JPMorgan Chase Committing $15 Million to Increase the Supply of Climate Resilient Affordable Housing for Black, Hispanic and Latino Households
by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

October 13, 2022

JPMorgan Chase Committing $15 Million to Increase the Supply of Climate Resilient Affordable Housing for Black, Hispanic and Latino Households

JPMorgan Chase announced five organizations will receive philanthropic commitments of $3 million each to scale innovative climate-resilient affordable housing models.

This work is part of the firm’s $400 million five-year commitment to improve housing affordability and stability for households of color, particularly in Black, Hispanic and Latino communities. The five organizations will work primarily in Inland Empire Calif., Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Buffalo, N.Y., Washington, D.C., and Miami-Dade County, Fla. with a goal to generate a broader impact on a national level.

As part of JPMorgan Chase’s strategy to combat the housing affordability crisis, the firm is supporting organizations advancing innovative housing models that can be successfully scaled throughout the country. Through testing new models and collecting lessons learned, these commitments aim to increase the supply of sustainable and affordable housing for households of color across the U.S., as well as influence key stakeholders in the housing industry, including the public and private sectors. This commitment also reflects how the firm is building on previous experience and insights gained through its unique set of business, data, policy and philanthropic resources to help close the housing affordability gap.

The challenge

Against the backdrop of historically high rents and persistent barriers to homeownership rates for communities of color, Americans are facing a housing supply crisis, with a shortage of nearly 3.8 million units nationwide. In addition, the climate crisis has adversely affected housing supply, with extreme weather affecting about one in every 10 homes in the United States in 2021. Low-income Black, Hispanic and Latino households are often concentrated in locations that are highly vulnerable to environmental disasters, subjecting them to effects of the climate crisis and economic uncertainty.

“In our efforts to advance an inclusive economy, we remain committed to addressing some of the barriers to affordable housing and homeownership to provide family stability and build generational wealth for households of color,” said Abigail Suarez, head of Neighborhood Development, JPMorgan Chase.

“More households deserve accessible options to homeownership and now more than ever we need equitable, sustainable solutions that better equip communities with affordable, climate resilient housing.”

Working with local partners to deliver impact

Today’s announcement will support organizations working to reverse racial inequities and climate risks embedded in the existing housing system. To address the shortage of energy-efficient and climate-resilient affordable housing, the following organizations will each receive $3 million in philanthropic capital to influence housing construction practices:

  • come dream. come build (cdcb) – Rio Grande Valley, Texas: cdcb will expand their MiCASiTA program, which offers affordable sustainable homeownership options for rural families of color. This includes constructing and selling modular homes, lowering the home base sales price to 15% less than a stick-built home, enhancing the model’s sustainable features by integrating solar, energy, and water efficiency systems, and expanding into six new locations in other rural Black, Latino, and Indigenous communities.
  • Neighborhood Partnership Housing Services (NPHS) – Inland Empire, Calif.: is building Homes by NPHS, a scalable social enterprise that will increase the supply of affordable housing by building factory-built single-family homes and accessory dwelling units (ADUs) on vacant lots, with anticipated savings of 20% in construction costs compared to site-built homes. NPHS will also increase the number of developers of color who can access factory-built housing and incorporate energy-efficient features and weatherization upgrades into factory-built homes in order to help lower pollutants, stay resilient and adaptive against weather, and lower utility costs.

“NPHS is grateful for JPMorgan Chase’s investment which will support the use of factory-built housing technology to increase the supply of affordable homeownership and mitigate the impacts of climate change on low-income homeowners,” stated NPHS CEO, Clemente Mojica.

“This grant will expand our reach throughout underserved markets and address the systemic obstacles that have historically impeded households of color from achieving and sustaining homeownership.”

