Black Enterprise Tackles Racial Wealth Gap In Virtual Town Hall

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 13, 2024

Black Enterprise Tackles Racial Wealth Gap In Virtual Town Hall

BLACK ENTERPRISE and Nationwide are hosting the "Shaping the Culture of Wealth" Town Hall on March 14 to dissect the racial wealth gap.

BLACK ENTERPRISE will tackle racial wealth disparities in its “Shaping the Culture of Wealth” Town Hall. Hosted by Nationwide, the virtual event will take place on March 14.

As the premier Black digital media brand, BE is focused on finding solutions and bridging discussions on why African Americans are struggling to build wealth. Compared to other races, the Black community has significantly lagged in wealth curation, burdened with various debts and other systemic obstacles.

This town hall seeks to address these financial barriers while curating sustainable methods for prosperity. BE’s Chief Executive Officer Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. expressed his delight to partner with Nationwide to host this important forum.

“We are thrilled to once again to partner with our good friends at Nationwide for this transformative event, advancing meaningful conversations to address the pressing issue of closing the racial wealth gap,” the CEO shared in a press release. “Harnessing the strength of our platform and joining forces with financial leaders, we aspire to promote profound change by equipping African Americans with essential tools and knowledge required to attain multigenerational wealth.”

The forum will feature five esteemed panelists to spark a holistic conversation on building wealth. Joining Graves Jr. will be BE’s Executive Vice President and Chief Content Officer Derek T. Dingle. Kristin Martin Rodriguez, senior vice president of Nationwide Retirement Institute, is another speaker alongside John Hope Bryant, chairman and CEO of Operation Hope, and Tarrus Richardson, founder and CEO of IMB Partners.

Moderated by award-winning journalist Ed Gordon, the two-hour discussion aims to move the Black community forward. Attendees will gain new insights on how to achieve fiscal success, as the event will promote crucial financial literacy skills that impact us all.

The “Shaping the Culture of Wealth” Town Hall will be livestreamed at 7 p.m. EST on BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s website, where further information on the event can be found.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 13, 2024

Trey Songz Questioned Over ‘Inappropriate’ Meet & Greets With Fans Amid Sexual Assault Cases

Trey Songz was criticized on social media for inappropriately touching fans during his meet and greets on tour.

Trey Songz is being questioned about his behavior with fans while he still has sexual assault cases pending. The R&B singer is currently on his Love Hard tour.

The Shade Room posted photos Songz took with fans during his stop in Baltimore on March 8, and social media users sparked a new inquiry into how Songz interacts with the fans during the meet and greet portion of his concerts.

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A post shared by The Shade Room (@theshaderoom)

The tabloid described the pictures as “up close and personal,” with Songz appearing to hold several women in suggestive ways. Some photos even have Songz picking up a fan, while another fan poses while “backing up” on the 39-year-old.

Commenters were quick to note that considering the mounting allegations against the father of one, he should be more careful about how he engages with the women in his fan base.

“Now he know with all them lawsuits, he should NOT be posin[g] with people like this,” expressed a commenter.

Others made jokes about the matter.

“Hope no one paid for this. He’ll touch you inappropriately for free,” said one user.

“Oh look, it’s consensual this time,” mocked another.

Songz has had so many accusations of sexual assault and harassment in recent years, with The Cut publishing an article in October 2023 detailing all that had surfaced thus far. More recently, two women filed a lawsuit against the controversial R&B heartthrob, alleging that they woke up at Songz’s house to non-consensual sex acts being performed on them.

Dating back to 2012, the “Bottoms Up” singer has been accused of striking a woman while at a strip club, raping multiple women, and digitally penetrating another person within the last decade. Actress and singer Keke Palmer also claims that Songz sexually intimidated her to appear in his music video in 2017.

Songz has denied the claims, but Donna McIntosh-Inoe, one of his accusers, says time is running out for the entertainer. She alleges that Songz left her with a black eye in 2012.

“It’s the same with him, story after story,” said McIntosh-Inoe during an interview with the Daily Beast in 2021. “The women get knocked down — he’s not being held accountable at all.”

