Adrion Porter, founder of Mid-Career Mastery and a former marketing executive, shared a strategy to address white-collar workers consider themselves stuck in their careers.
Are You Among The 1-in-4 White-Collar Workers Stuck in Your Career?
Adrion Porter reaches millions of professionals, helping them rewrite their story so they advance in the workplace.
According to a study reported by CBS News, nearly one in four white-collar workers consider themselves stuck in their careers. That’s when an employee hasn’t been promoted or received a meaningful raise within five years. That study also reported that 24.2% of 1.3 million mid-career professionals tracked identified as being stuck. For African Americans, the percentage could be higher. As BLACK ENTERPRISE approaches the 10th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, the message and blueprint to inspire professionals to overcome this hidden crisis — among other challenges — hasn’t changed. In 2023, then known as the Black Men Xcel Summit, Adrion Porter, founder of Mid-Career Mastery and a former marketing executive for HBO, the Cartoon Network and Citi, shared a strategy to address this crisis with BE‘s Deputy Chief Content Officer Alisa Gumbs. His strategy has reached millions of professionals, and if you identify with this issue, then you’re only a click away from a short video clip that offers a little insight to help you get “unstuck.”
Morehouse School of Medicine Joins Atlanta Leaders In Push For New Southside Hospital
The proposed project would be located in southwest Atlanta and is expected to serve residents across the city's southern neighborhoods.
Morehouse School of Medicine is partnering with the City of Atlanta on plans for a major hospital development to expand healthcare access in communities that have faced significant service gaps since the closure of several medical facilities in the region. The proposed project would be located in Southwest Atlanta and is expected to serve residents across the city’s southernmost region.
City officials and leaders at Morehouse School of Medicine announced the collaboration as part of a broader effort to address growing concerns about access to emergency and specialty care, according to Afrotech. The upcoming hospital is expected to be built at the MET Atlanta site, a mixed-use development south of Interstate 20. Early estimates place the project’s cost at roughly $800 million.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the partnership would help improve medical services in underserved areas while creating additional training opportunities for future physicians. Morehouse School of Medicine, a historically Black medical institution founded in 1975, has long focused on advancing health equity and increasing the number of healthcare professionals serving underrepresented communities.
“They are a great institution with great leadership,” Dickens said of Morehouse School of Medicine, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “They heard our cry for many years about trying to have a hospital.”
The AJC also reports that the need for additional medical infrastructure intensified after the 2022 closures of Atlanta Medical Center and Atlanta Medical Center-South, which left many residents with fewer nearby options for emergency and inpatient care.
Funding for the hospitalremains under discussion. Atlanta organizers have indicated that a portion of the financing could come through the city’s Neighborhood Reinvestment Initiative, a redevelopment plan that includes extending several tax allocation districts to support long-term community projects.
If approved, the hospital would represent one of the largest healthcare investments in Atlanta in recent years and could become a key component of ongoing efforts to improve health outcomes, expand medical education opportunities, and reduce disparities in access to care across the city’s southside communities.
Ashanti Talks Brand Alignment, Ownership, And Career Longevity
The Grammy-winning singer and actress explained that she has become increasingly selective about the opportunities she accepts
Ashanti says longevity in entertainment comes from authenticity, strategic partnerships, and maintaining ownership over her brand — principles she discussed during an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE, in which she reflected on balancing music, film, and entrepreneurship.
The Grammy-winning singer and actress explained that she has become increasingly selective about the opportunities she accepts, emphasizing that every brand collaboration, movie role, and business venture must align with her personal values and long-term vision. Rather than chasing visibility for its own sake, Ashanti said she prioritizes partnerships that feel organic to who she is as both an artist and entrepreneur.
Throughout the conversation, Ashanti highlighted the importance of protecting her image and ensuring any collaboration reflects her audience, lifestyle, and career trajectory. She noted that experience in the entertainment industry taught her to evaluate whether opportunities genuinely make sense for her brand instead of simply accepting every offer presented to her.
