On Monday morning, Don Lemon took social media by storm, announcing his termination from CNN. But, within 24 hours, he received another job offer!

After Rick Ross discovered Lemon was fired after 17 years with the network, the Miami native immediately offered the former anchor a position with one of his several Wing Stop franchises. In his announcement, he ensured Lemon that “the brothers got your back” as he encouraged the news anchor to send him a résumé, confirming he’ll get him in front of the “right grill.”

“Just found out Don Lemon was terminated from CNN. Damn, dawg. But guess what? The brothers got your back. We hiring at Wingstop. And for some reason, I believe you know what you are doing with the lemon pepper wings, so man, just send over your résumé … I’m going a make sure I get you in front of the right grill, brother. Stay solid, brother.”

That’s not all. Ross spoke about another idea, offering a Don Lemon version of his Rapstar Energy Drink.

“Just came up with a wonderful idea — well, really, Don, you helped me come up with this,” he said. “I need to hit the team over at Rapstar Energy Drink and let ’em know we should introduce the Don Lemon flavor. What y’all think? Aye, Don, we got you, brother!”

Rick Ross offering Don lemon a job at wing stop after he got fired from CNN has me in tears!!! 🤣💀🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/LrtOYS7YEG

— Shannonnn sharpes Burner (PARODY Account) (@shannonsharpeee) April 25, 2023

They don’t call the Maybach Music label owner “The Boss” for no reason! Outside of his rap career, he is a successful entrepreneur with several business ventures with a net worth of $55 million. Here’s a breakdown of Ricky Rozay’s investment portfolio. 

Boss Wings Enterprises LLC

Ross owns more than 25 Wingstop locations through his Boss Wings Enterprises LLC. Keeping it all in the family, in 2021, he gifted his son one of the franchise locations for his 16th birthday. Not to mention, Boss Wings Enterprise LLC is owned and operated by the 47-year-old’s sister and mother. 

Rapstar Energy Drink

As Ross told Lemon in his video clip, another employment option for the former CNN anchor is collaborating with his beverage brand to release the Don Lemon flavor drink. 

Maybach Music Group

After 10 years and eight studio albums, the mogul launched the record label in 2009 with signed artists, including Meek Mill, Wale, Omarion, and French Montana.

COLLINS AVE

In partnership with Cookies, a lifestyle and cannabis brand, COLLINS AVE, launched three specialty cannabis strains that, according to the website, “feature flavor profiles inspired by Ross’ own identity.”

JetDoc

Two years ago, the Grammy-nominated rapper announced a partnership with the healthcare platform, JetDoc, a digital healthcare platform that instantly connects people with licensed healthcare professionals. within minutes. He also invested $ 1 million in the Detroit-based telehealth startup. 

Belaire Rosé Champagne

Although the brand is owned by Sovereign Brands, a New York-based company, Ross endorses the champagne brand in many of his songs. His involvement with the company as a brand ambassador extends back to 2013. 

RICH Hair Care

In 2017, the rapper and businessman partnered with RICH Hair Care to introduce his line of affordable luxury grooming products for men and women, including moisturizers, conditioner, shampoo, and various other products.

New research shows less than half (44% ) of Black Gen Xers believes that they will be able to retire by age 70, new research shows.

This finding comes as 69% of Gen Xers overall would like to retire before age 65 but only 37%  believe that will happen. The data is from a fresh study tied to an online survey paid for by Clever Real Estate. Americans born from 1965 to 1980 were quizzed about their personal finances and retirement plans.

The report included eye-popping statistics for Black Gen Xers. Only 10% have over $500,000 in retirement savings, though at least $555,000 saved is recommended. Some 21% report having no retirement savings, 29% are uncertain that they will ever be able to retire; 43% worry they will outlive their retirement savings; and 41% are concerned they won’t be able to afford housing in retirement.

