*Deion Sanders was at the prime of his life in the mid-late 90’s. He had won two Super Bowls and appeared in a World Series. He was rich, had become a father and even released an album.

But as reported by The Undefeated in 1997, he drove his car off a cliff in an suicide attempt.

“I was going through the trials and tribulations of life. I was pretty much running on fumes,” he said. “I was empty, no peace, no joy. Losing hope with the progression of everything.”

Sanders recounted the suicide attempt in his autobiography “Power, Money & Sex: How Success Almost Ruined My Life.” He survived a 30- to 40-foot drop without any serious injuries. He then decided his life was worth living.

“I finally just got on my knees and gave it all to the Lord,” he said.

“Slowly, but surely, I had to deal with my faith, deal with my strength,” Sanders said. “I had to get a lot of Word in so that I could fight off the enemy. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my faith. People argue about what faith is, and who Jesus is, but it works for me. I’m not going to sit here and argue about who is what, and what is what, I’m just going to say it works for me.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Country Singer Kane Brown on Discovering He’s Biracial and Being Called the ‘N-word’

He began reading the Bible and seeking guidance from mentors such as Bishop T.D. Jakes.

“No one had told me that life would be tough going from one team to another one,” Sanders said. “Going from the enemy’s team, being one of his soldiers, to God’s team. That’s a tremendous turnaround.”

Sanders said he became committed to living a faith-first lifestyle.

“I don’t believe you can be at your optimum without your faith,” Sanders said. “Sports is sports, it’s a game. My faith is everything. It’s the gas that propels the courage, the truth, keeps me going. It’s the wind, it’s the wings, it’s the air that pumps into my lungs, that provokes me to live. Faith is everything.”

The former NFLer says he’s a member of Vision Regeneration Church in Dallas, led by Bishop Omar Jahwar.

“Finding someone that’s like-minded at this age and stage of my life is a delight to me,” Sanders said of Stand Together. “They give with no expectation, give from the heart. The want to fight domestic violence, homelessness, poverty, disenfranchised families. There’s so many things that they’re up against.”

The father of five children also works as a commentator with the NFL Network and he ministers to others.

“What people call ‘in the ministry,’ I call it ‘in my will.’ I’m in God’s will,” he said. “I don’t really get down with a lot of titles, this and that. I believe I’m just in God’s will. If he called me to minister to a group, or setting, or whatever, that’s what it is. That’s what I’m gonna do. I don’t really desire a title to go and do what I’ve been called to do. I think it’s only right to go.”

A new ESPN 30 For 30 documentary about Sanders’ suicide attempt will air January 31. The trouble began during his separation from first wife Carolyn Chambers, the mother of his two children Deion Jr and Deiondra. The end of his marriage propelled him into spiral downward with wanting to take his own life

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/deion-sanders-recalls-suicide-attempt-that-led-him-to-the-lord/

*Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson gave his mom a new home for Christmas and he shared his gift giving spitit in an emotional post on Instagram.

Johnson, 46, posted about the surprise on Sunday, writing, “This one felt good. Surprise! Bought my mom a new home for Christmas. All our lives growing up we lived in little apartments all across the country. Lived like gypsies on the road from one state to another.”

He continued, revealing that “The first home my parents ever lived in was the one I bought for them in 1999. They divorced about 5yrs later and as with life, stuff happens and things got a little complicated. Since then I always made sure my mom and dad have everything they’ll ever need – houses, cars etc. But the house this time is a special one and the timing is very meaningful. I told her to treat this card like it’s “Willy Wonka’s Golden Ticket” because she gets to choose any home she wants – anywhere she wants.”

Read his full post below.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Deion Sanders Recalls Suicide Attempt That Led Him to the Lord

Johnson also noted in the caption: “I always say, if you got a good mama, then you gotta [sic] pretty good shot at becoming a decent human being,” Johnson wrote. “And somehow, somewhere along the line I became one lucky SOB to be able to make stuff like this happen.”

In the clip above, you see his mother break down when she finds out the amazing news.

 Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-gifts-his-mother-with-new-home-for-christmas/

*Earlier we told you about Kanye West and Kim Kardashian announcing that they are expecting baby number 4 (scroll down for MORE info). Now, we can tell you about Kobe and Vanessa Bryant‘s plans for their #4, too.

It happened yesterday, New Year’s Day, that the couple announced they’re expecting.

“New Year, New Baby! Baby Mamba On The Way 2019,” Kobe posted on Instagram.

He followed up with:

“Vanessa and I are beyond excited to announce that we are expecting another #mambacita to go along with Natalia (15), Gianna (12) and Bianka (2).”

Kobe and Vanessa, 40 and 36 respectively, have been married since 2001.

Bryant retired from the NBA in 2016 after 20 years. Since hanging up his basketball jersey, Kobe has been involved in charity work and raising his family.

OVER? TONI BRAXTON & BIRDMAN SEND CRYPTIC MESSAGES SIGNALING A BREAKUP! – VIDEO

Up top, we mentioned that Kanye West and Kim Kardashian are having ANOTHER baby! Yep, it true.  Kim Kardashian and Kanye are expecting their fourth child, a boy, via surrogate, multiple sources confirm in the new issue of Us Weekly.

In August, Us reported that the couple, who used a surrogate for their third child, 11-month-old Chicago, had one embryo left, a male. Now he’s due to arrive “in very early May,” says an insider.

