In its newly released Death on the Job report for 2024, the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) revealed that the job fatality rate for Black workers reached its highest point in 15 years. The 33rd annual Death on the Job: The Toll of Neglect review went public on April 24 and detailed the concerning statistics regarding Black workers. The report aims to address the evolving state of job safety, spreading awareness and insight into where measures may be lacking. Suggesting policy changes and dissecting the safety standards within each state, the repo ..read more

In a recent interview, Cash Money co-founder Birdman stated that he has always had complete ownership of his masters and publishing; and still does. According to Complex, Birdman, who co-founded Cash Money Records in 1991 (once home to Lil Wayne, Juvenile, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and many other recording artists) with his older brother Ronald “Slim” Williams, told Steve-O on his “Wild Ride!” podcast that “100 percent” of the music put out by Cash Money is owned by him. Steve-O, who revealed that he recorded a song with Birdman at his house years ago, “From the Ghetto to the Swamp,” discussed ..read more

The number of Black-owned businesses will be among small businesses likely to surge with the fresh Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ruling that prohibits noncompete agreements. This is the take from John Arensmeyer, founder and CEO of the Small Business Majority (SBM) advocacy group. He provided BLACK ENTERPRISE with email commentary on the new ruling. Basically, the FTC voted on April 23, 2024, to block most noncompete agreements. The arrangements now block employees from working for rivals or starting a competing business once they depart from a job. At the same time, the FTC ruling is already ..read more

The New York Public Library system recently announced the return of the Schomburg-Mellon Humanities Summer Institute after taking a break in 2023.  The popular program, held at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem, New York, is designed for college students of color and beyond who desire to learn about African American, African, and African Diaspora Studies in pursuit of their Ph. D.s in the humanities. Restarting in summer 2024, the program is scheduled to run from June 17 through July 19.  If you are a rising college senior who is interested in pursuing a ..read more

Carmelo Anthony has introduced a cannabis brand that will give a portion of its proceeds to a nonprofit organization that looks to give back to the same community that was harmed by the government’s war on drugs that imprisoned people who sold cannabis. The former NBA player launched StayMe7o Cannabis on April 20, the day that celebrates the use of marijuana. The brand’s name is pronounced “Stay Melo,” a play off his nickname, Melo, and his uniform number, seven which he wore for the New York Knicks, the Oklahoma Thunder, and the Houston Rockets while playing in the NBA (National Basketball As ..read more

Legendary Motown recording artist Lionel Richie, who got his start with The Commodores in Tuskegee, went back home to open a park next to his childhood home in Alabama. Lowes Department Store partnered with the “All Night Long” singer to open Hello Park, aptly named after one of his greatest hits, “Hello.” After a 30-year journey, the park was finally opened with the help of Lowe’s Hometowns. The park is “a community green space for residents to gather and connect with nature.” Richie gifted Hello Park to Tuskegee University. WTVM reported that Richie said that the school and the students who ..read more

A woman in Chicago was recently convicted of first-degree murder after being accused of killing her landlord after she was served with an eviction notice in 2022. Sandra Kolalou was found guilty by a jury on April 22 of murdering and dismembering her landlord in October 2022. The jury took more than 7 hours and found Kolalou guilty of all charges, including first-degree murder, dismembering a body, concealing a homicidal death, and aggravated identity theft. The landlord, Frances Walker, was discovered dismembered when her severed head, arms, and legs were found stuffed in a freezer in the hom ..read more

Lucretia Johnson, a Black grandmother in Dothan, Alabama, said a white speech therapist, Haley Booker Shay, slapped her three-year-old granddaughter during a session earlier this year at a local clinic located in Doctor’s Center on West Main Street. Johnson has full custody of her granddaughter, whom she initially took to the facility for her speech impediment. She told BLACK ENTERPRISE that she usually stays with her granddaughter for the duration of her sessions. However, on January 25, she stepped out for a moment and, within ten minutes, heard screams from her granddaughter as she was alle ..read more

Former NFL running back Reggie Bush won the Heisman Trophy while attending USC (University of Southern California) in 2005. He relinquished the honor in 2010 after NCAA officials discovered he accepted improper benefits. After fighting for years to get the trophy back, the NCAA reinstated the honor on April 24. The Heisman Trust announced that it reinstated Bush due to changes in college athletics over the past couple of years. “I have always acted with integrity and in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA,” Bush said. “The allegations brought against me were unfound ..read more

With the viewership for Women’s basketball at an all-time high due to many contributing factors, the Atlanta Dream announced location restrictions on ticket sales on April 21, according to Fox 5 Atlanta, which caused fans to become angry with the WNBA team. The team stated on their social media profile that they were selling tickets in this way due to “unprecedented demand” before tickets were available. Only fans in the surrounding area were able to purchase presale tickets. Residents of Georgia, of course, as well as people living in Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, South Carolina, and North Car ..read more