Keke Palmer Teams up With McDonald's to Surprise Future Black Leaders With $220,000

Keke Palmer (center) strikes a pose with the Future 22 leaders.

Keke Palmer continues to champion black business owners, entrepreneurship and leadership.

Just months after partnering with Amazon to support Black women business owners in honor of Women’s History Month, the 28-year-old singer and actress recently teamed up with McDonald's to recognize future Black leaders who are affecting change in their communities.

As the spokesperson for Future 22, a program designed to honor 22 visionaries who are “shattering ceilings and breaking barriers to create meaningful change in communities across the country” according to the company, Palmer surprised the group with checks for $10,000 apiece at last weekend’s ESSENCE Festival of Culture in New Orleans.

Palmer, who got her start as a child actress before transitioning into more mature roles and adding a burgeoning singing career to her portfolio, said in a statement that it was an honor to celebrate the leaders.

“They are creating bright futures for themselves and the next generation – and, really, all of us – and the excitement on their faces during the McDonald's surprise gave me joy," she said.

The recipients of the cash were varied and included everyone from a STEM educator who is leveling the playing field for Black and brown children in computer science to a financial literacy champion who is bridging the financial gap in inner cities, according to McDonald’s.

Palmer also participated in a fireside chat with the Future 22 leaders moderated by McDonald's Senior Director of Cultural Engagement, Elizabeth Campbell. She provided tips on staying true to one's mission, finding balance while changing the world and paving the way for others, among other topics.

"This year's Essence Fest theme was Black Joy, and we couldn't wait to celebrate all 22 leaders and bring them to New Orleans, in honor of their accomplishments," said Campbell of the event.”

She added, “It was more special than imagined, representing our commitment to feeding and fostering the communities we serve."

Derek Chauvin sentenced to just over 20 years for violating George Floyd's federal civil rights

Photo Credit: Minnesota Department of Corrections

The former Minneapolis police officer who kneeled on a handcuffed Black man's neck for more than nine minutes while he was lying in the street struggling to breathe was sentenced to over 20 years in federal prison today.

Senior US District Court Judge Paul Magnuson sentenced Derek Chauvin, 46, to 252 months in prison with credit for time served for depriving George Floyd Jr., and a then 14-year-old boy of their constitutional rights.

The 46-year-old died pinned under three Minneapolis officers after telling them, "I can't breathe," more than 20 times. His May 2020 death, captured on video, sparked protests around the country against racial injustice and police brutality.

Chauvin was already sentenced to 22 and a half years in June 2021 on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter for his role in Floyd's death. US attorneys asked the court for Chauvin's sentence to run concurrently with his state sentence.

#DerekChauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted last year of murdering #GeorgeFloyd, was sentenced to 20 years in prison Thursday on a separate federal charge that he violated Floyd’s civil rights when he pressed his knees into the man’s neck. pic.twitter.com/nVQ2hZo0WM

— Gerald A. Griggs (@AttorneyGriggs) July 7, 2022

Chauvin could have faced up to life in prison if convicted of depriving Floyd of his civil rights. He instead pleaded guilty in December as part of an agreement with prosecutors, which capped the potential sentence at 25 years.

In the plea agreement, Chauvin admitted that his willful use of unreasonable force resulted in Floyd’s bodily injury and death because his actions impaired his ability to obtain and maintain sufficient oxygen to sustain life. Chauvin also pleaded guilty to willfully depriving a then-14-year-old child of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by a police officer, resulting in the child’s bodily injury.

"This sentence should send a strong message that the Justice Department stands ready to prosecute law enforcement officers who use deadly force without basis," said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division of the ruling. "While no amount of prison time can reverse the tragic consequences of Derek Chauvin’s violent actions, we hope that this sentence provides some small measure of justice for the families and communities impacted.”

U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota added, "Chauvin's actions constituted a grave abuse of police authority and a clear violation of these individuals’ civil rights. To the victims, their families, and to the broader community: although the harm that Chauvin caused will never be erased, today’s sentence of more than 20 years in prison represents a measure of justice and accountability.”

Chauvin will be transferred from solitary confinement at Minnesota's only maximum-security prison to a federal prison, where he will serve both sentences.

Three other former Minneapolis police officers involved in the incident – Tou Thao, J. Alexander Keung and Thomas Lane – were convicted in February of federal civil rights charges in Floyd's death.

Thao, Kueng and Lane were charged with depriving Floyd of his civil rights while acting under government authority and failing to provide Floyd with medical care. Thao and Kueng faced an additional count for failing to stop Chauvin from initiating the actions which caused Floyd’s death.

Under federal guidelines, the trio could face life in prison or even the death penalty at sentencing.

Rihanna Is the Youngest Self-Made Female Billionaire in U.S.

Danilo Lauria, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Just under a year after she first attained billionaire status Rihanna has reached another major career milestone, and unlike some on the list she joined — she did it her way.

The 34-year-old singer and entrepreneur, who recently welcomed her first child with rapper A$AP Rocky, is now the youngest self-made female billionaire in the country.

The news comes courtesy of Forbes. Rihanna's $1.4 billion fortune earned her the No. 21 spot on the magazine's recently released list of America’s richest self-made women.

It's how she made her money, however, that is perhaps most notable about the Barbados-born businesswoman.

On a list littered with those who acquired their wealth through inheritance, family companies, corporate malfeasance, and perhaps worse in some cases, Rihanna's self-made score from the publication was a lofty 10.

According to Forbes scores of six and above on their 10-point scale are indicative of someone who has built a company or established a fortune on his or her own. Rihanna's perfect score is for the self-made who not only grew up poor but also overcame significant obstacles.

While she has sold more than 60 million albums, Fenty Beauty (makeup) and Savage x Fenty (lingerie) are largely responsible for her wealth. Her 50% stake in Fenty Beauty accounts for the bulk of her fortune. Savage x Fenty, of which she owns 30% is worth about $270 million, and the rest of her earnings come from her heralded music career and stints as an actress.