Nashville Voice Celebrates Its One Year Anniversary

The Nashville Voice
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Nashville Voice Celebrates Its One Year Anniversary

Nashville is one of the fastest growing cities in America. It is often said that 100 people a day are moving to the Middle Tennessee region for the many opportunities that Nashville provides. While this number fluctuates at time, the facts remain that this area continues to remain very popular.

While to the outside world Nashville is the “It City” because of Country Music, Southern Hospitality, and growing foodie scene, what has been ignored is the deep cultural history of African Americans in this city.

There is a reason Nashville has been chosen to be the location of the National Museum of African American Music, Music City is much more than just Country. Historic Jefferson Street in North Nashville was once a hub for all Black music with night clubs that held performers such as James Brown and Aretha Franklin in the 1950’s and 1960’s.

It is the Jefferson Street area that was once the center for organizing the Nashville sit-ins during the Civil Rights era. While the protests took place in Downtown Nashville, activists planned their protests on Jefferson Street, with support by the Jefferson Street business owners and residents.

It is this same part of town that three Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) sit, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College and Tennessee State University (TSU); Meharry being one of only 4 HBCU medical schools in the country. The cultural impact of these three educational institutions on the city of Nashville has been felt for over a century. African Americans from all over the nation continue to make this city their home after completing their education. TSU Homecoming has become a “Nashville Black Holiday” according to some, with the entire city celebrating Black cultural for an entire week every fall.

Nashville’s nationally recognized food scene would not be the same with out the contribution of African Americans. Many of the Southern inspired dishes that are served for top dollars at restaurants in the city were originally cooked in the kitchens of Blacks. The very popular Hot Chicken that tourists from around the world now flock here to try was created by a Black family and was served in Black neighborhoods for decades.

Black Entrepreneurship is on the rise in Nashville. One only has to look at Buchanan Street to witness this North Nashville neighborhood’s growth being spear headed by Black owned businesses such as Slim & Husky’s Pizza Beeria and Elevate Cafe.

It is not just in North Nashville but throughout the entire city. From Antioch to Madison African American business owners are a huge part of the Nashville prosperity in recent years.

Yet during this time of unprecedented growth the stories of the Black people who live and die in Nashville remains virtually untold. Entire neighborhoods that were once predominately African American have been gentrified with many have little to no trace of their previous inhabitants. The local news rarely mention our Black citizens unless they have been involved in a crime.

This in a city where according to census.gov the population is made up of 27.7% African Americans.

It is in this environment that the idea for the Nashville Voice was born. A discussion was began over five years ago to find a way to tell the news stories that are important to get a full picture of the city of Nashville. in June of 2018 a group of like minded individuals gathered together to make this idea a reality. Finally in October of 2018 the website www.thevoicenashville.com went live with a goal to not just share only Black stories, but to give the news from a Black perspective.

It is very simple to understand why the viewpoint of African Americans are usually not taken into consideration in U.S. Newsrooms. According to a Pew Research Center analysis of 2013-2017 American Community Survey data, 7% of newsroom employees are black.

There is slightly more proportional representation in local TV newsrooms, with the Radio Television Digital News Association finding in 2018 that 12% of those workers are African American. However, only 6% of news directors – who constitute the leadership of such newsrooms – are black, up from 2% in 1995.

One of the Nashville Voice’s missions was to allow newsroom leadership that is African American. “African Americans have traditionally been underrepresented in existing news outlets and we know that local news media is a primary source of information for many people,” explained Nashville Voice’s Editor in Chief Nadira Freeman. “We focus on news and events that have a unique interest and impact for Nashville’s diverse audience from the point of view of people who live, work, eat, and play in those communities.”

Nadira Freeman
Nashville Voice Editor in Chief Nadira Freeman

Freeman, along with the Nashville Voice’s Managing Editor Jason Luntz, has committed this news source to communicate the successes, challenges, and stories that are relevant to the urban community.

Online News

As print sales continue to decline more people are gaining their news from their mobile devices. Online, there are now organizations that only use websites to tell the news, giving people access to topics they find interesting. The social network giants, Facebook and Twitter, allow people to follow organizations and others that continue to post the news stories that are important to them. Mobile devices have applications that can use key words to send relevant stories at a blink of an eye.

The Nashville Voice made a decision to focus on capturing the online news market for their audience. African Americans are traditionally more interactive with online news sources than their white counterparts. According to Pew Research Blacks are more likely to follow online news with a physical action such as sharing the article on social media or saving the article to read again later.

