#brandon senior black

[dragonnarrative-writes]

Part 2 - Work Introductions

Autumn Embers Masterlist

CW: Mentions of child loss, mentions of medical neglect/abuse, mentions of reproductive abuse, mentions of pregnancy complications and death, mentions of racism, sexism (in an omegaverse way), Brandon (unfortunately living), real world references

Data entry and analysis isn’t the most exciting job in the world, no matter what kind of fancy title you’re given, but it pays the bills. Working on a military base isn’t ideal, but the benefits are nothing to sneeze at. And most days, you get to sit alone and uninterrupted, in your own office, instead of in a cramped cubicle.

On Tuesday, you’re startled out of your audiobook by a gentle knock on your desk. Sherry, your immediate superior, gives an awkward little wave and waits for you to finish your line and mute your music.

“Hey, I’m so sorry about this,” she says, as soon as your headphones are clear. “You remember those port reports from Honduras? Some of the senior analysts have some questions for you? They’re currently in a meeting and requested some clarification…?”

You wait, but she doesn’t say anything else. “…what do they want to know?”

“Oh, they didn’t tell me, I’m sorry,” Sherry says. “They asked if you could… Well, they need you to attend the meeting. Right now.”

“Do I even have the clearance for that kind of meeting?” You stand without waiting for an answer and disconnect your laptop from the dock. With it tucked under your arm, you grab a notebook and pen, as well as your water bottle.

Sherry leads the way out of the office. “I know you submitted these reports two weeks ago, and your notations are excellent. I think the problem is with one of the flagged ship manifests, but they wouldn’t clarify why they were concerned. Couldn’t get a word in edgewise.”

Her apologetic air suddenly makes sense. “Brandon’s in there, isn’t he?”

Sherry grimaces. “I’m so, so sorry. It’s him and a few alphas. There’s an American CIA agent as well.”

“So I absolutely don’t have the clearance for this meeting,” you sigh. “Great.”

A short elevator ride and two halls away, you take a fortifying breath before you step into an occupied meeting room. Brandon’s is the first face you see, and when he sees you the corners of his lips turn up in an infuriating smile. Next to him, another senior analyst’s eyebrows pop up, but Andrew actually looks happy to see you.

Before the door can close behind you, a blonde, American alpha stands and offers her hand in a no-nonsense shake. “Kate Laswell. We appreciate you being so prompt.”

“Of course,” you answer. Unfortunately, your attention is a little torn. All four members of the 141 are sitting at the table, looking at you curiously. Sergent MacTavish grins like a wolf. Captain Price tips his chin up just enough that you know he’s scenting you. Lieutenant Riley, face covered from the nose down in a black neck gaiter, gives you a quick once over that makes you want to shiver. But you’re a professional, so instead of fleeing you take the nearest seat, across from a smiling Sergent Garrick. You fold both of your hands on top of the table, the very picture of accommodating and helpful, “What can I assist you with?”

“Why’d you flag this shipping manifest,” Brandon asks. The projector at the front of the room switches to a document that would be barely legible, even without the distortion of zoom.

“You’re going to have to be more specific,” you tell him, flipping your laptop open. “What’s the file name?”

“Honduras,” Brandon says, Port Cortez.”

“Puerto Cortes,” you correct. And seeing as it’s the largest seaport in Central America, I’ve combed through literally hundreds of manifests, you think, but don’t say. “I’m going to have to ask you to be a bit more specific. The projector isn’t easy to read.”

“You flagged this manifest for a Korean ship.”

You jump when Sergent Garrick says, “Christ, mate, just give her the file name.”

Lieutenant Riley gives a cough that sounds suspiciously like a laugh. You think you see MacTavish still grinning at you out of the corner of your eye. Laswell rattles off the document name without looking.

As soon as the document loads, you know exactly why Brandon and Andrew are confused. And you know that the following conversation is going to be so unpleasant that you shoot off a quick email to take the rest of the day off once this meeting ends.

You take a deep breath, let it out slowly. “The manifest is inconsistent with previous patterns from that particular port and that particular captain and crew. As I noted, the four containers from Venusian Pharmaceuticals wouldn’t have made it on the ship do to political and economic pressures.”

Brandon doesn’t bother to look at you when he asks, “What pressures?”

Laswell interjects before you can answer, “Leaked internal communications provided evidence that Cloudstone Pharm was selling tampered heat suppressants and birth control in various black markets. The 4B movement in South Korea had been calling for an investigation for years by that point. A lot of omegas were killed because of mis-labeled medications. Pregnancy and birth related complications.”

“I remember that. It was, what, five, more years ago?” Lieutenant Riley asks. “Had an entire re-brand. Cloudstone to Venusian. Everything went from blues and whites to greens and yellows.”

“Okay, so the containers had a bit of extra security to get onto the ship,” Brandon says, before you can get over the shock of two alphas in a room who know anything about even the broad strokes of omega health care. “There’s protesters at every major port for one thing or another.”

“Even if they’d gotten on the ship, they wouldn’t have made it to Puerto Cortes,” you counter. “The captain lost two of his kids because of their medications. He’s had his crew dump the containers and alter manifests before. He was investigated for it, but his crew wouldn’t speak against him.”

Brandon frowns. “How do we know he didn’t get paid off?”

How do we know the omegas weren’t worth less than a cash payment? Your throat feels like closing in on itself. You keep your voice as steady as you can. “He wouldn’t have been.”

“How do you know?”

Andrew, eyes darting between you and Brandon, tries to interrupt. “Well-”

“Because he made the autopsy reports for both of his sons public,” you answer. You have to force your jaw to unclench. “Along with pictures and videos of how sick they were before they passed, before anyone knew what was really wrong with them. And the executives of Cloudstone, an American company, laughed. Called them slurs and ignorant animals in emails and meeting memos that were later leaked to the public.”

Across from you, Garrick is not smiling anymore. “That’s… disgusting.”

“Cloudstone struggled to recover in eastern Asian markets, even with the re-brand,” you continue, then take a deep breath and let it out slowly. “And all of this was in my report.”

“Your job isn’t to provide those kinds of references. You’re not trained for it. There were a couple of links to articles,” Brandon dismisses. “Not enough to-”

“One of his sons experienced total organ failure,” you interrupt, closing your laptop. You know your scent must be all over the place, but the subject matter was already touchy. Now he’s questioning your work and misrepresenting your job duties? Oh, fuck him. “Because he was on incorrectly administered fertility treatments that were disguised as birth control, he had a high-risk pregnancy with multiples. And then his medications were switched with heat inducers. His other son had rapid onset neuropathy and multiple strokes within a week. Neither of his sons wanted to have children. One of them couldn’t, biologically, because it would have killed him anyways. And their partners decided that they didn’t care.”

