Deidre Annette Reid Is Missing

PAGELAND, S.C.- Officers are asking the public’s help in finding a woman missing from Pageland, S.C.

Deidre Annette Reid was last seen off East Turner Street in Pageland on Sept. 3. Reid is a 41-year-old Black woman last seen wearing gray sweatpants, a light pink and white shirt, white Air Force One shoes, and she had her hair in a ponytail.

Her family last heard from her Sept. 3 and she was headed to the Greyhound station in Charlotte, N.C.

Reid was driving a gray, 2004 Chevy Tahoe with the South Carolina license plate number FXU718. The car had a New York Giants tag on the front.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Pageland Police Department at 843-672-6437.

Zhaavier Reeves Is Missing!

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. - Deputies need your help finding a Douglas County woman who has been missing for days.

Officials say Zhaavier Reeves was last seen by her family on Sept. 6 in Douglas County.

Reeves is described as being 5-feet-4-inches tall with a weight of around 130 lbs. She has brown eyes and red dreadlocks.

The missing woman was last seen wearing a white shirt and black pants.

If you have any information that could help find Reeves, please call the Douglas County Sheriffs Office at 678-486-1307.

BET LAUNCHES BET STUDIOS

BET, a unit of ViacomCBS (NASDAQ: VIAC; VIACA), today launched BET Studios, an unprecedented studio venture that offers equity ownership for Black content creators. Propelled by the infrastructure and financing of BET and ViacomCBS, BET Studios will create premium television series and films for an array of internal buyers, including Paramount+, SHOWTIME, CBS, Nickelodeon, BET+ and BET, in addition to select third-party platforms that seek best-in-class content from both leading and rising Black creatives. BET Studios will launch with principal partners Kenya Barris, Rashida Jones and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas.

“The demand for premium content from Black creators has accelerated dramatically as a result of both the rapidly changing media and social landscapes.  BET, with our 40-year legacy of celebrating Black culture, and the full power of the ViacomCBS ecosystem—is uniquely positioned to service this demand,” said BET President Scott Mills. “As a company with its origin in Black entrepreneurship, we are incredibly excited to create the first major studio to provide Black creators with ownership, creative freedom and the unparalleled partnership and support of BET. I am thrilled to have Aisha at the helm of this venture, and I look forward to our collaboration with our amazing creative partners in BET Studios.”

“BET Studios is an exciting and novel extension of the storied BET brand, and we have a structure well-suited to our times to bring top talent into this production company with real ownership,” said David Nevins, Chief Content Officer, Scripted Originals, Paramount+ & Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Showtime Networks Inc. “Scott Mills deserves tremendous credit for driving this innovative new business from idea to reality – and Kenya, Rashida and Aaron, could not be a more talented or in-demand group to lead this venture along with Aisha Summers.”

“The investment being made by Scott, David Nevins, Bob Bakish and the ViacomCBS team into BET Studios is not only an investment in Black storytelling, it is also an investment in the culture,” said Barris. “And while individual success is great, being able to amplify and champion underrepresented storytellers has been equally exciting and this venture allows that to continue to be a key focus in this next chapter of my career.”

“There is such power in the creative talent that the principal partners bring to the table and BET Studios’ unique ability to tell Black stories at scale,” said Jones. “This joining of forces is super exciting for me in the multitude of ways that people of color see themselves represented on screen.”

“As a new venture, BET Studios offers an opportunity to expand the brand’s legacy of delivering Black stories,” said Thomas. “This is a chance to bring nuanced, layered narratives to life, partnering with a forward-thinking team, interested in surprising and engaging the audience.”

BET Studios will be headed by Aisha Summers Burke, who was recently appointed Executive Vice-President and General Manager of the new venture. In this role, Burke will be responsible for working collaboratively with the Studio’s formidable creative partners and key internal constituencies.  Along with overseeing the day-to-day creative affairs for the company, she will also be responsible for the BET Studios content slate and focusing on growing the Studio’s production output across both internal and external platforms. Burke will report to BET President Scott Mills.

“BET has long been celebrated for excellence in producing quality programming that authentically depicts experiences lived within the Black community,” said Summers Burke.

“With the launch of BET Studios, we are excited to introduce a new model that opens the aperture to a broad array of platforms and supports the full range of content from Black creators.’ This entrepreneurial environment offers creatives the opportunity to produce diverse high-end content reflecting all aspects of entertainment.”

Prior to joining BET, Burke spent thirteen years at Warner Bros. Television, most recently serving as Vice-President of scripted television for the cable and streaming division of Warner Horizon before it merged with Warner Bros. TV in 2020.

Senator Raphael Warnock to receive 2021 NNPA National Leadership Award

For his tireless work for the citizens of Georgia and all Americans, Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock has been selected to receive the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) 2021 National Leadership Award, saluting excellence and innovative leadership in Black America.

