Source: Kevin Mazur / Getty Robert F. Smith just gave the class of 2019 at Morehouse College a gift that many a college student could only dream of. The billionaire, who received an honorary doctorate at Morehouse College on Sunday surprised many by announcing that his family was providing a $40 million grant to eliminate the student debt of the entire Class of 2019. “This is my class,” he said, “and I know my class will pay this forward.” The announcement elicited the biggest cheers of the morning. The technology investor and philanthropist’s gift is believed to be the largest donation ever given to a historically black college & university (HBCU). He had initially donated $1.5 million to the university to help build a new park near campus and to establish more scholarships. Smith is a chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, a software and technology investment firm which he founded in 2000. He is one of the world’s thirteen African-American billionaires and his net worth is believed to be around $5 billion according to Forbes. RELATED: Morehouse College Expels Papa John’s Pizza From Campus After Founder Used Racial Slur
F ood insecurity has become an ever-growing issue within underserved communities across the country. Research showed that in 2017 nearly 40 million Americans—including over 12 million youngsters—lacked access to food. NBA star LeBron James is determined to reverse that alarming trend. According to CBS Sports , he joined forces with Walmart for a campaign to spread awareness about hunger in America. ICYMI: @KingJames teams up with @Walmart to help feed the hungry https://t.co/EIKtBKVcuE pic.twitter.com/SKvJvSMBoP — ABC 7 News – WJLA (@ABC7News) May 18, 2019 The campaign—which is called Fight Hunger Spark Change—was created to benefit the nonprofit Feeding America. Through its initiatives, the organization works to combat hunger faced by communities of color, children, senior citizens, and those living in poverty. They also address the hunger gap in rural communities. The end goal in this collaborative effort is to provide 1 billion meals for the hungry. As part of the Fight Hunger Spark Change initiative, Walmart will contribute to the pantry for underserved families at LeBron James’ I Promise School in Akron. Since the inception of this specific campaign, Walmart and Feed America have served over 975,000 meals and James has stepped in to push the project goal forward. Overall over 749 million meals have been served through Walmart’s partnership with Feeding America. “It’s an honor and a privilege for me in my community and what I’m doing here to partner with such a heavy hitter in Walmart,” said James. Walmart CEO Doug McMillon is thankful to have James participate in this initiative and believes that his platform will help amplify the campaign’s message. “What we hope to accomplish together with LeBron is to magnify each other’s efforts. We would love to help this model that he’s creating lead to a situation where it could help even more people,” he said. “Walmart has a responsibility to help strengthen communities.” James has continually lent his voice to social and political issues impacting underserved and disenfranchised communities. Check out the story behind the campaign below. SEE ALSO: Students At LeBron James’ I Promise School Show Impressive Academic Improvement Simone Manuel Talks Water Safety At LeBron James’ I Promise School [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3852563″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Gabe Ginsberg / Getty In March, singer Monica filed for divorce from husband Shannon Brown after more than eight years together. Since the news broke, parties involved have been pretty mum about it. Monica has been accused of being too mum , actually. However, the star decided to break her silence on this week’s episode of T.I. & Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle. In a clip from the episode, the 38-year-old mother of three sat with her mom Marilyn and a therapist. In the presence of both women, she revealed the toll her recent split has had on her. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news . ( Terms and conditions ). “I think a lot of my life changes have become so complex and difficult. I had two children. I stayed in that relationship a long time, and he was a loss on both levels,” she said when speaking on her ex, Rodney ‘Rocko’ Hill. “Then I finally met my husband and then I had my daughter, and it was good that he was athletic like the boys, so they had their own bond; and then now that’s a loss. It’s been some rough weeks these last few weeks.” While, of course, the star didn’t go into detail about why things didn’t work out (there were rumors of infidelity and Brown rarely appeared on Friends and Family Hustle ), she said in a confessional that she was struggling to be okay emotionally. “Things in my personal life have been changing a lot, and it has not been easy,” she said. “I can not lie. My personal relationship is taking a major toll on me. I’m feeling it every day. I’ve been keeping everything to myself and I feel overwhelmed.” The best way she’s managed to cope has been by not slowing down and wallowing in sadness, but by the end of the clip, she was in tears. “I’m everybody’s go-to, and I think it makes people think I’m pretending to be perfect when in actuality, I just don’t believe in pausing,” she said. “Cause it’s like you pause and you get stuck.” 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 Monica and Shannon Brown wed in 2010 after meeting on the set of her music video “Love All Over Me” that same year. They share a daughter, 5-year-old Laiyah, and as she mentioned, he’s been stepfather to her sons, Romelo, 11, and Rodney (the III), 13. Check out Monica’s vulnerable moment below. . @MonicaBrown is SO strong and we're proud of you for sharing your story! #FamilyHustle pic.twitter.com/ZNu3TwhjkK — Friends & Family Hustle (@FamilyHustle) May 14, 2019 Source : MadameNoire.com ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Trey Songz Welcomes Baby Boy, Noah [PHOTOS] Young Money Rapper Gets Life For Double Murder Keke Palmer Reveals She Had Abortion Follow @TheRSMS