Furthermore, most Black Gen Xers (60%) are saving less than 10% of their monthly income on retirement, though it’s recommended to save 15% in that time, while 25% of them say they have never saved for retirement. The most common regret among Black Gen Xers about their golden years’ plans is not saving up sooner (36%). That same amount has had to sacrifice their retirement savings to afford necessities.

Black Gen Xers should be concerned, as the findings indicate that many of them may not have enough savings to sustain their retirement, said Sam M. Huisache, data writer at Clever Real Estate.

She added that the combination of low retirement savings, lack of confidence in retirement planning, concerns about outliving savings, and concerns about affording housing during retirement shows that Black Gen Xers should be concerned about their ability to retire.

So, what actions should be considered or undertaken to help boost retirement savings?

“The best advice I can give to Black Gen Xers hoping to start or build up their existing retirement savings is to start now,” Huisache shared via email. She suggested asking your employer about any matching programs for retirement accounts. She noted 401(k)s, IRAs, and Roth IRAs are great options for anyone looking to get serious about their retirement, something that could help them maximize their savings.

Don’t be afraid to get professional advice! She said many major cities have financial counseling services available to their residents through local government or non-profits. For instance, Khan Academy has a free online course on financial literacy that anyone can take from the comfort of their home.

Moreover, Huisache maintained that Gen X should advocate for our country to have a more robust retirement program for American workers.

“For many, Social Security and Medicare are not sufficient programs to ensure that our retired workforce can afford a secure and healthy retirement,” she said. “25% of Gen X is actually worried that Social Security will run out, causing them to not want to retire.”

Check out more details about the overall findings here.

The Wells Fargo Foundation and four mission-driven Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) are improving housing affordability and availability in urban and underserved communities.

According to a Wells Fargo release, the foundation has provided Capital Impact Partners, the Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF), Raza Development Fund (RDF), and the Reinvestment Fund with $40 million as part of a four-year Growing Diverse Housing Developers (GDHD) initiative, a long-term commitment to creating equitable housing solutions around the country.

The GDHD is holding its annual conference in Atlanta this week to share best practices, common challenges, and effective approaches to creating housing equity and greater diversity in the industry. During the meeting, housing industry figures, program partners, funders, public officials, and other community members will participate in policy discussions, case study presentations, capital solutions, and tours of projects in development around Atlanta.

“We seek to invest in diverse real estate developers because there is such a long history of wealth building from real estate. It is important to connect a new, more diverse generation of developers to assets that appreciate cash flow and build community assets as well,” said Don Hinkle-Brown, president and CEO of the Reinvestment Fund. “Historical market limitations involving inequitable access to capital have blocked people of color from leveraging their tools, talent, and insight to revitalize their communities for the better. Initiatives that prioritize representation and diversity solve for that hindrance, enabling marginalized people to pursue worthwhile development despite restrictive market permission.”

Those at the GDHD conference will also discuss the racial inequities in housing, including discriminatory practices such as redlining and biased home appraisals. GDHD partners will also discuss fighting and removing the barriers keeping people of color from becoming homeowners.

Owning a home is still the most tried and true method of wealth building in the U.S. However, the U.S. housing market is in dire need of new homes. According to CNN, the U.S. housing market is short by more than 6 million homes, pushing the market to a standstill for buyers and sellers. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports 44% of Black Americans are homeowners, while more than 70% of white Americans are homeowners.

“The Growing Diverse Housing Developers program has exceeded my expectations,” Darion Dunn, the managing partner of Atlanta-based housing development firm Atlantica Properties, said in a statement. “The powerful combination of technical assistance, industry networking opportunities, and customized lending products from Reinvestment Fund is accelerating the growth of Atlantica Properties.”

Yamiche Alcindor is proudly announcing her pregnancy after years of IVF.

To celebrate the announcement, the NBC correspondent penned a personal essay in TODAY to encourage other women experiencing challenges while trying to conceive.

