Master stylist Syreeta Scott is looking to expand and create a path to wealth for other entrepreneurs throughout her North Philadelphia community.

The Philly native is the CEO of Duafe Holistic Hair Care and has unveiled plans for a multi-million dollar expansion project that she envisions will shake up the natural hair care industry.

Scott, 48, is considered a legend in the natural hair space by many, with more than 20 years in the business.

Her client list includes Janet Jackson, Jill Scott, Ava DuVernay, Sonya Sanchez, Smokey Robinson, Questlove, Les Nubians, and Vivian Green.

Scott plans to demolish Duafe‘s current building located on the 3100 block of N. 22nd Street to create a four-story facility with 6,000 sq. ft.

With a $3.5 million development budget, funded by a combination of loans and community-based lending organizations, the commercial space will house 26 salon suites.

The salon suites will be owned by individual stylists and will provide an educational training center for aspiring hair professionals.

“A large part of the project is the education and training component,” said Scott.

“The company will continue to hire from nearby technical schools, Dobbins and Mercy Tech, investing in the community and offering classes in natural hair techniques, such as braiding, locs and twists, and business ethics.”

The building will also serve as a holistic healing space for others, including massage therapy, reiki, and herbology.

In addition, the new planned structure will feature nine affordable luxury housing units that will focus on Scott’s mission of improving and benefiting her Philadelphia community.

“We’re calling this a business incubator for natural hair care,” Scott added.

“We are teaching people how to become entrepreneurs, and we’re engaging the community. The goal of this new chapter of my business is to help men and women create their own legacy under the umbrella of Duafe.”

Scott says Duafe is known for a consistent product and wants to uphold that standard and teach the next generation.

“I’m an activist at heart. Duafe is about teaching the people around me the business,” she added.

Construction and demolition are expected to begin in early 2023, with an anticipation of two to three years for completion.

“The hope is that we’re not just creating jobs. We’re creating stability,” Scott said.

“We’re fostering entrepreneurship and financial independence. We’re helping people create their legacy!”

• Sports

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 18, 2022

Former NFL Cornerback Antonio Dennard Shot and Killed in Pennsylvania

---

A former NFL player was fatally shot over the weekend.

According to The Reading Eagle, Antonio Dennard who played in the National Football League as a cornerback died after being shot outside of a restaurant located in Berks County, Pennsylvania, over the weekend. He was pronounced dead after being taken to a local hospital.

Police stated that the shooting took place in the parking lot of a Muhlenberg Township motel, Rodeway Inn, located at 2545 N. Fifth St. Highway.

Dennard, 32, was pronounced dead at Reading Hospital by a trauma surgeon. The Berk County coroner’s office reported that Dennard arrived at the medical facility at about 3:15 a.m. Sunday. No other details have been disclosed regarding the actual shooting. His death was ruled as a homicide. Police officials in Muhlenberg have stated that this is an active investigation.

An autopsy has been planned for Tuesday.

Dennard, who was born in Chicago, played collegiate football at Langston University in Oklahoma. Thought he was undrafted, he played on several football teams—the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Giants, and Green Bay Packers—when he participated on the practice squads during the 2012-14 seasons. He last played professional football in 2015 for the Arizona Rattlers of the Arena Football League.

The Daily Mail reported that the Muhlenberg Township Police Department released a statement pertaining to the shooting.

“Antonio D. Dennard, a 32-year-old male, was pronounced deceased at 3:15am on October 16, 2022 at Reading Health Medical Center after being admitted to the Emergency Department for a gunshot wound to the torso.

‘In coordination with Muhlenberg Township Police Department and Berks County Detectives, the Coroner’s Office is conducting a death investigation into the cause and manner of death.

‘The shooting incident was reported to have happened at 2545 N. 5th Street Hwy at the establishment known as Legends Bar & Restaurant, around the time of the call placed to the Berks County 911 Center at 02:25am on October 16, 2022.”

• History

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

October 18, 2022

Penn State University Professor Receives Award For Work Getting Black History Remembered

---

Penn State University Professor, P. Gabrielle Foreman, is among this year’s 25 MacArthur Fellows for her dedication to ensuring “unremembered” Black history.

The co-director of Penn’s Center for Black Digital Research was awarded the fellowship for her work “uncovering histories of African American organizing that are still relevant and resonant today,” NBC News reports.

“I just could not be more honored,” Foreman said.

Foreman serves as the founding director of the Colored Conventions Project, a research initiative dedicated to preserving the history of Black people’s fight for civil rights dating back to the 1830s. It’s Black history that Foreman says has been erased from academic studies and mainstream conversations.

