Google Celebrates The Birthday Of Canadian Inventor Elijah McCoy Who Inspired Term ‘The Real McCoy’
Google celebrated the birthday of the revolutionary Canadian-born inventorElijah McCoy who was born 178 years ago Monday.
Google celebrates the Birthday of Black inventor Elijah McCoy. (Image: Twitter)
NPR reports McCoy’s parents escaped slavery in Kentucky using the Underground Railroad, before settling in Canada and giving birth to Elijah in 1844. At the age of 25, McCoy traveled to Scotland to study mechanical engineering, however, when he returned to Michigan where his parents relocated, he couldn’t get a job due to his race.
As a result, McCoy ended up working as a fireman for the Central Michigan Railroad, where one of his jobs included relubricating engine components. At the time, engines had to be stopped, lubricated, then restarted again, which was wildly inefficient.
That led McCoy to his first big idea, an automatic lubricator that kept engines oiled while in operation. The inventor patented the automatic lubricator in 1872. The innovation became an instant smash hit and the lubricator quickly found its way into “long-distance locomotives, transatlantic ships, and factory machines,”according to the National Inventors Hall of Fame.
However, the invention also led to a wide range of knockoff products. It is suspected, although not confirmed, that in order to avoid knock-offs, customers would request “the real McCoy,” a term still used today to reflect authenticity when purchasing a product.
McCoy obtained more than 50 patients during his career, most of which had t6o deal with lubricating systems. Additionally, McCoy also invented a folding ironing board and a lawn sprinkler.
McCoy lived to the age of 85 in what is now known as Westland, Michigan in 1929 due to injuries resulting from a car crash seven years earlier that took the life of his wife Mary. The city of Detroit has recognized the inventor with several historical markers across the city including at the site of his home and his first workshop.
In 2001, McCoy was elected to the National Inventors Hall of Fame in Alexandria, Virginia.
Cop Who Tackled Black Autistic Teen in Target Store Accused of Racial Profiling
A cop in Upstate New York is under fire after tackling a Black autistic teen he detained inside of a Target store.
Chante Ware says her 14-year-old son was tackled by a Saratoga County sheriff’s deputy despite doing nothing wrong, Times-Union reports. The teen was waiting for his siblings and cousins to check out with purchases bought with Easter money at the Clifton Park Target location when the deputy came unwarranted and charged the teen.
“What the (expletive) are you doing? Get the (expletive) off my brother” the teen’s 17-year-old sister shouted at the cop. “He has autism, he has autism,” she exclaimed.
The teen girl was eventually arrested and taken into custody after attempting to protect her brother. Video shows the chaotic scene that ensued after the deputy tackled the teenage boy.
Ware is now questioning why her child was approached by the police.
“I was in Walmart shopping and got a text message from my daughter,” Ware said. “I called her and all I could hear was my oldest daughter screaming and crying, ‘He’s autistic, he’s autistic.’ I got to Target and there were nine or 10 squad cars there. … I was told my kids are suspects in a larceny.”
Cops charged the 17-year-old for allegedly striking the deputy with a soap dish, injuring his face, the Daily Voice reports. The teen girl now faces charges of felony assault and resisting arrest.
In a statement posted online, the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office claims the officer was responding to a “disturbance call” from someone who “reported that youths at the location were being disruptive.
“We take all allegations of assault against law enforcement seriously and they will be dealt with to the fullest extent of the law,” Saratoga County Sheriff Michael Zurlo said in a statement.
“It is my hope that the injuries to our deputy and the trooper were minor and that they suffer no lasting ill-effects.”
Ex-Aflac Executive Shannon Watkins Named Chief Marketing Officer For The Jordan Brand
Former Aflac marketing officer Shannon Watkins has been named the chief marketing officer for the Jordan Brand.
Yahoo News reports the move to the Jordan Brand, a subsidiary of Nike, makes Watkins one of the most powerful Black women in sports marketing. Watkins was instrumental in Aflac’s partnership with ESPN’s College Gameday, which also renewed its focus on HBCU schools.