“It is the most incredible, exciting, life-affirming thing for me […] especially because it comes after years of disappointment, ugly crying, and carrying around a deep sense of shame that my body couldn’t do what everyone else’s body seemed to do so easily,” she wrote.

Alcindor got candid about her four-year journey to conception that included “rounds and rounds of IVF” and “hoping, and praying, and deeply wanting more than anything else in this world to be pregnant and to bring home a healthy baby.”

The honesty continued as Alcindor shared the personal “shame” she felt having to use IVF to conceive.

“There was a deep shame that I had to use science to help my body have a baby,” she wrote.

“It helped that so many women have been transparent about their journeys and all the different ways people arrive at motherhood,” Alcindor continued. “But still, there were so many nights when I cried myself to sleep feeling a deep sense of resentment at my reality.”

Now a happy mother-to-be, Alcindor expressed her sense of regret making her pregnancy announcement while knowing “reading yet another pregnancy announcement might hurt women who are still struggling to become mothers.”

The former PBS host explained her reluctance to post a photo of her growing baby bump after recalling the times she “found myself in tears reading those sorts of announcements.”

“That’s why I knew in my heart that I couldn’t post a photo of my growing stomach with a cheery announcement,” Alcindor wrote.

Speaking directly to women “whose path to motherhood has hit speed bumps, potholes, roadblocks and detour signs that have forced you on a winding, painful journey,” Alcindor extended her empathy and acknowledged the pain that comes with a grueling journey to conception.

The Miami native expressed her hope that by sharing her story, she would provide “both comfort to those still in the struggle to get to motherhood, and affirmation for those whose paths have left deep scars.”

RELATED CONTENT: Da Brat And Jesseca Harris-Dupart Are Gifting An IVF Cycle Worth $10K To A Lucky Fan

• Celebrity News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 26, 2023

Toni Braxton Recalls Ignoring Life-Threatening Chest Pains She Thought Was Just Grief Over Sister’s Death

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Toni Braxton is opening up about the nearly life-threatening health scare she experienced after bypassing chest pains as grief over the loss of her late sister Traci Braxton.

The “Un-Break My Heart” singer appeared on the “Today” show on Tuesday to open up about how systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) “attacked” her heart and led to her having a coronary stent placed to prevent a heart attack.

“It (was) put in at a really, really scary moment,” Braxton, 55, said, noting how “surreal” the experience was.

She had been experiencing chest pain that indicated something was off with her health. But the “He Wasn’t Man Enough” singer assumed the pain was just a part of mourning her sister Traci who passed away in March 2022.

“I just thought it was just sadness,” Braxton said. “It turned out to be much more serious, and I just dismissed the signs … and a lot of people tend to do that.”

The “Braxton Family Values” star had a doctor’s appointment that she considered skipping because she felt “fine.” But after going, she was told she needed to have a stent (a device used to hold open passages in the body) placed “immediately,” to prevent a heart attack.

“A couple days after they did the procedure they told me that it was touch and go,” Braxton said.

“I would have had a massive heart attack and would not have survived,” she added.

Now, as a paid spokesperson with Aurinia Pharmaceuticals’ Get Uncomfortable campaign, Braxton is partnered with the company to encourage other people living with lupus nephritis to complete routine testing to prevent kidney damage.

The “Breathe Again” singer has been transparent about having lupus since first making the revelation in 2010, two years after the Grammy award-winning singer received her diagnosis. She recalls initially being ashamed to talk about her diagnosis until others encouraged her to share her journey.

“It’s so empowering when people come up to me and say, ‘I have lupus, too, and you’ve helped me so much,’” she said.

“I feel proud of myself. I used to beat myself (up).”

Now she’s encouraging others to stay on top of their health through routine visits because you never know what your body could be telling you.

“You’ve got to get those screenings done,” Braxton said. “It’s very important.”

