Shane Gillis has been fired by Saturday Night Live before ever stepping foot on its legendary stage. The comedian — who came under extreme fire just days after his hiring last week after audio surfaced of some very inappropriate (read: RACIST) jokes and remarks — was let go by NBC on Monday. “After talking with Shane Gillis, we have decided that he will not be joining SNL,” said a show spokesperson on behalf of SNL boss Lorne Michaels. This statement continued as follows: We want SNL to have a variety of voices and points of view within the show, and we hired Shane on the strength of his talent as comedian and his impressive audition for SNL. We were not aware of his prior remarks that have surfaced over the past few days. The language he used is offensive, hurtful and unacceptable. We are sorry that we did not see these clips earlier, and that our vetting process was not up to our standard. Not long after Gillis was confirmed as one of three new faces on Saturday Night Live Season 45 (along with Chloe Fineman and Bowen Yang), a video resurfaced of the so-called comedian engaging in racist rhetoric. “Chinatown’s f-ckin nuts,” Gillis can be heard saying in a clip from a September 2018 podcast posted to a YouTube channel called Matt and Shane’s Secret Podcast. “Let the f-ckin ch-nks live there,” he adds. Earlier this year, Gillis also referred to Presidential candidate Andrew Yang by this same derogatory term for Asians. On another episode of this podcst, Gillis referred to Judd Apatow and Chris Gethard as “white f-ckin got comics,” calling them “f-cking gayer than ISIS.” Aware of the immediate backlash against him, Gillis released a very lame non-apology that used his profession as an excuse for his language and viewpoint. “I’m a comedian who pushes boundaries,” he wrote on Twitter, as you can see above. Gillis then added, condescending and pathetic fashion: “I sometimes miss. If you go through my 10 years of comedy, most of it bad, you’re going to find a lot of bad misses. I’m happy to apologize to anyone who’s actually offended by anything I’ve said.” In response to his firing, meanwhile, Gillis Tweeted in an equally shameful and cocky manner. “It feels ridiculous for comedians to be making serious public statements but here we are. I’m a comedian who was funny enough to get SNL. That can’t be taken away,” he wrote, concluding with a dig at the program itself: Of course I wanted an opportunity to prove myself at SNL, but I understand it would be too much of a distraction. I respect the decision they made. I’m honestly grateful for the opportunity. I was always a mad tv guy anyway. The sad truth is that this controversy likely will lead to some fame and riches for Gillis. He’s actually scheduled to meet with Yang down the road, Tweeted the Democratic hopeful himself. “Shane Gillis reached out. Looks like we will be sitting down together soon,” Yang wrote this afternoon. Where do YOU stand on this scandal? We’re all for open dialogue and on people learning from past mistakes. But does Seth Gillis sound like someone who is doing this? Or is capable of doing this? Or does he just sound like an unfunny loser who relies on racist tropes and played-out stereotypes to try and come across as edgy and/or relevant?
Duane “Dog” Chapman was hospitalized over the weekend after a suspected heart attack — and we’ve got the latest on this troubling development. The incident comes just a couple months after Duane lost beloved wife Beth Chapman to cancer . Details are still coming in regarding the health scare, but this is what we know at the moment: According to TMZ, Chapman was taken to a Colorado hospital after experiencing chest pains. The celebrity gossip outlet states that doctors are not entirely sure what happened, even as we write this… but they do think there’s a chance the famous bounty hunter will need surgery to correct whatever caused the chest pains. “I can confirm Dog is under doctor’s care and is resting comfortably,” a rep for the reality star says, adding simply: “Thank you for all of your well wishes – keep ’em coming.” The official Dog the Bounty Hunter team Twitter account retweeted Moore’s message and wrote: “This is an official response from a member of Dog’s Management Team to today’s media stories.” Again, this is all we can really confirm at the moment. Beth Chapman, however, passed away in late June after a battle with throat cancer. She and Duane had been together for well over two decades, with the latter expressing open and candid remorse over his wife’s passing on numerous public occasions. “It’s 5:32 in Hawaii, this is the time she would wake up to go hike Koko Head mountain,” he wrote to confirm her passing at the time. “Only today, she hiked the stairway to heaven. We all love you, Beth.” Said Duane to Hawaii News Now shortly after saying goodbye to his soulmate: “You kind of try to remember that you’re celebrating life, but right now we’re mourning the death, so it’s not good.” He latter added of his late wife: “Her way was to live. She wanted to live so bad and she fought so long, and the reason she fought, she liked life but she wanted to show people how to beat it and what to do when it got her… “One of the last things she said [was] ‘It’s a test of my faith.’ “She had faith and that was it… “I loved her so much. As Lazarus lay, Jesus said he’s not dead, he’s sleepeth. My final words are Beth isn’t dead, she’s sleeping.” Making this heartbreaking matter even worse? Chapman’s store was recently broken into, with thieves getting away with some of Beth’s stuff . Seriously, how much can some people suck?!? We wish Duane nothing but the best and send him our best wishes for a speedy and full recovery.
