It Was All She Had: Black Woman Builds Popcorn Brand with $53
by Stacy Jackson

February 21, 2023

It Was All She Had: Black Woman Builds Popcorn Brand with $53

This Arizona woman said her product was born out of pain.

De Juana Lozada, founder of Soul Popped Gourmet Popcorn built a snack product brand with only $53 to her name, and now her popcorn is growing in demand.

According to KXAN Austin, Lozada started her brand seven years ago, currently running the business out of the Soul Made Collective, a shop in north Austin’s Arboretum shopping plaza.

Different soul foods, including fried chicken, smoked bbq, and chicken and waffles, inspire Soul Popped’s featured flavors. Lozada’s mission is for each unique flavor to represent African American culture.

“We all have grandmas, mamas, and aunties that when we go to their house, you can taste the love in their food, right?” Lozada said. “I can pretty much make popcorn taste like whatever I want. It’s a superpower. Don’t ask me to explain that because I cannot. It’s just what I do.”

Lozada unexpectedly transitioned to making popcorn full-time after experiencing a painful incident that eventually became an expensive medical bill.

“In 2006, I just stood up and fell and hit the floor with a pain episode that I’ve never experienced before,” Lozada said. “That started me on a journey that lasted almost nine years of debilitating, un-diagnosable pain. That kept me in and out of the hospital every month for eight and a half years.”

She had been diagnosed with a rare uterine condition called adenomyosis, which left her with $2 million in medical debt.

“In my late 40s, I found myself starting over from scratch,” Lozada said.

Using the only funds she had at the time, which amounted to $53, Lozada bought what she needed to start her product and began working out of her SUV.

“I took half of it, and I bought popcorn seed and coconut oil,” Lozada said. “I knew that that was something that I could make quickly. And I could turn and make a profit with it quickly… it was just a God-given message, ‘Go get up and go make your popcorn.’”

Lozada refers to her loyal customers as “Soul Poppers.”

“When you think popcorn, I want it to be synonymous with Soul Popped,” she said, adding that she wants her company to be a nationally-recognized brand.

Lozada is fundraising to move her growing brand to a larger space.

Traveling, Black women, Vacation
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 21, 2023

A Mother and Daughter Breaks ‘Spirit’ of Airline Employees By Fighting Them Over Luggage Fees

Those Spirit Airline flights can be interesting at times. A mother and daughter recently found out that the employees at the affordable airline have a lot of “spirit” themselves!

According to the Daily Mail, a fight between Spirit Airlines employees and two women was caught on mobile phone footage in a brawl at the Philadelphia International Airport l on Jan. 30.

The altercation between the two parties occurred when employees told the mother-and-daughter pair that they were being charged extra fees for their carry-on luggage.

They were heading to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The fight allegedly started when the daughter, 17, pulled on the dreadlocks of one of the agents. After the initial contact, other Spirit workers joined in and attacked the young girl.

The footage only shows the brawl in progress, not how it started. The mother is seen without footwear and a shirt as she scrambles to fight other airline employees while her daughter is restrained. A little boy, believed to be with the duo, is heard screaming and even strikes one of the employees in defense of the women.

There is no mention that the passengers were allowed on the flight, but it was delayed for about an hour and continued to Florida without further incident.

After describing the incident as an allegation of “simple assault,” a statement was released by the Philadelphia Police department:

“On Monday, January 30th, 2023, at approximately 7:29 P.M. police received information that several passengers were pulling apart a 24-year-old female complainant and a 17-year-old female along with her 39-year-old mother during an argument over additional baggage fees.

“At this time, the 17 year old female attempted to access Jetway and was halted by the 24-year-old complainant when she was punched/hair pulled by the 17-year-old female being assisted by her 39-year-old mother.

“The 24-year-old female sustained a minor eyelid laceration. All participants were advised by police in reference to private criminal complaint documentation.”

by Atiya Jordan

February 21, 2023

Nasdaq Convenes Slutty Vegan, Mielle Organics, and More Black Founders To Celebrate Success in Historic Bell Ringing

Last Friday, a passionate group of Black and Brown changemakers opened the stock market at Nasdaq headquarters in New York City with a historic bell-ringing ceremony.

In support of growth-stage businesses, Nasdaq extended an invitation to be seen and celebrated in this part of the financial ecosystem. Among those invited included a trailblazing group of founders and investors who continue to break barriers in a challenging funding climate while building thriving enterprises. Let’s say the occasion was a means to show up and show out.

