• News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 29, 2023

60th Anniversary Of March On Washington A Continuation Of Dr. King’s Work

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In August 2023, Martin Luther King III, Arndrea Waters King, and Rev. Al Sharpton will participate in events marking the 60th anniversary of the March on Washington. A continuation, not commemoration, of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s work, the event will bring together the three global civil rights leaders and partner organizations from across the country to evaluate the progress made to achieve Dr. King’s “dream,” and also highlight the work still needed to bring about peace, justice, and equity in the world.

“On Juneteenth, we reflect on the progress and struggles of Black and Brown Americans. My dad’s speech at the March on Washington nearly 60 years ago was a profound moment in American history,” said Martin Luther King III, chairman of the Drum Major Institute. ”Despite the significant progress we have made over these six decades, we need to rededicate ourselves to the mission my dad gave his life for. It is difficult to not be disgruntled with everything going on in the world. Black and Brown Americans are the target of violence, and our most vulnerable citizens are losing hope that brighter days are ahead. We have to do better. We have to hold our elected leaders accountable, and this anniversary gives us the opportunity to not just commemorate his historic calling, but to continue his efforts to make life better for everyone.”

“The struggles Black and Brown Americans, particularly women and girls, faced 60 years ago are, in many ways, still prevalent today,” said Arndrea Waters King, president of the Drum Major Institute. “Dr. King called on us all to work to eradicate the triple evils of racism, poverty, and violence by standing for peace, justice and equity. As a mother, I’m afraid for my teenage daughter, but I am empowered to use my voice to ensure her future, and the future of all young girls, is as bright as her grandfather dreamed. Juneteenth reminds us that there is no challenge too big for us to overcome when we use our collective voices to bring about the change we need. This August, we are inviting people from all over the world, from all walks of life, to join us in Washington, D.C. to call for action. Too many politicians have made Black and Brown Americans’ and marginalized groups’ lives unnecessarily difficult. It won’t be easy, but if we use our voices for good, change will happen, and this is our time to demand it. It’s our turn to help realize the Dream and make democracy for all a reality.”

“The March on Washington will not just be a commemoration but a continuation of what Dr. King and our predecessors started,” said Rev. Al Sharpton, president and founder of the National Action Network (NAN). “We must remember why we are still marching: the civil rights of Black, Brown, Asian, Jewish, LGBTQ Americans, and women are under relentless attack. There is a concerted effort to undermine our democracy. There are many working week by week to peel away these rights, take away our history, or stop us from celebrating holidays like Juneteenth. I am honored to stand with the King family as we bring together these groups for a historic, cross-cultural and cross-generational demonstration to show that an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. Together, we will show the nation the strength in our unity and our resolve to realize Dr. King’s dream of a fair nation for all of us.”

The march will be co-chaired by:

• AAJC
• Anti-Defamation League
• Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law
• Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights
• Legal Defense Fund
• NAACP
• National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
• National Council of Negro Women
• National Urban League
• UNIDOS

The coalition will gather for a large-scale event at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, August 26, 2023. The pre-program for the event will begin at 8:00 a.m., with the main program beginning at 11:00 a.m. Following the program, a march will begin through the streets of the nation’s capital.

This news first appeared on blackprwire.com.

The trailer for Apple Original Films’ Stephen Curry: Underrated, a documentary about Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry, was released in anticipation of the film’s July 21, 2023, debut.

Directed and produced by Emmy Award winner Peter Nicks, the documentary can be seen in select theaters and globally on Apple TV+ upon its release. 

The story is of an underdog becoming the top dog. The expectations for Curry, “undersized” at 6’2″, to become the tremendous force he is was not one that basketball scouts or critics predicted. The documentary shows that the underdog can and does win — four times, if we’re talking NBA championships.

“How did I get here?” Curry asks in the trailer. “I was the undersized scrawny kid that was just trying to figure out how to make it. I was overwhelmed by everything. How would I respond?”

Collaborating for the documentary were Nicks, Academy Award nominee Ryan Coogler, Erick Peyton, Sean Havey, Ben Cotner, and Marissa Torres Ericson. The executive producers of Stephen Curry: Underrated were Emily Osborne, Sev Ohanian, and Zinzi Coogler.

In 2022, the four-time NBA champion returned to Davidson College, a small Division 1 school in North Carolina where he played his collegiate basketball, to obtain the degree that eluded him. Curry left college early to pursue the career that his father, Dell, was successful in when he was drafted into the NBA. Curry was drafted number seven overall by the Golden State Warriors and has been with the team his entire NBA career.

