• Business

by Derek Major

June 30, 2023

DEI Executives Discuss The Current State Of DEI At Black Enterprise’s Chief Diversity Officer Summit

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During the summer of 2020, the words Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) couldn’t be avoided. However, in just three short years, its popularity has not only shrunk, but many on the right are attacking the term, calling it “woke” politics.

Fidelity Investments Head of Global Diversity and Inclusion Wendy John and Merck’s Vice President of the Global Diversity and Inclusion Center of Excellence Celeste Warren sat down with Black Enterprise Editor-in-Chief Derek Dingle to discuss the current state of DEI Wednesday during the BLACK ENTERPRISE Chief Diversity Officer Summit and Honors.

The panel started with Dingle asking John how the Supreme Court’s elimination of affirmative action programs at colleges and universities would affect corporate DEI programs. John said the decision would have a ripple effect impacting corporate offices.

“You’ve already started to see, in many cases, state public universities getting rid of their diversity officers on campus or consolidating those roles into other roles, and I think you will see corporations follow suit,” said John. “It has been the case already, starting late last year as companies considered layoffs, you saw an impact to the DEI office, whether that was suddenly DEI leaders getting additional work added to their scope that could potentially take their work away from DEI specifically or what we might consider dilution of the effort.

John added one thing she’s seen that will continue is the titles of DEI executives changing. She believes the Supreme Court ruling will empower some to challenge diversity programs within their companies.

Warren discussed how people use affirmative action as a buzzword for giving people opportunities to people who aren’t skilled enough, are inferior, or aren’t trained. However, Warren said it’s more about ensuring people of different backgrounds have equal employment opportunities.

“I hate the fact that people are throwing out the term affirmative action, and they’re lumping us all together because they don’t have the proper information, so we have to make sure we’re educating people because the naysayers basically saying you can’t do this, you can’t do that, and a lot of that misinformation gives rise to that narrative,” said Warren. “We have to fight back with education awareness and facts and data.”

In the aftermath of the death of George Floyd, which sparked a summer of Black Lives Matter protests, tech companies, fast food restaurants, and even hardware stores announced DEI initiatives. Many companies have stuck to those pledges. However, some, including Applebees, and Twitter, have pulled back on DEI initiatives, laying off staff and canceling programs. Additionally, many companies that created DEI initiatives didn’t hire people of color for those roles.

According to NBC News, a survey showed Black employees represent only 3.8% of chief diversity officers overall, while Hispanic and Asian employees make up less than 8%. In comparison, white employees account for 76% of chief diversity officer roles.

Other topics discussed during the panel included how external pressures affect chief diversity officers’ decisions and how to combat burnout while on the job. According to Warren, attacks on reproductive and transgender rights by Southern states have made her job harder.

“Just recently, the legislation that was passed in Texas against transition surgery, they’ve sort of said no, so now we have to think about what that means,” said Warren. “When Roe v. Wade was overturned, we had travel benefits for women that want to go to different places to think about abortion. The partnership that we have with our government affairs, state, federal, and global, has grown immensely over the past two years. We have to stay on top of what’s happening in each state because of the impact it has on our employees.

“If you haven’t developed a strong relationship with your policy organization, you need to do that, not from the standpoint of you just educating yourself but also helping them.”

John added that as a chief diversity officer, she has to stay current with the news and how fast things can change during a news cycle.

“I distinctly remember being up late one Saturday night, and when I woke up, there had been a shooting in California at the start of the Chinese New Year, and then all of a sudden, Sunday was about strategy with our communications team and corporate affairs.”

Supermodel Naomi Campbell just welcomed her second child at 53 years of age and wants other women to know that “it’s never too late to become a mother.”

The famed fashion star took to Instagram on Thursday, June 29 to announce the birth of her second child, a son whose name she has yet to release.

“My little darling, know that you are cherished beyond measure and surrounded by love from the moment you graced us with your presence,” she captioned her post. “A True Gift from God 🙏🏾, blessed ! Welcome Babyboy. 💙🍼✨ #mumoftwo ❤️💙

“It’s never too late to become a mother,” she added.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dr Naomi Campbell (@naomi)

The photo showed a woman holding the baby boy while another child’s hand reached to hold what appeared to be Campbell’s hand. The photo seemingly shows Campbell’s growing family that she chooses to keep out of the public eye.