Source: Joseph Okpako / Getty Grime pioneer MC Wiley has taken to Twitter to call out Drake for “sh*t deals” when it comes to artists signed to OVO, again. On Wednesday (Sept 11), the British rapper, whose rivalry with Drake has been ongoing ever since he called the OVO cappo a “culture vulture” and branded them “pagans.” While it’s relatively unclear as to what triggered the one-sided bombardment, it seems Wiley has been increasingly irritated with OVO’s “sh*t record deals,” specifically in relation to the clearance of vocals on a song he did alongside dancehall artist and OVO-signed artist Popcaan as well as Nicki Minaj . “I’m being held back cos @Drake obviously ain’t clearing @PopcaanMusic and @NICKIMINAJ is going to start her family… it’s a dead-end,” Wiley wrote [then deleted] on Twitter. Wiley also criticized Drake for showing up at the concerts of numerous UK rappers, including J Hus and Dave, as well as inviting them to join him on his own tour. “@Drake suck ya mum don’t come back to England,” Wiley wrote, before claiming that OVO will “give you sh*t record deals and you’re only there to help Drake with songs to keep him up and you down.” Drake, who has previously called Wiley “goofy”, responded to his criticism earlier this year, saying: “I see a lot and I’ll never understand how supporting somebody’s song or even going a step further and giving somebody a song or linking up… how that’s not viewed as something admirable?” He continued, “But I guess people have their own outlook on [that].” Despite the criticism from Wiley, Drake and his OVO camp are slated to release an album inspired by the Netflix reboot of Top Boy , a British based crime drama that hones in on East London’s tumultuous relationship with drugs and street gangs. Some fans speculate that Drake’s announcement of his inspiration from the U.K. based drama is what fueled Wiley’s tangent. Since his Twitter rant, Wiley has revealed his reason for taking shots at Drake. During an interview with 1Xtra Breakfast Show With Dotty on Thursday, Wiley states that it’s Drake’s selfishness in business that has led to his disdain with Toronto rapper. “I didn’t need Drake to let me know that Top Boy is sick,” Wiley said. “They didn’t come to us” when asked why he and other grime pioneers didn’t step in to revive the series themselves. Can’t you see what people do out here? The truth is he’s just a pagan. He knows it. And if I say it, he can’t say nothing to me because it’s the truth . . . He’s not embracing the scene, he’s doing it for himself.” Listen to the interview in full here .
Source: George Pimentel / Getty The documentary Leaving Neverland just snagged an Emmy award and the director for the movie had some words for Dave Chappelle in light of the win. Dan Reed called Chappelle’s jokes about Michael Jackson ‘s rape accusers “revolting” and he said they made him “physically sick,” according to The Independent . Reed’s comments came after Dave Chappelle’s Netflix comedy special Stick & Stones went hard on Jackson’s rape accusers Wade Robson and James Safechuck . Dave flat out said that he doesn’t believe the alleged victims and even referred to himself as a “victim blamer.” He said if someone told him Jackson was molesting kids, he would respond “Well, what were those kids wearing at the time?” Chappelle also said that even if Michael did commit the acts, “This kid got his di** sucked by the king of pop. All we get is awkward Thanksgivings for the rest of our lives. You know how good it must have felt to go to school the next day after that sh**?” He continued, “I know it seems harsh, but somebody’s gotta teach these kids. No such thing as a free trip to Hawaii. He’s going to want to look at your butthole or something.” Director Dan Reed responded to Chappelle’s routine after Leaving Neverland , which documents the accounts of the alleged victims, won a Creative Arts Emmy on Saturday for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special. “Chappelle is riding on a wave of being contrarian, being controversial, and this, to me, was revolting,” he said. “I felt physically sick listening to what he was saying.” He continued, “You can make comedy out of so many other things. Why not do something brave instead of crapping on some victim of child rape?” Safechuck and Robson also responded to Chappelle’s comedy special not too long after it premiered. “I’m heartbroken for all those children who look to see how they will be received when they finally find the courage to speak out about their sexual abuse,” said Safechuck. “I just want to reach out to other survivors and let them know that we can’t let this type of behavior silence us. Together we are strong.” Robson added, “He can say whatever he wants. It reveals him, not us.” Jackson was under investigation twice for accusations that he molested children. He didn’t face charges in 1994, however, he went to trial in 2005 and was acquitted of all counts. Robson’s lawyer commented after Chappelle’s comedy special, saying “Although Mr. Chappelle is entitled to his opinions, however misinformed they may be, it’s unfortunate that he has chosen to use his platform to shame sexual abuse victims, and spread his ignorance of sexual abuse and the way it is perpetrated upon children, in an attempt to resurrect his career.”