Ashanti also discussed the evolution of her career from chart-topping recording artist to a business-minded creative who now plays a larger role behind the scenes. In addition to music, she has expanded into acting, production, and independent business ventures, areas she said allow her to exercise greater creative control. The singer previously launched her own independent label, Written Entertainment, after navigating the traditional music industry for years.
The New York native, who rose to fame in the early 2000s with hits including “Foolish” and “Rock Wit U,” said remaining authentic has been central to sustaining her career across multiple entertainment spaces.
Ashanti also stressed the importance of ownership and independence, particularly for women navigating entertainment and business. By carefully curating her partnerships and creative projects, she said she has been able to maintain relevance while continuing to evolve professionally more than two decades into her career.
Kevin Hart’s VitaHustle Secures Growth Funding To Expand Wellness Brand
This marks a new phase of expansion for the wellness company.
Plant-based nutrition brand VitaHustle, co-founded by comedian and entrepreneur Kevin Hart, has secured a growth equity investment from the private equity firm Axum Capital Partners based in Charlotte, North Carolina, marking a new phase of expansion for the wellness company. Axum Capital announced the investment May 28, according to AFROTECH.
This investment comes as consumer demand for health-focused food and beverage products continues to rise. Axum Capital reports that the global health and wellness market is expected to surpass $1 trillion in the coming years, creating opportunities for brands focused on functional nutrition and protein-based products.
The financial details of the deal were not disclosed. However, Axum stated that the funding will help VitaHustle increase brand awareness, improve operations, and pursue additional revenue opportunities as it grows. The company has already sold more than 5 million shakes since its launch.
“Better-for-you food and beverage isn’t just a passing trend; it’s becoming a central part of how consumers think about their health and lifestyle,” said Axum Co-Founder Muhsin Muhammad, a former NFL wide receiver in a press release. “We’re excited to tap into our network of industry experts, advisors, athletes, and cultural leaders to help accelerate VitaHustle’s growth.”
VitaHustle CEO James McPhail also mentioned in a press release that the partnership goes beyond just financial support.
“We wanted a partner that understands where the health and wellness market is headed and can help us scale thoughtfully and strategically,” McPhail said. “Axum’s deep experience in the category made it the right fit as we continue expanding the platform and reaching more consumers.”
Hart has been expanding his business portfolio beyond entertainment, with ventures in media, investing, and consumer products. VitaHustle has become a key part of his expanding wellness presence.
UNITED STATES - AUGUST 12: Bob Johnson, of BET Holdings, Inc., at news conference at the Plaza Hotel to announce partnership with Microsoft, Liberty Digital, News Corporation, and USA Networks in a venture that will create the leading online destination for blacks. (Photo by Budd Williams/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images)
Media Mogul Bob Johnson Returns To BET Network As Part Of A New Advisory Council
This new advisory group aims to provide strategic advice to BET as the media company expands its programming, audience engagement, and business
BET Founder Robert L. Johnson returns to the famed network he founded in 1980. BET, now owned by Paramount Skydance, announced the formation of its first Board of Advisers, which includes influential leaders from entertainment, business, and media. Notable members include Queen Latifah and LL Cool J, along with Johnson, Variety reported.
This new advisory group will provide strategic advice to BET as the media company expands its programming, audience engagement, and business efforts. The board consists of a host of executives and industry insiders chosen for their experience in entertainment, entrepreneurship, and brand development, including Troy Vincent, the NFL’s executive vice president of football operations; Raymond J. McGuire, president of financial advisory and asset management firm Lazard; and George Cheeks, chair of TV Media at Paramount Skydance.
The advisers’ board will collaborate with BET executives to shape long-term goals and find growth opportunities while maintaining the network’s long-standing focus on Black culture and storytelling.
In a statement to Variety, BET’s President Louis Carr described the group as “visionary leaders.” He stated that their expertise will assist the company in navigating future opportunities.
“BET has always been more than a platform. It is a cultural institution with a responsibility to serve, reflect and advance our community. As we enter this next chapter, this board brings together leaders whose influence, perspective and integrity will help ensure we continue to honor that responsibility while building what comes next.”
