overfathering, the fatherless generation foundation, mentor, mentorship, father, reunite

by Kandiss Edwards

October 30, 2023

Black Woman Makes History Reuniting 8,400 Fatherless Kids With Their Biological Dads

*Originally Reported by Blacknews

Nationwide — Dr. Torri J. Evans-Barton, the Founder & CEO of The Fatherless Generation Foundation Inc. (TFGF), is celebrating having reunited 8,400 fatherless children with 3,281 biological fathers. She says that she believes fatherlessness creates an identity issue along with a slew of other emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual issues.

Dr. Torri J. herself grew up without her biological father finally reuniting with him when she was 31 years old. She comments, “Finding my biological father at 31 years old caused me to discover my identity and realize the significance of a father’s role in our lives. I believe, if possible, all human beings should have the same opportunity I was provided. By reuniting with my biological father I was positioned to heal from the trauma fatherlessness introduced!”

Her reunification with her father has been the catalyst and the blueprint for helping fatherless children do the same. Her pain of growing up fatherless and healing from that pain is what led her to launch her foundation and reunite fatherless children with their biological fathers.

“Fatherlessness is an indoctrination into trauma and dysfunctional behavior that is normalized within certain communities leaving children wanting a daddy so bad, but afraid to reunite with him,” says Dr. Torri J. Her foundation normalizes reunification, has a vision of Eradicating Fatherlessness Through Reunification, and helps its clients with a step-by-step action plan to getting the successful reunite the child within their desires.

To learn more about Dr. Torri J. and The Fatherless Generation Foundation Inc., visit the official website at TFGF.org

About the Fatherless Generation Foundation (TFGF)
TFGF reunites fatherless children with their biological fathers all while providing the resources and services that strengthen, support, and elevate a commitment to fatherhood and family values. Its Commitment to Fatherhood program is the helm of the organization working with fathers to re-engage and reunite them back into the lives of their children and fatherless children to help them find their identity.

TFGF also hosts Beyond Fatherless Peer Groups in Boys & Girls Clubs and Community Centers in 98 cities within 33 states across the country. It is headquartered in Atlanta with offices in

Washington, DC, Miami, Dallas, Chicago, and St. Louis. Now, TFGF has expanded this work into Africa. Zambia, South Africa, and Nigeria are now the new homes of TFGF.

About the Founder
Dr. Torri J. is the passionate CEO of The Fatherless Generation Foundation. She is a Certified Cognitive Behavioral Coach & Practitioner, Fatherless & Reunification Expert, State Certified Family Mediator, and a National Speaker on the positive influence reunification of fatherless children with their biological fathers has on all parties involved and how reunification ignites the healing necessary to reduce the impact negative stigmas associated with growing up fatherless are having on our society. She is also the author of 4 books, Daddy… Where Are You?, Why Should I Reunite with My Absent Father?, Momma Can You Hear Me?, and a children’s book Tokyo Finds His Daddy. For 5 years, she reunited fathers live on the Rickey Smiley Morning Show with her segment “Father’s Day.”

John, H, Johnson, Day, Publishing company, Chicago, Black Business

by Atiya Jordan

October 30, 2023

John H. Johnson’s Bronze Memorial Sculpture Unveiling Set For Nov. 1

On Nov. 1, the late founder, chairman, publisher and CEO of Johnson Publishing will have his legacy immortalized in his home state of Arkansas.

The unveiling of the John H. Johnson Memorial sculpture is a daylong celebration at the Arkansas State Parks Trailhead from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Artist Susan Holley Williams devoted nearly a year to the project. She and Johnson hail from the same county in Arkansas, Desha.

“Everything I’ve done in my creative life has prepared me for this moment: creating sculpture of the legendary John H. Johnson on behalf of the state of Arkansas. I am honored.” Williams shared via Instagram. She thanked the Walton Family Foundation and the state of Arkansas for their support and commission.

The commemorative statue will be a part of the 5th annual John H. Johnson Day in Arkansas City, where the media mogul was born.

“I tend to be cautiously optimistic, and I never get overconfident. I run scared every business day and use every legal means necessary to survive and grow,” business mogul John H. Johnson told BLACK ENTERPRISE 30 years ago.

