Akon still believes in the prospects of African investment, as he laid out in an interview on the Revolt podcast, Assets Over Liabilities. According to Yahoo, Akon implored Black people to pool resources in Africa: “I mean, you name it. We’re leading in every single sector,” he said.
“Just imagine if we all just decided to just take all our bags, withdrew all our money, and go to Africa. Where would America be today? It would collapse overnight.”
Akon is still in the process of developing Akon City, his promised futuristic city, in Senegal. Akon says that even though he and his team have encountered setbacks, they are working under a 10-year plan.
“The whole idea is to create what the future of Africa should be,” Akon said.
“We have all the resources, we have the manpower, we definitely have the population. So it was just a matter of putting something in a country that can start and pretty much scale out to every other country — that we can copy and paste or at least the idea.”
Akon has been publicly pushing his idea for Akon City since 2020. At the time, Akon positioned it as an alternative to living in America, inspired by the blockbuster Marvel film Black Panther and its depiction of a futuristic African country, Wakanda.
Akon told The Associated Press in 2020, “The system back home (in America) treats them unfairly in so many different ways that you can never imagine. And they only go through it because they feel there is no other way.”
Akon said that once construction began in early 2021, it could take more than three years to complete phase one of the project. He discussed what he believes is needed on the podcast.
“Africa is in a position where if African Americans take [a] position now, every single African American would be a millionaire without even thinking twice because there’s nothing that’s not needed over there,” Akon said.
“So, you guys come with the discipline, you guys come with the knowledge, you come with the resources.”
Dwyane Wade And Gabrielle Union Expand PROUDLY Brand To Include Hair Care For Black Babies
The Black community is not a monolith, our preferences and priorities vary. However, there are two things many Black people have common: we don’t play when it comes to our children—nor our hair. Across economic, education, or social status, Black folks take great care attending to both.
Enter Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade.
In 2022, Union and Wade created PROUDLY baby care, which launched exclusively in Target stores. The dynamic duo and proud parents of daughter Kaavia James, recognized the lack of products made specifically for their brown skin girl. Being business savvy and seeing a need created an opportunity to not only cater to their child but other young Black children who need quality skin and hair care products at affordable prices.
PROUDLY hair care offers multiple products to suit all baby’s needs, including the grape seed oil, rosemary, and marshmallow root Softening Shampoo ($12.99) and a jojoba oil and marshmallow root Defining Detangler, ($12.99).
Union and Wade shared their inspiration for PROUDLY Baby Care, and what the future holds, with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
PROUDLY Babycare was created with your daughter Kaavia in mind. What about your experience as her parents informed your decision to create this line?
Gabrielle Union: Having Kaavia absolutely was definitely the inspiration for this line. For her, wash day and doing her hair is such an important activity in our home and she loves to get her hair done. Our whole village participates and it’s a really special activity. And as Kaavia has gotten older, she’s gotten more independent and she wants to use what mommy and daddy use in the shower, but we know that those products may not always be appropriate for her age. So what we wanted to create was something that she could use on her own that was safe enough for her. We feel good knowing the products are hypoallergenic, tear-free, pediatrician and dermatologist approved, and use clean ingredients that are safe for her. All the products are Kaavia tested and approved so we appreciate her help in building this line!
How do you see this line changing the landscape in baby care?
Right now, we see that the majority of the hair products in the baby aisle are 2-in-1s or even 3-in-1s which just don’t work for babies and children with tighter textured hair. This line was developed centering the needs of the tightest coils and curls and our hope is that our approach will make parents of color feel like their needs are being met in the aisle and will inspire other baby brands to prioritize the needs of Black and Brown children.
The focus right now is babies. Is there any thought of getting into other specialized markets?
Dwyane Wade: We are excited about the innovation and opportunities within the baby space because there really isn’t another brand doing what we are doing in this aisle, so for now we are super-focused on this space.
