Atlanta, vegan bodega, bodega
by Jaimee Ratliff

September 2, 2023

Black-Owned Vegan LaRayia’s Bodega Is Nourishing Souls In Atlanta

LaRayia Gaston is clear on the real mission behind her popular Atlanta-based vegan bodega. The micro-market named LaRayia’s Bodega is equal parts community hangout and wellness one-stop shop. But it is 100% soul.

Nestled in the Ponce City Market, a food hall in downtown Atlanta, LaRayia’s Bodega is the first plant-based, grab & go market designed to address food access and justice issues. Originally founded in Los Angeles, it is also the first vegan, organic 99-cent store. According to its website, the booming establishment receives 150 to 300 customers daily and has become a hub for the city’s arts community. Building on her dedication to the unhoused in LA’s famed Skid Row neighborhood, Gaston saw a need for healthy food options and nutritional education in the south’s Peach State.

In an interview with ESSENCE, the former fashion designer turned documentary filmmaker shed light on her unexpected path to being the only Afro-Latina woman to own a vegan bodega in the city “I honestly didn’t ever see myself doing something like this,” she said. “I never thought I would have pivoted in this way, but honestly, it all played an integral part in everything that we do because I always liked to give food away. I became vegan at 19 before it was a buzzword. I’m 35 now, so I went plant-based because it really did help with my health, especially growing up, not having access to healthy food and things like that in the neighborhood I was in as a kid,” she continued. “It definitely played a part. So when I was able to give out free food, that was my form of tithing.”

Perhaps what has set her business apart from other plant-based eateries is her heart. A relentless advocate for her people, Gaston gushes over the love the community has for the space. “People just make a seat anywhere and stay for hours,” she said. “They really come and don’t leave—I love it.” Success as a business owner is not paramount for the busy entrepreneur; honoring what she feels is her life’s purpose is at the forefront. “If it’s only about money, God leaves the room,” Gaston said.

BBQ
by Mary Spiller

September 2, 2023

Boss Business: Pitmaster Derrick McCray Carries On Family’s Nearly 100-Year BBQ Legacy

CEO and pitmaster Derrick McCray of McCray’s Backyard BBQ and Seafood gave CNBC’s Make It a history lesson on the rich backstory of his family business on August 31. He also revealed his goal to take his mom-and-pop restaurant nationwide. 

McCray, 60, explained that his great-uncle Jay Harvey started the BBQ business in West Palm Beach, Florida, opening its doors in 1934.

“Uncle Jay brought my father up in the barbecue business and made him a barbecue extraordinaire. He was the barbecue man. And he was pretty much the only Black restaurant business in his area during that time,” he said.

Being located in South Florida at the height of the civil rights movement and segregation laws, McCray recalled meeting some of the biggest names in activism in his family restaurant as he grew up. 

“I can remember Jesse Jackson, James Brown, Isaac Hayes, all those people coming to my home and to the restaurant because my dad was one of the leading civil rights activists here in South Florida during that time,” he said. “We had a lot of bomb threats and death threats from the Klan and all kinds of stuff.”

When President Nixon’s War on Drugs was launched, it “tore the fabric of the community apart” and the family business took a brutal financial hit.

However, McCray said he knew he had to keep the family business going.

“It’s in my DNA to keep moving forward,” said McCray. “I don’t see a reason why the McCrays can’t be like the Rockefellers or the Posts or other big families that have secured generational wealth.”

These days, the pitmaster has taken to restoring the business through hard work and good food following a significant career change.

In the 1980s, McCray was a student and football player at the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. In his CNBC interview he admitted that his educational years were cut short after the distractions of being an athlete led him to make bad decisions. 

“I was partying too much, drinking and doing stuff. I wasn’t being consistent. I was trying to be in the streets. And I didn’t pass the drug test out there, so they told me to go back where I came from,” McCray remembered. “It was a devastating blow to me because I knew I had the talent to play, but my off-the-field activities during that time caused me to not make it in something I love doing: playing football.”

The life-altering event caused McCray to head back home and take over McCray’s Backyard BBQ and Seafood. He made many business changes that were for the better, and he made sure to keep preparing the food the same way his family always has. 

“We cook the same way we’ve cooked for years … with open pit wood only,” said McCray. “That sets us apart because it’s this sort of science to what we do. It’s an old art form that’s still alive with us that now we’ve modified it to where we can produce 10,000 pounds of ribs a day. We take cooking ribs to a whole other level.”