Despite the controversies, Songz is continuing on his tour, with no word yet on if he will cool out on the excessive touching with fans.

by Stacy Jackson

March 13, 2024

Flint’s Rx Kids Program Provides Monthly Cash Aid For New Moms

The new cash transfer program offers $1,500 to during pregnancy, followed by monthly aid of $500 over the baby's first year.

Flint, Michigan, a city with one of the highest rates of child poverty in the nation, has taken a groundbreaking step to tackle the issue with a new transfer program that provides new mothers with financial support.

Pediatrician Mona Hanna-Attisha, who helped expose the city’s lead water crisis a decade ago, has launched Rx Kids, a first-of-its-kind community-partnered initiative that provides every new mother with $7,500 in cash aid over a year.

According to NPR, Flint’s new cash transfer program, which started in January, begins during pregnancy, with the first payment of $1,500 to encourage prenatal care. After delivery, mothers will receive monthly aid of $500 over the baby’s first year.

“We just had a baby miss their 4-day-old appointment because mom had to go back to work at four days,” Hanna-Attisha said, highlighting the financial struggles faced by new mothers in Flint, where the child poverty rate exceeds 50%.

Rx Kids is universal and not limited to lower-income households. The pediatrician, along with Luke Shaefer, a poverty expert at the University of Michigan and co-director of the program, hopes that including all new mothers, regardless of their income, will foster a broader sense of community and civic engagement.

Research published in the National Institutes of Health’s Library of Medicine has shown that childhood poverty can have detrimental effects on physical and mental health, brain development, and school performance. With roughly 1,200 babies born in Flint each year, Rx Kids providing cash assistance during this crucial period allows families to alleviate financial hardship, improve maternal and child health, and promote positive outcomes for Flint’s youngest residents.

“This is something that has been tried over and over and over again, in country after country,” Shaefer said, noting the success of similar programs in other nations. As the program progresses, researchers will track its impact on prenatal care, birth outcomes, and various indicators of community well-being.

With over $43 million in funding from foundations, health insurance companies, and the state of Michigan, the program is set to continue for three years. Hanna-Attisha believes that using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds for new mothers is an approach other states could adopt. Additionally, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s budget plan for Michigan incorporated funding to replicate Flint’s pioneering cash assistance initiative for new mothers in multiple other cities across the state.

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 13, 2024

Marjorie Taylor Greene Columbuses ‘Say Her Name’ Phrase Coined For Black Women

This is for Sandra Black, Breonna Taylor, Atatiana Jefferson...and many others.

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) didn’t just try to steal the show wearing MAGA paraphernalia during the State of the Union address, she stole the phrase “Say Her Name,” created to raise awareness about Black women mistreated by police.

Greene boldly sported the phrase, even shocking President Joe Biden upon his arrival, on a white T-shirt that read, “Say Her Name, Laken Riley.”

She was referring to a University of Georgia nursing student allegedly killed by an undocumented immigrant in Georgia, using a ploy from Republicans to criticize Biden’s handling of border patrol. Greene posted a video on Twitter of her SOTU attire, blaming Biden for what she called a “national security crisis.”

“Joe must go,” she said.

What do you notice in this video of Marjorie Taylor Greene? pic.twitter.com/GoWrTsxDlp
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) March 8, 2024

Her rhetoric is another in a long list of Black-owned phrases stolen to reiterate something else—like “Black Lives Matter” now used for “Blue Lives Matter” and “All Lives Matter,” and “woke“—and use them for anti-Black legislation.

The terminology “Say Her Name” was created by civil rights activist, law professor, and executive director of the African American Policy Institute Kimberlé Crenshaw in 2015. After Sandra Bland, a 28-year-old Black woman, was found dead in a Texas jail cell days after she was arrested during a traffic stop, Crenshaw penned the phrase after her family questioned the circumstances around her death and received little to no answers.

When officers of the Louisville Police Department killed Breonna Taylor in May 2020, protests erupted across the country as people wore T-shirts with the exact phrase—just a different name. Statistics have shown Black women are more likely than other women to witness or experience police violence, including death, resulting in severe psychological stress and other adverse health outcomes.

