by Derek Major

May 8, 2022

Northwestern Mutual Invests $5 Million In Two Black-led Community Development Financial Institutions

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Northwestern Mutual has invested $5 million in two Milwaukee-based,  Black-led Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs).

According to a Northwestern Mutual release, the 2021 Black Business Open Spotlight states that 56 percent of Black entrepreneurs say access to capital is an obstacle limiting their ability to grow their businesses. Northwestern Mutual’s investment is helping close those gaps in the Milwaukee area by working with local Black CDFIs Northwest Side Community Development Corporation (NWSCDC) and the Legacy Redevelopment Corporation (LRC).

“Northwestern Mutual has a legacy of investing in the communities we proudly serve, particularly in our hometown of Milwaukee,” Ray Manista, the company’s executive vice president and chief legal and compliance officer said in a statement. “Black and African American business owners, for a variety of reasons, have had limited access to traditional financial markets, and this latest investment will deepen our mission to make a bold and long-term impact that drives access and equity.”

The investment is also part of Northwestern Mutual’s Sustained Action For Racial Equity (SARE) task force which started a $100 million impact fund directing investments to Black and African American communities across the country.

According to Northwestern Mutual, Black-owned businesses in Milwaukee are denied loans at more than twice the rate of White businesses. Without access to capital, businesses in underserved communities are unable to gain the resources needed to grow their businesses and communities. CDFIs and small Black-owned banks fill those gaps and Northwestern Mutual’s investment will provide existing Black businesses with the financial solutions need to grow.

LRC president and CEO Terese Caro is the only U.S. Treasury-certified CDFI with a focus on housing and real estate in Milwaukee. NSWCDC, led by Executive Director Willie Smith, works with businesses in the Milwaukee area to build stronger neighborhoods and create economic growth. Both are excited to work with Northwestern Mutual to help Black entrepreneurs to continue to grow Black businesses in Milwaukee.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Northwestern Mutual and provide much-needed loans to local, Black and African American-owned businesses,” Caro said in a statement. “This partnership will change the trajectory of LRC and NWSCDC in terms of what we’ll be able to do and the communities we’ll be able to impact.”

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

May 8, 2022

This Tech Bundle Packages Three Useful Programs Into One

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If you’ve spent any amount of time organizing data on your computer, then you already know just how valuable databases can be when compiling all of your information.

Stackby simplifies the organization process in a fast and flexible manner that gives superpowers to everyday spreadsheets in one flexible collaboration platform. For a limited time, Stackby along with Start.Me, & StackSkills can be yours for just $99. That’s a savings of 94% from its MSRP ($1,895).

The 2022 Tech Stack Attack Lifetime Bundle: Stackby, Start.Me, & StackSkills packages three innovative software into one purchase. Each product is beneficial in its own way.

Stackby offers a flexible and collaborative workspace that brings ease of use of spreadsheets, and functionality of databases and connects to popular services via no-code API connectors. It offers more than 25 unique data column types that allow you to build your relational database.

Stackby is currently rated 4.8 stars on Capterra.

Start.Me transforms your computer’s browser homepage into a productivity hub. More than 500,000 people and organizations around the world have enjoyed Start.Me’s benefits. Manage your bookmarks, notes, tasks, and news pages from one streamlined page. Dashboard features include RSS, charts, and integrations, among other features. Personal features include a calendar, notes, tasks, background, and others.

Start.Me currently has a rating of 4.7 stars on Capterra.

Finally, StackSkills Unlimited is a great tool for anyone looking to learn a new skill or sharpen old ones. StackSkills offers more than 1,000 courses in concentrations like IT, development, graphic design, finance, business marking, and many more.

“StackSkills Unlimited gives you a lifetime of professional training for one low price,” PCWorld writes in its review.

This bundle not only allows you to organize your spreadsheets in a streamlined way. It also gives your homepage a clean facelift and comes with a library of informational learning tools that are beneficial. Purchase it today.

Prices subject to change.

Kentucky Oaks Day at Churchill Downs Racetrack in Louisville curates the second largest audience of horse racing in the country, following the Kentucky Derby. 

