Apple Introduces ‘Pay Later’ Service Allowing For Payment Installments
Apple announced that customers will be able to “pay a little something on it” with their new “pay later” services.
The new Apple Pay Later model will allow users to split payments into four installments. The feature, according to Apple’s Newsroom, lets customers break up purchases that total $50 to $1,000 into four payments over the course of six weeks, with no fees and zero interest. “Users can easily track, manage, and repay their Apple Pay Later loans in one convenient location in Apple Wallet. Users can apply for Apple Pay Later loans of $50 to $1,000, which can be used for online and in-app purchases made on iPhone and iPad with merchants that accept Apple Pay,” Apple said in the press release.
Credit cards will not be accepted for users opting into the Pay Later service and payments will be taken automatically from a debit card for the three installments. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to how people manage their finances. Many people are looking for flexible payment options, which is why we’re excited to provide our users with Apple Pay Later,” said Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, Jennifer Bailey. “Apple Pay Later was designed with our users’ financial health in mind, so it has no fees and no interest, and can be used and managed within Wallet, making it easier for consumers to make informed and responsible borrowing decisions.”
It’s surprising that Apple has taken this long to introduce this model, as companies like Klarna, ShopPay and Afterpay have found lots of success offering people an option to get what they want at the moment while giving them more time to pay off their purchases. Financial experts are split on the “layaway” system that has been rebranded in recent years, as missed payments still end up reported to collection companies and could create credit problems for users down the line.
Omarion Recalls Meeting Taye Diggs While Co-Parenting With Apryl Jones, ‘He Seems Like A Cool Dude’
Omarion is opening up about the warm reception he gave Taye Diggs while meeting the actor during a co-parenting session with his ex-girlfriend, Apryl Jones.
Diggs and Jones have been going strong since going public in early 2022. It’s the first long-term and public relationship Jones has entertained since parting ways with Omarion in 2016.
Since their split, Jones and Omarion have been co-parenting their two children, son Megaa Omari Granbury, 8, and daughter A’mei Kazuko Grandberry, 6. Considering how much time Jones spends with her current boyfriend, it was only a matter of time before The Best Man star crossed paths with Omarion.
The “Touch” singer recently appeared on Sway In The Morning on SiriusXM Shade45, where he opened up about his relationship with Diggs and the actor dating his baby mama.
“I Just met him for the first time, and he seems like a cool dude,” Omarion revealed.
“He has kids of his own, and he’s an older man, so I only expect good things from him. We met at my son’s class project, and he came through.”
Omarion recalled their exchange and claimed Diggs complimented his children.
“It’s all good, man; enjoy yourself,” the B3K singer replied.
After The Shade Room reposted the clip, fans accused Omarion of showing signs of “saltiness” about his ex finding love with someone else.
“He tried to take the high road but a teeny bit of saltiness came through,” one user wrote.
“He bothered. He didn’t think April would get there before him..but love found her again, with a real commitment and happiness,” another added.
Many couldn’t get around Omarion referring to Diggs as “an older man.” One person even insinuated it wasn’t the first time Omarion has subtly shaded someone else.
“He’s always so shady. Clearly, he’s bothered AF,” they mentioned.
Omarion hasn’t been romantically linked to anyone since parting ways with Jones. Their relationship and breakup were captured on Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood.
Candace Owens Claims Affirmative Action Policies Are Harmful and Degrading
Candace Owens is back to her old antics.
During a recent appearance on the Dr. Phil show, the right-wing conservative analyst and Daily Wire host blasted affirmative action policies, calling them “harmful and degrading.” Sharing the floor with fellow panelists including conservative author and TV host Danielle D’Souza Gill, Owens claimed to have “actual facts” that such policies resulted in nothing more than a “burden of responsibility” for the left, and often did more harm than good.
“When you artificially place a black American into a school in which they do not belong based on their knowledge, it doesn’t mean that they go on to get A’s,” Owens said. “In fact, there was a black adjunct professor, you guys have definitely heard of him, Dr. Thomas Sowell, who was teaching at Cornell University and he found that the majority of the black American students that were there were on academic probation.”