“We knew about the anti-slavery movement; we knew about abolition,” Foreman said.

“But the very same African Americans that were involved with those were advocating for the very same things that are on the table today.”

The Colored Conventions were started in the 19th century and were a safe space where Black people could come to discuss equality, the political, and socioeconomic demands they had. Most records of the conventions were buried inside private libraries.

“We’ve got a movement that is so resonant with today’s political issues, and yet, we didn’t know about it,” she said.

Jim Casey, an assistant professor at Penn State and Foreman’s partner in developing the Colored Conventions Project, says it’s their goal to rediscover the Conventions’ efforts and share them with the masses.

“The Colored Conventions movement helps us to understand a history full of possibilities,” Casey said.

“The Colored Conventions movement shows us democracy in action, and where we might hope to go.”

Currently, the project has expanded to include an interactive online archive and helped in the inspiration of the book “The Colored Conventions Movement: Black Organizing in the Nineteenth Century.”

“Most people, when they think about Black history, they think that African American history started with slavery,” Denise Burgher, a doctoral student at the University of Delaware and co-chair of the project’s curriculum committee, said. “That’s not true.”

• News

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 18, 2022

Bank of America Names Neighborhood Builders Racial Equality Awardees Who Are Advancing Opportunities for Minority Communities

---

Bank of America today announced the second group of honorees of its Neighborhood Builders: Racial Equality Award, which recognizes the impactful work of leaders who strive to advance racial equality and economic opportunity in Black, Hispanic-Latino, Asian American, and Native American communities.

The five individuals were selected for their extraordinary contributions to breaking racial barriers and creating opportunities for people of color across the country.

Bank of America also announced today a $24 million investment in support of nonprofit leadership and sustainability through Neighborhood Builders® and Neighborhood Champions – its signature philanthropic programs that provide funding and leadership training to nonprofits, advancing economic mobility and enriching underserved neighborhoods.

The Racial Equality Award – established in March of this year – is an extension of Bank of America’s signature philanthropic program, Neighborhood Builders®. Awardees have the opportunity to direct a $200,000 grant to a nonprofit of their choice, and the selected organizations can participate in the company’s year-long Neighborhood Builders Leadership Program, which provides strategic growth and development training to establish organizations for long-term success.

“At Bank of America, supporting nonprofits and their leaders has been core to our commitment to advancing racial equality and economic opportunity,” said Ebony Thomas, president of the Bank of America Charitable Foundation.

“Through this award, Bank of America is recognizing a diverse slate of inspiring leaders who are investing in their communities – including Black, Hispanic-Latino, Asian American and Native American — and addressing the specific issues impacting them.”

“We are proud to honor their dedication and work supporting communities of color.”

The awardees for the Neighborhood Builders: Racial Equality Award include:

• Calvin Holmes: President of Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) – Chicago, Ill.: Calvin L. Holmes has served as the President of Chicago Community Loan Fund (CCLF) since 1998. With a career in community development spanning more than 30 years, Holmes is a recognized expert in community development finance and issues involving access to capital. Holmes plans to direct Bank of America’s funding to the Chicago Community Loan Fund. Nominated by the local market team in Chicago for his impact in the community, Holmes is a former member of the bank’s National Community Advisory Council (NCAC), a forum of senior leaders from social justice, consumer advocacy, community development, environmental, and research organizations who provide perspectives, guidance, and feedback on topics important to our clients and communities.
• Vida Lin: Founder and President of Asian Community Development Council (ACDC) – Las Vegas, Nev.: Vida Chan Lin has worked closely with the Las Vegas Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community for the past 28 years. She is the Founder and President of the Asian Community Development Council (ACDC), the first non-profit community development corporation in Nevada established to educate, connect and empower the fastest-growing demographic in the United States. Lin plans to direct Bank of America’s funding to the Asian Community Development Council.
• Arencio López: Executive Director of Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) – Ventura, Calif.: Arcenio López is a Ñuu Savi leader from Oaxaca, México, dedicated to elevating the voices of Hispanic-Latino indigenous people across California. After immigrating to the U.S., he worked as a farmworker in strawberry fields before he was hired by the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) as its first community organizer and eventually became its first indigenous Executive Director. López plans to direct Bank of America’s funding to the Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project.
• David Robinson: Co-Founder of Admiral Capital Group – San Antonio, Texas: David Robinson is a former NBA center for the San Antonio Spurs and Co-Founder of Admiral Capital Group, where he has focused on private equity and real estate programs and projects that create a positive social impact. Robinson graduated with a mathematics degree from the U.S. Naval Academy and honored his military commitment to serve two years in the Navy before joining the National Basketball Association, where he spent 14 years with the San Antonio Spurs. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009 and has won two NBA championships and two Olympic Gold Medals. Robinson is recognized as one of the preeminent philanthropists in professional sports, leading to the NBA’s creation of the David Robinson Plaque, which is awarded to current players in recognition of their outstanding community service. Robinson plans to direct Bank of America’s funding to the Friends of Carver, which supports the IDEA Public Schools system in San Antonio, Texas.
• Mary Kim Titla: Executive Director of United National Indian Tribal Youth (UNITY) – Mesa, Ariz.: Mary Kim Titla is the Executive Director of United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc. (UNITY), a high-impact Native youth development nonprofit. Born on the San Carlos Apache Reservation, Titla was Arizona’s first Native American TV news reporter. She carried her passion to UNITY, where she serves as the Executive Director, to foster the spiritual, mental, physical, and social development of Native youth. Titla plans to direct Bank of America’s funding to United National Indian Tribal Youth, Inc.