The gathering, convened by Nasdaq Chief Digital Officer Sehr Thadhani alongside The New Voices Foundation and Essence Ventures, companies founded by entrepreneur, investor, and social commerce innovator Richelieu Dennis, was groundbreaking.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 17: <> attends the NASDAQ Opening Bell Ringing Ceremony – Our Wealth: Moving Black Business Forward at NASDAQ on February 17, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Essence Ventures at NASDAQ)

As part of his landmark sale of Sundial Brand, Dennis created the $100M New Voices Fund for women of color. He provided mentorship and investment in Black women founders experiencing extraordinary challenges, such as access to capital and resources, relationships with retailers, and more. These include the masterminds behind The Honey Pot, Mented Cosmetics, The Lip Bar, and McBride Sister’s Wine Co.

During a live broadcast, Dennis stood proudly alongside two members of the entrepreneurial cohort, Monique Rodriguez, founder of Mielle Organics, and Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, as they sounded the bell. The trio was backed by a dignified community striving to show that real sustainable joy and change are possible in Black and Brown communities.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 17: <> attends the NASDAQ Opening Bell Ringing Ceremony – Our Wealth: Moving Black Business Forward at NASDAQ on February 17, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Essence Ventures at NASDAQ)

“Seeing is the manifestation of what our ancestors could not do. What they were not empowered to do, what they were not able to do, or more accurately, what they were deprived of doing,” Richelieu Dennis told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“And so we’re all here getting the opportunity to do that. And so, for me, the future should look like hundreds of thousands and millions of businesses, like the ones that are in this room, driving real change in their communities.”

Last month, it was announced that P&G acquired Mielle Organics, further proving the benefits of the ecosystem that Dennis has architected, where Black businesses collectively work and experience success.

“Everything that we are doing here is about purpose. Our model is full pace, and that is purpose, access, capital, and expertise. And we bring that into every single thing that we do on this journey,” Dennis said.

“Seeing our businesses execute against their purpose on a consistent basis for me is the future because that’s how it’ll change our communities. That’s how we’ll be able to determine; we’ll be able to choose what schools we send our kids to. We’ll be able to choose what healthcare we want. We’ll be able to choose what politicians we want to elect.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 17: (L-R) Caroline Wanga, Pinky Cole, Richelieu Dennis and Monique Rodriguez attend the NASDAQ Opening Bell Ringing Ceremony – Our Wealth: Moving Black Business Forward at NASDAQ on February 17, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Essence Ventures at NASDAQ)

After experiencing many challenges, Mielle Organics joined the New Voices Fund in March 2020, making it one of its first investments.

“I feel very grateful, and humbled, and proud to show Black and Brown boys and girls the possibilities of just having a dream. What, for me, started nine years ago has led me to ring the bell on Wall Street. That’s nobody but God. So super excited,” Rodriguez told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“So for us to even do the next couple of transactions that we did after partnering with New Voices, it was because of their guidance and helping us through the process and introducing us to bankers, investment bankers, and just guiding us and educating us on the process.”

For Cole, ringing the bell represented a new day with opportunities to succeed to the next level. She not only credits Dennis’ investment but also his belief in her visions and ideas.

“When I was invited to do it, I’m like, ‘Well, why would they want me out of all people?’ Why not me?” Cole told BLACK ENTERPRISE of her joining the New Voices Fund in January thanks to the support and mentorship of Dennis. “Because we’re visionaries, we’re colorful, we’re abstract, we think outside of the box, and we think at a high level. And it just feels good to be affiliated with people who are doing the work in the community to help take businesses to the next level.”

“And not only was it a good opportunity to be able to scale financially, the level of resource that I have in Rich alone, forget everybody else, but in Rich alone is unmatched.”

Caroline Wanga, president and CEO of Essence Ventures, opened up during the ceremony about her journey: leaving the C-suite of a Fortune 50 company to working in a more entrepreneurial environment. Wanga said she made it through by enlisting a “five fails a day” mantra and realizing that “nobody needs to weigh in on your purpose; it just is.”

NEW YORK, NEW YORK – FEBRUARY 17: Caroline Wanga (L) speaks onstage during the NASDAQ Opening Bell Ringing Ceremony – Our Wealth: Moving Black Business Forward at NASDAQ on February 17, 2023, in New York City. (Photo by Arturo Holmes/Getty Images for Essence Ventures at NASDAQ)

“The more important piece was having the unmitigated gall to believe in a future other people couldn’t see. I stopped asking people for their opinion on what I was born to do. I stopped checking in on if I was doing it well, and I reduced the amount of time I spent on things I don’t do well to 10% of my time. And I never tried to make them good; I just mitigated the risk,” she said.

