• News

by Sidnee Michelle

June 11, 2026

Tenant Victory: Back Rent Forgiven In More Than 5,000 NYC Apartments

The rent relief marks a significant victory for residents who organized for years around conditions in the buildings.

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Thousands of tenants living in more than 5,000 mostly rent-stabilized apartments across New York City will no longer be required to repay years of unpaid rent after the buildings’ new owner agreed to forgive millions of dollars in arrears, Gothamist reports.

Summit Properties, which acquired a 93-building portfolio from the bankrupt Pinnacle Group in March 2026, recently reached an agreement during discussions with the Union of Pinnacle Tenants, an organization representing residents in buildings across four boroughs.

“If residents stay current on their rent, we won’t pursue arrears,” Summit spokesperson Jordan Barowitz told Gothamist. He said the company is still determining how many tenants owe back rent, but estimated the total debt amounts to millions of dollars.

Tenant advocates said many residents fell behind on rent after enduring years of unsafe living conditions, while others struggled to make monthly payments because of financial hardship.

The rent relief marks a significant victory for residents who organized for years around conditions in the buildings.

“It is a big victory,” said Vivian Kuo, a representative with the Union of Pinnacle Tenants who lives in a Summit-owned building in Harlem’s Hamilton Heights neighborhood. “This is real direct monetary redress of people’s issues.”

Kuo said tenants experienced persistent problems, including collapsed ceilings, heat outages, and darkened hallways, after utility service to common areas was interrupted because of unpaid bills.

“Your home should be safe, and there are certain basic standards — heat, hot water, ceilings and walls that don’t have massive holes, doors that lock, a fire escape you can actually escape from,” Kuo said. “These are things that we should have.”

The portfolio became a focal point of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s housing agenda shortly after he took office. City officials sought to intervene in the bankruptcy proceedings, citing nearly $13 million in unpaid taxes and fines owed by Pinnacle to the city.

A federal judge rejected the city’s effort to delay the sale in January, allowing Summit to complete its $451 million purchase in March 2026.

As part of commitments made during the bankruptcy process, Summit CEO Zohar Levy pledged to invest $30 million in building improvements over five years and address thousands of housing code violations. Company officials said approximately 3,500 violations were corrected by June 1.

Barowitz said Summit “fixed hundreds of apartments, cured thousands of violations, and exceeded our commitment.”

Tenant organizer Jesse Ryan said residents expect the company to address thousands of additional violations identified during city inspections this spring.

“They’re not new issues, they’re newly recorded,” Ryan said. “We believe those new numbers aren’t a reflection of new issues, but rather the record-keeping catching up to reflect the picture of how many issues there are in these buildings.”

RELATED CONTENT: DOGE Cuts At HUD Could Cripple Fair Housing Protections

• News

by Selena Hill

June 11, 2026

Jobs Report Shows 172,000 Jobs Added In May With Unemployment Down At 4.3%

Months after President Trump replaced the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner, the agency reported stronger-than-expected job growth and a stable unemployment rate.

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Less than a year after President Donald Trump removed Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Commissioner Erika McEntarfer following a disappointing jobs report, the agency under acting Commissioner William J. Wiatrowski is reporting stronger-than-expected employment gains.

The U.S. economy added 172,000 jobs in May, significantly surpassing economists’ expectations of roughly 80,000 jobs, according to the latest BLS employment report released June 5. The unemployment rate remained unchanged at 4.3%, signaling continued resilience in the labor market despite ongoing concerns about tariffs, inflation, and economic uncertainty. Meanwhile, average hourly earnings rose 0.3% in May and were up 3.4% from a year earlier.

“This is a labor market that is stronger than it was last year and is looking pretty darn solid, despite high energy prices and higher inflation generally,” said Gus Faucher, chief economist at PNC, according to CNBC. “There’s no indication that the labor market needs support.”

