the largest states for human trafficking. The state’s airport is cesspool for human traffickers to export and import victims.
  5. Human traffickers target social media sites like Facebook and Instagram to recruit girls.

Jada says she was motivated to do something when she saw herself in all the human trafficking survivors she met. Just as they were vulnerable to fill a void, so was she, pointing to her absent father as the reason. Good thing Big Willy was there to love and not exploit her. A wish she has for all the survivors.

“They have so much to offer humanity if we just give them a chance.” says Jada.

Tyler Perry Donates $45K to Atlanta Teen Homeless Shelter

perryphilanthropyMega producer (and to Spike Lee’s chagrin, creator of the wise cracking, law breaking grandmom Madea) Tyler Perry shows he loves the children by donating $45,000 to an Atlanta teen shelter at risk of closing.

The “If Loving You is Wrong” producer spent his 45th b-day making teens and their families dreams come true by keeping the Young People Matter shelter’s doors open to the 6,000 they service, until the end of the year.

The shelter’s $580,000 grant that lasted three years will expire at the end of this month.

Perry stopped by the shelter last week to talk with the kids at the facility that boasts of being the only “24-hour bed space to both males and females under 18” in Atlanta. And the shelter only has five beds!?!

Watch the news coverage of Young People Matter shelter

According to Access Atlanta, Perry’s PR reps confirmed the $45,000 donation was meant to coincide with his 45th year on Earth. You gotta love the symmetry of his philanthropy.

The president of the board on Young People Matter, Andrew Bostic, hopes others will follow in the famous filmmaker’s footsteps in supporting their shelter’s mission.

To make a donation to Young People Matter shelter, click here

Considering how open Perry is in discussing his past life of homelessness (he once quipped to Essence, “Can you imagine a 6-foot-five man sleeping in a Geo Metro?) it’s inspiring he reached back to help others in the same dilemma.