• News

by Diamond Jeune

January 24, 2023

2 Black Women Reveal Their Homes Were Sold After Failing to Pay Property Taxes

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Geraldine Tyler and Tawanda Hall garnered attention from the general public after the two Black women faced the negative repercussions of property ownership.

According to Reason magazine, Hall had her house seized and sold by the government after failing to pay property taxes. At the same time, Tyler encountered the same fate with the condo she owned. To add insult to injury, the government also reportedly kept each property’s profits.

Hall originally owed $900 in property taxes, but due to additional costs such as late penalties, interests, and fees, she was billed $22,642. After Hall couldn’t pay the total amount, her Michigan home was sold for over $300,000, and the state received more than $286,000, the outlet reports.

In Tyler’s case, the 94-year-old accumulated $2,300 in debt from rent and property taxes, and because of similar charges, her overall total came out to be $15,000. The government reportedly sold her Minneapolis condo for $40,000 and allegedly kept the remaining $25,0000.

Although details regarding the timelines of the events are limited, the women’s stories made headlines because, after a years-long legal battle, Tyler is taking her case against home equity theft to the Supreme Court, which accepted the case on Jan. 20.

The women’s attorney Christina M. Martin told the outlet that the reason behind Tyler’s upcoming hearing isn’t to refute the government’s actions of seizing and selling the property to collect the debt, but rather the amount they obtained.

“We agree that the government can seize the property to collect a debt. What it can’t do is take more than it’s owed.” Martin said. As for Hall, her past legal pursuits with the Supreme Court were ultimately dismissed, and she is now seeking to go to trial to receive the six-figure check.

In Tyler’s upcoming case, the elderly woman will have the support of numerous organizations to help back her claims, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, AARP and the AARP Foundation, the Cato Institute, the National Taxpayers Union Foundation, etc.

After asking to be allowed to leave due to a failed NIL deal, a highly sought-after quarterback has been released so he can pursue playing football at another school.

According to The Associated Press, the collegiate career of high school quarterback Jaden Rashada has hit a bump after he signed a National Letter of Intent to attend the University of Florida.

The future college athlete asked to be released after the Gator Collective did not honor a deal that was allegedly offered to Rashada. The collective operates as an independent fundraising group that pays student-athletes through the use of their name, image, and likeness. They initially offered the quarterback $13 million for the four years he would have attended the university.

The handling of this situation is expected to institute changes at the University of Florida regarding NIL contracts. There may also be investigative action from the NCAA and a possible lawsuit.

Rashada had intended to initially commit to the University of Miami but then switched to go play at the University of Florida on Nov. 10. A deal was allegedly made between Rashada, his representatives, and the Gator Collective that factored in his decision to attend Florida.

Less than a month later, it appears that the deal fell apart.

The Athletic reported that a termination letter was sent to Rashada and his representatives on Dec. 7 by Gator Collective CEO Eddie Rojas. A source stated that not all of the financial backers of the group were made aware that the signed deal, which they thought was for about $5 million was actually increased to more than $13 million.

The school has experienced a streak of bad luck as the University of Florida has recently lost five scholarship quarterbacks over the last 10 months. Their starting quarterback, Anthony Richardson left to enter the NFL draft. His backup, Jalen Kitna reportedly was dismissed after he was arrested on child pornography charges, while two other players, Emory Jones and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson transferred last spring.

There is speculation that Rashada will sue the Gator Collective, and possibly the athletic department and the university to try to get the $13 million he was promised. He could even sue for more if he believes his reputation was damaged.

The men of Morehouse College continue to set the standard. They have tackled the world of entertainment, business and now golf.

Olajuwon Ajanaku and Earl Cooper, co-founders of Eastside Golf, have partnered with financial giant, Citi, to expand on their urban golf apparel line, by way of the Action for Racial Equity Initiative.

The initiative is set to push more diversity to sports that are less popular to HBCUs. Citi’s Director of U.S. Community Relations, Michelle Thornhill, says this will be a positive impact to HBCUs and the communities they serve. “We look forward to continued investments with HBCUs and black entrepreneurs, like Earl and Olajuwon, as well as finding more meaningful engagement opportunities in the future.”

The HBCU grads swung into action with the company in 2019 and have caught the attention of famous athletes of different sports.

