Tag Archives: good news

Beyonce Donates to Young, Gifted and Black at HBCU’s

My edges have officially grown back, so that Beyonce can snatch them right off again come Saturday for Beychella 2.0.

Not only has the Queen of showtime put on the blackest of black performances celebrating…um…Black culture that wasn’t featured on an Apollo stage, Beyonce is donating to the cause.

Our girl is shelling out $100 Gs worth of scholarships at HBCU’s through her BEYGOOD charity initiative.

Xavier, Wilberforce, Tuskegee and Bethune-Cookman (sorry Howard, we know you needed that W) will receive $25K each for Homecoming Scholars Award Program.

Four students from each school can apply. Just like with the merit scholarship she debuted after release of Lemonade, students concentration has to be art based.

Winners will be announced this summer.

May your odds be as favorable as Beyonce’s killing the stage on Saturday. #Blackexcellence

Colin Kaepernick Completes Million Dollar Donation Challenge

Here’s how you roll into Black History month, fam.

Colin ‘our black prince’ Kaepernick has hit the one milly mark on his pledge to donate to underserved communities around the country.

When I started my #MillionDollarPledge and committed to donate $1,000,000 towards various programs – my original intent was to help the organizations on the ground doing much needed work within our communities.  The goal was to help those helping others. To touch those impacting lives in a real way and to make sure that those in need benefited from the dollars donated.  While on the journey, what I realized was the person that benefited the most from this pledge was myself. I've learned about and had the privilege to work with so many quality organizations fighting for Social Justice daily. I've met so many people that work with so many great non-profits that do amazing work. I've been humbled by the appreciation from places like Assata’s Daughters, United We Dream, and Standing Rock to name just a few of where my contributions from my pledge were able to help. The #MillionDollarPledge was never for me, or about me – It has, and always will continue to be for, and about the people. Perhaps what I've learned most is that we can all enact change. Not everyone has to donate monetarily. Some organizations need volunteers and time just as much as they need a donation. Head over to Kaepernick7.com to learn more about all the programs that have been a part of my #10for10 as well as my #MillionDollarPledge. While there, you can see where all the donations went as well as learn more about all these amazing organizations and how you can help contribute. We have work to do, and the only way to get it done is if we all work together.

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Before getting across the finish line, he challenged famous pals to donate $10K to an org of their choice and he’ll match it. Dubbing it the 10 for 10 challenge.

Usher heed the call Wednesday and donated $10,000 to Helping Oppressed Mothers Endure Inc., a Georgia-based non-profit that helps single and divorced mom’s adapt to a new life.

I am happy to announce that I have completed my #MillionDollarPledge. For this final #10for10 joining me is, multiple Grammy Award winner, singer, songwriter and hitmaker…My brother @usher! He is donating $10k to match my $10k for $20k going towards H.O.M.E from Lithonia, Georgia. H.O.M.E. stands for Helping Oppressed Mothers Endure and they provide furniture to single mothers and their mission is to extend love to the home; restore hope in the heart, and offer help through healing hands to single mothers facing hardship. It has been an honor for me to serve the people with my #MillionDollarPledge. The thanks and gratitude from each organization has been immense. Being able to learn and see how each organization used the donations was a key part of the Pledge. I wanted to make sure that every dollar was going towards making real change in our communities. Thank you to everyone who has supported me, matched me and my pledge and most importantly the people. I know that we still have a lot of work to do, however, by getting everyone involved, I truly believe that we can all achieve and move mountains towards our goals for Social Justice. Please head over to Kaepernick7.com for a complete list of my $1,000,000 if donations as well as others like my brother, @usher who have matched with their generous donations as well.

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Rapper Meek Mill, who is currently incarcerated, donated $10K to Youth Services, Inc, a Philly based charity that supports at risk youth.

Jesse Williams, Steph Curry and Nick Cannon also took part in the #10for10 challenge.

Colin started the one million pledge after opting out of his contract with San Francisco 49ers.

And vows to keep the good works going even without the NFL behind him.

With or without the NFL’s platform, I will continue to work for the people,” he said while picking up the 2017 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award in December, “because my platform is the people.”

Rumble, baby, rumble <<in my Dave Chappelle voice>>>

Stephen Curry Surprised LA Teen Battling Cancer with Warriors Tickets

Stephen took a break from shooting his powerhouse three pointers against the Clippers Saturday (Go Warriors!!) to show love to his No. 1 fan sitting court side.

Thirteen-year-old Jaylen Winzer from South LA has been dreaming about meeting his idol for a while now.

Judging by the two championship rings he got to rock, it was worth the wait.

Jaylen, who suffers from a rare bone cancer, shared his story with ABC7 last year. Family friend Shirell Henderson used her foundation, BrittiCares International, to raise awareness of Jaylen’s condition.

The Foundation also decorated Jaylen’s room with all things Golden State before he returned home from the hospital.

Steph used FaceTime to invite the teen and his family to the game.

Soon after Jaylen and Steph were exchanging gifts. Jaylen got Steph a tee with the “I’M A WARRIOR FOR JAYLEN” in it and the Golden State logo, of course.

Steph gave Jaylen the jersey and sneakers he was playing in.

Let’s hope he aired out the jersey.

“I appreciate you coming,” Curry said.

