Page 35 - Florida Sentinel 12-31-21

National
NFL Hall of Fame Coach, Broadcasting Icon John Madden Dies At 85
You Might Be Eligible For Up To A $1400 IRS Plus-Up Stimulus Check
John Madden, the Hall of Fame coach-turned-broadcaster whose exuberant calls combined with simple explanations pro- vided a weekly soundtrack to NFL games for three decades, died Tuesday morning, the NFL said. He was 85.
The league said he died unex- pectedly and did not detail a cause.
Madden gained fame in a decade long stint as the coach of the renegade Oakland Raiders, making it to seven AFC title games and winning the Super
JOHN MADDEN
Bowl following the 1976 season. He compiled a 103-32-7 regular-
season record, and his .759 win- ning percentage is the best among NFL coaches with more than 100 games.
"Few individuals meant as much to the growth and popu- larity of professional football as Coach Madden, whose impact on the game both on and off the field was immeasurable," the Raiders said in a statement, hours before team owner Mark Davis lit the Al Davis Torch in honor of Madden, the first per- son to ever light the torch on Oct. 16, 2011.
Before the New Year sounds, the IRS is giving some people another opportunity to re- ceive a stimulus check of up to $1,400.
You must have it done by De- cember 31, 2021.
According to The U.S. Sun, these payments are from the American Rescue Act that was signed by President Joe Biden back in March of this year. However, these pay- ments come with a couple of stipulations.
The plus-up payments will be sent out to people who re- ceived a stimulus check based on their 2019 tax re- turn or information that came from the Social Security Administration.
However, IRS.gov reports that you have to have earned less in 2020 than in 2019.
In addition, the IRS reports that those who used the non- filers tool, for previous stim- ulus payments, must file a 2020 tax return and claim all eligible dependents. People with an income of $72,000 or less can file using their Free File Program.
Applying simply requires you to file your 2020 tax return which the IRS will process and issue the additional stim- ulus for any eligible depend- ents. You must have it done by December 31, 2021.
Black Artist Creates Line Of Digital
Brushes, Wins $50,000-TikTok
Grant To Grow Her Business
A creative and entrepre- neurial spirit has led Vegalia Jean-Pierre to embark on a business venture that would ul- timately help her and other artists create a better represen- tation for people of color in art.
Jean-Pierre grew up in Plymouth and attended Wayzata High School, graduating in 2012. She went on to college at Iowa State on a full scholarship earning a degree in product de- sign with an emphasis on ap- parel.
“I wanted to build innovative products in the world,” she said. She started as a young entre- preneur, finding ways to earn her own money, something her parents fostered in her early on. One example would be when as a 9 year old, Jean-Pierre had her sights on an American Girl doll. She decided to make and sell balloon animals to make
the money to purchase it.
In high school, she partici- pated in Business Professionals of America, earning awards for developing business plans and
pitching products.
That entrepreneurial spirit
and skill-set drove her to create her digital tools for artists and graphic designers, inspired by a mission to create a positive rep- resentation for people of color, especially Black people, while also creating opportunities for artists.
In March 2020, she began using the media platform Tik- Tok, “as a way to more freely ex- press” herself through videos and art.
A lot would happen that year - from the start of a global pan- demic to the killing of George Floyd - that would inspire Jean-Pierre to become more of an advocate for change, using
Directed By Denzel Washington
TikTok as her platform. “TikTok has been a place for me to find my voice and to find my people,” she said.
It also created new opportu- nities along the way to build her brand and a business.
Under the profile @byvegalia, Jean-Pierre created videos and drew others and herself as different cartoon characters, that were representative of her and other people of color, with braids and curls.
Realizing it was taking hours to create the intricate braids using the digital tools available, Jean- Pierre created her own set of digital brushes that replicate Black hair textures, including braids, curls, locks, twists, and more.
The digital brushes went viral, garnering millions of views and thousands of sales all over the world.
Additionally, she just launched the Melanin Magic coloring book, a collaboration with 14 dif- ferent Black artists, which fea- tures 35 original melanated characters of color, including mermaids, magical girls, fairies, and more.
Now, her by.Vegalia brand of- fers more than 50 brushes through Clip Studio Paint, Pho- toshop and Procreate, with her most popular packs being the Procreate curl and braid set. Each of the sets ranges in price from $8-20.
Last February, she was invited to participate in TikTok for Black Creatives creator incuba- tor program, in which 101 cre- ators and artists were provided with career-building resources.
The three-month program al- lowed Jean-Pierre to learn ef- fective ways to post on TikTok and grow her audience.
“It was a great benefit to me,” said Jean-Pierre, who now has more than 500,000 followers.
It also helped her build con- fidence in her social media pres- ence.
It also opened the door for a $50,000 grant, which she re- ceived by pitching an idea for an app she is currently developing.
Without giving away details, she said it aligns with her mis- sion of creating a way for people to feel more represented online as well as create more opportu- nities for artists.
MICHAEL B. JORDAN IN A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN
for Jordan on streaming.
WHERE TO WATCH A JOURNAL FOR JORDAN: Right now, the only place to
watch A Journal For Jordan is in a movie theater which opened on Saturday, Decem- ber 25. You can find a showing at a movie theater near you. After the movie’s theatrical run, you will be able to pur- chase A Journal For Jordan on digital platforms like Ama- zon, iTunes, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu.
VEGALIA JEAN-PIERRE
Which one of you wished for a new Michael B. Jordan movie for Christmas or the New Year's weekend? Because Santa Claus has delivered with A Journal For Jordan, a new drama that opened in theaters on Christmas Day. If you missed it because of the 'Spi- der Man' billion dollar debut, you can check out 'A Journal For Jordan' this New Year's weekend.
Based on the memoir A Journal for Jordan: A Story of Love and Honor by Dana Canedy, and directed by Denzel Washington, A Journal For Jordan tells the true story of a 1st Sergeant sol- dier named Charles Monroe King (Michael B. Jordan) who kept a journal full of life advice for his infant son, while he was deployed in Iraq. In the film, the soldier’s fiancée, Dane (Chanté Adams), reads the letters to her son and looks back on her relationship with his father.
You already know this one is going to be a tearjerker, so get the tissue box ready. Here’s what to know about where to watch A Journal for Jordan and when to expect A Journal
And Starring Michael B. Jordan
‘A Journal For Jordan' Is A Must
See At Theaters
PAGE 20-A FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY FRIDAY FRIDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2021