“Black people are very engaged in news they find important online and will seek out stories they find important,” said Luntz. “We continue to provide our audience with articles they will not find anywhere else, and they continue to share them on their social media accounts.”

Nashville Voice Managing Editor Jason Luntz
Nashville Voice Managing Editor Jason Luntz

Articles with a focus on how African Americans are treated in the city of Nashville remained very popular during its first year. The Nashville Voice focused on the treatment of Former Metro Nashville Public Schools Superintendent Shawn Joseph during his time in office. Using both investigative and opinion pieces, the Nashville Voice was able to provide information to their audience that was not found anywhere else in Nashville.

Another popular group of articles has been the Dating In Nashville series. By hosting unique events the Nashville Voice was able to connect with its readers leading to articles that focus on real conversations happening in Nashville.

Yet is was Nashville’s 10 Most Powerful Blacks that helped to let the city know that the Nashville Voice had arrived. One of the most viewed and shared articles on the young company’s first year, it allowed many to realize the true economic and political power that African Americans have in Nashville.

The New Nashville

A city with this type of growth has many challenges including affordable housing, a growing crime rate, and gentrification. There are also many positives such as the music, food, and fashion scenes. The Nashville Voice is dedicated to covering the good, bad and ugly from a Black perspective.

The Nashville Voice begins its second year recognizing the Black Press that has been in the community for years. The Tennessee Tribune and The Nashville Pride have focused on the African American community in Nashville for decades. With that history in mind the Nashville Voice wants to continue their mission using the modern tools available to get news out to their target audience.

Together Freeman and Luntz have assembled a group of journalists who understand the history of Nashville and where the city is headed. Some of the best writers the city has to offer have dedicated themselves to reporting news that covers entertainment, politics, lifestyle and education. Following the trend of online journalism and remaining an independent newspaper allows the staff to make decisions quicker and to focus on the stories they realize are important to their audience.

As year number two begins the Nashville Voice is prepared to bring the news that no one else is covering. Through their website and social media you can guarantee access to a side of Nashville you will not see anywhere else.

Investing in Homecoming Increases Your Business Profit!

Nzingah Walker
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Investing in Homecoming Increases Your Business Profit!

During the fall across the country colleges are participating in Homecoming season. October and November will see homecoming celebrations at colleges in Tennessee like Vanderbilt University, Meharry, Fisk University, Tennessee State University, Middle Tennessee State University, University of Tennessee, University of Memphis, Lane College, and others. All colleges have annual homecomings, and it is tradition for certain events to take place like parades, concerts, football games, and royal balls to honor the college.

Although homecoming is a time of fun, it is also a business. Instead of spending so money during this specific week, many people are making money instead. With more tourist than usual, even small Mom and Pop shops see their profits increase and a piece of the financial impact homecoming brings to the city.

Former Miss TSU alumni Sharonda Walker, believes the key to making money is starting with what others see as a talent you have. “Whatever you are good at, you can make some money even if it’s small. All you have to do is try,” said Walker.

A local mechanic who attended Fisk University used his homecoming weekend to make money by baking. He was always told he had a gift in the kitchen with treats and created a little business for one week by selling all types of delicious desserts during TSU’s Homecoming week. The desserts included: Rice Crispy’s, Brownies, Chocolate Macadamia cookies, cakes, and more. He spent a little buying the ingredients but made over $200 a day selling his treats.

A current senior at MTSU, Keishunna Smith used her homecoming to make some quick money with by providing lettering for Greek Organizations. She was told by friends and family that her lettering designs were neat and unique. Smith contacted greeks that she knew about lettering their jackets and cups. With MTSU’s homecoming taking place over this past weekend, Smith made more money during homecoming than with her current employed job.

Homecomings are every year so if you are interested in making a profit instead of spending your money, start thinking now. Now is the time to think about what talents can you use to make some money next homecoming season.

Need help with brainstorming business ideas, here’s a link to help you. https://www.score.org/blog/4-steps-brainstorming-great-new-business-idea

Cultural Greatness in the International Black Film Festival

Mike Patton
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Cultural Greatness in the International Black Film Festival

Nashville is known for many things. We have the Tennessee Titans, who are fighting to make the playoffs. We have the Nashville Predators, who just started and are doing well so far. And then there is country music, where people who aren’t from Nashville know this city the most for. In Black Nashville, the city is known for Tennessee State University, Fisk University, hot chicken and Slim and Husky’s. One thing the city of Nashville should be known for, however, is the International Black Film Festival.