Campbell has kept much of her life as a mother private after announcing the birth of her daughter two years ago. The famed supermodel has also kept her daughter’s name a secret and only posts glimpses of her daughter on social media.

She finally put her daughter on display when covering British Vogue in March 2022. Campbell donned a black two-piece with big natural hair while holding her daughter who looked off to the side. It was the first time Campbell posed alongside her daughter for all to see.

Naomi Campbell with her daughter for the March issue of British Vogue pic.twitter.com/JhSVyq2GKt

— Fashion MOEments (@FashionMOEments) February 14, 2022

While speaking with British Vogue, Campbell explained why she’s remained so private about entering motherhood after the age of 50.

“I can count on one hand the number of people who knew that I was having her,” she said.

“But she is the biggest blessing I could ever imagine. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done.”

She teased her openness to having more children at the time when asked if she had plans for more kids, the runway model said, “Why not?”

RELATED CONTENT: Naomi Campbell Partners With BMW to Release First XM Model

• Education

by Sidnee Michelle Douyon

June 30, 2023

US Supreme Court’s Two Black Justices Clash Over Affirmative Action Ruling

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When liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson became the first Black woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court, she was expected to bring a different view on racial matters than Justice Clarence Thomas, its only other Black member and a staunch conservative.

That dispute was front and center on Thursday when the two justices publicly battled in sharply worded, dueling opinions as the court, in a blockbuster decision, effectively ended affirmative action policies in which colleges and universities consider race as a factor in student admissions. Such policies have been used by many schools for decades to boost their numbers of Black and Hispanic students.

Jackson and Thomas, reflecting a deep divide in the United States, diverged on how race must be treated in the law. Jackson promoted its use to reduce entrenched inequalities. Thomas contended that the U.S. Constitution is colorblind.

Thomas wrote a concurring opinion accompanying the ruling that said Jackson’s “race-infused world view falls flat at each step.” Thomas suggested that instead of treating people as the sum of their experiences and challenges, Jackson myopically focuses on “racial determinism.”

Jackson countered that it is Thomas who “demonstrates an obsession with race consciousness.”

“Our country has never been colorblind,” Jackson wrote in her dissenting opinion, which was joined by the two other liberal justices.

George Mason University law professor Ilya Somin called the exchange “fascinating,” noting that “they draw such different conclusions from the same history, even though both agree that Jim Crow (past segregation policies aimed at Black Americans in some states) and slavery were horrible forms of oppression at odds with Founding ideals.”

“To some extent, the struggle that’s going on is – who speaks for the Black community on this court?” Cornell Law School Professor Michael Dorf said. “Part of the undercurrent in his (Thomas’s) response to Justice Jackson is that, ‘She doesn’t speak for all Black people, and she certainly doesn’t speak for me.'”

The ruling – powered by the court’s conservative majority and written by Chief Justice John Roberts – held that the Harvard and UNC policies violated the Constitution’s 14th Amendment, which promises equal protection under the law. The provision was ratified in 1868 in the aftermath of the American Civil War and the emancipation of Black people who had been enslaved by white people in Southern states.

‘OSTRICH-LIKE’

Jackson, who was appointed last year by Democratic President Joe Biden, portrayed the ruling as “ostrich-like,” one that would “make things worse,” not better.

“The only way out of this morass – for all of us – is to stare at racial disparity unblinkingly, and then do what evidence and experts tell us is required to level the playing field and march forward together, collectively striving to achieve true equality for all Americans,” Jackson wrote.

“It is no small irony that the judgment the (court’s) majority hands down today will forestall the end of race-based disparities in this country, making the colorblind world the majority wistfully touts much more difficult to accomplish,” Jackson added.

Jackson traced the history of racism that persisted from slavery to the present day, preventing Black Americans from gaining wealth and excluding them from opportunities in education and professional life. Jackson noted, for example, that white families’ median wealth is eight times that of Black families.

Jackson, 52, said the majority’s decision will widen gaps between students and “delay the day that every American has an equal opportunity to thrive, regardless of race.”

Thomas, who is 75 and has served on the court since 1991, delivered a defense of colorblindness – that the Constitution prohibits actions that treat minorities differently, regardless of their intent. Much of what Thomas wrote on Thursday was directed at Jackson.

“As she sees things, we are all inexorably trapped in a fundamentally racist society, with the original sin of slavery and the historical subjugation of black Americans still determining our lives today,” Thomas wrote.

