Missy Elliott will become the first female rapper to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Elliott celebrated the news on Twitter, writing, “I can’t stop crying. I am from  Portsmouth Virginia aka P-Town.. #757 to 804 I send my love. You day dream of these moments but today it’s Real. VA 2 up 2 down the 7 Cities all my folk I am GRATEFUL.” Other 2023 inductees include Chaka Khan, DJ Kool Herc and the late-great founder of Soul Train Don Cornelius, Variety reports.

In 2021, Shonda Rhimes landed a branding and merchandising deal with Netflix. She debuted Bridgerton, which quickly became one of Netflix’s most-watched shows ever. Rhimes just launched a spinoff called Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, which dropped on Netflix this week. Whether it’s TV or streaming, Rhimes continues to slay. Watch the trailer above.

Kandi Burruss is officially ​​an Emmy and Tony nominee – within 24 hours! On May 1, she was nominated for a Southeast Emmy Award in the “Historic/Cultural/Politics/Government/Societal Concerns” category for her work in La Musica de La Familia. Additionally, she and her husband, Todd Tucker received a Tony nod as producers on The Piano Lesson, which received a nomination in the “Best Revival of a Play” category for the upcoming 76th annual Tony Awards. See her announce the news above.

LSU star Angel Reese  is now the owner of a brand new Mercedes Benz EQS580, which she announced on social media. “Why not get a new car when it’s your 21st birthday week,” Reese wrote on Instagram. “Thank you, Mercedes-Benz Baton Rouge, for helping me purchase my new car! This is a gift to myself for everything that I’ve accomplished in 1 YEAR, but I wouldn’t be the Bayou Barbie without Bayou Traditions and MatchPoint Connection.” The Benz is due to the lucrative endorsement deal she signed with a Baton Rouge Mercedes Benz dealership. Reese’s birthday is May 6.

On May 1, Tamron Hall hosted the Harlem School of the Arts Gala, which returned to its in-person format for the first time since 2019. The event celebrated artists and community leaders who play a pivotal role in arts advocacy, philanthropy and leadership. According to a recent press release, honorees included Hollywood icon and Dean of the Chadwick A. Boseman College of Fine Arts at Howard University Phylicia Rashad, former President of Spelman College and Former Commissioner of the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs Dr. Mary Schmidt Campbell, and The Trailblazers Award honoring the Cole Family Legacy accepted by Timolin Cole-Augustus and Casey Cole-Ray. The Natalie King Cole Foundation matched donations raised during the program, which reached $10,000.

Current Howard University president Wayne A. I. Frederick is retiring on Sept. 1. The illustrious HBCU has now announced the president, Ben Vinson III, a historian of the African diaspora with a focus on Blacks in Latin America, as the new president. The university’s board of trustees unanimously voted to hire the 52-year-old, according to HU. Vinson, who is currently a provost and executive vice president at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, said in a statement, “The opportunity to lead Howard at this historic juncture represents the honor of a lifetime. Howard’s incredible legacy, its remarkable trajectory, combined with the fine talent of its faculty and staff, situate Howard at the uppermost echelons of higher education.”

Khloe Summer, a prominent digital creative and travel influencer, has launched Curated By Khloe, a movement for Black women to explore luxury travel opportunities. According to Travel Noire, the first event is a Girls Retreat in St. Lucia from July 27 to 31, which sold out in less than two days. It is the first of many retreats and travel experiences created by Summer. 

WNBA superstar Brittney Griner is speaking out on the inclusion of transgender athletes in competitive sports. The Spun reports at a recent press conference during the Phoenix Mercury's training camp, the star center said, "That ranks high on the list of things I’ll be fighting for and speaking up against. Everyone deserves the right to play. Everyone deserves the right to come here, sit in these seats, and feel safe and not feel like there’s the threat, or they can’t be who they are.” 

Since joining the Mercury in 2013, Griner has been named to three All-Star teams, won WNBA Defensive Player of the Year twice, and she is an Olympic gold medalist. The WNBA season will kick off in May with the Mercury set to take on the  Los Angeles Sparks on May 19.

Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian announced the pregnancy of their second child via an Instagram post, right before walking the red carpet at the Met Gala on May 1. This will be their second child after Serena gave birth to their first child in i2017, a baby girl named Alexis Olympia Ohanian Jr. See the baby bump reveal above!

Serena Williams isn't the only one waiting for a new addition to the family. Supermodel Chanel Iman announced that she is expecting her third child. Iman and boyfriend, Davon Godchaux, an NFL defensive tackle, shared the happy news on Instagram with a series of maternity photos. "Our family is growing and we are so excited to meet our new little one," the caption. Iman is mom to two girls, Cassie, 3, and Cali — with ex Sterling Shepard.