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The future can be found in Atlanta – Essence

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Yes, you read that right. Atlanta is stuffed with young, Black trailblazers who’re motivated to realize their goals and fuel their passions, collectively and individually.

When you’re taking a vibrant hub like Atlanta and mix the ability of an HBCU with the support of an organization like AT&T (through the Rising Future Makers program) and the summit of Essence Girls United, it’s hard to stop the following generation of changemakers from taking the world by storm.

The future can be found in Atlanta

This yr’s Girls United Disruptor Summit will happen on October 12vol in Atlanta will bring all of those forces together on one stage to debate how HBCU decision-makers, including some AT&T Rising Future Maker alumni, have leveraged their authenticity through their passion to drive meaningful change and construct effective collaboration.

As in previous years, the primary theme of the Girls United Summit will be the subject of connection. Michelle Jordan, AT&T’s chief diversity officer (and FAMU alumna), reiterated this point when describing AT&T’s role at the highest, saying, “We are always striving to discover, connect and support the next generation of changemakers and leaders. Through programs like ours, we are able to amplify the incredible innovation taking place on HBCU campuses, placing an emphasis on students making positive contributions to our society.”

AT&T Rising Future Makers is a program honoring an impressive group of historically black college and university (HBCU) students who’re actively impacting and giving back to their communities and campuses. Over the past two years, 75 HBCU students from 14 institutions across the country have participated in this system, and we’re thrilled to have several program graduates join us on the Girls United Summit!

Kamina Griffin – Making Success Accessible

Kamina’s ultimate goal is to develop into a company lawyer, but she doesn’t wish to stop there. As a primary-generation college student, pursuing higher education and adapting to a brand new environment wasn’t easy, however it made her more determined to succeed. “Atlanta’s energy and culture inspires me to work to create real change in the corporate world by ensuring everyone, regardless of background, has a seat at the table,” says Kamina. “Being an emerging creator of AT&T’s future means having the opportunity to amplify my voice and the voices of those who might otherwise go unnoticed. With a passion for addressing important issues like women’s equality, socioeconomic equity, and diversity in spaces where it is often lacking,” she says, “The connections and support I have gained here and at my HBCU in Atlanta have given me the confidence to pursue your dreams and follow your career path with purpose.”

The future can be found in Atlanta

Christian Davis – Making Progress in Healthcare

Christian dreams of becoming a dentist and says living in Atlanta has profoundly shaped her dreams and profession path. “The presence of renowned hospitals and prestigious institutions allowed me to gain invaluable practical experience through internships and internships,” he says. “Additionally, Atlanta is home to many leading dentists, especially minority women, who have established successful practices of their own. Their achievements inspire me and serve as powerful role models in my own career.” For a Christian, being an emerging creator of the future means making significant changes and innovations. “It’s about using creativity, collaboration and resilience to overcome challenges and explore new opportunities.”

The future can be found in Atlanta

Kaylin Strahan – Igniting Passion and Gratitude

Kaylin strives to develop into an entrepreneur and advocate for greater representation in underserved communities. And although she now not lives in Atlanta, she is eternally grateful that her time there allowed her to witness her dreams develop into a reality on the campus of the town’s largest HBCU. “Living in Atlanta has provided me with invaluable resources that I will never take for granted,” he says. “I have been fortunate to connect with many organizations, which has been a blessing in my life. I am deeply grateful for the relationships I have built along the way.” She goes on to say that being an emerging future creator has been a really invaluable experience where she has gained lifelong friendships while discovering a community of passionate individuals who share her vision. She says: “I am incredibly fortunate to have such determined, like-minded people around me to support me, and I am immensely proud to watch them achieve their own goals.”

The future can be found in Atlanta

If you are inspired by Kamina, Christian, and Kaylin’s stories, it’s essential to try the Girls United Disruptor Summit on October 12 in Atlanta, Georgia—learn more and click on here to register now.

If you might be a current HBCU student seeking to take your dreams to recent heights, why not apply now A showcase for AT&T’s emerging creators of the future— $5,000 and more could be yours. Assemble video or written entry for a probability to win $5,000, a technology package and access to door-opening connections. Entries for the 2024 competition will close on November 2, 2024.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Pastor Keion Henderson slammed for blaming Haiti’s fall on ‘voodoo spirit’ during sermon as clips come to light

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As a person of substance, Pastor Keion Henderson reserves the church service as a possibility to fellowship with others within the teachings of God, nevertheless it is the thoughts and actions of his own flesh and blood which have repeatedly provoked opposition.

A video of the 2022 sermon recently surfaced on social media, renewed scrutiny of the Lighthouse Church leader for his controversial message regarding Haiti’s centuries of hardship as a willful act of God.

Photo: Shaunie Henderson’s husband, Pastor Keion Henderson, is facing backlash for comments in 2022 during which he said Haiti’s lack of development was God’s punishment. (Pastorkeion/Instagram.)

The excerpt, which is being widely shared, begins with him stating: “I say this with all due respect, Haiti is certainly one of the poorest countries on this planet. In fact, they are saying it’s the poorest country within the Western Hemisphere.