In addition to baby Chicago, the couple are also parents to North, 5, and Saint, 3, and another source reveals that 38-year-old Kardashian “always wanted four kids.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/kobe-and-vanessa-bryant-are-expecting-their-fourth-child/

*A few weeks ago the NFL announcement plans to strengthen its commitment to consider minority candidates when hiring coaches and executives in their front offices.

“Our focus was simply: How do we make the Rooney Rule better?” Robert Gulliver, the league’s chief human resources officer, said, referring to the rule adopted in 2003 and named for Dan Rooney, the owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers at the time who pushed for the regulations, reports the NY Times.

Now, the Rooney Rule will be put to the test.

There were seven Black coaches at the beginning of the 2018 season. On Monday, only two remain: Mike Tomlin in Pittsburgh and Anthony Lynn with the LA Chargers. Carolina Panthers Coach Ron Rivera, who is Latino, is the only other minority head coach.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Big Ass White Man Assaults Small Black Female McDonald’s Worker; Manager Just Watches – LOOK!

Four black coaches were fired this week, including the Jets’ Todd Bowles, Marvin Lewis of the Cincinnati Bengals, Denver Broncos Coach Vance Joseph, and Cardinals’ coach Steve Wilks. Cleveland’s Hue Jackson had previously been canned back in October.

via the New York Times:

But the next several weeks will unquestionably heighten the scrutiny on the N.F.L.’s hiring practices and how reliably, or willingly, the Rooney Rule will be employed.

Under the new regulations enacted a few weeks ago, when teams are looking to fill positions, they must interview at least one minority candidate from a list kept by the league’s Career Development Advisory Panel, or a minority candidate not currently working with a team. Teams also must keep detailed records of who they interview, which is perhaps a response to criticism from minority candidates who say they are routinely called, but not formally interviewed, by teams trying to do the least possible to fulfill their obligations.

After it was first established, the Rooney Rule appeared to be having an impact. By 2011, eight N.F.L. teams had coaches of color, the most to that point, or since.

Yet, at the same time, hiring minority front office executives did not keep pace.

With this latest shake-up of Black coaches, and the N.F.L. under pressure to increase the presence of minority coaches and executives, many sports fans wonder if the Rooney Rule is even effective, and if so, why does the future for minority coaches still look so bleak?

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/nfl-fires-several-black-coaches-after-vow-to-strengthen-the-rooney-rule/

*Dwyane Wade’s baby mama, Aja Metoyer, decided to be messy on social media over the weekend by seemingly shading the NBA star’s wife, Gabrielle Union.

The former “Basketball Wives” star, who shares a son with Wade named Xavier Wade, posted a picture of her C-section scar along with a message praising mothers who experienced a Caesarean birth. She added “LOL” at the end of her note… and that’s when things went left.

Fans are now slamming Aja because many believe she was mocking Union, who recently welcomed a baby girl with Dwyane via surrogate after many miscarriages.

One person commented: “So why did she remove the “LOL” from the end? The “lol” is what made it shade. Why put it? That was the purpose? Shade! She was throwing shade at Gabby. It wasn’t innocent. You still big mad he didn’t choose you, sis. Let’s just be honest with ourselves,” Celebrity Insider reported.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: ‘Hallway Harry’ Demands Black Man Prove He’s a Resident of Expensive NYC Complex

Another follower noted that influencers such as Kim Kardashian and Nicole Kidman also had babies via surrogate.

“Umm… Interesting? So, please “Add” a Shout-out to mothers who did not physically birth their kids or just hit “Delete” be authentic! Being petty looks small on your part, whether it was intentional or not. The timing is absolutely questionable! I am just saying, “Beautiful Single Mother” level up! Whether a woman birth a child does not make her connected or disconnected. It is simply in the soul, spirit, and heart of the woman! Salute to all mothers! Surrogate, Adopted, etc. Why did she remove the original caption? If you’re gonna stand in your truth stand ALL the way in it. You didn’t think the blogs was watching your ass because this doesn’t even match the previous explanation she gave when someone asked her about the LoL.”

But one defender had this to say: “Intentional shade or not, it’s her page and her journey (the caesarian) so she can post what she wants. I stated this earlier. And remember, ppl are feeling sorry for a person who admitted that they were a mean girl, who wished bad and was gleeful when other women of color had hardships. So….I’m not sure how people got all the negative foolishness out your post. I saw the post & not one time did I think of the other young lady. People just being messy.”

Another user added: “I don’t agree with the womb post if!! It was sent out of Anger!!, but kiddos for not signing over full custody… Raise your child, but please heal.. yeah it’s hard, but many mothers experience different hurt, regroup and start fresh. Forgiveness is Priceless.”

Aja has responded to her critics, claiming she wasn’t being shady at all and she slammed folks for being so negative. Check out her response below (via The YBF):

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/aja-metoyer-responds-to-critics-who-slammed-her-for-shading-gabrielle-unions-surrogate-baby/

*21-year-old Lamar Jackson will make NFL history when he steps onto the field for the Ravens in a playoff game against the Chargers on Sunday.

As reported by The Baltimore Sun, Jackson will start at quarterback for the Ravens AFC wild-card-round game, making him the youngest-ever QB to start a playoff game.

“I’m trying to taste that victory for my birthday Monday,” Jackson said, per the team’s official website. “I can taste it!”

Per NFL.com:

“Coincidentally, Jackson is attempting to break the record of another scampering quarterback, Michael Vick, who was 22 years, 192 days old when he ran over the Green Bay Packers in 2003 at Lambeau Field, becoming the youngest signal-caller to win a playoff game. Vick was in his second season.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: 7 Unacceptable Cycles Black People Have to Change to Move Forward – VIDEO

“It really doesn’t [matter to me],” Jackson said of his age. “I’m here to play football. I was 21 all year, so this is another game for me.”

