• Health and Wellness

by Sharelle B. McNair

June 3, 2024

Dr. Anthony Fauci Testifies About COVID-19 Guidelines

Dr. Anthony Fauci was questioned behind closed doors by a panel of GOP legislators in January 2024.

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Dr. Anthony Fauci, who was the face of COVID-19 guidelines, testifies about the effectiveness of the policies.

While being questioned behind closed doors by a panel of GOP legislators in January 2024, Fauci discussed the six-foot social distancing rule and other measures implemented to protect people from the COVID-19 virus.

Fauci is scheduled to give public testimony June 3 on the COVID-19 restrictions he put in place—after he admitted to not doing much to slow down the spread of the virus, The Daily Mail reports.

During his hearing with the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Fauci told GOP leaders his six-foot social distancing rule “just appeared,” not remembering how he came up with it, according to committee transcripts. He added he wasn’t “aware of studies” that supported the idea of social distancing, claiming studies of that kind “would be very difficult.” 

“Do you recall reviewing any studies or data supporting masking for children?,” the doctor was asked.

“I might have,” he responded, “but I don’t recall specifically that I did.” 

According to one study, the impact of kids wearing masks on literacy and learning is “very negative.” Social distancing also causes “depression, generalized anxiety, acute stress, and intrusive thoughts.” 

Fauci also said he believes the lab leak theory—COVID coming from the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV)—is a “possibility.” In 2020, Fauci blocked the theory, which first appeared in the “Proximal Origin” paper.

“I think people have made conspiracy aspects from it,” Fauci said. “So I think that in and of itself isn’t inherently a conspiracy theory, but some people spin off things from that that are kind of crazy.”

However, Democrats are still skeptical of the Wuhan theory. 

While there is no conclusive evidence to prove the theory, in May 2024, National Institutes of Health Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak told the committee that funds once went toward so-called “gain-of-function research” sought to enhance viruses as a way of finding ways to combat them. Fauci denied that claim during a heated 2021 Senate hearing with Rand Paul (R-KY).

There have also been accusations of email misconduct. The coronavirus committee recently discovered Fauci’s former top aide, Dr. David Morens, would often work through his personal email account and deleted files in efforts to avoid government transparency laws under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

Morens allegedly bragged about learning how to make official correspondence “disappear” and admitted to deleting things he didn’t “want to see in the New York Times.”

The revelation resulted in committee’s chair, Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) demanding Fauci handing over his personal email and phone records to investigate. Once the go-to-person for Democratic lawmakers, several legislators have joined forces with their GOP colleagues as their trust of Fauci has diminished.

“What we all want are facts. There was evidence of things that were not right,” panel member Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) said, according to Politico.

RELATED CONTENT: Dr. Fauci Believes People Should Never Shake Hands Again

• Entrepreneurship

by Jeff Shuford

June 3, 2024

How To Avoid Marketing To The Wrong People

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OrigInally Published Mar. 15, 2019

It happens all the time. People invest a ton of money into starting a business they believe in. They build a website, establish an online presence, and do keyword research. They invest in analytical tools and create content to post on their website, only to find out they are not getting the intended results. They may have even hired professionals to help them, but they are not getting the traffic they should. It is probably because they have spent the majority of their advertising budget marketing to the wrong people.

All the most successful businesses spend a lot of time and money, in the beginning, researching their audience. You’ve got to know exactly who your audience is and what type of material they are receptive to before you will have any success marketing to them. The traditional marketing methods that work on millennials won’t work on baby boomers. So, how do you avoid wasting your marketing dollars on a strategy that won’t reach the customers you want? Here are a few tips for successful targeted marketing in the current digital economy.

Make Sure You Understand The Human Behavior Behind Needs And Wants

A basic human need is something that is instrumental in survival. For instance, we all need to drink water to survive. A want is something that makes our lives easier, like a vehicle, for example. It is not necessary for survival, but it certainly makes transportation easier. Too many companies try to focus on customer needs instead of wants. People make purchasing decisions based on their wants, not their needs. Take smoking, for instance. Someone you know needs to quit smoking, so they can live longer but they will probably still buy cigarettes because deep down inside they want to. The key is knowing exactly what problem your product or service solves and catering it to the wants of an audience.