Oaks Day is reserved for the fillies, or young female horses, and one team of Black women horse owners have created history after securing their first win, reports WKYT. 

Part of the oldest contested sporting event in the nation’s history, the first all-Black woman group of owners part of Living the Dream are celebrating big after their victory scored by their horse “Seven Scents,” and subsequently paving the way for more Black ownership. 

“We’re not only owners, we’re winners. We’re showing up at the tracks, we’re representing and we’re taking home prizes,” horse owner Dr. Tiffany Daniels said.

The group of five women owners all agree that acknowledging the Black contributions made to the sport is long overdue.

“The first jockey to win the Kentucky Derby was an African American male. We’re in 2022 right now and we don’t see a lot of us,” said Coya Robinson, another horse owner.

She shared that representation was a major reason for her joining the sport, to feel pride when walking onto a track knowing she’s embodying Black excellence.

“It was a chance for me to live a legacy for my four daughters, for my goddaughters, so I thought it was a good opportunity as a woman,” Robinson said.

Dr. Daniels expressed that the rich Black history surrounding the 148-year-old event has gone undiscussed and thus unheard of. The group of Black women are here to make their mark and introduce more Black aficionados to the industry. 

“Us specifically, we’re following in the footsteps of Eliza Carpenter, who was a slave who became a horse owner and an actual jockey,” she said.

As we honor the ladies on this Oaks Day, hear from one of these owners who is making history. She says women can and should leave their mark on the horse racing industry and sport @WKYT WKYT pic.twitter.com/dGjTVXkhsk

— Shelby Lofton (@newswithShelby) May 6, 2022

According to Dr. Daniels, the Lexington-based Ed Brown Society will lead efforts to help propel more minority representation at the horse track. 

They aim to advance inclusion in the thoroughbred industry to the next generation of Black horse owners.

Disclosure: This post involves mention of murder and police brutality.

The San Antonio City Council unanimously agreed to pay the family of an unarmed Black man for his wrongful death by police on Thursday, according to the San Antonio Report. 

Antronie Scott was 36 years old when San Antonio police took his life on Feb. 4, 2016. The city reached a settlement of $450,000 to his family, issuing $150,000 each to Scott’s son, Antronie Scott Jr., mother Diane Peppar, and his widow Elena Scott.

The payment would finalize the wrongful death lawsuit the family filed against the city and the officer who shot Scott, John Lee, who died in 2020.

“This settlement is in the best interest of the City and the community,” said City Attorney Andy Segovia Thursday. “By settling we avoid what could be a lengthy trial and appeal process and allow all parties to move forward.”

The wrongful death lawsuit was set to reach a jury trial last month. 

Scott was fatally shot by Lee in 2016 after he responded to a call at an apartment building in the North Side of San Antonio. Scott was to be arrested due to outstanding drug warrants.

According to the officer, he reportedly feared for his life as Scott turned around when complying with his demand that he show his hands. Believing Scott’s cell phone was a gun, Lee shot and killed the unarmed man. 

While the killer cop originally faced termination, Police Chief William McManus and former Mayor Ivy Taylor decided to allow for Lee’s return under the guise of needing “additional training.”

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales refused to reopen the case after it sparked protests in 2020. In February of that year, Lee officially left the police department. A few months later in July, the 41-year-old was allegedly found dead at his home. According to the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office, his death was ruled as accidental, a consequence of a toxic blend of prescription drugs and a heart condition.

• Health and Wellness

by Wendy Medina

May 7, 2022

Study: Uptick in Rare Uterine Cancer Deaths Most Prominent Among Black Women

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A rare but aggressive form of uterine cancer has spurred a rise in U.S. deaths, notably among Black women, according to a study released by the National Cancer Institute Thursday reports the Associated Press.

Across the last eight years of the study, deaths from this aggressive type, called Type 2 endometrial cancer, have increased by 2.7% each year, while the less aggressive form saw more of a plateau, researchers say. Overall, the less aggressive death rates for women 40 and over climbed by 1.8% each year that the study was conducted, from 2010-2017.