The creation of this advisory board comes as media companies face ongoing changes in streaming, advertising, and audience habits. BET believes the advisers’ combined experience will guide the company into its next phase of growth while supporting its cultural and business goals.
They Said I’m ‘Overqualified’: What They Really Mean Might Surprise You
They’re questioning your alignment.
Dear Fairygodmentor®,
Everyone Says I’m ‘Overqualified.’ Is That Code for Something Else?
-Over Being Overqualified
Dear Over Being Overqualified,
It’s hard enough to get feedback these days, and when you finally get it, it’s frustrating and completely confusing! I personally understand the frustration, having heard it both directly and indirectly from my coaching clients. But here’s the tea: being overqualified isn’t about your worth; it’s about their perception of fit and risk. In hiring speak, “overqualified” = “We’re not sure how you’ll fit, stay, or be managed.”
When employers say “overqualified,” they’re rarely questioning the knowledge, skills, and abilities you bring to the table; they’re questioning your alignment.
What “Overqualified” Can Actually Mean (I’m sharing the quiet parts out loud)
As a former HR professional who’s hired hundreds of candidates, there are some thoughts that may come to mind when looking at your vast experience:
Flight Risk: “Will you leave as soon as better comes along?”
Salary Assumptions: “With all of this experience, you’ll definitely want more than what we can offer.”
Management Discomfort: “Will upper-level leadership feel threatened by you?”
Scope Mismatch: “Will you get bored and disengage?”
Bias (Keeping it real because it happens): Age bias, identity bias, leadership presence being misread
Sometimes being “overqualified” isn’t about your resume; it’s about their readiness.
The Power Shift: What You Can Control
You want to be able to answer the question not asked. You want to be ready and stay ready to handle those assumptions that may be swirling in the hiring team’s heads.
Clarify your career narrative
Why are you applying for this role? Why now? Why them? It could sound like “At this stage in my career, I’m intentionally looking for roles where I can…”
Address the Elephant Before It Walks Into The Room
Get the obvious out in the open so you can proactively neutralize any concerns during the hiring process. It could sound like “You might be wondering why I’m interested in a role like this given my background…”
Right-Size Your Story (Not Your Expertise)
This is critical. Don’t shrink to fit in spaces where you know you belong. We all possess transferable skills that can lend themselves to other roles and responsibilities. Make sure to highlight how your particular skills are relevant to the role. You don’t have to throw in the kitchen sink; just give them a highlight reel. Show them that you’ve got staying power. Let them hear that you have the ability to commit. Finally, flip the dynamic by asking better questions. It could sound like “What concerns might someone have about my background for this role?” or “What would success look like for someone stepping into this position?”
The Truth You Need to Hear
Now, I’m going to hold your hand when I say this, but not every “no” is misalignment; you might actually be aiming too small. You’re not overqualified; you’re under-placed. I see this a lot with my coaching clients — they underestimate the milkshake that brings all the boys and girls to the yard. Some doors close because you’ve simply outgrown them. Stop trying to prove you can fit into rooms you’ve already outgrown.
My Quick 3-Step Action Plan (yes, a little homework assignment for you!)
Try this out for a week:
1. Rewrite your “Why this role?” response
2. Practice addressing the “overqualified” concern out loud
3. Apply to two roles that actually match your next level—not your last one
Remember, the goal isn’t just to get hired; it’s to be valued appropriately. The right opportunity won’t be confused by your excellence; it will be built for it. You don’t need to shrink your story to fit someone else’s expectations. You just need to tell it in a way the right people can understand.
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!
(Photos from left: USAG- Humphreys; NASA HQ PHOTO/flickr)
Juneteenth And The Covenant Of Economic Liberation
Written by Orvin Kimbrough
Freedom was declared. But the news arrived late. And for far too many, the fullness of freedom is still delayed.
On June 19, 1865, under the blistering Texas sun in Galveston, the last enslaved people in America finally heard the words that should have reached them years earlier: You are free.