RELATED CONTENT: Toni Braxton Shares How She’s Coping With Sister Traci’s Death

• Business

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

April 26, 2023

National Black Funding Day Becomes Official Holiday Thanks to Dr. Rashae Barnes

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Celebrity publicist and branding expert Dr. Rashae Barnes has plenty of reason to celebrate after securing an official national holiday that honors Black entrepreneurs in the funding industry throughout the United States.

National Black Funding Day will occur every year on Sept. 30, thanks to Barnes and the efforts of many firms who came together to celebrate Black investors and highlight the disparities in venture capital, particularly toward Black and minority-owned businesses.

“We need to educate the masses on the disparities in funding across the board and provide resources to help underserved communities secure funding for their businesses,” Barnes said via Yahoo Money.”

We also need to celebrate the strides made thus far for black founders across the country.”

The day will serve as a call to action for large corporations and businesses to make donations to Black founders and their organizations. It was organized in response to studies showing that Black and minority-owned businesses receive less than 2% of funding each year, with women of color receiving even less.

The discriminatory financial practices have long hindered the growth of minority-owned businesses and only became more highlighted following the civil unrest after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. While many Black entrepreneurs saw historic gains in securing VC funding after Floyd’s death, it still led to a 45% decrease in financing for Black-owned businesses.

With an official national holiday recognizing the importance of funding Black businesses, Barnes is hopeful the annual holiday will bring about much-needed change. The new holiday will be filled with educational events, fundraising efforts, and celebrations of Black entrepreneurship and innovation.

A special focus will be placed on encouraging large corporations and businesses to donate to Black firms and founders while celebrating the accomplishments of Black founders who made strides despite all the odds against them.

The late pop icon Prince is being honored by his home state of Minnesota in a big way. His ‘Royal Badness’ is set to have a portion of a major highway named in his honor.

On Friday, the Minnesota House passed a bill to rename a seven-mile stretch of Highway 5 to “Prince Rogers Nelson Memorial Highway,” KARE 11 reports. The stretch runs from Prince’s hometown in Chanhassen and Eden Prairie, and past Prince’s recording studio turned tourist destination, Paisley Park.

The portion of the highway dedicated to the “Kiss” singer would include purple highway signs set to be installed in the summer of 2023.

“It’s a tremendous privilege to work with Minnesotans and all the advocates to recognize and honor Prince’s contributions to our state, our country, and the world,” Rep. Lucy Rehm (DFL-Chanhassen), who helped author the bill, said.

House File 717 was unanimously passed with a 121-0 vote by the Minnesota House on the seventh anniversary of Prince’s death at his home in Paisley Park. CBS News reports that the bill is working its way to the Senate before its expected signing by Gov. Tim Walz before the May 22 end of the 2023 session.

“It’s something that will last forever,” lifetime Prince fan Mary Ann Wasik said, “like his music.”

Mark Webster, a former security guard for the “Purple Rain” singer, spent the last three years pushing to have the portion of the highway renamed. He applauded the bipartisan move that politicians on both sides are working to get passed.

“What I felt today in the state capitol was 100-percent bipartisanship. Everybody was happy. Everybody wanted this to happen,” Webster said.

“This is for all the fans, for the people who love Prince. Prince gave a lot to us. This is about giving something back to Prince and honoring him and his legacy.”

Quincy Brown and his brothers are front and center in MTV’s newest series, Family Legacy,” where they relive some of Diddy’s most iconic moments and share how they’re carrying on the family legacy.

The Dope star takes on an even bigger role in the show that premiered Tuesday, April 25 on Paramount+, as the narrator in all five episodes. Several celebrity offspring dig through thousands of hours of exclusive MTV footage of their parents, some of music’s biggest stars, to take fans on a nostalgic tour of their mom or dad’s most celebrated MTV moments.

Quincy appeared in one episode alongside his brothers, Justin and Christian Combs, and says the experience helped him take more pride in his family’s meaningful contributions to the culture.

