Florida, Rep. Angie Nixon, Cafe Resistance, Book Ban
by Stacy Jackson

July 2, 2024

Florida State Representative Opens Cafe Resistance Bookstore To Challenge State’s Book Bans

State Rep. Angie Nixon's Cafe Resistance bookstore spotlights works centered on Black history.

In a move to counter Florida’s controversial book bans, State Representative Angie Nixon has unveiled Cafe Resistance, a unique bookstore in Northwest Jacksonville.

This literary haven, which opened its doors on June 30, spotlights works centered on Black history, with a particular focus on titles prohibited by the Florida Department of Education.

“We can learn our true history in the roots, and you know, push back against the overbearing legislature and an overbearing governor, who just really wants to keep people uneducated,” Nixon told First Coast News.

Nixon’s initiative seeks to challenge Florida’s Bill 1467. The bookstore’s launch addresses the troubling trend of book bans sweeping across Florida and other states. In April, BLACK ENTERPRISE revisited the 2023 surge in book bans, noting a staggering 3,135 bans were reported across 11 school districts in Florida.

The legislator’s vision extends beyond mere book sales; Cafe Resistance aspires to be a vibrant community hub and cultural epicenter. “I just wanted to give back,” Nixon said. The space boasts a welcoming children’s area and a cozy coffee shop, fostering an atmosphere of learning and togetherness. The bookstore’s shelves are adorned with works by Black authors, many of which have been unceremoniously removed from school libraries across the Sunshine State. Nixon asserts that some of these banned books are essential for teaching accurate history, particularly Black history.

Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s Bill 1467 into law in 2022. This legislation mandates transparency in the selection of instructional materials for schools. At the time, Senate President Wilton Simpson stated, “The books our kids are reading in schools need to have proper vetting,” while 2022 House Speaker Chris Sprowls added, “The addition of term limits helps to weaken any political motives and shifts the focus of school boards back to the best interests of our children, as it should be.”

Cafe Resistance, operated through the nonprofit Moxie Group where Nixon serves as executive director, aims to host wellness seminars and offer free tutoring programs to help Jacksonville’s children reach grade-level proficiency. Earlier this year, Nixon gave X followers a sneak peek inside the bookstore. Visit the new Jacksonville bookstore at 5007 Soutel Drive.

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Michael Strahan, Cancer
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 2, 2024

Michael Strahan Considers Retirement As Daughter’s Cancer Battle Changed His Perspective

Strahan started his on-and-off stint on Good Morning America in 2016.

Michael Strahan has his eyes set on a more family-focused future. The television personality discussed his eventual retirement, as his daughter’s cancer battle changed his perspective on life.

After retiring from the NFL in 2007, Strahan made a distinct career shift from football star to television host. Despite his success as an anchor on Good Morning America and sports analyst for Fox News, Strahan may give up his front-facing role sooner than he once thought.

The father of four’s life took a turn when his daughter, Isabella, was diagnosed with brain cancer in October 2023. The 19-year-old’s ongoing health battle shifted Strahan’s priorities to one that centered on his journey as a dad, as the diagnosis took an emotional and physical toll on the entire family. Following the news, Strahan took time off GMA to spend time with Isabella and his loved ones.

“You’d think I’m the athlete, the tough guy, the father in the family. It is not about any of that. It has really made me change my perspective on so many things,” he shared in an interview for In Depth With Graham Bensinger. “I love my life, and I enjoy my life, but at some point, my kids are in college, I want to be able to go to college and say, ‘Yeah, let’s take a trip.'”

Strahan wants to get out of the game while he still has time, using Forrest Gump as a metaphor for when he’ll make such an announcement.

“One day I may be like Forrest Gump when he’s jogging, and then he just stops, and he’s got all these people behind him, and he turns around and says ‘I’m going home now.’ And they’re like, ‘What? That’s it?’ That’s me when it’s over. Turn around and go home.”

However, Strahan revealed no immediate plans to step away from the limelight. He then assured his fans that he still had some years left before retirement.