Two and a half years after the Emancipation Proclamation, freedom finally arrived in word. But as our ancestors quickly learned, freedom is more than the absence of chains. Freedom is access. Freedom is agency. Freedom is ownership. Freedom is the ability to build, protect, pass down, and determine the future of your family.
On that sacred day, African Americans were promised a beginning. Forty acres to till. A mule to move forward. A chance to build something of our own.
But what we received was too often a mirage.
The Freedman’s Savings Bank opened with promises of security and progress. Black families placed their hopes, wages, and future into that institution. They trusted it with the modern equivalent of millions of dollars. When it collapsed, it did more than destroy savings. It shattered trust. It delayed dreams. It stole momentum from a people already forced to start too far behind.
And yet, we are still here.
Still building. Still rising. Still sowing seeds in soil once salted by betrayal. Still turning grief into growth. Still turning pain into principle. Still turning history into instruction.
That is why Juneteenth cannot only be a day of remembrance. It must also be a day of recommitment.
We remember the delayed announcement of freedom. But we also recommit ourselves to the unfinished work of economic liberation.
Because liberation is not only what we are freed from. It is what we are freed to build.
On this Juneteenth, I believe we are called to rebuild a covenant. A sacred, generational commitment to build wealth, pass down wisdom, strengthen families, shape institutions, and make sure our descendants do not always have to start from scratch.
And to our allies reading this — our neighbors, co-workers, board members, civic leaders, and friends — this is not only Black history. It is American history. This is not only Black work. It is shared work. Because when any community is locked out of opportunity, the whole country is weakened. And when communities rise, all of us gain greater stability, creativity, prosperity, and strength.
Every week, I meet people who are trying to do exactly that. People who want to start businesses, buy homes, own land, build credit, invest wisely, and create something their children can stand on.
Not too long ago, I facilitated a session on Black Liberation Finance. In that room, I saw people wrestling with one of the most important questions of our time: What does it mean to move from surviving history to shaping the future?
I hear people talk about reparations. And while that conversation matters, I also hear something deeper emerging. I hear people reframing repair not only as something that may be given, but also as something we must pursue through work, ownership, investment, discipline, strategy, coalition, and long-term thinking.
That is covenant living.
So let these be more than ideas. Let these be marching orders. Let these be our covenant.
The 10 Black Commandments for Legacy and Liberation
1. Thou Shalt Own Property and Land
Ownership is power. Our ancestors worked soil they did not own. They built wealth for others while being denied the right to build stability for themselves.
Today, we must claim what they were denied. Land is not just dirt. It is leverage. It is identity. It is security. It is a place to stand, a place to build, and a place to pass down. Property ownership gives families options, communities roots, and future generations a foundation.
We cannot treat ownership as optional if liberation is the goal. We must learn how to acquire, protect, improve, and transfer property. We must teach our children that land is not only something to live on. It is something to steward. Ownership is not just about possession. It is about power, responsibility, and legacy.
2. Thou Shalt Engage Politics — From the Block to the Ballot
Freedom without voice is fragile. From zoning laws to school boards, from city halls to state legislatures, policy shapes daily life. We must vote with intention, serve with conviction, and hold power accountable.
Representation matters, but representation without results is not liberation. We cannot confuse occupying a seat with moving a people forward. We must ask what has moved forward under their leadership. Have our schools improved? Have our neighborhoods strengthened? Have families gained access to housing, capital, safety, health, and opportunity? Liberation requires participation, but it also requires accountability, courage, and measurable progress.
3. Thou Shalt Be Educated — In Mind, Trade, and Spirit
There was a time when our people were punished for learning to read. Today, knowledge remains one of our greatest forms of resistance. Whether in universities, trade schools, churches, barbershops, boardrooms, or living rooms, we must learn, teach, question, and liberate.
But we cannot outsource our development. No school, employer, church, mentor, or institution can want growth for us more than we want it for ourselves. We must take ownership of our learning — reading, studying, asking better questions, building new skills, and preparing ourselves for doors that have not opened yet.