Though you all are the minds and laborers behind this venture Kaavia seems to be the boss! How important is it to educate her about business at this age? (Of course, in a kid-friendly way)
Wade: Kaav definitely gives boss vibes, and we love that about her. We include Kaavia in our work ventures where we can and PROUDLY is special because it is a brand that was inspired by her, so it has been fun to include her in testing and trying the products and allowing her to give us her feedback. It was fun for her to see her face on the PROUDLY store endcaps last year and she is realizing that she’s a special part of the brand. Outside of that, Kaavia is busy with her own kid adventures with her friends like camp, dance class, and summer swimming and we think that’s how it should be.
You both are passionate about this line and believe in its value. Do you think your target market will respond with the same passion?
Union: We think so! Hair care has been the number-one most asked about category from our consumers since we launched the brand. So we know that our community needs and wants this line and we are excited to bring this line of products to them. Parents are looking for something that is both safe but really works on tighter textures, and we think we succeeded with this line.
Former Los Angeles Laker Kenny Carr Is Making A Fortune In Construction Post-Retirement
Former NBA forward Kenny Carr enjoyed a 10-year career, playing for four teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers with Magic Johnson. However, one could argue his construction career has been much more successful.
In his final year in the NBA, during the 1986–87 season, Carr formed Carr Construction in Portland. The construction company undertakes the fabrication and erection of structural steel for industrial and commercial buildings, including hospitals, schools, parking structures, and high-tech industrial projects.
In its more than 35 years in business, Carr Construction has led and collaborated on a bevy of projects, including the OHSU Tram in Portland, Paul Allen’s Experience Music Project Museum in Seattle, and Providence Park stadium, home to the Portland Timbers and Portland Thorns professional soccer clubs.
“I had friends in the business and got started in 1986,” Carr said in a 2003 interview, according to The Sun. “I started as a general contractor but eventually moved into the specialty work of sub-contracting in the early 1990s, which I like better.”
Carr Construction has been paramount to the growth of the city of Portland over the last three decades, and its owner is proud of the work it’s done in the city where his NBA career ended, and his business career skyrocketed.
“I’ve been extensively involved with this area…and have seen it grow,” said Carr.
“We have had a lot of investment in the north Portland area, and it’s had a boom in construction lately, raising property values. It’s been great to have been a small part of that.”
During his 10-year NBA career, Carr played for the Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, and Portland TrailBlazers. Carr averaged 11.6 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game in his career. His best season came with Portland in 1983–84 when he averaged 15 ppg and 11 RPG, helping the TrailbBlazers make the first round of the playoffs, where they lost to the Phoenix Suns in five games.
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Reassigns Publishing Rights Back to Bad Boy Artists, Songwriters
Just in time for Labor Day, on Monday, September 4, it was announced that Sean “Diddy” Combs “decided to reassign his Bad Boy publishing rights back to all Bad Boy artists and writers who helped build Bad Boy into the powerhouse it is today,” a source told Variety.
Along with Ma$e, the Notorious B.I.G.’s estate, Faith Evans, the Lox, 112, and “many more” unspecified creators will all have their assets returned in a move that’s said to be worth hundreds of millions of dollars. While Diddy has received multiple multi-million dollar offers for the rights to Bad Boy’s publishing catalog, the label’s founder decided to instead reassign the rights to the rightful songwriters.
“Combs sees it as part of a broader goal of promoting economic empowerment for Black artists and culture,” a source said.
His former artists have all been informed of the massive deal and signed off on paperwork to receive their publishing rights in a decision that could impact the industry and shift how artists are compensated. With his new album The L.O.V.E. Album: Off the Grid coming September 15, Diddy’s focused on creating a new legacy that gives back to the community and rewards the culture.
News of Diddy’s massive move comes one week after Cam’ron was the first to reveal Ma$e had his publishing rights returned. While promoting his forthcoming mixtape, The Lost Files, Cam’ron explained why Ma$e wouldn’t be featured on the project despite the success of the sports podcast they host together.
“My n—a murder had to sit this one out. He just got his publishing back from Puff. Just finished the paper work for that yesterday. Congrats @rsvpmase,” Cam’ron shared in his Instagram caption.