“The panacea, she counsels, is to unquestioningly accede to the view of elite experts and reallocate society’s riches by racial means as necessary to ‘level the playing field,’ all as judged by racial metrics,” Thomas added.

Thomas cited his personal experience in supporting his arguments: “Even in the segregated South where I grew up, individuals were not the sum of their skin color. Then as now, not all disparities are based on race.”

In a footnote to her dissent, Jackson responded to Thomas’s critique, suggesting that he misconstrued her arguments.

“Justice Thomas ignited too many straw men to list, or fully extinguish,” Jackson wrote.

Jackson added that Thomas refuses to see the “elephant in the room” – that race-based disparities continue to impede achievement for a great number of Americans.

• News

by Iman Milner

June 30, 2023

Black-Owned Wig Brand Launches Challenge To Help Alopecia Sufferers

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Shemika Jackson, the founder and CEO of Kafune Amor Hair, has launched an ongoing wig installation challenge supporting women suffering from alopecia and thinning hair.

Kafune Amor Hair specializes in custom wigs for those suffering from alopecia, which Jackson has battled personally over the years. For her, it’s about helping to rebuild confidence and self-love for Black women whose hair is often a point of shame or discomfort. The Lace Wig Install challenge, which takes place every six weeks, focuses on teaching alopecia sufferers how to install lace wigs in the comfort of their own homes.

According to Fortune, up to one-third of Black women suffer from alopecia, and many more are expected to experience some form of hair loss over time. Jackson has been living with scarring Cicatricial alopecia, a condition of permanent balding, for many years and hopes to empower other women through high-quality products at reasonable prices. The Lace Wig Install challenge is a three-day virtual solution to many women’s anxiety about going to public salons to conceal their hair loss. It is the first of its kind to focus on women who have alopecia specifically. “We are committed to providing exceptional customer service and ensuring that all of our customers are satisfied with their purchase,” said Jackson. “Our team is always available to answer any questions you may have and help you find the perfect product for your needs.”

Traction alopecia is one of the most common forms of hair loss for Black women, and experts at Johns Hopkins suggest seeing a dermatologist as soon as signs of thinning begin. Minimizing heat, wearing protective styles properly installed by haircare professionals, and avoiding chemical procedures are all ways to reduce thinning caused by traction alopecia. For more aggressive types of alopecia, long-term alternatives can include medication.

• Entrepreneurship

by Jeffrey McKinney

June 30, 2023

New $100M Fund Aims To Boost Capital Flow To BIPOC Businesses

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 Living Cities and Known are partnering to grow a new $100 million fund to spur investment in entrepreneurs of color who are often overlooked for much-needed help.

The two organizations will manage the Living Cities Catalyst Fund III, an effort to confront underinvestment in Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities.

The investment is largely intended to allocate additional capital to fund managers who invest in diverse businesses and interests. That is important as those fund managers, including Black-owned firms, are generally not used as a vehicle to provide capital to the so-called ‘new majority’ entrepreneurs

Living Cities’ President and CEO Joe Scantlebury stated, “The funding is needed because the level of private capital and public funding available to brilliant, innovative, and hard-working entrepreneurs of color is shamefully low.” Only 60% of BIPOC business owners gained the full funding they applied for at a bank, versus 80% of their white peers, based on Federal Reserve data.

Scantlebury shared via email that the disparity is the continuation of policies and practices that enshrined white economic privilege, incented anti-Blackness, and made economic violence on and wealth extraction from people of color a standard economic practice in the U.S.

“By 2045, our nation will be a multicultural, multiracial, and multiethnic plurality, so economic practices that enable us to build a more inclusive and equitable economic order must begin now.”

By investing in BIPOC fund managers, who invest in Black and Brown founders at a higher rate than their White peers, the new fund aims to propel greater investment in communities of color. Living Cities and Known shared that the investor base for the $100 million fund includes accredited investors with a mix of private sector and philanthropic investors. More fund information is available here.

Simultaneously, a Citi Global Perspectives & Solutions report estimated $16 trillion in lost GDP due to racial Inequality in the United States. The deficit reportedly contained “gaps in wages, access to housing and higher education and investment in Black-owned businesses.”

Another report showed that a hefty 56% of Black business owners encounter obstacles in obtaining credit that ultimately restricts their ability to grow. This finding is significant, as access to capital is critical for the success of any business owner. The problem is magnified for Black business owners, who typically experience more difficulty getting financing than their non-diverse peers.

