• Business

by Kandiss Edwards

March 22, 2026

Evanston Reparations Committee Rolls Out Grants To Boost Black-Owned Businesses

The Evanston Reparations Committee is targeting the racial wealth gap by supporting local Black-owned enterprises.

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On March 20, the Evanston (IL) Reparations Committee officially opened its interest forms for its new Black Business Grant Program.

The grant program is designed to provide direct financial assistance to businesses that have historically faced barriers to capital and commercial growth due to systemic divestment.

This latest phase of the city’s $10 million restorative plan shifts focus from housing to economic development, specifically targeting the racial wealth gap by supporting local Black-owned enterprises.

The grant program is designed to provide direct financial assistance to businesses that have historically faced barriers to capital and commercial growth due to systemic divestment. The committee is partnering with Oakton College to help bring the vision to life. Under the new guidelines, eligible Black business owners can apply for grants intended to cover operational costs, infrastructure improvements, and marketing efforts aimed at long-term sustainability, the Evanston RoundTable reported.

The Evanston Reparations committee’s focus of business is due in part to the findings of the city’s 2019 study regarding historical wealth and opportunity gaps by implementing a structured support system for local entrepreneurs.

To be eligible, applicants must be Black residents of Evanston who currently own or are launching a business within city limits, according to a City of Evanston memorandum. Furthermore, the program goes beyond mere capital infusion by offering “operational readiness” training. Training provides essential technical support to help business owners navigate regulatory compliance and effectively scale their operations. Onboarding through the Small Business Development Center is mandatory. Additionally, applicants that have previously received funding from the committee are not eligible.

The rollout of the business grants comes as the city continues to navigate legal and financial hurdles. As of March 2026, the Evanston Reparations Fund has distributed over $6.5 million to hundreds of residents. Despite the committee’s success, challenges persist. In 2024, conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch filed a lawsuit “over the city’s use of race as an eligibility requirement for a reparations program.

“So we are really excited to connect businesses, not only with financial resources but also with education to make sure that it’s being applied well so we can sustain Black businesses here in Evanston,” Maurae Gilbert McCants, small business development center director, said.

RELATED CONTENT: Illinois Reparations Reports Puts The State’s ‘Harms’ Against Black Residents On Front Street

• Arts and Culture

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

March 22, 2026

NYC’s Brooklyn Academy Of Music Names Tamara McCaw President, Eyes Stability And Growth

After nine months serving as the interim CEO, McCaw has been named the Brooklyn Academy of Music's new president.

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After serving as interim CEO during a period of transition, Tamara McCaw has been officially named president of the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

The announcement came on March 20, nine months after McCaw assumed the interim CEO role in June 2025, according to Broadway World. As president, she will collaborate with the Board of Trustees and senior leadership to shape the institution’s strategic direction and lead it into its next chapter.

McCaw, 49, was unanimously selected by the board of trustees from a pool of 60 candidates, according to Board Chair Diane L. Max. She becomes BAM’s third president in the past decade, following Gina Duncan’s departure in 2025 and Katy Clark’s exit in 2021.

A collaborative leader with deep ties to BAM, McCaw previously led its government and community affairs efforts before joining The Shed as its inaugural Chief Civic Program Officer, where she helped launch Open Call. In 2023, she founded Public Assembly, a practice focused on advancing work at the intersection of culture and social impact.

“We are focused on stability,” McCaw said of her new role as president. “If you look at who I am, I am definitely a lifer. It’s my community-based roots. It takes time to do anything.”

BAM, she said, “made me,” adding, “It’s where I found my friends and my wife.”

McCaw takes the helm as BAM works to rebuild attendance, which declined before the pandemic and worsened during it amid growing competition from venues like The Shed and the Park Avenue Armory. In 2025, BAM reported a rebound, welcoming 700,000 visitors as attendance returned to pre-pandemic levels, with ticket revenue reaching $15.5 million, its second-highest in a decade.

“The struggles out there are real,” McCaw said. “But we are resilient. We are structured to meet those challenges.”

McCaw and Max said upcoming programming across dance, music, film, and theater—including a production of “Hamlet” from England’s National Theatre directed by Robert Hastie—will help sustain the institution’s appeal moving forward.

“We are very happy with our strategic plan,” Max said.

RELATED CONTENT: Solange Knowles Will Curate ‘Eldorado Ballroom’ Music Series at Brooklyn Academy of Music

• Celebrity News

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

March 22, 2026

Dwyane Wade Says Shaq’s Bentley Promise Took 20 Years — But Finally Got Done

'Yeah, we finally got them. We've been talking about this for 20 years. Shaq did not deliver on his promise.'