“I appreciate you having me,” Jaylen replied.

From BK to Queen City, Happy New Life

Wat up, fam?

So, how was your Thanksgiving…Christmas…Hanukkah…Kwanzaa…New Year’s? I didn’t miss MLK Jr’s birthday, yet, right?

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Riiigghhhtt, it has been a minute. Well, your old girl is still alive and well for those wondering. You can cross off witness protection, jail or living in the woods as reasons I went ghost. However, I did chuck the deuces up to BK and I’m officially a Queen City resident.

I moved to Charlotte because I needed a change. Brooklyn became too loud, expensive, and cold (y’all hear about the ‘bomb cyclone’ of snow hitting the North and South East tonight? Just when I thought I escaped). As unrecognizable as the rotten apple is to me now, it’ll always be home because that’s where my family is. Therefore that’s where my heart will remain.

But don’t get it twisted Queen City living isn’t for the faint of heart, especially if you don’t drive. So much for Southern comfort.

Yeah…let’s just say…Thank God for the invention of Uber and Lyft. No, but for real, there are buses and trains here like New York. Not really. But I’m a BK girl, so I can easily adapt. If I can put up with “Would you move into the fuckin’ train car” every morning for most of my life, I can easily tolerate the “You’re a Yankee?! Well, bless yore heart,” subtle dig.

This post is just a long-winded apology for not keeping my blinkers in the loop about my whirlwind move to the dirty south. And also not keeping my arsenal of good celebrity news locked and loaded. Judging by the past few months twitter timeline it’s needed now more than ever.

So, here’s to being happy in 2018 and making others just as joyous with care and kindness.

 

 

 

 

TGIF! Colin Kaepernick Continues Giving Tour |Obama Donates $2M to Chi-Town Jobs Program

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Happy Cinco De Mayo, Blinkers!

It couldn’t come at a better time…because it’s feel good Friday, y’all.

So grab that Corona with lime–dont forget the tacos–settle in and let’s recap some of the good things that went down this week.

Starting with our favorite quarterback Colin Kaepernick, sans a team. (Insert rant: will somebody pick this dude up already?)

Colin’s giving tour landed in front of the New York State Parole Board on Sunday, where the former 49er handed out custom suits to recently released prisoners looking for jobs.

Colin’s doing the damn thing when it comes to helping out in the community. Keep up the goodworks, CK.

Now for some Obama news that doesn’t involve “health” or “care” ’cause ain’t nothing feel good about that ish.

Anyway, Barack and Michelle Obama announced making a $2 million donation to create 800 summer jobs in Chicago on Wednesday.

“One of the things that we’ll be starting this year is Michelle and I are personally going to donate $2 million to our summer jobs programs here in the community,” he said at the South Shore Cultural Center. “[It’s] so that right away young people can get to work and we can start providing opportunities to all of them.”

So take that, all you salty Democrats (**cough Bernie Sanders cough**) who chastised Obama for filling his pockets with Wall Street dollars. A cash grab former presidents have done for decades, mind you. At least Obama is doing it to help out his adopted city. To prevent more violence from coming out of Chiraq.

One Summer Chicago will be hosting summer jobs for the teens.

Cheers to more people like Obama.

Cha-Ching! Ne-Yo Invests $2.3 Million in Tech School to Attract Minority Coders

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Ne-Yo has been M.I.A lately. Perhaps it’s due to a new house, new baby (it’s a boy!), new album and upcoming tour.

Whew!! I’m winded from just writing that sentence.

Luckily, what hasn’t changed is his gentlemanly ways.

Hence, the Miss Independent crooner’s announcement of investing $2.3 million dollars into a San Francisco-based technical school, Holberton, so underprivileged kids can learn to code.

“Everybody knows that tech and all these things are the wave of the future,” Ne-Yo told Tech Crunch. “I just love the fact of what they’re doing with the school — that they’re making it easier for underrepresented people in the world of tech. They’re giving them a platform and access to this knowledge that they probably wouldn’t get otherwise. I think that’s one of the coolest things about this whole situation.”

Another dope thing is Holberton doesn’t charge tuition until after the student gets a job. You read that right. If and when they do, the school takes 17 percent of a salary.

Plus, the odds of getting selected are def in minorities favor—Holberton’s current class is made up of 40% female and 53% of color, according to Tech Crunch.

No wonder Ne-Yo is also a member of the Holberton’s board of trustees.

“I’m definitely going to be hands on,” he said. “I don’t know if I’m going to do every day because there’s this little music career thing that i’ve got going on,” he joked. “So there’s that but i’m definitely going to be hands on.”

Ne-Yo is definitely swapping the gentleman for philanthropist.

Chance The Rapper Donates $1 Million to Chicago Public Schools

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Aside from making good music, Chance The Rapper is always looking to help his city of Chicago in any way he can. In his boldest move yet, Chance announced that he is donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools during a press conference at Westcott Elementary School earlier today (see the full video below). “This check that I donated is a call to action,” Chance says. “I’m challenging major companies and corporations in Chicago and across the country to donate and take action.”

The news arrives after his meeting with Illinois governor Bruce Rauner last week, where they talked about public education and more.

Finally, some good news for Chi Town.

Written by Joe Walker OnSmash.com