The Gathering Spot Allegedly Fires Black Co-Founder TK Petersen
by Mary Spiller

July 15, 2023

The Gathering Spot Allegedly Fires Black Co-Founder TK Petersen

A July 13 report by ATL Uncensored alleges that Atlanta’s Black-founded and -centered membership club, The Gathering Spot, has fired one of their Black co-founders, TK Petersen. 

The Gathering Spot is a premium membership club curated to support its members in making meaningful connections and gaining business experiences. In the Spot’s connected cities, members are invited to different enriching events beneficial for their professional and personal careers. The Gathering Spot’s mission statement boasts, “This [initiative] reflects our commitment to intentionally curating a diverse collection of entrepreneurs, creatives, executives, filmmakers, politicians, venture capitalists, lawyers, musicians, and artists under one roof.”

The ATL Uncensored Twitter post alleged, “Atlanta’s Black-founded membership club, The Gathering Spot, has reportedly fired co-founder TK Petersen, causing surprise within the community. The club, acquired by Paul Judge and Ryan Glover, owners of Greenwood digital bank in May 2022, has made an unexpected move by dismissing one of its co-founders.”

The outlet continued to ask online users, “Since its establishment in 2016 by Ryan Wilson and TK Petersen, #TheGatheringSpot has served as a prominent cultural and influential center in Atlanta. How do y’all think this might affect the overall culture and harmony of the business?”

Although the news of Petersen’s firing hasn’t been confirmed by The Gathering Spot yet, the post references a significant move made by the company back in 2022. Last year, The Gathering Spot was acquired by Greenwood Incorporated. The acquisition boosted The Spot to be “the largest fintech and community platform for Blacks and minorities with a combined community of over 1 million people.” 

After the expansion, Greenwood claimed to share a mission with The Gathering Spot of “closing the wealth gap for minorities through community building, entrepreneurship, group economics and wealth building.”

News of TK Petersen’s alleged firing sparked dissatisfaction from the community, as he’s the co-founder and CFO of The Gathering Spot and the Vice President of Greenwood digital banking.

Notably, Van Lathan Jr., a founding member of The Gathering Spot LA, expressed his disappointment with the news.

Ayesha Curry
by Stacy Jackson

July 14, 2023

Ayesha Curry Dishes On First Skincare Line, Says She Created ‘Recipes for Your Face’

Ayesha Curry is all smiles these days.

The Canadian-American actress, author, and chef has added a new skincare line to her list of business ventures. On July 11, 2023, Curry entered the beauty space with the official launch of Sweet July Skin. According to Vogue, she introduced her line with three signature products that pay homage to her Jamaican roots.

Curry credited her mother and grandmother for putting her on to game with natural skincare remedies. “Growing up, I just remember them always having these little old wives tails [sic] about their skincare like, ‘Rub this tomato on your face, like it’ll be good for you,’ or ‘Take this aloe vera and put it on after the sun,'” she said.

Sweet July Skin products are packed with Vitamin C and niacinamide. Curry’s skin struggles placed her focus on creating products suitable for all skin types. “I’m also a victim of adult acne,” Curry said.

The beauty entrepreneur’s new line boasts clean, vegan products free of parabens and silicone. The products include the Pava Exfoliating Cleanser, a merge of papaya and guava that features a lychee seed powder to polish skin; the Pava Toner, a blend of fruit extracts for brightening; and the Irie Power Face Oil, a multipurpose oil that she uses as a makeup base for extra hydration. “What I love about the oil is it’s not oily,” she said.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by SJS (@sweetjulyskin)

Curry envisioned her line as “recipes for your face.” Working with the lab chemists, she gathered ideas and produced products that reflected a universal theme of “tremendous joy” for her brand. “I’m approaching it as a sensorial experience; it has to smell good; it has to feel good; it has to carry you somewhere,” she said.

July is a month of gratitude for Curry and her family. The month marks another anniversary with her husband, Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry, and birthday celebrations for all three of their July-born kids.