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Two decades after Shaquille O’Neal promised Dwyane Wade and Udonis Haslem Bentleys for helping deliver the 2006 NBA Finals title, he finally made good on the pledge in February 2026 during a ceremony marking the win. Wade later reflected on the long-awaited gift during an appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.”

Fallon asked Wade about the promise being fulfilled later than expected after Shaq made good on his word earlier this year on Feb. 3 at Kaseya Center in Miami. Shaq surprised the two former players, as well as everyone in attendance, when he presented the two Bentleys at the ceremony.

“Well, he promised U.D. and I, as young guys, he was like, ‘Hey, we win this championship, I’m gonna buy both of you guys Bentleys,’ Wade tells Fallon, adding, “Come on, that’s all the incentive we needed.”

As Wade is explaining the story, Fallon presents a picture of the two Bentleys that were given to Haslem and Wade; however, the picture shows small replicas of the expensive luxury vehicles. The audience laughs as the camera pans in on the photograph displaying the replicas.

“Yeah, we finally got them. We’ve been talking about this for 20 years. Shaq did not deliver on his promise. We never got our Bentleys. U.D. and I actually went out and bought Bentleys ourselves because Big Fella never gave us our two Bentleys.

“So he gave us our Bentleys finally, 20 years later.”

A video clip of the moment was posted on social media, showing O’Neal presenting his two former teammates with gifts in front of a full arena during the franchise’s 20th-anniversary championship celebration. The clip shows O’Neal reminding Wade and Haslem that he has not forgotten his promise and that he has the two remote-controlled cars, which look like they were made for kids. O’Neal informs them that they were named after them.

• News

by Kandiss Edwards

March 22, 2026

Return To Sender? USPS Warns Mail Could Stop As Cash Crisis Deepens

'No longer can we maintain the status quo,' Postmaster General David Steiner warns.

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The United States Postal Service (USPS) has issued a dire warning, stating the agency may be forced to halt mail delivery or cease paying employees within the next 12 months.

The agency is facing a financial breaking point that could lead to a total service shutdown without immediate federal intervention. Postmaster General David Steiner announced the state of USPS during a March 18 congressional hearing. Steiner, who took over the role following Louis DeJoy’s resignation in March 2025, revealed that, at its current “run rate,” the USPS will be entirely out of cash by early 2027. The agency handles approximately 109 billion items annually and ships 10 times as many packages as FedEx and UPS combined. However, USPS reported a $9 billion loss for the 2025 fiscal year alone.

“I like to say that we got thrown overboard and into the water,” Steiner said. “But instead of tossing us a life jacket, we were thrown an anchor.”

To mitigate the deficit, the USPS has proposed a new round of price hikes set for mid-2026. First-Class Mail stamps have remained steady at 78 cents. However, new filings suggest a price hike may be necessary if operations are to continue as normal through the end of the year.

The financial crisis comes as Georgia residents experience significant mail delays. United States Sen. Jon Ossoff has been vocal about the “abysmal” on-time delivery rates in North Georgia. Ossoff visited the state’s Palmetto sorting facility in May 2024 to observe operations and get answers for delayed services.

“It was not properly planned for,” Sen. Ossoff told WSB-TV. “It was not properly managed, there was no one in charge, and the results have been devastating for Georgians.” 

The current delivery rate hovers between 75% and 80%. Ossoff points out that delayed parcels have left seniors without prescriptions and small businesses unable to reach markets.

“No longer can we maintain the status quo,” Steiner warned. “Less than a year from now, the Postal Service will be unable to deliver the mail if major changes aren’t made.”

RELATED CONTENT: The Postmark Trap: New USPS Rules Could Trigger IRS Penalties & Missed Deadlines

• Womens History Month

by Ahsan Washington

March 21, 2026

Far More Than Fabric: Recognizing Black Quiltmakers On National Quilt Day

Quilts are also cultural archives

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National Quilt Day falls in March during Women’s History Month. It was established in 1991 by the National Quilting Association to pay homage to quilters across the country. While other art forms chronicle Black life and aesthetics, textile art carries this legacy just as effectively. 

Black communities have used quilting not only as a necessity to keep warm in the cold winter months but also to adorn their homes, particularly beds and windows. Quilts are also cultural archives where many women create multidimensional stories of survival, migration, resistance, and joy through fabric. Black women quilters maintain the tradition by elevating it across the rural South and globally, in gallery spaces and museums, ensuring that African American stories are part of the fine art record and remain both remembered and felt as historical documents. Check out these Black women quilt makers who have led the charge. 