Source: Gabe Ginsberg / Getty In March, singer Monica filed for divorce from husband Shannon Brown after more than eight years together. Since the news broke, parties involved have been pretty mum about it. Monica has been accused of being too mum , actually. However, the star decided to break her silence on this week’s episode of T.I. & Tiny: Friends and Family Hustle. In a clip from the episode, the 38-year-old mother of three sat with her mom Marilyn and a therapist. In the presence of both women, she revealed the toll her recent split has had on her. Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news . ( Terms and conditions ). “I think a lot of my life changes have become so complex and difficult. I had two children. I stayed in that relationship a long time, and he was a loss on both levels,” she said when speaking on her ex, Rodney ‘Rocko’ Hill. “Then I finally met my husband and then I had my daughter, and it was good that he was athletic like the boys, so they had their own bond; and then now that’s a loss. It’s been some rough weeks these last few weeks.” While, of course, the star didn’t go into detail about why things didn’t work out (there were rumors of infidelity and Brown rarely appeared on Friends and Family Hustle ), she said in a confessional that she was struggling to be okay emotionally. “Things in my personal life have been changing a lot, and it has not been easy,” she said. “I can not lie. My personal relationship is taking a major toll on me. I’m feeling it every day. I’ve been keeping everything to myself and I feel overwhelmed.” The best way she’s managed to cope has been by not slowing down and wallowing in sadness, but by the end of the clip, she was in tears. “I’m everybody’s go-to, and I think it makes people think I’m pretending to be perfect when in actuality, I just don’t believe in pausing,” she said. “Cause it’s like you pause and you get stuck.” 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 Monica and Shannon Brown wed in 2010 after meeting on the set of her music video “Love All Over Me” that same year. They share a daughter, 5-year-old Laiyah, and as she mentioned, he’s been stepfather to her sons, Romelo, 11, and Rodney (the III), 13. Check out Monica’s vulnerable moment below. . @MonicaBrown is SO strong and we're proud of you for sharing your story! #FamilyHustle pic.twitter.com/ZNu3TwhjkK — Friends & Family Hustle (@FamilyHustle) May 14, 2019 Source : MadameNoire.com ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Trey Songz Welcomes Baby Boy, Noah [PHOTOS] Young Money Rapper Gets Life For Double Murder Keke Palmer Reveals She Had Abortion Follow @TheRSMS
Source: DON EMMERT / Getty Andy Cohen and company apparently wanted two ATL all-stars on “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” Text “RICKEY” to 71007 to join the Rickey Smiley Morning Show mobile club for exclusive news . ( Terms and conditions ). Chilli and T-Boz of TLC recently revealed that the producers of RHOA offered them peaches MULTIPLE times. The duo appeared on Entertainment Tonight and said that they’ve both turned down offers with the Bravo reality show. According to T-Boz, she’s declined FOUR times: “I did [a cameo] for Kandi [Burruss] one time,” said T-Boz. “This is the thing, I don’t play like that. Like, I’m not arguing, I’m too old to be arguing and first of all, I don’t argue with nobody I don’t care about. If I care about you, I will take the time to do this. But I’m not arguing with no grown women. I’ll end up going to jail for real. Like, I don’t do that.” “And I wouldn’t be able to bail her out because I would be right there with her,” Chilli joked. Chilli also gave a resounding “hell no” when asked if she’d reconsider turning down RHOA’s offer. Would you tune in to see T-Boz and Chilli on RHOA? We could definitely see them kicking it with their homegirl Kandi. Source : Bossip.com 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 ALSO TRENDING ON RICKEYSMILEYMORNINGSHOW.COM : Trey Songz Welcomes Baby Boy, Noah [PHOTOS] Young Money Rapper Gets Life For Double Murder Keke Palmer Reveals She Had Abortion Follow @TheRSMS
Source: angela auclair / Getty In an America filled with MAGAs and White male politicians, good times can always take a turn for the worst. Check out this week’s winners below, then hit the flip for big losers. Winners Mom and Son Graduates To attend her son Stephan’s commencement ceremony, Sharonda Wilson was unable to attend her own from Ferris State University. Learning this, @cmichprez contacted FSU President Eisler and was able to confer her degree on behalf of FSU's president and trustees. #cmichgraduation pic.twitter.com/anCSTHDCdC — Central Michigan U. (@CMUniversity) May 4, 2019 May is definitely one of those months that brings all the good feels. Spring is on the horizon, prom dates are being chose, and graduation season is in full effect. This past week, there was one graduation story that might have you grabbing all the tissue for its touching moment. According to ABC12 , Sharonda Love-Wilson was supposed to cross the stage at Ferris State University this past Saturday for her bachelor of science degree in business administration. However, her son Stephan was also receiving a diploma that same day at Central Michigan University. The loving mother naturally decided to skip out on her own graduation to attend her son’s, saying she was “super excited” and “to know he was going to be singing at graduation and we were going to be able to sit in the president’s box…I was like oh we good.” Little did the two know that they’d be basking in their educational excellence together. The CMU President Bob Davies started acknowledging graduates and when he called Stephan’s name, he arranged for his mom to walk towards him with a graduation cap in her hand. Davies then started off by saying, “I made a call today to David Eisler at Ferris State University.” He continued: “On behalf of President Isler and Ferris State Trustees, I confer upon you, Sharonda Wilson, the bachelor’s degree that you have earned with all rights. Please move your tassel from your right to your left.” TOO MUCH. Nothing like graduation season to bring out the winners…and the tears.
