February 9, 2023
As we celebrate Black History Month, the 142-year-old legacy of John T. Ward is one of many that continues to inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more.
Having weathered two world wars, a Great Depression, and a global pandemic, E.E. Ward Moving & Storage Co., the brainchild of Ward and his son, has maintained its reign as the nation’s oldest continuously operating Black-led business.
This year, the multi-million dollar moving company celebrates 142 years of service.
Born in Richmond, Virginia, in 1820, John T. Ward relocated to Columbus in 1836 and married Catherine Moss two years later.
From the late 1850s and 1860s, Ward served as a conductor in the Underground Railroad. He offered his Columbus, Ohio, home, called “The Ward House, as well as wagon rides to enslaved people as they passed through one of the main stops on the historic path.
At that time, slavery in the U.S. had only just been declared illegal through the 13th Amendment, but there was still a dire need for help.
As early as 1859, the fearless trailblazer began cementing the foundation for his moving company. It was during the Civil War when he began working on government contracts with wholesale and produce houses to haul equipment for the U.S. Army.
Utilizing the knowledge and resources in this business, Ward carved a path for a family-owned enterprise.
In 1881, John and his son, William S. Ward, founded the Ward Transfer Line, a transportation business using horses and wagons to transport goods and supplies from warehouses and storage yards to commercial sites and markets in downtown Columbus. By 1889, the name had changed to E.E. Ward Transfer and Storage, introducing storage services and Edgar Earl Ward, John’s youngest son, who had transitioned into the management role of the company.
The Wards later shifted to motorized vehicles, officially retiring their last horse by 1921. They would go on to secure valuable contracts, including one that hired them to deliver 1 million pianos for the legendary piano company Steinway & Sons.
Throughout the decades, E.E. Ward performed relocation services for schools, museums, libraries, business, and homes.
“This has been a way of living. We’ve been handling some families for three generations,” former president and great-grandson of John, Eldon W. Ward, told BLACK ENTERPRISE in a 1996 story. “You can deal with people in such a way that you have honor and respect and can still be remembered.”
One-hundred and fifteen years later, Ward Transfer maintains its laudable reputation for embodying ethical values like putting customers first. They were bestowed with the inaugural 1996 Better Business Torch award for Marketplace Ethics for Small Business at the National Press Club in Washington, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.
In 2001, Eldon Ward retired after 51 years, and sold the business to his godson, Brian Brooks, and Brooks’ childhood friend, Otto Beatty III.
In 2003, the U.S. Department of Commerce and the Congressional Black Caucus recognized E.E. Ward Moving & Storage as the oldest African-American-owned business in America.
Today, the moving and storage company is owned by Brooks and his wife Dominique operating with offices in Columbus, OH and both Charlotte and Raleigh, NC. By 2019, E.E. Ward employed over 50 full-time workers, bringing in $5 million annually.
At the company, Brian oversees operations and Dominique specializes in branding and marketing. Together, they continue to serve its diverse community as an agent for North American Van Lines, providing national and international relocation services.
“It’s never shut down which is a fortunate thing, through all the things that the that we’ve, you know, gone through as a country, world wars, financial crises, and now a pandemic,” he told Charlotte news station, WCNC.
In doing so, 1881 Apparel was born out of the inspiring Ward legacy. It is a clothing line of hats, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and tank tops, bearing “1881 Strong” or “E.E. Ward 1881.”
“I want to be proof that you can pivot from one industry to the next and still find success by fusing your talents, life experiences and connections,” Dominique said, per the brand website.
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With hands in many projects and outreach programs in the community, E.E. Ward is not your average small moving company. They support R.I.S.E (Restoring Independence Supporting Empowerment), a program that seeks to build adaptable and mortgage-free smart homes for wounded veterans.
In the past, E.E. Ward hosted a charity event called Laps for Learning that raised money to provide swimming lessons for children in the Columbus area. They were able to raise over $12,000 in 2018.
Additionally, the company sponsors sports teams in the Collegiate Conference of the South and the Brick Sports League.
Can’t wait to see East Tigers on the hardwood! https://t.co/wxbFrpO4vy
— E.E.Ward (@eewardmoving) November 11, 2022
On June 25, 2022, the Brooks couple were inducted into the National Civil Rights Hall of Fame.