“I don’t want to lose gratefulness of being there and being apart of something,” expressed Strahan. “I’ll be off TV before a lot of people are sick of me being on TV.”

AI, Financial Planning
by Daniel Johnson

July 2, 2024

Harry and Geoff Ratliff Bring Financial Planning To St. Louis

Harry, the elder Ratliff, has taken pride in watching families achieve their own pieces of the American Dream

Harry and Geoff Ratliff are a father-son team that runs the Ratliff Wealth Management Group at Merrill Lynch in St. Louis. The pair says it works because they work in tandem.

The pair’s thriving business bucks the trend of family-owned businesses failing, as only 30% of those arrangements survive the transition from first-generation to second-generation. 

Harry got his start through an advertising and sales promotion firm. He began serving corporations and educational institutions. By 1979, he had become a sales rep for Bristol Labs in St. Louis, and as he told the paper, he had begun to notice trends of a “changing business landscape,” which, he said, “provided people with a wide range of services through one network.”

In 1983, Harry, who had observed enough of the trends in the American economy by this point to plot his next steps, joined Merrill Lynch, citing their training programs and commitment to supporting diversity as significant reasons for his choice.

“The number one reason I joined Merrill was because they had the best general training program on Wall Street. So, I knew I’d get great training. Merrill was small then, but it was very diverse and has grown to be even more so in accepting everyone no matter their (ethnic) background. It’s a good place for exceptional talent to be recruited because the firm looks for excellence.”

Geoff, who was around seven or eight years old when his father joined the Merrill Lynch office, told The St. Louis American that his father essentially taught his children financial literacy at an early age.

“This was in the mid-80s when we didn’t have all the technology we have today,” Geoff recalled. “He (Harry) talked frankly to me and my sister about what he did – and not from just from a fiscally responsible, budgeting standpoint – but about the importance of finance and investing and how that helps over the long term. (He preached) the simple principles of compounding interests and getting involved in those things early and how it was all an equalizer if people could get a level of financial independence.”

Initially, Geoff resisted joining his father in business, in part because his father never pressured him to follow in his footsteps, instead opting to go into non-profit and entrepreneurial spaces. Geoff told the paper that he took a second look at how his father’s industry had evolved and believed that it also aligned well with his own personal desires to help people and provide comprehensive planning advice.

As a result, Geoff moved back to St. Louis with his family and joined Merrill Lynch in 2015; in 2018, Geoff created a partnership with his father. 

Harry, the elder Ratliff, has taken pride in watching families achieve their own pieces of the American Dream, telling the paper, “We’ve seen people who’ve been able to achieve the American Dream; sending their kids to college, put themselves in a position where they could enjoy a fruitful retirement. We don’t just manage people’s money; we help them manage their lives. We try to be part of the fabric of our client’s lives.”

Geoff, meanwhile, also pointed out that the family-driven aspect of their business appeals to their customers, and they complement each other well, which also has helped their business expand to 18 states over the years.

“We are both good communicators with our clients. I get more into putting the plan together whereas he (Harry) is really sharp as far as the specifics around the investment management portion of it … figuring out the best products we use to help solidify people’s plans.”

Geoff continued, “Quite frankly, a lot of working families don’t work well together. We (he and Harry) don’t have any of the issues or nightmare stories you may hear of families that break apart because of failed business relationships. For us, the business has only brought us closer together, and it’s been a joy.”

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Fourth of July, black southern belle, host, party
by Alisa Gumbs

July 2, 2024

Put Your Southern Hospitality On Display For July 4th 

Originally Published Jun. 29, 2016.

Are you still trying to figure out your holiday weekend plans? Plan a Fourth of July party to remember by throwing the doors open and hosting a big night out at home.

That’s the advice of Michiel Perry, the woman behind Black Southern Belle, a digital lifestyle brand that covers food, home decor, weddings, and fashion.

“Black Southern Belle kind of fell into my lap,” Perry said. “I was planning my wedding and decorating my home, and I was trying to get lifestyle inspiration that was uniquely Southern and uniquely black at the same time. But I was having the most difficult time finding it.”

