by Atiya Jordan

August 11, 2023

Survey: 40% of Black Women In California Face Financial Limitations

A new 2023 California Black Women’s Quality of Life Survey paints a grave portrait of a group of Black women who are facing instability and financial insecurity due to social and economic pressures. Forty percent of survey respondents reported that racism and discrimination limited their income and earning capacity.

“We are constantly expunged and not uplifted. I am a high-performing individual and cannot get ahead,” a 21-year-old survey respondent from L.A. said. “I don’t have generational wealth, my bills are overdue, I’ve been displaced due to development and gentrification. I don’t have access to quality healthcare, includ[ing] mental health. I am tired.”

The California Black Women’s Think Tank, housed at the California State University at Dominguez Hills, conducted the survey of 1,258 Black women voters across the state. It is the first public project of the policy institute, per CBS News.

Black women represent 51% of the 2.2 million Blacks in California, which has the fifth-largest Black population in the country. Two in five women in the state work more than one job. This includes a whopping 62% who do so because it is “essential” and they would “not be able to make ends meet” without the additional income, the survey states.

“There was little to no help with the long-term effects from Covid. I lost my business and while there was a lot of support for larger businesses, there was little for small businesses, which feed our families. We have been struggling since as the bills continue to climb,” said a 38-year-old survey respondent from Inland Empire.

A previous State of Black Women in California report found that 75% of Black households are headed by single Black mothers and 80% of Black households have Black women breadwinners. However, the latest survey reveals 2 in 5 Black women face challenges covering basic expenses. Eighty percent report struggles with inflation and the rising cost of living, 66% say that managing stress is an issue, 53% are concerned with finding financial resources.

Moreover, women from the Bay Area all reported higher levels of homelessness, violence, and crime than Black women from other regions. The lack of affordability in the area and across the state sheds light on the improvements Black women would like to see for the community. Among other areas, equal pay and the need for affordable housing were the top two.

“Affordable housing. Wages in California to match the quality of living. Not having to earn three times the rent. Being able to afford food and healthcare,” a survey respondent from Central Coast said. “Getting a better job that doesn’t require me to speak Spanish. Not becoming a paycheck away from being homeless. Again.”

by Daniel Johnson

August 11, 2023

‘The Sun Rises In The East’ Documentary Tells The Story Of A Forgotten Black Brooklyn Community

The Sun Rises In The East, a 2022 documentary, traces the roots of a Black community based in Brooklyn, New York, called The East. The community was born out of an experiment when Black folks in Brooklyn took control of public schools in the Bedford-Stuyvesant community, according to CityLab. This experiment eventually led to food co-ops, schools, jazz lounges, and art centers. This burgeoning movement came to be known as The East. A counter to Western ideals and values, The East centered around Pan-African views and culture, fostering a collaborative approach as opposed to the more individualistic ideas of the West.

The Sun Rises In The East is now streaming on Amazon Video, and it has been making the rounds at various festivals.

https://youtu.be/IlhMS8M9LQ8

Even though the community had a sprawling presence, evidenced by the group’s occupation of a 232,000-square-foot facility, little has been recorded about The East’s existence.

CityLab talked to the documentary’s directors, Tayo Giwa and Cynthia Gordy Giwa, about the significance of sharing the forgotten story of The East. The doc unveils the story of an organization whose spirit has outlived its time. CityLab describes The East as a potential progenitor to the Black Lives Matter movement, critical race theory, and Afro-futurism.

“The East has such a sprawling history that we wanted to make it accessible to the masses. And sometimes you lose some of that when you get into every detail of the history,” said Tayo. “Also, we didn’t want it to sound like The East ended because that wasn’t the story we were telling. It was really about how this thing happened, and it’s still having an impact today.”

https://youtu.be/IlhMS8M9LQ8

by Iman Milner

August 11, 2023

Black Doctor Who Delivered Over 10,000 Children Honored With Street In Milwaukee

Dr. William Finlayson is a treasured figure in Milwaukee’s history. For nearly six decades, the 98-year-old has defined Black excellence for the city’s residents as a prominent fixture in both the healthcare and finance industries.

On Tuesday, Aug. 8, the street that once housed his first private practice was officially named N. Doctor William Finlayson Street in honor of the community leader and entrepreneur.

Affectionately known as “the baby doctor,” Finlayson practiced obstetrics and gynecology for 40 years, delivering nearly 10,000 babies, some of whom were on hand for the ceremonious occasion. According to Milwaukee Mag, he was the first Black OB-GYN at both St. Joseph and Sinai Hospital; aiding in the two institutions coming together. The Morehouse College alum and WWII veteran would also go on to open Milwaukee’s first Black-owned bank, North Milwaukee State Bank. Through the institution, Finlayson made key strides in arming his community with the resources necessary for financial empowerment.