The festival was started over 14 years ago by Hazel Joyner-Smith with Hazel’s daughters, Ivy and Ingrid Brown, responsible for executing the operation of the festival the last fourteen years as well. It is truly a family affair with one goal in mind according to Ingrid. “Our goal is to make it about telling stories and giving people access and opportunity to tell their stories because a lot of times, Black people are boxed out and blocked out of opportunities.” She continued, “So, we wanted to provide a venue for filmmakers, content creators and even the community to be a part of the process.”

(l-r) Ingrid Brown, Hazel Joyner-Smith, Ivy Brown (Photo by: Charles Putnam)
(l-r) Ingrid Brown, Hazel Joyner-Smith, Ivy Brown (Photo by: Charles Putnam)

The film festival brought over 40 films this year, including the premiere of Black and Blue and the movie Foster Boy. Along with the films, the festival also brought Black and Blue director Deon Taylor, actor Woody McClain, actress Gabrielle Dennis and casting director Twinkie Byrd just to name a few gracing Nashville with their presence.

The film festival gives chances to those who are trying to break films, but it also provides an educational piece to it, with McClain, Dennis and Byrd answering questions and Taylor having a question-and-answer session after the showing of his film Black and Blue. Not only did each of them answer questions, but they inspired young filmmakers and actors from Belmont and Tennessee State University that were at the event.

The event put together by Joyner-Smith and her daughters is not only a star-studded event, but an event that is educational, thought-provoking and inspiring. And in creating this event, a legacy has been built. A legacy of building, growing for our people and in Black people taking control of the creative processes in filmmaking.

Many people talk about the HBCU’s in Nashville and their importance, but the International Black Film Festival is a class in its own right. It provides the opportunity to see Black people in control of our own stories and it also provides the platform for filmmakers, actors and actresses to share knowledge and help one another reach their dreams.

All of this happening in the city of Nashville and all of this spawned from the mind of Hazel Joyner-Smith.

Here is the list of award-winners from this year’s events

– Best Long Documentary: Two Beats, One Soul
– Best Short Documentary: Beating the Odds
– Best Narrative Short: First Day Back
– Best Narrative Feature: Foster Boy
– Best Animation: Discharged
– Best of the Festival: Foster Boy
– Best Social Justice Film: The Talk
– Audience Choice: Loreen’s Gotta Boogie
– Best International Film: Tuition (Canada)
– Honorable Mention: Saving Billy
– Best Inspirational Film: E:60 :Identity: The Deland Mccullough Story
– Best Student Film: Skin I’m In
– Best Web Series: CHI-nanigans
– Best of Tennessee: The Past is Prologue
– Best Children & Youth Film: What if…then what?

Trump gets cheers, ‘lock him up’ chants at World Series in DC

CNN Newsource
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Trump gets cheers, ‘lock him up’ chants at World Series in DC

By Noah Gray

(CNN) — President Donald Trump received a mix of cheers and boos as he was shown to the crowd at the World Series.

The President and First Lady Melania Trump sat in a suite behind home plate at Nationals Park, joined by some Republican members of Congress including Rep. Steve Scalise, Sen. Lindsay Graham, and Rep. Matt Gaetz, when they were shown on the videoboard in right field during a salute to veterans.

As a shot of US troops came on the screen during the Nationals’ “Wave Your Caps” mid-inning segment, the stadium erupted in cheers before a shot of Trump appeared.

The crowd’s response shifted to boos instead of cheers, to which Trump smiled and continued to wave. The screen then cut back to the troops and read, “thank you for your service.” The boos dropped off, but were still in existence.

After the salute was over, people in some sections of the crowd pointed angrily at the suite Trump was sitting in and chanted “lock him up.”

In the outfield seats, the boos and chants of “lock him up” rang loud.

Trump was later seen watching intensely during the traditional Presidents’ Race, which pits giant caricatures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt in a race. The 45th president did not applaud when the character dressed as No. 26 Teddy Roosevelt won.

Trump also did not participate in the “Baby Shark” salute to Nationals outfielder Gerardo Parra before his at-bats.