In early 2022, after Curry earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Davidson, he was unable to attend graduation because he was busy winning his fourth NBA title. So in August 2022, the school welcomed him back to receive his diploma and to retire the jersey number (30) he wore while playing at Davidson. Curry became the first athlete in Davidson’s history to receive this honor.

Lizzo is saying it is “about damn time” to give back. The singer is partnering with the University of Houston to change a Black music student’s life with a scholarship to cover the cost of education.

Calling it the “Sasha Be Flooting” scholarship, Lizzo announced the sizable academic donation on Instagram as part of her Juneteenth Giveback.

“Today is very close to my heart, near and dear to home, and a milestone for me,” shared the Grammy winner.

 

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A post shared by Lizzo (@lizzobeeating)

Lizzo continued about the significance of the scholarship to her, personally,

“This is for any young, black student from Houston, Texas, who has applied to the University of Houston to study at Moores school of music. That was me just a couple years ago. A young black flute player, who just needed a scholarship and someone to believe in them. and now i get to pay it forward.”

The University of Houston also released a statement expressing their excitement about the partnership with the former Cougar,

“We are deeply grateful to Lizzo for her generosity and commitment to supporting the next generation of music students. This scholarship will be life-changing for one young artist—it will create opportunities and open doors that will make a lasting impact on the student and their journey towards a music career.”

Lizzo is a proud alumna of the Texas institution, having been a flutist in its marching band during her matriculation. She was studying to obtain a degree in music, concentrating on the classical form, until she dropped out to pursue her career full-time.

The scholarship is one of many donations Lizzo has made in the past week in honor of Juneteenth. Other giveaways have been to organizations, such as the Marsha P. Johnson Institute, dedicated to uplifting underserved groups like Black LGBTQIA+ individuals, young girls, and diverse artists.

For additional information on all of Lizzo’s philanthropic efforts for the emancipation holiday, fans of her work on and off stage can visit her website to learn more.

Stephen “tWitch” Boss’ mother is finally opening up about losing her son six months after he took his life.

Connie Boss Alexander, 59, didn’t release any statements after tWitch, a beloved dancer, father of three, and The Ellen DeGeneres Show DJ and executive producer, died by suicide at the age of 40. Many were shocked  by his death, considering the smiles he displayed on social media in the time leading up to it, as noted by CNN.

It’s an extremely difficult loss for Connie, who still finds herself picking up the phone to text her late son.

“Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday, and then other times it feels like it’s been so long since I’ve seen him,” she told People magazine.

For Connie, who has two other sons, she chooses to look past how her son died and focus on when she will be reunited with him again in spirit.

“When I think about him, I try not to dwell on how he left this earth,” she said. “This is not totally the end. That is where my peace comes from.”

She was 18 years old when she welcomed tWitch into the world and raised him in Montgomery, Alabama. She remembers he was “always smiling” and “willing to try new things.” Dance was also something he did on a regular basis, despite the naysayers.

“If I had on music, he was dancing. He was the only male on his dance team in high school,” Connie remembered.

“That’s how dedicated and serious he was about it. He didn’t care that kids might be whispering.”

The two shared a close bond throughout his life and would talk every day.

“I’m the classic boy mom, very protective,” she said. “If we weren’t talking every day, we were texting. He was my heart.”

She admits how “shocking” his death was and how it made her question her role in his life. It’s something she’s still adjusting to.

“I don’t know when or if I’ll ever accept it. At this point, I’m in realization, I guess,” she said. “When I wake up in the morning, it does hit me that, oh my God, he really is not physically here. But then in my head I can hear him say, ‘Hey, Mom. I’m OK.'”

RELATED CONTENT: DJ Stephen ‘tWitch’ Boss’ Widow Allison Holker Acquires Half of His Future Royalties

In December 2022, during a heated U.S. Supreme Court oral argument involving a collision between free speech protections for business owners and LGBT rights, liberal Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who had joined the bench only about two months before, raised the most memorable question of the day.

Jackson, the first Black woman to serve on the top U.S. juridical body, suggested to a lawyer for Lorie Smith, a Christian web designer from Colorado seeking a right to refuse to design websites for same-sex marriages, that the case could be a slippery slope.

A win for Smith, Jackson said, could allow a professional photographer to exclude Black children from a nostalgic Christmas photo with Santa Claus styled after the 1940s – a time of racial segregation in parts of the United States – because “they’re trying to capture the feelings of a certain era,” Jackson said.

After pressing the example, Kristen Waggoner, Smith’s attorney, responded that “there are difficult lines to draw and that may be an edge case.”