The NNPA is a trade association of the more than 200 African American-owned community newspapers from around the United States.

“Thank you to the Black Press of America and the National Newspaper Publishers Association for this gracious award,” said Sen. Rev. Warnock.

“To my brother, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Chair Karen Carter Richards, National Correspondent Stacy Brown, and the countless others who do the important work to keep our communities informed, engaged, and motivated through these unprecedented times.

“This award is not about me, but the millions of Black Americans in Georgia and across the country who continuously display their courage, perseverance, and fortitude as we navigate increasingly challenging times in our communities and throughout our world. Know that I will continue to do my part in the United States Senate to uplift Georgia voices in the continual march toward what Dr. King called the beloved community.”

[ATLANTA VOICE]

Congresswoman Cori Bush Introduces Legislation to Expand Access to Emergency Rental Assistance Funds

Congresswoman Cori Bush (MO-01), has introduced legislation to improve and expand access to emergency rental assistance by allowing individuals to apply for funds at public schools, libraries, transit systems, housing authorities, the United States Postal Service, and other public entities. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) Improvement Act of 2021 would direct the Department of Treasury to provide guidance and funding to the state and local agencies responsible for distributing funds so they may set up these access points. Earlier this year, the Congresswoman helped secure $21.6 billion in emergency rental assistance funding through the American Rescue Plan  — bringing the total ERAP funds to $46.5 billion. So far, only 11 percent of funds or $5.1 billion, has been distributed to those facing eviction. 

“It is our duty as lawmakers to ensure the 11 million households currently at risk of eviction can safely remain in their homes for the duration of this deadly global pandemic,” said Congresswoman Cori Bush. “The Supreme Court’s failure to protect these individuals and families has only increased the urgency with which Congress must act to get emergency rental assistance to those who need it most. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program Improvement Act will help make these funds more accessible by allowing individuals and families to apply for assistance at places that are central to their communities — schools, libraries, the post office, among others. As someone who has been evicted and unhoused, I know the trauma these families are facing. This crisis demands compassionate solutions and I urge my colleagues to consider the humanity of our neighbors who could soon find themselves without a home unless drastic action is taken.” 

The ERAP Improvement Act of 2021 will:

• Direct the Department of Treasury to provide guidance to state and local agencies to expand access to the emergency rental assistance application in the following public places within 30 days of the legislation being enacted:
  • K-12 public schools,
  • public libraries,  
  • public housing agencies,
  • public transit systems,
  • courts that handle eviction matters,
  • state departments of motor vehicles,
  • the US Postal Service, and
  • federal, state, and local social service providers.
• Encourage ERA distributors to collaborate with these public entities to store, distribute, and assist with individual applications.
• Allow up to 15 percent of ERA-1 funds available from the Consolidated Appropriations Act to be used for increasing administrative capacity for the following activities, up from the current 10 percent cap:
  • training staff or other designated institutional representatives; 
  • maintaining both physical and electronic copies of the application;
  • establishing communication methods between grantees, public entities, and individual households;
  • developing community outreach materials, programs, and initiatives; and
  • collecting and storing data on-site or via third parties.

As someone who was previously unhoused, Congresswoman Bush has fought tirelessly to keep people in their homes for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic: 

• In March, Congresswoman Bush helped pass the American Rescue Plan which provided approximately $21.6 billion in emergency rental assistance funds. 
• On May 18, Congresswoman Bush led nearly 30 members of Congress in sending a letter to the CDC calling on the agency to strengthen and extend the moratorium on evictions. 
• In June, the Congresswoman led a group of more than 40 lawmakers in sending a letter urging the Biden administration to extend and strengthen the eviction moratorium, which the administration extended through July 31st.
• On July 28, Congresswoman Bush introduced the Unhoused Bill of Rights, a resolution calling on Congress to permanently end the housing crisis by 2025. 
• On July 30, the Congresswoman sent a Dear Colleague to the Democratic caucus urging Members to remain in Washington and vote in favor of legislation to extend the federal eviction moratorium.
• On July 31, ahead of the moratorium expiration deadline, the Congresswoman and several of her colleagues sent a letterreiterating their ongoing calls for President Biden and the CDC to extend the eviction moratorium.  
• From July 30 to August 3, the Congresswoman led an action on the steps of the U.S. Capitoland worked with Democratic colleagues to successfully secure a new eviction moratorium from the Biden Administration.
• On August 27, Congresswoman Bush denounced the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down the eviction moratorium and led more than 60 of her House colleagues in sending a letter to Congressional leadership, urging them to advance legislation for a new moratorium.
• On September 13, Congresswoman Bush’s provisions within the ERAP Improvement Act will be marked up by the House Committee on Financial Services as part of Chairwoman Waters’ larger package of reforms to the Emergency Rental Assistance Program, H.R. 5196.

For full text of the bill, click here.
For a one pager on the bill, click here.