Frequent Trump critic and chef José Andrés threw out the ceremonial first pitch of the game. Though Trump has thrown the first pitch at past MLB games, and was asked if he wanted to do so Sunday, he declined and he has not done it since becoming president. Trump and the first lady arrived shortly after Andrés threw the first pitch.

The Trumps departed before the top of the 8th inning.

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™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

What makes soda so addictive?

CNN Newsource
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What makes soda so addictive?
By Lisa Drayer, CNN

(CNN) — Slashing soft drinks from your diet is a quick way to improve your health and lose weight — that much you probably already know.

But actually giving up your soda habit isn’t always an easy task. While some people can function just fine without soft drinks, others find they need their fix starting at breakfast.

And we’re not only talking about the sugary kind. For some, a daily soda ritual includes chugging multiple cans of artificially sweetened beverages, which aren’t much better.

So what is it about soda — both regular and diet — that makes it so addictive?

According to Gary Wenk, director of neuroscience undergraduate programs at the Ohio State University and author of “Your Brain on Food,” it’s all in the beverage’s design. Your favorite brand of soft drink is engineered with just the right amount of sweetener, caffeine and carbonation to make you continuously want to grab and gulp.

The sugar factor

Consider the fact that a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola has a whopping 39 grams of sugar — that’s equivalent to about 10 teaspoons, and more than we should consume in an entire day.

But that rush of sweetness also appears to activate the same reward centers in the brain as drugs, Wenk explained. It triggers the release of the brain chemical dopamine in a region known as the nucleus accumbens, and as a result we feel euphoria.

“The sugar in the drinks … swish through the brain, you get the dopamine rewarding you, and then the effect of the dopamine surge is gone almost as fast as it arrived, leaving your brain wanting more,” Wenk said.

In fact, one review concluded that sugar can even be more rewarding and attractive than cocaine.

But satisfying that desire for more sugar can lead to larger cravings.

“The more soda you drink, the bigger the ‘reward,’ and as would happen with most pleasurable things, we develop an affinity and want even more of them,” said Cordialis Msora-Kasago, a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

A caffeine kick

Sugar isn’t the only ingredient to blame when it comes to soda’s addictive qualities.

There’s also caffeine, which is a stimulant — “and our brain craves things that stimulate it,” he continued. Caffeine not only speeds up our thinking but also has its own unique ability to activate reward pathways that involve dopamine, according to Wenk.

“Caffeine is one of the most widely consumed psychostimulants in the world … and it does have an addictive property,” said Dr. Marilyn Cornelis, an assistant professor of preventative medicine at Northwestern University. “[With soda], we’re getting the sugar high combined with caffeine, and that is quite a good feeling that might cause you to consume more the next day or another time.”

When consumed regularly, people often start to rely on caffeine to increase attentiveness, alertness and energy, according to Msora-Kasago. “They may feel dependent upon it and even experience signs of withdrawal, such as headaches and poor concentration, when they do not have it,” she said.

The fizz factor

There’s yet another element that plays a very significant role in soda’s lure: the fizz. “If you take Coca-Cola and sit it on the countertop for a day or so, how much would you enjoy drinking it?” Wenk said.

In fact, carbonation makes any drink much more addictive, according to Wenk.

Those bubbles add a small amount of acidity, which when combined with sugar intensifies the euphoric “reward” feeling, Wenk explained. Carbonation also has the ability to make sugar take a bit of a back seat — which is not to say that sugar doesn’t still exert its pleasurable effects, but that the bubbles blunt the sweet taste just enough to make you crave even more.

No sugar, same problems

Although diet sodas replace real sugar with artificial sweeteners, those may have their own addictive characteristics. According to Msora-Kasago, they trigger taste receptors that register the sweetness and expect sugar, essentially preparing the brain for a reward that never comes.

And when “the brain doesn’t get the reward it wants from its drink — the real sugar — it says, ‘go out and get me some more,’ ” Wenk said.

And, as with regular soda, the carbonation compounds the effect of artificial sweeteners — dulling the taste just enough to intensify our cravings and have us cracking open another can.

Rituals and genes

But why do some people seem to crave soda after soda, while others can have just one and be satisfied? It may have to do with some of the ritual aspects of soda drinking, which also play a role in our brain’s chemistry. Everything from hearing the pop and the fizz of the carbonation to seeing the words “diet” written on a can — an aspect of reward in itself for engaging in what is perhaps considered a “virtuous” behavior — can increase the activity of dopamine cells.