“Have you ever wondered how the hell Haiti can share an island with the Dominican Republic and you can go to the DR, turn around and drive 70 miles in one direction and see a place where people are still dying of E. coli?” – asked the devout Christian.

– Well, I’ll inform you why. Because within the 18th century, when African slaves got here to the island of Haiti and introduced an idea called Vodou,” he theorized.

Keion further explained, “We look at Haiti and ask ourselves why it is one of the poorest countries in the world. Not because it’s full of ignorant black people. They are as wise and intelligent as you, but there is a spirit in this region.” His words two years ago were met with condemnation. Today’s reactions reflect the identical sentiments.

Twitter user he wrote“This is Shaunie Basketball Wives O’Neal’s husband. The same “pastor who reprimanded a choir member for praising him too loudly…” This is one other example of the pulpit being a spot stuffed with hate.” Keion and Shaunie Henderson, Shaquille O’Neal’s ex-wife, have been married for two years.

Over the past 12 months, a Houston religious leader has been caught in multiple divisive incidents throughout the church: two of them included a viral video of him silencing a member of his congregation, and one other involving his request for members to donate $4 million to rebuild the sanctuary during the recovery from Hurricane Beryl .

Another user he tweeted“And this is where I stop liking him lmao! He once had a kind word. The third individual questioned“Did he just blame the poverty and disenfranchisement of Black Haitians on voodoo/African spirituality rather than white supremacy?”

The Open Encyclopedia of Anthropology states that Vodou, brought from West Africa to Haiti, was “transformed by slaves from the island of Haiti in order to restore a sense of identity and as a force for liberation.”

The spiritual system has been villainized by the Catholic clergy, whose influence in America stays dominant as some classify Vodou as dark or black magic rooted in evil rituals. The spiritual practice was also criminalized as a catalyst for the year-long slave revolt that began on August 22, 1791.

By 1804, Haiti had achieved independence from France, which had colonized the island and enslaved its people for 107 years. Although the island is free, it continues to struggle with financial instability – including paying reparations to its former enslaver – political corruption, as well as devastating natural disasters.

According to a 2020 report New York Times According to the story, the country has paid greater than $560 billion over 64 years, money that would otherwise help Haitians thrive.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Halle Berry slams ex-sex addict Eric Benét, who claims years after revealing his cheating caused him to have a ‘breakdown’

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Halle Berry doesn’t imagine claims that her ex-husband Eric Benét was a sex addict when he repeatedly cheated on her during their marriage.

While discussing addiction, movie roles and other topics with podcast hosts Dax Shepard and Monica Padman on the “Armchair Expert” podcast, the 58-year-old actress threw some light shade on the R&B singer.

Halle Berry is reacting strongly to her ex-husband Eric Benet’s claims of infidelity that caused her to have a “mental breakdown.” (Photo: Kevin Winter/ImageDirect)

Shepard asked Berry, who has played a “freaky whore” in quite a few movies, if she was attracted to addicts.

Without missing a beat, actress he replied“Well, I had one husband who claimed to be a sex addict, but I do not fucking imagine that shit. This is bullshit.

Benét claims he has never been a sex addict

After dating for 2 years, Berry and Benét married in 2011, and the “Spend My Life With You” singer admitted to being unfaithful during their relationship. However, history shows that Benét repeatedly denied that he was a sex addict.

In an interview with ABC News in 2004 he said“I’m not a sex addict. I’m a person who… through a series of emotional events, troubles, challenges, has made really, really silly, painful mistakes.”

The “Georgy Porgy” singer also claimed that he didn’t have sexual activity with the ladies he cheated on Berry with. He admitted exchanging “verbally inappropriate” messages and “physical contact that was extremely inappropriate and inappropriate within a marriage”, but denies it was sexual activity.

In an interview with Sister 2 Sister in 2008, Benét again denied this idea. “For me, the thing about sex addiction was that I actually do not feel like I’m any more addicted to sex than some other man. I went to this therapy as a condition for further development in my marriage,” he said.

He further explained that going to therapy “was a condition for us to move forward in our marriage,” noting that it was “kind of like group therapy.”

Benet claimed he often heard “deep stories” about “those married men who couldn’t stop going to prostitutes or gay men, who checked into bathhouses and had anonymous sex.”

“I think there is such a thing as sexual addiction,” he said. “So I think there is such a thing as going through certain things in life or in relationships where you make bad choices.”

Four years later, the daddy of two did something interview on “This Is 50,” during which he said, “It wasn’t me and it never was me.”

Interviewer Jack Thriller called the rumor “nonsense” and said “we’re sorting it out right now,” to which Benét replied, “I’ve tried to figure it out several times, but y’all won’t listen.”

Benét added that therapy wasn’t something he wanted to pursue, suggesting he was given an ultimatum: “Do it or it’s over!”

So why did Benét go to therapy if he wasn’t a sex addict?

The idea got here from Berry’s mother, Judith Ann (née Hawkins), whom the “Losing Isaiah” star revealed in 2004 on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” explaining how she learned of Benét’s cheating scandals.

Ten days after she became the primary (and still only) black woman to win the 2002 Academy Award for Best Actress, a tabloid appeared within the press alleging that Benét had cheated on the long run Catwoman star “with a woman with of your past.”