The Living Cities Catalyst Fund III follows two funds totaling $75 million that provided financing to serve under-invested communities and to close racial income and wealth gaps.

• Business

by Derek Major

June 30, 2023

Pronghorn Is Putting Its Money Where Its Mouth Is Investing In 19 Black-Owned Businesses Raising $200M In Capital

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Pronghorn, a company working to cultivate and support the next generation of Black entrepreneurs and executives in the spirits industry, announced a 10-year, $200 million initiative.

According to a Pronghorn statement, the announcement was made in conjunction with the release of its first Impact Report. It has raised $200 million in support of the company’s mission of supporting Black spirits entrepreneurs.

Since the company’s inception in 2022, Pronghorn has invested in 19 spirit brands, fueling Pronghorn’s 10-year plan to invest in 57 Black-owned spirit brands, driving ownership and equity in an industry with an increasing number of Black owners.

According to the Impact Report, Black Americans represent 12% of all spirits consumers but only 7% of the spirits labor force and just 2% of the executive level. During its first year, Pronghorn was able to identify 258 Black-owned spirits companies, support the businesses of 40 individual Black founders, and invest in 19 portfolio brands, including Ten to One Caribbean Rum, Anteel Tequila, IslandJon Vodka, and Greenwood Whiskey.

Other popular Black-owned spirit brands include Duke & Dame and Uncle Nearest whiskey brands.

The impact report also showed that Pronghorn achieved 5% of its goal to place Black employees within 1,800 industry roles. The 10-year, $200 million investment is a step toward Pronghorn’s goal to produce $2.4 billion of industry economic value, driven by employment for the Black community, by 2032.

The company has also started several initiatives to help further establish Black men and women in the spirits industry, including its HBCU Innovation Lab and the Pronghorn Spirits Academy.

“Since inception, our mission has been crystal clear in creating a template to diversify any industry and, in doing so, help be a force in supporting new founders, bold executives, and the businesses of Black entrepreneurs within the spirits industry. We couldn’t be more proud of the Pronghorn team’s pace of progress toward our goal within just one year of launch. So much hard work remains, but this investment is significant, and the purpose is powerful,” Dia Simms, Pronghorn co-founder, and board chair, said in a statement. 

Affion Crockett, Delmar Washington, and Comcast NBCUniversal are announcing a new partnership to release “Affion Crockett Presents: Microphone Masters,” an innovative comedy special this fall, exclusively on Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity platform. Launched in 2021, Black Experience on Xfinity features the ultimate in Black storytelling from Black programming partners and film studios and has released a variety of original documentaries and specials, like this one, showcasing Black talent and content creators.

The premiere special will feature three emerging comedians – Ron G., Kanisha Buss, and Brandon Lewis. All three featured comedians have already left a mark in their growing careers – including Kanisha guest starring on The Chappelle Show and Brandon hosting Roast Me, and All Def Digital with over 4 million subscribers. “Affion Crockett Presents: Microphone Masters,” will be the first ever standalone comedy special for each comedian. Beyond the planned individual sets, each comedian’s one-hour broadcast will also include behind the scenes footage of the pre-taped show filmed in Los Angeles, as well as one-on-one interviews for a more intimate and personal look at all three performers.

“We’re thrilled to work with Affion Crockett and Delmar Washington to bring this exclusive premiere to the Black Experience on Xfinity channel, which furthers our mission of investing in and showcasing authentic Black stories and emerging Black talent,” said Keesha Boyd, VP Entertainment and Emerging Growth Offerings at Comcast. “Comedy is such an integral entertainment genre to the community, and telling the stories of these comedians through their art is yet another way we’re using this channel to help facilitate the discovery of compelling content, while providing a platform for Black content creators.”

Delmar Washington and Affion Crockett will lead the production of this innovative series, with Affion presenting each special. A graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, Delmar is an accomplished writer, director, and producer. He has worked with Dave Chappelle documenting his various global tours and behind-the-scenes material for his Netflix specials. He also directed the groundbreaking sci-fi thriller OUTSIDERS, which debuted virtually at the 2021 Tribeca Film Festival. Most recently, Delmar directed Black Girl Missing starring Garcelle Beauvais for Lifetime. Affion has an extensive career that expands over 20 years as an actor, writer, comedian, dancer, rapper, and director. Affion’s first role on HBO’s Def Comedy Jam demonstrated his crystal-clear impressions and physical comedy, which continued into his sketch work on MTV’s Wild’n Out. He has gone on to appear on various hit shows from HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm to ABC’s Black-ish. Affion and Delmar collaborated on Affion’s first ever comedy special, Mirror II Society, that had its debut on Peacock in December 2021.