To help decarbonize affordable housing, the following organizations will each receive $3 million in philanthropic capital to increase the technical knowledge and financing tools in the housing industry to reduce carbon emissions:

  • Solar and Energy Loan Fund of St. Lucie County (SELF) – Miami-Dade County, Fla.: SELF aims to increase the supply of resilient and sustainable affordable housing by scaling their climate resiliency and clean energy home improvement program to help homeowners, landlords, developers, and contractors of color access innovative funding to rehab homes, upgrade workforce housing and increase green sustainable, affordable housing supply and building expertise.
  • National Housing Trust (NHT) – Washington D.C. Metro Area: NHT aims to promote decarbonization efforts in the Washington DC metro area by involving residents in program and policy design, providing retrofit technical assistance to owners of buildings to improve resident health outcomes, and engaging decisionmakers and lenders to make public resources and mission-driven capital products more accessible and aligned for decarbonizing affordable housing. NHT also aims to have at least 50% of affordable housing rehabilitation projects in the Washington area incorporate yearly decarbonization measures by 2025.
  • PUSH Buffalo – Buffalo, N.Y.: PUSH Buffalo will advance sustainable affordable housing initiatives by building and rehabbing single-family affordable housing with net zero standards and decarbonizing vacant two-unit buildings with green technology for first time homeownership. PUSH Buffalo will also study the health and utility impact of replacing natural gas with electricity in different aspects of affordable homes to understand the resident experience, inform local residents and connect them to new technology and provide data to the wider ecosystem.

JPMorgan Chase will work with the Urban Institute to support grantees in the execution of their strategies and in the testing and scaling of their innovations, which will include measuring impact and sharing insights with the housing industry to advance housing stability and affordability for Black, Hispanic and Latino households.

“I am pleased that Urban has this great opportunity to help these innovative changemakers accelerate solutions. Together with JPMorgan Chase, we will support, collaborate with, and spread insights from this new group of field-leading grantees, who are working to expand and decarbonize the country’s housing supply, tackle housing affordability, and address the embedded inequities for households of color in our housing system,” said Urban Institute President Sarah Rosen Wartell.

A firmwide approach to supporting affordable housing

This philanthropic commitment complements the firm’s sustainability efforts to help advance the transition to a lower-carbon future and support community resilience to the climate crisis, as well as the JPMorgan Chase PolicyCenter’s housing recommendations to increase equitable access to stable, affordable housing. Additional firmwide efforts to help close the housing affordability gap include:

  • Since 2021, the firm has committed more than $145 million of its $400 million philanthropic commitment to organizations across the country. This includes low-cost loans, equity and grants to advance housing stability and affordability strategies.
    • For example, the firm’s commitments to Stewards of Affordable Housing for the Future and Housing Partnership Network helped support housing stability of low-income households affected by the pandemic. The program disbursed more than $1.7 million to 19 nonprofit housing providers to support services that helped more than 7,800 families remain housed through the pandemic.
  • To help address two of the biggest barriers to achieving homeownership, Chase expanded its Homebuyer Grant program to offer a $5,000 grant to help customers with closing costs and/or down payment assistance when buying a home in predominantly Black, Latino and Hispanic communities across the country.

These commitments are part of the firm’s $30 billion commitment to advance racial equity and drive an inclusive economic recovery that was announced in October 2020. To learn more about how JPMorgan Chase is working to bridge the racial wealth gap, visit www.jpmorganchase.com/racialequity.

LeBron James Bronny James
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 13, 2022

Like Father, Like Son: Bronny James Signs Name, Image, Likeness Deal With Nike

Not only is Bronny James following in his father’s footsteps by pursuing a professional basketball career, but he also just signed with the brand his father represents.

Along with four other student-athletes, Nike has announced that James has placed his signature on a NIL (name, image, likeness) deal with the popular sportswear company.

Nike released the names of the other young athletes who are joining their family: Caitlin Clark, Haley Jones, DJ Wagner and JuJu Watkins.

This is a great birthday present to James, who turned 18 last week. As evidenced in the video clip below, he and his father definitely celebrated in style.

The Sierra Canyon High School senior released a statement about the recent signing.

“For as long as I can remember, Nike’s been a part of my family. Getting a chance to team up with them and continue my family’s legacy both on the court and in the community is wild—it really means a lot to me.”

This may be a long relationship, as the 18-year-old has been wearing an assortment of Nike footwear over the years, including his father’s signature line. It should also be noted that LeBron James has a lifetime contract with the athletic brand that is reportedly worth a billion dollars.