This comes after Ma$e called Diddy out in January 2020 following the mogul’s speech during the Grammys where he preached about the lack of respect for Black artists. Ma$e took it as an opportunity to blast Diddy for trying to advocate for Black artists publicly while making millions on the backend from publishing he reportedly offered Diddy $2 million for.
In October 2022, Diddy appeared onThe Breakfast Club and claimed Ma$e owed him $3 million, accusations the “Feel So Good” rapper strongly denied. Now one year later it looks like Diddy and Ma$e sorted things out in a way that benefits all Bad Boy artists.
Lamar Odom Hires His Children To Work At His Substance Abuse Treatment Company
It’s turned into a family affair at Odom Recovery Group. NBA champion Lamar Odom’s substance abuse treatment company has been rapidly expanding with centers throughout Southern California. As Odom looks toward the future, he’s getting his two children involved in the family business.
The former Los Angeles Laker has hired his son Lamar Odom Jr. (LJ), 21, and daughter Destiny Odom, 25, to assist with marketing and client representation, TMZ reports. LJ has been shadowing his dad and learning the ins and outs of representing Odom Recovery Group as a marketing consultant while Destiny handles the client intake portion of taking down patients’ information and assisting with a smooth start to their recovery journeys.
Odom reportedly is using this as a way to bond with his children, who have lived with him full-time since May. His ex Liza, the mother of Destiny and LJ, has also gotten involved in working for the recovery group.
The NBA alumnus launched Odom Recovery Group earlier this year to aid those battling addiction. His centers “offer restoration through detox, inpatient facilities, outpatient programming & transitional supportive housing,” the website states.
“Lamar’s mission is to give back and allow all clients the ability to live and benefit from the same program that inspired his recovery.”
Odom has partnered with Restoration Recovery Center to open four facilities, Restoration Recovery in Sacramento, Compassions in Laguna Hills, Inner Minds Health in San Bernardino, and Vanity Wellness Center in Woodland Hills.
It’s all part of his mission to help combat substance abuse following his near-fatal overdose in 2015 that put him in a coma for months.
“He wants to help everyone he can,” Odom’s representative said, as reported by OK! Magazine.
“He is thankful that he was given a second chance at his life and feels his destiny is to help others.”
In July, Odom expanded his business portfolio and opened a senior care center company inspired by his grandmother.
Boynton Chapel Methodist Church, located in Houston’s Third Ward community, was designated as a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark, the highest honor the State of Texas can give a historic building.
The church was built in 1957, designed by John S. Chase, Texas’s first Black licensed architect and a founder of the Texas Southern University art department. According to the Houston Chronicle, some of the church’s members included Houston civil rights activists Christina Adair and Magdelean “Mama” Bush and Dr. Forde B. McWilliams, one of the first Black veterinarians in Texas.
The congregation’s history stretches back to the early 1880s when the church was known as Dallas Street Methodist Episcopal Church, and it met in the home of one of its founders. Later, the property was purchased at Dallas and Paige Streets, and the church’s name was changed to Boynton Chapel Methodist Episcopal. Since Black people were not allowed to swim in public swimming pools, the church provided areas like a swimming pool, gym, and classrooms where vocational training was provided to adults.
Boynton Chapel provided John S. Chase with one of his first major opportunities. After he designed the church, he designed TSU’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law, the Martin Luther King Jr. School of Communications, and the Booker T. Washington High School in Houston. Chase’s son, Tony, told the Houston Chronicle, “Dad’s honors thesis for his master’s at UT was about the Black church and the design and spirit of the Black church, so he was heavily invested in the development of the Black church, both physically and spiritually. It was also a practical matter … because, frankly, that’s the place in the Black community where there was capital and a lot of growth and construction going on.”