Education is not just about credentials. It is about capacity. It is about discernment. It is about being equipped to lead, build, serve, earn, and pass wisdom forward. We will not wait for permission to grow. We will pursue knowledge as an act of freedom.
4. Thou Shalt Own and Champion Black Enterprise and Leadership
Freedom must have a storefront and a seat at the table. From corner businesses to corporate headquarters, Black entrepreneurship and Black leadership are resistance in motion. We must build, buy, believe in, and support Black enterprise whenever possible. We must also celebrate those who walk into boardrooms with brilliance, boldness, and purpose.
But championing does not mean applauding without accountability. It also means having the tough conversations that foster growth, strengthen standards, and help our businesses and leaders become better. Support should not make us silent. Love should make us honest. Ownership matters. Enterprise matters. Leadership matters.
5. Thou Shalt Work Hard and Work Smart
We come from people who worked for nothing. Now every hour must mean something. We must outwork doubt, outthink scarcity, and outmaneuver systems that were never designed for our full flourishing.
But hard work alone is not enough. We must also teach strategy, discipline, ownership, and discernment. We must show the next generation how to work with purpose, how to protect their time, how to build skills, how to create leverage, and how to turn effort into progress.
Sweat matters. Strategy matters too. And when discipline, discernment, and smart work are passed down, effort becomes legacy.
6. Thou Shalt Be Present in the Lives of Our Children
Legacy does not begin in boardrooms. It begins in living rooms, classrooms, kitchens, playgrounds, and car rides. It begins when a child knows someone is watching, listening, correcting, encouraging, and expecting more from them.
We must mentor, model, protect, and prepare the next generation. Every child needs someone who sees them, believes in them, corrects them, and calls them higher. Presence is not passive. Presence is investment. It is time. It is attention. It is consistency. It is the willingness to show up before the crisis, not only after the damage is done.
Everyone can invest in a child’s future — through mentoring, early learning, sponsorship, family-friendly workplaces, coaching, tutoring, or simply being a steady adult in an unsteady world. If we want children to inherit freedom, they must first experience formation. They must see discipline. They must see love. They must see possibility lived out in front of them.
7. Thou Shalt Pass Down Knowledge and Wealth
If we die with our wisdom, we have failed the next generation. We must pass down more than money. We must pass down stories, blueprints, habits, relationships, values, faith, and ambitions.
Too many families have had to begin again because knowledge was never transferred, assets were never protected, and lessons were never written down. We must break that cycle. We must talk about money before the funeral. We must talk about ownership before the crisis. We must talk about stewardship before the inheritance.
Let our last name open doors our first name never could. Let our children inherit more than memories. Let them inherit momentum. Passing down wealth is not only about what is in the bank. It is about what is in the mind, the heart, the documents, and the family culture.
8. Thou Shalt Master Financial Literacy and Strategy
Wealth that is not managed is wealth that disappears. We must budget without shame, invest with purpose, diversify with wisdom, and teach others to do the same. Real estate. Private stock. Public stock. Business ownership. Side hustles. Land. Retirement accounts. Insurance. Estate planning. We must learn the game, change how we play it, and teach our children the rules earlier than we learned them. Stack it. Grow it. Protect it. Pass it on.
9. Thou Shalt Build Networks and Influence Institutions
Wealth cannot thrive in isolation. Opportunity often moves through relationships before it ever shows up as a posting, a program, a contract, or a seat at the table. That means we must build networks with intention and influence institutions with courage.
We must move as a collective, building bridges in corporate towers and community centers alike. We must support entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs — those building outside the system and those reshaping power from within. We cannot climb alone. We must lift as we rise.
But rising requires more than presence. It requires partnership. Find people who genuinely want to see you win, regardless of what they look like. Build coalitions rooted not only in identity, but in integrity, alignment, and shared purpose. We need sponsors, mentors, advocates, investors, connectors, and truth-tellers.
Institutions shape outcomes. So we must not only ask to enter them. We must influence them. We must bring our values, our excellence, our questions, and our courage into the rooms where decisions are made. Liberation requires both community power and institutional influence.