Earlier this year, Bronny signed a NIL deal with underwear brand PSD. When he signed the partnership agreement he became the youngest athlete-entrepreneur to sign with PSD. He joined an expansive roster that includes Jimmy Butler, Ja Morant, Trae Young, Marshawn Lynch, Tyler Herro, and social media star Sommer Ray.

When Bronny was a freshman in high school, he was the only player who played in every game, a total of 34, for the season. He helped win against his father’s alma mater, St. Vincent–St. Mary High School, and was named MVP.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 13, 2022

Shangela From RuPaul’s Drag Race Calls Alfonso Ribeiro Out for Calling Her His Wife’s Name

Alfonso Ribeiro was called out for mispronouncing a contestant’s name on a recent episode of Dancing With the Stars.

After a performance with her dance partner, Gleb Savchenko, reality TV personality, Shangela, from RuPaul’s Drag Race, asked the Fresh Prince alum if he’d learn her name yet. Before the tally of the pair’s dancing score, Ribeiro approached the two contestants, but Shangela interrupted the host asking, “The real question is: Did you learn my name?”

As evidenced by his reaction, Ribeiro was shocked at the comment. He appeared to be composing his thoughts, and eventually admitted to calling her several names but her own.

“Well, hello. Hello. Listen, I mean yes. OK, you got me before I got to you.”

As he fumbled for a response, the host told her, “The last couple of weeks, I did actually say your name a couple of times wrong.” Ribeiro blamed the time that he called the contestant Angela on the fact that his wife’s name is Angela.

“I did say Angela, which is my wife’s name, so it was a term of endearment.”

But, all seemed to end well as Shangela apparently forgave Ribeiro, saying, “You know I love you, baby. I’ve loved you, baby, and you’re my Alfondo.”

https://twitter.com/ViralMaterialz/status/1579872446189928454?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Last week, Shangela posted a video clip of her reaction to Ribeiro mispronouncing her name.

“This has me CACKLING!!!😂😂😂 my friend sent me this video of my reaction when @therealalfonsoribeiro accidentally called me ANGELA on @dancingwiththestars 💃🏽 Let me say this … Alfonso is the absolute sweetest guy, and his wife’s name is actually ANGELA 😆 but he always apologizes to me and I always say “baby, just don’t mess up these scores and we’re Good!”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Shangela (DJ) (@itsshangela)

Georgia Prisoner Allegedly Swindled $11 Million From Billionaire Movie Mogul While in Jail
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 13, 2022

Georgia Prisoner Allegedly Swindled $11 Million From Billionaire Movie Mogul While in Jail

A 31-year-old man currently incarcerated in Georgia allegedly swindled $11 million, possibly more, from the comforts of his prison cell in a maximum-security facility.

According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Arthur Lee Cofield Jr. has been accused of impersonating billionaire Sidney Kimmel and fraudulently obtaining $11 million from his bank account. Cofield reportedly gained access to Kimmel’s Charles Schwab account to use the illegally elicited funds to purchase gold coins and a mansion in Buckhead.

Kimmel, reportedly worth $1.5 million, is the CEO and chairman of his self-titled entertainment company, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment, based in Los Angeles. According to his website, the company has financially backed over 40 feature films, including 9 1/2 Weeks, The Lincoln Lawyer, Crazy Rich Asians, and Talk to Me.

It is also believed that Cofield stole millions from other billionaires as well.

In what is being described as “potentially one of the biggest heists ever pulled off from inside an American prison,” Cofield was able to pull off his crimes while being imprisoned at the Georgia Department of Corrections’ Special Management Unit. The jail is a maximum security facility built to accommodate the state’s most hardened criminals.

Federal agents and prosecutors have been analyzing the evidence to determine how Cofield could pull off impersonating the billionaire to access his Charles Schwab account.

The prisoner, charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud and money laundering, has pleaded not guilty. Two others charged were allegedly involved in the scheme: Eldridge Bennett and his 27-year-old daughter, Eliayah Bennett.

It is believed that by using contraband cell phones, Cofield convinced representatives at Charles Schwab that he was Kimmel. He arranged for the financial institution to wire $11 million to an Idaho company. That company then bought 6,106 American Eagle one-ounce gold coins.

