• Entrepreneurship

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 31, 2024

RZA Partners With LL Cool J, Irving Azoff To Elevate The Wu-Tang Clan Brand

'This partnership will help us continue to expound and expand the Wu-Tang Clan’s legacy,' RZA said.

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The founder and creator of the sound for the group, RZA, has forged a partnership with Iconic Artists Group and Rock the Bells to expand the Wu-Tang Clan name.

According to Billboard, RZA, real name Robert Diggs, is working with esteemed music executive Irving Azor, who owns Iconic Artists Group, and fellow hip-hop recording artist LL COOL J, who heads Rock the Bells, to further add to the Wu-Tang Clan brand.

“As we evolve from ‘Legendary Status’ to ‘Iconic Status,’ it’s only fitting and serendipitous that we join the team at Iconic Artists Group and Rock The Bells,” RZA said in a written statement. “This partnership will help us continue to expound and expand the Wu-Tang Clan’s legacy.”

The partnership will help elevate the music, brand, philosophy, and lifestyle of the Staten Island musical group, which consists of rappers RZA, Method Man, Cappadonna, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Raekwon the Chef, U-God, GZA, Masta Killa and deceased member, Ol’ Dirty Bastard.

“The Wu-Tang Clan’s brand and music have been cornerstones of hip-hop culture,” LL COOL J said. “Our partnership with Iconic Artists Group will enable us to leverage Rock The Bells’ multi-faceted platform—encompassing radio, e-commerce, licensing, content, and live events—to unite and engage fans with this iconic brand. Together, we’ll guarantee that the Wu-Tang Clan’s legacy and timeless hip-hop remain powerful forces for generations to come.”

The two entities will assist in creating more opportunities for the Wu-Tang Clan through its music. This entails the brand’s involvement in film, television, merchandise, and brand partnerships. The partnership will also have an online destination for all things Wu-Tang Clan.

• Health and Wellness

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 31, 2024

Manage Your Emotions As Election Season Gets Intense

While election anxiety is high, it is possible to manage our emotions and maintain our working relationships with these tips

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Originally Published Oct. 27, 2020. 

We all have a range of emotions around the upcoming U.S. presidential election. While election anxiety is high for many people, maintaining a respectful working environment for all is important for our working relationships. Here are a few ways to help manage your emotions and maintain peace this election season.

Election Anxiety: Maintaining working relationships

See the humanity in the other person.

This is really hard when you don’t believe that others see the humanity in you. Though challenging, it is necessary to maintain a working relationship.

Focus on commonalities.

We all want the same thing in life. Whether it’s a good education for our children, the ability to care for aging parents, or living in a safe environment, we all share basic common needs and desires.

Focus on the work.

When it comes to politics, opinions generally do not change, and people don’t switch sides after a conversation about why their candidate is the right one. For the good of your working relationship, focus on the actual task at hand and what is needed to successfully accomplish it. Save political conversations for personal time.

Election Anxiety: Managing your emotions

Acknowledge your emotions and reactions.

Ignoring or numbing emotions doesn’t make them disappear. It actually causes more stress for you, your body, and your relationships. Take the time to check in with yourself and your body to understand how you are feeling. Are you anxious, sad, fearful, excited, curious?

Express your emotions.

Write in a journal, talk to a friend, or join a group to share your emotions and thoughts about the upcoming election.

Set boundaries.

Talk of the election is everywhere and can be overwhelming. Consider setting time limits on how much media and social media you consume daily. Give yourself permission not to engage in conversations with friends, family, and co-workers about the upcoming election.

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

• Money

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 31, 2024

Save Money On Back-To-School Items With These 5 Tips

For parents, back-to-school shopping doesn't have to be painful. In fact, it can be rather simple with the stroke of a few keys.

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Originally Published Aug. 26, 2009.

There’s something about back to school that stirs a sense of uneasiness and excitement among most students and parents. Perhaps it’s the hint of fall visible in the soon-to-be withering leaves, or maybe it’s the oversized Crayola box adorned with the large sale sign hanging in the window of almost every store in the mall.

Either way, parents and students may be readying for the upcoming school year—for different reasons, of course. For parents, back-to-school shopping doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, it can be rather simple with the stroke of a few keys. Focus your shopping online, says Michelle Madhok, online shopping expert and mom-friendly blogger who aggregates ultra-cheap steals and deals.