10. Thou Shalt Be Anchored in Faith and Purpose
We are not chasing riches for riches’ sake. We are pursuing purpose. Faith is our foundation. God is our guide. With every dollar, every decision, and every dream, we honor something bigger than ourselves.
Wealth without purpose can become another form of bondage. It can make us anxious, isolated, prideful, or forgetful. But wealth rooted in faith becomes a tool for service. It becomes a way to bless others, break chains, build institutions, create opportunity, and honor the sacrifices of those who prayed for a future they would never see.
Purpose keeps prosperity from becoming selfish. Faith keeps ambition submitted to something higher. We build not simply so we can have more, but so we can do more, give more, repair more, and leave more.
Wealth is not the end. It is a tool — to bless others, break chains, build institutions, and create a future worthy of our ancestors’ sacrifice.
From Emancipation to Empowerment
Juneteenth is not only about what was denied. It is about what we are still determined to build.
From the ashes of broken promises, we forge unshakable principles. From the silence of delayed freedom, we raise a new sound — a sound of strategy, stewardship, ownership, and faith.
This is our covenant.
Not merely a list of goals, but a spiritual contract with those who came before us and those yet to come.
Let these commandments live in our homes. Let them breathe in our businesses. Let them guide our schools, churches, policies, boardrooms, and kitchen-table conversations. Let them shape how we spend, save, invest, vote, mentor, lead, and love.
Here is the charge: Choose one commandment. Live it this week. Share it with someone you love. Post it. Preach it. Practice it. Then choose another. And another.
Because freedom must be remembered, but it must also be built.
May our labor yield legacy. May our faith birth freedom. And may our children never experience the chains we broke — only the doors we built.
Mario Bailey Launches New Black Doctor Directory Despite Ongoing Discrimination Lawsuit By White Doctor
The platform was created to make it easier for Black families to locate trusted physicians, specialists, therapists, dentists, and other healthcare providers
Originally published by BlackNews.com.
Mario Bailey, a 31-year-old Jamaican-born entrepreneur and software engineer who immigrated to the United States in 2010, has launched BlackHealth.org, a new online platform designed primarily to help patients find Black doctors, other Black-owned healthcare providers, and culturally competent medical professionals across the United States, despite growing legal and political attacks against diversity-focused healthcare initiatives.
The launch comes at a time when diversity-focused medical programs and directories are facing heightened scrutiny, including a recent discrimination lawsuit filed by a white doctor challenging similar initiatives. Supporters of Black-focused healthcare resources argue that such platforms remain critically necessary because Black Americans continue to experience major healthcare gaps, including higher maternal mortality rates, lower life expectancy, delayed diagnoses, and unequal access to culturally competent care. Numerous studies have also shown that Black patients often report better communication, higher trust, stronger treatment adherence, and improved overall outcomes when treated by Black healthcare providers.
Organizers say the platform was created to make it easier for Black families to locate trusted physicians, specialists, therapists, dentists, and other healthcare providers who may better understand their cultural experiences and health concerns. At the same time, the site also serves as the dedicated healthcare job board of BlackHealth.org, a trusted source for Black health information since 2002, connecting mission-driven employers with Black healthcare professionals across every specialty, seniority level, and employment type — from residencies and fellowships to executive leadership positions.
Bailey says the platform can also serve as an important resource for highly educated healthcare professionals from the Caribbean and Africa who immigrate to the United States seeking greater career opportunities and visibility. As someone who immigrated from Jamaica himself, Bailey says he understands many of the unique challenges immigrants can face when trying to build professional networks, navigate healthcare systems, and access leadership opportunities in the American medical industry.
“We built this platform because representation in healthcare is not just a diversity metric — it is directly tied to patient outcomes,” said Bailey. “Black communities deserve access to providers and healthcare organizations that understand their lived experiences, concerns, and cultural realities. This platform helps patients make those connections easier while also helping healthcare employers recruit talented Black professionals.”