“Milwaukee has many streets including people who have made an impact on the city, including Juneau, Kilborn, Cass Street and more,” said Albert L Smith who served as Master of Ceremonies for the street naming. “Now, we have a street to honor Dr. Finlayson, a towering figure in Milwaukee history.”

N. Doctor William Finlayson street runs alongside Vel R. Phillips Avenue and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, to further illustrate the significance and prominence of the near centenarian.

For the good doctor, life has been full of great accomplishments; however, Tuesday’s tribute was one that moved him deeply.

“Oh, it was a great ceremony, it’s very memorable. I hope to look back five years from now; it’s an honor,” he said.

The celebration was capped by an announcement from Dr. Eve M Hall, president and CEO of the Greater Milwaukee Urban League, that the W.E.B Dubois Club—which empowers Black men in the areas of finance, education and leadership skills—will be resurrected thanks to a generous $10,000 donation from Finlayson and his family.

by Stacy Jackson

August 10, 2023

Illinois Museum Features Annie Malone, One of the First Black Female Millionaires

Annie Malone, one of the very first Black female millionaires, will be featured in an exhibit at the Peoria Riverfront Museum in Illinois.

By the time she was 20 years old, Malone, a Metropolis, Illinois, native born in 1869, had already created groundbreaking shampoo and hair growth products.

Despite having a limited education—she attended Peoria High School in 1896, but an illness prevented her from graduating—Malone was a successful entrepreneur.

Not only did she come up with innovative products, she also created her own marketing strategy. To advertise, Malone would travel by buggy to deliver speeches about her products. She launched a haircare line, Poro, which led to establishing Poro College, a cosmetology school. According to WCBU, the institution was the first Black-owned cosmetology school, with functioning campuses in 30 cities across the United States before Malone’s passing in 1957.

The Peoria museum exhibit, titled “Life and Legacy of Annie Malone,” will contain the largest Malone display in the country.

At a recent news conference, John Morris, the CEO and president of Peoria Riverfront Museum, said Malone’s story was an essential one to tell. “We have momentum in the story of Annie Malone to build confidence to spark learning, and to do what this museum is committed to doing every day and unleash the full talent and genius of every individual,” he said.

Present at the conference was Agbara Bryson, the great-great-nephew of Annie Malone, who provided her personal artifacts to display in the exhibit.

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A partnership between Bryson and the Peoria Riverfront Museum means additional significant artifacts from Malone’s life will be displayed to the collection.

The exhibit is expected to be featured during tours organized by the Every Student Initiative, a joint effort by the museum and central Illinois school districts that provides free admission to the museum for K-8 students.

Everley Davis, coordinator of the Every Student Initiative, believes the success of Annie Malone will affect all visitors to the museum. “I am hoping that every person that walks through here and sees her story on display is inspired, motivated, challenged, encouraged, to do something different and to be their best selves,” Davis said.

The “Life and Legacy of Annie Malone” exhibit is scheduled to open September 16.

Additional information on exhibitions at the Peoria Riverfront Museum can be found on the museum’s site.

by Sharelle B. McNair

August 10, 2023

City Of Atlanta Mistakenly Demolishes Black Man’s Home And Sues Him For Demolition Costs

The City of Atlanta is suing a man after they made the mistake of tearing his house down.

Everett Tripodis was left without a home, and now the city is hitting him with a $68,000 lawsuit on the property for demolition costs, WSB-TV reports. The lot is vacant,t and the city says they plan to foreclose and take the property. Before the demolition, Tripodis said the city sent a notice claiming a city inspector found the house unfit for habitation. However, it was sent to the wrong address. The official demolition hearing notice was for Lawton Avenue in the 30314 zip code.

Tripodis’s home is on Lawton Street but in the 30310 zip code—about 1.4 miles away.

“I’m not going to let the city take this from me. I’m going to fight them tooth and nail,” Tripodis said. “When I saw that came from the city, I was quite excited. Maybe it was a letter of apology. Maybe it was a check. Maybe they’re going to justly compensate me. I opened it up and realized that they were suing me.”

After the city council reviewed the city’s demolition process, they found some property owners were unaware their homes were up for demolition, but that’s not stopping homeowners from being sued. The city claims that “the property should be sold at public outcry unless one or more of the interested parties tenders the full redemption amount.”

Tripodis called the city out for not taking accountability for its mistakes, saying it was a “slap in the face.” “After you air the story, after everyone sees it, instead of them fixing the problem, they double down and do it again. It’s like after the slap comes the spit in my face. I’m just frustrated,” Tripodis said, according to The Messenger.