Their eye-catching logo, a Black man in a sweatshirt, jeans, and a thick gold chain swinging a golf club, has been worn by NFL quarterback Patrick Mahomes, NBA star Jayson Tatum and more. The lifestyle brand is also the first company selected to collaborate with Jordan Golf in 2021, creating the Jordan 4 Golf shoe, setting the tone to diversify the sport. “We got to diversify it [golf] and make it for everybody,” Ajanku told Sports Illustrated.

Partnering with Citi will continue to push that narrative, making the expensive sport more accessible to minorities. “We continue to use our partnerships in sports and entertainment to address changes that need to be made more accessible and inclusive,” Citi’s Head of Sponsorships, Ryan Djabbarah says. The Atlanta-based company is breaking barriers in the sport, given some racist history. Back in 1961, the Professional Golfers Association repealed a “Caucasians Only” clause. According to the Miami Herald, less than 1 percent of 29,000 PGA of America members are African-American.

Eastside is hoping to change that number while educating future Black golfers and having fun. They currently have two golfers, Wyatt Worthington II and Michael Herrera, signed to their company.

• News

by Kia Morgan Smith

January 24, 2023

Fatal Memphis Traffic Stop Reminiscent of Rodney King Assault, Attorney Crump Says

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By Daniel Trotta and Tyler Clifford

(Reuters) – The video of Memphis police beating a Black man who died after a traffic stop on Jan. 7 reminded civil rights attorney Ben Crump of the assault on Rodney King, Crump said after viewing the police bodycam recording with the man’s family on Monday.

Tyre Nichols, a 29-year-old father of a 4-year-old boy, died in the hospital on Jan. 10 of injuries he sustained during his arrest by five officers, all of whom have been fired.

“He was defenseless the entire time. He was a human pinata for those police officers,” attorney Antonio Romanucci, Crump’s co-counsel, told reporters.

“It was an unadulterated, unabashed, nonstop beating of this young boy for three minutes. That is what we saw in that video,” he said, adding, “There were multiple uses of force against him.”

The attorneys said local, state and federal investigators promised to release the bodycam video to the public within a week or two. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, FBI and Justice Department are investigating the incident in addition to Memphis police and the Shelby County District attorney.

The police department determined after its investigation that the officers violated multiple policies, including using excessive force, failing to intervene and failing to render aid.

Crump said the video reminded him of the landmark video of Los Angeles police beating King in 1991, sparking violent protests and reforms in the department.

“Regrettably, it reminded us of (the) Rodney King video,” said Crump, who previously represented the families of George Floyd and Trayvon Martin. “Regrettably, unlike Rodney King, Tyre didn’t survive.”

The last words heard on the video were Nichols calling for his mother three times, Crump said.

“He was less than 80 yards (73 meters) away when they murdered him. Yes, I say murder,” said Nichols’ mother, RowVaughn Wells.

People who knew Nichols said he was an accomplished skateboarder who had recently enrolled in a photography class and came home to his mother during his lunch break from his job at FedEx.

“My son didn’t do no drugs. He didn’t carry no guns. He didn’t like confrontation. None of that. That’s why this is so hard,” she said.

Memphis police are cooperating, said Chief Cerelyn Davis.

“Transparency remains a priority in this incident, and a premature release (of the video) could adversely impact the criminal investigation and the judicial process,” she said.

Relatives told WREG television it was especially hurtful because all the officers involved were Black.

Crump said he has found that the race of the citizen in these cases tends to the determining factor in the amount of excessive force exerted, not that of the officers involved.

Memphis police on Friday identified the former officers as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, Desmond Mills, Jr., and Justin Smith. Each had served with the department about 2-1/2 to 5 years.

A photo of a bloodied, intubated Nichols released to the public helped fuel multiple days of protests and calls of “Justice for Tyre” in Memphis, a city of 630,000 that is 65% Black.

(Reporting by Tyler Clifford in New York and Daniel Trotta in Carlsbad, Calif.; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Bill Berkrot)

Sthembile Mngwengwe, a 40-year-old woman from South Africa, has earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the same university where she worked as a cleaner for 14 years.

Sthembile has always wanted to continue her studies after graduating high school in 1998. Sadly, her parents could not afford to send her to college at that time.

In 2018, after nearly a decade of working as a cleaner at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, she grabbed the opportunity to study there for free. But having been out of school for nearly 20 years, she admitted it was not easy.

“Balancing work and studies gave me a lot of stress,” she told News24. “But if you work hard and pray to God, He will help you to achieve what you want.”