Brandon wrinkles his nose at you. “No need to get so worked up.”

You practically feel the way your scent goes hot and acrid. Where most omegas have a distress scent that is sickly sweet, yours is much closer to an alpha’s shock scent. Your parents used to call you “Wildfire” because of it. You watch the hairs on Garrik’s arms stand up.

You can barely smell Andrew’s nervous distress over your rage. “Okay, yeah, that’s plenty. The captain wouldn’t have taken the containers.”

“Is there a reason you didn’t consult the references I added into the report?” You know the sudden calm in your voice, the relaxing of your posture, is at odds with the way your anger scent gets stronger. You’ve been told it’s a sensory nightmare, so you only do it when someone tells you you’re not calm enough. You fold your hands on the table again. “Because I included original and translated sources, according to the standards of the department.”

The room is silent. All seven alphas are agitated. You can only pick out MacTavish’s scent, muddled and frustrated. Andrew opens his mouth, closes it. Finally says, “I didn’t receive the references.”

“Senior analyst Lawrence received the full report directly,” you say, holding eye contact with Brandon. “But I know how emails can get lost. I would be happy to send them again. I’ll CC you, and request that your access to the full drive be confirmed. Sir. Is there anything else I can assist the team with?”

Laswell scrawls something on a sticky note and passes it over to you. “Please also include me on those emails.”

You give her your most demure smile. “Unfortunately, Agent Laswell, I don’t have the clearance to send reports outside of the department. I would be happy to help you coordinate that with senior analysts Lawrence and Bennett.”

You pluck the sticky note from her hand, stand, and gather up your laptop, notebook, and water bottle. When you have everything, you pass behind her to where Brandon and Andrew are sitting. Deliberately putting yourself at Brandon’s back, you hand the note to Andrew with a placid smile. “Agent Laswell requests that you provide her with the full report.”

Brandon smells disconcerted, trapped in his seat with your scent roaring as you stand just inside of his blind spot. Andrew, for his part, only hesitates for a moment before taking the offered sticky note, looking from you to Laswell to Brandon and back. “Thank you.”

“Of course, sir.” Butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth. “Is there anything else I can assist you with?”

“I… believe that will be all…?”

“Of course, sir. Thank you, sir.” You cement your little performance with a perfectly deferential partial curtsy to Andrew, then to the rest of the room. “Please do not hesitate to let me know if there’s anything else I can do the support the team.”

As the door shuts behind you, you hear Captain Price’s voice for the first time. “Goddamn. That is a woman capable of murder.”

[richincolor]

6 Books to Celebrate Disability Month

July is Disability Awareness Month and we thought it would be fun to highlight some of our favorite books. If you haven't read any of these yet, run to your nearest local bookstore and buy a copy. 

Unbroken: 13 Stories Starring Disabled Teens

This anthology explores disability in fictional tales told from the viewpoint of disabled characters, written by disabled creators. With stories in various genres about first loves, friendship, war, travel, and more, Unbroken will offer today's teen readers a glimpse into the lives of disabled people in the past, present, and future.

The contributing authors are awardwinners, bestsellers, and newcomers including Kody Keplinger, Kristine Wyllys, Francisco X. Stork, William Alexander, Corinne Duyvis, Marieke Nijkamp, Dhonielle Clayton, Heidi Heilig, Katherine Locke, Karuna Riazi, Kayla Whaley, Keah Brown, and Fox Benwell. Each author identifies as disabled along a physical, mental, or neurodiverse axis—and their characters reflect this diversity.

All the Noise at Once by DeAndra Davis.

A Black, autistic teen tries to figure out what happened the night his older brother was unjustly arrested in this “propulsive” (Jas Hammonds, award-winning author of We Deserve Monuments), moving story about brotherhood, identity, and social justice. All Aiden has ever wanted to do was play football just like his star quarterback brother, Brandon. An overstimulation meltdown gets in the way of Aiden making the team during summer tryouts, but when the school year starts and a spot unexpectedly needs to be filled, he finally gets a chance to play the game he loves. However, not every player is happy about the new addition to the team, wary of how Aiden’s autism will present itself on game day. Tensions rise. A fight breaks out. Cops are called. Brandon interferes on behalf of his brother, but is arrested by the very same cops who, just hours earlier, were chanting his name from the bleachers. When he’s wrongly charged for felony assault on an officer, everything Brandon has worked for starts to slip away, and the brothers’ relationship is tested. As Brandon’s trial inches closer, Aiden is desperate to figure out what really happened that night. Can he clear his brother’s name in time?

Check out K. Imani's Review.

You Started It by Jackie Khalilieh

Seventeen-year-old Jamie Taher-Foster has big plans for senior year. She's made a list of things and places in Toronto she and her boyfriend of three years, Ben Cameron, need to check off before graduating. And the biggest plan of all: a very special night for the two of them at the upcoming Winter Formal. But then Ben arrives back home after a summer away with an unthinkable announcement: he wants to break up. And when Jamie discovers him with Olivia Chen the next day, she is determined to get him back. Even if that means fake dating the younger, curly-haired, TikTok dancer Axel Dahini, whose bicycle she accidentally ran over. Though she and Axel have nothing in common aside from their shared Arab heritage — she's a messy, type A with anxiety; he's carefree but meticulous — their forced time together brings them to better understand one another. And for Jamie, it just might mean learning that not all experiences or people need to be crossed off a list.

The Luis Ortega Survival Club by Sonora Reyes

Ariana Ruiz wants to be noticed. But as an autistic girl who never talks, she goes largely ignored by her peers—despite her bold fashion choices. So when cute, popular Luis starts to pay attention to her, Ari finally feels seen.

Luis’s attention soon turns to something more, and they have sex at a party—while Ari didn’t say no, she definitely didn’t say yes. Before she has a chance to process what happened and decide if she even has the right to be mad at Luis, the rumor mill begins churning—thanks, she’s sure, to Luis’s ex-girlfriend, Shawni. Boys at school now see Ari as an easy target, someone who won’t say no.

Then Ari finds a mysterious note in her locker that eventually leads her to a group of students determined to expose Luis for the predator he is. To her surprise, she finds genuine friendship among the group, including her growing feelings for the very last girl she expected to fall for. But in order to take Luis down, she’ll have to come to terms with the truth of what he did to her that night—and risk everything to see justice done.

Chaos Theory by Nic Stone

Scars exist to remind us of what we’ve survived.

DETACHED

Since Shelbi enrolled at Windward Academy as a senior and won’t be there very long, she hasn’t bothered making friends. What her classmates don’t know about her can’t be used to hurt her—you know, like it did at her last school.

WASTED

Andy Criddle is not okay. At all.

He’s had far too much to drink.

Again. Which is bad.

