This Week In Good Black News: Find Out What Tyler Perry, Morehouse Students, and Mike Epps Are Up To – BET

October 27, 2023
8:00 AM
Photo by Dia Dipasupil, Photo by Erik S. Lesser,Photo by Amy Sussman
“This Week in Good Black News” celebrates the remarkable acts of kindness and generosity within the Black community. This week, we share stories of Tyler Perry‘s compassionate gesture towards a 93-year-old woman, the life-changing relief provided to Morehouse College students, and the commendable efforts of comedian and actor Mike Epps as he works diligently to give back to his community. If all this isn’t good enough, Coi Leray is showing some love to the single folks.
These stories exemplify the unwavering spirit of positivity, strength, and solidarity within the Black community, reminding us that even during the hard times, acts of kindness go a long way. 
Tyler Perry’s kindness knows no bounds!
Perry is helping a 93-year-old South Carolina woman entangled in a legal dispute with developers aiming to demolish her historic home. According to unidentified sources who spoke to TMZ, the filmmaker plans to build Josephine Wright a new house on the land, and “they expect to break ground in the coming weeks.” Perry is said to be building a 5-bedroom home for Wright and her grandchildren once permits are approved.
Wright says developers from Bailey Point Investment Group pressured her to sell the Hilton Head Island home that had been in her family since the aftermath of the Civil War. They intended to use her land as part of a 147-unit neighborhood. When she pushed back, she claims that the developers harassed her by slashing her tires and throwing trash on the property.
“I’ve been a fighter all my life,” she told WSAV.
Once Perry caught wind of the story, he vowed to help Wright and build her a new home on the property.  
“Tyler Perry’s friendship has made a significant difference in Grandma’s life, and we are truly thankful for his kindness and generosity,” wrote Wright’s granddaughter, Charise Graves on the family’s GoFundMe.
Photo by Mireya Acierto
On October 23, the Gish Prize Trust announced that Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, will receive the 30th annual Dorothy and Lillian Gish Prize. She is honored for her longtime contributions to the arts and will receive a cash prize of approximately $250,000, one of the largest for artists and their supporters.
Golden said in a statement, “As a curator and museum director who has been privileged to work for and on behalf of artists for my entire career, I am humbled to receive this prize that was created by an artist and has been given to so many creative leaders I greatly admire.”
Congrats to Golden, who is truly doing the work to move the culture forward for established and emerging creatives. 
Morehouse College
It’s good to be a Morehouse man. This week, it was announced that nearly 3,000 students at Morehouse College have had their student debts canceled.
According to a news release, the HBCU partnered with Debt Collective, the first union of debtors to cancel pending debt in the nation, which will wipe clean collections for the Fall 2022 term and prior for 2,777 students.  Morehouse transferred the collections to the Rolling Jubilee Fund, a sister organization of the Debt Collective, for $125,000—or a little more than one penny on the dollar. The “no strings attached” gift was used for ”unpaid parking tickets, library fines, and even unpaid tuition totaling up to $30,000.”
Now that their debt has been cleared, these students can access their transcripts, receive their diplomas, and continue their education at the graduate level. In other words, it’s a complete game changer for them. 
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
Four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry has a new partnership during the 2024 NBA season with e-commerce site Rakuten which was created to support Black designers from the Black In Fashion Council, according to PEOPLE.
Curry told the outlet, “It’s an awesome way to create representation in a field that needs it. I’m no designer, I’m no fashion mogul, but I know there are creative ways to shine a light on some amazing talent. I’m excited for the world to see these designers on a new stage.”
On October 24, the opening night of the NBA season, in a game against the Phoenix Suns, Curry wore the first look of the collab curated by Pierre Blanc. Other brands include Advisry, Des Pierrot, Head of State, and Savant Studios. 
Fans can purchase pieces of Curry’s game-day looks on Rakuten.com.
The teaser for Mike Epps’ brand-new show “Buying Back the Block” dropped on HGTV’s Instagram page, highlighting the community where the comedian was raised and the work he is doing to invest in its restoration. 
Epp said in the teaser, “Indianapolis is home for me and there’s nothing in the world like it. Over the years, things have changed. Some of the houses are run-down. The streets are run down. That’s why I’m buying back my block,” which includes “six homes we actually got evicted from.”
On the show, Epps teams up with his wife Kyra as the two are on a mission to renovate two homes over 12 weeks. And one thing is for sure: they want “to make sure people can afford them.”
“Buying Back the Block” premieres Wednesday, November 8 at 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. EST.  Watch the trailer above.
Tennis icon Althea Gibson and NAACP co-founder Ida B. Wells are the newest cohort of women whose images will be featured on the 2025 quarters, The Hill reports. The Treasury Department also announced several other honorees, including Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, astronomer Vera Rubin, and disability activist Stacey Park Milbern.
Ventris Gibson, Director of the United States Mint, said in a statement, “It’s a privilege for the Mint to connect America through coins, and to tell our nation’s story through honoring the women in this amazing program.”
She continued, “The pioneering women we have recognized are among the many in our nation’s history who have made significant contributions and championed change in their own unique way.”
Photo by Monica Morgan/Getty Images
On October 23, scholar and author Michael Eric Dyson celebrated his 65th birthday. Throughout his distinguished career, Dyson has penned numerous thought-provoking books that have made significant contributions to the discourse on race, culture, and social justice. His literary works, such as “Tears We Cannot Stop: A Sermon to White America” and “The Michael Eric Dyson Reader,” stand as powerful testimonies to his unwavering commitment to addressing critical issues of our time.
Dr. Dyson’s influence extends far beyond the pages of his books. He has emerged as a prominent speaker, using his voice and approachability to solidify his status in American intellectual and academic circles.
Happy birthday, Dr. Dyson!
Disney+ has dropped the trailer for the holiday comedy “Dashing Through the Snow,” which stars Lil Rel Howery, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, and Teyonah Parris.
“Dashing Through the Snow” follows a social worker for the Atlanta police department and the Christmas Eve journey with his estranged daughter that forces him to remember the joy of the holiday season. 
The Tim Story-directed movie will stream exclusively on Disney+ starting on November 17, 2023!
JAY-Z is notoriously private and rarely gives interviews, but CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King convinced him, after many requests, to go on the record about his illustrious career. This includes details about his writing process and how he got the name,  “One-Take-HOV.” In part one of the interview, which premiered on Thursday (Oct. 26), the music mogul revealed why he will likely never sell his masters.
“I get why people do it. I’ve been fortunate enough to make money in this place, but for me, [that] was the fight of my life,” said JAY-Z.
He continued, “From being an independent company from the beginning and then going through the Def Jam system, not really understanding how that works and them having my masters, then going back to Def Jam as the president and then saying, ‘OK, I’ll do this job and part of this job is my masters have to revert back to me.”
Check out part two of the interview on CBS Mornings on Friday (Oct. 27).
It’s officially Cuffing season and if you are single, Coi Leray has got your back.
On October 23, the dating app Tinder announced its latest partnership with the “Players” rapper to help singles find their perfect match. 
Coi Leray said in a press release, “Handing your phone over to the friend group was the original vibe check. Obviously, you want your friends to like whoever you’re crushing on, and Tinder Matchmaker is a fun way to get the bestie’s seal of approval even before the match.”
See the promo above!
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