The report arrives amid continued scrutiny of the agency following Trump’s dismissal of McEntarfer in August 2025, hours after the BLS released a weaker-than-expected employment report that included substantial downward revisions to prior job-growth estimates. Trump accused the agency of producing inaccurate data and replaced McEntarfer with longtime BLS Deputy Commissioner William J. Wiatrowski, who has served as acting commissioner since her departure, reports Reuters.

According to the May report, hiring was led by the leisure and hospitality sector, which added 70,000 jobs. Local government employment increased by 55,000 positions, while healthcare added 35,000 jobs, reports AfroTech.

The latest figures also included upward revisions to March and April payroll gains, reinforcing signs that the labor market has regained momentum after a period of uneven growth earlier in the year. Analysts noted that May marked the third consecutive month of solid job creation, a trend that could influence upcoming Federal Reserve decisions on interest rates.

While the stronger-than-expected report eased fears of a slowing labor market, economists continue to watch wage growth, inflation pressures, and global economic developments that could affect hiring in the months ahead.

RELATED CONTENT: Black Women Feel The Brunt Of AI Disruption And DEI Rollbacks Disproportionately

• Travel and Leisure

by Black Enterprise

June 10, 2026

The ‘Black Chef Series’ Is Turning Juneteenth Jubilee Into A Movement On Martha’s Vineyard

This is not just a dinner ...

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As the nation prepares to celebrate Juneteenth, a momentous upscale culinary event on Martha’s Vineyard is reminding residents and visitors that honoring this historic moment means investing in cultural equity.

There is something profoundly radical about a Black chef standing at the head of a table and saying: “This food has a story, and tonight you will hear it.” On June 19th and 20th, at MV Salads in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, that act of radical grace will take center stage. The Black Chef Series, founded by Chef Lance Knowling, is bringing together an intimate gathering of 20 guests per evening for A Juneteenth Chef’s Table Experience — a seven-course dinner rooted in Black culinary heritage, reimagined through ingredients sourced from Martha’s Vineyard, and paired with wines and mocktails curated by Stephanie Browne of Sipping Sense. This is not just a dinner. And it is important that we say that plainly.

The Politics of the Black Table

For generations, the Black kitchen has been the most undervalued room in American culture. Black recipes fed presidents who would not have let us sit at their tables. Black culinary traditions traveled across the Atlantic in the memories of enslaved people who were stripped of everything else, and yet — they remembered. They grew, seasoned, smoked, and simmered their way through survival. And still, for too long, that legacy has been appropriated, anonymized, or simply ignored. What Chef Lance Knowling and The Black Chef Series are doing in Oak Bluffs is reclamation. It is the deliberate, intentional act of placing Black culinary heritage at the center, not as a footnote, not as inspiration quietly borrowed, but as the main course, in every sense of the word.

Martha’s Vineyard Is Not an Accident

The choice of location speaks volumes. Martha’s Vineyard, and Oak Bluffs in particular, has been a sanctuary for Black excellence for well over a century. The Oak Bluffs community has long served as a gathering place for Black intellectuals, artists, professionals, and families — a place where Blackness was never something to be diminished or explained. To host this experience here is to situate it within a living tradition of Black joy and ownership. When the ingredients come from the land, from the waters and the soil, the food carries that history, too. Every plate becomes a kind of homecoming.

Storytelling as Sustenance

What sets this experience apart is the presence of Sharisse Scott-Rawlins, storyteller and immersive artist, alongside award-winning Chef Herb Wilson. The deliberate pairing of culinary artistry with narrative art is not incidental — it is the whole point. African Americans have always known that food and story cannot be separated in Black culture. The way ingredients, recipes, and techniques are passed down is itself a story. The spices carried from West Africa, the techniques passed through Jim Crow and sharecropping and the Great Migration, these are not embellishments to the meal. They are the meal. By bringing a storyteller to the table, The Black Chef Series honors what elders have always known: that feeding someone is an act of love, and love always has something to say.