Over the course of one year, Perry, a former political event planner and relationship manager for Google in Washington, D.C., moved back home to Charleston, South Carolina, got married, bought a historic home, and started the site.

Here she shares her tips for this holiday weekend and other summer entertaining at home:

Take the Fourth of July party outside

“I live in South Carolina, and it’s all about having a big front porch. We really wanted to show outdoor entertaining in an informal way but still very stylish, Perry says. That kind of effortless entertaining is a recurring theme. “One thing that I really want to hone in on [with] Black Southern Belle, is that not everything has to happen at a restaurant or at a formal event. You can still entertain in a relaxed way.

Simple can be chic

“You don’t have to have a 10-course meal just to have people over,” Perry said. In fact, one of her most memorable party setups was a biscuit bar, which simplifies things for host and guest alike: “You don’t have to rent all the table settings, which can be a hassle if you’re not a day-by-day hostess. But also, it’s an easy thing for people to pick up and eat and walk around with. It’s a mingling sort of food.”

Be an authentic host

Entertaining colleagues and clients at home provides “a chance for them to see that who you are professionally matches up with who you are personally, that your values match up at home and at work,” Perry said. But make sure you’re working the room, making connections, and that the people you’re bringing together will have things in common; not just professionally, but also socially.

Good manners are always in style

“Go that extra mile and write a thank you card. Even though you’re the one that hosted, it’s nice to write a thank you card for people who took the time to come to your home,” Perry said. And make it easy on yourself by getting it done before your Fourth of July party. “After the event, you’re so tired. Write it beforehand and just put it in a little favor or a gift bag.”

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Bodycam, Police Officer, Money, accused, stealing, on video, money, Sonya Massey, colt gray
by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

July 1, 2024

On Video: Black Man Accuses Charlotte Cop Of Stealing His Money During Arrest

The officer later resigned after being arrested by his department for embezzlement.

A Black man confronted a Charlotte, North Carolina, police officer for allegedly stealing his money as he was being detained for a traffic violation, an incident that was caught on a body camera.

The footage, released to WCNC on June 25, showed the handcuffed man confronting officer Henry Chapman about the $900 being stashed in his car. While handcuffed, the man advocated for his lost funds, leading another police officer to hear him out and determine if the money was in Chapman’s possession.

“Yeah, look, no cap, I’m not even going to touch it, there’s blue hundreds [dollar bills] right here…All that’s my money, he didn’t have that,” said the man during the arrest, which took place in March.

Upon finding the cash tucked away in the car door, one of the responding officers asked if the money belonged to him.

“Yes, I heard him crumble it up,” the man tells another officer, referring to Chapman, whose face is visible in the clip.“ There was no reason for you to pop the rubber band off my money,” the man said. “… I was just pulled over for a traffic stop and you just tried to steal some of my money.”

The Charlotte-Mecklenberg Police Department charged Chapman with embezzlement on March 15. Originally placed on administrative leave as the investigation started, Chapman resigned the day after his arrest. He will now appear in court for a probable cause hearing this month.

“This incident doesn’t define the men and women of CMPD,” Chief Johnny Jennings said in a statement.

The videos from the incident can be seen on CMPD’s YouTube channel. The man who was arrested has not been identified.

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Coco Guaff, Naked
by Stacy Jackson

July 1, 2024

Tennis Superstar Coco Gauff Joins Naked Brand As Its First Chief Smoothie Officer

As Chief Smoothie Officer, the tennis phenom will help develop the future of Naked Brand and its product portfolio.

Tennis sensation Coco Gauff has officially been appointed as Naked Brand’s Chief Smoothie Officer, marking a first-of-its-kind, multiyear partnership.

As Naked’s Chief Smoothie Officer, Gauff is set to inspire fans to embrace nutritious, fruit-based beverages. The 20-year-old athlete, known for loving fruit-based snacks, expressed her enthusiasm for this unique role. “To be named Naked’s first Chief Smoothie Officer is an incredible honor and natural combination of my love of both,” the lifelong smoothie lover said in a press release by Naked Brand. “I’m excited to have the opportunity to co-create real fruit juice smoothies alongside the innovation team.”