“Even before you get that first dose of caffeine in your brain, you are already feeling the reward,” Wenk said.

And that expectation helps establish a habit. “[People] are studying late at night, driving home or heading into a meeting, and that can of soda is the one thing that keeps them alert and engaged,” Msora-Kasago said.

Diet soda in particular may become habit-forming when it’s seen as the “healthier” choice. For example, it’s common to replace a regular soda habit with diet soda, which reduces calorie intake without giving up the actual soda habit, Msora-Kasago explained.

And at least one study suggests that there may be genetic underpinnings related to our desire to consume sweet beverages. In the study, people who had a variant in a gene known as FTO — which has previously been linked to a lower risk of obesity — surprisingly had an affinity for sweetened beverages.

“People with this FTO variant are more likely to drink more soda,” explained Cornelis, who co-authored the study. Though the link to lower obesity risk is counterintuitive, it is “a similar trend observed by other scientists” and something researchers are still trying to understand, according to Cornelis. About 20 to 30% of the population has the genetic variant.

Kicking the can

If you’re having a soft drink on occasion — say a few times per month — there’s no need for concern. But if you’re having more than one soda per day, you could be putting yourself at risk for health conditions that include obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes, according to Msora-Kasago. And drinking diet soda comes with risks too: consuming just one can per day has been linked to increased risk of stroke and dementia.

“The key is finding (another) beverage that you enjoy,” Msora-Kasago said. “Unsweetened milk is always a great place to start because in addition to quenching thirst, milk provides many important nutrients such as protein and calcium.”

For a lower-calorie option, you can enjoy a cup of unsweetened tea, which adds flavor and gives a boost of disease fighting antioxidants.

And water remains the tried and true beverage for better health. If you don’t like still water, Msora-Kasago recommends finding an unsweetened sparkling water that you enjoy, or making your own spritzer by mixing three parts of sparkling water with one part fruit or vegetable juice.

If you’re drinking soda for an energy boost during the day, you may want to check in on your sleep. Research suggests that there may be a link between sleeping less than 5 hours per day and drinking more sugary, caffeinated sodas, Msora-Kasago explained.

But whether getting enough sleep will actually discourage you from reaching for that can of cola is much less definitive. “The well-rested brain will encourage you to drink as much soda as a sleepy brain,” Wenk said.

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™ & © 2019 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.

Chris Rowland Sets New Record for Tennessee State University Football Team

Karz Miller
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Chris Rowland Sets New Record for Tennessee State University Football Team

On October, 19th Chris Rowland, wide receiver of the Tennessee State University (TSU) football team broke the school record for most receptions in a single season during the homecoming game against Austin Peay. The most receptions in a single season was 72 and Rowland entered the game with 70 finishing with 12 catches. With that being said the new record is currently 82 receptions in a single season but will more than likely increase with the Tigers having four more games left in the season and Rowland showing no signs of slowing down.

Known for his speed, the 5’8 180-pound receiver from Nolensville, TN has been with the program since his freshman year and has shown signs of improvement one season after another. Rowland during his freshman year also set the TSU single season record in kickoff returns, 42 and kickoff return yards, 965 averaging 23 yards per kick return, 8.5 yards on punt returns and 124.5 all-purpose yards (Tsutigers.com).

On homecoming night, the Tigers also reached another accomplishment and that was winning their first conference game of the season and doing so by taking down the number 19 ranked Governors. The tigers now hold an overall record of 2-6 and a conference record of 1-3. Their next game will be at home next Saturday on November 2nd against Southeast Missouri at 2pm. With no chance of receiving playoff experience this year, Head coach Rod Reed and the tigers look to finish out the season strong with back-to-back home games followed by back-to-back road games.

The New Sheriff in Town

Keenan Whiting
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The New Sheriff in Town

There is a new captain of the ship in Music City. Two weeks ago, the Tennessee Titans decided to bench franchise quarterback Marcus Mariota, and bring in backup quarterback Ryan Tannehill. Tannehill was a former Top 10 NFL Draft pick for the Miami Dolphins, and was traded to Tennessee earlier this year.

The arrival of Tannehill to Nashville, put a timetable on Marcus Mariota to play well. Starting the year off with a 2 and 3 record and having the second lowest quarterback rating in the NFL, began to spur talks of moving on from Mariota. Against the Denver Broncos, Marcus Mariota went 7 for 18 for 63 yards and threw 2 interceptions and couldn’t get any points on the board. Heading into the 2nd half the Titans decided to go a different route. Tannehill has been named the starter for the remainder of the season and already won over the team and fan base with two wins in a row.