And things are about to get worse.

When Shelbi sees Andy at his lowest, she can relate. So she doesn’t resist reaching out. And there’s no doubt their connection has them both seeing stars . . . but the closer they get, the more the past threatens to pull their universes apart.

Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute by Talia Hibbert

Bradley Graeme is pretty much perfect. He’s a star football player, manages his OCD well (enough), and comes out on top in all his classes...except the ones he shares with his ex-best friend, Celine.

Celine Bangura is conspiracy-theory-obsessed. Social media followers eat up her takes on everything from UFOs to holiday overconsumption—yet, she’s still not cool enough for the popular kids’ table. Which is why Brad abandoned her for the in-crowd years ago. (At least, that’s how Celine sees it.)

These days, there’s nothing between them other than petty insults and academic rivalry. So when Celine signs up for a survival course in the woods, she’s surprised to find Brad right beside her.

Forced to work as a team for the chance to win a grand prize, these two teens must trudge through not just mud and dirt but their messy past. And as this adventure brings them closer together, they begin to remember the good bits of their history. But has too much time passed...or just enough to spark a whole new kind of relationship?

Check out our discussion of this novel here. 

[brightlotusmoon]

From the email newsletter from my state Senator

_

Friends and neighbors:

I write to you today after a marathon night of voting. Let me break down what happened.

Vote-A-Rama: A procedure in the United States Senate that allows senators to propose an unlimited number of amendments to budget-related measures.

Last night, in the dead of night, Republicans tried to jam a budget resolution through the Senate. It’s known as a vote-a-rama.

But make no mistake. This is a scam of a resolution that will pave the way for massive tax cuts to billionaires.

And how are they planning to pay for these tax cuts?

Gutting Medicaid. Gutting Medicare. Firing countless civil servants.

We pushed back at every turn. We filed amendments that would:

• Protect Medicaid and Medicare

• Defend our civil servants, the patriotic Americans working to make sure our food is safe, to provide our seniors and veterans with their hard earned benefits, to research cures for childhood cancer, and more

• Prevent tax cuts for billionaires and focus on tax cuts for working class families

Republicans said no to all of them. We kept them on the Floor until 4:30 in the morning, and they wouldn’t budge.

It’s becoming clearer and clearer that the billionaires who backed this President, the ones who sat with him onstage at inauguration, are getting exactly what they paid for.

We will continue to force votes that defend working class Americans -- not billionaires.

Let’s take a moment and go through what else our office was up to this week in Washington:

As I’ve promised to do, I continue to demand answers from the Trump Administration and DOGE as Elon Musk brags about taking his chainsaw to government resources and civil servants, hurting the American people and services they rely on.

I led the effort in demanding answers from Secretary Turner about the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s plan to fire half of its workforce, cancel a program that serves seniors and individuals with disabilities, and exacerbate the housing crisis we’re already experiencing in this country. We have already seen the chaos DOGE’s sweeping cuts have resulted in; critical civil servants who are responsible for nuclear weapons and keeping bird flu at bay who have been “mistakenly” laid off and cannot be located. If there is actually fraud and wasteful spending, my colleagues and I would be happy to work with the Administration to wipe it out. However, all of the actions the past month have lacked transparency and we will continue to demand answers. You can read the letter here.

Confirmation Hearing

On Wednesday I questioned the nominee for Secretary of Labor, Lori Chavez-DeRemer. President Trump is attacking collective bargaining agreements, so I asked Ms. Chavez-DeRemer if, unlike her boss, she would enforce collective bargaining agreements as required by law.

Donald Trump and Elon Musk have made clear that our civil servants are in their crosshairs.

It’s a grave mistake on their part. We can have a serious conversation about government efficiency, but this witch hunt is as callous as it is unproductive.

These civil servants are patriotic Americans, many of them Marylanders, who show up to work hard every day on behalf of the American people. They are the workers who make sure our seniors get their social security checks, our veterans get the benefits they deserve after fighting for our country, and that our domestic travel is secure.

Firing them only serves to harm the people they serve — the AMERICAN PEOPLE.

This Administration wants to strip those who serve the American people of their rights, and I cannot vote for a Labor Secretary who will rubber stamp the President’s desire to adversely impact the lives of these workers and the people they serve.

In the Community

I had a wonderful day joining Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott, Congressman Kweisi Mfume, Congressman Johnny Olszewski, and so many Baltimoreans to celebrate Black History Month during Baltimore’s first ever Black History Month Parade. Even during challenging times, we come together, united in love for our country and the promise it represents.

I had the opportunity to meet with Open Works Baltimore, a community hub that provides heat, Wi-Fi, fresh water and other resources to Maryland. The program serves critical needs in Baltimore and I am grateful to the District 45 leaders for their steadfast work to uplift Baltimore.

Wonderful to meet with Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman on Capitol Hill this week. Together we are laser-focused on delivering for Marylanders and are working to develop opportunities for those going through hard times.

Maryland Federal Workers

This has undoubtedly been a difficult time for Marylanders, especially our civil servants, many of whom have lost employment in the wake of actions from the Trump/Musk Administration.

If you’ve lost employment and are seeking resources, the State of Maryland has a resource page that you may visit for information on unemployment insurance and support finding new employment.

You may also find resources for federal workers in Prince George’s County here, resources for Montgomery County here, and resources for Fredrick County here. Additionally, you can reach out to hocohelp@howardcountymd.gov for available programs in Howard County, and access free information and resources for childcare and support through the Howard County Care Line. You can call 410-313-2273 or email children@howardcountymd.gov. All of these resources can be found on our website: https://www.alsobrooks.senate.gov/resources-for-federal-workers/.

I know these are difficult times, but please know that I will continue fighting for you every step of the way. We will not give up. We will not give in to this administration, and I ask that you continue to fight alongside us. Please continue to reach out to us. Tell us your story. You can call the office or connect with us at alsobrooks.senate.gov.

Many of you were asking if we would be on BlueSky, and I’m happy to share that you can now follow us on BluSky, Instagram, Facebook Threads, YouTube and Twitter.

Sincerely,

Angela Alsobrooks

United States Senator

[divinum-pacis]

The Rev. Brandon Thomas Crowley speaks during Sunday service at Myrtle Baptist Church Sunday, May 5, 2024 in Newton, Mass. In 2015, Crowley, the senior pastor of the church, one of America’s oldest Black churches, announced to his congregation, “I am a proud, Black, gay Christian male.” (AP Photo/Josh Reynolds)

[redfountainpostin]

Ficlet

It was over. Bloom defeated Icy, Darcy and Stormy fell against the combined efforts of friends- and one more. The barrier of dark matter that surrounded the realm died when the last of the dragonflame left the Trix, so no the schools had help of authorities to take care of the wounded, regroup, and handle all the dead bodies.