However, Black women were observed to account for more than twice the death rate of uterine cancer in comparison to other racial groups. 

Type 2 endometrial cancer is increasingly difficult to treat, as there are limited warning signs. Per the study published in the journal JAMA Oncology, this aggressive kind comprised about 20% of cases and 45% of deaths.

“For most cancers, there have been improvements over the last 20 years. It’s alarming that we haven’t had the same success with uterine cancer,” said Dr. Pamela Soliman of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. “This allows us to focus our efforts on specific areas that could potentially have a bigger impact on mortality,” she continued. 

About 65,950 new cases are expected to be diagnosed this year in the U.S. alone, and 12,550 women are likely to die from this disease, reports the outlet.

Rates increased by 3.5% among Black women, 6.7% for Latina women, 3.4% for Asian women, and 1.5% among whites. Researchers also noted that women who have had hysterectomies cannot get uterine cancer.

While obesity may contribute to the less aggressive cancer, there are no clear indicators nor possible screening tests for Type 2 endometrial cancer. Irregular bleeding may be a factor, but many diseases or complications can also be attributed to the symptom. 

“We think it is something that is more common in Black women and increasing in the population for all women,” said Megan Clarke, who led the National Cancer Institute’s study. “It’s very puzzling and concerning.”

• Lifestyle

by Atiya Jordan

May 7, 2022

U.S. Coast Guardsman Surprises His Mother At Broward College Graduation: ‘The Best Mother’s Day Ever’

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A recent Broward College grad received her Mother’s Day gift earlier than she expected.

Jennifer Freeman, a single mother, proudly walked the stage on Thursday at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, the Miami Herald reported. But before graduating, she received a surprise that would make her achievement even more special — a Mother’s Day special.

Freeman was told by her 27-year-old son Marcus Roberts that he wouldn’t be able to attend her graduation as result of his duties as a U.S. Coast Guardsman. He was scheduled to deploy on an overseas mission.

“It didn’t seem like it was going to happen so she was a little disappointed, but she understood I’m serving. Then in March, the deployment schedule got changed, and I figured rather than me just telling her, I would pop up and surprise her,” Roberts told the outlet.

With the help of Broward staffers, Roberts’ plan to surprise his mother took weeks to unfold. He showed up on Thursday dressed in his military uniform with pink and red roses in hand. Just before Roberts’ big entrance, the college intentionally asked Freeman to snap a picture with Broward College President Gregory Adam Haile on stage.

Freeman caught a glimpse of her son and rushed to embrace him. She shouted with excitement and cried in her son’s arms.

“This is the best Mother’s Day ever. “I think this is the best Mother’s Day any mother could get.”

The 54-year-old mom, who graduated with her associate’s degree in communications, is a native of Nassau in the Bahamas. Having lost her mother early, she dropped out of high school in the ninth grade to care for her brother and sister. Her education continued to take backseat as her father was absent and she became a teen mother twice.

After moving to the US in 2004, Freeman took pride being able to attend all her family’s graduations. But she recalls wanting to do something about her lack of education.

“No matter what I achieved in life — I had cars, I had houses, I had children, I educated my children — and I always felt like something was missing. I could tell, all my life, no matter what I achieved, I felt like something was missing. I knew it was my lack of education,” she said.

So, the determined mother got her GED and enrolled at Broward College in the summer of 2020. She was a student while also juggling her full-time job as a dealer at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood.

“I finally did it. This is no longer a dream; I did it.”

“I want to use my life as testimony,” Freeman said. They need to know they can still make it. There’s still hope. Even if you’re a young mother, don’t just think, ‘Oh my life is over.’ Your life is only over if you think it’s over.”

Jeannine Cook, owner of Philadelphia bookstore Harriett’s Bookshop, is leading the efforts in making Harriet Tubman Day recognized as a federal holiday after gaining momentum in the House through her petition. 

Having opened in February 2020, Cook, 38, honors the American hero also known for being an outspoken advocate of women’s rights, by her store’s namesake and celebrates books by women authors, activists, and artists.