“Start doing some research online, see where you can get the best prices, and figure out what you need,” she adds. So, where should you start online? Check out these tips.

Optimize your search.

Specialty search engines can shave hours off your shopping. Instead of wading through tons of websites and posts about products you don’t need, utilize search engines that have already narrowed the search for you. One, Pronto.com, specializes in consumer goods, but the site is perfect for finding the best prices on kidswear, says Madhok. “You can sign up for an e-mail to be sent to you when your favorite bands go on sale, too,” she adds.

Get something back.

If you’re going to spend the dough, why not earn some of the money back? Check with your bank or credit card company to find out whether they offer incentives for your purchases. For example, Mypoints.com offers points back on your purchases, which are redeemable for gift cards to Target and Amazon, among a slew of other retailers. Sign-up is free.

Find retailer-specific coupons.

Coupons can be a hassle to find if you’re ready to shop and you know exactly what you want. To find coupons for exactly what you need, check out RetailMeNot.com, a personal favorite of Madhok. “If you put in the name of a retailer, the site comes up with coupons and feedback on if the coupons work.” The site generates printable and e-coupons, and you can search by product.

Become a follower.

You may want to reconsider if you’ve been resisting the pressure to join Facebook or X, formerly known as Twitter. One of my favorite X pastimes is following JetBlue and South West Airlines, and it’s not because of all the witty tweets. The airlines post great deals on flights and sometimes promote contests for free flights. Many companies use social media to draw in customers with deals and specials. Become a Facebook “fan of your favorite retailers or “follow said retailer’s X account for the latest deals and special coupons.

Don’t rush.

For most students, returning to school is all about donning the trendiest fashions and the latest smartphone. But instead of bulk shopping, Madhok recommends piecemeal purchasing.

“Wait to buy everything, she says. “Things start to go on sale as the season progresses, and it will give your child time to find out what [he or she] really wants. Spread the shopping out over weeks or months to cut down on splurging,” Madhok adds.

RELATED CONTENT: Group Black Reportedly Fails to Deliver $500M Black-owned Media Advertising Promise

• Career

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 31, 2024

Increase Opportunity By Going Back To School In Your Golden Years

Staying abreast of the world's changing environment is vital to staying relevant and competitive at any age.

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Originally Published Jan. 12, 2012.

It was clear to Darrell Pope that he had to make a change. His industry was quickly changing and he could see the you-better-acquire-additional-skills writing on the wall. “I saw the economy changing. My background is basically associated with brick and mortar, and I saw all of the manufacturers moving off-shore. I thought, Boy, I better get with the program or I won’t have a job,” said Pope, now manager at Celestica, an electronics manufacturing company.

Pope said he had regional view of the world and knew that he had to develop a world view and learn how business was done in other cultures. Staying abreast of the world’s changing environment, he knew, was vital to staying relevant and competitive at any age.

“I think people become stale by not attending school regularly, you become complacent. Today’s world is always changing. You have to stay up on changes in technology and people. Perspectives are different now than they were 20 years ago. Since receiving his secondary degree at Kaplan University, Pope, 50, says he feels energized about the new skills he has acquired and by the access understanding new technology allows him, including working virtually and sharing information with worldwide partners around via the Internet.

Though making the choice to return to school in 2009 was the easy part, what was challenging, says Pope, was figuring out how to balance his working full-time, traveling, studying, and having a family.

“My wife would complain that all I did was work and study. I was working 50 hours a week and going to school 20 hours. I learned a lot about time management during that time. You can do anything you want [in] life, you just have to allot time to it.” Fortunately, through Kaplan’s virtual classes, he earned his master’s degree in science and management in just two years.

Many in today’s job market find themselves pushed aside not only from younger workers but from those who have taken the initiative to expand their education. Pope says he believes people don’t go back to school because of the fear factor and not wanting to let others know just how much they don’t know; but his curriculum at Kaplan kept him motivated and on his toes.

“What I liked [about Kaplan] was that I received a syllabus that said what the deliverables were, and you knew that if you met those deliverables, you’ll do well. That taught me that in any relationship you have to have expectations, and if you meet those expectations, the results should be good.”

When encouraging others to go back to school, Pope says, “Just do it. It’s challenging, but you learn so much about yourself. You learn to become a lifelong learner.”