In 1987, Johnson was named BE’s first Entrepreneur of the Decade, landed on BE 100s list, and was ranked No. 1 on BE’s list of 40 Business Titans Who Shaped the World.

“For six decades, Johnson made full use of his wealth and influence to shape American history, while using his publications—primarily Jet and his flagship, Ebony—to cover the battle for civil rights and chronicle every major event that depicted the trials and triumphs of African Americans,” BE reported.

At the event, the lineup of memorable moments will include discussions with Linda Johnson Rice, the daughter of Johnson, a musical petting zoo from Mississippi Valley State, and a presentation on the architecture and history of the John H. Johnson Museum.

Guests can experience a hands-on cooking demonstration with chef Jarita Frazier-King of Soul Food Natchez. She will bring the nostalgia of the “history and culture of Black food traditions during the 1900s when John H. Johnson was a child in Arkansas City,” according to the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) blog.

John H. Johnson Awards will also be presented to U.S. Congressman Danny K. Davis and coach Larry Clark for their humanitarian work, former Johnson Publishing Company photographer Roy Lewis in the category of media and journalism, and Mrs. Michele Ghee, former CEO of Ebony magazine, in the category of business and entrepreneurship.

All events and activities will be free and open to the public, except for food sold by food trucks.

Lil Wayne Now Owner And Advisor Of Pickleball Team

by Daniel Johnson

October 29, 2023

Lil Wayne Now Owner And Advisor Of Pickleball Team

Rap legend Lil Wayne is joining the growing list of celebrities who have invested in the ownership of Major League Pickleball, joining the Texas Ranchers.

As CNN reported, the rapper will serve as an advisor and have input on future jersey designs in addition to his role as part-owner.

He joins an ownership group consisting of Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons, former NFL player and current analyst Emmanuel Acho, singer/songwriter/rapper The Kid LAROI, and LA Clippers part owner and CEO of Verbena Road Holdings Dennis Wong.

The team released a press release clarifying Lil Wayne’s role as its advisor.

“In his role as strategic advisor, Lil Wayne will provide direction for the brand to help drive national and local fandom to the sport, further strengthening the Texas Ranchers position as America’s Pickleball Team,” the press release said. “He will also support creative ideation and the development of future apparel collaborations, and work with the team to build pickleball courts in underserved areas.”

Pickleball is a fast-growing, exciting sport, which the rapper first enjoyed watching before deciding to jump in as an owner of the Texas Ranchers. “Pickleball is the moment and I’m excited to be part of the Texas Ranchers ownership group,” Lil Wayne said in the release. “I’ve enjoyed watching and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to join this team of owners.”

Lil Wayne also owns Young Money APAA Sports, a sports agency he founded with Adie von Gontard in 2016. According to the site, they were the first sports agency to have a female sports agent representing a top-5 NFL draft pick, as well as represent multiple WNBA athletes and women’s softball players.

To date, the agency claims to have negotiated $1 billion worth of contracts for its clients.

by Daniel Johnson

October 29, 2023

Diddy And Diageo Continue Their Court Battle

Rap mogul Sean Combs sued liquor conglomerate Diageo Oct. 27 in New York Supreme Court, adding another chapter in a contentious legal battle.

According to the Daily Beast, Combs claims he faced “unlawful retaliation by a powerful international corporation” after he sued the company for racial discrimination in May, alleging that the company did not promote brands Combs was associated with, Ciroc and DeLeon, compared to others.

In the new lawsuit, Combs claims Diageo has blackballed him from the liquor and spirits industry. “Diageo has instructed distributors and retailers of DeLeón not to talk to Mr. Combs about his own brand. Diageo, with its massive power in the industry, is doing everything it can to send a message, not only to Mr. Combs but to others like him: Speak up and you will be punished.”

Robert T. Chin, head of Spirits at Combs Wines and Spirits, claimed in an affidavit that, “Diageo representatives began canceling meetings and failing to timely respond to communications written by Combs Wines’ representatives, which was out of the norm.”

Chin added, “And, for the first time, Diageo took the position that Mr. Combs was not allowed to attend meetings with Diageo about DeLeón.”