The company has also been recognized for outstanding customer service and overall quality experience with awards including the Better Business Bureau of Central Ohio Torch Award for Ethics in 2018 and 2012, Overall Quality Hauling Agent of the Year award by the North American Van Lines in 2018, and more.
February 9, 2023
When it comes to Mississippi legislation, someone may think it’s still 1950.
Mississippi Today reported a disturbing new bill proposed in the state’s capital of Jackson—named the “Blackest city in America.” House Bill 1020 proposed to create a separate court system and expand the police force for the city with all-white state officials.
The breakdown looks like this: For a new district in the city that includes primarily white neighborhoods, the Chief Justice of the Mississippi Supreme Court, who is white, would appoint two new judges. Then, the state attorney general, also white, would appoint four prosecutors, a public defender, and a court clerk. Lastly, the white state public safety commissioner would supervise an expanded Capitol Police force, currently run by a white chief.
The bill was generally popular on Tuesday, passing 76–38, according to Mississippi Today, by the supermajority of white Republican legislators. However, the bill still needs approval from the state Senate and governor to become an official law.
Written by Rep. Trey Lamar (R-MS), CNBC reports the bill was created to tackle growing crime rates in the city, arguing for the expanded police force. “This bill is designed to make our capital city of Jackson, Mississippi, a safer place,” Lamar said. Black Democrats were not happy that the bill was presented at all. Rep. Ed Blackmon (D-MS) heavily opposed the bill and said crime is not what this is about. “Only in Mississippi would we have a bill like this … where we say solving the problem requires removing the vote from Black people,” Blackmon said, according to CNBC.
The local news outlet reports that Jackson, Mississippi, is 80% Black and home to a higher percentage of Black residents than any major American city. Controlled by white Republicans, Mississippi’s legislature has redrawn districts for over 30 years, hoping to pass bills without a single Democratic vote. Every legislative Republican is white, and many, like Lamar, live miles away from the state’s capital.
February 9, 2023
Quality Control, one of the hottest labels in the rap game, has been acquired by Hybe America, a company steered by talent manager, Scooter Braun.
The acquisition is the first major step taken by Braun, who manages pop stars like Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, and Demi Lovato, since he became chief executive of Hybe America. The company is a division of the South Korean entertainment firm Hybe, which dominates the K-pop world through its management of the superstar group BTS.
According to Variety, the deal was announced late Wednesday (Feb.9) by Hybe America and QC Media Holdings, the label’s parent entity. The purchase price was not disclosed but is estimated at around $300 million.
“QC is one of the most significant independent labels in the world,” Braun said in a statement. “They not only distribute music, but they also distribute culture. Their artists are the voices of their communities.”
Since its founding in 2013, by Pierre Thomas —known as P— and Kevin Lee (Coach K), Quality Control led the careers of Migos, City Girls, Lil Baby and Lil Yachty. Back in 2017, the label had scored a global smash with “Bad and Boujee,” featuring the idiosyncratic, stuttering flow of the trio Migos, with a guest appearance by the rapper Lil Uzi Vert. The song spent three weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart. Lil Baby alone has garnered 37 billion streams of his catalog, according to Quality Control.
Braun rose to power after discovering a young Bieber on YouTube. In 2019, he came under the crosshairs of Taylor Swift fans when his entertainment company, Ithaca Holdings, bought her former label, Big Machine — including the rights to her first six studio albums — for more than $300 million, without Swift’s participation. Ithaca later sold Swift’s albums to another investor.
In 2021, Braun joined Hybe after that company purchased Ithaca — which included Braun’s management deals, music publishing assets and the remainder of Big Machine — for over $1 billion.
“We want to take our brand worldwide and need partners with mindsets like ours — ground up, self-made and building companies from nothing,” Thomas, Quality Control’s chief executive, said in a statement. “All of Hybe’s leaders are entrepreneurs with track records for finding, growing and amplifying their talent globally.”
Thomas and Lee will remain at the helm of the label, under the direction of Braun.
Also in 2021, Warner Music Group paid $400 million for 300 Entertainment, which has released music by Megan Thee Stallion and Young Thug. That year, Sony Music also purchased a controlling stake in Alamo Records, whose acts include Lil Durk and Rod Wave. The value of that transaction was not disclosed but is estimated at close to $200 million.
February 9, 2023
In an evening of fashion and fun, the Philadelphia 76ers gathered at the city’s 2300 Arena last week to host its annual Sixers Youth Foundation Gala.