RELATED CONTENT: 5th Annual Critical Race Theory Summer School Honors The Anniversary Of Freedom Summer

How apparel retailers are increasing shopper confidence and conversions with AI

By decentralizing AI development and deployment, the integration empowers members to operate independently of centralized entities. This shift promotes innovation and supports a more democratic and ChatGPT App inclusive technological landscape. The Alliance is building a future where AI’s benefits are universally accessible and invites the broader community to join in shaping this inclusive vision.

Using Customers.ai, businesses can find potential buyers that match their ideal customer profiles, accelerate email list growth, and launch automated outreach campaigns to drive conversions. The platform’s AI-powered capabilities help companies identify and engage high-potential leads, leading to qualified sales meetings and deals. HubSpot is a top choice for AI lead generation, especially for businesses looking for an all-in-one chatbot conversion rate marketing, sales, and CRM solution. It offers a comprehensive suite of tools that cover every aspect of the marketing and sales funnel, from attracting visitors to converting leads and closing deals. Sizing is crucial in the apparel industry’s value chain, influencing each stage, from product creation to the customer experience. Small businesses find email marketing to be an accessible and effective way to reach their customers.

Through targeted content creation, Jasper AI assists in attracting higher-quality leads who are more likely to convert into customers. LeadIQ automates the prospecting process to a significant extent, reducing the manual effort required to find and qualify leads. The global revenue from email marketing is projected to reach $12.33 billion in 2024. This significant figure reflects the widespread effectiveness of email marketing in driving sales and engagement across various industries.

Identifying Target Audience

Plus, the brand added another seven to 10 employees from various teams across its global digital organization including marketing, branding, customer service and logistics to make a cross-functional team. The AI tool can also just be a quicker way to retrieve insights from Profitero’s software. You can foun additiona information about ai customer service and artificial intelligence and NLP. For example, a Colgate employee could log in and find these insights, or it could just ask the chatbot, “How are my sales on total whitening toothpaste in mint across all brands?.

I’ll discuss five tips on how to improve customer experience and improve conversion rates. Conversica is a leading AI-powered lead generation tool that excels in helping sales teams create personalized and effective customer engagements. One of the standout features is its ability to automatically qualify leads. The AI assesses the engagement and responses of potential customers, helping sales teams focus their efforts on those who are most likely to convert.

Netflix constantly runs tests on its home feed to determine which design elements lead to higher user engagement, helping Netflix retain customers. Manual CRO efforts often include hiring consultants and doing extensive testing, requiring significant resources to plan, implement, and monitor. AI tools for conversion optimization can automate much of this process. In 2021, customer service representatives will rely more on automation technology to support additional demands and overwhelmed staff, according to Steven Petruk, president of the Global Outsourcing Division for CGS. And, as you’re deploying chatbots in the enterprise, you can measure their success to ensure they’re actually helping customers or your employees, whichever experience you’d like to improve.

Offer shopping assistance/customer support

With AI, your business can implement statistical data modeling and machine learning techniques to predict buying patterns, sales opportunities, and market trends. Understanding customer needs better enables brands to make products more appealing to customers and can significantly increase the likelihood of conversion. Conversational AI can also help improve engagement and conversion rates. Chatbots are very engaging, which means customers are more likely to stay on your website or chat with you for longer. This increased engagement can lead to higher conversion rates as customers are more likely to buy what interests them.

The results are based on HiJiffy’s data (visible to the client in the dashboards and reports section of the platform), as well as Kabannas’ insights and observations they contributed to this case study. Draw out your KPIs and the ways to measure them, both quantitatively and qualitatively, Srinivasan said. “Everybody is learning the best way to formulate metrics to evaluate the bot performance, as is the case with any new technology.

They looked for a solution that would allow their guests to chat with them whenever they needed, even outside of the traditional 9 am to 5 pm Reservations Department. This case study explores the journey of a UK hotel group, Kabannas, implementing HiJiffy’s conversational AI across its guest journey. This has led to fantastic results, especially when it comes to automating answering ChatGPT incoming queries and boosting the conversation rate of upselling with Oaky. This publication is based on HiJiffy’s first-party data and insights from Louise Garner, the Commercial Director at Kabannas, who is quoted throughout. The combination of improving market conditions, technological differentiation and target demographic alignment creates a potentially strong growth narrative.