A Moment Worth Making

Twenty seats. Two evenings. $250 per person. The investment is worth it: a meal conceived with intention, ingredients sourced with care, wine pairings designed by a Black woman entrepreneur, and a room where every detail has been constructed to honor who we are and where we come from. Diners are not simply paying for dinner. They will be supporting a vision of Black culinary excellence that refuses to be small. In a world that consistently undervalues Black art, Black culture, and Black business, presence at this table is itself a statement.

Where & When

MV Salads, 55 Circuit Ave, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, on June 19 & 20, at 6:30 PM EST.

RELATED CONTENT: Ujima Invited Black Women To Martha’s Vineyard For An Exercise In ‘Joy’

• Video

by Kenneth Meeks

June 10, 2026

Rising Cost of Living Pushes Seniors Out of Retirement! Will You Be Ready to Return to the Workforce?

Reginald Porter specializes in helping seniors back to work

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According to an AARP survey, 7% of retired Americans 50 years or older are returning to the workforce due to “economic necessity.” In February 2026, the survey also found that 41% of retired Americans were weighing the option to “unretire,” just to keep up with the rising cost of living. And while most just want to make money, oddly enough, only a mere 14% said they were returning to stay active.

In 2023, Reginald Porter, Jr., founder and CEO of RSPorter Consultancy, spoke at BLACK ENTERPRISE‘s XCEL Summit for Men (then known as the Black Men XCEL Summit), explaining that there was a constituency of people between the ages of 50 and 55 who were approaching retirement, but were actively looking to transition into another field of work, too. Nearly three years later, we find the trend continues.

When Porter sat down for a Spotlight interview with Black Enterprise Senior Multiplatform Content Producer Ashlei Stevens, he offered insight into his strategy to help retirees return to the workforce. In this accompanying clip, Porter says a key element to his strategy is finding mentorship. And a mentor isn’t necessarily an older, more seasoned person that most career-minded people think of; a mentor can be someone younger, especially in this rapidly changing world of technology. And as we approach the 10^th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, BE reminds African American men that mentorship has changed. So, as you progress in your career path, he says success is being willing to adapt to people, technology, and the environment. 

RELATED CONTENT: 10 Years Of Black Enterprise’s XCEL Summit Honorees

• Education

by Sidnee Michelle

June 10, 2026

DOJ Launches New Civil Rights Inquiry Into Medical School Admissions

The department announced June 4 that its Civil Rights Division will examine whether the schools violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

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What is the DOJ medical school investigation?

The Justice Department has opened civil rights investigations into 15 medical schools over allegations that their admissions practices may unlawfully consider race. This expands the Trump administration’s effort to enforce the Supreme Court’s ban on race-conscious admissions in higher education, Higher Ed Drive reports.

The department announced June 4 that its Civil Rights Division will examine whether the schools violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin at institutions receiving federal funding.

Federal officials did not identify the schools under investigation.

What sparked the new DOJ medical school admissions probe?

The announcement follows recent federal findings involving medical schools at Yale University and the University of California, Los Angeles. The Justice Department said those investigations concluded that admissions programs at the schools gave unlawful preferences to Black and Hispanic applicants.

Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon said the department will continue scrutinizing admissions policies that may conflict with federal law.

“Under this Justice Department, we will continue to protect American students from discriminatory and illegal preferences in admissions,” Dhillon said in a statement released June 4.

She added that admissions decisions should be based on merit and that medical schools should focus on preparing qualified physicians to meet the nation’s healthcare needs.

What legal precedent drives these civil rights investigations?

The investigations are part of a broader federal effort to ensure compliance with the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 29, 2023, decision in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. Since that ruling, federal officials have argued that some institutions may still be considering race in admissions decisions despite the court’s prohibition.

How are these schools subject to federal law?

The 15 schools named in the latest investigations receive federal funding and are therefore subject to Title VI requirements, according to the Justice Department.

The department said the inquiries remain ongoing and emphasized that the opening of an investigation does not constitute a finding of wrongdoing.

DOJ officials did not provide a timeline for completing the reviews, and the schools involved had not been publicly identified as of June 9.