“This is yet another attempt by Mr. Combs to extract funds from Diageo after the organization has invested tens of millions of dollars in the marketing and development of DeLeón, in contrast to Mr. Combs’ total investment of $1,000,” Diageo said in a statement to the Daily Beast. “We are disappointed that Mr. Combs continues to damage the DeLeón brand while attempting to litigate a business dispute resulting from his own inability to effectively collaborate and sufficiently contribute. These allegations are completely without merit, and we will defend against them.”

Combs has been accused by Diageo of threatening the lawsuit to get Diageo to pay him $100 million or he would take his claims of racial discrimination public. When Combs brought his suit, the liquor conglomerate dissolved their relationship in response.

Diageo initially wanted to address these issues via an arbitrator as contractually stipulated, but Combs fought to have the case tried.

In September, the spirits conglomerate responded via a court filing that it “disproportionately supported and grown the DeLeón brand despite Combs Parties’ repeated failures to live up to their own commitments.”

GM Lone Holdout as Ford, Stellantis Set To Ratify Historic UAW Contract

by Daniel Johnson

October 29, 2023

GM Lone Holdout as Ford, Stellantis Set To Ratify Historic UAW Contract

After the United Auto Workers secured tentative deals with Ford and Stellantis, the lone holdout remains General Motors (GM), which has been the most resistant to negotiating with the union since strikes began in September.

According to the Associated Press, GM balked at the union’s choice to walk out of its Spring Hill plant, saying that the company thought it was on a path toward a deal because they had been negotiating in good faith.

Spring Hill is the biggest manufacturing plant that GM controls in the United States, employing over 4,000 workers and containing 11 million square feet of space.

The Ford Motor Company and Stellantis deals both run through April 30, 2028, and represent significant gains for the union workforce. Under the deal, workers get a 25% raise in base pay over the next four and a half years, with an 11% raise coming when they ratify the deal, a cost-of-living adjusted raise that actually raises the value by 33%, bringing the total that a top assembly line worker will make to $42 an hour.

We have a tentative agreement at Stellantis. #StandUpUAW pic.twitter.com/NsVL6w77WN
— UAW (@UAW) October 28, 2023

Record profits mean record contracts. We have a tentative agreement at Ford. #StandUpUAW pic.twitter.com/Z00T5CfQJN
— UAW (@UAW) October 26, 2023

UAW President Shawn Fain was excited about the deal, alerting workers to his excitement over keeping a facility at Belvidere, Illinois open.

“We’ve done the impossible,” Fain told workers in a call. “We have moved mountains. We have reopened an assembly plant that was closed. We’re bringing back both combustion vehicles and electric vehicle jobs to Belvidere.” According to UAW Vice President Rich Boyer, the leader of discussions with Stellantis, the deal represents about $19 billion in additional value for its workers.

Union members, like Bruce Baumhower, the president of the local union at a Toledo, Ohio plant, have signaled their desire to ratify the Stellantis deal.

Baumhower told the Associated Press, “Eleven percent is right on the hood. It’s a historic agreement as far as I’m concerned.”

He also reacted to criticism of Fain and the UAW ceding some ground in negotiations. “Anybody who knows anything about negotiations, you always start out much higher than you think is realistic to get.”

As with the Ford deal, which UAW used as a template for the Stellantis negotiations, workers who have pension plans will get a slight bump upon retirement, and those who opened up a 401 (k) post-2007 will see a large boost. Additionally, temporary workers, who had been making some of the lowest salaries at the plant will see a significant increase in their wages.

Workers are eager to return to work, as some of them had to dip into their savings accounts to help them survive while they were furloughed by Ford and Stellantis.

Deion Sanders, Professor, Coach Prime, Classroom, Players

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 29, 2023

‘We Ain’t Noodling’: Deion Sanders Makes Head-Scratching Comments on What Black People Don’t Do

Deion Sanders, in a conversation at the Colorado Football Coaches Show, Coach Prime detailed what activities Black people do not engage in, without offering any real reasoning.

Sharing “three things Black folk don’t do,” Coach Prime made it clear what outdoor sports are just activities Black people don’t like to to participate in.

“We don’t deep-sea dive,” he shared, while his Colorado Buffaloes team had a bye week. “We don’t bungee-jump. We ain’t noodling, all right? We don’t do that.”