He then allegedly arranged to use a private airplane to take the gold coins to Atlanta, where some of the money was then used to purchase a $4.4 million house in Buckhead.

“Cofield was a shrewd, intelligent individual who could con you out of millions,” said Jose Morales, who was the warden at the Special Management Unit while Cofield was there.

An advisor to Kimmel, Matthew Kamens, stated in an email that Kimmel wasn’t the victim because he defrauded the bank. He said the victim was the Charles Schwab Corp.

“Mr. Kimmel was unaffected by whatever occurred, and we have no knowledge of what occurred, either in terms of background or context,” Kamens wrote in the email.

Schwab stated that the bank reimbursed Kimmel for the total amount based on their policy for cases of unauthorized activity.

“As soon as Schwab was aware of suspected fraudulent activity, we launched an investigation, initiated measures to protect the client’s account and notified the authorities.”

Dwayne Johnson Catches Heat For Accepting Infant ‘Crowd Surfed’ to Him in Mexico
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 13, 2022

Dwayne Johnson Catches Heat For Accepting Infant ‘Crowd Surfed’ to Him in Mexico

During a press run for Dwayne Johnson’s upcoming movie, Black Adam, a stop in Mexico caused mixed reactions because of a baby making an appearance on stage.

A video clip went viral when a young infant was “crowd surfed” to a stage “The Rock” was occupying while promoting his latest film project. The incident occurred in Mexico at the Diego Rivera Museum. Johnson accepts the baby while the crowd screams around the infant, passing her to the stage. The actor quickly smiles and looks back to the crowd.

The former wrestler posted a video clip of this memorable moment to his Instagram account and briefly explained what transpired.

“Our BLACK ADAM⚡️ Tour has been electric, fun and emotional

“People do cry and they hand me things – I was NOT surprised to be handed this beautiful little baby
❤️

“Her father caught my attention because he had tears in his eyes when he held her up high and gestured for me to hold her.

“I honestly thought he was holding a toy doll he wanted me to have as a gift.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Dwayne Johnson (@therock)

After viewing the clip, many Twitter users instantly came out to defend the baby, recognizing that the infant could have been harmed and/or killed. Also,  with so many strangers touching the baby, someone could have passed an illness to the child.

As the above clip shows, the scene was similar to one seen in a movie named Mother. In the clip, a baby is passed up in an identical fashion, and the baby does not make it safely to its destination.

In another edited video clip on Johnson’s Instagram account, the scene was included in the montage as it also showed Johnson introducing the baby.

“Mexico, I want to introduce you to someone very special — our biggest fan, Luciana.”

Pastor’s Wife Dies After Husband Found Her With Gunshot Wound in Head
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 13, 2022

Pastor’s Wife Dies After Husband Found Her With Gunshot Wound in Head

Last week, a Georgia man stated that his wife was struck in her head through their bedroom wall as the two slept. On Monday, she passed away. Now, police officers are investigating the incident as a homicide.

According to The Telegraph, Mac Ellison, a pastor in DeKalb County, found his wife, Lashunda Heath-Ellison, with a headshot wound when he woke up during the night last week. The pastor announced on his Facebook page that LaShunda passed away on Monday, Oct. 10.

“My wife Lashunda Heath-Ellison gained her wings. I believe to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Please give us a moment to process this. My Perfect Angel is gone but forever in our hearts.”

Ellison, who is a pastor at Temple of Faith Ministries, posted a video on Facebook Live on Oct. 9 stating that his wife was hit in the back of her head as she slept last week on Wednesday, Oct. 5. The incident occurred at the couple’s Decatur, Georgia residence.

Fox News reported that a police official said, “It was determined that a projectile entered the residence from the outside and struck the victim. Since the start of the investigation, Lashunda Heath-Ellison has passed away. No one is in custody at this time. The investigation is ongoing at this time.”

The Dekalb County Police Department will now investigate this as a homicide. Police officers stated that the bullet entered the bedroom through the back of the home. She was sleeping when the bullet struck her. Her husband said he was asleep and heard LaShunda breathing heavily. Initially, he thought she was just snoring, but as he turned on the lights, he noticed something wasn’t right.