Crenshaw released a statement after seeing Greene mocking the term. In her eyes, Green’s usage “undermines civil rights movements and pushes our democracy closer to the edge.”

“Last night’s use of #SayHerName by Marjorie Taylor Greene during the SOTU Address reflects a deeply offensive trend in right-wing politics—the intentionally misleading appropriation of justice-seeking demands from those who have historically been rendered voiceless,” Crenshaw wrote on Twitter.

“The #SayHerName campaign was founded ten years ago to break the silence around Black women, girls & femmes whose lives have been taken by police. Tanisha Anderson, Korryn Gaines, Shelly Frey, Kayla Moore & Atatiana Jefferson are just some of the many names we uplift.”

Last night’s use of #SayHerName by Marjorie Taylor Greene during the SOTU Address reflects a deeply offensive trend in right-wing politics – the intentionally misleading appropriation of justice-seeking demands from those who have historically been rendered voiceless.
— Kimberlé Crenshaw (@sandylocks) March 8, 2024

While civil rights advocates uplift Riley’s need for justice, they say the GOP usage is disingenuous. “If they were, they wouldn’t be using language they claim not to favor,” author Tamika Mallory said. “They demonize our language, they demonize our organizing style, but they co-opt the language whenever they feel it is a political tool.”

by Daniel Johnson

March 13, 2024

Kim Mulkey Criticized (Again) For Postgame Comments

In contrast to Mulkey's fanning of the flames, Kamilla Cardoso, the 6’8" player Mulkey referred to in her statement, provided an earnest apology on Twitter/X after the game.

Kim Mulkey, the controversial head women’s basketball coach of the LSU Tigers, was criticized after she addressed reporters during LSU’s media availability after the SEC championship game between the LSU and the University of South Carolina.

After making an initial statement that strongly condemned the confrontation at the end of the game, Mulkey decided to inflame things further.

“But I can tell you this: I wish she would’ve pushed Angel Reese. Don’t push a kid—you’re 6-foot-8 [Kamilla Cardoso]—don’t push somebody that little. That was uncalled for in my opinion,” Mulkey said. “Let those two girls that were jawing, let them go at it.”

Mulkey’s comments have rightfully elicited commentary from sports media members like ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe, who said on the March 11 episode of First Take that Mulkey needed to be held accountable for her inflammatory comments.

“Really? Is that what you want? You want to see a fight? You want the women’s game to be marred by a fight? Really?” Sharpe said. “Come on, Kim Mulkey. You’ve got to be better. And we’ve got to start doing a better job of holding Kim Mulkey accountable and responsible for some of her comments. We let that stuff fly because she’s a national champion. I refuse to do that. I believe she was wrong in this instance. And Dawn Staley [South Carolina’s head coach] showed the utmost class and respect, not only for the game itself but for her team and the opposing team. I wish Kim Mulkey would have shown that level of respect.”

Sharpe continued, “If a man had said that, we would hold him accountable. Kim Mulkey has gone a long time and escaped criticism for a lot of things that she’s said…She says and does a lot of things that rub me the wrong way. And I’m not going to apologize for being as harsh and as stern as I am because of what she had to say yesterday.”

Shannon Sharpe takes issue with Kim Mulkey's response to the South Carolina-LSU fight: "We've got to start doing a better job of holding Kim Mulkey accountable and responsible for some of her comments. We let that stuff fly because she's a national champion. I refuse to do that.… pic.twitter.com/yFtucmVj1l
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 11, 2024

Some examples: Mulkey’s evasiveness when asked direct questions about the status of Reese earlier in the season due to a mysterious four-game suspension only created more questions. Those questions, as USA Today pointed out, unfairly impacted Reese, and Mulkey seemed to be OK with leaving her out to dry. This prompted plenty of criticism on social media from fans of women’s basketball as well as sports journalists about Mulkey’s failure to protect Reese from speculation by not specifying a reason for the suspension.