Indeed, Sthembile used her good time management to juggle work and studies. She said working at the university and seeing the professors’ offices she often cleaned inspired her to pursue higher education.

“I was motivated by being on campus too, seeing students walking up and down going to their lecture theatres to attend classes made me wish to be them,” she said.

Moreover, she was also kept motivated by her daughter and colleagues who supported her along the way. She hopes to also inspire others to pursue their dreams even though it seemed impossible at first.

“No matter how old you are you can still fulfill your dreams,” she said. “Age is just a number — look at me completing my first degree at the age of 40. It’s a blessing and I’m so proud of myself.”

It’s official! The girls are going on another trip!!!

According to Variety, the hit movie, Girls Trip starring Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Tiffany Haddish will be getting a sequel. The second movie will have the ladies taking an excursion into West Africa.

Tracy Oliver, the writer, producer, and director who co-wrote the original movie that was released in 2017 confirmed the news when she appeared on the Variety Studio.

The original movie was successful at the box office when it grossed over $140 million worldwide. The project had a budget of $16 million making a great return for the studio. Malcolm D. Lee directed Girls Trip, which was produced by Will Packer and co-written by Oliver and Kenya Barris. The concept for the movie was based on a story they developed with Erica Rivinoja.

Oliver was at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival and discussed the upcoming project with Variety. She is there promoting the second season of the Amazon Prime Video series Harlem. During the session, she informed them that she had a “definitive ‘Girls Trip 2’ update. That it’s officially happening. I can say that.”

She also noted that, although the film’s producer Packer “might kill me, we’re looking to set it in Ghana.”

Previously when Packer spoke to Shannon Sharpe about a possible sequel he admitted that he couldn’t recast Haddish.

“I think she’s very talented, remorseful and have since apologized,” he said about her recent troubles.

“I would advocate for her. Girls Trip 2, I couldn’t make it without her.”

Actor Shoniqua Shandai, who plays one of the characters in Oliver’s Harlem yelled out, “Afrochella!” when the writer revealed the latest news. The Afrocella reference is for the festival that takes place in Ghana. It’s also a play on the Coachella festival that takes place in America. There is yet a production schedule or timeline as Oliver still has not submitted a new script for the sequel.

Around this time last year, Packer announced that the sequel will be returning when he appeared on Good Morning America.

“We are underway with Girls Trip 2, and now it’s just about what kind of trip do we take, right?” he stated on the show. “Post-pandemic with all our favorite crazy ladies, what do we do with them? That’s what we got to figure out.”

The first film has won accolades and several awards including Black Reel Awards, two NAACP Image Awards, and an MTV Movie and TV Award. 

• Technology

by Derek Major

January 24, 2023

Black-Owned Fintech Firms are Providing Black Entrepreneurs with a Litany of Financial Offerings

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One notable Black-owned fintech company is Greenwood, a firm started by rapper Michael “Killer Mike” Render and others. The platform, named after the Tulsa, OK community where Black Wall Street once stood, is creating better financial options to support Black and Brown people and businesses.

Greenwood offers a number of banking features including checking and savings accounts with no overdraft fees, no in-network ATM fees, and no minimum balances. Additionally, Greenwood has raised more than $80 million in venture capital funding rounds to invest and help Black and minority entrepreneurs.

“Obviously, we need the broader capital markets to work more proportionally for Black and Brown folks,” Pendulum CEO Robbie Robinson, who led a $45 million capital funding round for Greenwood, told Forbes last year.

The rise of Black-owned fintech firms began during the early days of the pandemic when millions of Americans were laid off almost overnight and small business owners were scrambling for funds from the Paycheck Protection Program to stay afloat.

During the pandemic, Black businesses large and small struggled to get PPP loans from traditional banks leaving Black entrepreneurs to rely on fintech firms and Black-owned banks to get loans. According to The Washington Post, Black-owned small businesses were 70% more likely to get PPP loans from fintech firms than from traditional banks.

Everett Sands, the CEO of Lendistry, a small business lender that provided grants to small and micro businesses in New York during the COVID-19 pandemic, told BLACK ENTERPRISE that Black fintech firms are providing new ways for Black and minority entrepreneurs to get the financial and technical resources they need at almost every level of their entrepreneurial journey, something big banks may not be interested in.