The inaugural class of National Builders: Racial Equality Award honorees was announced earlier this year. Since 2004, through its Neighborhood Builders® and Neighborhood Champions programs, Bank of America has invested more than $300 million in 92 communities across the nation, partnered with more than 1,500 nonprofits, and helped more than 3,000 nonprofit leaders strengthen their leadership skills. Nearly 18 years after its launch, Neighborhood Builders is one of the nation’s largest philanthropic investments in nonprofit leadership development.

Chloe Bailey is a pop culture favorite and she recently announced to the fashion world that she’ll offer fans a taste of her personal aesthetic.

The Have Mercy singer launched her new B.DY clothing line in partnership with retail company Garage Clothing in a social media post where she starred in the brand’s newest campaign. When asked about her style aesthetic in an interview with InStyle via email, Bailey described it as “sexy and comfortable.”

Bailey’s line gives her fans versatile items that stand out and make them feel confident, while still maintaining comfort.

“I got to work with people who I love and who have created incredible content for me before, so it was amazing because it gave me the freedom to put my stamp on this,” Bailey said of the campaign.

“I had complete say in what I wanted to wear, which I loved. I love the entire collection because it’s interchangeable. You can match any piece with anything.”

y’all know i love to show my body 🤣🥰 now you can too confidently with my new collection of B.DY by @garageclothing available now 💋 https://t.co/oRdnBlQoeQ pic.twitter.com/7WKePqo70r

— Chlöe (@ChloeBailey) October 13, 2022

“I want to always be comfortable, but I also want something that will give me some sort of shape,” she explained.

“I have a smaller waist and my thighs, my arms, and shoulders are bigger. I always like to accentuate my waist. I don’t like to wear too many baggy things. Like, if I have baggy pants, I want a fitted shirt to balance.”

Items in the line combine everyday basics that include crop tops, cargo pants, a bodysuit, and a puffer coat. Incorporating bold looks was also important to the singer’s aesthetic as she shared her fascination with red pieces that offer exciting, fun, and bold options to the line.

“I want to feel sexy and shiny and fitted, and comfortable as well.”

“But definitely a bit extra when it comes to performing,” she said. “I love the red because it’s bold. And, if you’re walking around in that color, people will be sure to see you!”

Bailey shared that her style inspiration stems from her sister Halle Bailey, and fashion icons Beyoncé and Rihanna.

• Technology

by Atiya Jordan

October 18, 2022

How This Black-Owned Tech Ecosystem In Tulsa Aims To Breathe New Life Into Black Wall Street

---

A new destination is on its way on the map, and it’s called Black Tech Street.

Tyrance Billingsley II, a native Black Tulsan entrepreneur, founded the Black Tech Street national initiative and tech hub in 2021 to mobilize resources and cultivate an economy designed by, and for, black entrepreneurs. His direct lineage to the original architects of the Black Wall Street helped forge Billingsley’s path to witness a rebirth of an inclusive and equitable community for Black entrepreneurs and businesses.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Black Tech Street (@blacktechstreet)

After commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Billingsley partnered with SecondMuse, an impact and innovation company that incubates entrepreneurial ecosystems to create self-sustaining, resilient and equitable economies. They came together to cast a new vision for the future of Black prosperity.

“What could Black Wall Street have been, had it been supported and not destroyed?“ Billingsley poses to 3BL CSRWire reporters.“When I thought about the level of tenacity that it took for these entrepreneurs to build these incredible businesses during Jim Crow, it really reminded me a lot of the tech industry.”