The 33-year-old jumped on advocates that support such initiatives, claiming they often bring harm to the same people the policies tend to help. “In the end, you either know the answers or you don’t,” she said.
The discussion surrounding affirmative action has carried on for years now, even making it to the Supreme Court, upholding the use of race in admissions at the University of Texas. BLACK ENTERPRISEreported in 2022 that 60% of Americans supported a ban on the consideration of race in college admissions. However, Black Americans were the only demographic not looking to support the ban on race in college admissions.
Eliminating race-based admissions can actually hurt enrollment for minority students. Studies conducted by Georgetown University showed school admissions considering class over race would leave select colleges without Black and other minority representation. The study said it’s unlikely schools will adopt class-conscious admissions, with several factors at stake.
Jermaine Dupri Explains Why He Never ‘Wanted’ to Produce Music For Janet Jackson
It only made sense for Jermaine Dupri and Janet Jackson to create music together during their seven years of dating. But it wasn’t something the So So Def creator was seeking when pursuing the award-winning singer.
Dupri and Jackson dated from 2002 to 2009. The two already boasted extensive music catalogs prior to getting involved. During their time together, Dupri produced classic albums like Usher’s Confessions and Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi.
While he managed to produce hits for other chart-topping artists, Dupri didn’t have the same success with his ex-girlfriend. But it also was never his intention to produce music with Jackson, as he revealed during a recent appearance on Million Dollaz Worth of Game.
“It wasn’t about no music sh*t,” he explained. “I was just on some like hang out. I wasn’t on no music sh*t, though. I never wanted to produce her.”
Dupri’s revelation came after the podcast hosts asked the hip-hop mogul if he used his skill as a producer to court Jackson. Although the “Welcome to Atlanta” rapper had no desire to produce for Jackson, it did cause some tension in their relationship.
“We got in an argument about me not producing her because she was around me watching everybody else get hit records,” he said.
The Grammy-winning producer was aware of all the speculation surrounding his relationship with Jackson and didn’t want the singer to start believing the rumors.
“I never wanted her to think that’s what my agenda was. ’Cause so many people was saying that,” he explained. “When Janet met me she got picked up from the airport in a [Bentley] Continental T. … It wasn’t never no situation where I wanted her to believe that I was trying to do this.”
Dupri added that he didn’t want to “be the person to mess it up.”
With Jackson still working with her producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at the time, Dupri didn’t think his services were needed.
“You don’t need me, but in her eyes… It didn’t sound right,” he said. But his reluctance to produce for Janet caused “a little bit” of tension throughout their relationship.
The “Money Ain’t A Thing” rapper faced criticism when he produced songs on Jackson’s 2006 album 20 Y.O., as noted by Hip Hop DX. In 2020, when he was asked if he would ever reunite for a musical collaboration with Jackson, Dupri explained why fans shouldn’t hold their breath.
“The only reason I say that is because I feel cheated in a way from the 20 Y.O. album that I did… a lot of people discredit me for that album. It has nothing to do with me and her,” he toldPage Six.
“I saw a lot of fans say, ‘JD messed her career up with that album,’” he continued. “That album almost sold 400,000 copies in its first week and produced a No. 1 hit. I don’t know why that’s not a success.”
During the annual, transformative, four-day event, 100 students from across the country got to see themselves differently while witnessing their dreams come to fruition.
Last week, we were invited to the magical Walt Disney World to fully immerse ourselves in a line-up of hands-on mentorship from incredible alumni and industry leaders, career deep dives, talent exposure, an emotional commencement ceremony, and surprise appearances from Marsai Martin, artist H.E.R., and celebrity ambassador Halle Bailey.
“You show me where you’re most curious, and I’ll show you where you’ll be most innovative. You show me where you passionate, and I’ll show you where you can be most profitable,” said Dreaming Big Brother and alum, Princeton Parker on day one.
