• News

by Daniel Johnson

July 31, 2024

Harvard Study Indicates Black/White Wealth Gap Decreased Among Gen X, Millennials

According to the researchers, one possible direction that policymakers could pursue is creating policies that would encourage mobility in general by investing in schools or youth mentorship programs and changing zoning restrictions or school district boundaries, which have been shown to exacerbate existing income inequality through a concept called income segregation.

---

A Harvard study released on July 25 indicates that while the Black/white wealth gap has shrunk between Generation X and millennials, the gap between low and high-income white adults has widened, marked by an improvement in economic mobility for low-income Black children as well as a decline in earning for low-income white children.

According to NBC News, the change in income levels is largely attributed to increased employment rates of Black parents.

As the researchers told NBC News, “Outcomes improve…for children who grow up in communities with increasing parental employment rates, with larger effects for children who move to such communities at younger ages.”

According to the study, Black people from low-income families also had regional differences play into the data; there was more economic mobility in the southeast and the industrial Midwest than in parts of the East or West coasts and the Great Plains. 

According to the researchers, one possible direction that policymakers could pursue is creating policies that would encourage mobility in general by investing in schools or youth mentorship programs and changing zoning restrictions or school district boundaries, which have been shown to exacerbate existing income inequality through a concept called income segregation.

The researchers state, “Importantly, social communities are shaped not just by where people live but by race and class within neighborhoods,” the researchers told NBC News. “One approach to increasing opportunity is, therefore, to increase connections between communities.”

Although the research is mostly positive on the front of economic mobility, it does point out that the probability of social mobility from poverty to the top tier of the income pyramid increases by nearly 9% if you are white.

According to the study, “Economic mobility can change within relatively short periods of time. While previous research suggested the importance of targeting policy interventions at the neighborhood level, this study further identifies patterns of change at the community level as shaped by not only neighborhood, but by race, class and cohort. These findings provide new data to understand how and where places are changing over time that may be used to inform policy focused on improving economic mobility.”

RELATED CONTENT: Atlanta Ranks No. 1 City To Start A Career Despite City’s Racial Wealth Gap

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 31, 2024

Rick Ross’ Baby Mother Takes To Social Media Demanding Funds From The Rapper

Tia Kemp instructs her son to get $200K from his father

---

William Leonard Roberts II, better known to the world as rapper and entrepreneur Rick Ross, has been presented with what looks like a bill via social media from the mother of his son, William Roberts III, referring to some items seemingly for his college stay.

According to Complex, Roberts’ mother, Tia Kemp, who often takes to social media when she has an issue with her baby’s father, appeared on her social media account to encourage her son to get some money from his father. In the posted video, Kemp shows an amount in what looks like a bill or order form. She points to $209,931.58, and she states that Roberts should contact Ross to have him forward the money to her bank account.

The video shows some itemized clothing from Nike, including Air Zooms, a hoodie, a sleeveless compression top, and some woven shorts that are visible in the video. The video clip, captured by a TikTok user, starts with Kemp placing the paper in the camera’s view. It’s captioned, “Tia with a message for Ozempic Ross pertaining to his child’s tuition.”

Kemp says in the video, “I ain’t playing. I need you to call your daddy right now, you tell him. You screenshot this right now, that right there and you tell him that’s how much I need in my bank account.”

RELATED CONTENT: Items From Rick Ross’ Personal Collection To Be Auctioned

by Daniel Johnson

July 31, 2024

Donald Trump Attacks Kamala Harris, Doug Emhoff In Radio Interview

Trump, who has literally eaten with neo-Nazis, seems to be spiraling and throwing anything he can at Harris, in the hopes that it will stick with his base, which to be fair, probably won't be difficult.

---

Donald Trump seemed to yet again traffic in antisemitism and anti-Blackness as he claimed during a radio interview with WABC on July 30 that Vice-President Kamala Harris hates Jews and her husband, first gentleman Doug Emhoff, was a “crappy Jew.”

According to the Associated Press, Trump claimed that Harris was uncomfortable when she met with Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

“You can see the disdain. No. 1, she doesn’t like Israel. No. 2, she doesn’t like Jewish people. You know it, I know it, and everybody knows it, and nobody wants to say it.” Trump claimed.

Trump, who has eaten with neo-Nazis, seems to be spiraling and throwing anything he can at Harris in the hopes that it will stick with his base, which, to be fair, probably won’t be difficult. As Jelani Cobb described in a piece for The New Yorker, Trump is “awkwardly trying to figure out how to hate Harris from scratch.”

