TikTok Shop Racks Up $500M In Black Friday Sales As Black Creators Urge Shoppers to ‘Buy Black’
TikTok Shop recorded its biggest Black Friday–Cyber Monday weekend yet, with Black creators encouraging shoppers to support Black-owned brands.
TikTok Shop saw its strongest Black Friday–Cyber Monday weekend yet, with Black creators using the moment to urge shoppers to support Black-owned businesses.
“We buy Black on Black Friday over here. Here are the five businesses I am shopping today,” influencer Talia Cadet said in a video that garnered over 48,000 views and over 4,000 likes.
@taliacadet ✨5 Black Friday Deals from Black-Owned Brands✨ Save up to 40% on your @Elle Vie Bath and Body purchase today 11/28/25 only at myellevie[dot]com. #ad I’ve been a customer of Elle Vie for over a decade, and I use their Shea Butter every day. Elle Vie is my first stop for holiday gifts and stocking stuffers for friends and family, because everyone wants moisturized skin! It doesn’t stop at their original body butters. Elle Vie also has Shea Butter-based body care for her and him: ✨ Shower Gel ✨ Sugar Scrub ✨ Body Oil ✨ Hand Soap ✨ Hand Créme ✨ Fragrance Oil ✨ Sampler Sets ✨ Gift Sets My favorite scent? Date Night. 😉 Buy more, save more during Elle Vie’s Black Friday sale! 💲 Spend up to $50 – Get 20% off 💲 Spend $51 to $200 – Get 30% off 💲 Over $200? Get 40% off 4 more Black-owned brands to shop for gifts (or yourself 😂) this holiday 2025 season: @anima iris – every single bag is $200 for 24 hours only @DanessaMyricksBeauty – 30% off sitewide @Elisajohnson – up to 70% off sitewide @OMA THE LABEL – 30% off sitewide and up to 80% off on archive pieces #blackowned#blackfriday#blackfriday#holidaygiftguide♬ original sound – Talia | DC, Books & Black Biz
She highlighted several Black-owned favorites, including Elle Vie’s body butter, shower gel, and body oils; Anima Iris hand-crafted Senegalese leather bags; Danessa Myricks’ beauty gift set featuring four blushes; Elisa Johnson eyewear; and jewelry from Oma the Label.
TikTok creator Fisayo OG also spotlighted several beauty and shapewear brands she supported over the weekend, including Meji Meji, Marviano Cosmetics, Fumi the Label, and Tarssee.
“Happy shopping, and make sure you’re shopping at a Black-owned business today,” she said.
Support for Black-owned businesses helped drive TikTok Shop’s success, with U.S. shoppers up nearly 50% from last year and more than $500 million in sales over the four-day Black Friday–Cyber Monday period. Live Shopping delivered record-breaking results for the weekend, as brands and creators found new ways to entertain shoppers and build loyalty.
The platform boasted how the feature continues to grow, attracting a strong mix of returning customers and first-time buyers.
“Live Shopping is where brand love starts—it’s a dynamic, interactive experience that deepens how our users connect with brands on TikTok,” said Patrick Nommensen, head of strategic initiatives for TikTok Shop in the Americas. “That immediate, real-time engagement—introducing audiences to new products, demonstrating their value, and facilitating direct interaction—is what builds trust, strengthens community, and turns interest into long-term loyalty.”
Compared to last year’s BFCM period, brands and sellers who hosted livestreams saw an 84% increase in sales. Shoppers also tuned in to more than 760,000 livestream sessions from sellers and their favorite creators.
TikTok has become a go-to destination for gift ideas—with one survey showing that 1 in 3 users look to the platform for holiday gift inspiration, and GlobalData reporting that 83% of TikTok Shop shoppers discover new products there. With the holiday season in full swing, Black TikTok Shop may help put more Black-owned gifts under the Christmas tree.
As They Should Be! The Isley Brothers Inducted Into New Jersey Hall of Fame
The Garden State honors the soul and staying power of legends.
The Isley Brothers are now members of the New Jersey Hall of Fame (NJHOF). The legendary band was inducted during the Nov. 21 ceremony at The Rink at American Dream Mall in East Rutherford. The band’s remaining members, Ronald Isley, 84, and Ernie Isley, 73, accepted the honor at the New Jersey Hall of Fame, which opened last year.
