California African American Museum names Cameron Shaw as executive director

The California African American Museum board of directors unanimously voted Monday to name Cameron Shaw as the institution’s new executive director.

Since September 2019, Shaw has served as CAAM’s deputy director and chief curator, overseeing curatorial affairs, education and public programming and communications and marketing efforts. Shaw’s appointment follows the retirement of George O. Davis, who was the executive director since 2015.

As deputy director and chief curator at the state museum, Shaw secured major support including a $300,000 Art Museum Futures grant from the Mellon Foundation and a $120,000 Getty Pacific Standard Time 2024 research grant for “World Without End: The George Washington Carver Project,” which she is co-curating.

As CAAM’s executive director, Shaw said, she will continue building on her previous work, including invigorating the museum’s publishing program, which features original essays from staff.

[SOURCE: LA TIMES]

Former Student Gives Morgan State University $20 Million, Ensuring Access to College for Generations of Students

Morgan State University today announced receipt of a $20 million commitment from alumnus and philanthropist Calvin E. Tyler Jr. and his wife, Tina, increasing an endowed scholarship fund previously established in the Tylers’ name. The monumental gift is the largest private donation from an alumnus in University history and is believed to be the largest contribution of its kind to any Historically Black College or University (HBCU) nationwide from an alum.

In 2016, the Tylers made a commitment of $5 million to the University— at the time the largest in Morgan’s history—bolstering the Calvin and Tina Tyler Endowed Scholarship Fund established in 2002 to provide full tuition scholarships for select need-based students residing in the Tylers’ hometown of Baltimore. In light of the financial hardships and challenges a number of students and their families are facing as a result of the current pandemic, the Tylers were compelled to expand their giving. Once exclusive to students from Baltimore, the endowed scholarship is now national in scope and will benefit generations of future Morgan students seeking a college education. To date, the endowed fund has supported 222 Morgan students by way of 46 full-tuition and 176 partial scholarships, with the promise of benefiting more ‘Tyler Scholars’ with the increased multimillion-dollar pledge and expanded scope.

“Morgan is so proud to call this son and daughter of the great City of Baltimore our own, and through their historic giving, the doors of higher education will most certainly be kept open for generations of aspiring leaders whose financial shortfalls may have kept them from realizing their academic dreams,” said David K. Wilson, president of Morgan State University. “For public institutions, like Morgan, our charitable alumni are testaments to the legacy we collectively uphold, and the Tylers’ generosity over the years, culminating with this transformative commitment, is a remarkable example of altruism with great purpose. We are forever indebted to the Tylers.”

Calvin Tyler enrolled at Morgan State College in 1961 to study business administration. The first of his family to attend college, he later interrupted his matriculation in 1963 due to lack of funding and eventually took on a job as one of the first 10 UPS drivers in Baltimore in 1964. At UPS, he would then work his way up, climbing the corporate ladder, ultimately ending up as senior vice president of operations before his retirement in 1998, and joining the company’s board of directors. Through his 34-year career at the multinational package delivery company, Tyler never lost sight of his own humble beginnings, committing with his wife Tina to support those who, like him, encountered hardships and financial insecurities while pursuing their college degree.

“My wife and I have become keenly aware of the effect that the pandemic has had on a number of young people trying to get an education [and] we have the resources to help a lot of young people,” Tyler shared. “This is why we are increasing our commitment at Morgan; we want to have more full tuition scholarships offered to young people so that they can graduate from college and enter the next stage of their life debt free.”

Students attending Morgan come from diverse backgrounds, often with unique circumstances, and a myriad of financial needs with 90% of students receiving financial aid. Students applying for the Tyler Scholarship must meet certain financial criteria and maintain a minimum GPA requirement of 2.5.

“Endowed scholarships and other gifts have far-reaching implications for any institution, but for a public, urban university like Morgan, with students from a broad spectrum of academic, social and economic backgrounds, the need is especially great,” said Donna Howard, vice president for Institutional Advancement. “We are forever grateful to the Tylers for their unrelenting charity to alma mater. The impact of their generosity will have a prevailing effect fostering Morgan-made leaders for generations.”

Fulfillment of the Tylers’ $20 million pledge will be executed for years to come, ensuring an enduring support for Morgan students facing extenuating financial circumstances. Through this commitment and the recently constructed student services building bearing their name—Tyler Hall—their connection to Morgan and their legacy of philanthropic giving will be forever cemented.

“We’re trying to help young people succeed and this goal is aligned with Morgan’s mission; it’s such a perfect fit. We believe that Morgan State happens to be the best institution to use these resources,” added Mr. Tyler.

The $20-million commitment from the Tylers comes to Morgan amid a span of unprecedented and transformative giving to the University that will serve Morgan students—in the immediate and distant future—including an historic gift of $40 million from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, the largest in the University history. The Tylers’ gift now marks the second largest to be received.

Expressing the importance of giving and supporting institutions of higher education, Tyler contends that “reliance on government loans is just not the answer. Debt can be extremely crippling to someone trying to get ahead in life [and] we just want to help as many young people as we can [to] get an education.”