The Harris campaign issued its rebuttal to Trump’s strategy of throwing hatred and division at the public through James Singer, a spokesperson for the campaign. 

“America is better than the fear, hate, and despicable insults of Donald Trump,” Singer said. “Vice President Harris believes Americans want a president who unites our country instead of divides it, uses the power of the presidency to help families instead of hurt them, and has a vision for our future instead of taking us [backward.]”

The former president also repeated comments he has previously made, saying that Jewish voters who back Democrats “should have their head examined” and “if you’re Jewish, if you vote for a Democrat, you’re a fool, an absolute fool. They have let Jewish people down since Obama at a level that nobody could believe.”

Trump continued, saying that Vice President Harris “dislikes Jewish people and Israel even more than Biden did.”

Trump’s interview was conducted by Sid Rosenberg, who was fired from Don Imus’ radio show in 2001 for calling tennis legend Serena Williams an “animal” and saying that Williams and her sister Venus Williams should pose for National Geographic. Imus’s show later rehired him and was also involved in the incident when Imus called members of the mostly-Black Rutgers women’s basketball team “nappy-headed hoes.”

Rosenberg and Trump went on something of an extended rant targeting Emhoff, beginning with Rosenberg saying, “He’s Jewish like Bernie Sanders is Jewish. Are you kidding me?”

“Yeah,” Trump said. 

“He’s a crappy Jew,” Rosenberg said. 

“Yeah,” Trump repeated. 

Rosenberg then disparaged Emhoff again, saying, “He’s a horrible Jew.”

Although Emhoff’s office did not issue a statement to the AP, Emhoff has been a critical asset to the Harris campaign. As The Hill reported, Emhoff has previously called the ex-President a “known antisemite” and “toxic.”

On July 23, he told reporters that Trump’s criticisms of his wife underwhelmed him. 

“That’s all he’s got? You heard the vice president yesterday making the case against Donald Trump very clearly. Laid out the case directly and in a compelling fashion. But she also laid out a vision for the future, a vision where there’s freedom, where we’re not having to talk about these issues of today in this post-Dobbs hellscape that Donald Trump created.”

In contrast to Melania Trump’s absence, Emhoff was described to The Hill by ex-Harris staffer Rachel Palmero as a true partner to Harris and an asset to the campaign.

“Mr. Emhoff and Vice President Harris are true partners in every sense of the word. His support for the vice president fuels the fight for gender equity in a way that will shape future generations. The second gentleman is a significant asset to the campaign — which is why we are seeing him hitting the trail and galvanizing people across the country.”

by Sharelle B. McNair

July 31, 2024

Petty Patriarchy: VP Kamala Harris Breaks Political Glass Ceilings Only To Be Labeled A ‘DEI Hire’

---

The term “DEI Hire” has been dubbed the latest way to insult Black people, and Vice President Kamala Harris is the new target. 

DEI — an acronym used to shorten diversity, equity, and inclusion — refers to policies and practices in workplaces and educational institutions designed to support people of color and provide resources for them to succeed. But lately, it has been used as a way for Republican leaders to insult the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee and those who look like her: Black people. 

Several attacks against Harris, labeling her as a “DEI hire” or a “DEI candidate,” highlight the new ways racism can be used against Black people in power, regardless of their impressive resumes. 

In early July 2024, Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) used the term to call her a “DEI Vice President” during an impromptu interview with CNN Chief Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju. “Biden said, first off, he was going to hire a Black female for vice president,” the legislator said. “What about white females? What about any other group? When you go down that route, and you take mediocrity, and that’s what they have right now as a vice president,” he said. 

When Raju suggested that Harris was “DEI hiring,” Burchett agreed. “One hundred percent,” he said, “she was a DEI hire.”

Rep. Harriett Hageman (R-Wy.) also thinks Harris is a “DEI Hire.” “I think she’s one of the weakest candidates I’ve ever seen in the history of our country,” Hageman said.

“I mean intellectually, just really kind of the bottom of the barrel. … I think that she was a DEI hire.” 

A resume check by Forbes says the opposite of Harris. The 59-year-old former prosecutor once held the appointment of attorney general and U.S. Senator for California, as well as a graduate of Howard University and the University of California College of Law in San Francisco. She also holds the title of the first Black and Asian woman in history to serve as Vice President of the United States. 

Colleagues of Harris and top-level legislators ask what would happen if people would think or say such things about a white man in politics. Lisa Murkowski, a Republican and former Senate colleague of the vice president, says simply, “No.” “What, are they just going to say if you’re not a white male, it’s a DEI candidate? I’m sorry. No,” she said. 