Coming off an exciting win against the Brooklyn Nets, players’ individual styles were on full display as they celebrated and raised money for a good cause at the first gala since the pandemic.
“I feel so inspired by this organization,” Sixers Youth Foundation Chair Marjorie Harris said. “I think it really allows the whole organization to feel like something bigger.
A variety of players and notable guests were in attendance, including current players PJ Tucker, Tobias Harris and more; 76ers head coach Doc Rivers; legendary 76ers alumni including Allen Iverson and Julius Erving; rapper Tierra Whack and more.
“We’re so excited to be able to help Philly,” 76ers Managing Partner Josh Harris said at the gala. “We have a lot of history with the city, and with the Sixers and with the Sixers Youth Foundation, we can do a lot of good. We’re paying it forward, it’s really exciting. If people hadn’t paid it forward for us, we wouldn’t be here. So it’s our pleasure to give back.”
Guests danced the night away to tunes from Danuel House Jr. “4”, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Sugarhill Gang, bid on exclusive items in a live silent auction, and enjoyed a selection of food and beverages. All proceeds from the event, totaling more than $1.5 million, will support the Sixers Youth Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization committed to bringing positive, meaningful change to the lives of young people in the Greater Delaware Valley.
Player Matisse Thybulle reflected on the evening. “Often times I forget what it was like to meet an NBA player when I was a kid. We have the opportunity because of our fans to have a platform, so to come back and give back a little bit in small gestures like this, I think, is the least we can do.”
February 9, 2023
The Los Angeles Lakers have agreed to trade guard Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz as part of a three-team deal.
According to ESPN, as part of the exchange, the Lakers will receive Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell, whom they drafted No. 2 overall in 2015, then traded away after just two seasons.
The deal will end Westbrook’s shaky and short stint with the Lakers. The Washington Wizards traded Westbrook to the Lakers before the 2021-22 season, giving the Lakers its very own super-team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis. To make the move, the Lakers traded multiple players who were crucial to their championship run in 2020.
Westbrook, who started his future hall of fame career in Oklahoma City, has bounced around in recent years, heading from Houston to Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles to now Utah.
As Sopan Deb and Tania Ganguil with the New York Times reported:
“Westbrook, a nine-time All-Star and the 2017 NBA’s most valuable player, is versatile and athletic at his best, easily able to fill up box scores. But in Los Angeles, Westbrook struggled to adjust to coming off the bench and not being the primary ball handler. That, along with his below-average perimeter shooting, sunk the chances of him fitting with James and Davis.
“The Lakers (25-30) are out of the playoff picture in the Western Conference, despite their championship aspirations. Westbrook averaged 16.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game off the bench for the Lakers this season.
“The Westbrook trade will also send to the Jazz forward Juan Toscano-Anderson, center Damian Jones, and a first-round pick in the 2027 draft. The Jazz will mark Westbrook’s fifth team in five years, an unusual level of movement for a former MVP still relatively close to his prime.
“The Jazz will send Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt to the Lakers, and they will trade Mike Conley and Nickeil Alexander-Walker to Minnesota.”
February 9, 2023
Meet Oronde Booker and his 14-year-old son, Kendall, who are making history as the founders of Book Dawg Sports, the first ever Black-owned athletic supply company. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, the company is already taking pre-orders for its flagship product called HW101, which is a basketball made with premium microfiber composite leather that offers amazing grip and durability to last all season and beyond.
Oronde had long been supporting his son at team practices and games when he began to notice that all of the equipment used by the players, trainers, and coaches was developed by four companies–none of which were Black-owned. This inspired him to create his own company that would be a major supplier of athletic products.
“When thinking about sports, it’s likely that several Black stars across all sports—basketball, football, tennis, or soccer—come to mind easily,” said Oronde. “Black people have contributed much to sports, attracting fans and diverse audiences, redefining the game and helping shape its culture, yet so few are found ‘behind the ball,’ particularly when looking at industries like sports equipment.”
Dominated by a select group of brands, the athletic equipment industry is big business, pulling in millions of dollars annually. According to Statista, in 2021 alone, U.S. wholesale sales of basketballs amounted to an estimated $286 million U.S. dollars.
For Booker, it’s about business, but it’s also about designing and delivering a high-quality product that will work for students of the game, at all levels.