In partnership with SecondMuse, Black Tech Street is calling on investors to pour funds into Black-owned startups, large tech companies to open local hubs and recruit Black talent in Tulsa, and more. Groups such as Build in Tulsa,  ACT Tulsa, Techstars, and Lightship Foundation are similarly collaborating with other businesses to collectively build the groundbreaking ecosystem.

“This is a really collaborative effort among the city, local organizations such as our regional chamber, and entrepreneurs,” said Arthur Johnson, senior vice president of economic development at the Tulsa Regional Chamber of Commerce. “I’ve never seen this kind of intentionality around not only developing Black-owned businesses, but also Black tech talent.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Black Tech Street (@blacktechstreet)

According to a State of Tech Diversity: The Black Tech Ecosystem report, the Black community represents only 3% of workers in tech. Meanwhile, venture funding to Black-founded startups in the U.S. saw a dramatic drop this year with at least one Black founder having earned “1.9% of deal counts and 1.2% of overall venture dollars invested in the U.S,” per the report.

“Sometimes in the tech space, it’s not just what you know, but who you know, and for Black and Brown individuals, that can be a disadvantage,” explained Tim Butler, a founder who’s part of Build in Tulsa’s Entrepreneurs in Residence program. “Thank God for organizations like Build in Tulsa and this entire ecosystem, because they’re allowing folks that look like us to be able to get in the room and talk with folks that historically we wouldn’t even meet.”

To learn more, check out the Black Tech Street website.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

October 18, 2022

Give Your Phone The Makeover It Deserves

---

Today’s cell phones are more than just devices to receive and make calls.

These days, they’re more like extensions of ourselves. Everything from the case to the color we select for our phones mirror our personalities. Technology has made it so that the customizations span beyond the cases and pop sockets attached to our devices.

Thanks to Fonts Art Premium Plan, you can redesign everything from your keyboard to your home screen to make your phone even more personalized. For a limited time, you can purchase a lifetime subscription to Fonts Art for just $39.99. This deal offers a savings of 90% off this product’s MSRP ($399).

Fonts Art offers more than just a surface-level facelift for your devices.

This software can completely change the aesthetic of your phone through the use of home screens, wallpapers, icons and widgets. You can customize your keyboards, social media profiles, messages, and more.

Those with artistic gifts will be able to show off their talents with the custom app icon maker. Users have access to more than 300 stylish fonts that are compatible with all social media and texting apps. Enhance your group or one-on-one chat sessions with symbols, GIFs, hashtags and kaomoji.

Craft and communicate more efficiently with auto-capitalization, caps lock and an automatic period after double-spacing.

Social media aficionados have access to an array of helpful tools. They can apply designer Instagram story templates for eye-catching stories, and they’ll find access to a large collection of Instagram highlight covers for jazzy bios.

Fonts Art is compatible with all the popular social media and texting apps: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, iMessage, WhatsApp, Skype, TikTok, and other platforms.

This software is compatible with devices that run iOS 14.0 or later.

Personalization of your cell phone doesn’t have to end with the outer case. Fonts Art has created a program that allows you to unlock an array of personalized features and options that make your phone as unique as you. Purchase it today.

Prices subject to change.

• Celebrity News

by Eric Moody

October 17, 2022

Kanye West To Acquire Right-Wing Conservative Social Media Platform, Parler

---

Rapper Kanye West is getting condemned left and right because of his extreme stances on a variety of subjects.

That has likely prompted his newest venture to purchase the right-wing social platform, Parler, which prides itself on free speech. However, the app was launched following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol and became a hub for racists, insurrectionists and neo-nazis’ to retreat.

Ye reportedly reached an agreement to buy it and the move would give the billionaire entrepreneur control of a social media platform for his opinions after being suspended from Twitter and Instagram for violating codes of conduct for alleged anti-Semitic tweets.

“In a world where conservative opinions are considered to be controversial we have to make sure we have the right to freely express ourselves,” Ye said in a statement.

Parlement Technologies, which owns Parler says the acquisition should be completed in the fourth quarter and includes the use of private cloud services, and data center infrastructure, according to the Associated Press.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Parler (@parler_app)

Based in Nashville, Tenn. Parler was founded in 2018 by John Matze and Rebekah Mercer, the daughter of billionaire Robert Mercer.

According to Tech Crunch, Parler, which has a little over 250,000 monthly active users, added a content moderation layer to the platform last year in an attempt to be restored by Apple’s App Store. In February 2021, the company announced its relaunch, returning to Google Play last month.

“The proposed acquisition will assure Parler a future role in creating an uncancelable ecosystem where all voices are welcome [sic],” the company said in a statement.

Parlement Technologies CEO, George Farmer, also issued a statement that reads:

“This deal will change the world, and change the way the world thinks about free speech.”