• AI tools for conversion optimization can automate much of this process.
• Make sure you stay informed about emerging technologies and evolving ethical practices.
• The United States leads the pack, followed closely by Germany and India.
• Machine learning tools enable marketers to easily identify patterns, predict behaviors, and segment their customer base.
• Use cases for GenAI in telco will be implemented across customer experience, network maintenance and optimization, and workforce efficiency.

This perception shows the benefits AI brings, such as enhanced personalization, better targeting and improved overall campaign performance. Email marketing proves to be an incredibly cost-effective channel, delivering an average return of $36 for every dollar spent. This high ROI makes it a favored tool among marketers looking to maximize their budget while achieving significant results. AI has already made significant inroads into digital advertising, powering various applications such as targeted advertising, dynamic pricing and content optimization. As a result, we have witnessed remarkable achievements in campaign efficiency and audience targeting. Danni White |

Danni White is the CEO of DW Creative Consulting Agency, a digital marketing firm specializing in elevating the visibility of small-to-midsize businesses and nonprofits.

The token merge is contingent on majority approval from both the CUDOS and Alliance communities. The CUDOS Blockchain will continue to operate until further notice, allowing ample time for all participants to transition and swap their tokens. “Our aims with ASI Alliance are not especially modest,” notes Ben Goertzel, CEO of SingularityNET and the Artificial Superintelligence Alliance.

While there’s still a lot of work happening on the automation front with the help of artificial technology and machine learning, chatbots can be broadly categorized into three types. Comparisons found that chatbots are easy to scale, handling thousands of queries a day, at a much lesser cost than hiring as many live agents to do the same. The Tidio study also found that the total cost savings from deploying chatbots reached around $11 billion in 2022, and can save businesses up to 30% on customer support costs alone. The technology is equipped to handle most of your customer support queries, leveraging the data already available on your website. This keeps the conversation going, and the consumer engaged with your brand—and, hence, more likely to make the purchase during the assisted session. From your own storefront to social media and all the other digital touch points you’ve established, keeping up with conversations at different stages of a customer journey is only getting tougher by the day.

Ecommerce SEO: Strategies to Increase Your Online Store’s Visibility

ActiveCampaign combines email marketing, marketing automation, and CRM functionality. It helps sales teams nurture and convert leads effectively by providing insights, automating tasks, and delivering personalized communications. ActiveCampaign offers features such as email segmentation, lead scoring, predictive sending, and behavioral analytics, allowing sales teams to personalize interactions and deliver dynamic content to leads.

Your website is a treasure trove of data that’s constantly trying to tell you how to improve the visitor journey. Curating your customer journey and optimizing for conversions is an iterative process. It’s all about testing what’s working at each stage of the journey and making tweaks to your website experience to fine tune your visitors’ pathways to conversion. The Consideration Stage is where you have to highlight your key differentiators in the market. UX across your site needs to lead the visitor on a journey to get to your core content that educates them on why your product or service uniquely solves their problem.

The value may experience market fluctuations, so caution is advised. The second picture just below demonstrates the migration confirmation. Today, the tool can generate tests in over 30 different languages, but with mixed results beyond English and French.

In today’s technology-enabled world, rapid response is expected; according to Zendesk, 72% of customers want immediate service. A Lead Response Management study found that conversion rates are 21 times higher when responding to a lead within five minutes. One of the fundamental aspects of demand generation is building and nurturing relationships with potential customers. This is critical because demand generation is about creating awareness and interest in products and services. By leveraging AI, businesses can achieve better-tailored communication that serves the target audience.

Major software wallets (e.g., MetaMask, Trust Wallet) and hardware wallets (e.g., Ledger, Trezor). Additional clarity with respect to specific wallets will be given as the merger proceeds. The ASI team is diligently working to ensure that as many credible wallet providers as possible are onboarded. Yes, tokens held on centralized exchanges will be automatically converted to FET and later to ASI. We have received inquiries from numerous exchanges expressing their support for the upcoming token merger. While we appreciate this overwhelming interest, it’s important to mention that we cannot guarantee participation from absolutely every exchange.

Around 88% of visitors will not return to a website after having a bad experience [Forbes]. We’ve all been there, navigating a website that is full of dead ends, broken links and 404 pages. It’s a slippery slope that leads potential customers directly away from your site. For context, the average performance of any hospitality email campaign in EMEA is a 2.9% click-through rate and 0.4% conversion rate.