He summoned his children, and the two of them came and assisted him as they called 911.

“When we rolled mama over so she could breathe, we saw that the back of her pillow was full of blood, but looking at her, we didn’t see any blood,” Ellison stated. “There was nothing we could do for mama.”

Mac said that his wife had just celebrated her 50th birthday.

Black Executive Appointed Vice Chairman of Carlyle Global Credit, Among Other High-Profile Roles
by Jeffrey McKinney

October 13, 2022

Black Executive Appointed Vice Chairman of Carlyle Global Credit, Among Other High-Profile Roles

Aren LeeKong has been appointed vice chairman of Carlyle Global Credit, CEO of the Carlyle Business Development Companies, and head of Carlyle’s Direct Lending business.

The appointments, effective January 1, 2023, were made recently by The Carlyle Group, one of the world’s largest private equity and alternative asset management firms, with $376 billion of assets under management as of late June this year, according to its website.

Carlyle Business Development Companies and Direct Lending manage about $10 billion in assets. LeeKong has served on the board at Carlyle Business Development Companies since June 2021. The new appointments will make him one of the two most-senior Black Americans at Carlyle. His new roles will include overseeing Direct Lending’s efforts to support corporations and help entrepreneurs grow and flourish.

LeeKong has held several C-Suite roles in corporate America. Based on his bio, he is now CEO of 7 Acquisition Corp. and sits on the board of the blank check company. He was executive chairman of Organix Recycling, which calls itself the nation’s largest pre-consumer food waste hauling company.

He’s managed specialty finance companies focused on providing flexible financing solutions to middle market companies. He is also a member of the external investment advisory committee of the New York State Common Retirement Fund. The public pension fund has an estimated $247.7 billion in assets as of late December 2020. The committee provides general investment advice on the fund’s portfolio.

LeeKong was formerly a managing director of Highbridge Principal Strategies and was a director at KKR Co. Inc., where he was a founding member of its capital markets team.

He also serves his community by giving back. LeeKong is on the Advisory Board of The Family Center, which offers social and legal services to New Yorkers struggling with a family crisis or loss. He also serves on the board of directors of SEO, the same organization that helped him launch his career in finance.

‘Vulnerability Is Our Super Power’ Black Authors Talk Turning Trauma and Pain Into Power at Black Men Xcel
by Kia Morgan Smith

October 13, 2022

‘Vulnerability Is Our Super Power’ Black Authors Talk Turning Trauma and Pain Into Power at Black Men Xcel

Three accomplished Black authors joined Alfred Edmond, S.V.P./Editor at Large at BLACK ENTERPRISE’s Black Men Xcel Summit to expound on the once-untold stories of their lives and careers that became the soundtrack of their successful lives.

On Wednesday, BLACK ENTERPRISE kicked off its inaugural summit with a roundtable, moderated by Edmond, with the authors of compelling books about the journeys, lived experiences, lessons, and triumphs of the Black male experience.

Edmond was joined by Shawn Dove, Founder of Corporation for Black Male Achievement, Managing Partner, New Profit and author of I, Too Am America; Jay Barnett, mental health expert, speaker, life coach and author of Just Heal, Bro; and Chris Winton, CVP, Chief People & Inclusion Officer, FedEx Corporation.

Between the pages of their books, the men told stories of pain and purpose — something that’s not always easy for Black men to do. But their shared experiences served as a catalyst to open up, in hopes that their narratives would be the change — and a charge for Black men to heal open wounds.

“If you don’t heal past wounds, you bleed over people that didn’t cut you,” Winton shared to a captivATED audience.

LEFT: Jay Barnett, Mental Health Expert, Speaker, Life Coach and author, Just Heal, Bro — RIGHT: Shawn Dove, Founder, Corporation for Black Male Achievement; Managing Partner, New Profit, and author, I, Too Am America (Image: Gerard H. Gaskin for Black Enterprise)

Winton, a leadership expert, coach, and author of C-4 Leadership: Ignite Your Career. Shatter Expectations. Take Charge of Your Life, explained how that motto became a pivotal touchpoint in his life. He shared a story of how after he entered into a relationship with his wife, she “took swings” at him because of her past experience in abusive relationships. Winton said that he had to teach her how to handle conflicts, something he’s learned to do through trial and error as he climbed the corporate ladder at FedEx.