The U.S. Open champion’s appreciation for Naked’s nutrient-rich smoothies stems from its use of real fruit juice, vegetables, and vitamins. The beverages, free from added sugars and artificial flavors, align with Gauff’s commitment to wholesome nutrition. Glen Walter, CEO of Tropicana Brands Group, highlighted her multifaceted persona as a perfect fit for the brand as she helps develop the future of Naked Brand and its product portfolio. “As an athlete, advocate, daughter, sister, friend, and now Chief Smoothie Officer, Coco is a true multi-hyphenate and knows better than anyone that you can be many things at once,” Walter said on behalf of the company.

Gauff’s new role as Chief Smoothie Officer extends beyond her on-court achievements. Her homemade fruit salad, which gained attention from fans after her 2023 U.S. Open victory, showcases her genuine love for fresh produce. “People were asking me all the time what I was eating, and I was like, ‘It’s just fruit,'” the young champ said on an episode of the “Today” show. “My mom prepares it before the matches, and sometimes my dad does, too…and I was like, ‘Just good old fruit.'” Guaff’s fruit preferences were further revealed during the 2023 French Open. “My dad makes a little fruit salad. There’s cantaloupe, pineapple, watermelon,” she said. “Usually there’s grapes,” her favorite, alongside pineapples. She emphasized the importance of snacking during changeovers to maintain energy throughout matches.

Gauff’s authentic connection to wholesome snacks and impressive athletic career make her an ideal ambassador for the brand’s mission of delivering delicious, nutrient-packed smoothies to consumers. Watch Gauff’s announcement about her new role as Naked’s Chief Smoothie Officer below.

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Quincy Wilson, Sha’Carri Richardson, Running And Representing For Team USA
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 1, 2024

Quincy Wilson, Sha’Carri Richardson, Running And Representing For Team USA

All I know is I gave it everything I had, and I can’t be disappointed. At the end of the day, I’m 16 running grown man times.'

The 2024 Paris Olympics will feature exciting athletes across sports categories. Track and field, an already popular event, is introducing another reason to route for Team USA. Quincy Wilson, a 16-year-old track and field athlete, is competing as the youngest U.S. male track Olympian. Sha’Carri Richardson, the current front runner in 100m race, is a strong contender for gold. Richardson came in fourth place in the 200m trails over the weekend.

On a social media post on his Instagram account, the news was shared by TrackWorldNews announcing that Wilson was selected to be on Team USA’s 4x400m relay pool.

“🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨Quincy Wilson has been selected for the 4x400m relay pool and becomes the youngest Olympian on Team USA at 16 years old and 174 day!”

The teenager was selected after his performance at the U.S. Olympic track and field trials over the weekend in Eugene, Oregon, according to USA Today.

Wilson’s coach, Joe Lee, confirmed that he was contacted by USA Track & Field; “The call came directly to me from USA Track & Field,” Lee told the media outlet. “I called Quincy afterwards with the good news.”

On his way to qualify for the Paris Olympics, Wilson broke the under-18 world record on June 29, in the opening round, when he bested the competition with a time of 44.66 seconds. The next day, in the semifinals, he ran a 44.59 solidifying his place on the team. Although he came in fourth in the finals, when he came in at 44.94, he won the 400 by running a personal best of 44.17.

“Three consecutive sub-44s is just amazing,” Wilson said. “All I know is I gave it everything I had, and I can’t be disappointed. At the end of the day, I’m 16 running grown man times.”

 Sha’Carri Richardson will not be competing in the 200m when the games start on July 26. Although she is one of the fastest women in the world, she did not qualify, after finishing in fourth place behind the winner, Gabby Thomas. She finished at 22.16 seconds, while Thomas clocked in at 21.81. She will be running in the 100m race and is expected to bring home the gold medal.

RELATED CONTENT: Frederick Richard Leads USA Men’s Gymnastics To Paris Olympics

Marvin Dunn, Historian
by Daniel Johnson

July 1, 2024

Historian Receives $1.5M Grant To Expand Racial Justice Tours

The 84-year-old still desires people to experience history at places where Black lives were lost to hatred.