The future of Marcus Mariota is uncertain, and one can only imagine if Ryan Tannehill continues to ball out, that Tennessee will began to explore trade options for the former number 2 pick. Maybe a change of scenery could be good for the once highly touted quarterback.

This is a huge opportunity for Ryan Tannehill to revitalize his career and help the Titans reach the playoffs. When healthy, Tannehill plays like a high draft pick and show signs of greatness. Hopefully he can be healthy for Tennessee for the remainder of the season because after his 3-touchdown performance this past Sunday against the LA Chargers, Tannehill has brought new hope that Tennessee can turn their slow season around. There is a new sheriff in town and his name is Ryan Tannehill.

3 Holiday Gift Ideas That Keep on Giving

StatePoint
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3 Holiday Gift Ideas That Keep on Giving

(StatePoint) One of the best parts of the holiday season is watching loved ones open thoughtful gifts you’ve selected just for them. Now suppose your holiday gifts went even further than just bringing cheer to friends and family.

For long-lasting global impact, consider these cool gift ideas:

Water Filter Bottles with Impact

Whether for the adventurer, eco-conscious hiker, or to keep your friends and family safe in a disaster, LifeStraw’s innovative line of water filter straws, bottles and household filter pitchers provides access to safe, clean drinking water and ensures every purchase has positive social impact.

LifeStraw products protect against bacteria, parasites and microplastics, while reducing chlorine, organic chemical matter, bad taste and odor. Built for longevity and portability, the brand’s bottles are ideal for hiking, camping, international travel and emergencies. In addition, the LifeStraw Home household water filter pitcher removes lead, mercury, PFAS and other contaminants found in tap water.

The best part? Whether you select a kid-friendly or limited-edition bottle, water filter pitcher or replacement accessories, your purchase has global impact because for every product purchased, a school child in need receives safe water for an entire school year. LifeStraw’s Give Back program involves more than just dropping off water filters and extends beyond a one-for-one donation. With dedicated local teams residing in Kenya, Mexico and other locations around the world, the program ensures sustainability through comprehensive planning, training, education and quarterly follow-up visits. To-date, the program has reached 1,870 schools worldwide, providing over 3.3 million students with one year of safe water.

“Clean drinking water is absolutely fundamental to human health,” says Tara Lundy, head of brand, LifeStraw. “We are therefore deeply committed to expanding our reach and making water safe to drink in communities not only here in the U.S. but around the world.”

To shop or learn more, visit lifestraw.com.

Sustainable Writing Tools

Some of the best gifts are those that last. Enter Sprout pencils. Not just ordinary writing and coloring tools, when the pencils become too short to use, your gift recipient can plant them, and over time, watch flowers, herbs or vegetables grow. The process gives the gift a whole new life. This is a great option for doodlers, writers, artists and anyone who cares about the planet — as well as beauty enthusiasts — as the brand now makes plant-able makeup pencils too. Learn more at sproutworld.com.

Soaps Supporting Women

Unique soaps and votive candles are always a thoughtful gesture. Now, these gifts can do more than just pamper. When shopping with the Adventure Project, purchases of delightful-smelling candles and soaps support efforts to provide women in Kenya and Tanzania with entrepreneurial skills, teaching them to make and sell clean cookstoves and solar lights. The program helps its beneficiaries earn a living and improves the health of their communities. To learn more, visit shop.theadventureproject.org.

Spread cheer at home and beyond with thoughtful holiday gifts that not only deliver delight to recipients, but at the same time, make the world a better place.

Zuckerberg said Facebook helped Black Lives Matter. Activists disagree and are bracing for 2020

CNN Newsource
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Zuckerberg said Facebook helped Black Lives Matter. Activists disagree and are bracing for 2020

By Donie O’Sullivan, CNN Business

(CNN) — Mark Zuckerberg last week invoked Black Lives Matter in explaining why he believes it’s so important to allow free expression on Facebook. But real black activists remember how Facebook allowed its platforms to be used to take advantage of BLM and African Americans, standing by as Russian trolls created fake pages and events and allowing for the biggest BLM page on the site to be a scam run out of Australia. They don’t trust Facebook to stop that from happening again and so they are taking the fight into their own hands.