Source: Randy Brooke / (Photo by Randy Brooke/FilmMagic) Name: Lana Ogilvie IG: @lanaogilvie_official Agency: AnitaNorris Models/ Heffner Mgmnt/Abrams Artists/ModelCoOp Claim to Fame: The Canadian supermodel was the very first Black model to receive a COVER GIRL contract shattering a longstanding glass ceiling for Black models seeking work with commercial brands internationally. She has also appeared in Vogue , Elle, Bazaar, Marie Claire and Sports Illustrated . View this post on Instagram Winging it. Is it just me….. #ordomostpeoplehaveaplan #bellemagazine @ishiphoto @diana_carreiro @hudsonsbay A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Sep 4, 2019 at 8:25am PDT When any non-white model books a huge contract , panels are convened and headlines are printed. Everyone is delighted and (sadly) a little shocked that a giant corporation has decided to officially embrace someone who doesn’t fit the typical mold. But after all the meetings and memos that precede the press releases, the astonishment of the media is rarely shared by the model herself. “COVER GIRL was not a surprise for me,” said Ogilvie. “When COVERGIRL wanted to book me, my agent at the time, Michael Flutie from Company Management had the idea which he proposed to them, to put me under contract. To make it a bigger thing for not just me, but also for COVER GIRL and the industry in general.” View this post on Instagram Last Weekend for the beach #fbf with @si_swimsuit #siswimsuitissue #bikinibabe #swimsuitmodel A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Aug 30, 2019 at 12:05pm PDT Flutie’s suggestion came at the right time for an industry ready to inch forward towards a larger definition of what it meant to be beautiful. “They liked the idea obviously. And it really started that change within the beauty industry of signing different ethnicities to multiple year contacts, and forcing these huge companies to realize the buying power of ethnic consumers.” The moment and the subsequent media firestorm following the announcement were strong professional achievements for Ogilvie but they were still the result of someone else’s choices. “As a model, there is virtually nothing I can do to book or not book a job,” she explained. View this post on Instagram Bronzey. Smokey. Sexy. Werk! With @karolinapran @angiedib @sabrejewelry @lanaogilviecosmetics A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Aug 28, 2019 at 12:50pm PDT “Either the client wants my look or not, no matter how much work I put into exercise, having beautiful images, taking on camera classes or anything. I have no control over whether I get a job or not, which is very stressful.” View this post on Instagram 90s hair, don’t care! Posting for @flaremagazinecanada #tbt #throwbackthursday Photo by my good friend @dimitrimavrikisphotography with @suzanneboyd_ A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Aug 22, 2019 at 1:43pm PDT The serial entrepreneur decided to trade in the stress of waiting to be chosen for the fulfillment of doing the choosing. She returned to Canada to work with a laboratory and chemist on creating her own skincare line. It would have been easy to allow a company to slap her million dollar face on something but Ogilvie wasn’t interested in taking the easy way out. View this post on Instagram Spring calls for a trench and sparkle @sidneygarber @paul_westlake A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on May 15, 2019 at 10:54am PDT She spent countless hours with her collaborators, pelting them with question after question about ingredients. “I love natural and organic elements in skincare and they are really as effective as synthetic elements. I have been using natural products since I was a teenager.” View this post on Instagram Serum’s coming soon! @lanaogilviecosmetics #itsallabouttheskin #lanaogilviecosmetics A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Jul 2, 2019 at 12:51pm PDT She ultimately settled on three products to launch with. “The peptide combination in the Rewind Facial Serum and the Retouch Eye Cream provide powerful anti-wrinkle fighting properties. My line is specifically for mature skin.I love all of the products the same. They are my babies! But I love serums in particular and the Renew Serum is very light and not sticky like many serums. It penetrates the skin very quickly. I apply it morning and night after washing, all over my face, but not the eye area. Sometimes I use a chilled facial roller to apply it.” View this post on Instagram #smile it’s Monday Laughing with @lovechicos #mondayvibes A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Aug 12, 2019 at 9:56am PDT She also invested in formal training so that she could empower herself through education. “I believe in