Promotions, Pinterest Performance+ campaigns, Pinterest Performance+ creative, and Pinterest Performance+ ROAS bidding each can accomplish a campaign goal. But to truly win, the products bundled together can become your campaign superpower. With this year’s updates, we’re making it easier than ever to match the right creative with the right promotion to the right customer at the right time.

That’s because the salesperson did a good job at not just upselling you a better pair of jeans, but cross-selling from another category of products available. No matter how in-depth your product description and media gallery is, an online shopper is bound to have questions before reaching the checkout page. The two things each of these chatbots have in common is their ability to be customized based on the use case you intend to address.

• This will directly impact the accuracy and effectiveness of the generated responses.
• Just as there are different types of marketing, automation types differ, too.
• Task success is a major category for chatbot metrics, according to Whigham.
• ZoomInfo Copilot enables teams to centralize high-quality data and employs sophisticated AI to prioritize the right accounts and personalize recommendations for better decision-making.
• If you hold OCEAN on an exchange such as Binance you don’t need to do anything.

These capabilities ensure that sales teams can protect their data from various threats, maintaining the integrity and availability of essential business information. Unique among the other AI sales tools on this list, Murf AI specializes in voice generation and text-to-speech technology. SaneBox also integrates with various email platforms such as Apple Mail, AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, Outlook, Windows, Mac OS, iOS, and Android. By decluttering your inbox and highlighting key messages, SaneBox empowers you to be more efficient in you communication, leading to increased productivity and better sales outcomes. Another goal for using the tool is an increase in conversion rate, Hassenfelt says. A one percentage point increase in conversion (for example going to a 3% conversion from a 2% conversion) could equate to $1,000 to $10,000 in dollars for each product, Hassenfelt says.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

July 31, 2024

ColorComm: 5 Key Takeaways From The Conference Celebrating Women Of Color In Communications

With the theme 'Reaching for More,' this year's event marks the first time the conference was held in Los Angeles.

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The 9th Annual ColorComm conference can be summarized in one word: inspiring. “If You Want More, You Need to Do More” served as a call to action for women of color in communications and all those who support this unique and dynamic group of women. Nearly 400 women convened at The Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles from July 24 to July 26.

ColorComm Inc. is one of the nation’s leading women’s platforms, addressing diversity and inclusion across the communications, marketing, advertising, and media industries. With the theme “Reaching for More,” this year’s event marks the first time the conference was held in Los Angeles. The exclusive three-day retreat opened with the prestigious 9th Annual ColorComm Circle Awards, emceed by media personality Star Jones with remarks and commentary given by ColorComm’s CEO and founder, Lauren Wesley Wilson. 

“With the recent movement of Black women mobilizing and banning together to support Vice President Kamala Harris in becoming the Democratic nominee for President, the conference theme is more significant now more than ever for women to reach for more within their professional journey. This conference marks the first major event for women of color since the announcement. No matter your political views, we can all attest to the unique power that we can act in times of crisis. What is happening worldwide can make it challenging to function in the workplace during these times. We’ve had to reach for more to get what we need,” said Jones. 

From start to finish, the conference was filled with inspiration, wisdom, mentorship, and career progression. Here are five major takeaways attendees walked away with from the insightful panel programming featuring many industry veterans.  

1. Salary/Position Negotiating Is A MUST– Always

Tiffany Smith-Anao’I, EVP of Entertainment Diversity and Inclusion at Paramount, gave attendees a crash course on negotiating in the workplace.

“Before negotiating, you have to first determine your worth, your individual worth, and your collective worth. We have to not be so humble about what we have as talents; our talents are vast, and our worth is unremarkable because we change the dynamics of rooms just by walking in,” she explained.

She concluded by dropping gems on “not taking negotiations at face value, and not accepting the word no.” She advised, “Stop worrying about hearing the word ‘no.’ Also, don’t block a ‘yes’ in fear of a ‘no.'”

2. You Don’t Get What You Deserve; You Get What You Negotiate

Smith-Anao’I pointed out, “Negotiating involves more than your salary; it should be conducive and include your lifestyle needs. Once you get an ideal offer, before you leave, tell them you need time to consider the offer. Talk to your circle and trusted peers because they know what you need the most. Lastly, you don’t get what you deserve. You get what you negotiate. Be a student of the game; study the company you’re applying for and the position you’re applying for. What did others make?”