Jackson was 7 years old when Michael Vick sparked his curiosity about the possibilities of playing quarterback in the NFL.

“My first Madden game was 2003, but I played with Michael Vick in 2004, and he was out of control,” he told reporters last spring when the Baltimore Ravens drafted him in the first round, The Undefeated reports.

“Just watching him on a video game and watching him on TV and seeing what he did, what he brought to the table with his team, winning games for Atlanta, it was like, ‘Man, I want to do some of the things he did on the field.’ So I would go out there on a little league game on a Saturday and try to do the same things and emulate what he did. He has been a big influence on me.”

Vick was 22 when he led Atlanta to a playoff win over Green Bay in 2003. Jackson will celebrate his 22nd birthday on Jan. 7.

“Lamar’s maturity has impressed me greatly. He’s very mature,” coach John Harbaugh said. “I think you guys see it — you see it when you interview him, players see it when he walks around. Like I said before, he’s very comfortable with who he is. That’s a sign of maturity for sure.”

 Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/lamar-jackson-set-to-become-nfls-youngest-qb-to-start-playoff-game/

*Chris Rock roasted the current state of comedy on Monday night while presenting an award at the New York Film Critics Circle Awards dinner.

The former SNL star took to the stage to present the Best First Film award to “Eighth Grade” director Bo Bunham but it turned into a short stand-up routine with Rock joking, “If it was five years ago, I could say something really offensive and funny right now, but I can’t do that anymore, so … heyyyy!”

The comedian also let the Academy know they shouldn’t call him for the Oscar hosting gig.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:  Critics Choice Awards: ‘Roma,’ ‘Black Panther’ and ‘Vice’ Are Top Winners

“Steve Martin is here. You should host the Oscars. You’re the best. Steve Martin should host the Oscars! Because I’m not doing it, goddammit! You’re not getting me.”

Martin has hosted three ceremonies and Rock has hosted the Oscars on two occasions, in 2005 and 2016. 

Rock also earned big laughs while introducing Burnham’s movie, saying,

“There are lot of movies out right now, but the best one about eighth grade is ‘Eighth Grade.’ It’s a touching tribute to the eighth grade! I never thought I would want to relive the eighth grade until I saw this movie. Bo, I could’ve played that dad, I would’ve fucking killed that part. but we’ll deal with that another time.”

The Academy, meanwhile, still hasn’t confirmed who will host the February 24 ceremony, after controversial jokes made by Kevin Hart forced him to step down as host.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/chris-rock-tells-academy-not-to-call-him-to-host-oscars/

*There’s a new “Ghostbusters” movie in the works that will reportedly be set in the same universe as the two original films, with Jason Reitman at the helm and also serving as co-writer.

Reitman’s father, Ivan Reitman, directed the original 1984 movie which starred Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, the lateHarold Ramis and Ernie Hudson as ghost-catchers in New York City. The original film grossed $242 million in the U.S. and more than $295 million worldwide, making it the highest-grossing comedy film of its time. At the 57th Academy Awards, it was nominated for Best Visual Effects and Best Original Song (for the theme).

The “Ghostbusters” franchise includes a 1989 sequel, two animated television series (“The Real Ghostbusters” and “Extreme Ghostbusters”), video games, and a 2016 female-led remake.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: 2.5 Million African American Men Are in the Upper Class!

“I’ve always thought of myself as the first Ghostbusters fan, when I was a 6-year-old visiting the set. I wanted to make a movie for all the other fans,” Jason Reitman tells Entertainment Weekly. “This is the next chapter in the original franchise. It is not a reboot. What happened in the ‘80s happened in the ‘80s, and this is set in the present day.”

There’s long been talk of a return to the Ghostbusters universe, with Aykroyd teasing fans as early as last year.

“This is very early, and I want the film to unwrap like a present. We have a lot of wonderful surprises and new characters for the audience to meet,” Ramis continued. “I’ve thought about this franchise and it has occupied a piece of my heart for basically as long as I can remember.”

Aykroyd and Hudson have responded to the news of the sequel on Twitter – although neither confirmed if they would be reprising their original roles.

As reported by NME.com, back in November, Aykroyd confirmed that a ‘secret’ sequel was in the works.

“I think we have a story that’s going to work and it’s being written right now by really good filmmakers. I can’t say their names,” the actor told host Dan Rather. “They’re a good team and they are making an effort to bring back all the emotion and spirit of the first two movies and then take it into the 21st century with a vernacular that’s needed today to get it across.”

Bill Murray is the only original Ghostbuster to not publicly comment on the sequel.

Sony says the movie will drop in the summer of 2020. Watch the teaser below.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/ghostbusters-sequel-confirmed-ernie-hudson-responds-watch-first-trailer/

*Soulja Boy hit up “The Breakfast Club” this week where he popped off about why Meek Mill is receiving all the praise for having the biggest comeback of the year rather than himself. The conversation became quite amusing when he also accused Drake of ripping him off, claiming he taught the Canadian singer/rapper “everything he knows.”

Watch his hilarious reaction in the clip above.

When Soulja is told Drake is “the biggest rapper in the world”, he jumps up from his chair and rants about how he is responsible for Drake’s success.

“Draaake?” he says in disbelief. “The n**** that got bodied by Pusha T? The n**** that’s hiding his kid from the world, but the world won’t hide from the kid. Aubrey Graham in the wheelchair?