The Black Lives Matter Global Network, one of the movement’s main organizing groups, has hired a firm to proactively monitor for disinformation and harassment campaigns targeting activists and on Thursday unveiled a new system to allow activists to flag suspicious accounts, the group told CNN Business. Across multiple social media platforms, the group says, it has found “tens of thousands of robotic accounts trying to sway the conversation” about Black Lives Matter.

“Look for accounts that post and retweet in unnatural patterns,” Black Lives Matter advises activists in new guidance on its website. “Some fake accounts are scripted to post 24 hours a day 7 days a week, with no sleeping.

“Also, be wary of accounts and those who claim to be in the US, but almost always post from a non-US based time zone,” it adds.

Lessons from 2016

Some activists have been exercising such skepticism for years — long before Facebook began doing so.

In the hours after Philando Castile was killed by police in Minnesota in July 2016 local activists became suspicious of an ostensibly black activist page that began organizing an anti-police protest.

It emerged more than a year later that the page, which was called “Don’t Shoot” and had more than 250,000 followers, was run from St. Petersburg, Russia, and part of a Kremlin-linked campaign that exploited black activists in an attempt to exacerbate racial divisions in the United States.

The Russians ran multiple Facebook pages designed to look like they were tied to Black Lives Matter and paid Facebook thousands of rubles to target ads at African Americans and even recruited unwitting black activists to work for them.

The biggest Black Lives Matter page on Facebook was also a fake.

That page, which had nearly 700,000 followers, was linked to a white man living in Australia and ran fake fundraising that brought in at least $100,000. People donating thought their money was going to Black Lives Matter campaigns — instead, the funds were being transferred to an Australian bank account.

A movement, targeted

Alicia Garza, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter, said she was “enraged” when she heard Zuckerberg invoke the movement in his speech last week in Washington, D.C., which was billed by Facebook as being about free expression.

“Movements like Black Lives Matter and Me Too went viral on Facebook,” Zuckerberg said. “[T]his just wouldn’t have been possible in the same way before.”

But Garza believes Facebook hasn’t done Black Lives Matter any favors. “What they care about more than civil rights is their bottom line,” she said.

Black Lives Matter hopes its new in-house initiative, where activists from across the country can report suspicious pages, will help avoid a repeat of 2016.

When an activist reports suspicious online activity, the movement’s digital security team will investigate and, if warranted, bring it to the attention of the relevant social media company

Since 2016, Facebook has implemented new policies that are meant to help prevent Russians from buying political ads targeting activists; added new page transparency rules that show where some pages are operated from; and has hired a team that includes former intelligence officials to root out and shut down fake campaigns.

But Kailee Scales, director of strategic partnerships at Black Lives Matter, told CNN Business that all social media platforms need to do more to help activists. “We need them to value and protect organizers as much as they do advertisers,” she said.

“We understand that, as history shows us, organized disinformation is a tried-and-true way to undermine the work of black organizers, bring harm to us, and bring chaos to our communities,” she added.

A bipartisan report released earlier this month from the Senate Intelligence Committee on Russia’s use of social media to interfere in the 2016 election and American life found that no group of Americans was targeted more by those operations than African Americans.

Earlier this week Facebook removed networks of fake accounts posing as Americans that were run separately from Russia and Iran — both the Russian and the Iranian campaigns included accounts that posed as black activist groups.

Scales said people need to “understand the impact of disinformation on the work of black liberation — that our messages are being co-opted and misappropriated by international actors attempting to cause chaos and disorientation in this country.”

Some progress, still enabling

Further antagonizing some activists is Facebook’s policy of allowing politicians to lie in ads they run on the platform and Zuckerberg invoking Martin Luther King Jr. in his speech last week.

Arisha Hatch, a vice president at Color of Change, America’s largest online racial justice organization, has regularly spoken with Facebook as part of the company’s drive to improve its platform for activists. Hatch said she believed Facebook had been making some progress in the area but that a lot of the good work had been undone by the company’s recent reaffirmation of its policy of allowing false ads from politicians.

“This notion that a politician should be held to a lower standard than the rest of their users is disgraceful,” she told CNN Business.

Hatch said the policy made Facebook an enabler of misinformation and that the policy had “emboldened the civil rights community” to speak out against the company.

Bernice King, the daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., previously blasted Zuckerberg for pointing to her father.

