Guava & BlackOwnedAssociation.com Team Up To Support The Black Business Community
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 22, 2022

Guava & BlackOwnedAssociation.com Team Up To Support The Black Business Community

Black B2B directory and marketplace platform, BlackOwnedAssociation.com (BOA) is strategically teaming up with the innovative Black business-focused mobile banking app, Guava to help more Black business owners get access to equitable financial products and resources.

The companies will be joining forces to ensure the advancement of the Black business community by providing financial resources, mentorship, and community workshops on a variety of topics — from banking to business development, and other opportunities for growth, according to a release.

Guava is a Black woman-owned banking and networking platform designed by and for Black small business owners. With accessible financial tools and a trusted community of peers and experts — Guava equips and empowers Black entrepreneurs on their mission to build profitable and sustainable businesses. Guava members get access to a network of Black entrepreneurs and creators — a safe space where they can feel seen, supported, and celebrated on their entrepreneurship journey. The Guava community is designed to support small businesses and aspiring Black entrepreneurs launching and growing their businesses, giving expert advice, access to tools, and resources, and most importantly – a community to which Black business owners can relate. Guava’s founder and CEO, Kelly Ifill has expressed great optimism about the partnership with BOA and the ability of both companies to deliver on their commitments over the next 12 months.

(Image: Courtesy of BlackOwnedAssociation.com and Guava)

“It’s all part of our plan to provide equitable financial products to Black entrepreneurs. We are confident that this new partnership with BOA will help us reach more Black businesses so they can access the tools they need to succeed,” said Kelly Ifill, CEO of Guava.

On its part, BOA is also a Black woman-owned B2B platform. Its directory and marketplace allow consumers of all backgrounds to discover and shop for a variety of Black-owned products from quality brands and services. From clothing and accessories to skin care, hair care, and beauty products, prospective shoppers can find a diverse offering across several categories to meet their needs – all while still supporting the global Black community with their patronage. Through its large online directory filled with listings of both local and international Black-owned businesses, the platform was designed to aggregate prospective consumers with a specific interest in discovering Black brands and services and buying Black with Black business survivorship in mind. BOA is not only a great resource for shoppers, but it provides start-ups and small businesses another avenue to bring more awareness to their brands.

BOA’s founder, Nikia Lopez has a 13-year background in performance technical marketing and operations and is excited to bring this new opportunity with Guava to BOA members and other Black business owners.

“We must agree to act now to create the change we want to see so that we continue to prosper as a community. I imagined having access to a plethora of organized knowledge bases and educational services where we all had room to contribute and grow in our respective areas of expertise and interest. I imagine what happened when kept taking advantage of our collective buying power and expertise to support Black-owned businesses. I imagined improved financial literacy across our community. I imagined creating partnerships with other Black businesses just like the one we are starting with Guava now. Imagine what you can do when you commit to empowering your community. The time to act is here now,” said Nikia Lopez, founder of BlackOwnedAssociation.com.

Deion Sanders
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 22, 2022

Deion Sanders Reportedly in Talks With Colorado and University of South Florida Over Head Coaching Positions

There’s never been a time over the course of his playing and coaching career that Jackson State University football head coach Deion Sanders wasn’t in demand. Now, according to 247Sports, the NFL Hall of Famer has been contacted by two major colleges, Colorado and South Florida, about taking over the head coach positions.

A third school is rumored to be interested in his services as well. Sanders previously interviewed at Colorado State and TCU.

With Coach Prime’s Jackson State team sporting an 11-0 record, Sanders’ name has been coming up more recently in discussions about leading schools on the FBS (The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision, which was once known as Division I-A) level. Sanders said in a 60 Minutes interview earlier this year that he would definitely entertain joining a Power Five coaching position.

“I’m gonna have to entertain it. Yes, I’m gonna have to entertain it. Straight up,” Sanders said. “I would be a fool not to.”

The scenario makes sense as Sanders has turned the Jackson State program around. It is now a powerhouse as it heads into the postseason. This is Sanders ‘third season at the helm of the football team. His undefeated Tigers will be playing for the SWAC championship on Dec. 3. If they continue their current winning streak, they will be participating in the Celebration Bowl, where the MEAC champions will be waiting for them.

Sanders is 26–5 as the head coach at Jackson State.

Since taking over as head coach of Jackson State University in 2020, he’s energized football among the HBCUs. His impact was felt immediately and has been a magnet for nationally recognized recruits, who have committed to the team because of his influence and coaching skills.