Isolate And Identify Problems And Motives

If you’ve got a good company on your hands, then it probably solves some sort of issue. Your product or service makes life easier for people in some way, shape, or form. You already know what your product or service is, but you need to dig deep and identify exactly what problem it will solve for the audience. Once you are able to drill down to how your product or service makes life easier for someone, then you will be able to identify the motivation. Why would it make life easier and why would they buy from you? These are basic exercises that should be done at the beginning of a marketing campaign when you are building personas to help you identify your target market.

Don’t Cast The Net Too Wide

Many companies make the mistake of targeting broad industries and keywords with fierce competition instead of solving a specific problem for a smaller niche. This is a big mistake, especially in the beginning. Focus on long-tail keyword phrases specific to a particular niche within an industry instead of trying to focus on an entire industry. A smaller targeted audience can be more beneficial and produce more revenue than a broad audience of maybe so’s. You can’t please everyone all the time and that is the problem you are faced with when you cast your net too wide. Instead, focus on solving a specific issue for a specialized niche and it will be much easier to isolate your target market.

Marketing is one of the best ways to reach out to new customers. However, you have to make sure that you are marketing to the right people. There is little to gain by marketing your bacon lover t-shirts to vegan dieters. Instead, you may want to focus your efforts to those who love to light up a grill every night. So, you have to make sure the platform that you are using helps you identify your demographic and market to them effectively. Wasting money is not a good idea, and marketing to the wrong crowd is like wasting money. Take the time to learn these tips so that you aren’t marketing to the wrong demographic and throwing away money in the process.

RELATED CONTENT: Marketing Outreach Tips For Entrepreneurs

• Entrepreneurship

by Jeffrey McKinney

June 3, 2024

Entrepreneurs Can Go After $10K Through QuickBooks Grant Program

A fresh grant program aims to help fuel growth for small businesses with funding and other resources.

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Black entrepreneurs could be among the awardees of $200,000 in total grants through the QuickBooks Grant Program.

QuickBooks will make available $10,000 each to 20 small business owners across the country, along with mentorship programming and resources. QuickBooks is among several brands the global financial technology platform Intuit Inc produces.

The program is within several activations for Intuit’s Small Business Success Month. It recognizes small businesses by offering funding, tools, and resources to help fuel their growth. Raising capital, including for Black-owned firms, is often cited as a large operating hurdle for small businesses.

According to this report, almost 25% of U.S. consumers plan to start a new business this year. It stated, “Starting a small business is considered a better way to build personal wealth in 2024 than buying a home, especially among younger generations.”

Simultaneously, new and established small businesses still face a climate of tightened credit availability because of economic headwinds, including high interest rates and inflation. That obstacle exists even though small business formations have reportedly risen in recent years.

Emma Rodgers, senior vice president of marketing & revenue at Intuit QuickBooks, said of the grant program, “Helping small businesses thrive is critical to our communities and our economy, but access to capital continues to be a challenge many entrepreneurs face.”

She added, “QuickBooks is focused on supporting all small businesses with the tools and resources they need to grow and succeed. With the launch of this new grant program, we look forward to delivering impactful funding that can help make business dreams a reality and power prosperity for the small business community.”

Those interested can apply now through June 30. Business owners must submit a brief essay on how the grant will help them overcome business challenges or achieve a business dream. Learn more about eligibility requirements and details of the judging criteria here.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Small Business Owners Can Apply For $50K Grants To Buy A Commercial Vehicle

• History

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 3, 2024

Historic Black Church Receives $1 Million Donation Ahead Of Juneteenth Celebrations

The donation will add to the church's $10m rebuilding project goal.

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A historic Black church in Montgomery County, Maryland, is gearing up for an extra special Juneteenth holiday. The Scotland African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Zion Church received a $1 million gift from the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation.

Founded in 1924, the long-standing church suffered flood damage in 2019. However, the new donation by the Marriott Family will help in its revitalization efforts, as reported by WTOP.

The hotel chain’s chairman, David Marriott, found out about the nearby church alongside his wife, as the couple resides in close-by Bethesda. After learning of their history and plight to their establishment, the Marriott Family sought to help out in a major way. They announced the hefty donation to members of the church after visiting the site.

“The other trustees and I are thrilled to support this effort and to be a small part of your rebuilding effort,” explained Marriott at the event, shared by Moco360 Media.

The church remains the only historic building left of the traditionally Black Scotland neighborhood within the DMV region. Following the flood, the church announced its “2nd Century Project,” with the gift adding to its $10 million goal. Thus far, they have raised over $8 million toward the effort, including this latest contribution.

