15 year-old Cori Gauff defeats Venus Williams at Wimbledon

Fifteen-year-old American qualifier Cori Gauff caused a stunning upset by defeating five-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams in the first round.

World number 313 Gauff beat Williams - 24 years her senior at 39 - 6-4 6-4.

Fellow American Williams had won four Grand Slam titles - including two at Wimbledon - before Gauff was born.

"It's the first time I have ever cried after winning a match," said Gauff, who previously said Venus and sister Serena were her "idols".

"I don't know how to explain how I feel."

Williams turned professional 10 years before her opponent was born, with Gauff being the youngest player to qualify for the main Wimbledon draw since the Open era began in 1968.

"I definitely had to tell myself to stay calm, I had to remind myself that the lines are the same lines, the courts are the same size and after every point I told myself 'stay calm'."

"Venus told me congratulations and keep going, she said good luck and I told her thanks for everything she did," Gauff added.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her - I told her she was so inspiring and I've always wanted to tell her that but I've never had the guts to before.

"My parents will be super happy, my dad was jumping up every time I won a point. I'm so happy they spent all their time on me and my brothers and making sure we're successful.

"I never thought this would happen. I'm literally living my dream right now.

"I'm really happy Wimbledon gave me the chance to play, I never thought I would get this far."

[SOURCE: BBC]

15 year-old Cori Gauff youngest to qualify for Wimbledon

[Related story: 15 year-old Cori Gauff defeats Venus Williams at Wimbledon!]

Fifteen-year-old Cori Gauff of the United States made history by becoming the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon.

African-American Gauff will also be the first 15-year-old to compete in the main draw since Britain’s Laura Robson in 2009 after defeating 19th seed Greet Minnen of Belgium 6-1, 6-1.

“I can do anything I put my mind to,” said the 301 world-ranked Gauff who was playing in qualifying on a wild card.

Born 13 March 2004, Gauff started playing tennis at 7.

Although she grew up in Atlanta, she moved to Florida to have better opportunities to train in tennis.

Her father Corey played basketball at Georgia State University and her mother Candi was a track and field athlete at Florida State University.

Gauff made her ITF debut in May 2018 as a qualifier into the $25K event at Osprey, where she won her first professional match. She has a WTA ranking of 874th.

Makayla Winston is missing!

Holmes County (Mississippi) Officials are searching for a 21-year-old pregnant woman.

According to Holmes County Sheriff Willie March, Makayla Winston is described as five-feet-three-inches tall with brown eyes, weighing 170 pounds.

She was last seen Thursday, June 27, wearing a black t-shirt dress leaving her home on Taylor Street in Goodman.

Winston is also nine-months pregnant.

The four-door 2008 Pontiac Grand Prix Winston was in was located at the intersection of Highway 14 at Interstate 55 in Holmes County on Friday. The keys were still in the ignition switch.

If anyone has any information regarding the whereabouts of Makayla Winston, you should call Holmes County Crime Stoppers at 662-834-0099.

[SOURCE: WLBT]

NAACP statement on Supreme Court's gerrymandering ruling

NAACP President and CEO, Derrick Johnson released the following statement on the Supreme Court's gerrymandering ruling:

Statement on Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek:

“The Court’s rulings today upend our democratic principles by allowing party politics to determine the outcomes of our elections. Extreme partisan gerrymandering has infected our electoral process for far too long. Exercise of the franchise, which many fought and even died for, must not be reduced to a political charade in which the outcomes are predetermined. In America, voters should choose their representatives instead of representatives choosing their voters.

The Court should have halted this unconstitutional conduct, but it did not. This is a dereliction of duty in protecting our democracy. In racially polarized environments like North Carolina where racial block voting is standard, today’s decision will license policymakers to mask racial intent as partisan gerrymandering in order to suppress votes and prevent communities from fully participating in democracy to elect candidates of their choice.

We are entitled to fair maps and fair representation in every state. We call upon elected officials everywhere – as well as state courts – to reject partisanship and insist on fair redistricting so that everyone can have a voice.”

Rickey Smiley To Replace The Tom Joyner Morning Show In January 2020

June 28, 2019 – Today on The Tom Joyner Morning Show, Tom introduced listener favorite Rickey Smiley as the successor to the morning anchor position established by Tom over the course of 25 years. Joyner, who is retiring at the end of the year, acknowledged that Smiley has established himself as a trusted leader on-air and in the community with his current show, captivating audiences with his authentic humor but also his unique perspective on topics important to his audience. Smiley also announced that Eva Marcille and Gary Wit Da Tea would be among the on-air cast members joining him to broadcast out of the Dallas studios beginning January 2020. Additional details about the show will be shared in the coming months. 

Joyner reflected on his accomplishments and the future, “I’m happy to see the landscape of Urban AC morning radio continue to expand with Rickey, and I’m proud of the doors the Tom Joyner Morning Show opened. Twenty-five years ago, there was no template for a syndicated Urban radio show and we worked hard to prove that we could successfully produce and market a national platform that would entertain, inform and empower African-American listeners. We broke some ground, raised the bar for what audiences expected from Black radio all while partying with a purpose. Yeah, we’ve done a lot but there’s still a lot left to be done. I’m confident that Rickey’s activism along with his love for radio, the community, and HBCUs, will pick up where we left off.” 

Making the announcement public, Rickey Smiley shared his excitement, “It’s an honor to continue the legacy of my boss and frat brother Tom Joyner. Not only has he been a friend to my family and me over the years, but we consider him family. Tom’s mentorship has instilled in me valuable wisdom that I will carry with me through this new morning show.” 

  

David Kantor, Reach Media and Radio One CEO, acknowledged the collaboration, “Tom changed the entire urban radio marketplace. He entertained and educated multiple generations of listeners over the last 25 years. While there is and will always be only one Tom Joyner, we are excited that Rickey will be moving to Urban AC in January. Like Tom, Rickey’s talent, community consciousness and commitment to his audience will serve his listeners well.”