“We believe in high standards and high quality—our ball is for people who are serious about improving their game,” added Booker. “I love the game and continue to play and coach, so I know firsthand that no matter how talented you are, it requires an investment in the best equipment, time and effort.”
BookDawg Sports’ HW101 is shorthand for “Hard Work 101” because it’s no secret that excellence on the court requires hard work. The name serves as a constant reminder of what it takes to succeed.
HW101 is made with premium microfiber composite leather, offering amazing grip and durability to last all season and beyond. It also boasts a cushioned core and deep channels that give players the ultimate precision and control when playing indoors.
“One of the things we’ve heard over and over again from our customers is about how it feels,” said Oronde. “A player knows when they’ve found the perfect ball based on how it feels in their hands, and we’re glad that we’re able to consistently provide that top quality experience.”
The HW101 retails for $79.99, in line with the standard pricing for similar basketballs of its caliber.
By getting first in line to purchase HW101, shoppers will also have the opportunity to give back. BookDawg Sports plans to invest a percentage of each purchase into nonprofits and support young, Black players who could not otherwise afford to play basketball.
To reserve your HW101 basketball, check out reviews or learn more, visit https://bit.ly/bd-hw101
This article first appeared on Blacknews.com.
The Brooklyn Nets have traded superstar forward Kevin Durant to the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN, the Nets also sent veteran forward T.J. Warren to the Suns for Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first-round picks, and a 2028 pick swap. They’ll get unprotected picks in 2023, 2025, 2027 and 2029.
James Harden engineered a trade to Philadelphia at last year’s trade deadline; Kyrie Irving demanded a move last week and was dealt to Dallas. And now Durant is out of Brooklyn in less than a year. The Nets’ once-fabled big three is down to zero.
Irving demanded a trade February 3. He was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks two days later. But it all started during last season’s disappointing campaign, which ended in a first-round playoff sweep by the Boston Celtics.
Durant, 34, has three years and $153 million left on his contract after this season. The former league MVP attended the Nets’ loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night in Brooklyn but did not answer reporters’ questions on his way out of Barclays Center.
Irving, who scored 24 points against the Clippers in his debut with the Mavericks Wednesday night, reacted to the trade after the game, saying he was praying for Durant’s “happiness and praying for his well-being.”
Apologies, shot several Irving videos, THIS is his reaction to the Durant trade. pic.twitter.com/PF3fri4hmf
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 9, 2023
“This business changes so quickly. He’s getting a little bit older, I’m getting a little bit older, I just love the competition now that we can be in the same conference,” Irving said. “I welcome all that. Get to see him a little bit more, probably playing against Phoenix a lot more. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Everything else and in between, I just, I’m glad that he got out of there.”
More Irving. pic.twitter.com/3WTDXmrBVT
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 9, 2023
According to ESPN, Durant is the first former MVP to play for the Suns since Steve Nash’s last season with the team in 2011-12.
February 8, 2023
The Italian fashion council’s only Black designer has withdrawn from Milan Fashion Week due to a lack of commitment toward diversity and inclusion.
On Wednesday, Stella Jean and the We Are Made in Italy (WAMI) Collective announced their exit from this month’s fashion week that they were set to open with a digital presentation, USA Today reported. Jean also announced a hunger strike out of concern for the retaliation she believes other minority designers will suffer due to their associations with her.
Jean accuses the Italian National Fashion Chamber of cutting back support for the WAMI Collective, which was launched in 2020 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement after she brought attention to the personal price she paid for calling out the racial injustice in Italy during a runway show last September.
“The chamber told us, ‘We didn’t know there were Italian designers who weren’t white.’ We brought them to the runway,” Jean said while interrupting the Chamber’s press conference, as noted by the Associated Press.
“They supported us for two years. Then we were abandoned.”
Italian Fashion Chamber President Carlo Capasa expressed his regret about Jean’s decision and assured her the chamber had no intention of retaliating in any way.
“Stella’s contribution has always been appreciated. We Italians need to have our conscience stimulated,” he said. “As for WAMI, we are not people who retaliate. For us it is important to promote new brands.”
The Chamber has plans to celebrate diverse creatives during Milan Fashion Week, which runs from February 21–27, with the inaugural edition of the Black Carpet Awards that recognizes the achievements of minority groups in Italy, as well as a diversity initiative by the owner and editor of U.S.-based Blanc Magazine, Teneshia Carr.