$500K Grant Intended To Boost Black Representation In Lucrative Arts World
by Jeffrey McKinney

July 14, 2023

$500K Grant Intended To Boost Black Representation In Lucrative Arts World

In the multibillion-dollar arts world, Black Americans have been largely left out from participating more in that business. That is a big deal when considering the size of the trade or profession. The value of the U.S. art market was around $30.2 billion in 2022, based on data from market researcher Statista. 

For this report, “arts” refers to the broader industry of artists, museums, cultural institutions, employees and supporters, collectors, and audiences.

To help boost industry diversity, the University of Delaware (UD) and the Alliance of HBCU Museums and Galleries (the Alliance) this year were awarded a $500,000 grant from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. This funding will more than double the capacity of UD’s Department of Art Conservation’s summer program for 2023 and 2024, increasing it to 10 students from four.

The funding will help cover students’ transportation and housing costs and include a stipend to help minimize their expenses. The award expands the program that UD has offered with the Alliance since 2017.

The six-week internship program allows students to work closely in conservation laboratories with professionals in the field. The internships will expose students to the conservation departments at major U.S. arts institutions, accelerating career growth through networking opportunities.

Generally, becoming a conservator requires many hours of practical experience. Students often take unpaid internships or volunteer their time to reach that status, something typically not an option for students from low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods. An art conservator mainly analyzes and restores different art objects and artifacts so they can last for a long time.

There is a lack of art conservation programs available at U.S. universities, particularly at HBCUs. The fresh effort aims to connect students at HBCUs and minority-serving institutions to gain hands-on field experience and link with major U.S. museums and cultural institutions.

Brian Siegel, SVP, Global Arts, Culture & Heritage Executive, Bank of America, offered some perspective via email. He shared that while a lot has historically been done to celebrate diverse art, less attention has been paid to ensuring that the arts appeal to new and diverse audiences.

He added that museums and other cultural institutions have historically been slower than other industries in creating opportunities for diverse employees – especially in some of the more specialized areas, such as curation and art conservation.

Here are students enrolled in or recently graduated from HBCUs and minority-serving institutions participating in the 2023 summer program.

Students Participating University/Alma Mater Conservation Partner:

April Lacey,  Fisk University, Yale University

Sinclair Strong, Fisk University, Yale University

Darius Scott, Howard University, Brooklyn Museum

Starr A. Smith, Xavier University, Brooklyn Museum

Dominique Golden, The University of Tampa, Winterthur

Dorian Henry, University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff, Winterthur

Gabrielle Hilliard, North Carolina Central University, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Robert Killins III, Tuskegee University, Fisk University

Shamica A. Terry, Lincoln University, Fisk University

Joyce G. Vázquez Villanueva, Interamerican University of Puerto Rico, Smithsonian American Art Museum

Alpha Kappa Alpha, For Members Only, period, poverty
by Stacy Jackson

July 14, 2023

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Opens First-Of-Its-Kind ‘For Members Only’ Credit Union

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc members recently participated in a special ribbon-cutting ceremony.

The organization held a grand opening for its new “For Members Only” (FMO) credit union. The ribbon-cutting occurred at the organization’s corporate headquarters in Chicago, ahead of the 2023 Leadership Seminar.

“FMO is the first Black-owned, women-led, sorority-based digital banking financial institution in the history of the United States, and some of our Sisters even signed up on-site!” the organization wrote on Instagram.

ABC7 reported that the 115-year-old sorority initiated plans for the credit union a few years ago, focusing on efforts to generate economic and financial stability for women of color. “Everyone doesn’t understand the impact we make financially, so you have to start doing things so folks know we know how to control our money,” Danette Anthony Reed, international president and CEO of AKA Sorority, told the outlet.

Throughout its first year of operations, members of FMO will have access to primary savings, loans, and other banking services. “We want to invest in what we own,” said FMO board member Deardra Hayes-Whigham.

