$27M Settlement after Black Woman Killed In Police Chase. Oscars Recap. BET+ Shutdown |#TheBreakdown
Quick Read
Summary
Takeaways
- ❖Chicago settled for $27 million in a police chase death, revealing new evidence of officer negligence and cover-up.
- ❖BET+ is shutting down, merging content with Paramount+, affecting Tyler Perry's minority stake.
- ❖Black creatives celebrated historic Oscar wins for 'Sinners,' with Ryan Coogler and Autumn Durald Arkapaw making history in their categories.
- ❖Dr. Carla Barry's 'Noir STEMinus' initiative advocates for diverse representation in STEM to combat biased technological solutions.
Insights
1Chicago Police Department Faces $27 Million Settlement for Fatal Chase
The City of Chicago agreed to pay $27 million to the family of Sa'Stacy von Harrell, who died in a 2017 police chase. Initially, a jury awarded $10 million, but a new trial was ordered after new evidence, including video showing officers failing to assist von Harrell's injured daughter, surfaced. The family's attorney stated police violated department policy and attempted a systemic cover-up.
The initial $10 million jury award was appealed. New video footage showed officers allegedly nearby but not helping after the crash. The family attorney described police actions as 'the work of cowboys' and a 'systemic cover up.'
2BET+ Shuts Down, Content Merges with Paramount+ Affecting Tyler Perry's Stake
Black Entertainment Television's streaming service, BET+, is shutting down and its content will merge with Paramount+ starting in June. This change requires media mogul Tyler Perry to relinquish his 25% minority ownership stake in BET+ that resulted from a 2019 production deal with Paramount.
Under Paramount SkyDance's ownership, BET+ is merging its subscription service content with Paramount+ in June. Tyler Perry held a 25% stake in BET+ as part of a 2019 production deal.
3Black Woman Chick-fil-A Owner Challenges Authority Bias
Shalita Meadows, a Chick-fil-A owner in Chesapeake, Virginia, went viral after a locksmith refused to believe she was the owner, despite her name tag. He insisted the caller was a man and called her husband to confirm, who then clarified it was his wife's restaurant. Meadows used the incident to empower women, urging them not to 'shrink yourself in rooms that you help build.'
The locksmith arrived, sought 'the owner' (a man), and called Meadows' husband to confirm. Her husband stated, 'Sir, that's not my restaurant. That's my wife's restaurant.' Meadows shared the story on TikTok with the message: 'Don't shrink yourself in rooms that you help build.'
4Historic Wins for Black Creatives at the 98th Academy Awards
The 98th Academy Awards marked a historic night for Black actors and filmmakers, particularly with the film 'Sinners' receiving 16 nominations and winning multiple awards. Ryan Coogler became the second Black person to win Best Original Screenplay, Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman to win Best Cinematography, and Michael B. Jordan was the sixth Black person to win Best Actor in a Leading Role. Tiana Taylor also won Best Picture for 'One Battle After Another.'
'Sinners' received 16 nominations. Ryan Coogler won Best Original Screenplay. Autumn Durald Arkapaw won Best Cinematography. Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor in a Leading Role. Tiana Taylor won Best Picture for 'One Battle After Another.'
5Dr. Carla Barry Advocates for STEM Diversity to Prevent Biased Solutions
Dr. Carla Barry, founder of Noir STEMinus Educational Consulting and co-founder of Black in Engineering and Black in Robotics, emphasizes that STEM fields must reflect diverse communities to create equitable solutions. She highlights that a lack of diversity leads to biased outcomes, such as facial recognition systems failing to recognize Black faces or soap dispensers not working for darker skin tones. Her work includes children's books and romance novels featuring diverse STEM professionals to inspire future generations.
Dr. Barry states, 'If we don't reflect the world in which we live, we get solutions that don't work for everyone. We get bias in artificial intelligence. We get facial recognition systems that don't recognize black and brown faces.' Her initiatives aim to show that 'engineering is more than Dilbert.'
6Target Boycott Leads to $12.4 Billion Market Value Loss
The Target Corporation experienced a significant financial impact, losing approximately $12.4 billion in market value during a boycott that began on March 5, 2023. This occurred despite Pastor Jamal Bryant's apology for calling an end to the boycott, which was met with disapproval from many who vowed to continue the protest.
Target Corporation lost about $12.4 billion in market value during the boycott, which started on March 5, 2023. Pastor Jamal Bryant apologized for calling an end to the 'Target fast,' acknowledging community disappointment.
7FCC Chairman Threatens Broadcaster Licenses Over War Coverage
Brendan Carr, Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a Trump appointee, threatened to revoke TV broadcasters' licenses over their coverage of the US-Israeli war against Iran. His warning followed former President Donald Trump's criticism of 'fake news media' for allegedly misleading headlines regarding the expanding conflict in the Middle East.
Brendan Carr 'repeated his warning over the weekend after President Donald Trump heavily criticized media coverage of the war.' Carr 'boasted Trump's comments on X, threatening broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up.'
Bottom Line
The market for culturally relevant STEM educational materials, particularly children's books featuring diverse characters and names, remains underserved, representing a significant opportunity for creators.
Existing STEM content often lacks representation, alienating Black and Brown children and women. Filling this gap can inspire a new generation of diverse STEM professionals.
Develop and distribute STEM-focused educational content (books, apps, kits) that intentionally features characters with diverse backgrounds, names, and cultural contexts, potentially in multiple languages like Spanish.
Opportunities
Culturally Relevant STEM Education Platform
Create an online platform or publishing house specializing in STEM educational materials (books, interactive modules, video series) that prominently feature Black and Brown characters, stories, and cultural references. This directly addresses the gap identified by Dr. Carla Barry.
Lessons
- Challenge biases in professional settings: If you are a woman or person of color in a position of authority, be prepared to assert your role and address implicit biases, as demonstrated by Shalita Meadows.
- Support and amplify diverse voices in media: Actively seek out and promote films, shows, and content created by and featuring underrepresented communities to drive further industry recognition and success.
- Advocate for diversity in STEM: Recognize that diverse teams in science and technology lead to more equitable and effective solutions, and support initiatives that increase representation in these fields.
Quotes
"What happened that day was not the work of heroes. It was the work of cowboys who decided they were not only going to pursue a vehicle in violation of department policy. They decided they were going to cover it up. The cover up was wide. The cover up was systemic."
"It is a lot cheaper to show respect than it is to lose out on a contract or an opportunity."
"If we don't reflect the world in which we live, we get solutions that don't work for everyone. We get bias in artificial intelligence. We get facial recognition systems that don't recognize black and brown faces."
Q&A
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