3. No Matter How Much DEI Comes Under Attack, It’s Still Needed

Sue Obeidi, director of the Hollywood Bureau of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, educated attendees on investing in diversity and spoke on the importance of funding DEI in the communications world.

“My hope is to get DEI to just BE—not an entity, not an initiative, not an issue. Because we have always been made to feel like we’re the other; DEI has to be a thing, unfortunately,” she said.

Gisselle Bances, SVP iHeart Podcats, continued by discussing what exactly DEI means to women of color. “The reason I founded our platform is the exact reason DEI is needed. I wanted to be able to connect to stories I related to, but at the time, I wasn’t connecting to any. That, for me, was a huge thing—in terms of diversity and inclusion, it is feeling safe and connected. That is why I launched #WeAllGrow Latina.” 

4. Being The Only Woman Of Color In The Room Can Be intimidating, But Don’t Walk Away – REPRESENT!

Arlan Hamilton, founder and managing partner at Backstage Capital and former BLACK ENTERPRISE Sisters Inc. speaker, spoke about representing women of color when you’re the only one in the room who looks like you.

She explained: “Sometimes when you’re the only one in the room, it’s pressure, but you can’t walk away from being that one in the room because you have to create opportunities for there to be 12 in the room, not just one. A good movement should be able to have multiple leaders. If you’re building something that is important, build something that you can hand the keys over to someone, and things will be OK when you need a break. If they look like you, even better!” 

5. Cook Up A “Success Ingredients List’ As You Set Out For New Positions & Opportunities

Watchen Nyanue, founder & CEO of I Choose the Ladder, a boutique consulting firm specializing in talent, culture, and strategy, introduced a beneficial way to create a list of steps to reach success in your career.

She explained, “Think of this success ingredients list like baking or cooking; the right amount of each of these things, tailored to your person, will add up to a whole cake of success.”

This ingredient list includes skill mastery, networking/relationship building, a personal corporate brand, self-advocacy/negotiation, and strategic thinking. She concluded, “Serve these ingredients with a side of resilience and adaptability, garnished with emotional intelligence to enhance flavor, and enjoy your journey to professional success.”

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ColorComm (@colorcomm) • Instagram photos and videos

The conference wrapped up with ColorComm’s Signature Business Luncheon. ColorComm CEO and Founder Lauren Wesley Wilson served as the luncheon’s emcee, while Tonya Lewis Lee, an award-winning filmmaker, was the keynote speaker. 

“ColorComm initially started as a luncheon series in 2011 to connect women of color in business. It is only fitting that we conclude our conference with how the organization was started,” noted Wilson. “Thirteen years later, ColorComm has evolved into a corporation that provides economic opportunity and advancement to multicultural communities.”
 
 RELATED CONTENT: The L3 Agency Helps Create A Seat At The Table For Black Women In Leadership

• News

by Sharelle B. McNair

July 31, 2024

TikToker Goes Off After Macy’s Inflates Its Credit Card Rates Then Goes Viral

Macy's needs to tighten up....

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Retail giant Macy’s may be losing customers after a viral TikTok video expressed concern over its credit card’s massive interest rate of 35%.

A video found on the Latina Plant Priestess (@latinaplantpriestess) TikTok account went viral after a customer received a letter about the increased APR. The woman on camera warned fellow Macy’s customers that, even with good or excellent credit, the interest rate on the card will be 34.39%. “Here’s a warning, everyone. I got this letter as an update from Macy’s; my credit card, I have excellent credit,” she said.  

“Oh, look at what it says now,” showing that the APR on the card is jumping up to 34.49%. “They are out of their damn minds. They can close my account.”

The letter says customers have until Aug. 26 to challenge the new rate, but if not, according to the TikToker’s interpretation, “You know that they lost me. I was a customer. They are cray cray.”

According to 10 WBNS, customers started to receive the letters in April 2024. Experts label the increase as a nationwide trend worthy of attention but admit that Macy’s rate is extremely high. “So, credit card rates have been pushed to record highs in recent months, Bankrate senior industry analyst Ted Rossman said. “The national average has jumped about four and a half points since the Fed started raising rates; some cards have jumped even more.” 

Rossman pointed out that retail industries have the highest APRs, highlighting several brands with rates over 30%, such as Petco and ExxonMobil. The average rate for most credit cards is 20%. 