The platform also has a very extensive career center that helps Black healthcare professionals discover employment opportunities with hospitals, clinics, and organizations that value diversity, equity, and culturally responsive care.
Mario Bailey is a software engineer, Air Force veteran, and entrepreneur focused on building technology that creates real-world impact. He combines technical expertise with an entrepreneurial mindset to launch innovative solutions across industries, including healthcare, marketing, and the public sector.
A graduate of the University of Vermont, Mario serves as Chief Technology Officer for Black Health, where he oversees the platform’s infrastructure, performance, and security to ensure Black families have continued access to trusted health resources online.
‘Spanish For Black Girls’ To Host 7th Trip For Professional Black Women
The 8-day immersive experience in San Jose, Costa Rica, combines practical conversational Spanish training
As more professional women seek opportunities to expand globally, increase career confidence, and travel with ease, Spanish for Black Girls continues its mission to help Black women become conversationally confident in Spanish through its highly sought-after Costa Rica Spanish Immersion Experience.
The eight-day immersive experience in San Jose, Costa Rica, combines practical conversational Spanish training, cultural exploration, sisterhood, and luxury travel into a single transformational experience designed specifically for ambitious Black women who desire to speak Spanish confidently in business, travel, and everyday life.
“Too many brilliant Black women have spent years studying Spanish without ever feeling confident enough to actually speak it,” said Lamb. “This immersion experience changes that. We create an environment where women feel safe, supported, and empowered to use Spanish in real-life situations while building lifelong memories and friendships.”
The Costa Rica immersion experience includes:
• Daily Spanish conversation workshops • Guided speaking practice with native Spanish speakers • Cultural excursions and local experiences • Boutique accommodations and curated experiences • Networking and sisterhood with professional Black women • Real-world Spanish practice in restaurants, markets, shops, and community settings • Personalized support from an experienced Spanish educator • 1-year access to the Spanish for Black Girls™ course (optional but recommended)
Unlike traditional language programs, Spanish for Black Girls™ focuses heavily on practical communication and confidence-building. Participants range from beginners to intermediate learners and include attorneys, entrepreneurs, educators, healthcare professionals, and corporate leaders.
Many students report leaving the immersion experience feeling transformed not only in their Spanish ability, but in how they see themselves navigating the world. The immersion trip also reflects a growing trend among professional Black women seeking global experiences, cultural enrichment, and educational travel opportunities that feel safe, empowering, and community-centered.
“I enjoyed Costa Rica. I got everything I wanted. I wanted immersion and vacation, and I got both. I had been in the course for 6 months, practicing with Kaywanda and other professionals, when I decided to join the immersion trip to Costa Rica. It’s been eye-opening learning Spanish on this level with so much support. Getting the chance to practice with native speakers all day, every day, while abroad, and seeing that they understood me was truly rewarding. I highly recommend the Spanish for Black Girls™ course plus community to any Black woman ready to improve her Spanish-speaking skills. It’s an amazing feeling to learn conversational Spanish and be taught by an educator who understands you. I can see the difference in my ability and my confidence in speaking from when I first started,” says Marissa I. of Chicago.
“Our students don’t just leave knowing more Spanish and understanding more about the people and their history,” Lamb added. “They leave transformed. They already know they belong in global spaces, and now they have the confidence to speak for themselves. They realize they can communicate, connect, and move through the world with confidence anytime they wish.”
What the research shows about the Spanish language
According to an article by Enrique Martínez García of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas and María Teresa Martínez García of the University of Utah, published in The Observatorio Cervantes at Harvard University, Spanish has a significant impact on business.
Based on a 2018 survey conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs, the report shows that 9 out of 10 U.S. companies need employees who speak languages other than English. Demand for languages like Spanish has grown significantly over the last five years and is expected to continue to grow. The sectors most likely to see an increase in this demand are healthcare and social services (64%), followed by retail (59%), education (57%), professional and technical services (55%), and construction (54%). The American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages report (2019) also reveals that 97% of businesses utilize the non-English-language abilities of their workforce in national markets, while only 54% use them in international markets. The most sought-after language is Spanish, with 85% of companies reporting a need for Spanish-speaking employees. Moreover, 42% of companies that already employ Spanish-speaking workers indicate they are currently seeking more employees with proficiency in the language.