“The whole thing is just surreal to be able to look at my life and see that sense of a history,” he told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“Sometimes, growing up, you do so much and are on to the next. Everything that you do is obviously a part of your legacy, and this was that true reminder of how blessed my family is. How much work my family has put in, how much impact on culture.”

Other celebrity kids featured in the series include CJ Wallace, the son of The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans; Nathan Morris II, the son of Boyz II Men’s Nathan Morris; Sy’Rai Smith, the daughter of Brandy; and Tron Austin, the son of TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, among others.

The eldest of Diddy’s sons, Quincy grew up in the industry, raised by the Bad Boy creator and maintaining a relationship with his biological father, singer Al B Sure. He already broke ground as an actor with roles in films like Dope, Brotherly Love and TV shows like Star and Raising Kanan.

But Quincy has a natural passion for music that he wants the world to notice.

“It’s that time where it’s like, ‘alright, how can I structure this out to really make y’all understand where this passion lies for this music,’” he explained.

“People see me do music and they think, I may just be doing it cause of Puff or I may be doing it cause of Al B. Sure.”

“But where my passion exists in the creating of it may not be apparent to people.”

Quincy is a multifaceted talent who describes himself as a “genre-less” musician who sees “color” when it comes to creating, hence why he’s dabbled in so many different art forms. But now, at 31, Quincy is determined to make the masses understand where his passion truly lies.

“I feel like this new round of efforts is going to really shape people’s perception of me in this music,” he said. “I cut my hair. It’s a lot of things that are going into play right now to really make you understand the passion there. It’s all about the music now.”

Speaking of cutting his hair, Quincy’s newest release includes his twin sisters, Jessie and D’Lila Combs, who appear in the music video to help their big brother get ready for a blind date. The video shows his 16-year-old twin sisters styling him and cutting his hair ahead of his night out.

Quincy shared the inspiration behind the song and visuals, with “Face Off” serving as an ode to being your true self.

“It just represents stripping it all the way to really meet in the middle to be truly yourself,” he said.

It was only right to stay true to the Combs’ “Family Legacy” and feature his sisters in the music video. Quincy lists it as a nod to being the “unifier” in his famous family.

“I got like a little piece of everybody,” he said. “I think that’s kind of where I fit in and stand out. I’m not like everybody; I’m like a unifier. I’m that bridge to the gap.”

Quincy Brown and his brothers are front and center in MTV’s newest series, Family Legacy,” where they relive some of Diddy’s most iconic moments and share how they’re carrying on the family legacy.

The Dope star takes on an even bigger role in the show that premiered Tuesday, April 25 on Paramount+, as the narrator in all five episodes. Several celebrity offspring dig through thousands of hours of exclusive MTV footage of their parents, some of music’s biggest stars, to take fans on a nostalgic tour of their mom or dad’s most celebrated MTV moments.

Quincy appeared in one episode alongside his brothers, Justin and Christian Combs, and says the experience helped him take more pride in his family’s meaningful contributions to the culture.

“The whole thing is just surreal to be able to look at my life and see that sense of a history,” he told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“Sometimes, growing up, you do so much and are on to the next. Everything that you do is obviously a part of your legacy, and this was that true reminder of how blessed my family is. How much work my family has put in, how much impact on culture.”

Other celebrity kids featured in the series include CJ Wallace, the son of The Notorious B.I.G. and Faith Evans; Nathan Morris II, the son of Boyz II Men’s Nathan Morris; Sy’Rai Smith, the daughter of Brandy; and Tron Austin, the son of TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, among others.

The eldest of Diddy’s sons, Quincy grew up in the industry, raised by the Bad Boy creator and maintaining a relationship with his biological father, singer Al B Sure. He already broke ground as an actor with roles in films like Dope, Brotherly Love and TV shows like Star and Raising Kanan.

But Quincy has a natural passion for music that he wants the world to notice.

“It’s that time where it’s like, ‘alright, how can I structure this out to really make y’all understand where this passion lies for this music,’” he explained.

