Kandake

• "We truly enjoyed the opportunity to salute these real Christmas heroes at the premiere of My Christmas Hero on the joint base," said Bure, who plays Dr. Nicole Ramsey in the movie.
• The red-carpet screening was held Wednesday, November 15 on the McChord (Air Force) side of JBLM—the base portrayed in My Christmas Hero.
• To be able to celebrate Christmas and this movie with the everyday heroes who selflessly serve our country was truly special for both Candace and me," said Bill Abbott, President and CEO of Great American Media.
• My Christmas Hero premieres on Great American Family the day after Thanksgiving, at 8 p.m. EST / 7 p.m. CST Friday, November 24.

• Gastro Care Partners (“GCP” or “the Company”), one of the largest providers of gastroenterology services and ancillary patient treatment services in Colorado and Wyoming, today announced that Candace D. Baer has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer (“COO”).
• As COO, Baer will take primary responsibility for enterprise operational efficiency and implementing processes to accelerate growth in collaboration with leaders and partners across the firm.
• “We are thrilled that Candace has agreed to join the ranks of our executive roster,” said Pyle.
• I am confident that Candace is the right person to develop and execute these strategic initiatives while serving as a cultural ambassador for Gastro Care Partners,” Pyle continued.

• For his new book “Black and Queer on Campus,” American studies professor Michael Jeffries interviewed 65 Black LGBTQ college students across the U.S. – 40 from historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs, and 25 from predominantly white schools.
• The Conversation asked Jeffries to discuss what he learned about how queer Black students view LGBTQ student organizations, their general experiences on college campuses and their opinions about current events.

What specific challenges do Black LGBTQ students face on college campuses?

• The Black LGBTQ students I interviewed understood that college is an opportunity to explore their identity.
• But many still struggled to move past the bigotry and difficult experiences they had growing up as young queer people.
• Candace, who attends a large, prestigious public university, told me that one of the problems that Black LGBTQ students face in white LGBTQ spaces is tokenism.
• And I’m just like, they don’t really date Black people, so there’s that.”

How do they overcome those challenges?

• One of the most common and powerful ways that students said they overcome these challenges is by building community with one another.
• “It’s like whenever Black queer people get around each other, I feel like we get strong in our personalities.
• “We started hanging out to where we spent all our time together,” he said.

What stereotypes and threats to safety do Black queer students face today?

• Some students felt that common stereotypes about gay people still exert a powerful hold on the way queer folk are treated within Black communities.
• Patricia, who attends a historically Black university, told me about her experience growing up in a small, predominantly Black town in the South.
• There was a sense that they were not taken seriously as students or did not deserve their positions at the college.

Are students optimistic about the future?

• Though there were students who see progress with respect to LGBTQ issues, very few offered optimistic views of the future for Black people in America, including queer Black people.
• Some were extremely discouraged about the future, and they believe the U.S. is becoming a more hostile place for people like them.
• Still, several students pointed to changes in American politics and culture, like the legalization of same-sex marriage in 2015 and the increasing visibility of LGBTQ celebrities, that give them hope.

• Caribou Coffee expanded its franchise program in October 2021, marking the first time interested candidates had an opportunity to own and operate traditional franchise locations in the United States.
• In March 2022, Caribou Coffee announced the signing of its first multi-unit development agreement with Mike Mariola Restaurants to franchise locations in Ohio.
• Caribou Coffee also executed a multi-unit development agreement with Wake Up 727 to franchise locations in Pinellas County Florida, most known for the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater.
• Most recently, Caribou Coffee entered into multi-unit development agreements with Kevin Ricci and Sam Covelli, the brand's largest domestic franchise agreements to date.