Sanders’ career in football is remarkable. He was a two-time All-American at Florida State, and was a superstar during his 14-year NFL veteran, winning two Super Bowls after the 1994 and 1995 seasons. He’s also a big endorser for Under Armour.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 22, 2022

The Black Economic Alliance Appoints Samantha Tweedy Chief Executive Officer

The Black Economic Alliance (BEA), a nonpartisan group of Black business leaders and aligned advocates working to expand the political and economic power of the Black community, announced the appointment of Samantha Tweedy as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer, effective Jan. 1, 2023.

Executive Director David Clunie informed the Board of his intention to return to the private sector and will depart BEA at the end of the year, joining BEA’s Advisory Board to continue to support BEA in its next chapter.

Tweedy, a Yale Law-trained attorney and accomplished executive, strategist, and fundraiser, currently serves as President of the Black Economic Alliance Foundation. She will assume the newly-created position of CEO, which reflects the BEA Board of Directors’ strategic decision to align BEA’s political, policy, and programmatic work in the service of its unified agenda: advancing work, wages, and wealth across the Black community and, in so doing, strengthening the entire American economy. In this role, Tweedy will oversee all of BEA’s entities: the 501(c)(3) Foundation; the 501(c)(4) social welfare organization; the BEA Entrepreneurs Fund; and the BEA PACs.

During his three years as BEA’s Executive Director, Clunie grew the organization’s influence and profile and expanded its reach politically. Under his leadership, BEA raised millions of dollars for endorsed candidates, including the historic Biden-Harris ticket, mobilized business leaders to advocate for the preservation of voting rights, and launched transformational programming to accelerate Black business ownership, including the newly created Center for Black Entrepreneurship. BEA played a critical role in identifying candidates of color for key economic positions within the Biden Administration, ensuring racial equity would be a top economic priority.  BEA also helped to secure historic legislation investing billions in Black businesses and communities during the pandemic.

“Samantha has devoted her career to increasing economic mobility for Black Americans and is the ideal leader to drive BEA’s next chapter, as we focus on the levers of economic mobility and deepen our political impact,” BEA Board Co-Chair and Executive Chairman and CEO of Cerevel Therapeutics Tony Coles said.

“The Board is immensely grateful to David for his leadership, which was instrumental in elevating BEA’s influence and impact during this critical time.”

“Under Samantha’s leadership, we will align our work with public, private, and social sector leaders, strengthening our ability to influence policy across sectors to improve work, wages, and wealth for Black Americans,” BEA Board Co-Chair and Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Recognize Charles Phillips said.

“We thank David for his significant contributions, which have led BEA to tremendous success driving cross-sector progress improving work, wages, and wealth.”

“I am honored to lead BEA into this next phase of growth,” incoming BEA CEO Samantha Tweedy said.

“Since its inception, BEA has had a singular ability to harness the collective firepower of Black business leaders to improve economic prosperity across the Black community. I look forward to deepening BEA’s political impact and growing our policy and programmatic efforts in service of expanding the political and economic power of the Black community.”

New York Family Pleads For Public’s Help To Locate Missing 26-Year-Old Man
by Eric Moody

November 22, 2022

New York Family Pleads For Public’s Help To Locate Missing 26-Year-Old Man

A New York family is pleading for the public’s help after a man has been missing for almost one week.

NBC News reports that 26-year-old Derek Appiah was last seen along North Pascack Road in Nanuet, about 40 minutes north of New York City.

Appiah, an aspiring pastor, vanished Monday, Nov. 14, after reportedly leaving home when he was on his way to work for his 6 p.m. shift at Costco.

Sally Hunter, Appiah’s older sister, told Dateline that the Costco he works at is less than a 10-minute walk from the family’s home where he had been living with his parents.

“Around 5:50, my dad reminded [Derek] that he was going to be late for work if he didn’t leave,” Hunter told Dateline. “So he went and grabbed his reflector vest, and he left the house for work.”

Hunter stated that her brother was supposed to return home later that evening from his shift which typically ends around 11 p.m. or later if additional tasks are required.

She adds that because of this, her parents were not immediately concerned that Appiah did not return during his usual time until they realized the next morning he did not return.

“They reached out to a friend that works at the store with him,” Hunter told Dateline. “And she called into work and contacted the manager and was told that Derek never showed up for a shift.”

That work shift was reportedly the last time Appiah was seen or heard from by anyone else.

His sister tells Dateline that it is out of character for Appiah to miss work and has never gone away before without contacting his family.