As the court’s current term nears its end, Jackson, appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden last year, has earned a reputation as an assertive presence with a bit of an independent streak, willing to ask tough questions and to decide cases with her fellow liberals or at times with the majority conservatives.

According to legal scholar Adam Feldman, who tracks court data, Jackson spoke more during oral arguments than any of the other current justices during their first terms.

“She’s just showed up from day one,” said Terry Maroney, a Vanderbilt Law School professor who studies judicial decision-making and behavior. “She knows what she’s doing, she’s not shy, she’s posing uncomfortable hypotheticals – and she’s not afraid to do those things even if it’s causing discomfort.”

Some of the major cases have yet to be decided – including Smith’s case and the fate of race-conscious university student admissions policies that for decades have boosted the number of underrepresented minorities on American campuses – with more rulings expected on Thursday.

The addition of Jackson, a former federal trial and appellate court judge, did not change the ideological makeup of the court, whose muscular 6-3 conservative majority has shown a willingness to rapidly change the law. Jackson succeeded fellow liberal Justice Stephen Breyer.

Last year, rulings powered by the conservative justices ended recognition of a constitutional right to abortion and widened gun rights. This term, they ruled against the Environmental Protection Agency in a case that could leave wide swathes of sensitive wetlands unprotected by a landmark anti-pollution law.

The term also has included several rulings that surprised scholars and court watchers, with conservative justices joining the liberals in rejecting race-based challenges to a federal voting rights law that protects minorities and an adoption law governing Native American children.

‘VERY SELF-AWARE’

Boston College constitutional law expert Kent Greenfield said Jackson’s presence on the bench may have helped shape those rulings in part by bringing a different life experience to the table.

“She’s a person of heft, a person of high intellect and she’s not being quiet,” Greenfield said. “She’s very self-aware of the role she’s playing.”

Some of her questions during oral arguments have stood out.

In one of the cases challenging affirmative action policies in collegiate admissions, Jackson suggested that barring any consideration of race could prevent a student who descends from slaves, compared to one who is not, from having his family history honored and credited “because his story is in many ways bound up with his race and with the race of his ancestors.”

“My sense is she will have a disproportionate amount of influence over her colleagues, especially with the question of race,” Greenfield said.

Jackson has voted alongside fellow liberal Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan in several cases, but also has diverged from them including in May when she dissented from a decision backing an animal-welfare law in California, and last week when she joined a ruling making it easier to deport immigrants convicted of certain crimes.

Roman Martinez, a former law clerk for conservative Chief Justice John Roberts who frequently argues cases at the court, said Jackson’s first term has been impressive, calling her very active and extremely prepared.

“She has also shown an independent streak, willing to break from the more liberal wing of the court and articulate her own views in solo opinions or by teaming up” with conservative Justice Neil Gorsuch, Martinez said.

As the first former public defender ever to serve on the Supreme Court, Jackson has distinguished herself in her handling of criminal justice matters, authoring at least seven pro-defendant dissenting opinions this term in argued cases, appeal denials and emergency applications.

“She’s made her personality and priorities and intellect known very quickly on the bench this year,” Maroney said.

• News

by Sidnee Michelle Douyon

June 28, 2023

Former U.S. Marine Pleads Not Guilty in Jordan Neely Killing on New York Subway

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Former U.S. Marine sergeant Daniel Penny, who was accused of fatally strangling Jordan Neely, a homeless man, in a chokehold in a New York subway car in May 2023, pleaded not guilty to charges of manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide in court on June 28.

In videos recorded by bystanders, Penny, 24, was captured putting Neely in a chokehold from behind for several minutes on May 1 while on a subway train in Manhattan.

The killing drew national attention and sparked protests that month by those angered that police did not immediately arrest Penny, who is white, following the death of Neely, a Black man. Penny was arrested more than a week later.

In an arraignment lasting only a few minutes, Penny, wearing a blue suit and red tie, pleaded not guilty in criminal court in lower Manhattan. The former Marine, who had been released on a $100,000 bond at an earlier hearing, was told to return to court on Oct. 25, 2023, for a pretrial hearing.

Earlier in July, a grand jury voted to indict Penny on a charge of manslaughter in the second degree, a felony that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison on conviction, and a charge of criminally negligent homicide, a felony with a maximum sentence of five years.

In the minutes before he was killed, Neely, a 30-year-old former Michael Jackson impersonator who struggled with mental illness, had been shouting about how hungry he was and that he was willing to return to jail or die, according to passengers in the subway car.

