Sis, the week’s heaviest workload is behind you (we hope) as is the week’s saddest news (R.I.P. Aretha). As you ease into the weekend, take a few minutes to digest some light news you need to know. Kenya Barris has just secured the bag with Netflix. The Black-ish creator signed an 8-figure deal with the streaming giant to develop new projects “that reflect culture through an urban, youth and female-focused lens.” Though he left ABC Studios in July, Barris’ groundbreaking new deal will not affect ABC shows Black-ish or Grown-ish. (Shadow And Act)
New York University is granting all of its medical school students free tuition, the institution announced during a “White Coat Ceremony.” Due to concerns about “overwhelming financial debt” facing graduates, NYC will cover all costs of the programs. However, the gesture does not include room and board or fees, which together are an additional $27,000, on average. (New York Times)
New York state senator Jesse Hamilton wants to make it illegal to call 911 on Black people for living their lives. Hamilton, who represents Brooklyn’s Brownsville, Crown Heights, and Flatbush neighborhoods proposed the bill after a self-identified Trump supporter called the police on him while he was campaigning. The bill would bolster laws that already make it illegal to call 911 with false reports, making calls against Black people a hate crime. (The Daily Beast)
Doing any act while Black can result in a BBQ Becky calling the cops, but New York State Sen. Jesse Hamilton has recently proposed a bill that will make calling 911 on innocent Black people a hate crime. The state legislator was a victim of an unjustified emergency call by a Trump supporter while he passed out campaign materials that were critical of the President. (Raw Story)Nicki Minaj has snagged her first Vogue cover. In the September issue of Vogue Arabia, the Queen rapper talks her new album, her fans, and rise to fame. Minaj is the latest of an impressive rollout of magazine covers that include all Black women, including Rihanna, Beyoncé, and Naomi Campbell. (Twitter)Steph Curry hosted a two-day all-girls basketball camp to support young women in sports. For over 200 girls, the two-time MVP orchestrated an experience complete with autographs, a shooting contest, the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy and a panel featuring women in sports. (Twitter)
Viola Davis is putting together a team of criminals in Steve McQueen’s upcoming Widows. The crime drama follows a group of women, recently widowed after their husbands are murdered during a job gone wrong. The film also stars Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Cynthia Erivo, and Liam Neeson as Davis’ late husband. (YouTube)
