While being incarcerated, Luke Scott is fully seizing a new opportunity in California. At age 60, and while serving time without parole, Scott has earned eight associate’s degrees, and in 2022, a bachelor’s degree in communications, the Los Angeles Times reports. Earning the latter from Sacramento State as an inmate at Mule Creek State Prison came decades after he promised his mother, who passed away in 2011, that he would one day be a college graduate.

California students are being given financial assistance to attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

A little while back, Rihanna announced that she would perform at the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. This announcement had the Navy in a tizzy, as it sparked rumors about potential new music. Rihanna at the superbowl: pic.twitter.com/OlyqntS0eO — toss a coin to your witcher (@itsayosigns) September 25, 2022 Of course, the Internet did what it does best and took the rumors and created memes about how Rihanna would continue on her music hiatus and, instead, use the moment to promote her cosmetic and lingerie lines.

In Whitney Houston’s inspiration classic, “Greatest Love of All,” she mentions that children are the future and how people should treat them and let them lead the way. It seems as if that message resonated with four high school students in New York and California. Eileen Ye, Mahmoud Abdellatif, Shreya Anand, and Ymorah Blakeney are making their mark on the community by ensuring everyone has equal access to resources and feels included and respected in various spaces. Championing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives are more than just hopping on the popular bandwagon for these teenagers. They are actively working within their schools and associated organizations to help implement residual, positive change.

A TikToker is claiming that she was racially profiled by Citibank. The TikToker — who goes by the username of Baby Storme — shared tearfully in a viral TikTok post that she attempted to deposit a check from her father at Citibank to go toward her rent in Los Angeles, CA. The user was serviced by an undisclosed bank teller who allegedly confiscated her check and stated the bank could not verify it. “So tell me why I literally never experienced what I just experienced. I’m not the kind of person to come on here crying,” Storme said on TikTok. “My dad sent me a check to pay off my rent for the next year and that’s it, and I go into Citibank to cash the check so I can pay my rent and they confiscate my check and refuse to give it back.” Baby Storme requested for her check to be returned and had plans to deposit the funds at another banking institution. The bank teller continued to deny her request. After further questioning, Baby Storme accused the bank teller of racial profiling. “Do...

A California man went to deposit $33,000 in Bank of America — and never saw the money again. According to ABC7 Bay News, the California man in question — Brian Leonard — had a certified check for $33,000. The check was drawn from Leonard’s Wells Fargo account, so that he and his wife could get their kitchen remodeled. He drew a certified check in the hopes that it would “clear quickly,” as typically, certified checks clear within 24 hours of deposit. But the next day, when he checked his account to make sure he had enough money to pay his contractor, he was in for a big surprise — and not in a good way. “The woman said that there was no record of the transaction. So as far as she was concerned, no transaction happened,” he said to the outlet. And it got worse. When the California man drove over to the bank’s branch in Oakland, CA, to see what was going on, the branch was closed . Getting aggravated yet? Don’t worry — so was he, and rightly so. “When I realized the branch was closed,...

Hip-Hop icon Lil’ Kim is looking to make a dent in the cannabis industry with the launch of her own brand. Forbes reports Lil’ Kim will be debuting “Aphrodisiac” in conjunction with Superbad Inc. at the beginning of next year. Although the launch will begin in California, the brand plans to expand to multiple states including Lil’ Kim’s home state of New York. The partnership will also include CampNova, an online cannabis distribution platform housed in Northern California. The rapper’s interest in Superbad Inc. stemmed from the brand’s mission statement of being driven by “technology, artistry, and innovation,” the official website says. And according to Carlos Dew, Superbad Inc. founder, the cannabis brand will be tailored to the rapper’s favorite genetics and strains, and over the last two years, Lil’ Kim has adopted a hands-on approach to ensure her spirit carries over to her brand. “ I’m a hustler by nature, right? I’m from Brooklyn, so we hustle. I equate the game all the time...

In March 2021, AfroTech reported that Bruce’s Beach could be going back to the descendants of its original Black owners. On Sept. 30, Gov. Gavin Newsom of California made that a reality. According to Eyewitness News (via The Associated Press) , the beachfront property in question was purchased by Willa and Charles Bruce back in 1912. The Bruces turned the property into the first beach resort for Black families. The resort — which included a lodge, a cafe, and even a dance hall — naturally faced threats and harassment from its white neighbors. There was even an attempt to burn down the resort. Finally, in 1924, the city seized the property — citing eminent domain — and took the property from the Bruces. The campaign to return Bruce’s Beach to the Bruce family — whose descendants include Anthony Bruce, who has been very vocal about the injustice committed against his family (and rightly so) — was spearheaded by LA County Supervisor Janice Hahn. “I’m considering, first of all, giving...