But for a certain team of specialists, they had a different task ahead of them.

Sky, Brandon, Timmy… and Riven, sitting in the empty classroom instead of an office, their teachers in front of them. Saladin and Javelin were sitting by the headdesk, while Codatorta was starring out of the window, not once having looked at his students.

"The question is simple. Do you three accept Riven to stay in your squad?" Javelin asked, while Saladin stayed quiet, watching the developing bruise on Riven's temple. That was not caused by any creature, no.

"Well we don't have much choice, do we?" Sky said, sharper than he meant to. He was furious at Riven, but he usually would still pay proper respect to his elders. "You're not expelling him, or you wouldn't be asking us this".

"No, we're not" Javelin conceded "But we won't force something that is doomed to fail. It would be detrimental to all of your educations. If you do not think you can work with Riven after all of this, even knowing that he had been under influence for the most of it, you need to tell us now"

Riven had not said anything, looking down at his hands instead. He knew what Sky was going to say.

"I say we can" Brandon blurted, causing Riven to look up at him in surprise- Brandon was looking right back at him.

"I say we can too" Timmy added after a moment "I do not think it is fair to hold everything that happened against him. I know he's not perfect, but he's also a victim here" he wasn't looking at Riven while saying this, worried he might loose his nerve. He didn't want Riven punished, but he also wasn't going to sugarcoat everything. Looking at him while proclaiming he found him flawed might lessen his nerve.

Javelin nodded. "I agree, but I need all of you to be united in this. Sky?"

"What will happen to him if I say no?"

"Sky!"

"No, Brandon, I want to know. Because no other team would have him, you know that right?" the last of the question was aimed at Riven, who was avoiding eye contact, much to Sky's anger.

Javelin sighed "There was a handful of situation in Red Fountain where a boy would graduate without a team. Granted, those were all exceptions, for kids who would only join is in their senior year, possibly halfway through. It's not standard, but we do have a protocol for it, and Riven's place in Red Fountain is not standard either, so we would make it work."

Sky paused to think. On one hand, he wanted nothing more than to beat Riven to a pulp and never see him again. On the other hand, he couldn't help but remember how it was before. He and Riven were never particularly close, but Riven wasn't close to anyone in the squad. He and Darcy got together early on and he spent most of his free time with her- but how much of it was his choice? How much of Riven's life was spent under influence while Sky and Brandon chuckled about how crazy about her he was, and admitting to each other wishing they too had such a relationship? Sky remembered the worry he felt when Riven, ever the idiot, went head to head with a minotaur, or the sheer cold dread he felt when he pulled him out of the river in the Black Mud swamp, the other boy not breathing- the relief he felt when Riven started coughing out the water after CPR. Granted, he'd be relieved to watch anyone not drown, but it was personal with Riven.

And the thought of the guy spending the next two year alone… Riven may be acting a lone wolf, but Red Fountain was a place for packs.

He unconsciously rubbed the scar on his forearm where Riven bit him during their first fight.

"Fine" he finally said, crossing his arms. "I say yes"

[rosesnink]

Meet My MCs

This will be under the cut. Those with NA means that I won't be playing them, and others which books I have played but have no record of the MC's name. Some books have two different OCs who coexist due to romancing a different LI

Idea credit to @aria-ashryver

I will be updating it as I play more books

Across the Void MC- Ellectrum Ellara

Romance: Titania

FC: Katherine McNamara

All of Us: Her Story MC: Irena Collins

Romance- Theresa 'Tess'

FC- Megan Suri

All of Us: His Story MC: Lawrence 'Teddy' Heart

Romance: Brandon 'Brad'

FC- Álvaro Rico

Along Came Treble MC- Linda Cardenal

Romance- F!Cai Kennedy

FC: TBD

Alpha MC- Arianwyn

Romance: M!Channing Lowe

FC: TBD

America's Most Elegible MC- Selene Marquez

Romance: Bianca Sandoval

FC: TBD

A Very Scandalous Proposal MC- Felicia Hunstdown

Romance: Ava Montjoy

FC: TBD

Baby Bump MC- Monsterrat Bruch

Romance: Myra Dixon

FC: TBD

Bachelorette Party MC- Phoebe

Romance: Aisha Bhatt

FC: TBD

Best Served Haute MC: Marjorie Papadupoulos

Romance: Fiona Diamondes

FC: TBD

Better Off Wed MC: NA

Romance: NA

FC: NA

Big Sky Country MC- Carmen Ortega

Romance: Juliette Mendoza

FC: TBD

The Baby's Billionaire MC- Not played

Romance: Not played

FC: NA

Bitten MC- Layla Hernández

Romance- Skyler & Alexandra

FC- TBD

Blades of Light and Shadow MC: Brienne Nagoni (f!orc!mc)

Romance: Nia Ellarious and Tyril Starfury

FC: None

Bloodbound: Cristina

Romance: Kamilah Sayeed

FC: Hunter Schaffer

Boardroom Alpha: ???

LI: ????

FC: honestly that book was so unmemorable lol

Crimes of Passion MC- Neera Rose

Romance: f!brown!Trystan Thorne

FC: Melissa Barrera

The Crown and the Flame MC- Kenna Rys and Dominic Hunter

Romance: Annelyse Adair (K) and Rose Blake (D)

FC: Adelaide Kane and Bradley James

A Courtesan of Rome MCs- Aphrodite and Lavinia of the Cautani

Romance: Sabina (A) and Marc Antony (L)

FC- Kerry Condon (A) and Hanna Mangen Lawrence (L)

The Cursed Heart MC- Nymeria

Romance: f!brown!Kieran

FC: TBD

The Deadliest Game MC- Kayla Marquez

Romance: Farah Sabri

FC: TBD

Desire and Decorum MC- Celestine Walker

Romance: Ernest Sinclaire

FC: Vittoria Puccini

Dirty Little Secrets MC- Blair Gray

Romance: f!white!Charlotte King

FC: TBD

Distant Shores MC- Joan Beauchamp

Romance: Charlotte 'Charlie' Smith

FC: Kristen Stewart

Do No Harm MC: Esther Capello

LI: Dom Coine

FC: NA

The Duchess Affair MC- Wren Bedford

Romance: f!brown!Nat Pippin

FC: Arsema Thomas

The Elementalists MC- Ariadna Williams

Romance: Shreya Mistry and Aster D'Yew

FC: Lily Collins

Endless Summer MC- Taylor

Romance: Quinn Kelly

FC: Madelyn Cline

Filthy Rich MC- TBD

Romance- TBD

FC- TBD

First Comes Love MC- Not played

Romance: TBD

FC: TBD

Foreign Affairs MC- Elisabeth Kennedy

Romance: f!brown! Blaine Hayes (formerly Ayna Seth)

FC: Shay Mitchell

The Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior MC- Vanessa Lewis

Romance: Rebecca Davenport

FC: Margaret Qualley

Getaway Girls MC- Abigail Thompson

Romance: F!White! Jordan Parker

FC: TBD

The Ghost of Us MC- TBD

Romance- TBD

FC- TBD

Guarded MC: NA

Romance: NA

FC: NA

Guinevere MC- Guinevere of Carmelide

Romance: f!white! Artura Pendragon

FC: Beste Kokdemir

The Haunting of Braidwood Manor MC- NA

Romance: Eleanor Waverly

FC: TBD

Hearts on Fire MC- TBD

Romance- TBD

FC- TBD

The Heist: Monaco MC- Elle Jackson

Romance: Sonia Alves

FC: Abelle Sinclair

Hero MC- ?????