In addition, he made sure to keep the signature barbecue sauce the same.

McCray’s decisions are paying off: He reported bringing in $1.58 million in revenue in 2022, serving politicians and musicians, and since 2007 has been a major vendor for the Super Bowl every year except for one.

McCray hopes his hard work sets an example for generations to come.

“I’m always trying to see how we can expand this 89-year history to another 100 years while I’m still here, and a major part of that involves the youth,” he said. ”[Young people of color] need to know that there are other ways to make money than drugs, rap music, and sports.”

RELATED CONTENT: Anthony Anderson And Cedric The Entertainer Start BBQ Brand

Tulsa, DOJ , investigation
by Jaimee Ratliff

September 2, 2023

Greenwood Hospital That Treated Tulsa Race Massacre Victims To Be Turned Into Hub For Black Entrepreneurs

As the last known survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre fight for reparations, the city is preparing to turn one of the landmarks at the center of the riots into a hub for Black entrepreneurs.

According to the Black Wall Street Times, the dilapidated Greenwood Moton Hospital—which once treated victims of the massacre—will be restored and remodeled into a business hub that caters directly to the city’s Black business hopefuls. On Aug. 2, the Tulsa Economic Development Corporation (TEDC) held a demolition ceremony to mark the start of the construction of the resource center.

A partnership between Partner Tulsa, the city of Tulsa, TEDC, and Greenwood Entrepreneurship at Moton (GEM) hopes to begin the process of bringing Black-owned businesses back to the community that was once home to the original Black Wall Street. The 9,500-square-foot space will be open to entrepreneurs who have completed a TEDC cohort or have an approved business plan; however, costs will only be waived for the former. It is a full-circle moment for residents of Greenwood who understand the rich history connected to the medical institution.

In 1921, it was the only hospital where Black victims of the race riots could be treated. Many lives were saved behind the institution’s doors on the days following the white domestic terror attack; its presence has been a constant reminder in the decades after. Originally named the Maurice Williams Hospital, the medical facility would be rebuilt and erected in honor of the former president of the Tuskegee Institute, Robert Russa Moton. The city and county have invested $5 million for its latest development to help the project come to life. “It means creating physical spaces where Black-owned businesses and entrepreneurs can access the resources and mentorship they need to launch and grow their own businesses, and ensuring these businesses can access capital through targeted loan funds,” said Partner Tulsa Executive Director Kian Kamas.

RELATED CONTENT: Oklahoma Will Not Honor Appeal Of Tulsa Race Massacre Survivors, Refuses To Reach Settlement

McKinsey
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

September 2, 2023

McKinsey and New Voices Foundation Join Forces to Grow Black-Owned Consumer Businesses

McKinsey & Company’s Consumer practice and the Mckinsey Institute for Black Economic Mobility have joined forces with the New Voices Foundation (New Voices) to accelerate the growth of Black-owned brands. Through this collaboration, McKinsey & Company (McKinsey) will provide strategic support to New Voices member businesses (known affectionately as the New Voices Family) via its Next 1B: Scalers program and work directly with the New Voices team to expand and fine tune its operations, capacity and impact.

“Despite increasing demand from consumers and retailers, Black-owned brands face outsized challenges to profitable scaling. And we know that improving the success rate of Black-owned businesses is an essential component of improving economic mobility for communities,” says Tiffany Burns, McKinsey Senior Partner. “We believe, together with New Voices, we can change the odds by working hand-in-hand with these entrepreneurs to create bold and achievable growth plans.”

The Next 1B program is being rolled out to five New Voices Family businesses this year. Each brand works with a dedicated McKinsey team to understand the full opportunity across marketing, sales, product and operations, sequence growth levers and build a roadmap. They also receive guidance on pressing, near-in business questions, such as pricing, digital media or talent strategy.

This effort builds on the longstanding commitments that both McKinsey and New Voices Foundation have made. McKinsey’s 10 Actions for Racial Equity includes a commitment of $200M in pro bono work to advance racial equity and doubling spending with diverse suppliers. At New Voices, this builds on the impact already achieved within their network of 30,000+ Black and women of color entrepreneurs, which New Voices has supported through 1,300+ hours of business education, mentoring and coaching, significant networking opportunities, $25M+ of new capital to entrepreneurs.

“We are excited to work with McKinsey to expand the New Voices Foundation’s impact on people of color and woman-owned businesses,” says New Voices Foundation Chair, Richelyna Hall. “McKinsey brings its considerable expertise on scaling businesses profitably, and have demonstrated their commitment to small and minority-owned businesses.”

