On July 29, 14-year-old basketball star Semaj Miller was gunned down in South Los Angeles.
At six-foot-seven-inches tall, the Compton teenager was expected to go far with the L.A. City Wildcats, an association that helped launch the career of NBA player James Harden.
Now the community is mourning his loss.
"Semaj was such a talented kid who lost his life too soon," Rapper Percy “Master P” Miller, a coach and part-owner of the team, told Cheddar. "We have to stop this senseless killing, gun violence in our community. It's not the police. This is us killing us."
Miller lamented that gun violence is robbing the next generation of its talent, as well as those who could find success and come back and invest in their communities.
"This kid could have been the next LeBron James, could have been the next James Harden," he said. "We'll never get to know how talented this kid could have been."
Stepping outside of the rhetoric used in recent protests against police violence, the rapper said it was the responsibility of citizens to stop the violence in their own communities.
"I know we're out here protesting for Black Lives Matter, but my thing is, 'Okay, our kids matter,'" he said. "This is our future."
Miller didn't outline specific preventive measures but emphasized parenting and education.
"It's got to start in our community. We have to stand up for these kids. We have to protect them. We have to educate them," he said.
Within the last couple of months, a number of employees across the country have been looking to improve their skills in order to land themselves a new job. Many employees say they are now looking for flexibility and better ways to work. LinkedIn Career Expert Drew McCaskill, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Kemtai Co-Founder breaks down how computer vision and artificial intelligence can improve your workout form; Wove Co-Founder explains how it's creating a one-of-a-kind engagement ring design process; A look at Curiosity Stream's 'History By The Numbers.'
Andrew Wolgemuth, Co-Founder at Wove, joins Cheddar Innovates to discuss Wove's unique engagement ring design process, which includes 3D printing replica rings, and the latest trends in the engagement ring industry.
Cheddar News explores perhaps the most divisive topic in American politics: abortion. The Supreme Court may change access in America with not just one but two major cases on its current docket so we traveled across the country to get viewpoints from both sides. Check out what we found as Megan Pratz hosts this full episode of 'Abortion in America.'
Jill and Carlo discuss what appears to be the beginning of the end of Roe v. Wade, another victim dies following the school shooting in Michigan, Omicron in the U.S., Trump's Covid chronology and more.
Wave Neuroscience announced a new collaboration with Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) to provide Braincare services to Active-Duty Service Members and Veterans. Operation Synchrony is a one-month, outpatient program focused on restoring and optimizing neuronal function utilizing individualized neuromodulation. Dr. Erik Won, president & chief medical officer of Wave Neuroscience and Alex Balbir, director of independence services at Wounded Warrior Project joins Cheddar News to discuss.
A new book is looking to help people talk about race by educating them on the appropriate way to do it. 'Read This to Get Smarter: About Race, Class, Gender, Disability and More' is a non-judgmental guide structured in a way for readers who are just starting their journey or those already versed in social justice to follow. Blair Imani, author of 'Read This to Get Smarter joins Cheddar News to discuss the book.
Lauren Brody, author and founder of The Fifth Trimester joins Cheddar News to discuss the state of working mothers in America and how many women are feeling the pressure this pandemic has caused.