The Costa Rica immersion experience is part of the broader Spanish for Black Girls™ movement, which helps professional Black women learn conversational Spanish through structured coaching, community, immersion, and culturally affirming support, enabling them to navigate new opportunities at home and abroad.
There are a limited number of spots for the upcoming Costa Rica immersion experience. Space is intentionally limited to maintain a boutique and personalized environment.
Lamb is a seasoned, certified educator with over 20 years of Spanish teaching experience and recently returned from San Jose, Costa Rica, where she took professional Black women in her Spanish for Black Girls™ course abroad for her signature language immersion experience in January 2026.
She launched Spanish for Black Girls™ in 2021 to create a more accessible pathway for Black women to become bilingual and has revolutionized the way Black women learn Spanish. Lamb has been featured on various platforms, including Good Morning America, ABC, and NBC, and is the author of several books. She is a certified principal and has served as an adjunct professor, teaching Spanish to native speakers. She also taught high school Spanish for 16 years and holds a Master’s degree in Spanish Literature from Texas A&M University-Commerce.
Spanish for Black Girls™ is a groundbreaking conversational Spanish course and community that teaches ambitious professional Black women the Spanish language for travel, everyday life, and business. Spanish for Black Girls™ is a trusted resource for professional Black women who want to level up their language skills, connect with the Spanish-speaking community, and improve their bottom line. The course covers multiple scenarios in an interactive format to help students learn Spanish, and students have access to live bi-weekly Q&A with Lamb to ask questions and practice with other professional Black women.
Black Farmers File Lawsuit Against USDA Over $127M In Cancelled Grants
Plaintiffs argue the USDA violated federal law and due process protections when it abruptly revoked grant agreements.
More than two dozen organizations that support Black farmers and other underserved agricultural producers have filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), alleging the agency unlawfully canceled more than $127 million in previously awarded grants.
The legal challenge, filed in federal court, stems from the USDA’s decision to terminate grants issued through the Increasing Land, Capital, and Market Access (LCM) Program, a Biden-era initiative designed to help farmers secure land ownership, access financing, and expand market opportunities. The program distributed nearly $300 million to community organizations, tribal governments, universities and farmer associations beginning in 2023.
Plaintiffs argue the USDA violated federal law and due process protections when it abruptly revoked grant agreements that had already been approved and, in some cases, partially implemented. The lawsuit seeks restoration of the funding and enforcement of the agency’s original grant commitments.
Among the affected groups is the 2020 Farmers Cooperative, which had planned to use a $13 million award to help Black farmers acquire equipment, purchase land, and receive technical assistance. According to court filings and participating organizations, the canceled grants threatened projects already underway across multiple states.
“There’s no secret to land loss in the country. There’s no secret to how this country was built, so when you’re providing preferential treatment to some and not others, that is my biggest problem,” Sharon Mallory, executive director of the 2020 Farmers Cooperative, said. “When you try to wipe out things just based upon DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion], you really miss the whole impact of what agriculture is really all about. To cancel those grants only compounds an issue that America didn’t have a good grip on.”
The USDA has defended broader funding cuts by arguing that some programs relied on diversity, equity and inclusion criteria that the agency believes are inconsistent with current federal priorities. The agency has also moved to eliminate race- and sex-based considerations in several agricultural programs following legal challenges and policy changes under the Trump administration.
The dispute highlights long-standing tensions surrounding federal agricultural assistance and racial equity in farming. Black farmers have historically faced discrimination in access to loans, land, and federal support programs, leading to decades of legal battles with the USDA. Today, Black-owned farms represent less than 2% of U.S. farming operations, according to The Grio.
A court decision on the plaintiffs’ request for preliminary relief could determine whether the canceled funding will be restored while the broader case proceeds.