Cook has gathered over 8,100 signatures on a petition to Congress to honor Tubman’s legacy and the countless lives she saved by aiding their freedom. Additionally, she gives out postcards at her bookstore where customers can write their representatives in hopes of making the holiday a reality, reports NBC News.

Please consider telling your schools to join our letter writing campaign to make #HarriettTubmanDay the first federal holiday named for a woman. It was accepted into congress (HR 7013) and now it needs cosponsors. We plan to publish these letters as a book. So send us pics! pic.twitter.com/tgvfdv7O8L

— Harriett’s Bookshop (@harriettsbooks) March 13, 2022

Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., introduced a bill in the House in March that proposes Harriet Tubman Day as a federal holiday following that of Washington’s birthday. It is co-sponsored by five Democratic representatives, though not scheduled for a vote.

In 1990, President George H.W. Bush proclaimed Harriet Tubman Day to be March 10, following a resolution by Congress. However, that resolution never came to fruition and after a 2030 delay of immortalizing Tubman on the $20 bill, Cook and other supporters of the cause assert that Tubman deserves a more immediate national recognition.

“It’s the multifacetedness of Harriet that I find so extraordinary,” Cook said. “There were so many ways she, I believe, exemplifies how to take the worst of what society has offered and to transmutate that into an immense amount of power — not for yourself, but for the people around you.” 

Fascinated by the abolitionist ever since she was a child picking up a book about Tubman’s triumphs at her school’s library, Cook learned all that she could about her life, uplifted by how her acts of immeasurable courage in the Underground Railroad forever changed the trajectory of American history. 

“It’s remarkable that she survived and she was able to accomplish the things we all know… This is a disabled woman who really achieved amazing things,” Cook said. 

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A post shared by Harrietts Bookshop (@harrietts_bookshop)

She has hope the passing of the federal holiday would also advance the arrangement of reparations for descendants of enslaved people.

“It could be a day that supports us with how to mourn the tragedy that slavery was,” she said, “and how to focus on repairing that harm.”

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 7, 2022

Former Obama Appointee Ed Stanton III Chosen to Review Death Penalty Procedures

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Amid a temporary halt on all executions in the state of Tennessee, Gov. Bill Lee has appointed Ed Stanton III to lead an investigation into the practice.

On Monday, Lee’s office announced that “an investigation by a respected third party,” is underway after a “technical oversight” involving execution drugs stopped Oscar Franklin Smith from being executed on April 21, Commerical Appeal reports.

Stanton previously served as the top federal prosecutor in West Tennessee during Barack Obama’s administration. He resigned when former President Donald Trump took office in 2017 and joined the law firm Butler Snow. Many believe he’s the right man for the job due to his ties to the FBI.

“Extremely intelligent, capable, of impeccable character, is the best way you would describe him,” said A C Wharton, a defense attorney and former mayor of Shelby County and Memphis.

While Stanton’s new role won’t address the validity of the death penalty, the review will matter in the growing debate around the practice that’s been abolished in 23 states.

“What led to testing the lethal injection chemicals for only potency and sterility but not endotoxins, a sign of bacteria in the compound, ahead of the April 21 execution,” the governor’s office said.

“Clarity around the lethal injection process manual, which was last updated in 2018, and adherence to testing policies since the update.”

Wharton believes Stanton’s investigation could be crucial to the current controversies surrounding the use of the death penalty in the country.

“When it comes to the assignment that he has received from the governor, it’s one of the most important assignments any member of the legal profession could receive,” Wharton said.

“Simply because it has to do with the authority of the state to take a life of a human being.”

Defense lawyer Taurus Bailey also thinks Stanton is the right person to tackle the demanding role.

“I can understand why the governor would appoint somebody like him because,” Bailey said. “He’s gonna call a ball a ball and a strike a strike. He doesn’t have a biased opinion.”

Legendary women’s basketball coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke is being called out by former players who accuse her of degrading them and endangering their wellbeing.

Athletes who played with Cooper-Dyke during her stints at Texas Southern, UNC-Wilmington and USC claim to have alerted school personnel about her actions but were ignored, Sports Illustrated reports.

