Source: JGI / Getty Charlotte Twins Awarded Over $1 Million In Scholarships A pair of Charlotte, North Carolina twins have promising futures ahead of them. Twin sisters Kamryn and Kaycee Hailey at West Charlotte high school were profiled by WBTV News who reports that they’re while they’ll be attending rival colleges, they’ve racked up over $1 million in scholarships. One of those scholarships is The Charlotte Post’s Top Senior scholarship , which Kaycee was awarded due to her 4.65-grade point average, work as a peer mentor and other amazing accomplishments. While she was the runner-up for the top prize, she’ll still be awarded a scholarship for her schooling this fall. Kamryn is going to be a Tarheel at University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, while her sister Kaycee is set to be a Duke Blue Devil. Kamyrn is looking to pursue studying either business or communications and Kaycee is thinking about African-American studies. The two scholars are both excited to have their independence, and are excited that both their campuses are down the street from each other. “It’s nice knowing that I’m on a different campus and I get to be my own independent person, but if I ever want to see her I can just go so easily and see her,” says Kacyee. “I’m excited to see what it’s going to be like when I get to college,” says Kamryn. These girls will go SO many places. A HOUSE DIVIDED! These West Charlotte HS twins racked up more than ONE MILLION dollars in scholarships for college and for the first time ever they're going in separate directions » https://t.co/nQM9CKyM3u Job well done, Kamyrn and Kaycee! #CMS @CharMeckSchools #Duke #GoHeels pic.twitter.com/cb40MU8UsF — WBTV News (@WBTV_News) May 28, 2019 Congrats ladies!
T wo health advocates teamed up for the creation of a movement designed to empower Black women and girls to take charge of their health. For the past 8 years the nonprofit organization—dubbed GirlTrek—has been inspiring individuals to heal their bodies and reclaim their communities one step at a time, CNN reported. Black women start a walking movement to battle the obesity epidemic https://t.co/YIQjyxoiFU — Philadelphia Tribune (@PhillyTrib) May 22, 2019 The collective was created by T. Morgan Dixon and Vanessa Garrison . Cognizant of the racial health disparities impacting Black women the two friends, who met in college, were determined to create a platform that promoted health, wellness, and self-care. For Dixon and Garrison, the mission behind GirlTrek was personal. They wanted to break generational cycles and change the narrative surrounding Black women and wellness. “It wasn’t because we were walking enthusiasts or because we love to walk. When we started we were just trying to save our own lives,” Dixon told CNN. “How do we not fall in these pitfalls that our mothers and our aunts and our grandmothers have fallen into? Eighty percent of us are overweight and carrying that weight is killing us now at disproportionate levels. We can’t do it anymore. We can’t carry it anymore.” What started as a walking challenge for family and friends quickly grew into a national movement where over 170,00 women are walking with groups across the country with the assistance of 1,000 organizers. The mission goes far beyond getting fit. Many of the walks are inspired by civil rights pioneers and are hosted to spread awareness about issues impacting the Black community. The walks have fostered conversations amongst Black women about playing a role in the redevelopment of their communities. “We know that when Black women walk, things change, and that we walk in the footsteps of that legacy,” said Garrison. GirlTrek is on a mission to have 1 million women pledge to walk 30 minutes a day by 2020. SEE ALSO: Taraji P. Henson To Host Summit On Black Mental Health Kurtis Blow’s Surgery Brings Attention To The Health Of Aging Rappers [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3852506″ overlay=”true”]
T his graduation season has been a busy one for Ashley Williams . According to Because of Them We Can , Williams graced two graduation stages within the same week; receiving her master’s degree and a law degree from two different universities. Black Girl Magic: She received her master’s degree and law degree in the same week from two different universities! https://t.co/MNdu06VuCS — #becauseofthemwecan (@Becauseofthem) May 26, 2019 Williams, who has a passion for political advocacy and civic engagement, earned a master’s degree in Political Management from George Washington University. Two days after the Washington, D.C.