This collaboration comes alongside the 1-year anniversary of McKinsey’s Next 1B program launch. Over the past 12 months, Next 1B has worked with over 100 Black-owned businesses in its 2-month-long capability-building program, Founders, and has led growth projects for several businesses through the Scalers program.

“The Next 1B Scaler program has helped us create more equitable opportunities for our business. We are grateful for this collaboration; it provides best-in-class resources that add real value to founders. The work has helped us validate strategy, quantify assumptions and create insights that are actionable.” – Jason Crain, President, Slutty Vegan, Inc.

Bill St. Louis Named Executive VP, Head Of Enforcement At FINRA
by Derek Major

September 2, 2023

Bill St. Louis Named Executive VP, Head Of Enforcement At FINRA

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority announced it has appointed Bill St. Louis as the head of enforcement, effective immediately.

According to a FINRA release, the executive vice president most recently served as the head of FINRA’s National Cause and Financial Crimes Detection Program (NCFC). St. Louis will lead more than 300 enforcement officers and staff in 11 offices nationwide in his new role. St. Louis will report directly to FINRA CEO Robert Cook.

In a statement, Cook called St. Louis a valued company member.

“Bill’s broad and deep experience at FINRA, including his previous senior roles in Enforcement and Member Supervision, and his most recent position as head of the NCFC, will serve him well as Head of Enforcement. I am confident he will bring exemplary leadership, expertise, and vision to bear in his new role supporting the Enforcement department’s contributions to FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity,” said Cook.

St. Louis has been with FINRA since 1998, when he served as regional chief counsel for FINRA’s North Region. He has also held several positions in the Enforcement Department. The Baruch College and the New York University Law School alum also served as the director of FINRA’s New York office from 2014 to 2019 and as the senior vice president and regional director of FINRA’s Northeast Region from 2019 to 2020.

Most recently, St. Louis oversaw the NCFC team comprised of the National Cause Program, Financial Crimes Surveillance, the Financial Intelligence Unit, and specialized investigations units covering anti-money laundering and fraud, cybersecurity, high-risk representatives, and vulnerable adults and seniors.

“It is a privilege to lead such a talented and expert group of Enforcement professionals who are dedicated to FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity,” St. Louis said in a statement. “I look forward to strengthening FINRA’s Regulatory Operations, ensuring integrated oversight, and increasing safety in the market as we advance our important work through the regulatory opportunities and challenges ahead.”

RELATED CONTENT: Exclusive: Incoming LISC CEO Pledges To Keep Helping Black Americans Despite New Challenges

Pras Michel, tour, conviction, FBI, Fugees, rapper
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 1, 2023

Pras Says He Found Out About The Fugees Reunion Tour ‘Through the Media’

What are the chances that we actually knew about Lauryn Hill’s 25th-anniversary tour for her solo album that will double as The Fugees reunion tour before one of the group’s members found out? Well, according to Pras, that was definitely the case!

According to TMZ, as a reporter approached Pras to speak to him about the upcoming tour, the rapper revealed that he had just recently found out about the tour. The tour was announced by Hill last month and Pras stated that he only heard about the news “last week.” He mentioned he got the news in pretty much the same way most of the fans did, “through the media.”

“I ain’t even know this tour was happening until last week to be honest with you,” Pras said. “I heard about it through the media. I’m going, obviously, I just heard about it last week.”

Hill is set to go on the road in celebration of the anniversary of what many consider to be one of the greatest albums made, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.” Although she was known as a rapper in The Fugees, her album was mostly R&B, laced with hip-hop, so it caught many by surprise.

But, evidently, even more surprising was the tour for Pras.

With a much bigger issue on his plate, it may be forgiven that he didn’t hear about the announcement sooner (Although you would think someone would have informed him that he would be on tour, so he could agree to do so!).

The recording artist was found guilty in a federal case on 10 felony counts and charged with acting as an unregistered foreign agent of China, conspiring to make illegal campaign contributions and witness tampering, NBC News reported. The charges were related to Pras’ alleged involvement with Malaysian financier Jho Low, who was accused of finessing $4.5 billion from Malaysia’s 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.

RELATED CONTENT: ‘Ooh La-La-La’: Lauryn Hill Announces Miseducation Tour With The Fugees For 25th Anniversary

by Stacy Jackson

September 1, 2023

Simone Biles Introduces Back-To-School Must-Haves With New Athleta Girls Collection

Stepping back on the mat isn’t the only comeback Simone Biles is making these days.