“We’ve checked his social media. We’ve reached out to other family members,” Hunter told the outlet. “Nobody’s seen or heard from him.”

The Appiah family reported Derek as a missing person to the Clarkstown Police Department on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

He reportedly left his home on Nov. 14 without a jacket despite temperatures being within the 30s over the past week.

Hunter also states there has been no activity tracked on his cell phone, and she believes he also left home without his charger as well.

The family has reportedly posted flyers all across town in search of the 26-year-old.

Derek Appiah is described as 5’11”, 180 lbs., with brown eyes and black hair.

He was last seen wearing a navy blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and black sneakers.

Reports say Appiah also had his reflector vest with him that he would wear while collecting shopping carts at Costco.

Anyone with information on Appiah’s whereabouts should contact the Clarkstown Police Department at (845) 639-2000.

Tyler Perry Studios Enters Rare Deal With Deniese Davis’ Reform Media Group To Add Diversity to TV, Film Industry
by Stacy Jackson

November 22, 2022

Tyler Perry Studios Enters Rare Deal With Deniese Davis’ Reform Media Group To Add Diversity to TV, Film Industry

Partnerships with Tyler Perry Studios don’t come often, but for this accomplished producer, one woman landed a coveted spot with the acclaimed company.

Deniese Davis and Reform Media Group announced a development deal with Tyler Perry Studios to bring more diverse storytelling to the television and film industry.

According to Deadline, the deal covers TV, unscripted, and first-look feature film projects.

“I could not be more excited to be joining forces with Deniese Davis and usher in a new era at Tyler Perry Studios, where we invite creatives to have the freedom to tell the kind of stories that they truly believe in,” Perry said.

The partnership is unique because Perry rarely enters deals with other creators, writers, or producers.

Davis is a three-time Emmy nominee who produced music videos, short films, and digital content at the top of her career. She launched Reform Media Group in 2020 with a mission to produce content for television and film that was socially and culturally relevant. She aims to amplify marginalized voices across the entertainment industry through her company.

According to Produced By Conference, producing credits for the CEO include Issa Rae’s award-winning web series The Mis-Adventures of Awkward Black Girl, co-executive Producer on the HBO comedy series Insecure, producer on HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show, and executive producer on the forthcoming HBO Max comedy series Rap Sh*t.

Davis is an alum of CUNY Brooklyn College and The American Film Institute. Additionally, she is a board member of Black Public Media, along with her position as a founding member of AFI’s Alumni Council for the Lawrence Herbert Alumni Center (LHAC).

Entrepreneurship for Davis expands to her role as co-founder of ColorCreative, “a management company dedicated to supporting diverse creators and producing inclusive content,” according to the website. She founded the company in 2014 with Issa Rae to provide more opportunities for women and minority talent.

Reportedly, Davis is repped by CAA and Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, while WME and Johnson Shapiro Slewett & Kole rep Perry.

City Of Atlanta Will Pay Family Of Rayshard Brooks, Who Was Fatally Shot In 2020, $1 Million
by Derek Major

November 22, 2022

City Of Atlanta Will Pay Family Of Rayshard Brooks, Who Was Fatally Shot In 2020, $1 Million

The city of Atlanta agreed to pay $1 million to settle a lawsuit brought by the widow and estate of Rayshard Brooks, who was fatally shot by a white police officer in 2020.

The New York Times reports the Atlanta city council unanimously agreed to the settlement nearly three months after prosecutors determined the two officers involved in Brooks’ death did not commit a crime and their use of deadly force was reasonable when Brooks was shot on June 12, 2020.

Brooks was fatally shot in Atlanta less than a month after George Floyd was killed in Minneapolis, which started the 2020 resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement.

In a statement, attorneys from the firm Stewart Miller Simmonds Trial Attorneys said, “although the children of Mr. Brooks have lost their father, settling the case will undoubtedly assist them with future plans as they come of age.”

The attorneys added the Brooks family was “disappointed that prosecutors didn’t pursue a criminal case against the officers involved in Mr. Brooks’s death.”

According to the Times, Atlanta City Councilman Dustin Hills said at a council meeting on Monday the settlement will be paid to Brooks’ widow, Tomika Miller, the Brooks estate, and the firm.

On the night of June 12, police found Brooks sleeping in his car in the drive-thru lane of a Wendy’s. The encounter between the police and Brooks started calmly. However, after about 40 minutes, things began to escalate when the officers tried to arrest Brooks, which led to Brooks hitting one of the officers, grabbing the other officer’s taser, and firing it before he took off running.