Marvin Dunn, a Florida historian and founder of the Miami Center for Racial Justice, received $1.5 million in funding from the Mellon Foundation. This grant will allow him to expand his “Teach the Truth” tours, which focus on sites of racial violence, from Florida to other Southern states.

As the Miami Herald reports, Dunn is looking to partner with universities in the states he will expand his tour to encompass. Dunn also recognizes that the story he is telling through his tours is the story of American history, not just Black history.

“Florida was not the only state where lynchings took place. It’s all of our history,” Dunn told the outlet. “It’s all of our pain. It’s not just Black pain or white guilt: it’s all of our pain; it’s all of our responsibility to correct this record.”

In 2023, Phillip Brian Harper, the higher learning program director at the Mellon Foundation, reached out to Dunn after reading about his tours, resulting in a $150,000 grant from the foundation, marking its second funding of Dunn’s center, which supports the tours.

Harper told the Herald that Dunn’s commitment to telling the complete story is what motivated him to fund his efforts. “If we don’t have a full variety of perspectives grounded in the full variety of experiences that inform the history and culture of this country, people will go through their lives poorly informed about the true depth, complexity, and richness of this country,” Harper said. “And that means we would have an extremely impoverished society.”

This time, the Mellon Foundation is granting Dunn’s center $1.5 million in funding, leading to the potential expansion of several sites in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. In an interview with the Herald, 84-year-old Dunn expressed his continued desire for people to experience history by visiting places where blood was shed, and Black lives were lost due to hatred.

“We’re just now beginning to find out where the worst lynchings in Georgia took place,” Dunn said. “That’s why we need to do this: I’m considered an expert on anti-Black violence in the country, at least in the South, and I’m not sure what happened everywhere in Georgia, but I know a lot of people died by the rope. We’ll find out and take people to those places.”

Since Dunn is of advanced age, he told the paper that the plan is to “identify faculty members and have them teach the students” in the states the tour will expand to. He also indicated that those students would receive payment for working as guides on the tour. Although he has not officially decided on the tour’s sites, he is interested in taking the tour either to Emmett Till’s grave in Mississippi or the Equal Justice Institute in Alabama.

Dunn’s tours received increased national attention in the wake of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ crackdown on teaching Black history in Florida classrooms. 

Jamora Arroyo-Jefferson, a high school student who attended the first “Teach the Truth” tour in 2023 made a short documentary about her experience, which went on to win the 2024 Princeton Prize in Race Relations and a South Florida Regional “Certificate of Accomplishment” as well as praise from Dunn himself. 

Dunn told Arroyo-Jefferson in a blurb for the documentary, “Jamora, I congratulate you on your excellent documentary on the first “Teach the Truth” tour. I have seen no other film that captures my work so effectively and I have been followed on the tour by MSNBC, CNN, and a host of other filmmakers. Your film goes to the very heart of the purpose and success of the tour. To have this quality of work come from a high school student is incredible.”

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California, security deposit, housing, law
by Daniel Johnson

July 1, 2024

California Law Limiting Security Deposits Goes Into Effect July 1

The law makes California the twelfth state in the U.S. to have a law that limits security deposits to one month's rent.

On July 1, California’s Assembly Bill 12, a bill that caps the security deposit landlords are legally allowed to collect at one month’s rent, will go into effect.

The change is intended to address housing accessibility and affordability but also exempts landlords who own only two properties with no more than four units for rent. The law makes California the twelfth state in the U.S. to have a law that limits security deposits to one month’s rent.

The new law’s provisions are a boon to Californians frustrated by rising rents. As of 2023, the average cost to rent a one-bedroom apartment in the Golden State is $2,730.

Some, like San Diego renter Daniel Almanza, cannot afford that rate. Almanza, his wife, and two children are living in a $1,300-a-month one-bedroom studio apartment because it’s affordable. He’s not alone.

“A lot of my neighbors, they have two, three families living in the apartments because they can’t afford it. They rent the living room. They rent the bedroom. It’s hard,” Almanza told Fox 5 San Diego. 