The Olympic gymnast has returned to the fashion industry by launching her third partnership with the activewear brand Athleta Girl. The new collection, “Because I Can,” celebrates young girls worldwide returning to the classroom for the new school year.

According to Ebony, Biles, and Athleta are committed to inclusivity and the empowerment of female athletes. Biles decided to initially join forces with the company after learning of its similar mission to support women in sports. As a role model to girls and women across the world, Biles wants to amplify the message that endorsement deals for athletes span beyond monetary gain.

The “Because I Can” collection, co-created with the Athleta design team, features back-to-school must-haves inspired by Biles‘ popular anthem, “Because I Can,” which is designed on most items.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by ATHLETA (@athleta)

Girls can shop new back-to-school favorites that include crop tees, flare pants, tights, and shorts. The line also features the Simone Biles x Athleta Long Distance Bra, designed to fit close to the body for “live-in comfort.” Biles and the Athleta design team dropped a special product into the collection. Girls can also purchase the SB Scrunchie 2-Pack—the one-size-fits-all scrunchies are designed in colors that match the complete collection.

According to the collection’s product details, all items are made for girls to feel confident in school, at practice and during activities. The Powervita™ fabric provides girls with “buttery soft” support that “feels like a gentle hug.”

“Because I Can” products are available in colors such as Madeira Purple, Larkspur Red, Nightfall Purple, and Brushstroke Blue. Styles are priced between $35 and $55, with scrunchies at $15.

Ebony reported that the Simone Biles x Athleta drop was made for girls to feel special and empowered to accomplish anything they set their minds to throughout the school year.

RELATED CONTENT: Simone Biles Wins 8th National Title, Becomes Most Decorated Gymnast In History

Sports Reporter Josina Anderson Joins ‘Undisputed’ Panel
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

September 1, 2023

Sports Reporter Josina Anderson Joins ‘Undisputed’ Panel

After NFL Hall of Fame great Shannon Sharpe left the FS1 sports talk show Undisputed, it wasn’t known who would replace those big shoes he left behind. Now, it has been reported that a number of personalities will be stepping into them, the most recent addition being former ESPN sports reporter Josina Anderson.

According to Athlon Sports, longtime reporter and sports analyst Skip Bayless has added Anderson to his panel of personalities for the updated Undisputed.

The 45-year-old Anderson, who ran track as a student athlete at the University of North Carolina, worked at ESPN for nine years before leaving in 2020. She was named ESPN’s first female NFL insider in 2015.

While there, Anderson made regular appearances on Sunday NFL Countdown, NFL Live, and SportsCenter. Before gaining employment at ESPN, she was a reporter for six years with Fox 31 in Denver.

She is currently working as CBS Sports’ senior NFL insider and will continue to do so.

Sharpe left the debate show earlier this year, and the speculation as to who would take his place finally ended when it was announced that a panel of sportscasters would be appear the show during the week.

So far, former athletes have been added, all Super Bowl champions. They include former Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman, Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin, and Tampa Bay Buccaneer Keyshawn Johnson.

Meanwhile, Sharpe recently signed on to join Stephen A. Smith on his ESPN show First Take, appearing on Mondays and Tuesdays during the NFL season. This marks a return to the program for Sharpe. Before partnering with Skip Bayless over at FS1, Sharpe was a regular guest (in 2016) on First Take, which helped land him the spot opposite Bayless, who himself was a regular host on First Take before going to FS1.

RELATED CONTENT: Shannon Sharpe Joins Stephen A. Smith On ESPN’s ‘First Take’

by Daniel Johnson

September 1, 2023

Is Former Music Exec Dom Lucre Turning His Twitter Into ‘Blacks 4 Trump’ Central?

In a series of posts to the X platform, formerly Twitter, former hip-hop executive Dom Lucre criticized the Democratic Party for what he sees as an overreach of its powers relating to the prosecution of former U.S. President Donald J. Trump.

Lucre name-drops Malcolm X in one post while imploring Black women not to bind their votes to the Democratic Party.

“I see a lot of Black men speaking against what is being done to Donald Trump, will Black women finally listen to the leadership of the men?” Lucre asked.

“The Democrat Party would be NOTHING without Black women, remind them that and leave those racist white Democrats alone,” he added.