The analyst said it’s not just interest rates that consumers should pay attention to. Rossman said retailers are also raising rates to mimic the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s (CFPB) efforts to lower late fees. “Right now, the average credit card late fee is $32, and the CFPB is trying to bring it down to $8. They were actually supposed to do it in May, and then a federal judge struck that down temporarily, and it’s still kind of winding its way through the courts,” he said. 

“Store credit cards rely on late fees more than your general purpose Amex or Capital One card, so a lot of store card issuers have begun pulling other levers to compensate for what may be a drop in late fee revenue.” 

Comments on the TikTok video call out the company for the aggressive rate; some even said there is nothing in the store worth such a high rate. “I have the same situation. I also have a Macy’s card. There is not one thing in Macy’s that is worth buying at 34% interest,” @bakwin67 said. 

Other users listed companies like TJMaxx, Marshall’s, JCPenny’s, and Kohl’s as doing the same thing. “Tjmaxx, Marshall’s, HomeGoods cards are the exact same! I hate that I even opened a card with them,” @rozzckz wrote. 

Some video viewers advised that paying off the credit card can help alleviate some of the promoted fees and penalties instead of simply closing the account. “Just pay your card off as soon as you use it. You will never pay that interest so pay no mind to that and do not close your account because it’s going to look bad on your credit profile,” @diamond said. 

Consumer credit reporting company Experian agrees with that concept. “In general, keep unused credit cards open so you benefit from longer average credit history and lower credit utilization,” the company said. “Consider putting one small regular purchase on the card and paying it off automatically to keep the card active.”

RELATED CONTENT: Divine 9 Continues Partnership With Macy’s Via New Frat Collection

• Food

by Mary Spiller

July 31, 2024

Trader Joe’s Brings Its Goodies To New Harlem Store

The store said it is looking to hire more Harlem residents.

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Trader Joe’s has opened its first store ever in Harlem, New York. On July 25, the store at 123 West 125th St. started serving the historic neighborhood.

Harlem, long considered New York City’s Black mecca, has seen a demographic shift over the last decade. In 2022, according to New York University’s Furman Center, there were an estimated 138,953 people in Central Harlem, of which 45.8% identified as Black, 28.2% identified as Hispanic, and 14.4% identified as white.

The brick-and-mortar store is a 17,800-square-foot building selling all of the favorite Trader Joe’s products that customers have come to know and love. The decor for the building features local landmarks in the greater Harlem community, such as the iconic Apollo Theater and the well-known strip of 125th Street.

According to a spokesperson via PIX II, the new location of the Trader Joe’s chain is seeking to hire around 100 new crew members from the area and offers a plethora of different employee benefits. 

Its website reads, “We [Trader Joe’s] pay well. To keep the Crew developing and incentivize exceptional performance, we provide a performance review for each Crew twice a year. On average, Crew has the potential to receive a 7% annual increase.” 

In addition to competitive pay, the company also offers a 401(k) retirement plan to invest in the future of its employees. Worker benefits also include “exceptional medical, dental, and vision plans” and accessible paid time off.

Not only does Harlem Trader Joe’s offer leadership training, scholarship programs, disaster recovery, and employee assistance programs to its employees, but the food donation program has also been able to donate over 104 million pounds of food to those in need.  

A spokesperson for the Harlem location of Trader Joe’s said, “We’re honored and excited to be part of this community. We genuinely look forward to providing our customers with the best food and beverage values and a great customer experience.”

The company intends to back up its values by donating 100% of its unsold products to local profits and community-based organizations in the area. Through all of its locations, the company has donated more than $469 million worth of products to its extensive network of non-profit partners in the United States. The spokesperson said the Harlem site will continue the company’s tradition of donations to the community.

The Harlem Trader Joe’s is open daily from 8 A.M. to 9 P.M.

RELATED CONTENT: Wisconsin’s Only Black-Owned, Full-Scale Grocery Store Meets Community’s Needs

• Fashion & Beauty

by Daniel Johnson

July 31, 2024

Young Barbers Give Haircuts To The Unhoused In Atlanta

Barbers often participate in initiatives like this, offering their services to groom the less fortunate in their community

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Young barbers in Atlanta gave out free haircuts to the unhoused during the week of July 28 as part of an initiative run by U Got Next barbershops in Douglas and Paulding counties in Georgia. 