“Drake?! Y’all n****s better stop playing with me in here. Y’all talking about the light-skinned n**** from [Degrassi]?

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Chris Rock Tells Academy Not to Call Him to Host Oscars

*Standing at an impressive 6-foot-9, weighing 220 pounds, the San Jose native Aaron Gordon is a force on the basketball court, now in his fifth season playing for the Orlando Magic.  He epitomizes values that are emulated by those who are successful like his outstanding work ethic, determination, and his devotion to performing at an optimal level in each of the games he plays.

Yet, Gordon’s gifts extend beyond the basketball court.  While he was given a chance growing up to develop his athleticism, education was heavily promoted and revered during his formative years by his mother and father.  The lessons that Gordon was taught by his family about developing and building a robust, healthy mind is the same insight he wants to pass along to the youth of Central Florida.

To achieve this goal, Gordon created CodeOrlando, a STEM education program that is in partnership with CodeFWD by Facebook, Sphero, and Orange County Public Schools’ (OCPS) Academic Center for Excellence (ACE).

Gordon kicked off his initiative in December and provided local Orlando students from disadvantaged communities the chance to learn computer science, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence through creative technology projects.  The program will provide a platform for students to participate in valuable speaking and teamwork skills, and give them the opportunity to hear from distinguished technologists along with visiting various businesses and colleges.

Through the Gordon Family Giving Fund, Gordon will financially support the coding program, which will officially kick off this year and ACE will teach and oversee the curriculum. On behalf of his charitable foundation, Gordon donated $6,000 to ACE  which will allow the school to provide the necessary instruction for the coding program during the school year, purchase the equipment that is needed to expand the classes, and conduct intensive summer courses that will include 30 students from the eighth grade to the 12th.   ACE students will learn to operate Sphero robotic balls through simple block-level commands by utilizing smartphones and tablet apps to create instructions that will cause the balls to perform in a particular manner, thereby, giving students a more in-depth understanding on how the process of programming works.

Gordon has a deep respect for technology and wants to impart to students how learning about this particular field can fun and rewarding.  The idea for his newly minted program CodeOrlando was cultivated from his youth where he was exposed to the benefits of the technological occupation based on his mother’s chosen career in Silicon Valley.

“Growing up this was something that was very much a part of our family with my mom working in the semiconductor industry,” said Gordon. “I understand the importance of all students being given the opportunity to learn and experience new things especially in the field of STEM.  I’m thrilled to be able to partner with giants like Facebook and Spheros on this labor of love and bring something to the underserved students in Central Florida.”

Gordon’s mother, Shelly Davis Gordon, had a career in high tech as a semiconductor for 35 years, working for such employers like Xilinx and Alera, a firm that was bought by the microchip giant Intel while she was still employed there.  She also worked on projects like Siemens’ first MRI machine and helmet cams developed for fighter pilots. Shelly Davis Gordon understood the importance of sharing her knowledge and started an after-school program that allowed local students to take old computers and dismantle them to know how they operated.

“We’d bring over 10 systems, and after three hours they would all be bits of dust,” she said. “That was their ‘aha moment,” states Shelly Davis Gordon. So it is only natural that her son would follow in her altruistic and educational footsteps by creating a STEM education program for the Central Florida community.

“I just want kids from a not-so-great upbringing who are underprivileged to have the same opportunity that everybody else has,” said Gordon, “I want them not to be cast aside because of the color of their skin or what they look like or if they don’t have both parents. I want everything to be equal and fair.” Which is one of the many reasons Gordon, along with the involvement of his family, is leading the charge to close the racial disparity in tech through his program. According to an article released by Pew Research Center in 2018, the editorial piece exemplified a dismal under-representation of black people in the technology workforce.  Blacks compose of 11% of the U.S. labor force but only represent 9% of STEM workers and adults with gainful employment that holds a bachelor’s degree or higher, blacks only represent 7% of the STEM workforce.  “It’s an opportunity for underprivileged kids to get a seat at the economic table,” he said. “It can give a chance on what could be a promising career. It’s not just about getting a job but creating jobs or creating a business for themselves.”

Facebook CodeFWD Program is a free online education program created in partnership with Sphero to increase the amount of underrepresented and female students interested in studying computer science.  For more information, please visit techprep.org/codefwd/

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/aaron-gordon-develops-stem-program-for-underserved-central-florida-youth/

*According to a poll conducted by The Athletic, 95 percent of NFL defensive players believe quarterback Colin Kaepernick should be on a team.

The former San Francisco 49er was the first player to kneel during the national anthem as a means of protesting police brutality and racial inequality. Kap has gone unsigned for the past two seasons. He last played in the NFL  in 2016 due to being blacklisted — as such, he filed a collusion grievance against NFL owners in Oct. 2017.

Eighty-five defensive players anonymously participated in the survey and only two reportedly said Colin should not be on an NFL roster, and two had “No comment.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: D.L. Hughley Says Listening to R. Kelly’s Music is Now a ‘Tough Call’ [VIDEO]

Players were also asked to name an NFL quarterback that Kaepernick should replace. Jacksonville Jaguars’ Blake Bortles was the top choice followed by former Buffalo Bills quarterback Nathan Peterman. The quarterbacks who received at least one vote included Eli Manning of the New York Giants and Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One player said he would replace “25 percent of the league” with Kaepernick.