“It’s just awesome to know we’ll have the opportunity to actually do something financial,” AKA sorority member Monica Teal said.

FMO will serve members of the AKA sorority and their immediate families. Additionally, those who work for the credit union and the organization will be granted access to the credit union’s services. According to Terri Bradford Eason, FMO federal credit union executive director, “Every member will be an owner of the credit union.” FMO is chartered, regulated, and insured by the National Credit Union Administration.

The women of the AKA sorority have been hard at work creating new establishments on behalf of the organization. As previously reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE, the Gamma Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Society and the sorority’s nonprofit, Ivy Alliance Foundation, announced a collaboration to transform the former St. Louis home of the sorority’s founder, Ethel Hedgemon Lyle, into a museum. A land dedication for the 12,000-square-foot community center took place in December 2022.

Chuck D, can you dig it
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 14, 2023

Audible Releases Trailer For Hip-Hop-Inspired Series, ‘Can You Dig It?’ Narrated By Chuck D

With so many projects commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, another one has been announced with a trailer to boot.

Audible has released the trailer to a new series narrated by Public Enemy lead Chuck D, Can You Dig It? A Hip Hop Origin Story. The trailer starts with the booming voice of Chuck D, introducing the story about to be told regarding an integral part of the beginning of the hip-hop culture from a different perspective.

“December 8, 1971, was a defining moment in American history. A time when the gangs of New York laid down their weapons and redirected their youthful energy toward the creative arts. Arts that would eventually become the foundation of what we now know as hip hop.”

According to AllHipHop, the tale that Chuck D is referencing played a significant role in the burgeoning culture of hip-hop.

The first in the series, titled “The Bronx is Burning,” takes place in the southern region of the Bronx. It goes into the story of two groups deciding to end the bad blood between them and use that energy toward being more peaceful.

The killing of a peacekeeper and member of the Ghetto Brothers, Cornell “Black Benjie” Benjamin, presented the spark to end the violence in the streets.

“If Kool Herc is considered the father of hip hop, then my uncle was the general; my uncle was the martyr,” says Angelique Lenox, niece of Black Benjie. “He didn’t die in vain. Something good came from his death; his life mattered. This is truly my best version of a love letter to my father and my family, and I will not stop until his name is a part of the hip-hop story.”

The five-part series premieres the day before the anniversary of the birth of hip-hop, Aug. 10, 2023.

UGA, lawsuit
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 14, 2023

Former University Of Georgia Staffer Files Lawsuit Against The School And NFL Rookie Jalen Carter

The remnants of the fatal car accident that took the lives of University of Georgia offensive lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy have led to another lawsuit. 

According to ESPN, a survivor of that crash on Jan.15, 2023, after UGA won the national championship, Victoria Bowles, has filed a lawsuit against the UGA Athletic Association. The suit also names recently drafted Philadelphia Eagles rookie Jalen Carter, who was driving the other vehicle when the accident occurred.

Bowles, a former recruiting analyst for the University of Georgia, submitted the paperwork in Gwinnett County the week of July 14, 2023. She accuses the UGA Athletic Association of negligence.

“On the evening of the Championship Celebration, LeCroy told Ms. Bowles that she [LeCroy] had ‘permission’ to keep the SUV ‘until tomorrow,'” the lawsuit alleges. “Numerous text messages from recruiting staff supervisors to LeCroy, Ms. Bowles, and other staff members show the Association’s statement is false. Recruiting staff were regularly informed they could leave their vehicles overnight at the Butts-Mehre football facility and permissively use Association rental vehicles through a specified cut-off date and time, unrelated to their assigned recruiting activity duties.”

Her lawsuit contradicts what officials from the university stated after the deadly accident. It was said LeCroy did not have permission to drive the SUV the night of the accident.