Instead of explaining the legitimacy of his claims, Coach Prime stated his distaste for catfish, disassociating himself from the likely assumption that Black people are fans of the popular seafood. According to NewsOne, the former NFL player referenced the fish in noodling, which is the practice of catching catfish with one’s hands or feet.

“I’m not getting in the water to do that, first of all,” Sanders continued when addressing the risk of getting bitten. “I’m not a swimmer, either. That is unbelievable.”

While he never broke down why Black people, from his perspective, do not bungee-jump, he did share his brief insights into why the Black community isn’t known for its passion for deep-sea diving. Or maybe these are activities Sanders just prefers to avoid.

“We ain’t going down there. Ain’t nothing down there I want to see,” Sanders said.

What Sanders may have failed to realize, however, is how his beliefs could perpetuate stereotypes that negatively impact Black people, given that his accusations were unfounded, at the very least, in deep-sea diving In September of last year, Dawn Wright became the first Black person to reach the deepest point known to human life on Earth, according to CBS News.

Why Sanders decided to go on the rant that simultaneously played into the stereotypes he has tried to break is unclear.

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 29, 2023

Inflation Causing Concern In Black Households As Americans’ Debt Rises

Inflation is causing Black Households across America to not ease their financial situation or build wealth, as their incomes have not risen at the same rate as the cost of common goods.

Due to the rising prices of everyday household items, Americans have been unable to lessen their debts, with some even increasing money owed to credit companies. A new poll conducted by the Associated Press-NORC Center For Public Affairs Research shows that many Americans have had stagnated pay while the cost of living continues to rise.

Two out of 3 participants said their household expenses have risen since last year while only 25% of those polled said their wages have increased

“My income has stayed the same,” Steve Shapiro, a 61-year-old audio engineer from Pittsburgh, told Fortune about the higher cost of living. “The economy is good on paper, but I’m not doing great.”

For an economy that alleges to be in good shape, the pockets of Americans are going to debt issues that have not gone away, with 50% claiming that they still have credit card debt. A slim 15% of participants have increased their savings.

Even student loan debt continues to weigh heavy in household budgets, in addition to increased loan rates prohibiting the mobility of Americans, as many choose to stay in their homes rather than face a significantly larger interest rate to buy a new home.

These new issues are especially concerning to households of color, specifically Black, as the racial wealth gap, in addition to pay discrepancies, leads to the median household income between Black and white families being tremendously different. As inflation causes disruption in the financial ease among white homes, this adds even greater stress and concern for their Black counterparts.

by Daniel Johnson

October 29, 2023

Michael Bennett’s Life After Pro Football Is Well-Designed

Rather than analyzing NFL plays, Michael Bennett is focused on a mission to integrate social justice into his post-NFL career. This journey includes various endeavors, such as writing a boo (2018’s Things That Make White People Uncomfortable) and creating designs for public exhibition.

According to Bustler, in September, Bennett crafted designs that were showcased during New York City’s Archtober, described as “New York’s premier public design exhibition” by NYCxDesign.

During his time at the Heritage School of Interior Design he established a scholarship for Black designers.

“I want to open up a multi-disciplinary studio that would include furniture design, architecture planning, as well as community planning,” he told HSID in an interview. “I want to work in a central space with many other individuals where we can all work together. I feel like in design there are so many systemic injustices, and we can work to dismantle those. Unless we have designers and people who can understand that there are problems that need to be solved, there will be no solving them.”

Bennett has achieved that goal, according to Fast Company, the multi-hyphenate plans to open a design practice, Studio Kër in November.

Studio Kër, Bennett tells the outlet, takes its name from his Senegalese ancestry and it means home. Bennett draws his inspiration from historic figures Angela Davis and Booker T. Washington.

Bennett told Fast Company that his design ethos is one that works absent of labels.

“I think of myself more like a spatial designer, or a spatial practitioner,” Bennett said. “I just like space; so wherever media that needs to be expressed to talk about a particular emotion or talk about a particular idea, I want to dive into it. I don’t want to put a title on it.”

Bennett’s design display at the recent exhibit, entitled Public Display, was made of cross-laminated timber. Two panels of the material create the framework for a display framing slices of life or pieces of sky, surrounded by benches and stools, giving its viewers the opportunity to contemplate city life in a community space. Bennett said that it was the COVID-19 pandemic that first allowed him the space to breathe.

