Will Smith’s Bel-Air Athletics Partners with Jermaine Dupri to Launch Capsule Collection in Support of Essential Workers

As the country continues to struggle with the crippling effects of COVID-19, a number of celebrities are stepping up to help essentials workers fighting on the frontlines of the public health crisis. On Thursday, Bel-Air Athletics, the streetwear brand created by Hollywood icon Will Smith, announced a partnership with legendary rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri to launch a capsule collection in honor of essential workers called “Bel-Air Essentials.”

According to a press release, 25% of proceeds from the collection will be donated to Frontline Foods, an organization that supports restaurants that have been impacted by shelter-in-place measures, and that feeds healthcare workers.

“It’s important that I recognize our front-line workers out there that are working to keep us all safe— they are the real heroes,” said Dupri in a statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I’m grateful to have a part in celebrating their courage with this Bel-Air Athletics launch. Together, we look forward to supporting Frontline Foods, so we can give back to those in need.”

Each item in the collection features graphics honoring different frontline workers, from doctors and nurses to teachers to postal services workers to restaurant employees to childcare workers. The message “To All On The Front Lines, We Appreciate You” is also printed on each piece.

Products in the collection range from $40 to $75 and include the Essential Workers Tee ($40), Thank You Long-Sleeve Tee ($55), and Bel-Air Essentials Hoodie ($75).

The capsule will be available for purchase for a limited amount of time, starting Thursday evening to  Monday, May 11 on belairathletics.com.

To help spread the word about the collection, Dupri will be spinning a live DJ set on Bel-Air Athletics’ Instagram on Friday, May 8, starting at 7 PM EST.

Just days after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that he was reopening certain businesses, Dupri urged people to continue to stay home and practice social distancing in the state.

“Y’all know the love I have for this city and what I pour into the city and how much I care about Atlanta,” said the Atlanta resident in a nearly 8-minute message posted on Instagram.

“So this message is really for us in this city,” he continued. “The image that we have in this city, I don’t like. I don’t like the way people think our minds move and the way people are like basically shortchanging us to make us look like we just a bunch of dumb a– n—-s out here running around happy to spend money [on] drugs, strip clubs and you know, just blow s–t.”

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Detective in Sean Reed shooting joked ‘it’s going to be a closed casket’

The police shooting of 21-year-old Dreasjon ‘Sean’ Reed is one of three police-involved killings that has recently set Indianapolis on edge. Reed was shot while attempting to elude police and filming the entire event on Facebook Live.

The brutal slaying has been compounded by a comment by a police detective. Off-camera on the Facebook Live video, the detective can be heard saying, “Think it’s going to be a closed casket, homie,” in reference to Reed’s funeral.

READ MORE: Indianapolis police fatally shoot Sean Reed, 21, during Facebook Live

According to the New York Times, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Chief Randal Taylor called the comments “unacceptable,” and said that disciplinary action will be taken.

The shooting took place on Wednesday when police observed Reed driving recklessly and attempted to pull him over, but he kept driving. Reed then started broadcasting on Facebook Live. In the video, he is heard saying, “Somebody come get me! Please come get me! I don’t want to go to jail.”

Sean Reed (Twitter)

Reed then pulled the car over and took off on foot. He was pursued by an officer, who has not been identified. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department has not identified the officer only saying that he too is African American.

According to the IMPD, at least 14 shots were fired including two from a gun found near Reed’s body.

The shooting is the third police-involved killing in Indianapolis in a span of eight hours. According to the Indy Star, the first shooting of the three took place around 1:30 am on Thursday. The second shooting appears to be an attempt to ambush police officers.

In responding to a burglary call, police encountered a man armed with a rifle as they approached the residence. They returned fire and the suspect, 19-year-old McHale Rose, was pronounced dead at the scene.

READ MORE: Protests as Indianapolis police kill 3 in separate incidents

In another incident, IMPD officer, Jonathon Henderson struck a pregnant woman who was walking up an expressway ramp Wednesday night. Identified as 23-year-old, Ashlynn Lisby, the woman, and her fetus did not survive.

The three incidents have sparked outrage in Indianapolis setting off protests to which Indianapolis’ Mayor Joe Hogsett responded in a statement, “Last night, our city experienced a series of tragedies that raise understandable questions and once again reveal the scars of mistrust left behind by a national legacy of discrimination against communities of color.”

The post Detective in Sean Reed shooting joked ‘it’s going to be a closed casket’ appeared first on TheGrio.