The frustrated homeowner isn’t going down without a fight. Tripodis is also suing the city for the demolition. While he only has a few weeks to respond to the foreclosure suit, the case is going through the Fulton Court system.

by Sharelle B. McNair

August 10, 2023

Judge Signs Court Order Stopping The Opening of New York Cannabis Dispensaries

AddIf you’re looking to open a cannabis dispensary in New York, think again.

New York Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bryant recently blocked marijuana regulators from processing retail licensing until further notice, Politico reports. The ruling was a blow to the latest effort from the state to make sure people harmed by marijuana enforcement are able the gain the financial benefits of legalization. The ruling followed a lawsuit by a group of service-disabled veterans who claimed a priority licensing program for entrepreneurs effected by marijuana enforcement was unconstitutional.

Judge Bryant’s ruling will block the state’s cannabis regulatory agencies from issuing new licenses as well as granting operational approval to those already licensed and working toward opening up dispensaries. According to Judge Bryant, without a court order blocking the cannabis licensing program, there would seem to be a “genuine urgency and that immediate and irreparable injury, loss, or damage will result” if the licensing program moves forward.

New York cannabis regulators created the recreational marijuana licensing program as a chance for entrepreneurs with past cannabis convictions or immediate family members with past convictions to have a second chance. The program pairs business owners with real estate and capital, but the program wasn’t as successful as the state hoped, opening less than 20 storefronts a little over two years after New York first legalized marijuana in 2021.

The state isn’t expected to issue new licenses until at least September after a cannabis regulatory board meeting, according to Fortune. Oral arguments are scheduled for Aug. 11 in Kingston, New York. Several cannabis entrepreneurs such as Osbert Orduña of Queens are upset with the ruling as his business is currently doing construction on a new storefront space, Orduña won’t be able to open up shop under the court order. He called the move a “way to pit one social equity group against the other,” referring to it as “divide and conquer.”

New York also made changes to the sale of marijuana at festivals. Users can now purchase cannabis at festivals and other events after farmers complained there wasn’t enough legal dispensaries in the state to handle their harvests.

coupon book, Nashville, Creating soul printing

by Iman Milner

August 10, 2023

Nashville Business Owner Spreads Love To Small Black Businesses Through Coupon Book

Thomas Kelly, the creative executive director of Creative Soulz Printing in Nashville, Tennessee, is determined to help small-business owners in his city. In an effort to spread the word about local Black-owned stores and restaurants, Kelly created the Nashville Black Business Coupon Book and will host a celebration to release its second edition on August 10.

More than 80 businesses can be found in the magazine-style resource.

“I know that I cannot grow if I’m not helping others along the way,” said Kelly. “And I just feel like, especially with Black businesses, we don’t have a lot of the resources and the support. So if we can branch together and form a community together, then we’re going to be stronger in numbers when it comes to that.”

According to WSMV News, a 2019 U.S. Census Bureau report had 134,000 Black-owned businesses on record in Nashville, a number that has continued to grow since the pandemic. Today, more than 26 percent of the city’s small businesses are Black-owned.

Still, sustainability and funding continue to be a problem for Black business owners in Nashville.

Efforts by locals like Kelly and Carlos Partee, who co-founded the Nashville Black Market, where business owners can advertise and sell their products, aim to create more foot traffic and patronage to those who need it most. “We know Black business owners have suffered more losses than other ethnicities,” Partee said. “We are trying to form a platform for entrepreneurs to thrive and continuously be represented.”

Cutting time in half for Black entrepreneurs in order to fast-track them to long-lasting success is the driving force behind Partee’s commitment to maintaining the Nashville Black Market as a key resource in the city.

“Whether that’s coming through a funnel where you go through a class and learn how to do your business a little bit better, learn how to do retail better,” he said. “Then you come to our market and you’re here and you’re put on this platform.”

RELATED CONTENT: 5 Tips To Make Your Money Work For You All 2023

by Sharelle B. McNair

August 10, 2023

Crowdfunding For Man Charged With Jordan Neely’s Death Reaches Close To $3M

The crowdfund for Daniel Penny, who killed Jordan Neely on a New York City subway, has reached millions of dollars. To assist in his defense charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide, Penny, who has pleaded not guilty to the charges in connection to Neely’s death, has raised close to $3 million, ABC News reports.

The money that doesn’t go toward his legal fees will be donated to a NYC-based mental health advocacy program.

Crowdfunding was necessary for Penny’s case, as fundraising such as this isn’t allowed on GoFundMe, according to a statement released in 2021. The website’s terms of service prohibit raising money for the legal defense of an alleged violent crime. People facing legal troubles, such as Penny and protest shooter Kyle Rittenhouse, are depending on other fundraising sites that allow them to secure funds as long as “the stated purpose of the fundraising effort is itself a lawful purpose,” according to a site representative.

