Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, celebrated the induction of three distinguished individuals into its sorority this weekend as Honorary Members during its 71st Boule in Dallas. Among these esteemed inductees is New York Times best-selling author, actor and TV producer, Tembi Locke.

Tembi Locke is a multi-talented writer, entrepreneur, and has made significant contributions as an author, actor, screenwriter, and TV producer. Her memoir, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home, was adapted into a successful Netflix series in partnership with Hello Sunshine, where Tembi served as co-creator and executive producer along with her sister Attica Locke who was also inducted into Alpha Kappa Alpha as an Honorary Member along with her this weekend. The series, From Scratch, quickly became a global sensation, spending weeks on Netflix’s Top Ten List in over thirty countries and earning six NAACP Image Award nominations, as well as the prestigious Los Angeles Film Italy award. The Her memoir also garnered attention as a Reese’s Book Club pick and an instant bestseller.

Beyond her literary and production successes, Tembi Locke is a seasoned actor with over sixty film and television credits. She recently appeared in a recurring role on Netflix’s popular show, Never Have I Ever. Outside of her acting career, Tembi is a nationally recognized speaker, delivering impactful keynotes on resilience, loss, creativity, and the power of storytelling. Her TEDx talk has resonated with audiences globally, inspiring many through her insights. She also hosts the podcast Lifted, where she features inspiring women who share stories of transformative experiences.

The sorority made the public announcement of her induction via social media with the following graphic:

Tembi Locke’s work is driven by a mission to inspire people to embrace resilience, love, and community. Her induction into Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority as an Honorary Member underscores her exceptional contributions to literature, television, and her advocacy for personal growth and community empowerment, reflecting the sorority’s commitment to excellence and leadership.

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Netflix has unveiled the trailer for the highly anticipated final season of Elite, set to premiere worldwide on July 26. With only three weeks remaining until the series finale, fans are eagerly awaiting the conclusion of this iconic show, which has captivated audiences since its debut in 2019.

The eighth and final season of Elite is the brainchild of creators Carlos Montero and Jaime Vaca. This season brings back beloved characters and introduces new faces to the ensemble cast. Returning stars include Omar Ayuso, André Lamoglia, Valentina Zenere, Mirela Balić, Gleb Abrosimov, Fernando Líndez, Nadia Al Saidi, Ander Puig, Carmen Arrufat, Mina el Hammani, Iván Mendes, and Maribel Verdú. They will be joined by newcomers Ane Rot, Nuno Gallego, Alexandra Pino, and Mario Ermito, adding fresh dynamics to the story.

Elite has been an international phenomenon, known for its thrilling plotlines, complex characters, and bold storytelling. As the series prepares to wrap up, fans can expect an intense and dramatic conclusion to the high-stakes world of Las Encinas.

Mark your calendars for July 26, and get ready to bid farewell to one of Netflix’s most talked-about series.

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Based on how Beyoncé was treated at the 2016 CMA Awards and Darius Rucker’s comments on how the music is still reckoning with the “stigma of rebel flags and racism,” we know it’s incredibly difficult for Black artists to find major success with entitled country fans who think this is “their music.”

Country music has always been Black music. Like most art and culture in America, the genre’s roots can be traced back to enslaved Africans. The banjo, a signature instrument of country music, has its origins in the West African lute. Early roots and Americana music is based on the spirituals and work songs of enslaved people. It was co-opted by white artists who did not give proper credit to the genre’s real creators.

The re-written history of country music has led to a longstanding narrative that it’s not for Black people. In the past, a few legends like Charley Pride, Ray Charles and Linda Martell hace broken through, but those are the exceptions, not the rule.

Husband and wife duo, Michael Trotter Jr. and Tanya Trotter, better known as, The War and Treaty, made history in 2023 as the first Black artists to be nominated for duo of the year at both the ACM and CMA Awards. Unfortunately, even that level of acclaim and popularity can’t save them from country music’s racist origins. According to The Hollywood Reporter, during a recent performance at the Coca-Cola Sips & Sounds Music Festival in Austin, Texas, they discovered “a cotton plant in their dressing room.”

“Anger is what I felt. Disrespect is what I felt. Sadness is what I felt. Sadness not just because of what that plant represents to people that look like me but sadness for myself because I am a son of this country,” he said.

Michael, who is an Army veteran wounded during his service, added: “It’s not fair. It’s something that white artists don’t have to worry about at all. … It just happens to come through the bowels of this genre. So, I feel that it’s not enough for us to talk about it, we have to demand that we be about it.”