Mulkey was also one of the only figures in women’s basketball to go out of her way to provide a non-answer when asked about the wrongful imprisonment of Brittney Griner, who played for Mulkey at Baylor.

Associated Press sports columnist Paul Newberry criticized Mulkey’s comments in a March 11 column, positioning her latest comments as part of a much longer history or being either tone-deaf or intentionally confrontational when speaking to media members.

“After all, this is a coach who—despite a glittering record that includes more than 700 wins and four national titles—never has seemed like a champion for women’s sports,” Newberry wrote. “…As a basketball coach, she’s one of the best ever. As a leader of young people, she leaves a lot to be desired.”

Deadspin‘s Carron J. Phillips criticized Mulkey further, highlighting the racial dynamics at play, as well as Mulkey’s confession that she doesn’t know the rules governing player and coach conduct during the course of a basketball game.

“Instead of calming things down, a white woman poured gasoline on a situation that involved a fight between Black women,” Phillips wrote. “Mulkey’s privilege somehow found a way to shine brighter than one of those tacky outfits she wears on the sidelines.”

Phillips also took note of the sharp contrast between the reaction of Mulkey and Staley’s reactions.

“Who did what to who on Sunday isn’t nearly as important as who said what and how they said it after the game,” he wrote. “When college kids fight, we look to the adults to be the leaders in the room. Dawn Staley presented herself as an elder stateswoman of the sport. Kim Mulkey behaved like a clown.”

by Sharelle B. McNair

March 13, 2024

Georgia Judge Tosses 6 Counts Against Trump In Election Interference Case

Thought we could count on this judge...

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee dismissed some charges against former president Donald Trump and co-defendants in the Georgia 2020 election interference case.

In a devastating blow to Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, McAfee tossed out six of the indictment’s 41 counts, including three against the presumptive 2024 Republican presidential nominee. Following the dismissal, other counts remain in place—including 10 facing Trump—and now prosecutors could push a new indictment to reinstate the ones dismissed.

The dismissed counts include the defendants soliciting public officers, such as then-Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, to violate their oaths. Trump was accused of pushing Ralston to call a special session of the legislature to appoint presidential electors unlawfully. Another surrounds a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger on Jan. 2, 2021, where Trump allegedly pressured Raffensperger to “find 11,780 votes.”

This is the first time any charges against Trump have been dismissed in the four pending criminal cases. McAfee, who is also overseeing efforts to have Willis removed from the prosecution over her romantic relationship with a colleague, said prosecutors failed to provide enough details surrounding the alleged crime.

“The lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned’s opinion, fatal,” McAfee wrote. “They do not give the Defendants enough information to prepare their defenses intelligently.”

The ruling was applauded by defense attorneys after indictment challenges came from Trum, former New York mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, and attorneys John Eastman, Ray Smith, and Robert Cheeley, all of whom issued not guilty pleas.

“The ruling is a correct application of the law, as the prosecution failed to make specific allegations of any alleged wrongdoing on those counts,” attorney Steve Sadow said. “The entire prosecution of President Trump is political, constitutes election interference, and should be dismissed.”

The grueling process started in August 2023 when Willis issued an indictment against Trump and his roster of allies. While a trial has yet to be scheduled in the case, it is unlikely to reach a jury in 2024. Already suffering a loss, four defendants initially charged in the case have already pleaded guilty to lesser charges and have received non-jail sentences.

The ones remaining are Trump and 14 other defendants.

McAfee’s ruling does not leave everyone off the hook. Meadows still faces a RICO charge, and Giuliani still has 13 counts against him. Trump still has to face a judge in New York in late March after being accused of falsifying his company’s internal records to hide payment statutes to a former lawyer who allegedly helped him bury negative stories during his 2016 presidential campaign.

Black Women Film Network Summit, class of 2024

by Stacy Jackson

March 13, 2024

Black Women Film Network To Honor Class Of 2024 During 9th Annual Summit

The BWFN Summit will recognize its 2024 honorees in celebration this year's theme, "Standing on Business: How Creatives Get the Bag."