“When I met my wife, we met in college and start dating for six months, and had that first argument. You know, that first one, and she took a swing. I’m like, ‘Whoa, where all this come from?'” he shared.

“And so, you know, I had to grab her like what? Well, we’re not going to do this right here. And then I learned she had been in an abusive relationship. And I said I get it. But let’s be very clear. I’m not gonna swing. I’m gonna just move on. And I would tell people in corporate America today to understand you had a bad match. Somebody did you wrong. I’m not going to invest too much time into this…It’s easier for us to move on.”

While Winton worked to advance from being a “C” student to climbing the corporate ladder to the C-Suite, Jay Barnett, a two-time suicide survivor struggled to climb out of bed most days.

Barnett, an ex-NFL player turned therapist, chronicled his journey and struggles with depression, which he said stemmed from unresolved childhood issues and trauma.

LEFT: Chris Winton, CVP, Chief People & Inclusion Officer, FedEx Corporation — MIDDLE: Jay Barnett, Mental Health Expert, Speaker, Life Coach and author, Just Heal, Bro — RIGHT: Shawn Dove, Founder of Corporation for Black Male Achievement, Managing Partner, New Profit and author of I, Too Am America — (Image: Gerard H. Gaskin for Black Enterprise)

When Barnett’s bright NFL career faded to black, his life took on unnecessary roughness which led to two suicide attempts.

“I came from a family of pro athletes. That’s what the expectation was, you go to the league. And for me when football was over, I didn’t really have a sense of identity without a helmet,” Barnett explained.

“And through my battles with depression, and as I’ve shared publicly, I’m a two-time suicide survivor. That led me to really take a journey on the discovery of mental health, and the state of how our quality of life is associated with our mental health. And so since then, I went back to school and became a therapist. I’m a year out from my Doctorate in Public Health Administration,” Barnett said.

He continues: “Through my mental health journey and going through therapy, journaling was how I found my voice. Especially when you’ve grown up in a household of faith… when you do have an issue, you pray about it. And we’ve learned how to take things to the altar and lay them down. But when you don’t have the understanding, and the practical tools, you will pick it back up,” Barnett contends.

However, Barnett said many men sit on the sidelines holding fast to their hurt.

“So while we are successful, we have the careers book, we’re broken,” said Barnett, author of Just Heal, Bro.

“We succeeded in corporate America, but we’re broken little boys who have issues that we haven’t addressed. And so our insecurities are hidden behind our achievements. And so I wanted to write something that challenged men to find their voice emotionally. How can we live from the depths of our emotions, right, because our emotions are to serve us and not control us.”

Dove, who revealed that as a child he was abducted, said writing his book was therapeutic.

“Maya Angelou says, ‘There’s no greater agony than to bear in an untold story inside of you.’ And so writing and publishing this book for me, just like these brothers here, was a healing process. I’ve been journaling and writing since I was 16 years old.”

“Vulnerability is our superpower,” Dove said.

“There is another brother or sister whose breakthrough is dependent upon our vulnerability. And Jay writes about trauma and avenues about how to release ourselves and heal from trauma. And through the writing process, I realized that yes, there’s unreconciled trauma, but there’s also unrecognized trauma.”

Said Edmond, “These books are not just to be read for entertainment information. They are a catalyst for action in real life and the campaign for black male achievement both in terms of the boys and men you serve in the companies and organizations that you grew in, to provide resources.”

Chicago Woman Charged With First-Degree Murder After Allegedly Dismembering Landlord Who Evicted Her
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

October 13, 2022

Chicago Woman Charged With First-Degree Murder After Allegedly Dismembering Landlord Who Evicted Her

A woman in Chicago has been arrested and charged with killing her landlord after the woman was discovered dismembered in a freezer.