-based commencement ceremony she traveled to Philadelphia to receive her JD from the University of Pennsylvania. She started her journey at George Washington University in 2015. The political management program allowed her to take online courses and Williams saw it as the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the virtual option and pursue another degree. She later applied and was accepted into the University of Pennsylvania Law School. She pursued both degrees all while serving as a Special Advisor and Director of Special Projects at the State Department. She also studied abroad in Tokyo. Williams’ accomplishments didn’t come easy. She had to continually readjust her schedule and priorities to find a balance between being in both programs. “A lot of people wondered why I continued with my master’s after starting law school, but both stimulated my mind in different ways. I was incredibly fortunate to be able to do both, but it did require sacrifice and discipline,” she said. “During my first year of school, I stopped my Master’s program so I could focus on law full time. The summer following my first year, I resumed my Master’s program and simultaneously did law and my Master’s until I completed my Master’s in December of 2018—which I did while I was studying abroad in Tokyo.” She hopes that her story will encourage others to stop limiting themselves and be unapologetic about accomplishing their goals. Williams is the epitome of #BlackGirlMagic. SEE ALSO: 60-Year-Old Grandmother Named Cheyney University’s Valedictorian Mother Surprised With Degree At Son’s College Graduation [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3845233″ overlay=”true”]
B lack women are making power moves in the realm of business. Mary Winston was recently appointed to serve as Bed, Bath & Beyond’s new interim CEO; making her the first Black woman to be at the helm of a Fortune 500 company since Ursula Burns resigned as Xerox’s CEO three years ago, Black Enterprise reported. SHE IS THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO HEAD A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY SINCE URSULA BURNS https://t.co/ki7gFJ6ln8 — Black Enterprise (@blackenterprise) May 24, 2019 Winston’s business acumen has given her the ability to step into executive-level roles at major corporations. Prior to taking on the role at Bed, Bath & Beyond, she served as the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at Family Dollar Stores Inc. In the past, she has led the financial planning and management for companies that include Giant Eagle, Inc., Scholastic Corporation, Visteon Corporation, and Pfizer Inc. Winston—a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School—has served on several boards. She is currently the President at WinsCo Enterprises Inc. She served on Bed, Bath & Beyond’s Board of Directors prior to being named interim CEO and hopes to drive change within the company. She is replacing Steven Temares who stepped down earlier this month after serving as CEO for 16 years. “This is an important time for Bed Bath & Beyond and we are committed to being the leading omnichannel retailer of choice for the home and heart-felt life events,” said Winston in a statement . “I look forward to building an even stronger future for Bed Bath & Beyond. As we continue to review our business initiatives, we will be focused on driving continued margin improvement, enhancing the in-store and online experience, and accelerating our transformation to the benefit of our shareholders, customers and other stakeholders.” Winston’s leadership is needed. According to USA Today , the company experienced a huge decline in sales while trying to battle with large online retailers. The decline led to the layoffs of 150 employees in March. SEE ALSO: Kenny Mitchell Becomes Snapchat’s First Black C-Suite Executive Peggy Alford Becomes First Black Woman Nominated To Facebook’s Board Of Directors [ione_media_gallery src=”https://newsone.com” id=”3845233″ overlay=”true”]
Source: Icon Sports Wire / Getty You know the saying, “it’s only Twitter?” Tell that to the Rockets. Many of the team’s 2.8 million Twitter followers learned that the Rocket’s official twitter account was suspended on Monday along with several college football teams due to copyright issues. “Our Twitter account has been temporarily suspended due to a few prior social media posts with copyrighted music,” the Rockets said in a statement. “We are working to correct the issue now.” Joining the Rockets in the Twitter takedown were the Iowa State football account, the Iowa football and gymnastics account, the Auburn football account and Rutgers football. This isn’t the first time big name Twitter accounts were taken down over music copyright issues. The University of Texas’ account was temporarily suspended in 2018 but was restored later on the same day it was initially suspended. Back in 2015 during the first round of the NBA Playoffs, the team dismissed their digital communications manager after he sent a tweet to the Dallas Mavericks account from the Rockets official account saying, “Shhhhh. Just close your eyes. It will all be over soon.” with an emoji of a pistol pointed at a horse’s head. RELATED: James Harden Dedicates Houston Rockets Playoff Run To Nipsey Hussle RELATED: Travis Scott’s Remixed Rockets Collab With Mitchell & Ness Instantly Sells Out
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.