New evidence in Malcolm X assassination points to possible conspiracy

Fifty-six years after the death of Malcolm X, lawyers revealed what they called new evidence of a conspiracy, perpetrated by the NYPD and the FBI to assassinate the Civil Rights activist in Harlem.

Ray Wood was an undercover police officer at the time - his family and their attorney now claim Wood wrote a letter on his deathbed confessing the NYPD and the FBI conspired to kill the Civil Rights activist.

Watch more on thi story below:

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee's response when asked about Ted Cruz's trip to Mexico

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX 18th District) had a thoughtful and reassuring reponse for Texas reisdents when asked by a local television reporter about Senator Ted Cruz's ill timed trip to Cancun during an extreme weather emergency in Texas that has killed dozens. Watch her response below:

"I'm present and accounted for," said Congresswoman @JacksonLeeTX18 when asked about #TedCruz & his trip to Mexico. "I do think in time of crisis the place & the only place I want to be is with the people I represent." She is in Houston at a water distribution site. #abc13 pic.twitter.com/AGQuZCB8fu

— Steve Campion (@SteveABC13) February 18, 2021

Rosetta Ellis-Pilie Named ESPN Vice President, Talent Development and Negotiations

Accomplished ESPN executive Rosetta Ellis-Pilie has been named ESPN Vice President, Talent Development and Negotiations, effective May 1, it was announced today by Norby Williamson, ESPN Executive Vice President, Production and Executive Editor. In that role, Ellis-Pilie will lead the day-to-day efforts of ESPN’s Talent Office, which is responsible for hiring, developing and guiding ESPN’s commentator team, negotiating contracts, and collaborating with many ESPN departments and external contacts on all matters related to commentator roles and responsibilities. She will report to Williamson.

Ellis-Pilie, who joined ESPN in 2011, has worked in its Legal Department for nearly a decade, most recently as ESPN’s Vice President and Assistant Chief Counsel. As part of that wide-ranging role, she has been instrumental in developing, negotiating and finalizing hundreds of agreements related to ESPN’s rights, content, and on-air commentators. Recent examples include her direct involvement in ESPN’s groundbreaking agreement with UFC, Stephen A Smith’s contract extension, and legal management of the multi-faceted sports and entertainment elements of the ESPYS and ESPN Radio.

“Rosetta is well respected at ESPN and throughout our industry,” Williamson said. “She brings relevant experience, strong leadership traits and a fresh perspective to this pivotal role. ESPN has the most skilled, diverse talent team, and Rosetta will undoubtedly drive continued success through a focus on fostering growth and hiring the best people.”

Ellis-Pilie, who is currently on maternity leave until her scheduled May 1 return, added, “This is an exceptional opportunity, particularly given its importance to ESPN’s connection with sports fans and our overall business. I am truly excited to continue to interact with colleagues across the company as well as outside contacts, many of whom I have worked closely with on projects over the past decade. Our talent lineup is the forward-facing cornerstone of ESPN and I look forward to joining forces with them directly when I start this exciting new chapter in May.”

Prior to assuming her Assistant Chief Counsel role, Ellis-Pilie had served as Assistant Counsel, Associate Principal Counsel and Principal Counsel at ESPN. Overall, her ESPN work has included: providing legal guidance on labor and employment matters related to ESPN’s dozens of business entities; drafting and negotiating numerous on-air and behind-the-scenes personnel agreements; negotiating major rights deals including with UFC and Top Rank Boxing, managing the legal elements for the ESPYS such as celebrity hosts, musical performances, venue, sponsors and footage rights; and overseeing legal aspects for ESPN Radio and its hundreds of affiliates.

Ellis-Pilie served in the United States Army and is a veteran of Operation Desert Storm. She has received numerous awards for excellence and her stationed sites included Germany, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. She participated in The Walt Disney Company’s “Heroes Work Here” campaign, which helps hire, train and support military veterans entering the civilian workforce. She was featured in the program’s national ad campaign, moderated a related panel, and appeared on The View during its Salute to Military episode.

Ellis-Pilie has also represented ESPN and The Walt Disney Company on various industry initiatives and panels, including Disney Lawyers of Color Career Information panel, Georgetown Law School Sports, Entertainment and Media Law symposium’s “Representation of Content Creators” panel, and served as a final round judge for the Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition. Among her honors, Ellis-Pilie was recognized in 2016 by Savoy Magazine as one of the Top 100 Influential Women in Corporate America.

Before joining ESPN, Ellis-Pilie led the domestic and international labor and employment law practice for Sun Chemical Corporation and was a Labor and Employment Associate at McDermott, Will & Emery and at Proskauer Rose LLP.

A graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and a minor in Business Administration, the New Jersey-native earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law. While there, she served as a member of the Virginia Law Review, the Virginia Journal of Social Policy & Law, and on the inaugural Managing Board of the Virginia Sports and Entertainment Law Journal.