Romance: Eva/Minuet

FC: TBD

High School Story Prime- Gala Moschen

Romance: Julian Castillo

FC: Linda Cardellini

High School Story MC- Elisa Connor

Romance: Emma Hawkins

FC: Talia Ryder

High School Story: Class Act MC- Halley Buchaneer

Romance: Skye Crandall

FC: Hanna van der Westhuysen

The Holiday Bakeoff: ????

LI: Who cares

FC: Nah

Home for the Holidays MC: Tanya Joy

Romance: Wyatt Hart

FC: TBD

Hot Couture MC- Therese Ward

Romance: Hazel Ngyuen

FC: TBD

Hot Shot MC: Mina Tremaine

Romance: f!black!Casey Jameson

FC: TBD

Immortal Desires MC- Penelope 'Penny' Winthrope

Romance: Cassie Harlow and Gabriela Adalhard

FC: Anya Taylor Joy

Inheritance MC: Sasha Cavalier Vitale

LI: Trey Tribideaxu and Gia

FC: TBD

Into The Woods MC: EWWWWWWWW

LI: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEWWWWWWWWWWWW

FC: NO. JUST NO.

Knock Knock MC- TBD

Romance- TBD

FC- TBD

It Lives Anthology

It Lives in the Woods MC- Tallulah Dawkins & Yun Faye

Romance: Stacy Green (T) and Lucas Thomas (F)

FC: Sophie Thatcher (T) and Havana Rose Liu (F)

It Lives Beneath MC- Rose Vance

Romance: Danni Asturias

FC: Emily Rudd

It Lives Within MC- Corvina Blackwood

Romance: Amalia de León

FC: Nicola Coughlan

Kindred MC- Amaryllis Woodstock

Romance: Marion and Fang Ziyi (aka Rainier and Kaine)

FC: Suki Waterhouse

Kiss of Death MC- Lana Roschelle

Romance: Victoria Flint, Faith Skelly (ex-girlfriend)

FC: TBD

Laws of Attraction MC- Ruth Ocasio

Romance: Lina Reyes

FC: TBD

LoveHacks MC- Tonya Ice

Romance: Ben Park

FC: Kelsey Merritt

Main Character Energy MC: IDR LMAO

LI: I don't think it has one....

FC: TBD

Make That Date! MC- NA

Romance- NA

FC- NA

Most Wanted MCs- Samantha Massey and Dave Reyes

Romance: Each other

FC: TBD

Mother of the Year MC- Alicia Day

Romance: Eiko Matsunaga

FC: Sofía Vergara

Ms. Match MC- Not played

Romance: TBD

FC: TBD

Murder at Homecoming MC- Valentine Aileen Stone

Romance: Stevie Sun

FC: TBD

My Fake Valentine MC: IDR lmao who cares

LI: Idk lmao

FC: ???

My Two First Loves MC- Sandra González

Romance: Ava

FC: TBD

The Nanny Affair MC- Will never play, ew

Romance: Double ew

FC: NA

Nightbound MC- Nathalie

Romance: Vera Reinmonenq

FC: TBD

The One MC: NA

LI: NA

FC: NA

Open Heart MC- Jordyn Heart

Romance: Aurora Emery

FC: Hayal Koseoglu

Our Summer Crush MC: Who caaaaaaaares

LI: Idk but they ugly

FC: nope.

Terrorfest MC- Charlie Mendez

Romance- Lucky Alvarez

FC- TBD

Passport to Romance MC- Thalia

Romance: Marisa Pires

FC: TBD

The Phantom Agent MC- Alys Jackson

Romance: F!Indian!Samara Grey

FC: TBD

Platinum MC- Crystal Rosales

Romance: Avery Wilshere

FC: Lucy Boynton

Plus One MC- TBD

Romance- TBD

FC- TBD

The Princess Swap MC- Gabrielle Hastings and Cassandra Julivert

Romance: f!white! Princess Clarke (G) and f!black! Devin Wright (C)

FC: Meagan Rath

The Promise of Forever MC: Avantika

LI: Rishi

FC: TBD

Queen B MC- Reina Hughes

Romance: Zoey Wade

FC: TBD

Red Carpet Diaries MC- Kiara Clark

Romance: Victoria Fontaine

FC: Kang Kyung Min

Ride or Die: A Bad Boy Romance MC- Cheryl Addams

Romance: Mona

FC: Bridget Satterlee

Rising Tides MC- Not played

Romance: TBD

FC: TBD

Roommates With Benefit- Nina Berauregard

Romance: F!Drew Young

FC: TBD

Rivals With Benefits MC- Annabeth Bontemps

Romance- F!Riley Coine

FC- TBD

The Royal Masquerade MC- Lady Grace Everhart and Queen Olive Aster

Romance: f!hispanic!Kayden Vescovi and Fabian Rys (husband) (O) and f!white!Hunter Fierro (G)

FC: Freida Pinto (O) Emmanuelle Chriqui (G)

The Royal Romance MC- Eclipsa Ice and Primrose St. Claire

Romance: Lady Hana Lee (E) King Liam Rys (P)

FC: Jessica Alba (E) Ellie Bamber (P)

Rules of Engagement MC- Louise Han

Romance: Prince Leo Rys

FC: Kristin Kreuk

Save the Date MC- Chloe James

Romance: Lindsay

FC: TBD

The Shadow MC- TBD

Romance - TBD

FC- TBD

Ship of Dreams MC- Helene Foredale

Romance: f!white!Theodora Carter

FC: Jessica Brown Findlay

Shipwrecked MC- NA

Romance: TBD

FC: TBD

Slow Burn MC- Not played

Romance: TBD

FC: TBD

The Spy I Married: IDR lol

LI: what's her face

FC: NA

Sunkissed MC-NA

Romance: Eliana

FC: NA

Surrender MC- EWWWWWW

Romance: EEEEEEEEEWWWWWWW

FC: No.