“I heard #MarkZuckerberg’s ‘free expression’ speech, in which he referenced my father. I’d like to help Facebook better understand the challenges #MLK faced from disinformation campaigns launched by politicians. These campaigns created an atmosphere for his assassination,” King tweeted.

Zuckerberg, who reached out to King after the tweet, told reporters on a press call earlier this week that “I think she’s right that these issues around hate and disinformation likely played a role in the environment around his assassination, and those are big issues and that’s why we work hard to fight them in everything that we do.”

“At the same time, one of the things that I find inspiring is that through everything that Martin Luther King Jr. went through, he never lost faith in the importance of free expression,” he added.

A Facebook spokesperson told CNN Business on Wednesday, “Our partnership with civil rights groups has led to important progress on issues such as voter suppression, hate and discrimination in ads on Facebook. We’ll continue to actively engage and seek input from the civil rights community to address concerns about our policies and products.”

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TSU preparing students for Nashville’s booming tourism industry

Lee Johnson
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TSU preparing students for Nashville’s booming tourism industry

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Tennessee State University’s Hospitality and Tourism program is helping students capitalize on the state’s multibillion-dollar tourism and hospitality industry.

Last year, Nashville took in $7 billion from tourists, according to the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation.

TSU’s College of Business is equipping students, particularly African-Americans and other minorities, with the tools to meet the needs of the booming industry in Nashville.

“The partnerships we’ve cultivated with businesses and organizations across the city have been vital to our success as educators,” says TSU President Glenda Glover.

“From the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp., to the Music City Center, to a long list of hotels and entertainment attractions across Davidson County, these community partners have helped launch careers for area university students. In return, these organizations receive ambitious, energetic young minds who help meet a growing employment need as the Music City’s brand continues to draw millions from across the globe eager to experience our rich and friendly culture.”

Dr. Millicent Lownes-Jackson, Dean of the College of Business at TSU, echoes President Glover’s sentiments that the university is in a unique position to provide students the very best education and workforce preparation in the industry.

Tennessee State University Hospitality Program (Courtesy Photo)
Tennessee State University Hospitality Program (Courtesy Photo)

“We are fortunate to be located in a city that is on the move!” says Dr. Lownes-Jackson.

“In 2018 alone, 15 new hotels and 131 new restaurants opened and Nashville was repeatedly named as one of the best travel destinations of the year.”

The College of Business dean adds that TSU’s Hospitality and Tourism program combines “rigorous academic training with real-world experience in the industry.”

Zuhair Al-Bunni is a junior majoring in business administration with an emphasis in hospitality. Through TSU’s Hospitality and Tourism program, he currently has an internship at a local hotel, and plans to one day be a general manager at one.

“The program at TSU is helping to give me real-world experience,” says Al-Bunni. “The market is expected to keep on booming. So when I graduate, I will have all I need to be successful in this industry.”

The university’s Hospitality Management program in particular gives students the opportunity to build their entrepreneurial, managerial, functional, operational, and analytical skill set to maximize their success.

Dr. David Baker teaches three different management courses in TSU’s Hospitality Program.

“We are part of the hotel association in Nashville, and one of the things they always talk about is having well-trained employees, especially at the managerial level,” says Baker.

“That’s one of the functions of the program here, to ensure that we supply the hospitality industry, in Nashville in particular, with well-trained employees who can take on these managerial roles.”

Whitney Snell is a travel agent. But she says she’s getting a degree in restaurant management at TSU because she wants to be able to better address her clients’ needs.

“I’m using this to better myself, to know what’s happening in the background,” says Snell, a military retiree. “When the clients say they want this or that, I’ll be able to say I’m aware of that, because I know how hotels work.”

There were 71,140 hospitality industry jobs in Nashville in 2018, and 15.8 million visitors traveled to the Greater Nashville area in fiscal year 2019, a 7 percent increase over FY18’s 14.8 million, according to NCVC.

“It is no secret that Nashville’s economic boom is intimately tied to its growing hospitality and tourism community,” says Marie Sueing, NCVC’s vice president of multi-cultural community relations.

“A professional workforce is critical to the continued success of this industry, and great programs such as the one offered at Tennessee State University will help to prepare individuals for the many career opportunities available in the hospitality and tourism field. Of equal importance, is having a rich and diverse workforce to ensure that visitors from all over the world feel welcome in all of our communities. TSU will play a significant role in helping to fill the need for these leadership positions throughout Music City.”

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