RELATED CONTENT: Study Reveals HBCU Students Undergo More Hurdles In Gaining Admittance To Medical School

• Business

by Black Enterprise

June 10, 2026

Get Into These Small Business Grants For 2026

Take advantage and meet the deadlines for these seven grants

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Seven small business grants to consider:

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• Tech

by Selena Hill

June 10, 2026

The 1st Crypto-Backed Conventional Mortgage Program Just Launched

Homebuyers can now use cryptocurrency holdings to help qualify for a mortgage without selling their digital assets

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Digital assets are taking another step into mainstream finance as online mortgage lender Better and cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase announced a new partnership that will allow homebuyers to use their crypto holdings when applying for a mortgage.

The companies unveiled what they describe as the first crypto-backed conventional mortgage program, allowing eligible borrowers to count cryptocurrency assets toward mortgage qualification without liquidating their investments, reports Yahoo Finance.

Traditionally, homebuyers holding significant wealth in digital currencies have been required to convert those assets into cash before lenders would consider them for underwriting. Under the new program, borrowers can link their Coinbase accounts to Better’s mortgage platform, allowing the lender to verify and evaluate their crypto holdings directly. The move could be particularly appealing to investors who want to maintain exposure to assets such as Bitcoin while pursuing homeownership. By avoiding the need to sell cryptocurrency, borrowers may also sidestep potential tax consequences and preserve future upside if asset values increase.

The partnership reflects growing efforts by financial institutions to integrate digital assets into traditional banking and lending services as cryptocurrency adoption continues to expand across the United States.

However, the program also arrives amid ongoing concerns about the volatility of cryptocurrencies. Because digital assets can experience significant price swings, lenders will likely apply risk-management measures when determining the value attributable to a borrower’s holdings.

For Coinbase, the agreement represents another step toward broadening the real-world utility of cryptocurrency beyond trading and investing. For Better, the partnership could help attract a new generation of tech-savvy and high-net-worth borrowers whose wealth is increasingly tied to digital assets.

RELATED CONTENT: Kevin Durant Increases Role With Cryptocurrency Company Coinbase

• Tech

by Selena Hill

June 10, 2026

Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun Plans To Make The Seafood Chain ‘The Most AI-Forward Restaurant Company That Exists’

Damola Adamolekun says artificial intelligence will play a central role in Red Lobster’s turnaround strategy

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As Red Lobster continues its recovery from bankruptcy, CEO Damola Adamolekun is betting that artificial intelligence will help transform the iconic seafood chain into a more efficient, innovative, and competitive business.

During a live fireside chat on The Black Money Tree Podcast, Adamolekun outlined his vision for making Red Lobster “the most AI-forward restaurant company that exists,” signaling that emerging technology will be a key component of the brand’s long-term turnaround strategy.

“AI is important. I know a lot of people are scared of it or don’t want to deal with it, but you have to. It’s changing the game in a tremendous way … I’m trying to be the most AI-forward restaurant company that exists,” he told host Jerome D. Love.

The conversation comes as Red Lobster continues rebuilding after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 2024. Adamolekun, who previously served as CEO of P.F. Chang’s and helped drive the company to more than $1 billion in annual revenue, was tapped to lead the seafood giant through one of the most challenging periods in its history.

Speaking on the podcast, the 37-year-old investment banker stressed that business leaders can no longer afford to ignore artificial intelligence. He also shared that Red Lobster Chief Operating Officer Larry Konecny envisions AI-generated restaurant performance reports that could provide critical metrics before visiting a location, reducing manual work, and improving decision-making.

“My COO was like, ‘What if when I went to a restaurant, I could have AI pull all the relevant metrics of that restaurant, laid it out for me in a deck, and when I walk in, I’ve got everything I need right there versus having my team do it,’” he said. “There’s a lot of ‘everybody’s got ideas’ if you give them the empowerment to come up with them. So, I’m letting each department come up with their own ideas, and I’m just encouraging it and letting them do it,” he continued.