A chase ensued, and officer Garrett Rolfe, a seven-year veteran with the Atlanta Police Department, shot at Brooks three times, hitting him in the back and buttocks. Brooks was taken to a local hospital, where he died after surgery.

Brooks’ death led to Atlanta protests, and protestors burned down the Wendy’s where the incident occurred. The incident also led to the resignation of Atlanta Police Chief Ericka Shields. Rolfe was initially charged with murder and a litany of other charges, and the other officer, Devin Brosnan, faced several lesser charges, but they were later dropped. Rolfe was reinstated to the department by the Atlanta Civil Service Review Board.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 22, 2022

Coming Out or a Set-Up? August Alsina Supports a Friend, But Many Assume He’s Found a New Boo

R&B recording artist August Alsina is more known for his “entanglement” with actress Jada Pinkett Smith than for his artistry.

Alsina recently appeared on a reality TV series and revealed to the world that someone important in his life had made a difference.

As the credits rolled at the end of the episode, he brings in a young man after stating that he wants “to share that and honor the person that I love.”

And that tidbit has the internet buzzing with theories that Alsina is seeing a man — when in reality, it could be a display of brotherly love for a man in his life who has been his biggest cheerleader.

According to HipHopDX, in the season finale of the current season of the recently rebooted reality series VH1’s The Surreal Life, Alsina makes an unexpected revelation at the end of the episode. While describing how his life has changed in the year since the filming of the series started, he shocks viewers with an admission of new love that has led many to jump to the conclusion that he’s coming out as a gay man.

“It’s been a year from filming Surreal Life, and um, oddly my life has become even more surreal. My life has kind of changed drastically and this show has kind of been a catalyst to that because of the fact that I had so much fear going into this journey. So much fear that, I mean, I can feel my hand shaking right now, because of being put outside of my comfort zone.”

The 2014 BET Awards winner then focuses on finding love and healing.

“And then what do you know? Love showed up but in a new way. I want to share that and really honor the person that I love and that loves me back and teaching me so much about love and healing. I want to do that in front of the world because it defies all the constructs that one would say love is supposed to be or love should look like.”

And with that, Alsina motions for his new love to join him on camera.

While he could be coming out of the closet in full view on the TV show, we’ll wait until he admits to his status before misnaming his sexual status.

But we know he loves women, and Pinkett Smith was one gal who captured his heart and hurt him in the process.

It’s been over two years since word got out about his romantic “affair” with Pinkett Smith. Alsina released a song earlier this year called “Shake The Room.” He seemingly makes a subtle reference to his infamous “entanglement” with Will Smith’s wife on the track.

Whatever the case, we hope Alsina finds the love he’s looking for

Whoopi Goldberg
by Stacy Jackson

November 22, 2022

Whoopi Goldberg Returns To ‘The View’ After Battling A Rough Round Of COVID-19

After a week away with COVID-19, Whoopi Goldberg is back in her seat on The View. 

According to Deadline, Goldberg returned as moderator of the show yesterday after experiencing what she described as a “rough” round of COVID. 

“You can get boosted within an inch of your life and then the next thing you know you got COVID again,” said Goldberg.

“But I don’t have it now and that’s why I’m back at the table.”

“I will tell you, we’re used to people saying, ‘Oh [COVID] isn’t that bad [now]’, but this was a rough one,” Goldberg said.

The View revealed Goldberg had COVID during an episode that aired last week. 

“The true thing is, if you really want to protect yourself you probably need to keep the mask on a little more than you want to,” Goldberg said.

This is the second time this year the Oscar-winning actress contracted the virus. Goldberg dealt with a mild case of the virus in January.

ABC reported that Goldberg brought in her 2022 new year in bed after experiencing symptoms around Christmas of last year. She said she was both vaccinated and boosted, which made her diagnosis a breakthrough case.

“It was a shock, because I’m triple vaxxed, I haven’t been anywhere, I haven’t done anything,” Goldberg said at the time.

“It’s one of those things where you think, I’ve done everything I was supposed to do…Yeah, it doesn’t stop Omicron.”

“I don’t know how much more proof people need to see that the vaccination -while it does not necessarily stop it from happening again–it is not happening at the same rate that it was,” Goldberg said.

The case was concerning for co-host Joy Behar,

“We were particularly concerned about you, because you had a serious pneumonia bout,” Behar said.

“Were you worried about that or no?”

“You can only do what you can do, and whatever your body decides it’s going to do is what you have to roll with,” Goldberg said.