Another player believes Kaepernick should be part of an NFL roster regardless of his role: “S–t, any team that carries three quarterbacks for sure, the third guy on that roster. And a majority of the teams with two quarterbacks, he should be the backup. And some places he should be the starter.” 

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/new-poll-reveals-majority-of-players-believe-colin-kaepernick-deserves-nfl-roster-spot/

*Jermaine Dupri  is a Grammy-winning producer, member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and star of the hit Lifetime show, “The Rap Game.”

As a super producer, Dupri gave the Hip-Hop world acts like Kriss-Kross and Bow Wow. Now he is creating a new crop of young stars. Season 5 of “The Rap Game” promises to be the most intense ever. The stakes are high for the young rappers – this season features a battle every episode – to try to stay on the HIT list and in the house.

Yours truly, EURweb correspondent Jill Munroe, sat down with Jermaine to discuss season 5 – including current and former contestants – the controversy behind his curated concert series for the NFL’s Super Bowl LIII and R. Kelly.

Dupri was selected by the Atlanta Super Bowl Host committee to produce a series of free concerts during the week leading up to the big game.

BLACK NEWS ANCHOR DETAILS HOW SHE WAS FIRED FOR HAVING ‘UNPROFESSIONAL’ NATURAL HAIR

There were some who felt Dupri should boycott the event because of the league’s treatment of former NFL star, Colin Kaepernick. JD had this to say on the topic:

“I’m from Atlanta and have been speaking on before people even wanted to come to Atlanta. It was a thing people weren’t even paying attention to it… As ATLiens, we have that midset that we have to do what we have to do to make our city rise and be the place we want it to be. And to turn my head or boycott during a time when the most people will be in Atlanta, and coming with the mind of where’s Jermaine Dupri or that person, it’s a hard thing to ignore. Without thinking of anything else, that’s my reason. It’s not about football…”

What can you expect? Old school acts like Goodie Mob and a Saturday night event that will take you back to the 90’s, as JD turns Centennial Olympic Park into a Freaknik experience complete with Mr. College Park himself, DJ Smurf spinning.

Be sure to check out “The Rap Game” Thursday nights at 9:00 PM on Lifetime.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/jermaine-dupri-defends-super-bowl-appearance-speaks-on-the-rap-game-r-kelly/

*Serena Williams took to Instagram over the weekend to share an adorable photo of her 8-week-old daughter Alexis Olympia, documenting her baby’s most recent bath on Instagram.

In the picture, Williams’ husband, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian, is seen holding their child — who appears to be wrapped up in a green frog towel.

“We love bath time,” Williams captioned the photo. 

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Blac Chyna Contributes NSFW Hook to New Mally Mall-Produced Track (Listen)

By the way, back in October, Williams and Ohanian dressed up their newborn as Batman to celebrate her first Halloween, sharing a photo of the precious moment on the baby’s Instagram page “When you realize you’re the hero Gotham needs,” the proud parents captioned the snap. See pic below.

As noted by E! News, Williams described finding out that she was expecting her first child during a home pregnancy test, telling Vanity Fair, “[I thought] I’ll take it just because (a) to prove you wrong and (b) because it’s fun, whatever. It’s like a joke, why not? An hour and a half later, I went back to the bathroom and I totally forgot about it because it was impossible for me…So I went back to get dressed and I went back in the bathroom and I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that test.'”

She explained her initial reaction upon seeing the test results by revealing “My heart dropped. Like it literally dropped.”

Last summer, Ohanian opened up about how he knew motherhood would come easily to Serena.

“She’s very good at a lot of things and well on her way to being an awesome mom too,” he told CNBC’s Squawk Box before noting that he will be going on paternity leave from the company.

“I’ll be taking off for six weeks myself and trying to do the best job possible as a new dad, a first-time dad.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/serena-williams-loves-bath-time-with-daughter-alexis-olympia/

*You’d think that a pastor’s life would entail living the quiet life which is devoid of all lavish possessions. All they’d do is spread the word of the Bible and hold sermons for those who would love to hear the Word of God.

In Nigeria, however, pastors may be doing all of the above – except they have quite the lavish life. Let’s not ask why, but dig into how. Pastors in Nigeria take 10 percent of the earnings from their entire congregations. How large is this percentage? Well, these pastors have fleets of yellow cars which have their own tailored license plates and are flanked with their entourage at all times. Some would even say that these pastors are coming to be known as nationwide celebrities.

All of this is only possible if you are a “prosperity preacher.” These pastors, if you didn’t already know, believe that their growth in spirituality can only be brought forward with the help of material prosperity. How though? By focusing their sermons on buying a Bentley instead of helping their neighbor, of course!

Prosperity preaching was a huge deal in America in the ‘50s through the 80s, and this is exactly where Nigeria got its inspiration. Somewhere in the early 1990s, prosperity preaching seemed like a great idea in Nigeria but there is one main difference among the two. The churches here are much more charismatic, colorful, and louder as opposed to America. Well, why wouldn’t they? The Word of God seems to be a huge deal in Nigeria.

Since the Nigerian society is fairly conservative and tight-knit, nobody has ever questioned the pastors. In Nigeria, the men of God work in a manner of hierarchies, where those on top of the hierarchy command the greatest respect. Alongside this respect, prosperity preaching involves wearing the most expensive clothes, having a garage-full of nice cars, roaming around with an entourage of well-dressed body guards, and enjoying all the perks of a 21^st century millionaire.

That being said, no one can be entirely be sure whether the followers of these millionaire pastors achieve prosperity. One thing is for sure though, until they can make people believe in the link between money and being looked after by God, the prosperity of these pastors is definite. So if you visit Nigeria, don’t be surprised by pastors rolling in a fleet of yellow hummers on a Sunday!