In the lawsuit, she also says that the Athletic Association was negligent in allowing LeCroy to drive the car while she was working. Her attorneys claim officials knew that “LeCroy had at least four speeding tickets, which included two ‘super speeder’ violations under Georgia law.” The suit also states that LeCroy’s supervisor was in the vehicle when she was stopped and given her most recent super speeder ticket on Oct. 30, 2023. 

The Georgia Athletic Association released a statement: “We are continuing to review the complaint, as plaintiff’s counsel elected to share it with the media before sharing it with us. Based on our preliminary review, we dispute its claims and will vigorously defend the Athletic Association’s interests in court.”

The lawsuit accuses Carter of leaving the scene without speaking to law enforcement and failing to render aid.

The football player pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges of reckless driving and racing on March 16, 2023. He had been sentenced to 12 months of probation, a $1,000 fine, and 80 hours of community service and will attend a state-approved defensive driving course.

climate change, Zoey Dash McKenzie
by Stacy Jackson

July 14, 2023

Founding Partner Of Public Ventures Firm To Fund $100M to Combat Effects Of Climate Change On Black Communities

If you have never thought about how climate change might impact Black communities, one business owner has you covered.

Zoey Dash McKenzie is thinking ahead about how Black communities are disproportionately affected by climate change. TechCrunch reported that the owner of Public Ventures firm announced a $100 million impact fund for developing life science and clean tech startups.

The founding partner at Public Ventures hopes a government program she is a part of will kick off the fund. Dash McKenzie told TechCrunch the program had set aside more than $50 million for fund managers. She aims to start investing this year.

According to the outlet, she said, “We’re aiming to do an open call for the fund in the fall so we will be ready to not only identify some really good startups outside of our current pipelines but to invest before the end of the year.”

She also said of her plans, “We aim to kind of stack our investments so that they have an amplified impact in the real world. We’re going to come up with a few strategies on how we can pull together a consortium of startups from all over the world to have a meaningful output.”

According to Essence, Dash McKenzie plans to help ventures secure capital in the early stages. “We’ve decided to employ a waterfall structuring, make assessments on a deal-by-deal basis and then return funds back to our LPs earlier on,” she said. “We’re accelerating capital velocity at the early stage, when it’s needed most, so we really sit right in the middle of government grants and traditional venture capital.”

TechCrunch reported that the founding partner wants to cultivate a venture studio-like experience. The goal is to break down barriers to capital. She told the outlet, “In some ways, that breaks down the barriers in terms of accessing capital, accelerating their innovation, and broadening their networks.”

Dash McKenzie’s impact fund is based in the U.S. but focuses on startups in Canada.

Republicans
by Derek Major

July 14, 2023

House Narrowly Passes Defense Bill After Democrats Unanimously Vote Against It

Republicans narrowly passed a significantly partisan defense bill Friday, setting up a Senate fight that could impact a pay raise for troops and much more.

According to The New York Times, the House passed the measure in a 219 to 210 vote along party lines.

The top three Democrats in the House, Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), Katherine Clark (D-Mass.), and Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.), announced early Friday morning they would vote no on the bill, and party members followed suit.

The vote is considered a win for Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who allowed far-right Republicans to add a litany of conservative amendments attacking abortion access, diversity measurements, and medical care for transgender troops.

The bill is all but guaranteed to fail in the Democrat-controlled Senate and puts in doubt whether a compromise can be reached on the $886 million bill that would give military personnel a 5.2% raise and as a program to counter moves being made by China and Russia. The bill would also establish a special inspector to supervise U.S. aid to Ukraine.

The military is already dealing with leadership issues. Republican Sen. Tommy Tubverville (Ala.) is holding up the nominations of more than 200 military nominees and has received significant backlash from both sides of the political spectrum for the stunt.

Democrats have slammed the bill, calling out Republicans for turning a bipartisan measure into a one-sided affair to appease their far-right members, adding that the measure would push women, minorities, and transgender Americans against enlisting.