having a knowledge base within what I am doing, being authentic within that space. I am finishing a course in organic skincare formulation, so I can speak with the chemist from a knowledge base and be able to talk to clients coming from an educated place,” she declared. View this post on Instagram Finally #SPRING Green things growing @lovechicos #lanaogilvie @cindyandrewsmia @kristyhorst A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on May 6, 2019 at 7:40am PDT She has been just as intentional about promoting her products as developing them. She is hosting a sold out event with multicultural collective Face Flawless Skin beside other multicultural brands at Saks Fifth Avenue’s flagship location. Her commitment to hard work limited her time for self-care. “My top asset is that I work my ass off. It’s also my worst asset because I will work myself into the ground. I forget to take a break from my own projects.” View this post on Instagram Hump Day Gettin wiggy with @cindyandrewsmia #shorthairdontcare A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Jul 17, 2019 at 11:18am PDT One self-care step she never skips is her own skin care. “My face is my moneymaker and if my skin doesn’t look good I’m out of a job. When I started, retouching was done by hand on the photograph. On the actual print! There were no apps or digital retouching, so skin had to look good in real life.” After spending years backstage in the tragic nineties she’s learned a few things on her own before the chemistry lessons. “In the 90s, before the millecelair water and makeup wipes, a lot of models swore by using baby oil to remove eye makeup. I tried it once. It was so greasy and made me break out. Really a bad moment in skincare.” View this post on Instagram Rosy Tuesdays……@lovechicos A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Jul 9, 2019 at 4:02pm PDT Her experiences backstage, “definitely inspired me to create a line.” Those experiences are able to continue, thanks to the ripple effect from the changes in the industry Ogilvie and her contemporaries set the standard for. “The industry is more inclusive especially age wise. Which is great for me. When I started there was no market for women over 40. At 26 your were on the way out. So it’s wonderful to see that.” View this post on Instagram Monday Bling #nevertoomuch @sidneygarber Jewelry A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Jun 24, 2019 at 10:54am PDT She is even happy about the changes in the “plus-size market,” and the messages they send to women outside of the industry. “What I am also happy about are the guidelines now in place for healthy models. In the 90s models were too skinny and a really unhealthy body image was held in high regard. That was a low point, I think ,for beauty standards that the fashion industry imposed on women.” View this post on Instagram Getting ready for Canada Day @esteelaudercanada Shades of Canada #diversityiscanadian #lanaogilvie A post shared by Lana Ogilvie (@lanaogilvie_official) on Jun 27, 2019 at 11:28am PDT She has hopes that stronger changes will come where thee “Just not have any adjective in front of the word woman. “I would love to see beauty and fashion get to the point of thinking,’ We are going to book a beautiful woman for this job’, and not ‘We are going to book a beautiful Asian woman, or Black woman, or older woman’, etc.’ I’d love to see it just be a ‘woman’ – without the thought of anything else.” Unless it’s that woman’s glowing skin. DON’T MISS: MODEL MONDAY: Iyanla Galletti Is A God In Her Own Right MODEL MONDAY: Tiffany’s Flame Wants To Shine A Light On All Bodies MODEL MONDAY: Bri Findlay Fought To Make Her Runway Dreams A Reality [ione_media_gallery src=”https://hellobeautiful.com” id=”2949694″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Michael Tullberg / Getty The drama is high with the cast of Basketball Wives , this after a taping of a reunion show went awry. Evelyn Lozada apparently has some beef with co-star Ogom “OG” Chijindu , prompting some close to her in advising her to take out a restraining order. The Blast reports : Sources tell The Blast, the reunion show for “Basketball Wives” was shot last week. We’re told production constructed two different sets on the stage. They wanted to avoid any confrontations and keep ladies apart who had issues. The main set was for Shaunie O’Neal, Evelyn, Malaysia Pargo, Jackie Christie, Kristen Scott and Feby Torres. The smaller set was for Tami Roman, Cece Gutierrez and Ogom “OG” Chijindu. We’re told Roman called out sick days before the taping. Sources on set tell The Blast, once OG arrived to set she “lost it”. Sources say she went off on production and cast members, upset she wasn’t seated at the main stage. OG