 

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 21, 2023

Da Brat Announces Pregnancy At 48, ‘I Thought It Wasn’t in the Cards for Me’

Da Brat is finally entering motherhood at the age of 48 and announced her pregnancy in true “Funkdafied” fashion.

The rapper and her wife, Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart, posed alongside each other for a gangster-inspired maternity shoot that debuted Da Brat’s baby bump. It’s the first child for the couple and comes one year after they tied the knot.

It’s an entirely new experience for Brat who is two years from turning 50 and didn’t see birthing a child in her future.

“It’s been quite a journey,” Da Brat told People “There’s a lot of stuff we learned about women over the age of 40.”

The idea to conceive a child started after Harris-Dupart, 41, made the claim to promote Kaleidoscope Hair Products, a new line inspired by Da Brat’s iconic braids and protective hairstyles.

 

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A post shared by Jesseca Harris-Dupart (@darealbbjudy)

“It started as a joke, we were like, ‘We’re extending our family!’ ” she explained. “But then we got a huge response. It was like, ‘Oh my God do we want to actually have kids, and if we do, girl, we better hurry up!'”

Harris-Dupart, who already has three children of her own from previous relationship, had to do some convincing to get Brat to open her mind up to the idea of birthing a child.

“I never thought I was going to have kids,” Brat says. “I just thought it wasn’t in the cards for me.”

“I’ve had a great career, a full life. I felt like, because I didn’t get pregnant earlier on, then it just wasn’t going to happen for me.”

But thanks to Brat’s wife, she found new inspiration to embark on a new journey she never imagined for herself.

“I started looking at life so differently,” Da Brat shared. “I was like, I want a little me with you. Something special from the both of us that we can share and raise and love unconditionally.”

It was still a process for the “What Chu Like” rapper to agree to carry the child.

“I was like, nothing’s gonna come out of me!” Brat quipped.

But after “a little tug-o-war in the beginning” Harris-Dupart said, “I felt like she should have the experience. She is so nurturing.”

After experiencing a heartbreaking miscarriage, Da Brat and Harris-Dupart decided to use their remaining eggs and try again thanks in part to an anonymous donor.

“It’s just a blessing. I’m excited!” Brat said.

As for the pregnancy symptoms, the Dish Nation host says she’s “always sleepy. It’s crazy!”

She’s also had to adjust to her heightened emotions while carrying her first child.

“Everything makes me cry. If someone wins American Idol, I cry. I’m like, I’m tougher than that!” Da Brat joked.

https://twitter.com/mefeater/status/1628067565841838083?s=20

The rapper is aware of how “shocked” the public will be by her pregnancy. But she chose her gangster-inspired pregnancy photoshoot for a reason.

“I loved it,” she says.

Miami Preschool Criticized for Having Children In Blackface During Black History Month Lesson
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 21, 2023

Miami Preschool Criticized for Having Children In Blackface During Black History Month Lesson

A Miami preschool is under fire for an insensitive Black History Month lesson.

Local 10 News reported parents of children enrolled at Studio Kids @ Little River are outraged after kids were seen in blackface. Parents said pictures were posted on the school’s messaging app with the caption, “Black History Month.”

The kids in the picture, some are as young as two years old, were dressed as construction workers, police officers and in other costumes.

Courtney Politis, parent of a one-year-old student, said the school should have known better. “You’re a certified, established institutions, you should know better,” Politis said, according to CNN.

“I mean, ignorance on – about racism in 2023 is no longer ignorant, in my opinion.” Politis claimed she immediately texted the pictures to the school’s owner. According to Local 10 News, Politis said the owner was confused and not apologetic. “I’m like, this is racist! And she proceeds to respond back with, ‘I’m sorry? I don’t understand?’”

However, after meeting with the director, identified by CNN as Patricia Vitale, Politis said her tone changed drastically. Close to 50 parents contacted the center regarding the incident. “Her tone? A 180-degree change. Super apologetic,” Politis said.

The history behind blackface goes back many years. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture explained minstrel shows started in the 1830s. White performers used burnt cork or shoe polish on their faces to mimic enslaved Africans on Southern plantations. The performances were used to characterize blacks as “lazy, ignorant, superstitious, hypersexual, and prone to thievery and cowardice.”

Since the incident at the Miami-based preschool, parents, including Politis, have been pulling their children out. She said she can’t trust the teachers or administrators with the kids anymore “I thought we would have more time before these sorts of things or racism or microaggressions would have to be experienced by our children,” she told CNN. “So the fact that you can’t, I feel like I can’t protect my children from what’s happening is probably the most disappointing and upsetting of all of this.”