“This is a major investment in community not just for Scotland AME Zion Church, but for Montgomery County and this country,” explained Rev. Dr. Evalina Huggins in a press release. “As the pastor of this historic church, I want to express our thanks to the Marriott family and Foundation on behalf of the local congregation and the AME Zion Church worldwide.”

However, the ties between the Scotland community and the Marriotts run deeper than initially realized. The press release also detailed that the family landscaper was a resident of the area. Moreover, Marriott’s grandfather advocated on their behalf for housing support from Congress in the 1960s.

Its surrounding community members hope to celebrate the gift further at this year’s Juneteenth celebrations. Events starting on June 15 will lead up to the actual holiday on June 19. The church hopes to restart services this December if its milestones within its three-phase plan are met.

RELATED CONTENT: CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH 2024 WITH BLACK ENTERPRISE

• Health and Wellness

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 3, 2024

Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund Helps Frontline Reporters Stay Sane

Inside the Black Journalist Therapy Relief Fund's way of supporting Black journalists on the front lines of racial injustice reporting.

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Too often we read about the racial injustice plaguing Americans nationwide without much thought of the Black journalists behind the story who often overlook their own trauma for the sake of covering the story.

It’s part of the reason why journalist Sonia Weiser founded the Black Journalist Therapy Relief Fund in May 2020 to support the Black journalists on the front lines of racial injustice reporting who don’t have the funds to afford mental health treatment. At the height of widespread racial unrest following the murder of George Floyd, many Black journalists were tasked with providing unbiased reporting on the nationwide upset, often with little to no resources for processing the trauma brought on from the job and in daily life.

“Black journalists, like nurses or psychotherapists or anyone else who regularly hears or views trauma narratives, may experience vicarious trauma, or distress that stems from repeated exposure to the trauma of others,” Robin D. Stone, a licensed mental health counselor specializing in trauma-informed treatment told The New York Times in July 2020.

“They may feel especially vulnerable that the person on the respirator or in the violent video could be them or someone they love.”

There are many who also feel misrepresented in the workplace with the American Society of News Editors (ASNE) citing how Black journalists make up only 6.56% of newsroom staff and leadership nationwide. Weiser, a white journalist, launched the Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund (BJTRF) by way of a GoFundMe she created in response to the outpouring of media outlets looking for Black writers to cover stories about racial violence and protests over the killing of George Floyd.

“It just felt rude and disrespectful to put the onus on Black journalists, especially when so much of the trauma incurred in the industry is because of white employers,” she said.

After launching the GoFundMe, donations quickly surpassed the $20,000 goal, reaching $32,000 within 48 hours. Within 30 days, Weiser raised over $70,000. Soon after, BJTRF partnered with the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) to broaden the Fund’s reach and continue supporting Black journalists of all genders, ages, experience levels, and backgrounds.

Together with IWMF, the Fund provided microgrants to 84 applicants in 2020, with most lacking health insurance to cover mental health expenses. Thanks to the relief, journalists like Natelegé Whaley were able to start seeing a therapist twice a week for six months.

“Even though you’re getting paid, it really puts us in a vulnerable position while the company profits off the work that requires immense emotional and mental labor,” Whaley said.

“Yes, the stories need to be told. But no one is really thinking about whether Black freelancers have the resources they need to stay sane during this time.”

Those interested in donating to the Black Journalists Therapy Relief Fund can do so HERE. Those interested in applying can click HERE.

RELATED CONTENT:  Therapists Making More Money Through TikTok Therapy

• News

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

June 3, 2024

NPR Host Tonya Mosley Reveals Discovery Of Long-Lost Sister In Podcast

Mosley documented the journey in her 10-part podcast.

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Tonya Mosley, co-host of NPR’s Fresh Air, has undergone a journey of discovery for a sister she never knew existed. She details the story in her new 10-part podcast, She Has A Name.

Mosley was just beginning her career in 2004 when a man named Antonio Wiley called her, as reported by People. Wiley informed Mosley that she was his aunt, and also the sister to his mother who went missing.

Anita Wiley was assumed to be dead after going missing 17 years prior. However, Mosley still set to discover more about her long-lost sister. Her nephew never gave up hope of finding Anita, with Mosley’s support along the way, which lead her to learn more of her estranged father’s family history.

“That phone call opened up a world that I knew at some point I would be connected to,” shared the Detroit native. “[I knew] the day would come when I would receive a call that would give me an understanding of these other parts of myself.”