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/nigerias-many-mega-millionaire-prosperity-preachers-video/

*Now, we have to state up front that we don’t know the full story of what happened before we saw this big ass white man reach across the counter and assault a small black female McDonald’s worker, but we do know we saw him strike her first.

The video post above shows a McDonald’s employee, Yasmine James,  in St. Petersburg, Florida being assaulted by a customer – Daniel Willis Taylor, 40, of Clearwater, Florida – over what appears to be an order that went left.

Check out the video above. You see Taylor reaching across the counter and grabbing James who had taken his order. After he pulls her down on the counter, she fights back and attempts to break free from his grip.

“I am sick of seeing footage of men assault Women (often Black Women) and no one does anything about it. This conditioning contributes to the narrative that we are undeserving of protection and mark my words: it’s reaching a peak and turning into an invitation for our abuse,” reads one top Twitter response.

We’re not sure what the other (male) workers were thinking as they didn’t immediately come to the female worker’s aid. Finally, however, one of the males did step up and intervene and separate the two. However, it should be noted that the white guy/customer was allowed to stay in the restaurant as if he did nothing. Meanwhile, the young female was sent home. and later fired.

What’s also noticeable is that someone who might be the manager proceeded to walk over to the customer and checks his order to see what might have gone wrong. When the employee involved in the encounter, walked back over in the direction of the counter, the customer points to her and tells the manager  “I want her ass fired, right now!”

“No, you’re going to jail!” the Black woman yells back.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/big-ass-white-man-attacks-small-black-female-mcdonalds-worker-manager-watches-look/

*The world can see how the black community in America tends to fail from time to time. Even though the black community has faced oppression in the past, they have significant opportunities in modern times. Despite these opportunities, they keep finding ways to squander their possibilities and liberties- things for which their forefathers gave up their lives.

Some cycles and stereotypes the African-American community needs to change include the following.

1.     Sexual Promiscuity

The black community has come to be known as the leader in terms of existing and new kinds of HIV infections. Whether we are speaking about homosexuals or heterosexuals in the community, these individuals need to be educated to become more responsible.

2.     Children Out of Wedlock

Even though this claim is brash, but this particular concern was found to statistically account for about 70% of children in the black community. Even if this concern could be lived with, single-parenthood is not something a community should be aspiring for.

3.     Fear of Commitment

Very closely linked to the previous problem, the fear of commitment is also quite common in the black community. If you really think about it, it is quite impossible to revitalize the community without commitment and setting a standard for family structure.

4.

Fear of Commitment

Education has been known to be an element that unlocks endless doors. This is why education is something that should be valued above all else in the black community. People in the community need to set themselves in a manner to build a whole career instead of simply holding a menial job.

5.     Excessive Cursing

Cursing excessively is a sign of the inability to articulate. If an individual uses curse words to simply prove their point, they seem ignorant and dimwitted. People in the black community should, therefore, look into this issue and use real words in order to be heard.

6.     Adornment of Ignorance

There is absolutely nothing wrong with speaking the correct form of English, having high levels of self-respect, and getting good grades. This does not mean that someone is ‘acting white.’ In fact, this should be the new ‘acting black!’

7.     Intra-Racial Discrimination

Our community also consists of a broad spectrum of colors, which is why we should also be careful about the placement of one color over the other. If we get rid of divisiveness, we are a force to be reckoned with.

It will take a combination of behavioral changes and renewed thinking in order to beautifully reshape our community. Yes, some of our brother, sisters, fathers, or mothers perpetuated these cycles. But you know what they say – a change starts with just one.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/7-unacceptable-cycles-black-people-have-to-change-to-move-forward-video/

*Here’s the jobs report from December. U.S. employers added 312,000 positions last month and in the process, extremely out paced Wall Street’s expectations of an increase of “only” 177,000 jobs. The low expectation came on the heels of a tumultuous month for the markets that saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 post their worst performance since the Great Depression.

The unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent, while the labor force participation rate also rose slightly to 63.1 percent from 62.9 percent during the month. Average hourly earnings meanwhile rose by 11 cents to $27.48. Over the year, average hourly earnings have increased by a total of 84 cents, or about 3.2 percent.

Although experts categorized the gains as unsustainable, they also said it meant an economic recession may not occur as soon as once believed.

“The U.S. economy will eventually fall into recession, maybe as soon as next year, but the December employment report indicates that this isn’t going to happen anytime soon,” said David Berson, the chief economist at Nationwide.

*The name Solomon ‘RC’ Ali might seem obscure to you right now, but if you’re at the high end of technology and use your phone as a means to lock or unlock the door to your house, his name should ring a bell. Pun intended. You’ve seen the commercials: A FEDEX, UPS, or Amazon delivery person rings your doorbell. You’re not home, but your phone, and its camera, alerts you that someone is there. “May I help you?” you ask. “I have a delivery,” is the response. At this point you can unlock your door, allow them to place the package inside, and lock the door when they leave.

Thing is: you’re in Tahiti. Something they will never know!

What about this scenario: Porch pirates! Someone rolls up on a bike and decides to help themselves to the packages left on your porch. Having the right technology would at least allow you to see who the culprit was.

Revolutionary Concepts, one of Solomon Ali’s two companies, owns the intellectual property as well as the patents to this technology. In fact, Ali, who has been listed multiple times in Black Enterprise Magazine’s “Top 100 Black American Entrepreneurs” currently holds sixteen live and active patents that his company licenses out to retailers including Amazon, Livewatch Security LLC, Alarmforce NC Inc. and SkyBell.