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Ray J gets served divorce papers from wife Princess Love

Love and Hip Hop: Hollywood Star and former model, Princess Love has filed for divorce from her singer husband, Ray J.

The stars have been estranged from each other since November when the then-pregnant Love publicly stated that her husband left her and their daughter, Melody Norwood, alone in Vegas after an argument.

READ MORE: Ray J’s estranged wife won’t let him see their kids until he quarantines alone

Love said that her husband left them to “party with escorts and strippers,” with no way to get home and while blocking her from calling. In a comment on Ray J’s Instagram, she said, “Left me and Melody stranded in Las Vegas and blocked me from calling… now you wanna post family photos. #ByeUgly.” This caption has since been deleted.

Eight months pregnant at the time, Love said that she was uncomfortable driving back to Los Angeles with her young daughter. “I’m over 8-months pregnant and I don’t even want to have to stop for gas or go into labor with all of this human trafficking going on.”

Princess Love (L) and Ray J attend the 2019 BET Awards at Microsoft Theater on June 23, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Leon Bennett/Getty Images)

Ray J tried to apologize to his wife in an appearance on The Wendy Williams Show, “I have to do better, and I have to understand my wife is pregnant,” he said at the time. “I have to think a little wiser when I’m making decisions.”

According to an interview with Page Six, Ray J said that his wife asked him to quarantine by himself amid the coronavirus pandemic. “I’m lonely right now. I don’t want to quarantine by myself. I keep telling Princess, but she says, ‘If I see one person over there with you, you got to start over,’ ” he says. “So I really have to lock myself in, because I really miss my kids.”

READ MORE: Ray J tells Wendy Williams his public spat with his wife, Princess Love, was his fault

Love gave birth to the couple’s son, Epik Ray Norwood, in January. The two stars have been married for nearly four years.

Love filed the papers in Los Angeles Superior Court on Tuesday, according to TMZ.

The post Ray J gets served divorce papers from wife Princess Love appeared first on TheGrio.

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Ain't Nowhere to Run: An Open Letter to Ahmaud Arbrey

Although Michael Harriot is on vacation this week, he still agreed to write our weekly Clapback Mailbag. However, instead of responding to trolls, haters, disgruntled readers and anyone who has a question about the content on The Root, Michael submitted this open letter to Ahmaud Arbery.

Read more...

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Will Smith’s Bel-Air Athletics Partners with Jermaine Dupri to Launch Capsule Collection in Support of Essential Workers

As the country continues to struggle with the crippling effects of COVID-19, a number of celebrities are stepping up to help essentials workers fighting on the frontlines of the public health crisis. On Thursday, Bel-Air Athletics, the streetwear brand created by Hollywood icon Will Smith, announced a partnership with legendary rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri to launch a capsule collection in honor of essential workers called “Bel-Air Essentials.”

According to a press release, 25% of proceeds from the collection will be donated to Frontline Foods, an organization that supports restaurants that have been impacted by shelter-in-place measures, and that feeds healthcare workers.

“It’s important that I recognize our front-line workers out there that are working to keep us all safe— they are the real heroes,” said Dupri in a statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I’m grateful to have a part in celebrating their courage with this Bel-Air Athletics launch. Together, we look forward to supporting Frontline Foods, so we can give back to those in need.”

Each item in the collection features graphics honoring different frontline workers, from doctors and nurses to teachers to postal services workers to restaurant employees to childcare workers. The message “To All On The Front Lines, We Appreciate You” is also printed on each piece.

Products in the collection range from $40 to $75 and include the Essential Workers Tee ($40), Thank You Long-Sleeve Tee ($55), and Bel-Air Essentials Hoodie ($75).

The capsule will be available for purchase for a limited amount of time, starting Thursday evening to  Monday, May 11 on belairathletics.com.

To help spread the word about the collection, Dupri will be spinning a live DJ set on Bel-Air Athletics’ Instagram on Friday, May 8, starting at 7 PM EST.

Just days after Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced that he was reopening certain businesses, Dupri urged people to continue to stay home and practice social distancing in the state.

“Y’all know the love I have for this city and what I pour into the city and how much I care about Atlanta,” said the Atlanta resident in a nearly 8-minute message posted on Instagram.

“So this message is really for us in this city,” he continued. “The image that we have in this city, I don’t like. I don’t like the way people think our minds move and the way people are like basically shortchanging us to make us look like we just a bunch of dumb a– n—-s out here running around happy to spend money [on] drugs, strip clubs and you know, just blow s–t.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3fz9EWf