According to Fox News, Sandra Kolalou is held responsible for the death of her 69-year-old landlord, Frances Walker. Officials stated that she’d been charged with first-degree murder and concealment of a homicide. This incident reportedly took place after Walker served Kolalou an eviction notice.

Fox 32 reported that early Monday morning, screams were heard at a residence in the 5900 block of North Washtenaw Avenue. Tenants called the police, and officials stated that the police officers tried contacting the landlord, Walker, to see if everything was fine. They did receive a text response back, but then they found out that it wasn’t Walker who replied, but Kolalou.

After trying to contact Walker later that evening, around 6 or 7 p.m., and being unable to find her, the tenants reached out to the police to report their landlord missing.

“The residents were very cooperative. When they heard the scream, when they woke up in the morning, they immediately started texting the victim … started calling the victim,” Chicago Police Chief of Detectives Brendan Deenihan said. “The victim didn’t answer. There were some texts that were sent back from the victim’s phone. It appears, from what we know now, that the defendant was sending texts from the victim’s phone and not answering it.”

People who lived on the block said they were in fear of Kolalou.

As police officers came to the scene, they witnessed Kolalou heading toward a tow truck. They later found out that the tow truck charged Walker’s credit card. She allegedly told the tow truck driver to drive her to Foster Beach, where her car was located at that time. As some of the tenants were concerned for the safety of the driver, they exchanged numbers with him.

The police went to the beach, where they discovered bloody rags in a garbage can.

Police officers initially searched Walker’s residence but found no evidence of foul play. However, after finding the rags, they went back and searched and found blood inside Kolalou’s room. Officers then discovered some of Walker’s remains inside a freezer in the home.

Kolalou was arrested after police officers said she threatened the driver with a knife.

Deenihan did mention that the alleged killer had a motive to kill Walker, as she recently served Kolalou an eviction notice.

“The deceased, the owner of the residence, had actually served the defendant with a notice to leave, or an eviction notice … as recently as Saturday,” he said.

by Stacy Jackson

October 13, 2022

Author Shares Sweet Story Behind Black Man Known as ‘Father of Ice Cream’ Who Worked at the White House

What better way to teach children about Black history than with illustrated, read-aloud biographies?

Glenda Armand is an author in Los Angeles who has had a long career as a teacher and school librarian. She now devotes her time to writing picture-book biographies of people who overcame big obstacles to do great things. Armand began writing as a child, creating poems and stories about different characters like the Flintstones and talking butterflies and elephants who wanted to escape from the circus.

Photo via Random House Children’s Books

Armand shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE the inspiration and process behind her children’s book, “Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made A Sweet Treat Better.”

The biography follows the true story of Jackson who dreamed of being a professional cook. At 12 years old, he applied to work at the White House, where the head cook offered him a position as a kitchen helper, thus leading him to experiment with the frozen dessert. Readers will learn about the life of the ‘little-known African American visionary.’

Tell us a little bit about your background. How long have you been writing and when did you become a published author?

I have been writing since I was a child. I loved to read and write. I wrote poems and stories about the Flintstones and talking butterflies and elephants who wanted to escape from the circus. I wrote plays and recruited my three younger siblings to act in them. For some reason, my three older siblings turned down the chance to star in my productions.

I continued writing for family and friends, usually poems commemorating special milestones. When I became a teacher, I wrote poems and plays for my students. I became a published author when I wrote Love Twelve Miles Long, released in 2011, a story about a young Frederick Douglass and his mother.

What inspired you to write the biography about Augustus Jackson?

Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better had a different beginning than my other biographies. I had not heard of Augustus Jackson until my editor asked me if I would co-author a book about him with Kim Freeman. Kim gets credit for “discovering” Jackson. Once I learned who Augustus Jackson was, I knew that he checked all the boxes as to the kind of person I like to write about. He had the self-confidence, creativity and initiative to overcome the obstacles faced by a free-born black man in pre-Civil War America. And not only was he an inventor and entrepreneur, he also worked in the White house, serving under three presidents!

Describe your research process for the book. 