“New Jersey is honored to be home to so many Hall of Famers who continue to inspire us all,” said Gov. Phil Murphy in a statement. “Their talent, grit, and heart reflect the classic Jersey spirit that has always set us apart. Each one of this year’s inductees reminds us that no matter where life takes us, our New Jersey roots always keep us grounded.”
This isn’t the first time the legendary group has been recognized in New Jersey. The cities of Teaneck and Englewood held joint ceremonies to honor the Isley Brothers by renaming a street in their honor. This new induction makes the band two-time Hall of Fame inductees. In 1992, they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The group began as a teenage gospel quartet in the 1950s, made up of the four oldest Isley Brothers—O’Kelly, Rudolph, Ronald, and Vernon. They briefly disbanded after Vernon died in a biking accident at age 13. Following their parents’ encouragement to perform again, the Ohio-born family moved to New Jersey in 1959 to form a rock ’n’ roll band, where they settled and lived for several decades. That same year, they released the single ”Shout,” which became their first major chart hit, reaching No. 47 on the Billboard Hot 100.
In 2014, the band received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The Isley Brothers, now consisting of brothers Ronald and Ernie, continue to perform at venues around the world. In February 2026, The Isley Brothers will join Maxwell on his Urban Hang Suite Cruise concert series; other performers will include Kem, Lucky Daye, Kelly Price, and Tweet.
Ask Your Fairygodmentor: Feedback That Stings Can Also Save You
Feedback is data.
Dear Fairygodmentor,
I’ve received tough feedback at work and am unsure how to use it to grow. What’s the best way to approach this? – Ready to Improve
Dear Ready to Improve,
It’s extremely rough to receive feedback that hits like the plot twist you didn’t ask for.
I want you to understand something very important, you’re not wrong for feeling some kind of way about this feedback. Feedback has a way of bruising the ego before it builds the muscle. You’re not alone in these feelings, and the confusion on how to turn this into a growth moment is real.
I’m going to share some advice that will have you growing and glowing up when receiving feedback
Feel First, Fix Later
I want you to push back against the myth that you need to be over the top grateful for feedback you receive. Yes, feedback is a gift, but a Fairygodmentor® told me years ago, “You can take it, leave it, or regift it.”
Feedback is data. It’s information. As you know, you can do a lot with data. Sometimes it’s useful and sometimes it’s useless. Taking a break to gain some perspective will help you immensely in figuring how this will help you grow.
Remember to take a pause for the cause and breathe. Take a break from this data and take a moment to reset.
Let the initial emotions settle down before you jump into doing anything productive.
Separate the Message From the Delivery
Like a gift, not all feedback is delivered/wrapped in the shiny wrapping paper of kindness. But there could be some useful stuff inside that hot mess of a package.
Put your Feedback Receiving Glasses (FRG) on to filter the message in the mess. Ask yourself:
• Is it true?
• Is it helpful?
• Is it aligned with who I want to become as a professional?
Having your FRGs on will help you filter out the noise of your own self-doubt and subjective data that will otherwise drag you down instead of lift you up.
Get Curious, Not Defensive
As I mentioned before, feedback is data, not a diagnosis.
Some questions that you may ask to gain clarity on the data dump of feedback you received could sound like:
“Can you share a specific example so I can better understand and improve?”
“What would ‘successful’ look like in this particular situation?”
“If you were me, what would you prioritize first?”
I’ve said this a million times, but it never gets old: whenever you’re working with another human in any situation, “set the intention of collaboration and support.” By asking questions rooted in curiosity, you’ll lower the tension and increase clarity.
Make a Mini Action Plan That You Can Actually Follow
Taking action can be very daunting and feel impossible. So, let’s break it down into manageable human-sized steps.
• Reflect: What part of this data hits home?
• Identify: What’s one skill or behavior that I’ll work on first?
• Strategize: What support, resources, or boundaries do I need?
• Execute: What’s one thing I’ll try (for real) this week?