The two discovered Anita’s complex life as a single mother who fell prey to the crack cocaine epidemic in Detroit. In his unyielding search, he took part in a DNA program to help identify deceased individuals in the city.

In 2020, the program identified the body of Anita. Despite her flaws, Antonio, now able to grieve his mother, looks at Anita through a nuanced lens.

“She was a wonderful mother. But she was human,” explained the 51-year-old. “She became an adult in a changing landscape in which she was trying to provide for her family.”

The discovery was also eye-opening for Moseley, who better understands the holistic life of Anita.

“[My sister] was a leader, she was headstrong, but she also was soft and feminine and loved home and hearth with what little she had,” Mosley said. “You get so caught up in the struggle of addiction that you forget the humanity.”

She emphasized the importance of sharing their journey to finding Anita. Although no longer living, the story of a family’s resilience can help others in similar circumstances.

“These stories like Anita’s need to be told,” shared Mosley. “And we’re using this platform to give a voice to the voiceless and help all those other families who have imprisoned themselves in regret and pain for those loved ones they’ve lost.”

She Has A Name is available to all listeners now.

RELATED CONTENT: Senate Republicans Bicker With DOJ Over Wisconsin’s Missing And Murdered Black Women Task Force

• Health and Wellness

by Ann Brown

June 3, 2024

National Cancer Survivors Day: Celebrating Strength, Inspiring Hope, And Highlighting Advances In Survival Rates

June 2 is a day to celebrate and support the cancer survivor community.

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June 2 is National Cancer Survivors Day (NCSD). The day is a poignant reminder of the progress made in cancer treatment and the ongoing journey of those who have battled the disease. Whether you are a survivor, a caregiver, a healthcare provider, or an advocate, June 2 is a day to celebrate and support the cancer survivor community.

NCSD was first celebrated on June 5, 1988. It was established by the National Cancer Survivors Day Foundation to honor those who have survived cancer, inspire those recently diagnosed, and provide support to families and caregivers. Over the years, it has grown into an annual event celebrated in communities across the United States and around the world, India TV News reported.

National Cancer Survivors Day serves several important purposes, including celebrating the lives of cancer survivors, recognizing their strength, courage, and resilience; supporting survivors, families, friends, and caregivers; promoting awareness; and pushing for advocacy through cancer research and treatments.

The have been several advances. The University of Colorado Health, for example, has seen a higher cancer survivor rate. According to the facility, compared to national five-year cancer survival rates, patients diagnosed at UCHealth are 91% higher for cancers of the esophagus, 79% higher for liver cancer, 77.5% higher for pancreatic cancer, 67.4% higher for lung cancer, and 40.6% higher for cancers of the stomach. This success is attributed to specialized, high-quality care and extensive clinical trials. Other notable improvements include ovarian (16.6% higher), cervical (11.3%), and colon (11%).

“Seeing that our survival rates are higher is certainly a point of pride for the CU Cancer Center,” says Wells Messersmith, MD, the cancer center’s associate director of clinical services and division head of medical oncology in the CU School of Medicine. “There’s a whole bunch of factors that lead to improved cancer survival rates for patients, one of which is coming to the CU Cancer Center.”

“We feel that we have very high-quality programs here that give excellent care,” Messersmith says. “To see that read out in actual survival rates is something we’re incredibly proud of, and it’s one of the biggest things that patients are concerned about. What they’re really interested in is beating the cancer. They want to survive more than five years.”

RELATED CONTENT: New Study Investigates Why More Black Woman Are Diagnosed With Breast Cancer 

• Legal

by Daniel Johnson

June 3, 2024

Husband Of ‘Steve Harvey Morning Show’ Co-Host Shirley Strawberry Indicted On RICO Charges

The indictment claims the marriage helped facilitate Earnest Williams’s alleged criminal activity.

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Earnest Williams, the husband of Steve Harvey Morning Show co-host and radio personality Shirley Strawberry, has been indicted under the State of Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act (RICO) on 39 charges. According to the charging documents, that marriage is also coming under scrutiny as the indictment claims it helped facilitate Williams’ alleged criminal activity. 

As WSBTV reported, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, who has become notorious for her office’s expansion of the state’s RICO act, said Williams’ activity stretches back to 2009. 

“He’s been conning people from 2009 to 2022. He would pretend to be a legitimate businessman, but he was stealing from people, in United States currency, vehicles, and really just taking advantage of people.”