Source: Frank Micelotta / Getty 50 Cent is on a rampage! Calling out all the people that owe him money up to the chopping block. The ongoing battle between him and singer Teairra Mari seems like it is an endless battle. RELATED ARTICLE: Teairra Mari’s Sex Tape And Nudes Have Leaked (WHOA) The two went to court in regards to a revenge porn lawsuit against 50 Cent for posting photos of Mari. The judge ruled in favor of 50 Cent. Mari owes him $30,000. The rapper continues to go “head to head” on social media with Teairra Mari, former G-Unit rapper Young Buck, and actor Jackie Long. 50 Cent exposed Young Buck for allegedly being gay and having a Transexual relationship. View this post on Instagram you on the yellow line out here on these street, playing with fofty’s money. #lecheminduroi #bransoncognac A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) on May 2, 2019 at 8:22am PDT Actor Jackie Long was taunted on social media for not paying his full debt to Curtis James Jackson III. View this post on Instagram LOL you gave me the money why you put this video up man we cool, you my boy @jackielong A post shared by 50 Cent (@50cent) on May 10, 2019 at 8:49am PDT Celebrities like Chrissy Teigen and Nick Cannon confessed that they are happy they never had to borrow or owe him. View this post on Instagram #TBT I’m glad I’m rich enough not to owe this Nigga no money!!! LOL But @50cent look at our Jersey Dresses! WTF were we thinking?! We look like 2 Niggaz in Nightgownz #NewGroup #NNN #NiggazNNightgownz A post shared by NICK CANNON (@nickcannon) on May 9, 2019 at 4:43pm PDT Who will be next?
Source: Derrick Salters/WENN.com / WENN Rihanna was locked in a legal tussle with the Freedom United clothing brand over the use of the F.U. logo on her Puma line. The singer and fashion maven settled with the company for an undisclosed amount, bringing the matter to an official close. The Blast reports : According to court documents obtained by The Blast, RiRi and the clothing company Freedom United have privately settled the case. The judge then closed the case officially. Last year, Freedom United sued Rihanna and claimed they have been making clothing with an “FU” logo since 2006 and even have it trademarked. Freedom United said RiRi then launched her PUMA deal and began hawking items with a similar “F.U.” logo on her “Fenty University” clothing. Rihanna is one to bigger and better things in the fashion world after it was recently announced that she’ll have her own line with the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Group. — Photo: WENN
Source: Derrick Salters/WENN.com / WENN Rihanna was locked in a legal tussle with the Freedom United clothing brand over the use of the F.U. logo on her Puma line. The singer and fashion maven settled with the company for an undisclosed amount, bringing the matter to an official close. The Blast reports : According to court documents obtained by The Blast, RiRi and the clothing company Freedom United have privately settled the case. The judge then closed the case officially. Last year, Freedom United sued Rihanna and claimed they have been making clothing with an “FU” logo since 2006 and even have it trademarked. Freedom United said RiRi then launched her PUMA deal and began hawking items with a similar “F.U.” logo on her “Fenty University” clothing. Rihanna is one to bigger and better things in the fashion world after it was recently announced that she’ll have her own line with the Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Group. — Photo: WENN
Source: Radio One / Radio One Digital Listen to Hot 107.9 today at the top of the hour each hour between 10am-6p to hear brand new anthems from @djkhaled’s new album #FATHEROFASAHD available everywhere now from @epicrecords. Leave a comment and let us know what you think about DJ Khaled ’s new album #djkhaled #newdjkhaled #wethebest #newandnowweekend