Black Women Film Network (BWFN) announced its 2024 honorees as the organization gears up to celebrate its ninth annual BWFN Summit on March 23, 2024, in Atlanta.

The organization will celebrate its Class of 2024 during the Summit Awards Luncheon and announce scholarship recipients, who will receive up to $1,000 to support their film and TV careers.

This year’s honorees include writer, producer, and actress Lena Waithe (TrailblazHER Award); CEO and producer Mona Scott-Young (RainmakHER Award); creator and showrunner Raamla Mohamed (StorytellHER Award); actress Gail Bean (Black Woman Rising Award); and senior creative film executive Amber Rasberry (PowerbrokHER Award).

This year’s theme, “Standing on Business: How Creatives Get the Bag,” reflects a push for equity in the entertainment industry. “We are delighted to once again present our annual BWFN Summit, thanks in part to generous support from NBCU Launch, Amazon, Aspire TV+, and Cvent,” BWFN Board Chairwoman Chiquita Lockley stated in a press release. “From the picket lines to major press moments, we’ve heard strong voices like Gina Prince-Bythewood, Taraji P. Henson, Keke Palmer, and Issa Rae consistently address the need for equity for Black women across the spectrum of the entertainment industry.”

The Summit offers several networking opportunities, workshops, and panel sessions spotlighting various aspects of the industry and employment resources, such as the Amazing Stories Foundation PA program. “With support from Fulton Films, our Summit focuses on leveling the playing field for entry and advancement within the industry for Black women,” Lockley added.

The BWFN Short Film Festival, a platform amplifying the talents of emerging and established Black women filmmakers, will also be presented in conjunction with the Summit. “This year, we have realigned our BWFN Short Film Festival with the BWFN Summit for the first time since the pandemic,” Lockley said. As Black women continue to make strides in the industry, BWFN will remain at the forefront through the BWFN Summit, the BWFN Short Film Festival, custom programming in-person and socially like the BWFN Mixer and BWFN Reel Rundown.”

Now in its 27th year, the trailblazing nonprofit organization, established in 1997, inspires and empowers Black women daily through programming and a strong social media presence, serving as an important platform for representation and growth in the industry.

To register for the 2024 summit, hosted at Atlanta’s Loudermilk Conference Center, visit the BWFN website.

Livingstone College, organ Donation, kidney

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 13, 2024

Livingstone College Gifted Third Anonymous Million-Dollar Donation

North Carolina HBCU Livingstone College has received its third million-dollar donation by an anonymous gifter.

Livingstone College has a very wealthy secret admirer. The North Carolina HBCU has now received its third anonymous donation of a million dollars.

The three donations were given in less than six months by the same anonymous party, as announced by the school’s president, Dr. Anthony J. Davis, on March 11. They are assumed to have been donated by a member of its extended community and are the largest ever received anonymously by Livingstone.

The Christian-based HBCU received the first of the unrestricted donations in October 2023, as shared by the president during its homecoming festivities. The donor sent the money with the message, “I trust you will address the needs of the college.” According to The Star of Zion, President Davis noted that its unrestricted nature will allow the school to address multiple needs,

“Thank you. This type of contribution allows the college to allocate funds strategically by enhancing academic programs, expanding scholarship opportunities, and investing in innovative facilities and technologies.”

However, the initial donation was not the last, as the next million-dollar allotment was released during the school’s 145th Founder’s Day celebrations in February of this year, as reported by the Salisbury Post.

“Receiving two $1 million contributions from an anonymous donor is transformative for Livingstone College and will continue to impact the ongoing work being executed on the campus,” shared Dr. Davis after its ceremony. “This second unrestricted contribution of this nature speaks to this community’s confidence in the leadership of my presidency and this administration, and for that, we are grateful.”

While the most recent gift does not coincide with an important event for the college, it will go toward the improvement of Livingstone and scholarship opportunities for its students. The school, located in Salisbury, North Carolina, has plans to update its residence halls and classrooms in the coming years.