Susan Rice, a Black woman, U.N. ambassador, national security adviser, and adviser to President Joe Biden, says that being called a “DEI hire” by GOP leaders means they don’t think the person deserves to be there. “You didn’t get there on merit. You got there because you got some unfair advantage,” Rice said. “That is incredibly insulting to the vast majority of Americans who fall into all of those categories.”

Even former President Donald Trump has called Harris “dumb as a rock,” and members of his team have supported his comments. “Kamala Harris is, by all accounts, dumb as a rock. Even minorities like myself know that. She is weak, failed, and dangerously liberal,” Steven Cheung, Trump’s communications director, said. 

While DEI efforts have been scrapped from educational institutions and corporations nationwide thanks to GOP efforts, not all Republican leaders share the same ideology. Samuel Rivers Jr., a former Black conservative South Carolina state representative, admitted that he doesn’t agree with some of Harris’ policies but says her track record is proven, whether his colleagues like it or not. I’m a hardcore Republican, and I don’t agree with Kamala Harris’ policies, but in fairness, the woman just didn’t wake up yesterday and become vice president,” Rivers said. 

“There’s a track record of her being elected multiple times, and so I believe people pick their VPs based on what they want them to do for them.”

RELATED CONTENT: Presidential Candidate Kamala Harris Continues Fight For Reproductive Rights

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

July 31, 2024

White TikToker Slammed After Advising Her Peers Not To Correct Or Talk Over BIPOC Women During ‘White Women: Answer The Call’ Meeting

During the July 25 Zoom meeting, Arielle Fodor, aka Mrs. Frazzle, advised White women to refrain from correcting or talking over BIPOC women.

---

Following last Thursday’s “White Women: Answer The Call” Zoom meeting in support of Vice President Kamala Harris, TikToker Arielle Fodor, also known as Mrs. Frazzle, went viral after she encouraged white women to “take a beat” if they find themselves correcting or speaking over BIPOC women.

“If you find yourself talking over or speaking for BIPOC individuals or, God forbid, correcting them, just take a beat,” Fodor said during the July 25 meeting, which BLACK ENTERPRISE noted followed the historic Win With Black Women’s Zoom call on July 21. The Hill reported that the meeting gathered 164,000 white women across the United States. The former kindergarten teacher, who has amassed over one million followers on TikTok, was invited on the massive call to “gentle parent” the group of white women as they navigate election season.

According to a snippet of her speech posted to her TikTok page, her advice on interacting with BIPOC women has attracted heavy criticism. TikTokers flooded her comments, one user calling her “condescending” and another accusing her of “demeaning white women” with her advice to “basically bow to and ‘god forbid’ never correct a BIPOC person.” Others commended Fodor’s speech and thanked her for the advice. “I strongly identify with the ‘a lot to learn and unlearn’ statement,” one user commented about Fodor’s “great message.” At the same time, another said Fodor’s words “only [inspire] me to take every piece of advice you gave.”

Known for making content using her teacher’s voice, Fodor encouraged the women to use their white privilege to “make positive changes” as she addressed them with her Do’s and Don’ts of getting involved in politics. “BIPOC women have tapped us in as White women to step up, listen, and get involved this election season,” Fodor said. “This is a really important time, and we all need to use our voices and influence for the greater good.”

Recognizing the women as influencers in their own ways, she motivated them to not make the matter about themselves and instead push for systemic change by using their voices, listening, and learning from members of marginalized communities. “As white people, we have a lot to learn and unlearn.” She further challenged the women to intentionally engage in content from BIPOC creators and address issues of injustice.

In a follow-up video, Fodor addressed haters with a brief message, clarifying that she’s not concerned with receiving bad press for her views during the “Answer the Call” Zoom meeting.

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 31, 2024

Bond Denied For Young Thug In RICO Trial

Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has denied the motion made by Thug's attorney to allow the Atlanta recording artist to be released on bond.

---

The new judge in the Young Thug RICO case has ruled on the rapper’s request to be released on bond while on trial.

According to Courthouse News Service, Judge Paige Reese Whitaker has denied the motion made by Young Thug’s attorney, Brian Steel, to allow the Atlanta recording artist to be released on bond. She also rejected Young Thug and his defendants’ motion for a mistrial based on how the former judge of the case, Chief Judge Ural Glanville, handled a secret, ex-parte meeting with prosecutors and a state’s witness.

“I am not going to reconsider any bond issues that have already been considered and ruled upon by another court absent legitimate changed circumstances,” Steele was told on July 30. Whitaker also denied bond for Young Thug’s associates, Deamonte Kendrick and Marquavius Huey.