The Unexpected Heiress MC- Claire Hayes

Romance: Dowager Duchess Gemma Montjoy

FC: Kate Winslet

Untameable MC- Fernanda Ruiz

Romance: Kit Jackson

FC: TBD

Unbrindled MC- Belén Beltrán

Romance: Mandy and Ryder

FC: TBD

Veil of Secrets MC- May Sorel Arrieta

Romance: Kate O'Malley

FC: Dilara Aksuyek

Villainous Valentine MCs- Not available

Romance- NA

FC- NA

Wake the Dead MC- Kerina Fyreheart

Romance: Shannon Fox

FC: Lindsay Morgen

With Every Heartbeat MC- Elsie Clarence

Romance: f!hispanic!Dakota Winchester and Lennox

FC: Madison Beer

Witness: A Bodyguard Romance MC- Ugh

Romance: Uuuuuuuuugh

FC: Uhh pass

Wolf Bride MC- Triple ew

Romance: Quadruple ew

FC: HARD PASS

Years Apart MC- Estibaliz

Romance- F!Carter Dawson

FC- TBD

[chussyracing]

f1 related news, facts and plain speculations collected over the past few days

Estrella Galicia cimes back to McLaren and their all other sponsors after the relationship with Ferrari ended to make space for Peroni (who came from Aston Martin sponsors pool)

There are more and more speculations about Alex to Ferrari and from what I understood, Spanish media aren't very happy about that or about articles written about Charles and his reported contract

There are rumours of Prema expanding into Indycar (which I think could be beneficial as some of their drivers are already a part of the series nowadays)

Steiner confirmed he couldn't even say goodbye to the team and thanked them in a live interview with Autosport 2024

Formula E chief said Formula E has its door open for Checo and that he talks to him all the time (rip Checo Perez)

Aston Martin hires Andor Hegedus as Senior Project Designer (he previously worked with RBR and they say he was important for RBR pit stop strategies, so a pretty big name in the game)

Doriane Pin signed to drive in F1 academy for Mercedes but from my understandment she will also be in F4 UAE (and stays part of Iron Damen drivers)

Juju Noda will race in Super Formula

McLaren archived all of their posts (I found reports saying it was up to 10k posts) and started a "whatever it takes campaign" whatever that could mean with today's date being teased (Rebrand? Car launch confirmation? Black livery?)

Toto Wolff extended his Merc contract for 3 more years (including 2026)

Leo Turnini apparently claimed that Ferrari's target for 2024 is to win 5 races

Alan Permane that used to be Alpine's Sporting Director is said to join Alpha Tauri/Racing Bulls

Speaking of Racing Bulls, their new name should get announced with the car launch (and we have most car launch dates confirmed by now)

Mercedes invested more into pit stops equipment over the winter break, because after a few dominant years they fell behind in pit stop stats

Speaking of Merc, they sim driver Anthony Davidson claimed that w15 finally feels like a car after what they had for two years

Formula E is back and I beg everyone who watched the race in Mexico with striking 3 official overtakes to not get discouraged it is nawttt always like this

Speaking of FE, Jake Dennis came to say that RB20 is extremely fast car in the simulator and other teams would need to find over 1s per lap to get close to them

Emily Prazer will step up from the role of LV gp Chief Commercial to the role of Chief Commercial Officer of F1 (Brandon Snow previously was in that role but left last year) and it's seen as the reward for successful campaign she prepared for LV (also she has a lot of experience so props to her)

Gwen Largue (Merc young driver academy boss) said that despite Este being in Alpine and faithful to the team, it's in fact Merc who "continues to manage his career"

Crofty claims Este told him Alpine 2024 car is "a little bit slow" before Christmas, because he has been testing it in the sim since September

From fan's point of view: did you know Lewis is apparently allergic to dogs whicb he admitted to in the interview with puppers?, USA figure skating pair Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker stepped away from competing from the rest of the season but shared a programme they trained that feature's Charles' AUS 23, there's Fight AIDS Cup in Monaco on 22nd January (aka next monday) with Princess Stephanie's team against Prince Albert II.'s team and considering Charles was there last year I expect him to participate again

[cogitoergofun]

The centerpiece of this PR push has been an argument that Intuit unveiled on its website in May. Seeking to capitalize on recent research that found racial disparities in IRS audits, the company has argued that an IRS tax filing tool would only make things worse. It’s a conclusion rejected by authors of that research, but the idea has certainly made for some eye-catching headlines.

“IRS Free Tax Service Could Further Harm Blacks,” is how the Defender, a Black paper in Houston, put it in a June headline. The piece cited unnamed “industry experts” as raising the concern but quoted only one person by name: Intuit’s spokesperson Derrick Plummer. The story was produced by Trice Edney News Wire, a service that provides content to local Black papers across the country. Hazel Trice Edney, the service’s editor-in-chief, did not respond to requests for comment.

Later that month, an article in Black Enterprise (“Critics Claim The IRS Free Tax Prep Service Could Hurt Black Americans”) took a similar approach. The story’s arguments were attributed to “industry skeptics” or other unnamed opponents of the IRS proposal, while Intuit’s Plummer was the only critic identified by name, and he was quoted at length. Ida Harris, Director of Digital Content for Black Enterprise, which touts itself as “the premier business, investing, and wealth-building resource for African Americans,” told ProPublica that “the story came to fruition through information shared by a fellow media professional,” but declined to identify who that was. The article was “not sponsored content, no payola was involved,” she said.

Internal Intuit documents from last decade, previously divulged by ProPublica, made clear that “pushing back through op-eds” was part of the company’s strategy against what it called government “encroachment.” One specific goal: “Buy ads for op-eds/editorials/stories in African American and Latino media.” ProPublica did not find evidence that Intuit has paid to place stories this year, but otherwise, the 2023 campaign seems to be following that template.

TurboTax has long dominated the market for online tax filing, in part by luring customers with the promise of “free” filing. A wave of government investigations, prompted by ProPublica’s reporting, has accused Intuit of frequently misleading customers with that promise. Most recently, a Federal Trade Commission judge ruled that the agency’s fraud suit against Intuit can proceed. Intuit has denied wrongdoing and has vowed to appeal.

Back in 2014, ProPublica reported on an Intuit-backed campaign against the idea of return-free filing, a government service that would pre-fill tax return information, just as governments do in many other countries. A rabbi, a state NAACP official and others penned pieces claiming return-free filing would hurt “the most vulnerable people.” Various PR firms and lobbyists were involved in organizing the effort.

This time around, the threat to the tax prep industry is what the IRS has called a direct file option. The agency will build an online tool similar to TurboTax that allows people to file their taxes by answering simple questions. The option will not be widely available next tax season, however, since it is only a test run. The agency has yet to detail who will be eligible to use it.