“People see me do music and they think, I may just be doing it cause of Puff or I may be doing it cause of Al B. Sure.”

“But where my passion exists in the creating of it may not be apparent to people.”

Quincy is a multifaceted talent who describes himself as a “genre-less” musician who sees “color” when it comes to creating, hence why he’s dabbled in so many different art forms. But now, at 31, Quincy is determined to make the masses understand where his passion truly lies.

“I feel like this new round of efforts is going to really shape people’s perception of me in this music,” he said. “I cut my hair. It’s a lot of things that are going into play right now to really make you understand the passion there. It’s all about the music now.”

Speaking of cutting his hair, Quincy’s newest release includes his twin sisters, Jessie and D’Lila Combs, who appear in the music video to help their big brother get ready for a blind date. The video shows his 16-year-old twin sisters styling him and cutting his hair ahead of his night out.

Quincy shared the inspiration behind the song and visuals, with “Face Off” serving as an ode to being your true self.

“It just represents stripping it all the way to really meet in the middle to be truly yourself,” he said.

It was only right to stay true to the Combs’ “Family Legacy” and feature his sisters in the music video. Quincy lists it as a nod to being the “unifier” in his famous family.

“I got like a little piece of everybody,” he said. “I think that’s kind of where I fit in and stand out. I’m not like everybody; I’m like a unifier. I’m that bridge to the gap.”

After keeping things simple for her courthouse wedding to Jonathan Owens, Simone Biles had to shut down the critics who took issue with the high ponytail she wore for the big day.

Biles, 26, and Owens, 27, tied the knot at a Texas courthouse wedding on Saturday. The Olympic gold gymnast took to Instagram over the weekend to share photos from her wedding day.

“I do 🤍 officially owens 🤍” she captioned her post.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Simone Biles Owens (@simonebiles)

Biles opted for a tiered white gown, while Owens wore a tan suit. The Houston Texans player shared romantic shots from the special day while expressing his pride in finally being married to Biles.

“My person, forever ❤️💍 #TheOwens #itsofficial,” he captioned his post.

“I love you husband,” Biles wrote in his comments section.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Jonathan Owens 🏈 (@jowens)

While many applauded the happy newlyweds on Instagram, Biles faced criticism on Twitter by some who didn’t like how the decorated gymnast’ styled her wedding hair, leading her fans to step up and defend the seven-time Olympic gold medalist’s hairstyle.

“Yall really coming for Simone Biles’s hair at her wedding. She is a young millionaire, a great gymnast, and married to the love of her life. What you got???” one fan tweeted.

Yall really coming for Simone Biles’s hair at her wedding. She is a young millionaire, a great gymnast, and married to the love of her life. What you got??? pic.twitter.com/QLreAGJu9p

— Kemmy O (@Kemy_87) April 23, 2023

“Simone Biles is a goddess. I look up to her so much and girl I could only wish for her level of beauty,” another fan said in part.

https://twitter.com/Mediterranean_Z/status/1650273364550774784

“I saw those pics of Simone Biles and my first thought was, ‘Aww she look so happy.’ The fact y’all zoomed in on her edges and hair is so miserable,” another user wrote.

One fan cleared the critics by listing out just a few of Biles’ accolades and life accomplishments before obliterating them for attempting to shade the American gymnast.

“Simone Biles is one of THEE top gymnasts we’ve ever seen, has overcame situations of abuse and other obstacles in her childhood, has defined her own success and found love and is now happily married…

And y’all worried about her hair…..?!” they quipped.

Biles took notice of the supportive tweet and replied with a short explanation about her wedding hair.

“i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics,” she wrote before addressing her haters.

“but they can keep complaining idc idc idc,” she added.

i think they also forget i live in HOUSTON TEXAS & I sweat those out!! soon as we stepped outside for pics

but they can keep complaining idc idc idc

— Simone Biles (@Simone_Biles) April 23, 2023