Close the Loop – This Is How You Show Growth
If you’ve been reading my articles, Ready To Improve, you’ll know that I stress the importance of having regular one-on-one meetings with your manager to develop a solid business relationship (and to help minimize confusion and increase communication).
Share your updates with your manager to demonstrate accountability for the things you committed to improving. It could sound like this:
“You shared X with me a few weeks ago. Here’s what I’ve practiced, here’s what’s improving, and here’s where I’m still building.”
Here’s why this is gold: Circling back with your manager after receiving feedback will not only build trust, but it also shows courage, character, and credibility.
Remember, feedback isn’t a verdict — it’s an invitation. It helps to reframe the situation at hand and know that it’s data. How you choose to interpret and put that data to good use is up to you. Honor your growth season for what it is at the moment — even when it’s uncomfortable.
You’re not being picked apart. You’re being sharpened.
Keep growing and glowing up!
You got this!
Yours truly,
Your Fairygodmentor®
About Joyel Crawford:
(Photo: Kirten White Photography/BE)
Joyel Crawford is an award-winning career and leadership development professional and founder of Crawford Leadership Strategies, a consultancy that empowers results-driven leaders through coaching, training, and facilitation. She’s the best-selling author of Show Your Ask: Using Your Voice to Advocate for Yourself and Your Career.
Have a question for Your Fairygodmentor®?
Submit your career and leadership questions, whether it’s about navigating a micromanager, setting boundaries, negotiating for a raise, or handling burnout. Ask Your Fairygodmentor® today!
‘A Cause for Candice’: Roc Nation Rallies To Help Beloved Team Member Find Lifesaving Kidney Donor
Candice was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 17.
For more than two decades, Candice Davis has been a steady presence within Jay-Z’s growing empire. She started at Baseline Studios in 2002, where she supported Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez long before the company took its current shape. When the 40/40 Club opened in 2003, she transitioned to help run that operation and stayed until the pandemic shut its doors. In 2021, she joined Roc Nation’s office operations team full-time, bringing years of institutional knowledge and loyalty with her.
What many people didn’t know during that time was that her health had been deteriorating for years. Candice was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 17.
“I went from a weight of about 160 pounds to 125 pounds within a matter of like, two months,” she recalls. “I was urinating all the time, constantly thirsty… I had no idea what was going on with me.”
When doctors explained the lifelong treatment ahead, she remembers thinking, “I’m not doing that.”
Candice didn’t begin regularly using an insulin pump and Dexcom sensor until she was 32.
“I saw an immediate change; my hemoglobin had dropped all the way to an 8,” she tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “I wanted to kick myself for not having done it earlier.” But the years of damage were already there.
“Diabetes is not a game, it’s not to play with,” Candice warns. “It will seriously, seriously harm your body if you don’t control your levels.”
Over time, Candice’s condition became even more complicated. She’s experienced numbness in her feet, problems with her vision, ulcers, multiple broken bones, and infections. In the decades since her initial diagnosis, she’s endured more than 25 surgeries. In 2022, things took a turn for the worse.
“My kidney doctor told me, ‘Go to the hospital. Your creatinine is 3.9,’” Candice recalls. “By the time I got to the hospital, it was 5.9,” she says. After days of biopsies and exams, doctors told her, “Your kidneys—there’s nothing to be done about them.” She began undergoing peritoneal dialysis that November, but the worst was yet to come.
In February 2023, Candice was hospitalized for three weeks after falling in the bathroom and breaking her hip. Due to her kidney disease, Davis developed a brittle bone disorder known as renal osteodystrophy. Candice was discharged to a rehabilitation center to relearn how to walk. It was there that Candice’s world shifted again.
“They tell me that my husband died from a heart attack that morning,” Davis says. “I had been with him for 20 years. He was my rock—the glue to our entire family.” She adds, “I haven’t grieved properly because I’m so busy being sick… I still don’t know what life looks like without him.”
After suffering trauma on top of trauma, last year, Candice was placed on the transplant donor list, and she now desperately needs a new kidney to survive. Through every blow, she holds onto purpose. “I feel like I’m still supposed to be here. I haven’t given up,” she tells BE. “I’m gonna fight. I’ve always been a fighter.”