“The fact of the matter is that the industry is targeting black and brown communities trying to stoke fear of a direct file tool,” said Brandon Tucker, senior policy director of Color of Change, an online activist organization devoted to racial justice that supports direct file. “Black people are critical to their profit margins.”

[lumenhuman]

There's lots of things you don't get to have when you can delete someone with a wave of your hand.

For as long as I can remember I've been a walking threat. My parents handled me with extreme caution when I was little, dreading the day my powers would appear. There was no way of knowing what they would be exactly, but it was easy to tell they wouldn't be pleasant. The eggshells they used to walk on turned into shards of glass when I was about five, though. They were both leaving for work, I was a toddler, and I didn't want them to go.

So I made an event horizon in our front doorway, which ended up collapsing our house's entire façade. I'm just thankful they were smart enough to get Child Mage Insurance, so the repairs didn't bankrupt them. But they weren't happy spending weeks in a hotel room with a kid whose every tantrum could spaghettify them. Even now, they're scared of me. They try to hide it, but I've known them my whole life. Their smiles look like they're wired on, they always find some excuse to not be in the same room as me, and even when I was just sixteen, they'd already started helping me look for apartment options.

School was always worse, though. From the moment I awakened, "Control" was my mantra. Honestly, that was the easiest aspect of my magic. Most mages struggle to get their power under control as children because they don't fundamentally understand why they should. But I always knew that breaking things was wrong and killing people was bad, and what else could my power do? I wanted control as much as everyone around me wanted their own safety.

When it came time for aptitude tests in third grade, I staunchly refused to participate. I had managed to completely unhook my magic from my emotions with two little things called "mortal fear" and "learned helplessness." I never wanted to use my powers again.

But before I knew it, that control was being tested. It was exactly what you think it was.

Eyes are the windows to the soul.

Which must mean that I don't have one.

That's what every one of my classmates tried to convince me of anyway. For a time, it almost worked. Well, it did work. Everyone always says to ignore the bullies, but humans are social creatures. We're hard wired to take more seriously the opinions we hear most repeated by those around us, especially if they're dozens, hundreds in number. At that point, you don't just think they're right; you know they are. You're the crazy one for ever believing otherwise.

But you still need to survive. Your mind and your body start to lash out against the isolation like it's any other predator. Anyone normal would talk back, fight back, sling fists once they'd had enough, even if it would only drag them further down the pit. All because they just can't take it anymore. Sure it almost never works, but at least it's a temporary reprieve. A bit of pressure out of the valve.

All I got to have was my own fantasies. Those little moments when I could soothe myself after Brandon "Flamewhip" Thompson charred my locker for the fifth time in a month. Just imagining myself ripping each of his fucking limbs off one at a time was enough to get me through the day. Or when a gaggle of (literally) starry-eyed cheerleaders dunked my head in a bucket of black paint because it was "So my color." By that point, I wanted to suck the entire school into infinite nothingness, and follow right behind.

It was stupid in hindsight, but I was a stupid kid. People are more than happy to keep poking the bear when they know it won't rip their throat out. Whether it's because the bear is afraid of prison or just desperately wants to hold on to the image that it's a good person, it doesn't matter. And I already got more than enough of the "being feared" treatment from my parents, so force was completely off the table. People always assumed my magic was just generic Darkness Manipulation.

By the time I made it to senior year, I was on a razor's edge. My thoughts were getting more violent, and more enticing to match. Three months in was when everything came to a head. My entire homeroom had banded together to ambush me at the door during first period. Pencils, erasers, balled up paper, I was pelted with everything but the kitchen sink.

Once they were all laughing at me, satisfied with their work, I escaped into another of my fantasies. I pictured the abrupt, soothing silence after I engulfed the whole room with a singularity, and killed all of them before they even knew what happened.

Only once I felt the gravity well in the palm of my hand did I realize I was actually about to do it.

I quickly regained control before anyone saw me holding a miniature black hole, marched out the school doors into a rain storm, and aimed for home.

The plan was to walk home and gouge my eyes out with a steak knife. Sure, I'd be blind, but it'd be worth it to be free of this curse.

If it hadn't been raining that day, I know I would've done it.

It was coming down in sheets, soaking through my hoodie in a matter of minutes. My house was just fifteen minutes away on foot, but the cold and damp only got more and more exhausting. Halfway home, exhaustion turned into fury. Every freezing gust of wind turned into a goading shove. Every drop of water landed on my skin like a fist. I crouched down on a sidewalk and clutched my head as the entire universe tried to squeeze me down until there was nothing left.

Then I looked up to the gray sky.

The rain wasn't alive.

Nobody would care if it was gone.

Then I did myself the greatest kindness I've had since I awakened.

I screamed.

REALLY screamed. The kind that makes your throat feel like you gargled gravel once you're done. The kind you forget you can make when your whole life has been nothing but keeping yourself in check. And now that the emotional hitch was remade, despite all of my efforts, my power responded in kind.

Mana poured out of me, darker than space, and shot high into the clouds.

For a brief second, the sky went black.

And there was no more rain. Just a blue, cloudless sky, the morning sun still lazily glowing through treetops.

I just sat on the sidewalk for about half and hour, feeling empty in the best sense of the word. Like I'd just expelled thirty gallons of tar and my guts were clean for the first time in god knows how long.

The sun began to peek over the trees and washed over me like a gentle hug, feeling more like a mother than my own. Huddled on cracked concrete, wrapped in sunlight on what the weatherman said was the first of a four-day downpour, I started to bawl my eyes out.

Hunched over, sobbing, I looked into a puddle below me, and got a good look at my eyes. For the first time, they weren't hideous.

Nothing had changed. They were still as black as a starless night sky.

I just didn't hate them anymore.

Eventually, I stood up, and headed back to school.

It still wasn't easy. The bullying didn't stop, and my grades were still below average. The teachers still refused to take me seriously. But I still graduated.

Because I finally knew that I could do good. That was all I needed.

when your born with magic your eyes reflect what type your born with. Fire users have eyes like pools of magma, air users have swirling tornadoes, ice users have glacial expanses. You where born with eyes like black holes.