…and that’s just to name a few.

FUNK LEGEND BOOTSY COLLINS REVEALS REASON WHY HE CAN NO LONGER PLAY LIVE CONCERTS

In a telephone interview with EURweb publisher, Lee Bailey, Mr. Ali talks about his journey and his desire to help African American entrepreneurs and business owners bring their ideas and concepts to fruition.

“Revolutionary Concepts is just a company that I manage…I’m the CEO. The Intellectual Properties that it holds is 2-way audio/video locking and unlocking of the doors. That’s the technology. We hold a bunch of different patents for that particular technology. We license that technology out to all types of companies… a bunch of different licensees (and) sub-licensees.”

So that’s one company.

Ali also heads the company Universal Bio Energy, an independent diversified energy company incorporated in August 2004. Reuters states the company’s primary business is the production, marketing, and sales of natural gas, propane, coal, petroleum, (Bonnie Light Crude Oil), liquefied natural gas (LNG), refined petroleum products, including jet fuel (JP-54 and Jet A-1), D2 Gas Oil/Diesel Fuel, and electricity. Through its subsidiary, NDR Energy Group LLC, it has contracts to sell natural gas to around 31 public utilities, electric power producers and local gas distribution companies that serve commercial, industrial, and residential customers throughout the United States.

“I raised and arranged lots of financing for that company to grow its business,” Ali tells Lee Bailey when speaking of UBE. “It’s a $60-70 million dollar energy company. That’s approximately what we did in sales last year.

…and check this:

A panel on the popular investment TV show, Shark Tank, had denied the video-doorbell when it was pitched to them in 2013. You know they are kicking themselves…still.

But I am getting ahead of myself here. Let’s backup a minute, shall we?

Sure Solomon Ali holds major degrees from esteemed universities. But from his conversation with Mr. Bailey, it’s easy to sense his most valuable and appreciated lessons came from The School of Hard Knocks; where one particular hard knock inspired him to make two drastic, personal changes. One: shed his birth name (Richard Carter) like a layer of old skin, and two: change his ways — from a self-titled “dictator” to a more peaceful and compassionate person.

He explains…“Well, I was running a fairly large business. We had just under 500 employees and we were doing quite a bit in revenue. All of a sudden, after many years of being in business, I had some regulatory issues which later they stated, ‘Well, we’re sorry. That was a mistake. And those mistakes are very costly to one in business because they don’t pay you for those mistakes. All they can say is ‘we’re sorry’ and turn around and tell you that you have the right to sue them. Well it’s kind of hard to sue a government agency and it takes a lot to sue one, and it also takes a lot of time….So the apology was enough, since I really didn’t have the resources to go after them.”

Ouch!

Mr. Ali believes the problems came about because, as he puts it, “some people wanted more money and a bigger stake in the company.”

ELLEN DEGENERES GETTING FIERCE BACKLASH AFTER DEFENDING KEVIN HART DURING INTERVIEW – VIDEO

Cut to the chase: He lost the business — a chain of successful nursing homes, with assets valued at $100M dollars, and subsequently spiraled into a spell of depression, which forced him to self-reflect. A man of deep Christian faith he started to entertain thoughts such as, when I was on top running my multi-million-dollar business, how did I treat my employees? What kind of boss was I?

 He wasn’t pleased with what he saw. In his eyes it didn’t reflect the Christian way. He realized these people have families. They have their own lives.

“After I lost that I turned around and walked on some barges. I didn’t want anything to do with business whatsoever. At all! Under no circumstances because I felt like, “Wow, I did everything right. I did everything I was supposed to do. I’d worked 7 days a week, 15, 16 hours a day for 8, 9 years only to have that to be the outcome through no fault of my own.”

Fortunately, and thanks to friends who had witnessed his business savvy up close, Ali didn’t have the “luxury” of remaining depressed. Business needed him! Friends started asking for his help to raise money for their ventures. They wanted him to share his expertise on how to go about taking their idea(s) to the monetizing stage.

After a bit of resistance, he agreed to negotiate with lenders on their behalf and share his expertise on building a presentable package, but made sure they knew that they would have to do the heavy lifting.

He tells Lee Bailey:

“So I guess what we’re talking about is how do I help other entrepreneurs or business owners take their idea from where it is and take it through the different stages to developing a true business that’s scalable. How do we take it to a business that they can live on, with employees, and have it benefit our society?”

“I think the best way to go into that is to state that when I look into a business or anything, I look at what service or problem have they solved? Take it from a biblical standpoint,” he adds.

Clearly, Solomon Ali’s vision going in is not only how the business will benefit a particular company, but what does it do to benefit society. This is how he assists minorities in particular and all business owners in general, in upgrading their business models. With his expertise businesses are now able to secure their intellectual properties, raise funding, form strategic alliances, bring their products to market and make them scalable.

At the end of the day, Solomon ‘RC’ Ali wants entrepreneurs and business owners out there to know this: “You would find me when you are looking to grow your business. How do you strategically grow your business within the marketplace? And then second, you would look for me to help you arrange financing through either banks or different investors. Bringing them to the table and sharing with them why they should invest and things of that nature.

Ali states further, something extremely important; and something this writer and many of you have cringe-watched on Shark Tank pitches time and again. “A lot of business owners have no idea of what they should give up. Whether they should do what’s called an Equity deal with investors, whether they should do a Debt deal with banks or investors? Some that think they may know, they realize they have no idea what they should give up.”