The University of Houston is also located in Third Ward, and two of its students were integral in ensuring the church received landmark status. In 2021, Walker Shores helped the church become a Protected Landmark of the City of Houston along with Sam Osemwingie, who helped ensure the church became a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark. The church currently needs repairs to its air conditioning system, drainage system, sanctuary windows, and bell tower, but received help from Urbano Architects, who offered to perform an architectural building survey, which usually costs $15,000, for no cost.
The church has been a fixture in Third Ward for many years, and one-half of the first couple married in the church remembers what it meant to the community that Chase designed the church. Eighty-six-year-old Dorothy Murphy, whose husband, Albert, has since passed, told the Chronicle, “I remember when it opened, it was new and different from most of the other churches, both inside and out.”
“People heard John Chase’s name and knew who he was—that he was the first Black architect in Texas and graduated from UT. It was something people wanted to drive by and see.”
Diana Ross Sings To Beyoncé At Star-Studded Birthday Concert
Diana Ross was one of many A-list stars present at Beyoncé’s birthday concert but gave the “alien” superstar an extra special gift. The icon sang “Happy Birthday” to Beyoncé as she graced the stage at her third and final Los Angeles show for the Renaissance World Tour.
The show on Sept. 4 was to commemorate the star’s 42nd birthday, as confirmed by The Hollywood Reporter. After a slew of surprise guests at her prior two LA shows, rumors that the “The Supremes” star would perform came to fruition that night.
Upon appearing before the lucky guests, Beyoncé mouthed an “I love you” to her fellow legend before the 79-year-old initiated the celebratory song. Ross also sang her hit, “Love Hangover,” while on stage.
During the festivities, Beyoncé shared personal words with the fans and celebrity friends in attendance. She expressed her love to her dedicated fans, her husband, Jay-Z, her mother, Tina, and her former Destiny’s Child members.
“My soul is full. I’m so thankful; I’m trying not to cry,” the mother of three shared. “I’m thankful to be alive. I’m thankful to be on stage. I’m thankful to look out and see your faces. I’m thankful to be able to provide a safe space for all of y’all. I’m thankful for music, for the ability to heal myself through music, which then heals all of you.”
The surprise performance was followed by Kendrick Lamar joining the birthday girl for a special rendition of “America Has A Problem.”
Other celebrities at the affair were members of the Kardashian-Jenner family, including Kim and Kylie, Lizzo, Zendaya, Adele and Brandy, among many others.
Beyoncé concluded her heartfelt speech to the thousands in attendance, making a nod to her sixth LP,
“I’m thankful that we all have the ability to make lemonade out of our lemons.”
Charlotte’s Historic Hub For Black Business, Walton Plaza, Set To Be Demolished
A piece of Black history will be destroyed in Charlotte.
The iconic Walton Plaza building that graces the Queen City skyline is being torn down, the Charlotte Observer reports. The first Black-developed building of its kind between Washington, D.C. and Atlanta hosted some of Charlotte’s finest citizens.
It is the first real estate project led by attorney and congressman Mel Watt and was the professional home to Charlotte legends, including Julius Chambers and Harvey Gantt. Now, its demolition is drawing mixed reviews.
Developer BK Partners will build a new property called Brooklyn Village, consisting of 1,243 residential units, including at least 114 designated affordable units, office and retail space, hotel rooms and 2.5 acres of “open space,” which includes a park. Historians and landmark contributors such as Watt and Gantt say the building’s existence held extraordinary significance when there was a lack of opportunities for Black people.
Built in the early 1970s, Walton Plaza provided a space to support Black business enterprises.
“Its construction alone was an act of defiance in a racially polarized time,” Watt said.
Gantt, the city’s former mayor, leased space there for his architecture firm for a number of years.
“It was a first-class space and there was a good measure of accomplishment to see this succeeding,” Gantt said.
The building survived racial trauma and continued to thrive over the years. On Feb. 4, 1971, someone firebombed Chambers’ law office, just days before Chambers and Westside Associates won a bid to build another project named East Independence Plaza.