Monday night on ABC, The Bachelorette finally unleashed the beast in the form of Season 15’s leading lady Hannah Brown. And you don’t need The Bachelorette spoilers to tell you that “Hannah Beast” promises to be a different kind of Bachelorette . For one, she came from outside The Bachelor’s top four earlier this winter. Secondarily, fan response has been … lukewarm. Look, to be clear, we’re not hating on Hannah whatsoever, but more than a few fans feel she’s the worst Bachelorette ever. Before the season even got underway, no less! In any case, the time for speculation is officially over as the May 13 premiere marked her debut on the iconic franchise. Did the University of Alabama grad disappoint? View Slideshow: The Bachelorette Spoilers: Check Out Hannah Brown’s Final THREE! [UPDATED] A frontrunner for the 2018 Miss Alabama turned interior designer’s heart emerged, as Bachelorette spoilers predicted. Whether or not her fiance was revealed this early is subject to debate, of course, as there’s a long, LONG way to go. Let’s break down the premiere, blow by blow: Or fame by frame, perhaps we ought to say, as the premiere opened with a twist… Hannah recruited her Bachelor friends Demi Burnett and Katie Morton to actually check out the suitors from a surveillance van on night one. Demi was on the lookout for Scott, who she heard through the Internet had a girlfriend back home and, therefore, would definitely be on the show for all the wrong reasons. Upon meeting this man, Scott laid it on thick with Hannah, offering to workshop their dream home and claiming that he took the whole Bachelorette process quite seriously. However, Demi warned Hannah that she received incriminating intel about him. Cue confrontation number-one! Akin to how folks say you need to find the biggest inmate and beat him up in order to earn respect in prison… Hannah barged into the Bachelorette Mansion. Scott responded to her accusations by saying he did NOT have a girlfriend, but, well, yes: there was a woman waiting for him back home. What a loser! The guy even went on to compare his situation to Hannah dating Colton Underwood before becoming the Bachelorette, an idea that really made no sense whatsoever. She was with someone before and is now single. That’s just how life works. Scott has backup options just waiting for his call! Having heard enough, Hannah trashed Scott as a “jerk” and swiftly threw him out of the house. The Bachelorette then told the remaining men to go home if they had similar circumstances, making it very clear they weren’t dealing with some pushover this season. Thankfully, no one else could relate to Scott. And some of these 30 aspiring husbands proved to be rather creative and funny upon their introductions: Connor S. jumped a fence, a sly reference to Colton doing the same on The Bachelor …. Devin lied about being a virgin, also mocking poor Colton… Joe leaped out of a box… and Cam did a freestyle rap. Prior to entering the mansion for the cocktail party Hannah paused to say a prayer. She then said that she had a slight crush on Jed after he sang her a “Roll Tide” ballad because Hannah hails from Alabama — and she shared kisses with Luke P., Connor S. and Cam! As for who earned the First Impression Rose? It went to a 24-year-old Import/Export Manager who showed off his shirtless physique in his introductory clip and who met Hannah back during the After the Rose special several weeks ago. “I think I’m a good looking guy,” this stud told the camera with a smile and laugh. “When I was in college, a lot of the girls around me thought so too.” This same person is from Gainesville, Georgia and said on air that God spoke to him in the shower once and that he changed his focus in life as a result and has been “working on the husband that I want to be for my future wife.” He also was the first person to comfort Hannah after she sent Scott packing. Yup: it’s Luke Parker! Pictured below with The Bachelorette, will he be able to go from early favorite to final one chosen? We’ll need to tune in if we want to find out — but we do not need to read through any The Bachelorette spoilers to know who no longer has a shot at Hannah’s heart. Brian, Chasen, Hunter, Joe, Matt Donald, Ryan and Thomas were all sent home during the first rose ceremony. That was an intense opener, huh? Is your favorite still in play for this summer’s very likely proposal? The Bachelorette airs on ABC Mondays at 8/7c on ABC. View Slideshow: The Bachelorette Spoilers: Check Out Hannah Brown’s Final THREE! [UPDATED]
Earlier today, we reported on yet another shocking development in the life of former Teen Mom 2 star Jenelle Evans. Jenelle’s youngest son, Kaiser, was removed from her care by Child Protective Services on Friday and turned over to his father, Nathan Griffith. The agency usually only takes such drastic measures in cases where there’s reason to believe that there’s an immediate danger to the child’s safety. The exact nature of the threat to Kaiser is unknown, but the decision to remove the boy from Jenelle’s custody is a reportedly a result of a recent incident in which her husband, David Eason, shot and killed the family dog during a fit of rage. Upon learning of that incident, Griffith called 911 and requested that police perform a welfare check on his son. “I guess there was a dispute with my ex-fiancée and her husband and he shot a dog. And there’s been multiple 911 calls of abuse,” Griffith told police. “And I’m just trying to figure out where my son’s at and what I should do in this situation right now. I’m just so confused right now. … I just want to make sure my son is safe.” On social media, Evans has been uncharacteristically quiet. But in an interview with Us Weekly , the controversial former reality star spoke out about her efforts to regain custody. “I’ve been fighting to get my son back,” she tells the tabloid . “Kaiser was taken away Friday without my consent, before Mother’s Day, and I have been in touch with my lawyer pertaining this matter,” Evans adds “Kaiser was taken from his daycare by his grandmother [Nathan Griffith’s mother, Doris] with no notice or call to me.” Evans admits that Griffith’s mother acted with the authorization of CPS, but still feels that she the decision was unjust: “CPS told Doris to take Kaiser without my consent and still have no legal paperwork signed by the judge stating my kids are taken from me,” she