“AI is intelligent enough to do that for us and learn from the past and learn going forward and be more accurate. So, we’ll roll that out and help people be better at their jobs. So, I’m finding opportunities to do it from a company level that I’m letting the team find opportunities to make themselves better,” he added.

Adamolekun said he is encouraging departments across the organization to identify practical ways the technology can improve operations. Human resources teams, for example, could use AI to assist with evaluations, calculations, presentations, and training materials.

Beyond administrative functions, Adamolekun revealed that Red Lobster plans to deploy AI tools for sales forecasting, food-order planning, and employee scheduling. He believes the technology can improve accuracy by learning from historical data and adapting over time.

“I do think we’ll be probably the best AI company,” Adamolekun said. “Because I don’t know that anybody’s pushing it as hard as I am.”

Adamolekun’s push toward innovation comes as Red Lobster continues to streamline its footprint following financial troubles. Earlier this month, the company announced plans to close its flagship Times Square restaurant after 23 years, citing prolonged construction that reduced visibility and foot traffic, as well as the building’s planned conversion into residential housing, Business Insider reports. The closure follows the recent shutdown of Red Lobster in Tallahassee, Florida, which opened in 1970 and closed in May, reports NBC New York.

According to Fortune, Red Lobster currently operates around 550 restaurants, down from roughly 700 locations a few years ago. The downsizing may not be over. In February, Adamolekun told The Wall Street Journal that the company plans to continue closing underperforming locations as part of its broader strategy to strengthen profitable restaurants, modernize operations, and position the iconic seafood chain for long-term growth.

RELATED CONTENT: Elevating Your Excellence: Damola Adamolekun: The Nigerian King Of Red Lobster

• Health Is Wealth

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 10, 2026

Ask Your Fairygodmentor®: I’m Burned Out Before My PTO Even Starts—Help

Vacation shouldn’t be a temporary CPR machine

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Dear Fairygodmentor®, 

I’m Burned Out, Checked Out, and Counting Down to Vacation — How Do I Keep Going Until Break?

–Counting Down

Dear Counting Down,

You may be counting down, but you’re not down for the count. You can still make it out of this pre- burnout that you’re feeling creep up on you. Asking for help is the first sign of turning this negative “situationship” with work around.

Vacation shouldn’t be the only thing keeping you alive at work. 

Stop Treating Vacation Like a Life Raft

The problem isn’t just needing rest. It’s where you’re building a life where you’re only recovering once or twice a year. This isn’t sustainable; it’s working in constant survival mode. The reason why burnout shows up right on cue before vacation is that your body finally sees an “escape route.” And that’s no way to live your best life.

Action Plan #1: Create a “Minimum Workable Workday”

I invite you to identify:

• Three things that actually have to get done daily

• What can wait

• What you’re over-functioning on unnecessarily

Everything can’t be top priority at the same time. Burnout happens in workplaces where urgency becomes part of the culture rather than the exception. “Emotional Support Human for the entire organization” was not in your job description. Don’t make it a reality.

Borrow Energy Instead of Creating It

When you’re burned out, you often think you need motivation to keep going. What you really need is conservation.  

You’ve heard it time and again, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Stop expecting “high-performance energy” from your exhausted nervous system. This is your season for simplification, not optimization. Give yourself grace. It’s OK that your hustle and flow ain’t flowin’ no mo. Having temporary survival strategies is OK.

Action Plan #2: Use the “Reduce, Delegate, Delay” Filter

For every task you have to complete this week, ask:

• “Can I reduce this scope?” 

• “Can I delegate part of it?” 

• “Can this wait until after my vacation?”

Examples:

• Reduce= shorter meetings

• Delegate = asking for support instead of suffering in silence

• Delay= perfectionist-driven tasks that aren’t urgent

In the heat of the moment, you may not recall these three steps easily. Post them on your laptop or in your office where you can refer to them quickly. My wall is peppered with post-its keeping me in my lane of reducing overwork.