The duo left the event immediately after their performance, no longer feeling safe at the venue. The incident forced the couple to have a poignant talk with their 12-year-old son Legend, but he was already a step ahead of them, telling his parents exactly how they should handle the situation. “He said that this is not the time to be quiet about it. He was very upset, and he understood exactly what it meant,” Michael said.

The festival responded to the incident with a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, calling the situation “an honest mistake.”

“There was no purposeful harm intended, and we sincerely apologize,” the statement reads. “Their concern was met with immediate action, including a heartfelt in-person apology, removal of the decor and a personal conversation with the artists by event organizers to assure them this was an honest mistake.”

It’s not just about Michael and Tanya, it’s about the safety of their family, band and crew, as well as other artists and fans. As the genre continues to attract fans from all walks of life, events and venues have to take appropriate measures to make sure they are adequately supporting those in attendance.

Whether this was just a mistake, or something more malicious, it signals Black fans that they’re not welcome at these concerts. It also tells us that they had no one on staff who would understand what this would mean to the artists. As more Black artists expand the genre, they need allies to help them feel safe in these spaces.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Once that second-quarter layup went in and he finally had his first NBA points after a trio of misses, Bronny James could exhale and everything began to slow down.

He hardly expects to be perfect at this early stage of his professional career, and every touch and possession will provide an opportunity for growth and learning.

He sure felt the love and support Saturday, even playing in the Bay Area ruled by Stephen Curry and the Warriors.

“The atmosphere, it was more than I expected,” a grinning James said. “It’s a big game for me, but I didn’t know the people of Golden State would come and rep for me, so that was pretty nice to see.”

Oversized headphones on his ears and dressed in full Lakers gold as he geared up for his NBA Summer League debut Saturday, the rookie looked so much like his famous father, LeBron, it caused some at Chase Center to do a double-take.

Down to their familiar mannerisms, facial expressions and the way they run or shuffle back on defense. Bronny James took his place in the starting lineup for the Los Angeles Lakers and his professional career was formally underway, with plenty of scouts in the building to witness it as he wore jersey No. 9 — not to be confused with his dad’s former 6 uniform he sported before switching to 23.

“Every first game that I step on the next level there’s always some butterflies in my stomach, but as soon as the ball tips and we go a couple times down it all goes away and I’m just playing basketball,” he said. “It’s always going to be there but get through it.”

The younger James wound up 2 for 9 for four points, missing all three of his 3s, with a pair of assists, two rebounds and a steal in just under 22 minutes of court time — 21:43 to be exact — as the Lakers lost 108-94 to the Sacramento Kings.

James missed his initial two shots while playing nearly six minutes in his first action — grabbing a defensive rebound 1 minute, 20 seconds into the game then missing a 21-foot jump shot moments later. He came up short on a 26-foot 3-point try at the 4:23 mark of the opening quarter before getting a breather.

There were cheers and a warm ovation when James returned to the court at the 8:17 mark of the second quarter. He was initially whistled for his first career foul on a 3-point attempt by Sacramento’s Xavier Sneed on the right wing with 7:23 remaining, and James argued briefly before the play went to replay review and was overturned. James missed a 3 off the front rim from the top of the arc at 7:04.

Then, at last, James scored his first NBA points on a driving layup 5:51 before halftime.

“Moments like that can slow the game down for you especially because I wasn’t as productive as I wanted to beforehand,” he said. “… I couldn’t get the 3-ball to fall, but all the reps it’s going to come more smooth.”

James missed a pair of free throws at the 4:43 mark of the third period in his first trip to the line.

At one point during his warmup routine, the 6-foot-2 guard stood with hands on hips in a resemblant position to one of his father. And during the game, the son leaned over by the baseline 3-point corner, gripping his knees while waiting for the offensive possession to begin.

The younger James was drafted by the Lakers with the 55th overall selection in the second round out of the University of Southern California.

He will get another chance to play Sunday, when the Lakers face the Warriors, again at the Chase Center. Coach Dane Johnson plans to give James plenty of chances to acclimate and gain valuable experience in the coming days and weeks.

“Hopefully he’ll play all the games, we’ll see how it goes,” Johnson said. “We’re going to try to integrate him and get him as many reps as we can. He needs more experience playing.”

Johnson applauded James’ keen court awareness, noting, “we all know he has good instincts already, so finding the consistency within those he’ll build as we keep going forward in the summer league and throughout the coming season. His instincts are there, we’ve just got to keep building habits.”

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If all goes as planned, the 19-year-old James and his dad would become the first father-son pair to play in the NBA at the same time — and on the same team no less.

“What he does in the California Classic and Summer League, it doesn’t matter if he plays well and it doesn’t matter if he doesn’t play well,” LeBron James said at USA Basketball’s training camp in Las Vegas. “I just want him to continue to grow, practices, film sessions, his individual workouts. You can’t take anything as far as stat wise from the California Classic and Summer League and bring it once the season starts. The only thing that matters is him getting better and stacking days.”