Phyllis Stephens

Phyllis Stephens is an artist and storyteller who creates colossal-size quilts, with decades of skill and artistic practice in the tradition. Stephen’s large-scale works depict African Americans indulging in joy, love, pleasure, and spirituality. The master quilter works from Atlanta, while showing her work internationally. Stephens has shown work in Europe and across the African continent. Her quilts preserve authentic narratives and visuals of Black life to be experienced for generations to come. 

Bisa Butler

Quilt artist Bisa Butler has transformed portraiture by using colorful African fabrics to make life-size textile artworks from archival photographs and ordinary Black subjects. Since the early 2000s, Butler’s work has been collected by major institutions, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Art Institute of Chicago. Butler’s pieces bring forward neglected histories by focusing on Black identity, dignity, and cultural expression.

Chawne Kimber

Through her work, Chawne Kimber has established quilting as an artistic and activist medium by creating strong textual pieces that address racial discrimination, social inequality, and systemic injustice. Since the 2000s, the Massachusetts-based artist and educator has combined mathematical exactness with social commentary in her quilt work. Kimber displays nationally, showing how traditional quilting transforms into a modern platform for cultural critique and contemporary discourse.

Cecelia Pedescleaux

Throughout a decades-long career, Cecelia Pedescleaux has dedicated herself to preserving African American heritage through quilting, combining African design traditions with historical narratives, including the Underground Railroad. Her work has been exhibited throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, where she uses cultural symbolism in textile form. Pedescleaux also uses quilting as a storytelling method and a tool for protecting ancestral knowledge across generations.

Sally Mae Pettway Mixon

Sally Mae Pettway Mixon continues the Gee’s Bend legacy through improvisational quilts that are part of a multigenerational tradition that has achieved worldwide acclaim. Through her 21st-century artistic practice, Pettway Mixon uses recycled materials and bold geometric patterns to maintain a style that originated from necessity while protecting the cultural and familial histories of one of the most important African American quilting communities in the United States.

Carolyn L. Mazloomi

Since 1985, Carolyn L. Mazloomi has been instrumental in documenting and elevating Black quilting traditions. Mazloomi founded the Women of Color Quilters Network, which provides space for artists who have been excluded from mainstream recognition. Mazloomi has established African American quilting as an essential part of American art history through her narrative quilts and nationwide museum curatorial exhibitions while protecting its cultural value for future generations.

Wini McQueen

Wini McQueen, of Macon, Georgia, creates “story quilts” that combine words with images that tell stories about African American history, community life, and cultural experiences. McQueen’s quilts are tactile documentaries that can fill in the gaps in conventional historical records. For decades, her work has been displayed throughout the United States as a visual archive preserving cultural heritage. 

RELATED CONTENT: Why Investing in Black Women’s Art is a Power Move

• Celebrity News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 21, 2026

Janet Jackson Inks Deal With Believe Music Publishing

The deal will move Jackson’s entire catalog to Believe’s recently launched publishing division.

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By Robert Hill  

Janet Jackson has signed a new long-term deal with Believe, bringing her full music catalog to the company’s publishing division. 

The deal will move Jackson’s entire catalog to Believe’s recently launched publishing division, which marks a big step for both the artist and the independent company. Financial details have not been released, but company members highlight the continued value of Jackson’s music to its growing business. 

Believe is a France-based independent music company that supports artists and labels, providing distribution and publishing services. The company’s publishing division, which launched recently, is expanding through partnerships with high-profile artists. 

The publishing arm was launched in October 2025, more than two years after the company acquired Sentric Music Group. 

The deal involves Jackson bringing her full catalog under that division, although financial details have yet to be disclosed. This move is a strategic step for Jackson and Believe as the company continues to expand its presence in music publishing. 

The CEO and vice president of publishing have expressed their excitement for the deal and the value Jackson’s music will bring. 

“Janet Jackson is truly a one-of-a-kind artist, with a strong vision for her music and where she wants to drive her career,” Believe’s CEO of Publishing, Chris Meehan, said, as reported by Variety. “She brings an iconic and rich catalogue to Believe Music Publishing and I couldn’t be more excited for what’s to come.” 

Jackson, a five-time Grammy Award winner, has built a decades-long career that has made her an influential artist within the music industry. She is also a recipient of two Emmys, a Golden Globe, and has been nominated for an Oscar. 

She has sold over 180 million records worldwide. Her success has translated into financial success, as she has an estimated net worth of $180 million, highlighting the value and impact of her career. 