We were able to speak with four Black teenagers, poets, creators, educators, and business owners who have demonstrated what it means to #Be100.
Hannah Hollings
Credit: Hannah Hollings, Brentwood, TN
Hannah Hollings is a force that could quiet a ballroom. At the Cafe of the Senses, where dreamers got to present what they had been working on, Hannah surprised guests with a powerful performance of a poem, called “Ode To Be A Star,” from the spotlight she boldly stood in.
“The Disney Dreamers program was honestly made for us, so to be around so many people that look like me, they’re doing big things like me. It’s amazing,” Hollings told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
When she is not performing poetry, the 15-year-old freshman uses her voice in Model UN, Youth in Government, and the Mock Trail Team. Her true passion in entrepreneurship all began six years ago with a strong desire to go to the farmers markets in her former hometown in Michigan.
As the CEO of H3 Lemonade, Hannah devoted her time with her dynamic sisters, Halle (seventh grade) and Harper (fifth grade) to serve their community during the COVID-19 quarantine. Servicing Nashville Farmers Markets with the likes of their famous Lemonade Cookie, the trio intentionally gave back by donating a portion of the proceeds to charities like Black Girls Code and Natural Rescue Mission. The H3 squad has also donated hygienic products to Stratford Magnet School, a local STEM middle school in Nashville.
As a business champion, Hollings created Kids Building Businesses, a YouTube platform that educates students on how to build a business.
“It’s really for children to get the support they need from people and how to get money to even start,” Hollings explained.
Although she may have some time, Hollings is looking forward to her college options. Becoming a Howard University legacy is definitely on her list. She aspires to be a business magnate and continue to inspire girls everywhere.
Miguel Coppedge
Credit: Miguel Coppedge, Washington, DC
After meeting the very mighty Miguel Coppedge, I witnessed his light glow right before our very eyes during the fabulous “Put You On” event. Imagine this. He stepped out on a lit runway in fly kicks, jeans, bright yellow hoodie, red rain jacket, and iconic DDA Mickey Mouse ears. He was confidently floating on air, wide-grinning as the audience stood in ovation. Lights, camera, action!
“I learned that dreams are never too big. I’ve learned that connections are very important,” as Miguel explained what he learned thus far as a DDA Dreamer. “I’ve learned a lot of people are different. There’s a lot of diversity here and I love it.”
But there was nothing staged about this young man. Miguel is a 17-year-old creative and business mogul in the making, living by his motto “You are never to young to do anything.” After applying for two years, the graduating high school junior woke up as a Disney Dreamer and a surprise opportunity that he described to me as “amazing.”
“A lot of people get discouraged by their age. A lot of people don’t understand that you can be young and do anything. You can be old and do anything. Your age does not matter of what you wanna do in your future,” said the three-time bestselling author.
Born in Washington, D.C., Miguel emerged on the creator scene as early two years old. He loves to write poetry when he is not sharpening his journalistic eye at the Richard Wright Public Charter School for Journalism and Media. His love for basketball inspires him to be a future NBA player and sports analyst.
Miguel is a motivational speaker, philanthropist, and proud descendant of his family Trinidadian roots. The pride runs deep through his Kruelle (pronounced kru-la-la). When he couldn’t find the right products to curl or grow his 4b hair, Coppedge masterminded a natural hair company and curl creme/butter that embodies African heritage and the naturalness of Black coils.
Miguel is still building his family tree. “I just wanted to create something that would be significant for Black boys and Black men. I am Trinidadian. I do want to connect to my roots,” he shared, adding that “I am now figuring out that my great great grandmother was Nigerian.”
Miguel will be attending Virginia Commonwealth.
Shane Mushambi
Image Credit: Shane Mushambi, Missouri City, TX
Shane Mushambi has been booked and busy for a while now. Becoming a Disney Dreamer Academy graduate is just one of his dreams come true.