Penny, a Marine veteran, was the center of the controversy involving Neely, a homeless man. Witnesses say Neely entered the train and began making verbal threats against passengers. One witness claims Neely was heard saying, “I don’t have food. I don’t have a drink. I am fed up. I don’t care if I go to jail, and if they give me life in prison … I am ready to die.”

Penny then put the man in a chokehold for several minutes, ultimately killing him.

According to The Hill, Penny’s attorneys say he had no intention of hurting Neely, but the death unleashed racial justice protests across the county. Neely’s family is calling for Penny to serve prison time for his crime.

Penny’s next court appearance is October 25.

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

August 10, 2023

Jada Pinkett Smith Celebrates Hair ‘Come Back’

Jada Pinkett Smith is giving fans an update on her alopecia condition by revealing the “come back” she’s experiencing with her hair.

The “Red Table Talk” host shared a pair of selfies on Monday, August 7, highlighting how much her hair has grown in recent months.

“This here hair is act’n like it’s try’n a make a come back. Still have some trouble spots but — we’ll see✨,” she captioned her post. “Slide 1: Past Slide 2: Present.”

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A post shared by Jada Pinkett Smith (@jadapinkettsmith)

Pinkett Smith has remained transparent about the hair loss she’s suffered as a result of her alopecia diagnosis. The candid update comes in the wake of the controversy her hair condition caused at the 2022 Academy Awards.

Will Smith issued the slap heard around the world when he walked on stage and hit Chris Rock after the comedian made a joke about Jada’s hair loss. The shocking encounter came moments before Smith returned to the stage to accept his first-ever Academy Award for Best Actor.

Smith apologized for attacking Rock but was still banned from attending the renowned award show for 10 years. Chris Rock remained silent on the attack for some time before unloading in his Netflix comedy special “Selective Outrage.”

“His wife was f—ing her son’s friend…she hurt him way more than he hurt me,” Rock said of Smith.

“Everybody called that man a b—-,” Rock added. “They called his wife a predator…And who’s he hit? Me! A n—- he knows he can beat [up].”

by Daniel Johnson

August 10, 2023

Travis Scott To Play The Toyota Center And Police Are Not Happy

As ABC-13 reported, rapper Travis Scott is gearing up to play the Toyota Center, most likely as part of his upcoming Utopia tour. Scott has not officially announced any dates or venues for his tour, but his promoter, Live Nation, leaked potential dates and venues in a social media post that has since been deleted. Scott played the Circus Maximus in Rome on Aug. 7 where he performed some songs from the album. Also, his performance in Rome featured a guest appearance from Ye (Kanye West).

While Scott has played at several festivals and had some performances like the one in Rome, this would mark the first U.S. tour for the Houston-area rapper since the 2021 Astroworld Tour. That tour was marked by tragedy during a performance in the parking lot at NRG where 10 people died and countless people were injured after a crowd surge. Scott has allegedly booked dates of Oct. 19 and Nov. 20., according to a statement released by the Houston Police Department Union President Douglas Griffith.

Griffith’s statement, given to KPRC, reveals that the union is not thrilled by the prospect of Scott playing the Toyota Center and it reads, in part: “The HPOU found out early last week that Travis Scott would be returning to Houston for two concert dates. October 19th, and November the 20th, were the dates in which were proposed for the return. Like most we were in complete disbelief.”

According to Billboard, the statement follows a reportedly tense meeting between the HPD and its union with several officers expressing concerns with safety protocols due to Scott’s propensity to encourage concertgoers to “rage” at his shows.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is trying to draw a distinction between the venue of the Toyota Center and that of the parking lot at NRG by playing up the ability of the Toyota Center to be more effectively secure.

According to ABC-13, Turner released a statement on Aug. 8, affirming the city’s commitment to ensure public safety: “Before (Tuesday’s) announcement, Toyota Center representatives convened meetings with public safety officials and the city’s special events office. They will continue working together to ensure this concert’s safety, not unlike the thousands of concerts held at Toyota Center each year.”

In July 2023, a grand jury declined to pursue charges against Scott and his promoter Live Nation in connection with the Astroworld Tour. The city commissioned a task force in response to the event, and this led to the creation of new rules such as a unified command station centrally located at events like the Astroworld Tour.

However, some like crowd management expert Paul Wertheimer do not feel as the City of Houston has done enough.

“They make more money by ignoring the situation and playing Russian roulette with the lives of young people. And as cynical as that may sound, that’s actually what’s going on.”