“Usually during life, the water’s so rough you can’t really see a reflection; and during COVID, the water was still, so we had a chance to reflect on a lot of things,” Bennett recalled. “During those reflections, you can’t hide. You have to truly look at yourself and see that in its purest form. I had a chance to realize my family is beautiful. I reached the highest of the heights, and it’s time to try something different.”

His brother, Martellus, is also a designer, retired NFL player, and similarly, a bit of a Renaissance man. Martellus has written four children’s books, one of which is getting turned into a Disney animated film. “I don’t think he always knew that—where he would go after—but I think he has this relationship with the game to understand that and know that it’s going to end,” Martellus said of Michael.

Martellus described how his brother and his design piece, Public Display, mirror each other.

“The piece by itself is strong, but it’s the strongest when people are around it, and why I think that is important is because I feel like Michael is the same way,” he told Fast Company. “I think Michael by himself is strong, but Michael with family and people around him is at his strongest.”

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

October 29, 2023

Jay-Z Reveals That Blue Ivy Was Almost Named Brooklyn

In a recent conversation with Gayle King on CBS Mornings, Jay-Z revealed the name he and Beyoncé originally picked for their first child, 11-year-old Blue Ivy Carter, one that paid tribute to her dad’s hometown.

Blue Ivy has been a welcomed special guest at Queen Bey’s Renaissance World Tour, appearing in front of tens of thousands to dance alongside her superstar mom. In addition to expressing his immense pride for his daughter’s inclusion in the show, Jay-Z revealed how Blue Ivy’s original name was supposed to pay homage to a certain New York City borough.

“It was supposed to be Brooklyn,” he told King, according to E! News. However, the name change occurred once Beyoncé was farther along in her pregnancy, as the longtime couple referred to their growing baby fondly as a “blueberry.”

“We was calling her Blueberry. Like, ‘Look at the little blueberry.’ You know, it was like a nickname,” shared the now father of three. “It was just natural. We just took the berry off and called her Blue.”

Clearly, the name stuck, as the young entertainer in the making has been stepping into her own light. Jay-Z also shared how the tween reclaimed her own power by being part of mom’s string of mega-successful concerts, with her debut performance at the Paris show.

“I still get goosebumps seeing her walk on stage,” he shared. “Because Blue’s been born into this world, she’s been born into a life she didn’t ask for. Since she was born, she’s been in scrutiny and everyone has an opinion…So for her to be on that stage and reclaim her power, and the song is called ‘My Power,’ and it’s just—you can’t write a better script.”

by Daniel Johnson

October 29, 2023

Wells Fargo’s Financial Literacy Program for Minorities Now at 28 Universities

Continuing its 2021 investment into financial literacy and wellness for students of color in higher education, Wells Fargo is extending its Our Money Matters (OMM) program.

The program also includes tools to assist in easing food and housing insecurity, with the long-term aim of helping to close the racial gap in financial health and wealth retention.

As Forbes reported, the program was endowed with $5.6 million from the Wells Fargo Foundation and was administered by the HBCU Community Development Action Coalition (HBCU CDAC). At the time, it was expected for the program to grow beyond the seven HBCUs and Minority Serving Institutions it started with to potentially 25 institutions over the next three years.

The OMM program consists of several points. It’s an online hub where students can access financial literacy education and personal finance tools, a curriculum integrating general education and degree programs into a financial curriculum which fosters financial literacy, and a service suite with resources for well-being, in partnership with partner universities.

According to Darlene Goins, head of Financial Health Philanthropy at Wells Fargo the program has slightly outpaced initial projections. In its second year, OMM has served 15,600 students across 28 institutions.

“We have really seen great interest and engagement in the platform, and we want to continue to expand,” Goins told The Grio. “We want to also include the smaller HBCUs and not just the largest ones that get the most attention.”

Goins said in select cities Operation Hope financial coaches can be found in certain Wells Fargo locations, and students enrolled at partner institutions do not need to have an account to be allowed to use these services.

The program represents a tremendous value for students who may come from communities where the only way to pay for their education is to take out loans—and possibly risk a hit to their credit.