allegedly told producers she refused to tape the reunion. She walked away from set and the reunion went along filming. We’re told she eventually came back and filmed the reunion, after seeing the show was going on without her. Following the reunion, OG began barraging Lozada with angry messages on social media. The posts about Lozada have been nonstop with some retweets mentioning violence. Fans of the show have sided with both ladies in this simmering feud, with some noting that Lozada has insulted Chijindu’s looks in the past, but that was countered with chatter that OG herself has engaged in similar comments alongside Tami Roman. The outlet adds that sources say OG has been a problem for cast members and even got into it with the host of the reunion taping. — Photo: Getty
Source: Nicky Nelson/WENN.com / WENN The world is still trying to make sense of Sean “Diddy” Combs and Lori Harvey ‘s romance , given the fact that Harvey dated her new boo’s son, Justin Combs. With rumors that Harvey was expecting , it appears that, thus far, there’s no baby on the way for the budding couple. TMZ reports : As we reported … Diddy and Lori set off pregnancy rumors last weekend coming back from another romantic getaway in Cabo, after Diddy and Lori became super handsy with her belly. Turns out, it wasn’t a hint she’s having a bambino … they were just playin’. Sources close to the couple tell us Diddy was touching her tummy because he was complimenting her on her tight abs … as she was flaunting them with her open shirt. Here’s the thing … we’re told the rap mogul and Steve Harvey’s 22-year-old daughter are getting very serious. The fact they’ve been inseparable the past few months — in NYC, Italy and elsewhere — paints a pretty clear picture. Anyone check on Justin Combs lately? Just sayin’. — Photo: WENN
When it comes to the top vocalists in R&B currently, you have to mention Fantasia , Brandy and Jazmine Sullivan . So the idea that these three women would collaborate with one another on a track had the music-loving community excited. #BREAKING #Fantasia @TasiasWord just revealed that she has a song on her new album with @jsullivanmusic and @4everBrandy #Interview @team_fantasia pic.twitter.com/J35oMTs5uh — FantasiaDaily (@fantasia_daily) April 30, 2019 According to RatedRnB.com , Fantasia confirmed the collaboration in an Instagram Live video, Fantasia shared that she would be working with the two vocal powerhouses. “They are both my favorites. I turn into a little groupie when I see Jazmine. I love her and I love Bran. I wanted to kind of reach back and touch some different eras when it came to that girl group. I was like, ‘Wouldn’t it be dope if we had a girl group where it was Jazmine, Fantasia, and Brandy?’ Let’s just put it on an album.” Sadly, in promotion of her new single “PTSD” featuring T. Pain, Fantasia said the song won’t be released. But not for a lack of trying. The reason fans won’t hear it is because of industry politics. SEE ALSO: New Body, Who Dis? Jazmine Sullivan Flaunts Her Super Snatched Waist On Social Media During a recent interview with The Cheddar, Fantasia vaguely shared what happened to the highly anticipated song. “They are my favorite. They give me chill bumps. And it was something I really wanted to happen. Unfortunately, it did not go through. Next time. It’s politics to this, and when you’re doing something independent and you’re stepping out against the grain, sometimes storms and tests will come; but I’m used to the rain, so I’m okay.” Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit This story was originally published on MadameNoire.com . ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Phaedra Parks To Join “Marriage Boot Camp” With Her New Man Aoki Lee Simmons & Her Black Harvard Squad Shine In All-White [PHOTOS] Rest In Peace: ‘Fresh Prince’ And ‘Martin’ Actor Passes Away At Age 72 Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Gabriel Olsen / Getty Meagan Good , 38, and husband DeVon Franklin , 41, recently visited The Dr. Oz show to open about their marriage, their faith and their fertility journey. During the couple’s visit, which airs on September 13, they talked with Dr. Mehmet Oz about the journey they’re on to eventually have a child, including Meagan’s efforts to get in her best shape in preparation for their efforts to conceive a child. SEE ALSO: Meagan Good Doesn’t Always Go To Church With Husband Because Church Folk Haven’t Been Kind [VIDEO] “That’s a part of why I did the 30-day challenge as well, because I wanted to really set an affirmation into the world and say, ‘Okay. I’m preparing myself for things that I want career-wise, but I’m also preparing myself for having children,’” she said. “And again, for me it was really about how