Willis continued, discussing the marriage between Williams and Strawberry, “We believe she met a man, fell in love, and married him and the truth is at the time he was already married to someone else.”

Although Strawberry is not part of the scheme Williams employed, he mostly likely was able to use her status as a celebrity to reach more people. As Sportskeeda reported, the court documents allege that Williams married Strawberry with the long con in mind. Strawberry filed for a divorce from Williams in April, when he was originally indicted, but the pair separated in March 2022.

According to attorneys, Williams allegedly used the marriage to gain access to more victims, alleging that he defrauded at least 25 individuals out of over $750,000. Williams is alleged to have stolen personal vehicles, motorcycles, coach buses, and other property by either refusing to return said items or issuing bad checks.

Ericka King, an alleged co-conspirator in Williams’ schemes, is listed on the indictment and has fraudulently claimed to be his lawyer in the past, even representing him in some court proceedings. King has also been indicted on 19 charges of her own. 

According to the DA’s office, Williams’ victims were often women, whom he pretended to have a romantic relationship with. They suspect there are likely more victims. According to documents filed under the jurisdiction of Fulton Superior Court, “From at least December 1, 2009, through June 30, 2022, Earnest Williams engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity in Fulton County, Georgia, elsewhere in the State of Georgia, and in other states.”

As Deputy District Attorney Will Wooten told WSBTV, “Earnest Williams often created this impression of a close relationship or a romantic relationship with many of these victims, used those relationships to take money, vehicles, vehicle trailers, RV’s and other property from them.”

Wooten continued, “He would pretend to be a legitimate businessman, but he was stealing from people.”

• Sports

by Daniel Johnson

June 3, 2024

Dwight Howard Co-Owns Taiwanese Basketball Team, League

Howard is reportedly the first basketball player in Taiwan to have an ownership stake in a league he plays in.

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Dwight Howard announced on May 30 that he has become the part owner of a Taiwanese basketball league as well as one of its teams. Howard said that he was inspired to make the move following his first professional game in the country in 2023. 

According to Bleacher Report, Howard elected to play overseas after not drawing any interest from teams stateside since the 2020-2021 season when he was a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dwight Howard (@dwighthoward)

Howard announced his latest move on Instagram, writing, “Last year after the first game I played in Taiwan I looked over at Mu Real and said, ‘Man, I’m going to start my OWN league one day where former NBA players, top college recruits and elite international players can still get a stage to showcase to the world how great they are.’ He looked at me crazy but one day is NOW! And we are coming back!!”

Howard continued, “I am so blessed to now be able to say I am a part owner of a professional basketball league playing in [The Asian Tournament]. So [Where is Dwight Howard] going next? I will be playing for the [Taiwan Mustangs] in Taiwan as an owner/player! Not just the owner of a team but of a LEAGUE & yes Taiwan on this date last year I left Taiwan in tears and now I am FINALLY coming back!” 

Howard, who plays for and is now a partial owner of the Taiwan Mustangs, is a dominant force in the league. In 2023 he averaged 23 points, 16 rebounds, and five assists while playing for the Taoyuan Leopards. In his 2022 debut in Taiwan, Howard put up a stat line that looks like it was pulled from NBA 2K: 38 points, 25 boards, 9 assists, and 4 blocks. 

Howard is already looking to bolster his team, posting an open call on X for other ex-NBA players to join him. Howard is reportedly the first basketball player in Taiwan to have an ownership stake in a league he plays in, the NBA has a strict rule prohibiting such an arrangement. 

As Fadeaway World reported, Howard’s announcement also revealed that the team would be participating in the Asian Tournament, a continental tournament that features teams from several Asian countries.

Howard continued to call for NBA players to join his “World Smile Tour” writing, “Only this time we are doing it even BIGGER I am extremely blessed to have the ability to spread love, positivity, & make people smile all around the world! Being an owner of a league & using my influence to make the world happier through the universal language of the smile is something I dreamed of…”

Howard concluded, “Also guess what? Now that I’m an owner of a league it’s time to get back to recruiting & it’s NBA playoffs! We gotta bring some other NBA players on the World Smile Tour so comment your flag, tag the player you want me to recruit to my league, and tell them ‘C’MON’.”

RELATED CONTENT: Dwight Howard Dismisses Lawsuit Against Alleged Former Male Lover Ahead Of Sexual Assault Trial