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National
Former NBA Star Launches Mobile HBCU Fundraising Campaign During Black College Tour
Tracy “T-Mac” McGrady wants to raise $1M per HBCU.
High School Students Suspended For Racist Text Messages About Black Class President
Anye Nkimbeng, 18, was elected senior class presi- dent at Lowell High School in Massachusetts. Nkim- beng said he was hurt after he read the racist group text mocking him after he won the senior class president race.
LOWELL, MA --- Six Massa- chusetts high school students were suspended after they al- legedly sent racist text messages in a group chat mocking their newly elected black senior class president.
The Lowell High School stu- dents used the N-word, referred to lynching and joked about ral- lying to "rule out Blacks" to make their school "great again" in their conversation after 18- year-old Anye Nkimbeng was voted into office
"I was sad and heartbroken," the rattled teen said.
The group chat, titled "We Love Black People," among about a dozen students went viral last week after the Tuesday election.
"F--- Black people," one stu- dent wrote.
"Rule out Blacks and #MakeLHSgreatagain," another said.
"That's why class of 2017 is the best. We'll be the first class in years to have a white presi- dent," another student wrote. One of the teens used the N- word to mock Nkimbeng's graduation speech, which he said would have Black people on their feet twerking.
School officials called the in- cident "regrettable" and apolo- gized to Nkimbeng's family during a press conference Fri- day."The vile and despicable comments that have come to light during this investigation will not be tolerated now or in the future," Lowell City Manager Kevin Murphy said.
The students were suspended but have not been charged with a crime. Police Superintendent William Taylor said the com- ments were "disturbing" but didn't amount to a criminal of- fense.
Nkimbeng said he has de- cided to focus on his job and brush off the hateful remarks.
103-Year-Old Back At Her Church; Members Fire Preacher
ATLANTA, GA — HBCU Di- rect, LLC (HD), a marketing collective specializing in HBCU relations, and former NBA su- perstar Tracy “T-Mac” Mc- Grady announced the launch of the HBCU Give 105 fundrais- ing initiative with a mission to build awareness of HBCUs and increase overall enrollment.
McGrady’s donation of $105,000.00 helped fund the proprietary software, devel-
oped by Give.mobi, required for donations to all HBCU’s col- lectively or individual institu- tions. The goal of the program is to raise $105 million or $1 million per institution. The an- nouncement was made during the first Tour stop of the Aspire Hoops-N-Hip Hop® Tour at Alabama State University in Montgomery, AL.
Donations can be made at www.hbcugive105.org.
Ga., after a dispute
with the pastor about his preaching style. Biggs, who calls it a "holiness style," argued with the pastor that that kind of preaching did not belong in a Baptist church. The pastor took issue with that and decided to expel the elderly woman.
When Biggs attempted to go to church after the decision, po- lice officers were called to the church, although they refused to intervene in the civil dispute.
Church members later voted to fire the pastor, but he initially refused to step down, going so far as to get a restraining order against Biggs and two other members.
However, now the 103-year- old Biggs is returning to her church, and her pastor will be the one never to return.
The Rev. Tim Mattox, who had been pastor of the church
for six years, said that following news of Biggs' explusion, he had received death threats. On Wednesday it was announced that Mattox was leaving, along with other members of the con- gregation.
During his resignation meet- ing, Pastor Timothy Mattox handed over the keys to Union Grove Baptist Church and other sensitive financial information.
In an exclusive interview, Co- lette Sabb-Burke (Mother Biggs granddaughter) said Pastor Timothy Mattox also handed over a check for only $2,500 that he said was the re- minder of the money in the churches bank account, a dollar amount that she says was far less than the $20,000 that was last recorded by ousted church secretary Mother Shirley Robinson.
Black-Owned Beauty Supply
Store Replaces Korean-Owned
Store After Ferguson Unrest
FERGUSON, MO — A Mis- souri couple has emerged as owners of the newest black- owned beauty supply store in Ferguson, MO following the protests over the killing of un- armed Black teen, Michael Brown, by white police officer, Darren Wilson. Several busi- nesses were looted and burned in response to this tragic killing and acquittals, including two Korean-owned beauty supply stores that had been a part of the community for many years.