Comcast’s Black Experience on Xfinity is a first-of-its-kind destination of Black entertainment, movies, TV shows, news and more. Available at home on Xfinity X1 and Flex, and on-the-go with the Xfinity Stream app, the Black Experience on Xfinity features original and high-quality content from Comcast NBCUniversal and other major studios, in addition to content from many of Xfinity’s existing network partners, at no additional cost to Xfinity customers.  The channel is the only one of its kind endorsed by the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA), the world’s largest group of Black film critics that gives annual awards for excellence in film and television.

• Business

by Stacy Jackson

June 30, 2023

Founder Of ‘For Them,’ A Black Transgender-Owned Company Fights Anti-LGBTQIA+ Legislation

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A transgender-owned company is binding its community to fight anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.

Kylo Freeman, pronouns they/them/theirs, opened up about binding their chest and overcoming funding and legal hurdles as a transgender business owner. The founder of For Them told ESSENCE in an interview how they empower the LGBTQIA+ and non-binary communities through activism and by providing non-traditional chest binders.

Freeman’s binders are created with 100% recyclable materials. They told ESSENCE their binder’s “unique patented design” compresses and moves “the chest tissue in a way that creates a flat look without compromising the musculoskeletal systems of the body.”

Binding people with opposing views can be much harder than Freeman’s work at For Them. Everyday realities like oppressive legislation, spreading misinformation, and promoting phobias can be exhausting for marginalized groups. Freeman said in their interview, “As a trans founder, I’m not only pitching my ideas to folks, but I’m also having to educate everyone along the way about my identity, my community, and this culture that I’m a part of. It can be exhausting at times, but it also feels like a privilege to be in a position to bridge this gap.”

True allyship can be a godsend when the load is too heavy to carry. U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris cemented her allyship for the LGBTQIA+ and non-binary communities this week when she surprised a crowd at New York City’s Stonewall Inn. Black Enterprise reported Harris said to the crowd, “We are all in this together.” The vice president also said, “We’re not going to be deterred. We are not going to tire. We’re not going to throw up our hands.”

Freeman is doing what they can to make changes in a heteronormative society. They discussed their Drag Is Divine campaign. “The campaign is us at For Them putting a middle finger up to the anti-LGBTQ+ lawmakers who are attempting to legislate gender non-conformity out of existence, to legally enforce binaries and criminalize queer freedom of expression,” Freeman said to ESSENCE.

Now that the NBA has handed down Ja Morant’s punishment, his legal team can concentrate on his off-the-court matters, specifically the lawsuit filed by a teenager who says he was threatened by the Memphis Grizzlies player at Morant’s house in the summer of 2022.

According to the Memphis Commercial Appeal, the attorneys for Morant have filed a motion to dismiss the civil suit against the basketball player filed by Josh Holloway, who was 17 years old at the time. There had been a dispute at Morant’s house during a pickup basketball game, and it was alleged that Morant showed the teenager a gun after the two scuffled. 

Morant’s attorneys said the lawsuit should be dismissed because Morant was defending himself against Holloway.

“Morant acted in self-defense when [Holloway] intentionally struck him in the face with a basketball at Mr. Morant’s family home last July,” the motion states. “He, therefore, enjoys civil immunity under the [Self-Defense Immunity] Statute.”

The basketball star’s lawyers said that as their motion requires a hearing within 40 days of filing, all other aspects of the case should be paused. They also requested “the mandatory damages that the [Self-Defense Immunity] Statute affords [Morant]: an award of attorney fees, costs, lost income and expenses.”

The testimony given by Tee Morant, Ja’s father, was also revealed. He stated that he had encouraged Holloway to “go at Ja” while they were playing during the game.

“I was telling Josh to go at Ja … act like he’s not an NBA player as far as confidence purposes,” Morant said. “‘You’re going to Oak Hill. So once you get there, if you can compete against Ja at this level  once you get there, it should be easier.”

Morant’s father also said he had spoken to Holloway’s parents after the incident and didn’t think the situation was that serious.

Holloway filed the lawsuit in September 2022 after the incident at Morant’s home in Eads, Tennessee, on July 26, 2022, TMZ reported.