According to WSB-TV 2, the young barbers, one of whom is the granddaughter of the shop’s proprietors, Janet and Nicole Maynor, are enjoying giving back to the community in the Atlanta metro area. 

The children ranged in age from 11 to 16, and their clients seemed thrilled with the work, as one man named Anthony told the outlet, “I feel like a million dollars. It’s great! It’s an awesome job they’re doing!”

Janet Maynor described the barbershop’s ambitions as an asset to the community and not to take advantage of the unhoused, saying, “This is not a hustle to me. It’s a real deal, Holyfield! It’s also teaching them about life. We’re just out here to give, love, and just be a blessing.”

Nicole focused on what the work was teaching the kids.

“What they see is what they’re going to do as they grow,” she told WSB-TV.

Janet also described what she witnessed from her own grandmother, something she is determined to pass on to her granddaughter, Sky Hoskins, who was one of the juvenile barbers cutting hair at the event.

“I grew up seeing somebody give back. My grandmother was always giving back, so I feel like it’s in my heart,” she said. 

Barbers often participate in initiatives like this, offering their services to groom the less fortunate in their community. In January, KHOU-11 profiled the work of Christian Khammany, a Houston barber who sets up shop in Downtown Houston nearly every Monday and Tuesday and cuts the hair of the homeless.

Khammany, who started cutting his own hair at 14 before making a career out of it, told KHOU that he was doing some self-improvement when he thought about using his clippers to give back to the unhoused.

“I don’t always carry cash on me. So one thing I do always carry on me is my clippers,” Khammany told the outlet. “That’s where I thought about it. I was, like, yeah, maybe I should start cutting their hair.”

Khammany continued, “God gave me everything that I can ask for as far as success, family, love, happiness, and everything else. So, I felt the need to give back to the community. I want to influence the younger people to do something good for the community and do something to be a better person themselves. Makes me feel good that I can change lives one haircut at a time.”

RELATED CONTENT: Atlanta Man Launches Mobile Laundry Bus For Unhoused People

• Education

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 31, 2024

5th Annual Critical Race Theory Summer School Honors The Anniversary Of Freedom Summer

CRT Summer School has themed this year's programming in honor of the Freedom Summer anniversary.

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Critical Race Theory (CRT) Summer School is back for its 5th annual event in Nashville while paying tribute to the 60th anniversary of Freedom Summer.

The CRT Summer School advocates for the necessity of critical race theory in education. This year’s “Freedom Summer 2024: No U-Turn on Racial Justice” program honors Mississippi’s 1964 Black voter registration project.

It began July 28 with its “Tip of the Spear: Tennessee on the Frontlines of the War on Woke” plenary. The discussion addressed the southern state’s place in CRT discourse. It included speakers such as State Rep. Justin Jones, Tim Wise, Kimberlé Crenshaw, and Freedom Rider Bernard Lafayette.

The program’s ongoing mission is especially pertinent as anti-DEI legislation, book bans, and a crackdown on CRT spread nationwide. The weeklong event will feature additional plenaries and intensives, all meant to spark discussion and strategy to keep Black history taught in schools.

The intensives start with Crenshaw leading the conversation on Intersectionality and the #SayHerName Movement. Michael Eric Dyson will then focus on the Genealogies of Anti-Blackness. The following discussions pertain to American democracy and defending DEI initiatives.

“Color blindness has been weaponized to preclude any real, meaningful education about systemic racism, which connects to attacks on voting rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s reproductive freedom,” stated Crenshaw, executive director of the African American Policy Forum, in a press release.

“That’s why anti-racism efforts must be intersectional, just like democracy must be multiracial. Racism is the Achilles heel of our democracy, a deeply-rooted weakness in this country used to forge a war against ‘wokeness,’ or what many of us call education and advocacy. This is the most important election of our lifetimes, and our very democracy is on the line.”

“So this year’s Critical Race Theory Summer School will empower participants with the essential knowledge and tools needed to confront systemic racism and advocate for transformative change in their communities.”

Moreover, plenaries will continue to focus on organizing, resistance, and survival against anti-CRT discourse. From its “Fight the Power: Using History to Find the Courage to Resist We Are the Majority!” to “How to Fight the Autocratic Takeover of Our Public Institutions” meetings, advocates will encourage attendees to fight for this pivotal matter.

All of the program’s discussions, ongoing until Aug. 2, will be available to stream or attend in person.