Budding entrepreneurs, Mr. and Mrs. Gathungu, have been interested in beauty supply ownership for several years and felt now was as good a time as any. They attended a conference in Atlanta, hosted by the Beauty Supply Institute.
Their store opened after about 10 months of planning and preparation. The Gathun- gus enlisted the help of Beauty Supply Institute to come in and
Minnesota Black Lives Matter Group Hold Peaceful Rally At Marathon
ELBERTON, GA - - Genora Hamm Biggs is back at her church, the church she's been going to since she was 11 years old, and now she is in charge.
Last month Biggs
Ms. Genora Hamm Biggs, 103, is back
made news after she at the church she has attended since she
was expelled from was 11. Rev. Timothy Mattox initially re-
her church, the fused to leave the church after being
Union Grove Baptist fired, but finally resigned after receiving Church in Elberton, death threats.
Oregon Gunman’s Mom Allegedly Stockpiled Weapons
Mr. and Ms. Gathungu, owners of KZK Beauty Sup- ply in Ferguson, MO.
do the groundwork for them. They assisted with finding the location, lease negotiation, store design, procurement of prod- ucts, store setup and much more. They worked with the Gathungus from the time they attended the conference in At- lanta in August 2014 until they were ready for business in June 2015.
Beauty Supply Institute was founded in 2008 by Professor Devin Robinson, a 3-time store owner who was once crim- inally profiled while shopping at a Korean-owned store himself.
Rashad Turner, the leader of the St. Paul Black Lives Matter group, and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman emerged from Cole- man’s office after meet- ing Thursday morning.
ST. PAUL, MN -- Members of the St. Paul-based Black Lives Matter group have held a peaceful rally at the Twin Cities Marathon.
The group initially vowed to disrupt Sunday's marathon to raise awareness about issues between St. Paul police and people of color. But organizers of the St. Paul chapter of Black Lives Matter gave assurances they would not stop runners from finishing Sunday’s Twin Cities Marathon, Mayor Chris Coleman said Thursday.
Flanked by community or- ganizers, Coleman made his comments at a media briefing after meeting privately for more than two hours with Rashad Turner, the leader of the St. Paul group, and others at the mayor’s office in City Hall.
Coleman said protesters will be provided space to rally
near the finish line and will not go on the course.
“Sunday’s marathon went off as planned. Mayor Coleman added later, “But I also do want people to pause just a moment and hear ... what they are say- ing because the reality, folks, is anybody that doesn’t realize we have a challenge in this country isn’t paying attention to the facts.”
More than 11,000 runners participated in the 26.2-mile race.
It was reported that the group marched within 50 yards of barriers near the end of the course but did not disrupt the event. St. Paul police say no one was arrested.
A potential disruption raised fears among runners who had trained for months. The race is a qualifier for the Boston Marathon.
The mother of the Oregon mass shooter reportedly shut- tled her son to shooting ranges and stockpiled weapons at home out of fear of stricter gun laws.
The mother, Laurel Harper, a nurse who shared an apartment with her son Chris Harper Mercer, 26, spoke "openly about her love of guns, said the mother of one of her pa- tients. Harper enjoyed talking to her husband, an avid hunter and former member of the mili- tary, about taking her son to shooting ranges.
Laurel Harper allegedly said that she tried a shooting range close to the Umpqua Com- munity College campus in Rose- burg, Ore., where her son
reportedly killed 9 people last week, but didn’t like it “because it wasn’t very private,” the report says.
The woman
said she found
the whole situation strange, es- pecially since Harper knew her son had "mental health issues." Chris Harper Mercer suf- fered from Asperger’s syndrome and had “mental problems.”
The shooting was a grim re- minder of the 2012 Sandy Hook rampage carried out by Adam Lanza, whose mother Nancy supplied him with weapons.
CHRIS HARPER MERCER
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