Jean made her Milan runway premiere in 2013 with Armani. The Haitian-Italian says that since speaking on racial injustice in the European country, she and her family have been subjected to retaliation in the form of death threats against her daughter and terminated professional relationships for the designer.
“When you speak of retaliations, of death threats, people, I work in fashion. I don’t traffic arms, I don’t traffic drugs or make money from trafficking women,” Jean said.
“It is absurd, vile, shameful and inhuman that I must speak for people who feel their lives are in danger, who feel they will suffer the same retaliation.”
February 8, 2023
It looks like police departments across the country have no clue how to properly celebrate Black History Month.
BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported on the Miami Police Department driving around in a “tone deaf” police cruiser decorated in Africa-themed imagery. Now an Ohio police department is following in their footsteps. VICE reported a car from the Columbus Division of Police featured a quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. – only thing is, the quote is fake.
“Be the peace you wish to see in the world” was printed across the the side window of the cruiser, named “History 1,” according to VICE, however, the civil rights leader never spoke those words. Claiborne Carson, founding director of the King Institute, said he found no evidence of this quote. “The King Papers Project that I directed for more than three decades didn’t find evidence that MLKJ ever said this,” Carson said, as reported by The Miami Herald. A fellow researcher for the Institute, Meghan Weaver, said the same thing. “I am unable to confirm that King authored the specific quotation: ‘Be the peace you wish to see in the world,” she said.
The popular quote has been used by several dignitaries over the years, including Sen. and Rev. Raphael Warnock, who tweeted the same quote last October.
Warnock currently serves as the the senior pastor of the famous Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta where Dr. King also served as co-pastor in 1960.
The Columbus-based police department shared a video of the cruiser, decorated in red, green, yellow and black stripes, on Instagram with a voiceover of a real Dr. King speech. “We’re proud to highlight all the men and women who’ve been trailblazers – from activists and civil rights pioneers to leaders in politics, culture, and law enforcement,” the post read. “Be on the lookout for ‘History 1’ in your neighborhood and at community events during the month of February.”
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While there is no trace of who said the quote originally, The Miami Herald reported that Mahatma Gandhi may have said something similar, using the word “change” instead of “peace.”
February 8, 2023
She put her pen to the paper and wrote a bold letter. Decades later, the pitch still holds its value.
Barbara Brandon-Croft, the first African American woman to ever have a comic strip syndicated to the mainstream press, released her new book Where I’m Coming From: Selected Strips, 1991-2005, a salute to her work as a cartoonist and first ever syndicated comic strip.
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According to The Washington Post, the book follows the journey of the nine central female characters, who in her original comic, “Where I’m Coming From,” speak the truths of Brandon-Croft. Additionally, the book features essays and letters spotlighting the brilliance of her work that was described as “minimalist” and having “no backgrounds or panels,” just “abstract and freeing.”
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“I was just being honest with myself, taking all these parts of me and putting them on the page,” the cartoonist said.
“I felt like I was pushing against history,” she mentioned in an interview.
Brandon-Croft wrote an attention-catching letter to newspaper syndicates, addressing the lack of Black Women Cartoonists to enter national syndication.
“I’m tired of women being summed up by their body parts,” she wrote in a 1992 article for the publication Cartoonist PROfiles.
“I’m interested in giving my women a little more dignity,” she added. “I want folks to understand that women — in addition to breasts — have ideas and opinions. Look us in the eye and hear what we’re saying, please!”
Brandon-Croft was born in 1958 and grew up on Long Island, in New Cassel, NY. The cartoonist said she drew inspiration from watching her late father Brumsic Brandon Jr., who was an artist for the pioneering New York City children’s TV program, Time for Joya!
Brandon-Croft attended Syracuse University, where she sketched for the school’s paper, crediting her understanding of human relationships to her non-artistic studies.
“Where I’m Coming From,” began appearing in the Detroit Free Press in 1989 after an editor reached out to her father in search of a new creator.
Universal Press Syndicate editor Lee Salem replied to Brandon-Croft’s pitch after noticing her excellence in the craft.
“It’s rare to have such a good ear for nuance and character,” Salem said.
Universal signed her and launched the strip into national syndication in 1991, where she began to deepen the comic’s themes, before the strip grew towards distribution to around 60 newspapers.
Brandon-Croft’s new book is available now for purchase.