 

Brooklyn Bodega, new york city, Sanyia, Samyia Spain
by Sharelle B. McNair

February 21, 2023

Beloved Brooklyn Pastor Tripped and Fell, Was Tragically Hit by Car and Killed While Crossing the Street

A church in Brooklyn is mourning the sudden loss of a beloved pastor after a tragic accident.

The Christian Post reported Aracely Courtenay was killed while crossing the street in Flatbush. Around 7 p.m. on Feb. 18, Courtenay stepped into a depression and fell to the ground. As a a 2015 Toyota Highlander was making a right turn, the SUV hit the 50-year-old, causing head trauma.

She was rushed to Kings County Hospital Center where she was pronounced dead. According to The New York Post, the driver of the Highlander was a 58-year-old man who remained on the scene during the incident.

Courtenay was the assistant pastor to the Emmanuel Church of God, where her husband, Bishop Curt E. Courtenay, is listed as senior pastor, according to the church’s website. A post was made on the church’s Facebook page asking for prayers during this difficult time. “Emmanuel Family, it is with a heavy heart, that we share with you the untimely and unexpected passing of our beloved Pastor Aracely Courtenay our 1st Lady,” the post read. “Again, your prayers are most needed at this time for God strength and as a family we will support and love on each other through this.”

Not only a loss to the church, Courtenay’s tragic death is a loss to the Brooklyn community. The NY Post reported she worked in property management for eight years, coordinating housing for low- and moderate-income families, focusing on single mothers. Courtenay also supervised the Talitha Cumi Women’s Ministry. As church services continued on Sunday, Bishop Joe Nathan Boyd preached a touching sermon to a grieving congregation. “Just for a moment, look at your neighbor and say, ‘I know that your heart is heavy,” Boyd preached, reported by The Christian Post. “Your heart and my heart, we can make it.”

Besides her husband, Courtenay leaves behind two children, Gesai, Curt Jr. and Kayris. The driver of the vehicle has not been charged.

 

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 21, 2023

After Rumors of Her Death, Tyler Perry Confirms Actress Cassi Davis is Alive and ‘Living Her Best Life’

A disheartening rumor was spread that an actress who appeared in two of Tyler Perry‘s sitcoms, Tyler Perry’s House of Payne and the spinoff, The Paynes had recently passed. Turns out, it was only a rumor!

It was reported over a week ago that Cassi Davis died of lung cancer at the age of 58 . After receiving several calls and viewing a news item reporting her death, studio executive and television show creator, Perry reached out to Davis. After being skeptical of not hearing the news directly, he called and asked her if she had passed on, and she responded by saying “hell no!”

Perry posted the news of her being alive and asked those who were spreading the rumors to think of the millions of people who love her. He also informed his followers that she is “waiting to shoot the next season of House of Payne.”

“After I’ve gotten several calls from people giving me their condolences and I didn’t know what they were talking about, I was sent this article that’s going around.

“I don’t know how she could have died and nobody told me or her. So I called her and asked her was she dead and she said hell no!

“Can whoever is responsible for this please stop you better be careful when you speak death over a child of God.

“This woman is loved by millions and you’re hurting a lot of people.

“Cassi is fine living her best life with no worries, no cares, no social media, and no drama. She’s waiting to shoot the next season of House of Payne.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Tyler Perry (@tylerperry)

Perry recently showed his generosity when he offered financial relief to senior citizens in Atlanta who couldn’t afford to pay their property taxes on their homes.

A press release from the city of Atlanta announced that the studio owner would be donating close to $1 million to long-time senior residents to avoid displacement because of the rising costs of property values.

north carolina, young pilot, young black pilot, black pilot, Pilot
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

February 21, 2023

17-Year-Old Makes History, Becomes Youngest Black Pilot in His State

Gabriel Carothers, a 17-year-old student from Albuquerque, NM, made history as the youngest pilot in the state after completing his private pilot check ride.

“I wasn’t really thinking about making history, I was just thinking about flying and doing what I like to do every day,” Carothers told Live5News.

Carothers, who grew up in Albuquerque, has truly been passionate about flying since he was a kid. He said, “My father had a family friend who had an airplane that used to fly us. So, he thought it’d definitely be interesting to take me and my brother up for a flight when we were 5 and 6 years old.”

His father, Alex Carothers, a retired U.S. Air Force pilot, has also been a great inspiration and support to him.