“I think it’s great,” said Sands. “I think the more vehicles we have in terms of access to capital the better. I think they’ll be a cultural competence that we’ll see that allows some of those lenders to adjust according to the needs of our community as well and that can lead to things such as alternative credit models and maybe an alternative process to how we provide access to capital as well as the basics of responsible lending so that our communities don’t have to go towards predatory lending and other sources that might not act responsibly.”

Sense of community

Black-owned fintech firms are also providing their clients with a sense of community. Many Black fintech platforms include memberships featuring events, meet-and-greet,s and happy hours that bring Black entrepreneurs together to share ideas, collaborate and support each other.

“That is core to our mission at Guava and core to our value that we see in this space and in the end, it really brings us back to the concept of the benefit that nesting with other entrepreneurs have on their business,” Kelly Ifill, the founder of Guava told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“Entrepreneurship is lonely and so to bring people together to combat that is important but it’s also an experience that is misunderstood and being able to bring entrepreneurs at different stages together so they can learn from each other and the folks that are coming behind more mature entrepreneurs in their journey, can learn from those experiences and can leapfrog and so I think that’s what we are really talking about when we say what’s the value of community.”

Financial literacy

Many Black fintech firms are also teaching their clients and the Black Community about ins and outs of money.

Qoins, a Black-owned fintech firm started by co-founders Chris Zimmerman and Nate Washington Jr., helps its users pay off student loans and credit card debt for $1 a month. Qoins website also features a section on its site with lessons and tips on saving money, entrepreneurship, credit and debit cards, and more.

Meanwhile, Breaux Capital, which was started by HBCU grads Derrrius Quarles, Ras As, and Brian Williams, tailors to Black men but is open to everyone. Breaux Capital provides its clients with financial literacy lessons, investment opportunities, and events bringing business owners, entrepreneurs, and young professionals into its community.

Other notable fintech firms serving Black people and minority customers and entrepreneurs include Goalsetter, which among other things, teaches financial literacy to children; EnrichHER, a fintech investment platform started by Dr. Roshawnna Novellus that pushes the growth of women-owned businesses by enabling female founders to secure capital; SpenDebt, which helps its clients pay off debts through micropayment amounts the client sets and Novae Grants, a new tool allowing users to search a database of thousands of financial assistance opportunities from both the government and the private sector

By Jonathan Stempel

(Reuters) -A federal judge on Monday dismissed a lawsuit by three former Whole Foods employees who said they had been illegally fired for opposing the upscale grocery chain’s alleged discriminatory discipline of workers who wore “Black Lives Matter” masks.

U.S. District Judge Allison Burroughs in Boston found little evidence to refute Whole Foods’ “legitimate business explanations” for strictly enforcing the dress code, and no significant evidence it had targeted the plaintiffs by firing them in the summer of 2020.

“The evidence demonstrates only that Whole Foods did not strenuously enforce the dress code policy until mid-2020, and that when it increased enforcement, it did so uniformly,” Burroughs wrote in a 28-page decision.

“This holding is not about the importance of the Black Lives Matter message, the value of plaintiffs’ advocacy in wearing the masks, the valor of their speaking out against what they perceived to be discrimination in their workplace, or the quality of Whole Foods’ decision-making,” the judge added.

Whole Foods, part of Amazon.com Inc, has long maintained that it adopted its dress code–which also covered visible slogans, logos and ads–to foster a welcoming, safe and inclusive shopping environment.

Burroughs said the former employees Haley Evans, Savannah Kinzer and Christopher Michno could not claim protection from retaliation under Title VII of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Whole Foods said it was pleased with the lawsuit’s dismissal.

In June, the federal appeals court in Boston upheld Burroughs’ February 2021 dismissal of a proposed class action over the dress code, though on somewhat different legal grounds than hers.

The Black Lives Matter movement started after police killed several Black people in the United States.

A video showing the May 2020 killing of George Floyd by a police officer sparked nationwide protests about racial injustice.

Whole Foods had employed Evans in a Marlton, New Jersey, store, while Kinzer worked in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Michno in Berkeley, California.

The case is Kinzer et al v Whole Foods Market Inc, U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts, No. 20-11358.

(Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler and Bradley Perrett)

• Lifestyle

by Black Enterprise Shop

January 24, 2023

This Small Electric Heater Packs A Big Punch

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The winter months bring forth some of the highest electric bills of the year. Even states that rank among the lowest in the country in power bill costs still see an increase this time of year. The culprit has long been home heating units that have received a hefty workload from Halloween to St. Patrick’s Day.