“Nobody has said anything or done anything, just passed her off to the next school,” one USC player told The Athletic.

“This woman mentally and emotionally terrorized us.”

Allegations against the coach span over the last decade of her career.

In one instance, Cooper-Dyke is accused of issuing a harsh response to one Texas Southern player with a mental health diagnosis who also suffered from depression.

“No, she will be all right; she just needs some d—, that’s all,” Cooper-Dyke allegedly said. Later, she referred to the same player as a “sorry-a– virgin.”

Cooper-Dyke coached at the school for the 2012–13 season and again from ’19 to ’22. She is accused of telling one player who was doing squats that her “hips are big, you got a fat a– and I can tell you like to ride some d—.” She also allegedly fat-shamed one player so much the athlete refused to eat in front of her.

While coaching at UNC-Wilmington from 2010 to ’12, players claim Cooper-Dyke would regularly talk about her and players’ sex lives. In one instance, players claim Cooper-Dyke got on her knees and pretended to perform fellatio on a male assistant.

“She would talk to us like we were murderers in jail, if you know what I mean,” one player said.

“I’ve never had a coach that’s cussed at me like she did or said some of the things she would say.”

Additionally, Cooper-Dyke is accused of forcing players through grueling practice drills even if they had injuries that prevented them from performing. One player who couldn’t train due to an injury was allegedly kicked off the team.

Cooper-Dyke announced her retirement on March 17. She has denied all of the allegations made against her.

“Throughout my years as a coach, I’ve had countless interactions with players in my role as their coach, mentor and friend,” she said

“I had positive relationships with the majority of players and staff, and my only intention was to maximize players’ potential and help them be their best. While these allegations are untrue, everyone deserves to work, play and learn in a respectful environment, and I deeply apologize for and regret any words used during the course of a spirited game or practice that offended or hurt someone.”

• Health and Wellness

by Wendy Medina

May 7, 2022

Disney World’s First Black-Owned Food Truck Promotes Healthy Diet, Ran By Husband-Wife Duo

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Robyn and Zak Wallace’s food truck Local Green Orlando has found a new home in Disney Springs as the first Black-owned food truck at Walt Disney World in Florida.

Multi-platinum songwriter “Big Zak” and his wife Robyn first opened their Local Green restaurant in Atlanta in 2018 after tragedy struck both of their families. The weight of their family members passing forced the couple to take a different look at their approach to dietary habits and moved them to want to share healthier food options with their community.

“I lost my brother, and my wife lost her mother to cancer,” Zak shared with Travel Noire. “When you’re sick with illnesses such as cancer or high blood pressure, doctors will tell you not to eat fried foods, eat lean meat and vegetables, and no pork or beef. If you can’t eat this while you’re sick, these things shouldn’t be eaten if you’re feeling good.”

Local Green was created in part as a healing journey for the pair and a tribute to their late relatives. They offer healthy fast food in an otherwise food desert, an area that lacks access to affordable fruits and vegetables to sustain a healthy diet, in an effort to offset diet-related deaths. 

According to experts at a state Senate committee, Georgia has one of the highest densities of food deserts of the country.

“We wanted to bring something to our community without sacrificing the taste,” says Zak. “We know our culture tends to like soul food, barbecue, fried food … but it’s affecting our health. Of the illnesses plaguing our community, the top three killers are hypertension, cancer, and diabetes.”  

While the healthy fast food eatery saw success, they took the opportunity to expand when Disney made the call, and made their way to Disney Springs in Orlando. 

The first Black-owned food truck at Disney World, they offer vegan, vegetarian, and pescatarian options, named after some of the South’s celebrated musicians as well as a dedication to Zak’s musical passion. 

Dish names include the likes of the Oh Boy Beyond Burger, the Bubba Sparxx Pulled BBQ sandwich, the Rappers Delight Salmon Philly, 3 Stack Cauliflower Taco, and more.

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A post shared by The Local Green (@thelocalgreen)

“When eating here, we hope people realize that you can control your life by what you eat and removing the negative things,” Zak adds. “Put yourself first on your to-do list and think about the people most impacted by your daily dietary choices.”