Kelly Rowland Says About Chris Brown: ‘We are Human and Everybody Deserves Grace’
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 22, 2022

Kelly Rowland Says About Chris Brown: ‘We are Human and Everybody Deserves Grace’

One day after news got out that Destiny Child’s Kelly Rowland chastised audience members at the American Music Awards (AMAs) for booing Chris Brown at the ceremony, TMZ cameras caught up with her to discuss the incident. The singer stated, “we are human, and everybody deserves grace.”

TMZ video footage showed a reporter approaching Rowland as she got in her car and asked her thoughts on the audience reacting to Brown. Rowland said, “You know what? I believe that grace is very real, and we all need a dose of it, and before we point fingers at anybody, we should realize how grateful we are for every moment that we get. For even our own things that we have. I just think it’s important to remember to be human. We are humans.”

The reporter asked if Brown should be forgiven “for all he did.”

Rowland responded, “We all need to be forgiven for anything that we could be doing, anything that we’re thinking.”

“We all come up short in some sort of way and grace is real and we are human and everybody deserves grace.”

The COFFEE singer came to the defense of Brown over the weekend while accepting an award on his behalf. Audience members attending the AMAs booed him, although the No Guidance artist wasn’t in attendance. Brown was scheduled to appear at the ceremony to perform a tribute to Michael Jackson in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the release of perhaps one of the greatest, if not the greatest, album ever released, Thriller. The organizers from the AMAs reportedly contacted Brown and informed him that his tribute to Jackson was canceled.

While on stage to accept Brown’s award, Rowland admonished the audience members who reacted negatively to hearing his name.

“Now, Chris Brown is not here tonight, so I’m accepting this award on his behalf.

“Excuse me… chill out,” Rowland said as Audience members boo’d.

“But I wanted to tell Chris, thank you so much for making great R&B music, and I want to tell him thank you for being an incredible performer. I’ll take this award — bring it to you. I love you. Congratulations. And congratulations to all the nominees in this category.”

Kyrie Irving Donates $115,000 To Assist Families of Shanquella Robinson and Devin Chandler
by Atiya Jordan

November 22, 2022

Kyrie Irving Donates $115,000 To Assist Families of Shanquella Robinson and Devin Chandler

Brooklyn Nets point guard Kyrie Irving has made three donations toward GoFundMe campaigns for Shanquella Robinson and Devin Chandler following their deaths.

On November 18, Robinson’s family received $65,000 from Irving, according to The Mirror. The first donation was $15,000 and another came in for $50,000, which pushed total contributions past the campaign’s $350,000 goal.

“We face a tremendous unexpected financial burden and a great deal of pain as we prepare to lay my sister to rest,” Robinson’s sister, Quilla Long, wrote on the fundraiser‘s home page.

As BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported, Robinson, a 25-year-old hairstylist from Charlotte, died on a birthday trip with several friends in Cabo, Mexico. A mobile phone video captured one of her friends, later identified as Daejhanae Jackson, punching and kicking a defenseless and nude Robinson. The footage was widely circulated across social media.

Robinson’s mother said that her daughter’s friends informed her that she died from alcohol poisoning on October 28, but the autopsy confirmed another narrative.

“When the autopsy came back, they said it didn’t have anything to do with the alcohol,” Salamondra Robinson, Robinson’s mother, told Queen City News.

“[They] said that she had a broken neck and her spine in the back was cracked. She had been beaten.”

Robinson died from a cracked spine and broken neck. The FBI has since opened an investigation into her death.

In addition to Jackson, the other people on the trip were identified as Khalil Cooke, Malik Dyer, Wenter Donovan, Alysse Hyatt, and Nazeer Wiggins.

According to WBTV, Robinson’s homegoing service was held at the Macedonia Baptist Church November 19. Her casket was carried by a white horse-drawn carriage while hundreds of people said their goodbyes.

After Irving donated to Robinson’s family, he gave another $50,000 to the GoFundMe campaign for Chandler, one of the three football players who died at the University of Virginia shooting. According to a witness, he was shot in his sleep by former UVA player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr.

Jones was charged with three counts of second-degree murder for killing Lavel Davis Jr., Chandler, and D’Sean Perry on a bus after the players had returned from a field trip to Washington, D.C.

Meanwhile, Irving is returning to the basketball court after he was suspended by the team following several weeks of facing backlash for tweeting a link to an anti-Semitic movie on Amazon to his social media. He has since apologized.

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