“It feels great to be recognized for the work I’ve been putting in. Also just being able to be in Disney and in such a magical place,” Mushambi told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
With inspiration from friends, Disney Dream alumni, and his mom, Shane applied to the Disney Dreamer Academy, where he enjoyed taking a ride on the newest and exhilarating TRON in Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland and learning from experts about entrepreneurship.
At just 12 years old, Mushami and his 13-year-old brother Nigel started a baking business. From winning a church baking competition three years in a row to taking small orders, Two Brothers in the Kitchen was a passion venture with layers of art and science. Yummy desserts include a wide array of unique cupcakes and cakes for all occasions.
Shane and Nigel Mushambi (Image: Two Brothers in the Kitchen, Facebook)
The pair of qualified geniuses also published a book titled Beyond the Kitchen: How to Cook Up Success with Life’s Mistakes. The goal of the book is to encourage young people like themselves to reach seemingly impossible dreams.
“I want to make healthcare and accessible aids more accessible to everyone and more affordable for people who might’ve been mistreated or aren’t treated fairly by the current health system in America,” Mushami explained.
He added, “At my heart, I am an educator. I like to educate people and help people understand the world around them and become more knowledgeable.”
Growing up, Shane was homeschooled by his mother and was grateful for his community of other homeschoolers who exchanged knowledge. Now, he is also using his skills to operate his online math tutoring business focused on teaching math in an intuitive way.
“A lot of the times math is taught in a somewhat confusing manner with extra steps that might not be for everyone,” he said, later adding that he and his brother are writing a third book about complex math ideas.
“When you hear about it in your algebra class or in college class, you’re not completely blindsided by it. It helps you keep up.”
Julian Morris
Credit: Julian Morris, Saginaw, MI
Julian Morris is a voice for many and an architect of his own dreams.
The 15-year-old sophomore at Saginaw High School in Michigan was among his 2023 Disney Dreamer class who got the opportunity to rep his business and learn how to propel it even further.
“Knowing that there was over 6,000 applicants and only 100 was chosen. To be one of the 100 is an amazing feeling and it’s like no other,” Julian told BLACK ENTERPRISE.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Julian made a bold move that would give himself and his peers a chance to be part of the conversation. He is the founder and editor of SWAG Magazine, for teens written by teens.
“During that time, a lot of decisions were being made for kids. For us kids, we didn’t really have a say in too much of what was happening to us and for us. I started SWAG Magazine as a platform to give peers a voice so we can express ourselves without our voices being muffled with the adults,” said the budding journalist, repping his SWAG merch.
Shortly after he started SWAG, Julian said he found his voice. The writing became natural to him. From entertainment and art to photography, the creativity on SWAG pages are gifts that keep on giving. Julian said he had also opened up after-school writing workshops, teaching middle schoolers all aspects of journalism. He hopes to keep it going.
“I look like the people that I am trying to elevate, and so if they see me doing it, it opens up their eyes that they can do It. If I can do it, everybody can,” Julian said.
For those who want to change the world in media, Julian advises to “never be afraid of what your dream is. Just always go for it. If you work hard enough, you can do anything.”
New Mom Incapable of Mothering Her Son For Three Years Due to Severe Stroke Days After Giving Birth
A 38-year-old North Carolina mom is still recovering, more than four years after giving birth.
Leslie Jordan was 33 years old when she gave birth to her son, but following the delivery, learned that her slurred speech, loss of mobility, intense pain, and preeclampsia diagnosis were leading to a stroke.
According to Go Red for Women, a new mom at the time, Jordan suffered several strokes and seizures.
“It’s like everything was taken away from me,” Jordan said. “I had to just literally leave my old life behind me and focus on the now to survive.”
Jordan experienced an excruciating headache, a feeling that she described as a “bowling ball or a house” on top of her head. As she tried to communicate with medical professionals, she was experiencing unbearable pain and felt as if her body was on fire.
“I yelled as loud as I could, ‘I am having a stroke,’” Jordan said.