Penny said he acted to defend himself and other passengers, and that had not intended to kill Neely.

Speaking to reporters outside the courthouse after the hearing, Thomas Kenniff, one of Penny’s defense attorneys, said he believed New York jurors would be sympathetic to his client.

“There is not a living, breathing soul in Manhattan that has not experienced a variation of what not only Mr. Penny but other individuals experienced on that subway car,” Kenniff said.

Protesters have decried Penny as a vigilante and characterized Neely’s death as a lynching.

Some conservatives hailed Penny as a hero, including Florida Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis and other prominent Republican politicians who are critical of New York’s Democratic leadership. Donors have contributed nearly $3 million to a legal defense fund for Penny through a crowdsourcing website.

Donte Mills, a lawyer representing Neely’s family, addressed those supporters in his remarks outside the courthouse.

“For everyone who thought donating $3 million would somehow make this go away or buy his pass: It’s not going to happen,” Mills told reporters. “You can ask for a refund.”

Police questioned Penny on the day Neely died, but the former Marine would not be arrested and make an initial court appearance until 11 days later.

Witnesses to the killing said Neely did not physically threaten or attack anyone before Penny grabbed him. His killing renewed debate about the gaps in the city’s systems for homeless and mentally ill New Yorkers.

Neely had been in and out of the city’s homeless shelters in recent years; his relatives say his mental health worsened dramatically after his mother was murdered when he was a teenager. He had been arrested many times, including for punching a 67-year-old woman in 2021, breaking bones in her face.

• Health and Wellness

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

June 28, 2023

Condoleezza Rice And Allyson Felix Talk Personal Wellness & Career Success

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Condoleezza Rice and Allyson Felix are sharing the wellness routines that helped get them to the top of their careers, in hopes of inspiring other women to do the same.

The former Secretary of State and the Olympic gold medalist have teamed up to empower women about the benefits of wellness when it comes to reaching new heights in their careers.

Rice, the first Black woman to serve as secretary of state, and Felix, the most decorated U.S. Olympian in track and field history, spoke with CBS News at the KPMG Women’s Leadership Summit at the Baltusrol Golf Club in New Jersey about the importance of combatting stress when it comes to being among the first in their fields.

Rice, who grew up in the segregated south, learned early on about the importance of overcoming barriers and limits to secure her piece of the pie.

“I grew up in segregated Birmingham, Alabama. And if I had thought about barriers, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” she said. “My father had a very good way of saying it: Don’t let somebody else’s prejudice be your problem.”

When it comes to stress, Rice says it’s a normal part of life that only increases as you reach new levels of success.

“Stress is a part of life,” Rice said. “And particularly as you go up the ladder, it’s going to be more stressful. And frankly, that’s also true for men.”

When it comes to combatting stress, the former secretary of state says she’s always found it best to tackle the issue head-on.

“I always found, first and foremost, acknowledging it,” Rice said. “If you suppress it, it doesn’t help.”

“I always said to myself, ‘All right, this is a stressful situation.’ And by naming it, I felt that I could deal with it then. And saying, ‘Oh, I can’t be stressed’? Come on. What you can say is, ‘I’m feeling stressed. How do I manage that stress?’ And I think that’s the most important thing.”

As for Felix, who remains a fierce advocate in the Black maternal health movement, she opts for a daily routine of journaling and meditating inside the car before she goes inside her house.

“I start my day off with my gratitude journal, and that really just centers me,” she said. “I started playing a little bit of tennis.”

“Sometimes when my days get absolutely crazy, sometimes wellness looks like sitting in my car for a little bit longer, you know? Doing a little bit of meditation before I walk into the house.”

RELATED CONTENT: Retired Olympian Allyson Felix Pens Heartbreaking Essay On Black Maternal Health Crisis After Tori Bowie’s Death

Drake might be from Canada, but his “generous spirit” just granted him a key to the city of Memphis.

The Grammy-winning rapper was in his father’s hometown over the weekend, where he was honored with a key to the city of Memphis by the City Council, People reports. Drake, who has referenced the city in much of his music and even shot videos there, received the key to Shelby County from Chairman Mickell Lowry.

Councilwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington celebrated Drake’s honor in a video post showing her presenting him with his award.

“It’s an honor to celebrate Drake’s support of Memphis and Memphians in the heart of my district!” she captioned her post.

“We appreciate his music and his generous spirit! We truly soar in District 4!💚,” she wrote in one post, which included a video of her presenting the rapper with the award.