New Brooklyn Village construction started in early August 2023 after BK Partners LLC purchased the property from Mecklenburg County for $10.3 million, according to WSOC-TV. However, not all hope is lost to keep the Black legacy alive. The new owners include The Peebles Corporation, a New York-based African-American-owned company, and the Charlotte-based Conformity Corporation.
Peebles Corp EVP Donahue Peebles III said the group recognizes the history behind the land but realizes its time for something new, calling Brooklyn Village South “the first step in a long journey.”
“I think that our focus has always been on paying homage to the vibrancy that was historic Brooklyn…something that could approximate what was the city’s main district for Black people,” Peebles said.
The Artist Formerly Known As Kanye West Banned From Venetian Water Taxi Company For Naughty Acts With Wife
Kanye West and his “wife” Bianca Censori have gotten themselves banned for life from a water taxi company in Italy after the rapper indecently exposed himself during a boat ride.
Venezia Turismo Motoscafi says Kanye, 46, and Censori, 28, are “no longer welcome” aboard the A-list Venetian boat rental company after the rap/fashion mogul dropped his pants during a ride while his wife laid her head in his lap.
The company toldDaily Mail it was “completely unaware” about Kanye’s naughty behavior until the photos filled the press last week.
“On board, the driver had to keep a lookout for traffic and did not see these obscenities,” the company said.
“If this had happened, he would have immediately disembarked and reported the transgressors to those in authority.”
The company also noted “a third person on board the taxi” with Kanye and his wife and seemingly blocked the captain from seeing what the rapper was up to on the back of the boat.
The ban comes one week after Kanye was photographed and recorded with his bare backside out during a river taxi ride on the Venice canals.
Kanye donned all black and partially shielded his face with a cloth while seated on the back of the vessel. Censori was seen sitting near him down below and fixing her leather trench coat after the boat docked and they stepped off the boat with an unidentified female companion, Page Sixreports.
Now as a result of the NFSW behavior, authorities are reportedly investigating the couple. Police sources say there were a number of complaints filed against Kanye and Censori saying they went too far.
“There are standards of public decorum that have to be followed by tourists and locals alike and any breaches are severely punished,” a police source said.
The “Stronger” rapper has been stirring up the press with his recent visit to Italy with Censori, who has been called out out for her revealing outfits. Kanye wed the Australian architectural designer in a non-legally binding wedding ceremony in January, just two months after finalizing his divorce from Kim Kardashian.
Black-Owned Company In Mississippi Trains Black Women To Become Truck Drivers
Black women in Mississippi are learning how to drive the big trucks.
Willie Jones, president and CEO of DSC Training Academy, shows these women how to enter the transportation industry by providing educational and hands-on training through her truck driving school in Jackson.
Public News Service reported that the demand in the truck driving industry is high, especially for Mississippi, which relies heavily on trucks to deliver everyday goods.
Jones said a career in the trucking business offers equitable pay for women drivers.
“As long as you’re able to drive that truck and get that freight from point A to point B, your pay is going to be equal to the men that are out there,” said Jones.
“We know for sure that there are higher-wage opportunities. Of course, in trucking, our first-year graduates average anywhere from $50,000 to $70,000 a year, and they have opportunities to earn so much more.”
Women who train through her academy are matched based on personal and professional goals. A new training initiative is in the works for DSC that will offer students who are mothers mentorship, mental health, and other resources.
“We’re very excited to have a new program that we’re getting ready to launch at DSC called ‘Mississippi Women in Trucking,'” said Jones.
“And we are recruiting 20 women for this pilot program. So, we’re providing up to 12 months of affordable childcare paid for these women, in addition to transportation assistance and other wraparound services.”
Jones said Mississippi offers workforce training dollars for women to pursue jobs that will increase their wages. Graduates from her academy are well-prepared to thrive in the transportation market.
According to DSC, the company formed its Training Academy in 2000. The established brand’s Commercial Truck Driver Training School has locations in Greenville, Tupelo, and Jackson. Jones operates out of Jackson as the academy’s sole location at the workforce development center at 3906 I-55 South Frontage Road.