Bronny is NBA career scoring leader LeBron’s oldest son. He survived cardiac arrest last July 24 during an informal team workout at USC and it was later determined he had a congenital heart defect. The younger James signed a four-year contract that will pay him $7.9 million.

He will remind himself along the way to stay aggressive and “believe in myself knowing I can make plays for myself and my teammates.”

“Looking at my mistakes and looking at the things I did right is really good for me,” James said. “But also just game by game growing that comfort in my playing my game, I feel like that’s a big part of why I come out here and get those reps in.”

LONDON (AP) — Coco Gauff is no stranger to making the fourth round at Wimbledon. She went that far as a 15-year-old newcomer playing in her first Grand Slam tournament in 2019, and then again on her next appearance in 2021.

She’s never been to the quarterfinals at the All England Club, though, and will get a third crack at it after beating British qualifier Sonay Kartal 6-4, 6-0 in the third round on Friday.

But for someone who played in two Grand Slam finals before turning 20 — winning one of them, at last year’s U.S. Open — just getting to the quarterfinals, even at Wimbledon, isn’t much of a goal.

“I feel like at this point, it feels as if losing in the fourth (round) or the quarterfinals feels the same in a way, just because I do have such big aspirations,” said Gauff, who also reached the semifinals at both the Australian Open and French Open this year. “I feel like it sucks to say this, but once you win, you kind of take it for granted. I try not to, obviously. When you make a lot of quarterfinals in Slams, in general it just makes you want to make it to a semifinal. You make a couple semifinals, you want to make the final.”

Gauff is one of two former U.S. Open champions who are looking to get past the fourth round at Wimbledon for the first time. Emma Raducanu is back into the second week for the first time since her debut as an 18-year-old in 2021, when she had to retire with breathing problems in the second set against Ajla Tomljanovic and later said the moment had “caught up” with her.

After a couple of injury-plagued seasons, the British home favorite is playing some of her best tennis since winning the 2021 U.S. Open title as a qualifier, and beat No. 9-seeded Maria Sakkari of Greece 6-2, 6-3 on Centre Court.

And any discomfort with playing in front of a home crowd with huge expectations seems to have gone away.

“Today was really up there with the most fun I’ve had on a tennis court,” Raducanu said. “I really enjoyed every single moment. I think I was just telling myself, how many times in your life are you going to get the opportunity to play in front of a full Centre Court?”

Gauff has also been a crowd favorite at Wimbledon ever since she burst onto the grass by beating Venus Williams in the first round in 2019.

So it was a slightly strange feeling for the American to know that a large section of the crowd would be rooting against her on Friday. That’s because she was going up against Kartal, a British qualifier who had exceeded expectations just by making the third round.

“I think this is my first time ever playing a British player here, so I was a little bit nervous honestly, going in,” Gauff told the crowd after her win on No. 1 Court. “Because I knew you guys would be for her. Which is totally understandable.”

Gauff will play another American next in Emma Navarro, who she beat in straight sets in Auckland in January. Navarro is making only her second appearance at Wimbledon, having lost in the first round last year, but also made the fourth round at the French Open in June.

“I think when I played her at the beginning of the year, I wasn’t necessarily ready for that challenge,” Navarro said of Gauff. “I know I have the level inside of me that can beat a player like her. It’s maybe just a matter of doing it on a bigger stage.”

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Other women to advance to the round of 16 included Madison Keys, Paula Badosa, Donna Vekic and French Open finalist Jasmine Paolini.

Raducanu, who is also playing mixed doubles with Andy Murray, will next face qualifier Lulu Sun, who became the first woman from New Zealand to reach the fourth round at Wimbledon in the Open era.

Sun has a lot in common with Raducanu. Both have Chinese heritage on their mother’s side, and Sun has also managed to make it far in a Grand Slam as a qualifier.

“Qualifiers are actually sometimes more dangerous,” Raducanu said. “I’m really up for a battle, though.”

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Attorneys for the last two remaining survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court on Tuesday to reconsider the case they dismissed last month and called on the Biden administration to help the two women seek justice.

Viola Fletcher, 110, and Lessie Benningfield Randle, 109, are the last known survivors of one of the single worst acts of violence against Black people in U.S. history. As many as 300 Black people were killed; more than 1,200 homes, businesses, schools and churches were destroyed; and thousands were forced into internment camps overseen by the National Guard when a white mob, including some deputized by authorities, looted and burned the Greenwood District, also known as Black Wall Street.