 

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A post shared by Jana Swearengen Washington (@janaevette1)

A separate post shared photos she snapped with Drake and explained why she felt he was well-deserving of the accolade.

“It’s a pleasure to honor Drake, such a sweet, talented, gentle soul, especially in the heart of District 4! 💚”  Swearengen-Washington wrote.

 

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A post shared by Jana Swearengen Washington (@janaevette1)

Drake spent quality time with his Memphis family and even sported matching t-shirts with their family titles. The “In My Feelings” was dubbed “the famous one” of his family while others were labeled “the playa cousin” or “the no-filter cousin.”

https://twitter.com/jennifer_smurfs/status/1673736891764555784?s=46&t=qmzb_I2N1DzN_GymACe90A

Drake is a Toronto native, but spent a good portion of his childhood in Memphis with his father, Dennis Graham. He has paid homage to the city in many of his songs, including “Nonstop,” “Jumpman,” and “Underground Kings.” His father starred in Drake’s music video for “Worst Behavior” that was shot in Memphis.

The rapper’s key to the city came the same weekend he announced his new poetry book and album, Titles Ruin Everything. Drake was scheduled to perform in Memphis last Thursday, but the performance was rescheduled to August 6.

RELATED CONTENT: Drake Is Dropping His Very First Book Of Poetry

• Entrepreneurship

by Jeffrey McKinney

June 28, 2023

Black Businesses Projected To See $1B In Loans From The Small Business Administration

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For years, raising capital has been a struggle for Black businesses that often need the funds to scale up.

A vast number of those entrepreneurs list overcoming hurdles to gain financing among their top and largest operating challenges. It’s not shocking that those business owners generate less revenue and profits than their non-diverse peers and end up with more shutdowns.

However, in a new and surprising development, roughly $401 million more in heavy-duty financial help is perhaps in store for those proprietors through the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Based on a calculated analysis by Creative Investment Research, the SBA’s 7(a) Loan Program, the agency’s main and most common lending program, is projected to lend Black firms and businesses $1 billion this year, a whopping jump from $599 million in 2017.

The Washington, D.C.-based firm figured 7.76% of SBA loans were issued to Black business owners from October 2022 through mid-June 2023, versus 3.86% in 2017. It reports the percentage of loan dollars to Black entrepreneurs in that time frame rose to 4.41% from 2.36%.

Black businesses can use the SBA loans for many purposes, including working capital, acquiring land, or purchasing equipment. The cash can also be used for expansion, acquisitions, innovation, and hiring.

William Michael Cunningham, an economist and owner of Creative Investment Research, says his firm’s study illustrates a promising trend in the lending climate for Black American businesses. He tells BLACK ENTERPRISE that it is a sign of the continued progress that Black entrepreneurs are making while operating in a challenging economic environment. He says the report was based on an examination of SBA data in honor of Juneteenth.

“Access to capital is the key that unlocks the door o economic empowerment and unleashes the true potential of entrepreneurs,” an SBA spokesperson said in response to the report. “That’s why it is a top priority for the Biden-Harris Administration to improve equity within our lending programs, and strengthen direct outreach to historically underserved communities, including Black entrepreneurs.

 “The SBA also recognizes that supporting aspiring entrepreneurs has the potential to advance economic equality and growth in communities across our nation by growing their businesses, creating jobs, and building generational wealth.”

However, Cunningham says that SBA (7a) loan allocations in 2023 for White-owned businesses were 11 times higher than for Black  businesses. “This emphasizes the persistent financial gaps that Black entrepreneurs face in pursuit of business growth,” he explains.

He says historically racial discrimination in employment has often fueled Blacks to become their own bosses through entrepreneurship. “Our report uniquely identifies the relationship between small Black business lending to Black entrepreneurs and record-low Black unemployment.”

Though the study’s findings reveal a trend toward more inclusivity tied to SBA lending activities, they too showcase the need for continuous and focused efforts.

Cunningham says more work is needed given the existing racial disparity gap as the nation’s Black population is about 14% but that group is only getting just 4.41% of the dollar loan volume in 2023. In contrast, for example,  Cunningham says Asians account for 5.7 percent of the U.S. population but received 19.2% of SBA (7a) loans in 2023 based on dollar volume.

Cunningham says the study finds a potential connection between the willingness of 7(a) loan participants to identify their ethnic background. During the Trump administration, which faced criticism for its stance on diversity and equality, there was an increase in “unanswered” responses regarding ethnicity.

Contrarily, Cunningham says there has been a major drop in this objection after the murder of George Floyd and the subsequent societal focus on racial justice.

More details of the report are here.