“Janet Jackson is one of the most influential and important songwriters in music, with a unique creative vision,” said Peter McCamley, Believe’s VP of Publishing, in a statement, according to Billboard. “We’re thrilled to welcome her to the Believe Music Publishing family, and we very much look forward to working with her in the future.” 

RELATED CONTENT: Iconic Albums By Janet Jackson, Tupac, Eric B. & Rakim Inducted Into Grammy Hall Of Fame

• Politics

by Kandiss Edwards

March 21, 2026

Juliana Stratton Moves Toward General Election, Eyes Historic Senate Sisterhood

If she wins, she will join Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester, marking the first time three Black women serve in the Senate simultaneously.

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Following her decisive primary win, Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton has transitioned her campaign toward the general election, framing her victory as a rejection of the status quo in politics.

The significance of Stratton’s candidacy extends far beyond the borders of Illinois. If successful in November, she will solidify a historic “sisterhood” in the upper chamber, CNN reported. Alongside Sens. Angela Alsobrooks and Lisa Blunt Rochester, Stratton would represent a tripling of the number of Black women serving at once.

Stratton spoke to reporters about the significance of three Black women senators.

“The idea of three means there’s that much more of an opportunity to make sure that when policy is being made, when legislation is being passed, that the voices of our community is right there at the table,” Stratton said. “We don’t want policy to just be made for us. We want it to be made by us and with us, and that’s going to help that to happen.”

During  Stratton’s victory speech, she gave a personal tribute to the progress of the civil rights movement. She invoked the memory of her late father, a civil rights activist who marched from Selma to Montgomery and was once barred from the very Capitol building his daughter now seeks to enter as a lawmaker.

“His story is a reminder that this fight is bigger than you or me,” Stratton told a crowd of cheering supporters. “We are ready to take our democracy back into our own hands.”

As she moves toward November, Stratton starts as the heavy favorite in the safely Democratic state. However, she faces a challenge from Republican Don Tracy, who is centering his campaign on Illinois’s economic struggles. Stratton’s path reflects a new era for the Senate, where the lived experiences of Black women are finally moving from the margins to the center of legislative power.

Stratton overcame a massive fundraising disadvantage in the race against Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. Her campaign successfully tapped into a shift within the Illinois Democratic Party, as she has leaned into progressive platforms such as Medicare for All, a $ 25-per-hour federal minimum wage, and the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). If the people of Illinois agree, she may soon join the sisterhood. 

RELATED CONTENT: The Switch-Up: Sen. Tim Scott Preps For A 2028 Re-election Bid After Claiming 2022 Would Be His Last

• HBCU

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 21, 2026

Gamecock Coach Dawn Staley Surprises Opponent Southern University With Gifts Ahead Of NCAA Faceoff

She gave the players Louis Vuitton Imagination perfume.

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By Robert Hill  

Dawn Staley, head coach of the South Carolina Gamecocks women’s basketball team, surprised the Southern University women’s basketball team with gifts ahead of their NCAA Tournament matchup, showing respect and support for the HBCU program before they faced off on the court.

After Southern University secured a 65–58 win over Samford in the NCAA Tournament First Four, Staley, who was in attendance, visited the team and later gifted players Louis Vuitton Imagination perfume. This move resonated as a sign of support and respect from Staley, a well-respected figure in women’s college basketball. 

Staley stopped by Southern University’s hotel before the game, taking time to greet players as she prepared to potentially face them in the next round. Her presence alone impacted the team, as players recognized the respect being shown. 

“Her being here, getting to hear the words she had for our team, it was just great,” Southern University Lady Jaguars guard Mykayla Cunningham said, as reported by Sports Illustrated. “It’s great that she took the time out because she’s a very busy woman. She’s smart. She sat and watched the game. Wrote down notes about both teams; she’s going to be prepared. And that’s how we have to come out and be prepared against her.” 

Staley and her players stayed to watch the Jaguars play. After the game, Staley gave the team perfume, surprising the players and sparking an emotional reaction throughout the room. The Lady Jaguars were gifted Louis Vuitton “Imagination,” perfume in response to some players asking what she was wearing when she spoke to them. 

“She walked in the meeting room, the kids blew up,” Southern assistant coach Jeremy Bonin said of Staley coming to Southern’s hotel, USA Today reported. “They loved it. So there was definitely some motivation for us to try to win that game (Thursday), which we were lucky enough to do.” 

Staley, speaking to the team, reflected on her continued commitment to uplifting HBCU programs. Throughout her career, she has used her platform to raise visibility of HBCUs, whether through speaking engagements or scheduling games. 

Southern University is now preparing to face South Carolina on March 21 in a matchup that carries both competitive intensity and mutual respect. 