Initially, Berry didn’t imagine the reports about her husband’s affair.

“I didn’t even ask him if it was true. I said I would sue the magazine, I’ve already done it,” she said. “And about a week later, he finally saw that I was in lawsuit mode and said, I need to tell you something. This article is true. And it breaks my heart because I had a perfect marriage.”

Even though Benét got here clean about this one woman, a few days later he revealed to Berry that there have been more of them while she was filming Die Another Day in London. She said she thinks she will “fix it” by wanting to stay in her marriage for the long haul.

“For the next two weeks of my life he was there, there was vomiting and I discovered that there was woman after woman, after woman, after woman. And then I realized he was sick.”

The confession led to Berry’s “emotional breakdown.”

“I had an emotional breakdown. This window, my bay window, looked really good. I assumed I might get through it straight away,” the Marvel actor said. “I had a bit of a breakdown and took a few days off from work. My mother flew there and was the first to ask, “Have you heard of sex addiction?”

When broaching the subject, Berry’s mother offered the couple a solution because Benét had been dishonest and had been having affairs with other women allegedly since “the day he met her.”

“My mom said, ‘He needs to go to rehab and I’m thinking about rehab because he wants to work through it. You can recover from this and I believe in it.”

Berry even said she winced when accepting the perfect actress Oscar in 2002 for “Monster’s Ball.”

That same yr, Benét entered rehab for said addiction, however the four-time Grammy-nominated artist was still unable to save his marriage. In 2003, Berry announced a statement confirming their separation, and in 2005 they divorced.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Ashton Kutcher’s career is in jeopardy due to his ties to Diddy and convicted rapist Danny Masterson

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There is not a single meeting, business deal or friendship with Sean “Diddy” Combs that is not exempt from scrutiny while awaiting trial in his federal abuse and racketeering case.

The once billionaire, who lived a lavish lifestyle and had homes in Miami and New York, has been held on the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York, since his arrest on September 18. In the spring, each residences were hit concurrently in reference to a federal case.

Widespread speculation about his drug-fueled “freak” orgies, detailed in a three-count indictment – in addition to lawsuits accusing him of sexual misconduct – prompted web sleuths to resurface photos and videos from before several a long time throughout his career, shedding light on those with whom he once shared a kinship.

Ashton Kutcher is seemingly distancing himself from Diddy amid the mogul’s federal case. (Photo: Kevin Mazur/WireImage)

Ashton Kutcher is considered one of the Hollywood stars who’ve turn out to be friends Diddy during his reign because the self-proclaimed king of New York and party host on each coasts, who made a reputation for himself as a top hip-hop producer.

The friendship between the 2 men dates back to the start of the twenty first century, but in the face of legal problems, the actor now not wants to have anything to do with the hit creator.

“Ashton needs to choose her friends better,” an said In touch anonymous source. “The spotlight has shone on him for enjoying relationships with some of Hollywood’s most famous stars. It’s going to be hard for him to save his career after this Diddy mess!” according to the person.

Kutcher and his wife, actress Mila Kunis, have been silent since they faced criticism last May for letters asking a Los Angeles judge to commute the sentence of their “That 70’s Show” co-star Danny Masterson.

Masterson was found guilty of raping two women in 2001 and 2003. On September 7, 2023, he was sentenced to 30 years and life in prison.

The couple described him as a loving member of the family to whom they entrusted the care of their children. Kutcher and Kunis have two children, 10-year-old daughter Wyatt and 7-year-old son Dmitri. In a joint video apology, they stated that they’d no concept that their support can be publicized.

However, due to bad press, Kutcher and Kunis stepped down as board chair and board observer, respectively, of the anti-sex trafficking organization Thorn.

Kutcher founded the organization with his ex-wife and actress Demi Moore. In announcing his departure, he said, “I cannot allow my error in judgment to distract from our efforts and the children we serve.”

Still, from hearing from people claiming to know confidential information, Kutcher is concerned that his former friend will “say anything, do anything, or turn against anyone” – including himself. “Ashton absolutely regrets her friendship with Diddy considering what happened,” he said Daily mail source.

This person noted that the previous Lenovo product engineer one way or the other feels “lied to, betrayed, taken for granted and manipulated” by Diddy and Masterson. “Now he doesn’t trust anyone except his wife Mila. He intends to keep his circle for his family.

Kutcher took part in the infamous White Party in 2009, although he was seen dancing with Diddy for years before settling into life as a family man. In quite a few interviews, he even joked that he couldn’t openly speak about his friend’s crazy encounters.

“Well, there’s a lot of things I can’t say,” Kutcher said, stumbling over his words as he tried to recall the relevant memory in a 2019 “Hot Ones” interview. “I can’t recognize that either… I actually ride a bike,” he added.

Kutcher later said, “Diddy’s party stories… man, it was like a weird walk down memory lane.”

Although prosecutors forged a large net across the Dirty Money frontman, the “Punk’d” creator was reportedly not involved in any way in the alleged wrongdoing.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is also said to be distancing himself from Diddy as photos of him from the White Party have also surfaced online.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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