Inside Roc Nation, the people who’ve known Candice for 20 years didn’t hesitate when they learned she needed a kidney transplant. The company launched A Cause for Candice, a campaign designed to help her find a living donor and educate the public about the nationwide kidney shortage.
“Candice is a longtime and very beloved family member of Roc Nation,” says Dania Diaz, a representative of Team Roc, Roc Nation’s philanthropic arm. “She’s just been an instrumental part of our daily operations. She’s an incredible human being who’s exhibited incredible strength throughout all of her health challenges.”
Once the severity of her situation became clear, the company moved quickly. “I don’t think it was a difficult choice,” Diaz says. “We saw that there was a dire need to raise awareness. Every single second of the day matters.”
When Candice learned about the campaign, she struggled to hold back emotion. “It feels amazing,” Candice says. “I always expect people not to care, and it’s amazing when you find people that actually do.”
Diaz says even she hadn’t understood the scale of the kidney crisis until walking this path with Candice.
“I wasn’t even aware that there was a shortage,” Diaz admits. She also wants people to know that living donation is not the impossibility many imagine.
“There’s so many people who have donated a kidney and are thriving today. I think there is this slight misconception that you need both kidneys to survive. But there are countless stories of people who have been thriving with just one kidney or people born with one kidney who are thriving.”
“It’s not so scary,” Diaz continues. “And you have a lot of power to help someone in need. This is a moment where you can.”
While Candice’s daughter volunteered to donate a kidney to her mother, she was ruled out because she is pre-diabetic, and physicians had concerns about their family’s medical history.
“They don’t usually take from people with complications on both sides of their family,” Candice explains.
Despite having an AB-positive blood type that would allow her to receive a transplant from donors of all types, Candice’s search is further complicated because she is listed as having what transplant teams call “100 percent antibodies.”
“I have to find somebody who doesn’t have any of the same antibodies that I have,” Davis explains. “Otherwise, I will fight off this kidney, and I will reject it.”
Candice’s dreams are simple: to live long enough to witness the milestones her husband won’t.
“I hope for a lot of things—mostly to do with my children. I want to see all of them have children. I want to see them get married. I just want to be able to be there because they no longer have their dad, and that was a big loss in their lives. Even though they’re all grown, I don’t want them to be orphans. I just want to be there for them first and foremost.”
She also wants to find a way to reach back. “I would love to start a support group and help other people—give them resources,” she said. “If someone cared enough to help me, I have no choice but to care enough for the other people still in this situation.”
Anyone moved by Candice’s story can begin the screening process at acauseforcandice.com. The campaign links directly to the Robert Wood Johnson Transplant Center, where potential donors can fill out the form and indicate they wish to be screened on behalf of Candice Davis.
The Paper Plane store (252 Lafayette Street, New York) is also helping raise awareness in-store by sharing Candice’s story and distributing information about becoming a living kidney donor.
“We’re doing all that we can,” Diaz emphasizes, and we’re hoping that by just raising awareness, we can find a match for Candice. And if it’s not a match for Candice, maybe it’s a match for somebody else. We all have the capacity to help one another and to give life to someone in need.”
In His Final Days As NYC Mayor, Eric Adams Is Increasingly Not in NYC
Cardi B isn’t the only New Yorker who’s “Outside.”
In the final month of his term, New York City Mayor Eric Adams has traveled to Albania, Israel, and Uzbekistan, leading some New Yorkers to accuse him of neglecting his job duties and abusing publicly funded travel perks for his international job search.
“He’s chosen to lean into the notion the people have that the city is kind of secondary to what’s best for him at any moment in time,” New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams told The Associated Press.
Last year, the mayor’s travel attracted the attention of prosecutors, who ultimately indicted him on charges that he accepted travel benefits from foreign nationals in exchange for political favors. Although prosecutors dropped the charges in April, the case seemed to harm his chances of winning re-election.
Adams is back on the move. This week, he flew to New Orleans at the New York to accept an award from the Combat Antisemitism Movement. Less than two weeks ago, he flew to Tel Aviv to attend a gala where he was honored by the same group.
The trips, according to the Associated Press, are largely covered by city taxpayers.
