Happy Sunday! Whether you're a new subscriber or an existing subscriber, welcome back. Here are a few articles you should check out from this week!
Doechii reached 100 million streams on Spotify for her hit song Anxiety and it is her first top 10 hit. Due to the subject matter, the song has resonated with a lot of people, and this week Doechii used the success of the song to capitalize and help solve the issue that inspired her to initially write it. This week, Doechii launched a hub called “Anxiety is Watching Me” which is meant to be a hub and support community for people who suffer from anxiety. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety affects 40 million adults every year, which is 19% of the population. Anxiety also is the most common mental health disorder. So, it’s no surprise that both the song has been successful and that her team recognizes that her influence can do more with the song and subject matter.
This week, Columbia University changed some policies concerning protests on campuses. After pressure from the Trump administration which came in the form of cutting funds, the university acquiesced and adjusted its policies. A series of which included more security personnel and more control over the time and place of protests. Columbia is a private institution so by default the university has more leeway as to how it can police protestors. Students at public institutions have more protection from the constitution. For the federal government to use federal funds to essentially control private institutions due to political reasons in this way would mark a shift in student activism. As of 2022, there are 99 HBCUs, 50 are public and 49 are private. Black students have always been vocal during political unrest, from the time of civil rights. If the administration can do this to an Ivy League Institution that has both a larger endowments and more federal funding, then what would be the ramifications if they were to put pressure on HBCUs which already get less funding generally and have smaller endowments?
A Different World was a pivotal moment in television history. It featured an all-Black cast at an HBCU dealing with student life, dating, race issues, class issues, and everything in between. As an audience, we got a chance to watch them mature through their college experiences and watched a bit of their post-college experiences as well. This week news was released that a sequel series got a pilot order from Netflix. The series will follow Dwayne and Whitley’s daughter at an HBCU. A pilot order is when a show shoots a single episode with the intent of gauging interest for the rest of the season. Debbie Allen, Tom Werner, Prince-Bythewood, and Bythewood, who worked on the original series, will be among the executive producers of the sequel.
This week on Pause for a Moment, we’re diving into the money, power, and inequality behind March Madness. Every year, the NCAA tournament generates billions of dollars, yet the athletes at the center of it all, many of whom are Black, see only a fraction of that wealth. With NIL (Name, Image, and Likeness) deals reshaping college sports, has real change arrived, or is it just a new way for corporations to profit off young talent? From the historic lawsuits that challenged the NCAA’s business model to the disparities in how men’s and women’s basketball players benefit from NIL, we’ll break down who’s really cashing in on March Madness, the fight for fair compensation, and what the future of college basketball could look like. Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or Amazon!
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Former WNBA all-star and current sports analyst, Chiney Ogwumike is developing the first scripted series about the WNBA.
Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa has partnered with Nvidia to build the first artificial intelligence factory in Africa.
Halle Bailey and Regé Jean Page will star in “Italiana” with Will Packer producing the film.
KeKe Palmer and SZA’s hit comedy “One Of Them Days” will be available on Netflix this week.
Conversations this week
Clint419, founder of the fashion brand Cortez, sits down with Kids Take Over to discuss his life and career.
Check out our Malindi Press Play playlist that’s updated weekly!
Song of the Week: “Life is Beautiful” by Larry June, 2 Chainz & The Alchemist (USA)
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