There is very little written about Augustus Jackson. We could find no books dedicated to him. So Kim Freeman and I had to do our research in a roundabout way. Kim came across his name when she was researching ice cream. We read everything we could find online. We found old newspaper articles about ice cream and ice cream parlors that mention him, often just in passing. Kim interviewed the owner of an old-fashioned ice cream parlor, The Franklin Fountain, and the archive librarian of a group called The Ice Screamers. We came across a book, The President’s Kitchen Cabinet by Adrian Miller, that talks about Augustus Jackson’s time at the White House. Although some questions were left unanswered, with these various sources, we were able to piece together Jackson’s life and write our picture book which was so beautifully illustrated by Keith Mallett.

The biography is written for children ages 4-8. What response do you expect from your readers in regards to Augustus Jackson’s biography?

Everyone likes ice cream, so I expect children (even those over 8) to be eager readers/listeners! I think they will enjoy learning a little about the history of ice cream and how it is made. I hope they are inspired by an atypical story about an African American historical figure. Augustus Jackson is a different kind of hero. He didn’t play sports or lead a movement. He followed his dream and made life a little sweeter for those he met.

The teacher in me also hopes that children will learn the little jingles in the book. Memorization is good exercise for the brain. Finally, I hope children, with the help of an adult, make their own ice cream following the simple recipe at the back of the book.

How does the story of Augustus Jackson relate to you personally?

It will help me in my mission to encourage children to dream big. When my younger students would name their career choices, basketball player, video game designer and veterinarian always made the cut. I would always suggest that they expand that list to include entrepreneur. Augustus Jackson is a perfect example of what that means. He combined his creativity and love of ice cream with a fine business sense and became financially successful doing what he loved.

Jackson’s story can help children see themselves as business owners. It expands the field of their dreams. I also relate to Jackson because he and my dad had the same first name. Augustus is not a name you hear every day!

What has drawn you to the genre of biographies?

As a teacher, I found biographies to be an invaluable tool. Not only do they tell the story of a person, they describe an era, a time and a place. Biographies humanize the study of history And picture book biographies can be used at any age level to introduce a topic, such as slavery, or the civil rights movement. I have used picture books with pre-kindergartners to adult students. They are like appetizers before the main course.

I also love sharing accounts of little known African American trailblazers. My hope is that these stories will encourage young people to persevere towards their dreams despite any obstacles they may face. I am especially drawn to stories of enslaved African Americans, such as Frederick Douglass, or those born free in antebellum America, as was Augustus Jackson. To tell their stories is to recognize their strength, honor their sacrifices and celebrate the triumph of the human spirit.

As a teacher of many years, how have your students inspired your books/writing?

My adult life has been dedicated to children and books. As a teacher and a librarian, I have taught children how to read and demonstrated a love of reading that I hope has helped them to become lifelong readers and learners. I have taught them that reading is a skill that will take them wherever they want to go. Books will always be a source of knowledge and pleasure.

Now, as an author, I hope that my books will be among those that inspire children, teach them, entertain them and encourage them to dream big.

What important piece of advice would you like for parents to know about your children’s books?

I would like them to know my books are meant to be shared as read-alouds. I hope the books will spark discussions and create opportunities for adults to share their experiences with their children  and for children to express their ideas.

Armand co-wrote the book with Kim Freeman, a debut children’s book writer who enjoys writing books that inspire children to follow their dreams. What was it like working with Armand as co-author for the Augustus Jackson biography?

It was a pleasure to work with Glenda on this project. I have wanted to write children’s books for as long as I can remember, and co-authoring my debut with such a talented and wonderful person was an amazing experience. We had a great time researching and writing this story together. I believe that children’s books can make a huge difference in a child’s life and we are looking forward to sharing Augustus Jackson’s inspirational story with young readers all over the world.

The biography was illustrated by NAACP Image Award-nominated artist and designer Keith Mallett. How did Armond’s writing inspire the illustrations used in the book?

Glenda and Kim’s telling of Augustus’ story intrigued me because it was the tale of a successful free black man during the time of slavery in America. Hopefully my illustrations will help to show a new generation of readers that with tenacity and dedication their dreams can come true.

Ice Cream Man: How Augustus Jackson Made a Sweet Treat Better will be available for purchase on January 17, 2023, and it includes an easy-to-follow ice cream recipe so readers can make their own.

×