[nsemkekanews]

2025 Unity Cup: I would have loved to play Jamaica in final – Thomas-Asante - Nsemkeka

2025 Unity Cup: I would have loved to play Jamaica in final – Thomas-Asante – Nsemkeka Black Stars forward Brandon Thomas-Asante has expressed disappointment following Ghana’s failure to reach the final of the 2025 Unity Cup in London. Thomas-Asante, who plays for Coventry City in England, scored his debut goal for the senior national team during the semi-final clash against Nigeria. His goal…

[ledenews]

The talented young artists of Bridgeport High School have their work on display in the Ohio Valley Mall’s central court and will be featured through Sunday March 30 alongside with the best artwork of Belmont County’s school districts. Art teacher Mindy Sears was proud as she pinned the first through fifth place ribbons for the Teachers’ Choice on her students’ best pieces and arranged them during Belmont County Schools’ Celebration of the Arts. She hopes students and their families will turn out to take a look in the coming days and cast their votes for the Peoples’ Choice award. Art teachers from every school district in Belmont County vote on the top five winners from each school. Teachers do not vote on their own schools’ entries. “They decide who wins from my school and it all gets tallied up together,” she said. “Figure out who the top 21 are in the whole county.” Sears then gave five merit awards to the Bridgeport high schoolers’ best artwork. Finally, the public is invited to vote on the Peoples’ Choice, to be awarded Saturday March 29. “People in the community can come out and show support for their favorite piece of artwork throughout the county,” she said. “I’ve encouraged kids to come check out their artwork and invite their families to come vote on the Peoples’ Choice award.” She thanked the mall for providing space. Sears said 19 of her students entered art. Some entered several pieces. They include ninth graders through seniors. She said it has been amazing to work with the upperclassmen and see them stretch their wings as they honed their talent. She also looks forward to nurturing the newest generation of budding artists. “These kids have worked months. This is great to be able to showcase them,” she said. “I can’t wait to see who they’re going to be as they become adults. It’s been fun to watch their journey as they learn and grow, but some of them are just ninth graders and coming into high school with these amazing talents.” She said one rewarding part of teaching is seeing her students’ reactions when they “make the connection” and put the techniques she taught into practice in a variety of mediums. Sears said many of her students put in extra effort outside of class. “I really like when they ask for help and I’m able to sit down and help the kids feel successful by the end of their project,” she said. “They’ve been able to achieve what they wanted to do.” Bridgeport High’s Teachers’ Choice winners included Gracie Mercer, who took first place with her acrylic painting “August Drive,” depicting a car during the end of summer. Alexis Skukan won second place for her watercolor “Jack,” of a friend’s puppy. She also won third place for “Hanging out,” a scratchboard representation of a hanging bat. Amber Polomik won fourth place with her acrylic painting “Golden Grove: A Honey Mushroom.” Ike Sears won fifth place for his monoprint of the First English Lutheran Church in Wheeling. Sears said each piece represents something significant to the student. “Most of these students are experienced students who’ve been in my class a few years now,” she said. They’ve definitely grown as artists and it’s been a lot of fun to watch them grow and apply their skills.” Bridgeport’s merit awardees were Patricia Hall for her acrylic painting of lilies “In Bloom,” Lydia McConnaughy’s graphite drawing of a skull, “Cycle’s End,” McKayla Plants’ acrylic painting of a car with lilies, “Patience,” Kameryn Santini’s ceramic vase, “Rosey Bloom” and Aubrey Black’s scratch board “Skull.” Sears’ student teacher, Briston Ramby, studying Art Education at West Liberty University, was impressed by the Bulldogs school culture. “This has been wonderful, seeing all their different skill and varieties and seeing how they’ve improved over the year. The really do get a lot of support.” Lainey Brandon of Clarington was among members of the public who stopped by. “There’s some really, really good stuff here,” she said of the Bridgeport artwork. “They’re really talented.” People can vote on the Peoples’ Choice in the mall center court. Read the full article

[jubaunetwork]

The Reunion Tour: Black Church PAC and Live Nation Urban Partnership

Black Church Action Fund PAC Partners with Live Nation Urban for The Reunion Tour Uniting Music and Civic Engagement The Black Church Action Fund has proudly announced a groundbreaking sponsorship with Live Nation Urban and Mobilize Justice for the eagerly awaited The Reunion Tour. Featuring gospel music legends like Kirk Franklin, Fred Hammond, Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp, and The Clark Sisters, this tour aims to deepen voter engagement and representation across the nation. The partnership underscores the Fund's dedication to fostering civic participation within Black communities, motivating concertgoers to exercise their right to vote in the upcoming presidential elections this November. Souls to the Polls Initiative We're bringing the spirit of civic engagement into spaces of celebration and worship, said Pastor Mike McBride, Executive Director of Black Church P.A.C. This collaboration offers a unique platform to inspire thousands to vote and ensure their communities are duly represented. At each concert, the Black Church PAC will actively register voters, raise funds for grassroots organizers, and encourage volunteer work for critical election activities. From Church Pews to Concert Venues Pastor Jamal Bryant, Senior Pastor of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, stated, We are moving from stained glass windows to stadiums to promote the necessity of voting and social engagement. The tour, which kicked off on September 6, will travel to 30 cities including Brooklyn, Atlanta, Washington DC, and Los Angeles, delivering a message of hope, unity, and celebration to diverse audiences nationwide. These venues provide a potent platform for voter mobilization and community engagement. Star-Studded Lineup and Special Appearances In addition to the stellar musical lineup, the Black Church PAC will feature appearances from prominent figures like Pastor Jamal Bryant, Pastor Tony Lee, Tamika D. Mallory, Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, and Erica Campbell. The 'Reunion Tour' is not just about incredible music; it’s about bringing communities together, uplifting voices, and fostering positive change, said Brandon Pankey, Vice President of Business Development and Operations at Live Nation Urban. A Call to Action Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Senior Pastor of Friendship West Baptist Church, emphasized, The power of the Black Church extends far beyond the pulpit. We are taking our movement from the church pews to concert venues to ensure that every Black voice is heard and counted. This tour is more than a series of performances; it’s a call to action. The Black Church PAC aims to empower Black communities to make their voices heard, advocating for voter registration and participation at each event. Sources: PRNewswire ad_2] Source info BGospel Magazine FR --- Tags: Read the full article

[theres-a-shark-in-the-water]

Most Controversial Win at the Cheerleading Worlds Ever

In 2019, Prodigy All-stars Midnight was crowned as the world champs of the level 5 Senior Small co-ed, but was it really deserved. Here's a little cheer history for you. Prodigy All Stars comes from Houston, Texas and has been a contender in the coed division for the past 18 years. Their team Midnight has had very extravagant themes and music as well as uniforms to match the theme. So, what happened at worlds? In the level 5 Senior Small co-ed division, there was another competitor named Brandon Senior Black from Brandon All-Stars in Tampa, Florida. When it got down to finals both Midnight and Brandon Senior Black hit their routines without any deductions, and it was all left up to the judges. They finally received their scores, and they were tied. This had happened before with two other teams in a different division, and they were named as co-champions. This would not be the case for them. Midnight was named the level 5 Senior Small co-ed champion while Brandon Senior Black was announced as second. Many think that they should have been named as co-champions and others think that they should be switched. What do you think?