Give Yourself Something To Return To, Not Just Escape From

Sometimes work burnout feels worse before PTO because folks dread returning to the same unsustainable reality.

Remember that the vacation you’re taking is recovery, not repair. Nothing changes if nothing changes. Burnout will return quickly if you don’t change what’s causing it in the first place. Pay attention to the physical red flags like exhaustion, insomnia, high blood pressure, and see them as data. This is feedback that something needs to change.

Action Plan #3: Schedule One Boundary Before Vacation Begins

Commit to ONE concrete change before taking time off:

• No meetings during lunch

• Logging off at a certain hour

• Taking PTO days quarterly

• Saying no to unnecessary stretch work

• Blocking focus time

Your vacation shouldn’t be a temporary CPR machine for a lifestyle that keeps knocking the wind out of you.

Rest is important. Vacation is beautiful. But the real goal isn’t just making it to your time off. It’s about creating a career and life where you don’t have to constantly escape from. And that starts by listening to yourself before burnout forces you to.

Enjoy your vacation!

You got this!

Yours truly,

Your Fairygodmentor®

About Joyel Crawford:

Joyel Crawford is an award-winning career and leadership development professional and founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies, a consultancy that empowers results-driven leaders through coaching, training, and facilitation. She’s the best-selling author of Show Your Ask: Using Your Voice to Advocate for Yourself and Your Career.

Have a question for Your Fairygodmentor®?

Submit your career and leadership questions, whether it’s about navigating a micromanager, setting boundaries, negotiating for a raise, or handling burnout. Ask Your Fairygodmentor® today!

RELATED CONTENT: 7 Mental Health Resources For Black Professionals

• News

by Sidnee Michelle

June 10, 2026

Woman Who Lost Both Legs During Bahamas Excursion Sues Carnival Cruise Line

Hannah Smith was a passenger aboard the Carnival Celebration when she suffered severe injuries during a catamaran excursion

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A Tennessee woman who lost both legs after a shore excursion in the Bahamas has filed a lawsuit against Carnival Cruise Line and an excursion operator, alleging negligence contributed to the May 12 incident, Live On Fox reports.

Hannah Smith, a recent graduate of Miles College, was a passenger aboard the Carnival Celebration when she suffered severe injuries during a catamaran excursion near Pearl Island, according to the lawsuit filed in federal court.

The complaint alleges Smith was directed by excursion staff to enter the water after she said she needed to use a restroom while returning from the island. The lawsuit further claims employees provided alcohol throughout the excursion and supplied marijuana before the incident.

According to the filing, crew members failed to properly anchor the vessel and instead used its engines to maintain position while passengers entered the water. Smith alleges she was pulled beneath the boat and struck by a propeller, resulting in injuries that required the amputation of both legs.

Pitre said Smith initially appeared to be swimming normally before disappearing beneath the vessel. Other passengers and crew members rushed to assist her after the accident, according to the reports.

After the incident, Smith was taken to a medical facility in Nassau, where doctors performed several emergency operations. She was subsequently flown to HCA Florida Kendall Hospital in Miami to receive specialized care and continued treatment.

The lawsuit seeks damages from both Carnival and the excursion company, alleging they failed to provide a safe environment for passengers and did not follow appropriate safety procedures.

Carnival has asked the court to dismiss the claims against the cruise line, arguing that the excursion operator was an independent contractor and not under Carnival’s direct control, according to court records.

Smith’s attorneys contend Carnival marketed and sold the excursion to passengers and should bear responsibility for ensuring reasonable safety standards.

“Our client, Hannah Smith, was a bright, accomplished young woman celebrating a tremendous academic milestone when she suffered these horrific injuries,” said Attorney Keith S. Brais in a statement.

“We are fully committed to pursuing justice on her behalf and holding accountable those responsible for the sequence of unsafe decisions that resulted in this life-altering tragedy.”

RELATED CONTENT: Shocking Video Shows Woman Jump Overboard Carnival Cruise Ship into Gulf of Mexico