“The streets were new. The signs didn’t make any sense. The car we were riding in didn’t seem familiar. I didn’t know where I was,” she said. “I didn’t even recognize my own bedroom. I was like, ‘This is where I live?’ I just thought, ‘OK, if I wake up tomorrow, maybe my life will come back.’”
Jordan woke up weeks later unaware of where she was or what happened. As part of her recovery, the new mom had to relearn how to talk, but was eventually able to hold her son. After being released from the hospital, Jordan’s surroundings were unfamiliar.
“It took me a while to realize I was a mom. I think my motherhood, as you would say, didn’t really start until my son was 3 years old because I didn’t have the capability,” she shared. “Me and my son, it’s just like we kind of grew up together. We learned to walk at the same time. We learned how to talk at the same time.”
Over four years later, Jordan has brain damage and continues her recovery at home with the help of her husband, going to doctors’ appointments, and continuing rehab.
“God gave me a second chance. I’m doing the best I can with it,” Jordan said.
Jordan has been named as part of the American Heart Association’s 2023 class of “Real Women” survivors, and a 2023 Go Red for Women national ambassador.
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee Announces Her Run for Mayor of Houston
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is taking her politics back home to the Lone Star state.
ABC 13reported the congresswoman is running to be the mayor of Houston. Rumors had been circulating for months, but she made the official announcement over the weekend via live stream at City Cathedral Church. “Sheila Jackson Lee wants to come home to be your mayor for the city of Houston,” she said. “I will not be able to do it without each and every one of you.”
In a formal statement, the 18th District representative spoke on what the city can look forward to. “For some time, there has been much positive feedback in Houston about the prospects of Congresswoman Jackson Lee running for Mayor of Houston,” the statement read. “To that end, we express the Congresswoman’s excitement about making a future formal announcement. Stay tuned, Houston will hear from Sheila!!”
The 73-year-old is in good company, as the race is well underway. Her opponents include early frontrunner Sen. John Whitmire; former Harris County clerk, Chris Hollins; Gilbert Garcia, former chairman of the city’s Metropolitan Transit Authority; and former Houston city council member, Amanda Edwards.
The seasoned politician is looking to clean up shop in the city she started her career in. According to Chron, Jackson Lee sat at large as a Houston City Council member from 1990 to 1994. A year later, she took her talents to Washington, D.C after beating former Democratic Congressman Craig Washington in the 1994 Democratic primary. Almost 30 years later, in her tenure, Lee has passed legislation to protect the people of Texas on gun safety, health care, foreign policy, and has been an advocate for the Violence Against Women Act.
She is also tackling hate speech with a proposed bill, Leading Against White Supremacy Act of 2023, as reported by BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Flo Rida’s 6-Year-Old Son in ICU After Falling From Apartment Window Three Weeks Ago
The 6-year-old son of recording artist Flo Ridais currently in the hospital after falling from an apartment building he and his mother, Alexis Adams, reside in.
According to News 12 New Jersey, Zohar Dillard, who is the son of rapper Flo Rida, (real name Tramar Lacel Dillard), is currently in the ICU in Jersey City, NJ.
The fall, which took place on March 4, left the boy with pelvic fractures, left metatarsal fractures, grade three liver laceration, internal bleeding, and a collapsed lung.
Adams has filed a lawsuit against the residential apartment building, stating that the building was equipped with “windows that posed a hazardous condition,” allowing her son to fall onto the concrete pavement.
“As a single mom to a special needs child, this feels like a nightmare. My heart is broken into a million pieces,” Adams wrote in a statement. “I am devastated, angry and struggling to come to terms with the fact that my only child has suffered severe injuries due to willful negligence of our landlord and others involved In failing to take necessary safety measures.”