At the age of 8, Carothers’ passion grew even more when he was given the opportunity to take the controls of an airplane in flight for the first time during an “Experimental Aircraft Association Young Eagles” event at the Moriarty Airport in New Mexico.

When he was 14 years old, he had already built his own flight simulator. He did his own research and learned everything from designing to programming it.

Last August 2022, Carothers completed his private pilot check ride just 10 days after he turned 17 years old, making him the youngest pilot in the entire state of New Mexico.

Carothers is currently a member of General Lloyd “Fig” Newton local chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, where he helps teach the youth and adults the basics of flight at STEM events.

“Leaving a trail behind and leaving a path for other kids to follow really lightens up my heart, and to make sure that they have a future no matter what they do,” he said.

Moreover, Carothers aims to soar even higher as he wants to learn to fly vintage aircraft and participate in airshows, and follow in his father’s footsteps by joining the Air Force.

This story first appeared on Blacknews.com.

karl malone, college basketball
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

February 21, 2023

Karl Malone Has Heard the Criticism Over His Seedy Past Getting a 13-Year-Old Pregnant — and Seemingly Responds

After former Utah Jazz player Karl Malone was announced as a judge for the NBA All-Star Game’s dunk contest, all hell broke loose when his sordid past became a present topic of discussion.

Social media users started complaining about Malone’s involvement in All-Star weekend in Utah as his alleged “pedophilia past” was repeatedly brought to light. The NBA legend reportedly impregnated a 13-year-old girl while he attended college when he was 20 years of age — and that child grew up reportedly without Malone around.

After the weekend was over, Malone addressed the backlash while talking to The Salt Lake Tribune before shutting down on his past regarding the troubling situation that some feel should have derailed his professional basketball career.

“As players, we hear what’s written about us or said about us,” Malone stated to the newspaper.

“I’m not discussing any of that backlash. I don’t care. That’s my life, that’s my personal life, and I’ll deal with that like I’ve had to deal with everything. So, whatever.”

Audacy previously reported that when the man who was nicknamed “The Mailman” was 20, he impregnated a 13-year-old girl while he was a college student playing basketball at Louisiana Tech. The girl, Gloria Bell, and her family, knowing that he was destined to play in the NBA declined to press charges and allowed him to virtually get a stay-out-of-jail card. A son, Demetress Bell, was born out of the union and Malone did not meet him until he was 17 years of age. Bell ended up becoming a professional football player in the NFL as an offensive lineman for the Buffalo Bills and Philadelphia Eagles.

Malone’s reputation was also tarnished as he was labeled a non-supportive father who allegedly refused to pay child support to twins he had when he was only 17, The Daily Beast once reported. The outlet also  mentioned that he allegedly made a pass at his then-teammate, Kobe Bryant‘s wife, Vanessa.

Tyler Perry
by Booker Jones

February 21, 2023

Tyler Perry Is The Only Black Celebrity To Make Forbes’ ‘World’s 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers’ List

Tyler Perry continues to catch wins. His latest feat, becoming the first Black entertainer to make Forbes World’s 10 Highest-Paid Entertainers list two times in a row. 

According to AfroTech, Perry was the only billionaire and Black entertainer to make this year’s list after earning $175 million in 2022. 

AfroTech also reported that the filmmaker also owns 100% of his rights, which includes over 1,200 episodes of television, 22 feature films, at least 24 stage plays, and Tyler Perry Studios.

During an interview with Forbes, Perry spoke about his ownership. 

 “I own the lights. I own the sets,” Perry told Forbes when speaking of his production lot. “So that’s where the difference is. Because I own everything, my returns are higher.” 

AfroTech also reported that Perry’s deal with ViacomCBS is slated to earn  $150 million annually to create at least 90 episodes for BET. 

“Viacom has a rich tradition of reaching my audience through their TV, film and digital platforms and I am excited to partner with them,” Perry said in a press release. “I am eager to have one home where I can leverage all of their assets to tell my stories to an even wider audience. I have been very blessed to have worked with the incredible people at Lionsgate and OWN over the last few years and I look forward to continuing my work with them on a non-exclusive basis.”

Perry got his start after the success of his first play, I Know I’ve Been Changed. Since then, he’s built an empire from his Madea series with films like Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Madea’s Family Reunion, Madea’s Class Reunion, Madea Goes to Jail, Madea’s Big Happy Family, A Madea Christmas, and Madea’s Neighbors from Hell, and several others. 

Perry is set to write and produce, Six Triple Eight, a film based on the true story of World War II’s only all-Black, all-woman unit, the 6888th Battalion. 

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