“Ye is making a groundbreaking move into the free speech media space and will never have to fear being removed from social media again. Once again, Ye proves that he is one step ahead of the legacy media narrative. Parlement will be honored to help him achieve his goals.”

We all know this is going to be Ye’s playground to talk about everybody and everything he can.

• Business

by Derek Major

October 17, 2022

McKinsey Provides Update On Commitment To Racial Equity Through Black Leadership

---

McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm, has released an update on its commitment toward racial equity and justice.

Amid the 2020 Black Lives Matter movement and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, numerous companies made financial and business commitments to racial equity and McKinsey announced 10 actions it would take as part of its commitment to racial equity.

In a McKinsey release, the firm provided an update on some of those actions.

The firm launched the Black Leadership Academy, which is made up of two programs designed to accelerate the careers of Black professionals, one for early-to-mid career managers and another preparing senior executives for the C-suite.

According to the firm, in just three months 10,000 participants enrolled from 300 organizations in North America, giving them the knowledge, insights and capabilities to achieve their goals. McKinsey is also building on the program and last year launched its Connected Leaders Academy for Asian, Hispanic and Latino and Black leaders based in Africa, the Middle East and Europe.

McKinsey also committed $200 million in pro bono work over the next decade to organizations advancing racial equity including the Greater Washington Partnership.

The firm is also working with 20 partner organizations to launch more than 20 projects including the Juntos Conference in Brazil, which has one of the largest Black populations in the world. More than 4,000 people have participated in the event, both live and virtually since it began in 2018.

“We wanted to help young Black students advance from university to the workplace,” said Vijay Gosula, a McKinsey partner. “We created an annual conference called “Juntos,” which means ‘together’ in Portuguese.”

McKinsey has also partnered with Homeboy Industries, the largest gang intervention, and rehabilitation program in the world, annually serving more than 8000 individuals with clinical treatment education and workforce development. Over the past two years, the firm has worked with Homeboy Initiatives to strengthen its workforce pipeline and more.

Among its other racial equity commitments, McKinsey is also working to double its number of Black leadership and colleagues, fund an Institute for Black Economic Mobility, build Its Next 1B Business Accelerator for Black-owned retail brands and donate more than $5 million to nonprofits focused on creating educational opportunities and combating racism.

• Career

by Jeffrey McKinney

October 17, 2022

Former Philadelphia Mayor To Head U.S. Treasury Department’s New Advisory Committee On Racial Equity

---

Former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has been selected to oversee first-ever advisory committee on racial equity at the U.S. Treasury Department.

Nutter is a professor of urban and public affairs at Columbia University,  His new Treasury role calls for him to chair the 25-person inaugural committee. He was Philadelphia’s mayor from 2008 to 2015 He will work with Felicia Wong, president and CEO of the Roosevelt Institute,  the committee’s vice-chair.

The newly created committee will offer advice and recommendations to Secretary Janet Yellen and Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo on efforts to advance racial equity in the economy and address acute disparities for communities of color, based on a news release.

As such, “the committee will identify, monitor, and review aspects of the domestic economy that have directly and indirectly resulted in unfavorable conditions for communities of color.”

Financial inclusion, access to capital, housing stability, federal supplier diversity, and economic development will be among the topics it will address. It also will examine ways to reduce obstacles that would allow communities of color to take part more fully in the nation’s economy.

A powerful player in the world economy, the Treasury’s work showcases its position as the administrator of the U.S. economic and financial systems.

The committee is a product of the Treasury’s department-wide equity assessment last year, per the news release. It established a goal of creating an institutionalized way to collect insights and recommendations on racial equity efforts.

Other members reportedly include David Clunie, executive director of the Black Economic Alliance; Nicole Borromeo, executive vice president and general council of the Alaska Federation of Natives; Michael Miebach, CEO of Mastercard; and Barika Williams, executive director of The Association for Neighborhood Housing and Development.

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen stated, “A critical piece of executing on our racial equity goals is bringing a wide set of outside perspectives and lived experiences to the decision-making table.  The Treasury Advisory Committee on Racial Equity, made up of members with wide-ranging backgrounds and expertise, will provide important insight and advice to leadership across the department to bolster and inform our equity efforts.”

Nutter reflected among his comments, “I am deeply honored to have been asked to serve, and provide leadership, for this inaugural effort.”

He added, “The creation of this Committee is a shining example and testament to the commitment of Secretary Yellen, Deputy Secretary Adeyemo, Counselor Bowdler, and so many others in the Treasury Department who are focused on the task at hand – how do we find, focus and factor into programs and policies the issue of racial equity.”