tells Us . Interestingly, Jenelle claims that Nathan is on her side in all of this: “Our current custody order is still in place,” Evans says. “Nathan is to have supervised visits and only supervised by Doris. “Surprisingly, me and Nathan have been getting along, so I’m willing to maybe let his visits be unsupervised. Me and Nathan have been in contact during all of this. He doesn’t want Kaiser taken from me.” Jenelle has already lost custody of her eldest son, Jace , who has with her mother, Barbara Evans, for most of his life. According to Jenelle, Barbara is currently withholding visitation rights, a development which she blames on the fact that she was recently fired from MTV as a result of the dog shooting incident. “My mom is keeping Jace from me, nobody else,” she says. “I only had Ensley with me for Mother’s Day this year. And my mom is taking it out on me for being let go from MTV.” As for her tumultuous relationship with Eason — which has now cost her her dog, her job, and her relationship with her sons in just the past week — Evans says the marriage is currently “healing.” “My relationship with David now is still in a healing process, of course,” Evans explains. “We are going to start going to marriage counseling because he feels as if we both need it. “I completely agree. Not considering divorce unless he refuses counseling with me.” In her surprisingly candid comments, Jenelle expresses hope that her family situation will reverse course now that it seems to have hit rock bottom. “At this time, I want to focus on what’s best for myself and my family,” Evans says. “My lawyer has been advising me on what to do and what has gone wrong in this whole situation.” From there, Jenelle encouraged fans to be wary of information they receive from the media: “Any rumors that come out, I would like for everyone to just step back and think, ’Is this from Jenelle? No, it’s not true,’” she concludes. “I’m very open with the public and my life and will continue to be. “Right now, I need this time to just hang out with my family. I need them so bad right now.” The future of Jenelle’s custody arrangements remains very much in doubt, but the developments of the past two weeks are unlikely to help her standing in family court. We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available. View Slideshow: Jenelle Evans: CPS Just Friggen Took Kaiser! Seriously, Dude! [UPDATED]
Just over a month after Felicity Huffman agreed to plead guilty to charges of fraud for her role in the nationwide college admissions scandal , the veteran actress officially entered her plea on Monday, May 13. Wearing a dark coat and a pleated dress, the former Desperate Housewives star did so inside of a courtroom in Boston, multiple outlets have confirmed. In response to Huffman’s plea, prosecutors have recommended a four-month jail sentence. But, on a later date, a judge will have final say over the star’s exact punishment. Huffman has admitted to paying $15,000 to admissions consultant William “Rick” Singer and his nonprofit organization, Key Worldwide Foundation. A federal indictment has alleged that this so-called charity was really just a front for accepting bribes, however. Singer then facilitated cheating on Huffman’s oldest daughter’s SAT test by having a proctor correct the teen’s answers after the fact. Over two dozen wealthy individuals were snared in this operation, with Huffman and fellow Lori Loughlin the most well-known among them. While addressing Judge Indira Talwani on Monday, Huffman broke down in tears explaining that her daughter really had been seeing a neuropsychologist since the age of eight and had been receiving extra time on exams since she was 11. She told the judge that neither her daughter nor the neuropsychologist had any knowledge of the bribery scheme. At one point, witnesses inside the courtroom confirm, Huffman grew so emotional about her error in judgment that she needed a minute to compose herself. Huffman broke her silence on the scandal on April 8, announcing that she planned to plead guilty and accepting full responsiblity for her actions. “I am in full acceptance of my guilt, and with deep regret and shame over what I have done, I accept full responsibility for my actions and will accept the consequences that stem from those actions,” she said in a statement. It continued: “I am ashamed of the pain I have caused my daughter, my family, my friends, my colleagues and the educational community. “I want to apologize to them and, especially, I want to apologize to the students who work hard every day to get into college, and to their parents who make tremendous sacrifices to support their children and do so honestly.” She then turned her attention to Sophia, the 18-year old daughter for whom Huffman paid to have test scores altered: “My daughter knew absolutely nothing about my actions, and in my misguided and profoundly wrong way, I have betrayed her. “This transgression toward her and the public I will carry for the rest of my life. My desire to help my daughter is no excuse to break the law or engage in dishonesty.” The ex-American Crime star and husband William H. Macy, who got married in 1997, are also parents of 17-year-old daughter Georgia. While Huffman allegedly “made arrangements to pursue the scheme for a second time” for her younger daughter, she ultimately opted “not to do so,” per legal documents. Under her plea deal, Huffman is prohibited from running for office, owning a firearm and ammunition, and faces other restrictions. She will return to court for her sentencing on September 13. Loughlin, meanwhile, has taken the opposite approach from Huffman. She has not pleaded guilty and plans on fighting all fraud and bribery charges against her, despite these accusations being extreme in nature. The former Full House cast member is accused of shelling out $500,000 as part of an elaborate scheme to pretend that her two daughters were on their high school rowing team. In exchange, Singer arranged for an official at the University of California to place the young women on the school’s athletic recruitment list — thereby lowering their admission standards. Both teenagers were subsequently accepted to this college. After the actress and husband Mossimo Giannulli, rejected a plea deal in April, they were hit with additional charges of money laundering conspiracy They now face 40 years in prison .