A spokesperson for Adams declined to disclose the cost of the trips, which typically cover hotel and flight accommodations for Adams, as well as his security and aides.
“On these official trips, Mayor Adams has been able to discuss bringing more innovation and jobs to the five boroughs, met with other governmental leaders from around the nation and across the globe, visited religious sites of different faiths, and more,” Fabien Levy, a deputy mayor for communications, told The Associated Press.
Adams, the self-described “global leader,” has been transparent about his desire to seek employment opportunities outside the United States.
“Countries are calling me and asking me to come and do what I did in New York City,” he told reporters in November.
He Got Plenty Money! Michael Jordan Pays Almost 1 Milly A Week To Rent Superyacht
The NBA Hall of Famer can definitely afford it
NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan has made millions, on top of millions from sneaker sales, and several billion after selling the NBA team he once owned, the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets), so it should be no surprise that the billionaire can easily spend $780,000 a week to rent a superyacht.
According to SupercarBlondie, the man who is arguably the best basketball player in the world lives an exceptional life of luxury and deservingly so. He has reportedly spent some time on a superyacht aptly named Joy, a 70-meter-long vessel built in the Netherlands in 2016. Reportedly, Sameer Gehlaut is the owner, and he allows some of the world’s richest to charter it.
The vessel has amenities similar to those found in luxurious buildings and posh, exclusive private clubs. It even has a full-length basketball court that Jordan can take some jump shots and/or dunk on willing opponents. On the yacht, outside of a regular gym, you can find a beach club and several leisure areas that expand across five decks. There is a water slide and jacuzzis on board.
Another specialized feature of the boat is its ‘winter gardens’, which are ‘pockets of air-conditioned indoor/outdoor zones’ based on a description from the Burgess website (they charter yachts).
Proving that money is no object, in October 2024, Jordan dropped a cool $65 million for a private jet, a Gulfstream G650ER. The new plane is an upgrade from his previous one, the Gulfstream G550. After a custom paint job totaling around $500,000, the aircraft can accommodate up to 19 people, with up to 10 passengers able to sleep comfortably. It also has a maximum range of 8,630 miles.
The latest plane keeps Jordan in line with other elite billionaires, such as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg.
Tap Into These Black Men’s Grooming Products For the Holidays
Black men's grooming industry exists at the crossroads of cultural care and intention.
The experience of holiday shopping changes completely when you shop with care and cultural awareness and intentionality. The Black men’s grooming industry exists at the crossroads of cultural care and intention because it has historically lacked representation. However, Black founders have driven innovative developments.
This guide features grooming brands that develop products that truly cater to textured hair and melanin-rich skin and the daily routines that build Black men’s confidence. Supporting Black-owned grooming brands represents a year-round commitment to wellness, dignity, and community development.
Tristan Walker established Bevel as a high-end grooming brand specifically designed for men of color. The brand delivers specialized shaving systems together with haircare and skincare products plus beard and body care items which target typical problems of coarse and curly hair. Through its online platform and expanded retail presence Bevel delivers specialized grooming solutions to customers. Recipients of Bevel gift cards can create personalized grooming systems which work perfectly to enhance their shaving and beard maintenance and skin care practices.
Scotch Porter is a grooming brand for men of color that was started in 2015 by barber-entrepreneur Calvin Quallis. It’s products are specifically designed for textured hair and skin to maintain healthy beards and soften hair while reducing dryness and irritation. Scotch Porter offers beard kits and cologne + body-care bundles as complete holiday gift sets through their website and multiple retail locations.
Golden Grooming Co. provides a grooming product line specifically designed for men of color that includes beard care products along with hair, skin, and body care items. The product range includes beard oils, balms, shampoos, body washes, and bundles that deliver nourishment and hydration to textured hair and melanin-rich skin. The “bundle” packages from Golden Grooming Co. serve as thoughtful complete grooming gifts that help people establish their grooming routines.