Lucre is also focused on speaking out against Fulton County’s Black District Attorney Fani Willis, who is prosecuting Trump. He has posted multiple pictures of her photographed with assorted famous Black men in an attempt to discredit her and promised to “expose” her. The replies to his posts are often filled with conspiracy theorists and/or bots.

In the comments section of a video post where Lucre discusses Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision not to support Republican lawmakers in their call to “defund one District Attorney,” most likely referring to Willis, there is a noticeable presence of users who label Kemp as a traitor and suggest that he is compromised. Interestingly, Lucre refrains from addressing or challenging these conspiracy theories.

https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1697373506533523518

According to The Intercept, Kemp signed a law to establish a commission that can discipline or remove elected prosecutors over their choices to charge or not charge certain offenses. The law was signed in May, shortly after Willis announced that she would seek charges against the 45th president of the United States. The law is designed to limit the ability of reform-minded prosecutors to create change, but District Attorney Willis doesn’t appear to be interested in reform. Instead, the law can be taken as an attempt to punish the Fulton County DA for seeking to prosecute the former president.

There seem to be many Republicans in Georgia who would welcome that.

Clint Dixon, a Republican state senator in Georgia, posted on Facebook that Willis has an “unabashed goal to become some sort of leftist celebrity.” Dixon also claimed that she should be investigated for using the justice system against her opponents.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Republican state lawmakers in Georgia plan to condemn Willis for daring to prosecute Trump. 

These developments fly in the face of Lucre’s rant on social media about the propensity of white liberals to hide their racism in benign actions. The GOP,  which Lucre seems to be in alignment with, has been the preferred party for white supremacists to infiltrate, primarily through Donald Trump, say some political observers. Still, Trump and the GOP have enticed new Black voters.

In 2020, exit polls showed that Trump got almost 20% of Black men to vote for him. A piece for Fortune describes Trump’s appeal to these voters as an appeal to “honor culture,” citing voters who praised Trump’s strength and bravado in support of this theory.

Lucre, based on his tweets, seems to have a similar admiration of Trump’s projections of strength as he often heaps praise on Trump and Trump’s acolytes like Trevian Kutti, a publicist who once worked with Kanye West and is one of his co-defendants in Georgia.

https://twitter.com/dom_lucre/status/1696018909244064195

In the same post that Lucre name-drops Malcolm X, he also asks Black women to follow the leadership of Black men who have pledged to walk their own paths. Though there is undoubtedly room for ideological diversity among Black people, many are questioning Lucre’s pro-Trump social media actions.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this publication.

RELATED CONTENT: Ni**as 4 Trump’ Fall Into Sunken Place: ‘We Should Make Him King’

Hurricane Idalia
by Sharelle B. McNair

September 1, 2023

Florida’s Controversial Immigration Laws May Slow Hurricane Idalia Cleanup

Florida’s controversial SB 1718 law is not helping the much-needed Hurricane Idalia cleanup.

The law, which is cracking down on migrants being in the state illegally, is stopping undocumented workers from rebuilding what Idalia destroyed, NBC News reported.

UBS Bank reported that damages from Idalia may surpass $9 billion, and the areas that were hit hard by the natural disaster are neighborhoods with a major Latino and Black Caribbean immigrant population. Perry, Florida, hotel workers like Maggie Vidal are worried DeSantis’ law will stop them from coming back.

“This is where all the immigrants that the governor wants to push out are needed,” Vidal said. “Who is going to do all of this work? There is a lot, a lot of work here.”

The strict immigration law, which went into effect on July 1, 2023, makes it a felony to “knowingly and willfully” transport undocumented persons into the state, including relatives and friends. Out-of-state driver’s licenses issued to immigrants who lack legal status are invalid and require hospitals that accept Medicaid to inquire about immigration status.

Since the bill was passed, several farm and construction workers have moved out.

Immigrant rights organizations have sent letters to DeSantis’ administration requesting that “a public statement be issued suspending immigration enforcement by state and local authorities,” particularly in areas where a state of emergency has been declared and residents are prone to evacuate and return to their homes after the storm.

“We urge Governor DeSantis to demonstrate strong leadership by ensuring that no one is deterred from accessing shelter and necessary assistance due to immigration concerns,” said the Florida Immigrant Coalition’s Paula Muñoz.

While immigrants fleeing flooded Florida may have found temporary refuge in New York, they still live in fear. According to Documented NY, many have heard rumors of immigration raids constantly taking place back in their Florida neighborhoods.

×