“Whether you’re talking about women, whether you’re talking about trans people, whether you’re talking about people of color — this bill says that we’re going to make it more difficult for you to get a fair shake in the military,” Rep. Adam Smith of Washington, said on the floor on Friday according to the Times. “We are opposed to this bill because it is our firm belief that it will undermine our ability to meet the national security objectives of this country.”

However, adding conservative policies to the bill could lead members of the House Freedom Caucus, who rarely vote on the defense spending bill, to support it.

“They have no reason not to vote for this,” Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) said, according to Politico. “It tackles a lot of the woke issues that have been pushed by the administration on our military in a strong way … and it supports our military to keep America safe.”

“So there’s no reason for any Republicans to vote against it.”

LSU, Danielle Ballard
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

July 14, 2023

Former LSU Basketball Player Danielle Ballard, Dies at 29

Louisiana State University has been in the news lately, most recently for winning the College World Series after its women’s basketball team won the 2023 championship. But this time around, the school is mourning.

According to LSU, former student-athlete Danielle Ballard, a standout basketball player for the Tigers, has recently passed away.

Ballard played for the university from 2012-2015. She was involved in a tragic accident in Memphis where she was hit by a car and died from her injuries.

In a written statement, LSU said, “We are deeply saddened by the passing of Danielle. She meant a great deal to our program and was such a big part of our women’s basketball family. It’s difficult to understand why this happened to someone who was so full of life and had so much promise. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family and friends.”

A native of Shelby County, Tennessee, Ballard attended LSU for three years. As a basketball player, she earned first-team All-SEC honors during her senior year while helping the Tigers appear in back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances at the NCAA Tournament. She averaged 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while attending LSU. In her first year, she took home SEC All-Freshman honors in 2013 and was named to the SEC All-Defensive Team two times.

The Associated Press reported that Memphis police verified that the 29-year-old Ballard “succumbed to her injuries” after being taken to a local hospital. She was taken from the scene of an accident after emergency dispatchers received a report at 1:26 a.m. on Thursday.

The driver’s identity nor the incident’s circumstances have not been revealed. Authorities have stated that an investigation was ongoing and in its preliminary stages.

RELATED CONTENT: LSU’s Victory Over Iowa Was Watched by a Record 9.9 Million in History-Making NAA Women’s Basketball Final

Detroit
by Sharelle B. McNair

July 14, 2023

Black Homeowners Have Saved Detroit’s Failing Economic State, Here’s How

The economic status of the city of Detroit is turning around thanks to Black homeowners.

In 2022, the city saw more homeowners than renters for the first time in 10 years, and data from Detroit Future City shows that’s because Black potential homebuyers are making those purchases happen. The report shows an 188% increase in mortgage applications between 2012 and 2021—an increase from less than 4,000 to more than 10,000. Analysts say the application increase reflects neighborhood investments and homebuyer initiatives following the City of Detroit’s 2013 bankruptcy.

Certain parts of the city have seen more new neighbors than others. Communities adjacent to the city, like Warren and Eastpointe, saw a growth of 200% in home purchase loan applications from potential Black homebuyers between those years. Other towns further away, such as Romulus and Clinton Township, are included on the list of new go-to towns for new homeowners. Some of the homeowners were born and raised in the Motor City.

Natives like Jelani Bayi stayed true to their home base after getting both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. “I love my city. I love living in Detroit. I love the culture, and I love how Black my city is,” Bayi told Bridge Detroit. “I love how we’re improving and enhancing.” After experiencing the drastic rent increase in downtown Detroit and the Southfield community, Bayi decided to purchase a home. He looked for a spacious, well-maintained property in a safe neighborhood with access to quality grocery stores, schools, and services.

His realtor, Brittany Gardner of EXP Realty, says it was easy to find her client the perfect home—a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home for $275,000—now that things are on the come-up around the city. The partnerships formed to create incentive programs and long-term investments helped to bring Detroit’s Black middle-class back to the surface. “It’s the opportunity of equity, the opportunity of space, and the development of Detroit as well as the new conditions that they have for lending,” Gardener said.

 

×