There’s a chill in the air because the seasons have changed…and it’s the time when folks look for hayrides, corn mazes and a fun scare. This week’s playlist is all about tapping into that mood and is perfectly paired with an essay from Jasmine Graham on Black folk horrors.
Beyond that, the owners of The Sacred Lounge in Michigan are helping women reconnect with their yonis, “Big Brother” finally crowns its first Black winner after 23 seasons, almost half of this year’s MacArthur Geniuses are Black, Kelly Price showed her face, Ray J tattooed his sister’s name all the way down his arm and a Black woman is in charge of one of the latest electric vehicle charging companies.
TGIF, everybody.
-Billy and the team at BLAC Magazine
Best of the Rest is a roundup of things you may not have known that you needed to know. Yet here we are. To get the Best of the Rest in your inbox every Friday. Subscribe to BLAC Friday’s. Your inbox will thank you.
THE BEST OF REST for October 1st 2021
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‘Big Brother’ crowns its first Black winner ever
Xavier Prather won $750,000 and became the first Black person ever to win the CBS megahit show “Big Brother.” Not only that, the other two to take home prizes were also African American. Runner up Derek Frazier, son of boxing legend Joe Frazier, took home $75,000 for coming in second place, and Detroit native Tiffany Mitchell was awarded $50,000 as America’s Favorite Houseguest. Mitchell was also responsible for ensuring that someone Black would win the game as she masterminded the strategy that took all six members of “The Cookout” alliance to the end of the game. (TheGrio, Entertainment Weekly, Parade)
Almost half of the 2021 “Genius Grants” awarded to someone Black
The MacArthur Foundation recently announced its 2021 MacArthur Fellows. Known as the “Genius Grant,” according to the foundation, “the MacArthur Fellowship is a $625,000, no-strings-attached award to extraordinarily talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential.” People cannot apply for the award, nor can anyone submit unsolicited nominations. (Essence, NPR, The MacArthur Foundation)
Kelly Price herself confirms that she is not missing
In a bizarre case, Kelly Price herself has confirmed to her immediate family and law enforcement that she is safe after being officially listed as a missing person in the state of Georgia. In a brief interview that was released to the public, Price shared that she contracted COVID-19, and at one point, was pronounced “medically-dead.” The singer is still on the mend as she says she has a ways to go before she is “concert ready.” (TMZ, TheGrio, NBC News)
TikTok influencer Khaby Lame is a new-age silent film star
After losing his job, the Senegalese-born, Italian-based Khaby Lame started posting videos on TikTok. In less than two years, he has amassed one million followers and a multi-million dollar fortune, by speaking what he calls “the global language.” “It’s my facial expressions which make people laugh,” he said. (NYT)
Electric vehicles soon to be powered by Black-owned company Dunamis Charge
Natalie King is the first Black woman founder of an electric vehicle charging company. Formerly an attorney, King launched Dunamis Charge in 2019 after a year of research and development. The chargers are expected to be offered in three models — a commercial fast charger with a screen for advertisers; a residential model; and a commercial model for use in parking lots. (Forbes)
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