Andrea Polk, an entrepreneur and licensed aesthetician, founded Solo Noir to provide a clean beauty grooming line that includes multitask skincare along with beard care and shaving essentials. The product line aims to reduce grooming routines while solving typical skin issues for men of color including dryness and ingrown hairs and uneven skin tones through natural carefully developed products which exclude harsh chemicals. Customers can purchase Solo Noir products through its website in addition to their grooming kits and skincare and beard-care products. Solo Noir makes perfect gifts for people who want minimalistic grooming routines or straightforward effective systems to start their grooming journey.
The grooming brand Aaron Wallace presents “The Grooming Trifecta” a special bundle for Black men. The three-step grooming set contains a cleanser together with facial moisturizer and beard and hair oil to simplify beard and skin and hair care. The products deliver hydration and detoxification and nourishment to textured hair and melanin-rich skin while protecting against dryness, razor bumps, and ingrown hairs. The Trifecta bundle is an affordable and practical gift choice for people who want to establish a basic daily grooming routine.
This men’s grooming brand under Oyin Handmade provides beard and hair care products. The product lineup features a black-soap and honey-based cleanser alongside a hydrating leave-in “Go Tea” spray, featuring tea tree oil and softening beard butter and serum. Levi Fisher delivers natural ingredient-based products without harsh chemicals at affordable prices which makes it perfect for people who want mild grooming solutions at reasonable costs. Products can be purchased through its online store.
Go Nutz markets its personal-care grooming brand through a “360°” trimmer system which extends body grooming capabilities beyond traditional hair and beard care. Men who practice full-body grooming can find practical and distinctive grooming upgrades through Go Nutz devices which make excellent holiday presents.
Michael James established Frederick Benjamin Grooming after spending 10 years in the beauty-care industry to enhance grooming services for men of color. The brand provides complete grooming solutions through scalp treatment and hair/styling products, shaving essentials, and beard care products that address coarse hair and dry scalp and razor irritation and ingrown hairs. It’s all about delivering clean ingredient products with specific solutions for men of color. Originating from a barbershop-based concept, Frederick Benjamin sells its products through online platforms and plans to extend its retail presence.
BET’s Scott Mills’ Era Comes To A Close As Louis Carr Becomes New President
Paramount has named Louis Carr as BET’s new President, following Scott Mills’ announcement that he is stepping down after 23 years at the helm.
Paramount has selected Louis Carr to lead BET as its new president, replacing Scott Mills, who has been at the helm for 23 years, the company announced in a press release.
Announced on Dec. 3, the same day Mills confirmed his departure, the appointment caps Carr’s 39-year tenure at BET. Throughout his career, he helped transform multicultural advertising by bridging the network with global corporations, ultimately positioning BET as the leading platform for Black audiences worldwide.
“BET and its commitment to Black and Brown communities has been my life’s work. It’s a privilege to lead the brand to the next level of excellence and impact,” Carr said in a statement.
A powerhouse behind the scenes for decades, Carr has generated billions in ad sales for BET. He has spearheaded major partnerships with companies like Procter & Gamble, Walmart, Unilever, McDonald’s, Meta, and Toyota, directing their investments toward diverse communities. His expertise across linear, digital, and social media helped establish BET’s industry-leading database of insights on Black consumers.
Carr’s data-first philosophy has guided content, campaigns, and strategy for brands pursuing both results and cultural resonance. He’ll now build on his long-standing leadership at BET in his new role as president, reporting directly to George Cheeks, Chair of TV Media at Paramount.
“Louis’ leadership has been integral to BET’s success for nearly four decades,” said Cheeks. “His vision for the future will drive innovation, deepen BET’s cultural impact, and position the brand for continued growth.”
Mills, who served as the president and CEO of BET Media Group, overseeing the BET cable network, BET+, and BET Studios, issued a lengthy statement announcing his departure and highlighting the network’s major milestones under his leadership.
“After 23 years at BET, I’ve made the difficult decision to step down as president and CEO. Leading this extraordinary brand and serving the Black community alongside all of you has been an incredible honor and privilege,” Mills said. “Your talent, passion, and unwavering commitment to BET’s mission have driven all that we’ve accomplished as a team. As I reflect on our journey, I’m deeply proud of what we’ve built.”
On Dec. 2, Giving Tuesday, Abbott Elementary star and creator Quinta Brunson launched The Quinta Brunson Field Trip Fund in partnership with the School District of Philadelphia, the Philly Tribune reported. The initiative aims to raise money to provide free school trips, giving students from underserved communities greater access to educational experiences outside the classroom.