RELATED CONTENT: Dawn Staley Urges Prayers For Former Gamecocks Players Trapped In Israel Amid Airstrikes

• Legal

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 21, 2026

50 Cent Appeals Loss In $1M Fight Over Ex Shaniqua Tompkins’ Life Rights

This comes after a judge denied his attempt to secure a $1 million default judgment against the mother of his 28-year-old son, Shaniqua Tompkins, in a dispute over the rights to her life story. 

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By Robert Hill  

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson filed an appeal in a New York court after a judge denied his attempt to secure a $1 million default judgment against the mother of his 28-year-old son, Shaniqua Tompkins, in a dispute over the rights to her life story. 

The appeal comes after a New York judge ruled that Jackson’s company, G-Unit Books, did not properly serve Tompkins with the legal documents. The documents were tied to a lawsuit alleging that she violated a 2007 agreement granting exclusive rights to her life story. If the appellate court overturns that decision, Jackson could move forward with his claim that Tompkins breached the deal. 

Justice Robert R. Reed’s decision focused on whether Tompkins had been properly served with legal documents. The court found that G-Unit Books failed to prove that she received notice of the lawsuit, a prerequisite to enter a default judgment. 

Judge Reed issued the ruling because Tompkins did not receive the legal documents, as they were sent to addresses where she had never lived. She stated that she only learned of the lawsuit after reporters contacted her. 

As reported by VIBE, “The underlying dispute dates back to a 2007 agreement in which Tompkins allegedly ‘irrevocably and exclusively’ sold the rights to her life story. Under the terms of that deal, she reportedly agreed that ‘she would not publicly disclose, exploit, or otherwise commercialize any aspect of her life story or related rights.’” 

Jackson filed a $1 million lawsuit, claiming that Tompkins posted online stories about him after he signed the rights to her life story, in violation of the agreement. Tompkins was sued for breaching the contract. 

Jackson purchased the rights for use in future projects, while also aiming to prevent Tompkins from monetizing his name. Tompkins, however, stated that she was forced to agree to the terms of the deal. 

As reported by AllHipHop, “Tompkins’ defense is solid, too. She’s arguing the 2007 life-rights agreement wasn’t voluntary and that she signed it under duress, with threats and intimidation from 50 Cent and his late manager Chris Lighty.” 

The appeal now leaves the dispute’s future in the appellate court’s hands, as both sides continue to battle over control of Tompkins’ story and the financial rights tied to it. 

RELATED CONTENT: 50 Cent Is Forever Petty, Posts Alleged Video Of Jim Jones’ Crashout

• Legal

by Kandiss Edwards

March 21, 2026

DOJ Moves To Clear Officers Accused Of Falsifying Warrant In Breonna Taylor Case

This decision follows years of legal losses for the prosecution’s case.

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Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to dismiss all remaining charges against the Louisville officers accused of falsifying the search warrant that led to the fatal 2020 raid on Breonna Taylor’s home.

The Department of Justice filed the motion on March 20, according to an Associated Press report. Federal prosecutors are moving to drop the cases against former Detective Joshua Jaynes and former Sgt. Kyle Meany “with prejudice.” This would permanently bar the government from reviving these specific charges in the future.

This decision follows years of legal losses for the prosecution’s case. U.S. District Judge Charles Simpson twice reduced the original felony civil rights charges to misdemeanors. Judge Simpson ruled that the alleged falsified warrant was not the “proximate cause” of Taylor’s death. In his August 2024 decision, Simpson concluded that the chain of events was legally disrupted when Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, fired a shot at officers entering the apartment. This ruling effectively shielded Meany and Jaynes from the most severe federal penalties. The ruling left the DOJ with only misdemeanor “color-of-law” violations to pursue.

The move has drawn sharp condemnation from Breonna Taylor’s family and their legal representatives. In a Facebook post, Tamika Palmer, Taylor’s mother, expressed profound betrayal following a phone call from the Justice Department.

According to CBS News, attorney Ben Crump released a statement, stating that the dismissal strips away the final “scraps of justice” and undermines the message that Black lives are protected under the law.

Meany and Jaynes may walk away without accountability, and another individual may be convicted in connection with the raid. Former officer Brett Hankison was sentenced to 33 months for excessive force and is currently serving time. However, the DOJ’s recent request for his release during his appeal has sparked tension in the Louisville community. A hearing to finalize the dismissal of charges against Jaynes and Meany is currently scheduled for April 3, potentially closing the door on federal criminal accountability for the officers who initiated the raid six years ago.

RELATED CONTENT: Show Yourself! States Push To Ban Federal Agents, Local Police From Hiding Their Faces