The school also hopes the massive donations will encourage more of its alumni and surrounding community to give back, with ambitions to reimagine its campus becoming a more viable reality.

by Stacy Jackson

March 13, 2024

New Initiative To Bring Head Start Centers To College Campuses To Assist Collegiate Parents

On-campus Head Start centers provide a valuable resource for those balancing academic pursuits while raising young children.

A new initiative between the Association of Community College Trustees and the National Head Start Association is working to establish Head Start centers on college campuses.

NPR reported that the five-year initiative addresses the needs of nearly 4 million U.S. college students raising children while pursuing their degrees, with over a third attending community colleges.

Carrie Warick-Smith, who oversees public policy at the Association of Community College Trustees, emphasized the mutual benefits of such collaborations. “It’s a partnership that just makes sense…For parents who are going to college, it means an easier commute. You don’t have to make two stops, and they know their children are getting a high-quality experience that’s free,” Warick-Smith said.

Despite the potential to serve student-parents, The Education Trust reported that only about 100 out of 3,000 community college campuses in the U.S. have Head Start centers on-site. However, with over 16,000 Head Start centers throughout the country, there is ample opportunity for relocation to address shifting needs.

Head Start programs receive 80% of their funding from the federal government, and the remaining 20% can be met through community colleges donating or offering low-rent unused space.

The collaboration also benefits the colleges and Head Start centers themselves. Community colleges often offer early education degrees and certificates, and on-campus Head Start centers provide practical classroom experience, addressing the national childcare workforce shortage by creating a direct pipeline for graduating students to work in Head Start centers. Warick-Smith, who helped create “Kids on Campus,” a guide to set up new partnerships, noted that colleges benefit from having these programs because “this makes it more likely that people are going to enroll, persist, and graduate.”

San Antonio College has already taken the innovative approach by establishing a Head Start center on its campus that provides free, federally funded childcare programs tailored to promote school readiness for children from low-income families. Stephanie Perez, a 23-year-old former student, had her daughter while working toward her certificate in early childhood education. She did her student teaching in the campus’ Head Start classrooms and, after graduating, secured a full-time teaching job there.

Carrie Marshall Gross, a professor of early childhood education at Manchester Community College in New Hampshire, echoed the benefits: “Having that right on campus is an extension of our college classroom in a lot of ways.” Her students frequently observe and participate in the on-site Head Start preschool as part of their curriculum.

Spelman College, Cosmetic Chemistry, women in STEM

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

March 13, 2024

Spelman College First HBCU To Offer Cosmetic Chemistry Program, A Win For Women In STEM

Spelman College will become the first HBCU to offer a cosmetic chemistry track for its STEM majors, in a move officials hope brings more diversity to the beauty industry.

Spelman College is making strides for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and women interested in STEM careers in the beauty industry.

The all-women’s school is the first HBCU to offer a cosmetic chemistry concentration.

Spelman announced the news in a press release on March 6. The program will begin in the upcoming fall semester. What started as an online certification, will now have courses offered as part of a concentration track for chemistry majors.

While noting an increased interest from students in the online program, the college also wants to help resolve a diversity need in the beauty industry. Only 2.5% of beauty brands are Black-owned, yet they continue to grow in a competitive market.

Spelman aims to create a pipeline for the next cohort of Black founders with this education in the sciences now available.

“The program will be far-reaching and will support our students and faculty in making a difference in a field that caters to Black women as consumers, fueled by the scientific expertise in this area,” said Spelman Provost Dr. Pamela Scott-Johnson in the statement. “We are thrilled to continue this evolution of creating new academic offerings that address industry demands.”

“I am excited that we now offer a course of study that connects students’ Spelman experience to the beauty and personal care industry. The new major concentration and minor will ensure our students’ competitiveness for advanced study and careers in the field,” said Dr. Leyte Winfield, professor of chemistry and biochemistry and division chair for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics

This program looks to provide students with a specific cosmetic chemistry track will lead to more beauty and hair products with Black women at the forefront. It will focus on molecular sciences involved in product formulation. Cosmetic chemistry will be available as a concentration and minor.

Spelman also announced a one-week Cosmetic Science Summer Law intensive. The June 2-8 program will offer seminars and panels with Black female product developers and researchers.