According to Rafael Bautista with the San Diego Tenants Union, the new law, authored by Assemblymember Matt Haney, removes a significant financial hurdle for renters seeking to find more affordable housing.

“Removing barriers is something that’s key to be able to have affordable, accessible housing,” Bautista explained. “So it’ll make it so that people can apply freely without having to worry about needing five to $10,000 to be able to move from one place to another.”

Patricia Mendoza, the statewide organizer for AACE, a non-profit organization that advocates for tenant’s rights, told CBS 8 that increases in rent are tied to the state’s growing homelessness crisis.

“They say that San Diego is the finest city,” Mendoza said. “It’s not just the finest city, but the most expensive city. We see this every day; we see people being unhoused and evicted just because rents are going up.”

Mendoza continued, “It’s going to help a lot of people. It is a really good step in the right direction, but we need to do more,” she added. “We need more tenant protections.”

Although the law is not retroactive, some landlords are still not happy about it and said it could lead to rental housing being pulled from the market. According to the California Apartment Association, the largest statewide organization in the country representing the interests of the rental housing industry, “Further limiting a property owner’s ability to financially cover property damage or unpaid rent is an unfair imposition for rental housing providers.”

Masih Fouladi, the executive director of the California Immigrant Policy Center, believes that the law’s benefits to renters, particularly renters of color and immigrants, outweigh any potential concerns from landlords.

Fouladi told the Times of San Diego, “In California’s high-cost rental market, expensive security deposits are often imposed on immigrants and people of color, effectively limiting access to safe and affordable housing. By capping high-security deposits, AB 12 advances a measure of equity and empowers immigrants and people of color across the state, who contribute daily to making our diverse state thrive.”

Gabby Thomas
by Stacy Jackson

July 1, 2024

Athletic Standout Gabby Thomas Juggles Olympic Training and Volunteer Duties At Clinic

The 200 meter runner has decided to fully focus on her Olympic training and put aside her goal to pursue a Ph.D.

Track and field standout Gabby Thomas is mastering the art of balance. She juggles her 2024 Paris Olympic training with her volunteer duties at a healthcare clinic.

“It’s kind of a balancing act, but that’s the way I like it,” the Harvard neurobiology graduate told Olympics.com. “I like coming home from track and having something completely different to focus on. And when I’m doing my clinic work, I can’t wait to get back to the track.”

The 27-year-old’s dedication to track and field and healthcare is evident in her ability to find fulfillment in both arenas. After grueling Olympic training sessions, Thomas finds renewed energy at the clinic. “…When I’m tired and wheezing from practice, I’m just like, ‘I’m so grateful to be doing what I love and to be able to do it for a living,'” she said.

The 200-meter sprinter moved to Austin, Texas, to train while she earned her master’s at the University of Texas. Thomas said her resilience in her Olympic training stems from her mother’s, Jennifer Randall, inspiring journey to completing her Ph.D. while raising her family as a single parent. “Watching her be a single parent without two pennies to scrub together and working her way up and to being what she is now, a successful professor living out her dreams and starting a non-profit to help people get [an] education. I mean, that was a lot to watch.”

As Thomas’ track and field career flourished, her mother consistently emphasized the value of education. This dual focus has been instrumental in Thomas’ success on and off the track.

Having recently completed her master’s in public health in May, Thomas is temporarily setting aside her mother’s desire for her to pursue a Ph.D., choosing instead to concentrate on her Olympic training fully.

At the recent U.S. Olympic Trials in Eugene, Oregon, on June 29, Thomas clinched victory in the 200-meter final with a blazing time of 21.81 seconds, according to Olympics.com. Saturday’s performance solidified her status as a top contender, building on her impressive track record that includes a bronze medal from the Tokyo Olympics and a silver from last year’s World Championships in the same event.

Thomas’s commanding race saw her lead from the starting blocks to the finish line, outpacing track star Sha’Carri Richardson. Two first-time Olympians, Brittany Brown and McKenzie Long, will join Thomas on the U.S. Olympic team for the 200 meters.

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