do I say to myself, like this is every part of me getting ready for that? So yeah, we’re in a place now where we’re looking to do it.” And while the couple is ready to try, they revealed that months earlier, at the top of the year, they took the advice of Dr. Oz and decided that Meagan would freeze some of her eggs. “As I’ve come on the show and we’ve been friends for years, you always encouraged us to freeze eggs. And so we did that,” Devon said. “At the beginning of the year, we froze eggs and we probably wouldn’t have done it without your urging. So thank you.” Sign Up For Our Newsletter! Close Thank you for subscribing! Please be sure to open and click your first newsletter so we can confirm your subscription. Email Submit Dr. Oz told them that he was proud of the couple for deciding to be open about that decision, and DeVon said the process, as well as the journey they’ve been on, taught him a lot about waiting and preparing. “ B efore we got married, we spent a long time waiting and that waiting actually laid a foundation because in marriage — we’ve been married for seven years. So we’ve had this dialogue about having kids. And I’ve wanted kids and she wasn’t ready and then there were times we were talking about it. Because we had the foundation of waiting in patience and preparing, it actually gave us the tools we needed to be successful in marriage. I think a lot of times we’re rushing. We’re in an Instagram society. We all want it now, but there’s a lot of value in just taking time, committing to the process, and letting the process take us where it wants us to be.” Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news. ( Terms and conditions ). As DeVon noted, he and Meagan have been married since 2012. During an interview alongside Intruder co-star Michael Ealy with Steve Harvey back in May, she opened up about feeling like she was ready to grow their family after years of waiting. “I’ma say this, and it’s funny because I usually don’t talk about it because I was one of those people who knew I would be a mother later in life,” she said. “And we talk about it a lot. Like, [Michael Ealy] basically tried to convince me to start like last year. But now I think I’m in a place now where I’m actually ready.” SEE ALSO: Meagan Good On How She Prepares For Sex Scenes [VIDEO] [ione_media_gallery src=”https://rickeysmileymorningshow.com” id=”1790067″ overlay=”true”] Follow @TheRSMS
A fter enduring a harrowing experience as a result of a flawed criminal justice system Korey Wise —a member of the Exonerated Five—is turning his pain into positivity through activism. According to the Amsterdam News , the Harlem native recently provided youngsters in his community with school supplies and backpacks just in time for the new school year. #BackToSchool : Korey Wise of the #Exonerated5 distributes school supplies and inspiration in Schomburg Plaza https://t.co/cI8xMEeVuy — Amsterdam News (@NYAmNews) August 30, 2019 Wise teamed up with a group called Friends of Public Schools Harlem Inc. for the initiative. The organization provides local schools in the community with the supplies needed to ensure the educational success of their students. Friends of Public Schools Harlem Inc. also donates funds to schools for the creation of health and wellness and arts programs. The group is on a mission to provide 4,000 students in Harlem with backpacks and supplies through a grant provided by The Migdol Family Foundation. At the event hosted by Wise at Harlem’s Schomburg Plaza over 200 students were served. Wise says he was grateful to be able to pay it forward to children from his community. “It was great to be back at Schomburg Plaza where I grew up and give something back to today’s children,” he said in a statement, according to the news outlet. “Being here and providing school supplies helps students start the school year better prepared to succeed and sends a message that somebody cares. It was great to see the smiles from parents and children. I thank the Friends of Public Schools Harlem and the Migdol Family for making it happen.” FPSH board member Jerry Migdol says that Wise’s support is instrumental in leveling the playing field when it comes to educational resources. Since being exonerated in 2002 Wise—who has become a criminal justice reform advocate and public speaker—has continually used his platform and resources to give back. In 2015, he donated $190,000 to the University of Colorado’s Innocence Project to help fight wrongful convictions. SEE ALSO: Syracuse University Names Scholarship After Exonerated Five’s Kevin Richardson ‘When They See Us’ Gives The Central Park 5 The Humanity They Were Denied 30 Years Ago [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3886930″ overlay=”true”]