Ali lays out an all-too-familiar scenario…

“You go to a venture capital company and what do they do? They want to take controlling interest in everything because it’s their capital. So, I’m kind of that buffer,” he says. “One: You have to respect the money, because they bring great value to the table, and if you respect the money you’ll have access to more money down the road. And two, you have to understand what the money is looking to get in your deal, but also as their exit out of your deal. So, they are looking for a particular return on capital, they’re also looking for that return on investment. Things of that nature. So let’s break it down”: They are looking to the net present value…how long do they have to be ‘in’ before they see a return, and how do they get out? Is this a safe venture for them? How is their money protected?”

It is precisely this kind of expertise that Solomon ‘RC’ Ali uses to bridge the gap. With his assist, the entrepreneur is educated on how to build an all-around package that can be presented to a bank or investor with confidence.

For more information on Solomon ‘RC’ Ali, his companies Revolutionary Concepts and Universal Bio Energy, go to at https://www.solomonrcali.info/

About writer DeBorah B. Pryor:

Former personal assistant to funk legend, Sly Stone, DeBorah B. Pryor began her journalism career backstage at the Apollo in New York City 45 years ago. She has been a writer with the Electronic Urban Report (EURweb) since 2003. As a senior editor with the site, she has written hundreds of articles including theatre reviews, features, profiles and even served as editor of the publications’ blog site, EURThisNthat, writing daily news articles. In May 2018 her first nonfiction book, AREN’T YOU SCARED: Lessons from a Lady Rideshare Driver was published. Learn more about her at lessonsfromaladyridesharedriver.com or on social media sites Facebook: DeBorah B. Pryor, Instagram: deborah.b.pryor and Twitter: @pryor_deborah

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/solomon-rc-ali-biz-wiz-helps-entrepreneurs-and-business-owners-get-a-seat-at-the-table/

*We know R. Kelly is straight up dog, but he ain’t got nothing on this POS. His name is Nicholas Deon Trash er, Thrash. Nicholas Deon Thrash. He reportedly got a 10-year old girl pregnant after molesting her multiple times. Yes, you read that right. He impregnated a 10-year-old girl  after molesting her numerous times!  The good news, which is how we choose to look at it, is that he’s been sentenced to over 100 years in prison. Thrash, 34, will live the rest of his life behind bars.

Thrash, who is from Marion, Indiana, was sentenced to 160 years with a minimum service of 132 years, as per the Grant County prosecutor. During his trial in late August, Thrash was found guilty on 10 counts of child molestation.

LA CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS CALL FOR STEVIE WONDER’S KJLH/102.3FM TO BOYCOTT R. KELLY MUSIC!

Thrash initially told the jury that the victim lied and had other “sex cases,” but a paternity test proved that there was a 99.9999 percent probability that Thrash was the father of the baby the victim gave birth in September 2017 at the age of 11. Later on, he claimed that he never molested the girl and it was the girl’s mother, his girlfriend Jennifer Lynn Hand, who inseminated the girl using his sperm.

(What?! This creep actually thought someone was going to believe that?)

Meanwhile, the unidentified victim, testified that Thrash molested her at least 15 times over many months in 2016 and 2017. The jury believed her testimony.

That’s not all. Thrash’s girlfriend is also facing charges in connection with the case, which includes neglect, aiding in child molesting, and assisting a criminal. She allegedly knew that her daughter was pregnant when she was trying on dresses for school dance but she did not report it to the authorities and made false claims that it was a classmate who impregnated her.

Source Link: hhttps://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/nicholas-deon-thrash-sentenced-to-160-years-for-impregnating-10-yr-old-girl/

*Are white people capable of understanding the plight of the African-American community? This question usually revolves around in the mind of well-meaning white people,  but they never know what to do next. Naturally, this is a difficult stance given the 200 years of oppression the African-American community had to endure.

Well, any black person will advise white people to form an authentic connection or an understanding with them first. This could also mean empathizing with them to the extent that white people can see the world through the eyes of a black person.

That being said, it is also important to understand why so many among the white community are completely oblivious to the black experience. Imagine yourself in the place of a white person who has a black friend, coworker, or neighbor. These people will find no problem in sitting together and kicking back a few beers, but bringing out the piñata of multiculturism can be really awkward. They will never talk about how they can’t find a dermatologist who advertises his/her expertise in terms of brown skin. Nor will they ever mention their last experience of discrimination.

Talking about race issues makes everyone uncomfortable – not just well-meaning white people. Most will launch into political rants, some will bristle and some may simply nod along, while others will be stunned into silence or just change the subject. This is exactly why almost every individual in the black community has learned not to bring up race issues in a social circle. The typical message they receive upon doing so is that they should never do so again.

So we’re back to our very first point. How can a white person really understand what a black person goes through? Naturally, social distance isn’t an option as it clearly perpetuates withdrawal, suspicion, and a broken system of pain. The good news, however, is that white and black people can always learn to understand one another. It will take an amount of care, effort, and patience on both ends. It won’t be easy, but it will definitely be worth it.

What should a white person expect from such a relationship? What do black people really want? We want you to understand all the harm that is caused by discrimination. We want you to embrace all the cultural differences and simply tolerate them. We want you to celebrate our strengths and beauty. We want you to cry with us whenever hatred and racism wins.

We want to be able to connect with you as both – different and the same.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2019/01/can-a-white-person-understand-the-black-experience-watch/