The trial is now in its 19th month, extending the longest criminal trial in Georgia history.

“So that the record is clear, the basis for the recusal of Judge Glanville was not that he was biased, was not that the ex-parte itself was improper,” Whitaker said. “It was that Judge Glanville engaged in an exposition on the facts in making his rulings on the motion to recuse.”

Whitaker has yet to respond to Young Thug’s request to have lead prosecutors Chief Deputy District Attorney Adriane Love and Deputy District Attorney Simone Hylton disqualified from the trial based on the ex-parte meeting that took place between Judge Glanville, prosecutors, and one of the witnesses, Kenneth Copeland, “Lil Woody.” She said she would not rule on the motion until she could review the ex-parte meeting transcript. After doing so, she can determine if the prosecutors’ actions were coercive.

Young Thug is on trial after the state brought a 65-count indictment in May 2022 containing 191 “overt acts” while participating in alleged gang activities through YSL, known in the streets as “Young Slime Life.” Young Thug states that YSL stands for Young Stoner Records, and his associates are not gang members.

• HBCU

by Daniel Johnson

July 31, 2024

North Carolina A&T’s Endowment Hits $200 Million

In 2012, Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr. launched the Campaign for North Carolina A&T fundraiser and set a goal to raise $85 million.

---

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical College’s endowment recently hit $200 million, ranking just behind Howard, Spelman, and Hampton universities as well as Morehouse College, all private universities.

Chancellor Harold L. Martin Sr., who will retire August 15, made increasing the university’s endowment one of his primary goals when he took the job in 2009. According to a press release from North Carolina A&T, the $200 million mark represents a tenfold increase as well as the largest endorsement for a public HBCU. 

“As our endowment grows, it provides significant income to fund programs and enhance operations at North Carolina A&T,” Martin said. “It also increases our funding flexibility, allows us to plan more effectively for future initiatives, and lends strength to our bond ratings—all important in a highly competitive higher education marketplace.”

In 2009, the university’s endowment was only about $20 million, but it would soon be assisted by an explosion in private donations. In 2012, Martin launched the Campaign for North Carolina A&T fundraiser and set a goal to raise $85 million, but the university had raised over $181 million by the time the campaign concluded in 2020. 

According to the press release, this made the campaign the biggest capital campaign ever completed by a public HBCU, boosting its endowment to approximately $140 million. Robert Pompey, the university’s vice chancellor for business and finance, credited the Endowment Committee and investment managers for their outstanding work.

That work is highlighted by the fact that during the pandemic, only North Carolina A&T and Howard University had their endowments increased, and North Carolina A&T’s increased its by almost 5%. 

“Our outstanding Endowment Committee and investment managers are effective stewards of our investment portfolio, always ensuring that those funds are managed in ways that bring value to the university,” Pompey said. “Their work is a significant part of the story of our growth.”

RELATED CONTENT: North Carolina A&T Launches Biotechnology Learning Center With Merck

• News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 31, 2024

Atlanta’s West End Mall’s Renovation To Include Affordable Housing Near Local HBCUs

---

West End Mall in Atlanta is set to become a mixed-use building with affordable housing units near the city’s four HBCUs.

The City of Atlanta and Atlanta Urban Development announced the plan to transform the West End along with two other projects. According to 11Alive, all three redevelopments will provide almost 350 affordable housing units.

The mall, named after the city’s west side, will add to the housing market surrounding the Atlanta University Center (AUC). The AUC hosts all four HBCUs in the Georgia capital, including Spelman, Morehouse, Morris Brown College, and Clark Atlanta University.

Those earning up to 80% of the Area’s Median Income (AMI) will be eligible to live in these allocated spaces. Units will be divided based on the renters’ AMI percentage. Specifically, 20% of these homes are reserved for individuals making half this income marker.

The West End redevelopment, spearheaded by BPR companies, will also be the largest of the three projects. The expansive 12-acre property had fallen into decline over the years. However, developers believe the mixed-use space will offer retail and communal sites to revitalize the neighborhood.

The city plans to install a grocery store, fitness center, and shopping boutiques to accompany its 893 housing units. Of this number, 271 will be allocated for affordable rentals, with the rest designated for workforce personnel. Given the surrounding HBCU community, 152 beds will go toward student housing. Additional plans include a medical office and public green space.

HBCUs in the area have also struggled with housing issues in the past, even leading to student protests on campus. While the West End project does not fully resolve the problem, it will provide another venue for students to live.

Furthermore, developers hope to include residents and business owners. They intend to collaborate with the community through town hall meetings and surveys.