#njmornings 6-year old son of rapper @official_flo hospitalized with serious injuries after falling from a 5th floor #JerseyCity apartment in early March. The child’s mother has filed a lawsuit claiming the building equipped with windows that posed a hazardous condition. @News12NJpic.twitter.com/Ahc9LiCjci
TMZ reported that Adams’ attorney, Steven Haddad, said that Zohar fell at least 50 feet and doctors caring for him stated that it was a miracle he survived the fall. Haddad also said that the 6-year-old will have to learn how to walk again. He’s presently in a full-body cast and can barely move.
Haddad stated that it is unknown how long Zohar will be in the hospital.
Black Woman Records White Woman in her Building Refusing to Allow Her on Elevator
Over the weekend, a young Black woman posted a video clip to her TikTok account showing a white woman blocking her entrance onto her apartment building’s elevator, and directing her to take the stairs.
This interaction took place this past Sunday, March 26. The young lady, who posts on TikTok as Nejah Chayane, posted a more than six- minute video clip of the incident.
In the video, the Black woman told the woman that all she wanted to do was get to her apartment after a day at work. The white woman used abusive, inflammatory language, and cursed at the Black woman several times.
Chayane also explained to the white woman that she was recording the interaction to send to the management of the apartment building. The white woman told Chayane that she was “just trying to take the trash out” and said that, “as a neighbor,” she should just walk away.
As Chayane asked her to release the elevator, the white woman continuously told her to take the stairs. As they continued to go back and forth, the white woman aggressively approached her.
Someone came to the elevator area and Chayane began to explain the commotion. The elevator door closed, and when the white woman called for the elevator again, she blocked Chayane, once again, from going in. Chayane then told the white woman that she was going to call the police.
Ed Gordon Makes His Return To BET With The Primetime News Magazine Show ‘America In Black’
Former BET News anchor Ed Gordon is making his return to the network after 15 years to host the new BET/CBS monthly show, America In Black.
Gordon told BLACK ENTERPRISE he’s excited to return to the network, saying that many of the people he comes across still link him to BET.
“People still say ‘Hey, I saw you on BET last week’ so I appreciate that people still see me as someone that they trusted there,” said Gordon.
Gordon has had a litany of roles at BET, including hosting BET Tonight, serving as an anchor for BET News, and his signature one-on-one series, Conversation with Ed Gordon. He has also conducted some of the most notable interviews in Black history, including former South African PresidentNelson Mandela.
When Gordon left BET in 2008, the U.S. was in the midst of a housing crisis that sent the country’s economy into a depression. At the same time, Barack Obama was about to make history. Gordon noted that many of the issues the country was dealing with at the time aren’t much different from today.
“What’s interesting to me is things are cyclical, what you see is things that were old are new again, as the saying goes, and unfortunately some of the things that have plagued African-Americans for so long have come back around,” Gordon told BE. “So it’s just an interesting thing to see the things that made headlines decades ago, to some degree have improved, but in other ways and areas they have not.”
According to Gordon, Black In America is a traditional news magazine show that will air on the first Sunday of every month. Each episode will feature three or four news features concerning African-Americans from Black correspondents, including CBS This Morning Co-Host,Gayle King; CBS correspondents James Brown andJericka Duncan; and seven-time Emmy-winner Nischelle Turner. Comedian Roy Wood Jr will also be on the show.
In the next episode, Gordon will take a look at the California Reparations Task Force, which says the state owes its Black residents $800 billion to compensate for generations of over-policing, disproportionate incarceration, and housing discrimination.
“I applaud them for attempting to figure out some equation, I think we have to keep pushing,” said Gordon. “You can as the case was with Bruce’s Beach if you indeed laid claim to land that was unjustly taken and you can prove that, that land should be given back or at least paid for in today’s dollars. You’ll never get the generational money that was lost but I think eventually the country is going to have to look at it and come up with some equation or dollar amount. But I think that’s going to take a number of years quite frankly, I don’t think it’s going to happen overnight.”
America in Black will air its third episode on Sunday, April 2 at 10 PM on BET, BET HER, VH1, and will be available on BET+, the CBS News Streaming Network, and Paramount Plus.