Brunson, celebrated for her breakout comedy series highlighting Philadelphia’s public schools, shared her excitement about launching the fund, recalling that school trips were some of her most memorable learning experiences as a child.
“They opened my world, sparked my creativity, and helped me imagine a future beyond what I saw every day,” Brunson said. “Going somewhere new shows you that the world is bigger and more exciting than you believe, and it can shape what you come to see as achievable.”
The fund builds on Brunson’s ongoing support for her hometown, including a $25,000 donation to the School District of Philadelphia’s Groceries for Good program for students facing food insecurity. In return, the city honored the Emmy-winning actress with a key to the city and a personalized mural at her former elementary school, Andrew Hamilton School in West Philadelphia. Brunson credits the school and a retired teacher there for inspiring her Emmy-winning series.
“I’m proud to support Philadelphia students with experiences that remind them their dreams are valid and their futures are bright,” she added in her statement.
The fund seeks to cover the costs of field trips for over 117,000 students in Philadelphia’s public schools, with an emphasis on visits to the city’s museums and landmarks. It aligns with research showing that students who participate in school trips achieve higher academic outcomes and greater long-term success. One study found that these students earned better grades, had higher high school (95%) and college (63%) graduation rates, and made 12% more annually as adults — benefits tied to increased engagement, curiosity, and enthusiasm for learning.
AT&T Ends DEI Programs While Seeking Trump’s Approval For Wireless Spectrum Deal
AT&T ends its DEI programs while seeking FCC approval from Trump-appointed Brendan Carr for a wireless spectrum deal.
U.S. wireless carrier AT&T has pledged to drop its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as it seeks the Trump administration’s approval to acquire wireless spectrum assets.
In a Dec. 2 letter to Trump-appointed FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, the Dallas-based telecom giant said the legal environment around DEI programs has shifted, The New York Post reported. The company, which employs more than 110,000 people in the U.S., emphasized its longstanding policy of advancing and compensating workers based on merit, noting that it will no longer implement hiring or supplier quotas tied to race, gender, or sexual orientation.
“We have … adjusted our employment and business practices to ensure that they comply with all applicable laws and related requirements, including ending DEI-related policies … not just in name but in substance,” David McAtee, senior executive vice president and general counsel at AT&T, wrote in the letter.
The pledge follows AT&T’s November 2024 agreement to buy wireless spectrum licenses from U.S. Cellular for $1.02 billion, a deal that still needs FCC approval. Under the Trump administration, the FCC has required telecom companies to drop DEI programs to move transactions forward.
T-Mobile and Verizon have already scrapped their DEI initiatives while pursuing major deals, including T-Mobile’s $4.4 billion purchase of most of U.S. Cellular’s operations and its joint venture with KKR to acquire Metronet. Verizon also ended its DEI program before the FCC approved its $20 billion acquisition of Frontier Communications.
In February, Carr also launched a probe into Comcast’s DEI efforts.
Carr said AT&T’s letter reaffirmed its earlier pledge to eliminate DEI-related policies, following conservative backlash over a former employee training program that reportedly described racism as a “uniquely white trait.” Employees were urged to review materials related to critical race theory, including one resource that claimed, “White America, if you want to know who’s responsible for racism, look in the mirror,” according to City Journal’s Christopher Rufo.
Following the announcement, civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump criticized AT&T on social media, calling it the latest example of how Trump’s crackdown on DEI has turned diversity initiatives into a “bargaining chip” for companies.
AT&T just confirmed it will eliminate all DEI roles to win approval from the Trump-led FCC for a billion-dollar deal to acquire wireless spectrum. Under this administration, companies are choosing profit over equity. DEI can’t be a bargaining chip. https://t.co/GUHcJHANyA
Despite ending DEI programs, AT&T will maintain its employee groups, some of which have existed for over 50 years, McAtee confirms. These networks — such as women’s or Black employee groups — focus on protected characteristics, but staff can join freely without regard to demographics. The company also announced that it will stop participating in surveys that focus on protected characteristics.