Heating your home doesn’t always have to come with a high price tag. Portable heaters are a good alternative when you don’t want to unleash the fury of a central heating unit. The FARA Classic Heater stands among the best in the portable heating realm. For a limited time, you can purchase it for $99.

This small-yet-mighty compact electric heater raises the bar in flexible home heating. It can heat up to 215 square feet by using a ceramic heating element that provides spaces with fast and silent heating.

Its dynamic design fits seamlessly into most contemporary environments without sacrificing performance. It packs a 1200-watt heating capacity, and a low-energy consumption mode drops it down to 800 watts for steady heat over prolonged use.

The FARA Classic Heater is built with safety in mind. It’s equipped with tip-over protection, overheat protection, and it’s constructed with fire-retardant materials. All of these features are packaged in an ocean blue chassis that includes a hidden handle for easy mobility. It only weighs 1.76 pounds, so you’ll hardly notice it should you want to take it to the office.

With two months of winter remaining, there isn’t a better time to purchase a portable heater and cut back on the remaining electricity bills. And although you won’t need it as much once the country begins to unthaw, you’ll still appreciate its performance on those chilly evenings.

Purchase this small-yet-dynamic portal heater today while it’s still available. This special deal is part of our Winter Preparedness Sale, bringing discounts on products equipped to help people through the cold months.

Prices subject to change.

• Technology

by Atiya Jordan

January 23, 2023

Crypto, Blockchain-Friendly Business Practices To Garner Wealth For Everyone

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Early last year, the value of cryptocurrency took a heavy plunge as more than $700 billion was depleted from investor pockets, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported.

Don’t fret! The future of digital currencies is on the rise. This new era of digital money, which represents any currency that’s available exclusively in electronic form, offers faster payments, cheaper international transfers, support for the unbanked and underbanked, and more efficient government payments.

The technology used to keep track of transactions, known as blockchain, is not only the most common form of distributed ledger used by digital currencies. It is also designed to work best in the Metaverse, which is still in its growing stages.

“The ability for Black-owned businesses to grow is how we got Black Wall Street and how we got Rosewood,” Isaiah Jackson, writes in his book Black America and Bitcoin. “We were able to flourish as a middle class because the currency was not controlled, and we were not held to the standard that we have to use the dollar.”

From cryptocurrency and stablecoins to NFTs and central bank digital currency (CBDC), take a look at these business practices that have the power to sustain financial freedom, make a difference in the world, and avoid another billion-dollar loss. Some Black-owned crypto and blockchain businesses are on their way.

Each one, teach one

Why is education an important business practice? It is paramount for creators and consumers to take a deep dive into financial literacy and learning the ins and outs of cryptocurrency. Attaining such knowledge can help protect users and create opportunities for experts to make money.

Actor and best-selling author Hill Harper is trying to close the racial wealth gap in the United States with North America’s first Black-owned digital wallet, The Black Wall Street. Harper is laying down the foundation to “build the world’s largest investment and financial literacy curriculum and toolkit for Black and Latinx communities across the diaspora,” per a story in BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Fostering community, consumer impact

With digital currencies increasingly becoming a part of the everyday lives of consumers’ lifestyle and our economy, businesses can capitalize on this trend by reaching customers where they are with innovative digital assets.

“From a consumer-centric perspective, blockchain technology has the potential to substantially transform consumer relationships by enhancing data and information transparency and improving privacy and security,” said ONR CEO Jason Ten-Pow. “This blockchain innovation allows for innovative forms of consumer loyalty programs which have the potential to create additional value and deeper customer connections.”

According to its website, Crypto Blockchain Plug, the first Black-owned, brick and mortar digital asset education center and exchange in the country, is making a community impact. The center also serves as a community co-working and venue space that can be booked for a wide range of events.

Lead with diversity and inclusion

Diverse perspectives are necessary to create effective and sustainable business solutions. There is no exception for the heavily male-dominated crypto and blockchain industry.

Women now represent 48% of the entire global workforce, according to Teamstage, but the industry must lead with diversity and inclusion as part of its growth. This number, for instance, encourages diversity and the embrace of ideas that resonate more with underrepresented groups.

With ambitious efforts, organizations are building an inclusive cyrptoeconomy, such as the National Policy Network Of Women Of Color In Blockchain, and through intentional partnerships with blockchain enterprises, institutions, and other entities.