In a petition for rehearing, the women asked the court to reconsider its 8-1 vote upholding the decision of a district court judge in Tulsa last year to dismiss the case.

“Oklahoma, and the United States of America, have failed its Black citizens,” the two women said in a statement read by McKenzie Haynes, a member of their legal team. “With our own eyes, and burned deeply into our memories, we watched white Americans destroy, kill, and loot.”

“And despite these obvious crimes against humanity, not one indictment was issued, most insurance claims remain unpaid or were paid for only pennies on the dollar, and Black Tulsans were forced to leave their homes and live in fear.”

Attorney Damario Solomon Simmons also called on the U.S. Department of Justice to open an investigation into the massacre under the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act of 2007, which allows for the reopening of cold cases of violent crimes against Black people committed before 1970. A spokesperson for the DOJ declined comment.

The lawsuit was an attempt under Oklahoma’s public nuisance law to force the city of Tulsa and others to make restitution for the destruction. Attorneys also argued that Tulsa appropriated the historic reputation of Black Wall Street “to their own financial and reputational benefit.” They argue that any money the city receives from promoting Greenwood or Black Wall Street, including revenue from the Greenwood Rising History Center, should be placed in a compensation fund for victims and their descendants.

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John Cena, a titan of professional wrestling, sent a jolt through the WWE Universe with a surprise retirement announcement at last night’s Money in the Bank pay-per-view event in Toronto. The 47-year-old legend revealed his intention to step away from in-ring competition after a meticulously planned farewell tour.

Standing amidst the electric Toronto crowd, Cena took the microphone with a sad yet resolute air. His proclamation, “Tonight I officially announce my retirement from the WWE,” hung heavy in the air, eliciting a wave of both cheers and stunned silence. This announcement marks the culmination of an illustrious career, signifying the impending closure of a defining chapter in professional wrestling.

John Cena is retiring from the WWE.

His last event will be WrestleMania 41 in 2025. pic.twitter.com/2QbvmoBGaK

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) July 7, 2024

However, Cena’s legions of fans will have the opportunity to witness his final bow. The 16-time World Champion will embark on a meticulously crafted retirement tour, granting them one last chance to witness his unparalleled charisma and in-ring prowess. This tour will culminate at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, serving as the official curtain call for his in-ring career.

The structured itinerary includes marquee events like the Royal Rumble in January 2025 and the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, culminating in the grand finale at WrestleMania. This extended farewell allows fans a chance to celebrate Cena’s indelible mark on the industry and witness a legend gracefully exit the stage.

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If you’ve been paying attention to hip-hop — and particularly Kendrick Lamar’s moves the past few weeks — you may have noticed a colorful afro’d character named Tommy the Clown. He was on stage dancing at Kendrick’s “The Pop Out” concert on Juneteenth during DJ Hed’s set and is also one of the stars of Lamar’s “Not Like Us” music video.

Many of you may be wondering, “Who is this clown?” But for those in the know, he’s a legend that may be just as important to Los Angeles as Lamar himself.

Who is Tommy the Clown?

Tommy performs at birthday parties and other celebratory events as a way to entertain guests just like any other clown. But his influence and impact go way deeper than that. In South Central Los Angeles, he’s a living legend.

Tommy Johnson was born in Detroit on Jan. 9, 1969. He was raised in South Central Los Angeles, where he created the “clowning” style of dance in the early 1990s as a form of entertainment and establishing peace. This style of dancing later evolved into what many hip-hop fans know today as “krumping.”

“The climate of this movement is important because it gives children, people and kids an outlet,” Tommy told the Los Angeles Times. “It gives them a sense of direction where they can do something that’s creative and express their talents and energy on the dance floor.”

“My favorite part about my job is creating smiles and laughter where they don’t exist. I like to create an atmosphere of joy, entertainment, laughter, energy, and it makes me happy to see people happy.”

Thanks to his prominent influence, young adults and children for the last three decades have joined Tommy’s crew, known as the “Hip Hop Clowns,” and have performed at parties and events throughout Los Angeles.

Even folks not directly associated with Tommy have created clown crews of their own to show off their dance moves. There are now dozens of clown crews in Los Angeles. But there are no violent clashes between clown crews — everything is handled on the dance floor.

These battles between crews became so popular that Tommy organized an official event for dancers in the community to battle it out, known as Battle Zone. This event was put on the international stage with the 2005 documentary, “Rize,” which tells the story of krumping and clowning and ends with the legendary Battle Zone event.

To this day, Tommy still organizes and hosts this iconic dance competition.

For parents who want their children to express themselves in the form of clowning and krumping, Tommy offers classes at his Tommy the Clown Hip Hop Academy.