“With affordable housing at the forefront, the West End development represents a unique opportunity to revitalize and reinvest in the West End community, creating a more vibrant, connected, and equitable neighborhood,” stated John Majors, CEO of the Atlanta Urban Development Corporation, John Majors. 

The city expects to break ground on the project in 2025.

• Women

by Stacy Jackson

July 31, 2024

Win With Black Women Raises Over $2.5M Following Latest Zoom Meeting

Win With Black Women reached another milestone, raising $2.5 million, over half of its $4.7 for 47 Campaign goal for Vice President Harris.

---

In a fight to reclaim democracy, Win With Black Women has raised over $2.5 million as part of its $4.7 for 47 Campaign, reaching another historic milestone supporting Vice President Kamala Harris’s bid for the presidency.

According to a press release, a Zoom meeting on July 28 gathered tens of thousands of attendees, including prominent Black women leaders, activists, and over a dozen Congresswomen, to discuss plans ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which included its state-level organizing strategy. The campaign has seen $2.4 million through the Brown Girls Fundraising Collective, with the latest announcement following the historic July 21 Zoom call, which BLACK ENTERPRISE mentioned gathered over 40,000 Black women and raised over $1 million within three hours.

“Our democracy is at stake, and we continue to rally behind Vice President Kamala Harris so she can take her place as the next President of the United States. The unity demonstrated within a span of just over one week is a clear show of the mountains we can move when we stand together,” said Win With Black Women Founder Jotaka Eaddy.

Sunday’s meeting celebrated the historic accomplishments of the organization as it strives to build a better future for Black women and all Americans. “The growth and momentum of this movement just goes to show what Black women and our allies have known all along: we are a political, social, economic, and spiritual force to be reckoned with -– and we are just getting started,” Eaddy said. On July 26, the organization announced the release of Vice President Harris’ first campaign ad, “We Choose Freedom.”

Along with Vice President Harris’ recent appearances at several Black sorority conventions, the collective efforts through Win With Black Women have helped reach more Black women voters. “When we go to polls, we don’t just take ourselves,” Eaddy told CNN. “We take our households, we take our communities, we take our churches, we take our sororities, we take our community groups, we take our brothers, we take our sons. That’s what we have seen and what will continue to see.”

The group has officially launched a text message program to keep Americans in the loop with information and action plans. Join Win With Black Women online to get involved and stay updated.

RELATED CONTENT: White Women Mobilize For Kamala Harris In Virtual Fundraiser, Aim To Match Success Of Historic Black Women-Led Event

• Politics

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 31, 2024

Atlanta Shows Out For Kamala Harris In Her Largest Rally Ever

Harris reportedly garnered her largest crowd ever during her July 30 rally in Atlanta.

---

About 10,000 Atlanta residents gathered at Vice President Kamala Harris’ rally on July 30.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the crowd was her largest since embarking on her campaign. Harris traveled to the battleground state of Georgia to encourage its critical electorate, comprised of many Black voters, that Donald Trump’s criminal record shouldn’t be looked past.

The former prosecutor made note of her stark difference from Trump, a newly-convicted felon, in true Atlanta fashion. She quoted Quavo, a former member of the Atlanta hip-hop group Migos, staying Trump does not “walk it like he talks it.” Quavo was also present at the rally and has spoken with Harris before on reducing gun violence.

Harris emphasized Georgia’s importance in this election, proclaiming the “path to the White House runs right through this state.” In regards to immigration, Georgia hosts the fifth-largest number of people in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention, according to Governing. In her speech, Harris declared her intentions to revive a bipartisan bill on illegal border crossings.

“Donald Trump doesn’t care about border security. He only cares about himself,” Harris said. “When I am president, I will work to actually solve the problem.”

The celebration capped off with a performance by Megan Thee Stallion, who fully endorsed the presidential hopeful. Georgia Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff also appeared, encouraging their constituents to race to the pools.

“I want you to think about that,” Warnock said. “Georgia, Donald Trump tried to steal your vote. Kamala Harris is trying to earn your vote.”

Lastly, former gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams rounded out the speakers, inspiring liberal Georgians to turn the state blue again. Joe Biden won the state back in 2020. ”We’re not going back because we dream bigger—and we dream better,” she said.

Harris also made a nod to her uncertain debate against Trump. The assumed Democratic nominee put pressure on Trump not to back out. “Donald, I do hope you’ll reconsider, to meet me on the debate stage,” Harris said. “Because as the saying goes, ‘If you got something to say, say it to my face.’”

RELATED CONTENT: Kamala Harris Calls Donald Trump Out For Trying To ‘Duck Out’ Of Presidential Debate