Jordan Brand is one of the most iconic logos and brands in sports. Michael Jordan, the six-time NBA champion, retired in 2003 but his shoes are still the most popular and sought-after basketball shoes today. Jordan brand sneakers still push the sneakerhead culture today despite the fact many in the industry may not have been able to walk when Jordan took his last shot.
Watkins will replace Sean Tresvant, who has moved on to Taco Bell, and will report to CEO Craig Williams. She starts May 16.
“We need innovative leadership, someone who can lead us into the future by pushing creativity, championing diversity, and bringing our purpose to life,” Williams said. “Shannon’s experience across multiple industries and business sectors will do just that, helping to lead our marketing efforts into the future.”
The Jordan brand has been focusing on the Black community since the death of Geroge Floyd in 2020, when the brand made a 10-year, $100 million commitment to social justice organizations and racial equity. Additionally, Jordan’s children are also getting into the apparel business.
The brand has also enjoyed a post-pandemic resurgence as its revenue grew to $4.7 billion last year, a 30 percent increase. The Jordan brand has also signed some of the most notable athletes today, including NBA star Luka Dončić, New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, and Dallas Cowboys quarterbackDak Prescott.
The brand has also gotten into NASCAR, recently taking ownership of 23XI Racing, pegging Bubba Wallace and Kurt Busch as drivers.
Detroit Woman Sets To Be The First Black Woman To Complete Canadian Underground Railroad Trail
Zwena Gray, a young eager Detroit woman, is embarking on a hike-thru adventure of the Bruce Trail.
Upon completion, she will be the first Black woman to complete the 559 miles of the oldest and longest marked continuous Underground Railroad passage in Canada.
The Bruce Trail stretches 900 km from Niagara to Tobermory in southern Ontario. From about 1830 until the end of the American Civil War, escaped slaves journeyed across the Canada-U.S. border through the Underground Railroad, a secret route that led to freedom. Hikers can follow the Freedom Trail to the Black History Cairn, a memorial to the first Black settlers in the Owen Sound area.
Gray, along with a friend, is determined to spend six weeks walking in her ancestors’ footsteps for various reasons. One of her goals is to be an example of what Black joy looks like engulfed in nature. She wants to inspire people of color to spend more time outdoors.
“Being from Detroit, I really wanted to bring that connection to nature to my community,” Gray said, according to WDET. “It’s not only important for Black people to be present in these natural environments, but it’s also important for us to showcase just the freedom and liberation and just ease of existing and these spaces.”
An environmentalist, the 20-year-old grew up loving nature. She recently moved to Canada to study at Trent University, in Peterborough, Ontario, with a major in environmental studies and science and a minor in gender and social justice studies.
On her trek, Gray fuses her passions for nature and honoring the legacy of the escaped slaves who walked the same trails. Another goal for her journey is to learn from historians along the way and gain perspective about the communities that were created.
As she travels, Gray will create and post content to not only inspire others but to also spark her own creativity.
“I’m going to be making natural hair videos, do videos about how do you handle your period in the outdoors, and even doing fun stuff like tent talks every week for my Instagram and then I’ll also be having YouTube videos kind of more educational about the historians that I talked to and the areas that I go through — more of a day-to-day thing.”
Additionally, Gray plans to host events for BIPOC (Black Indigenous People if Color) communities, as per the Niagara Bruce Trail Club. Her intention is to encourage and educate participants about outdoor recreation.
“By experiencing nature in its truest form on the Bruce Trail, I want to share with people how there’s so much joy to be found in the outdoors and encourage them to care more for our planet and ultimately our wellbeing, Gray said, as per Black Like Us.
What Black-, Women-Owned ,and Other Minority Businesses Should Know About Raising Capital
When raising capital, minority business owners must shift their mindset to focus on the numbers with a concrete, evidence-based rationale for why their companies are good investments. Less than one percent of American venture capital-backed founders are Black, and the percentage of minorities and women in decision-making roles in venture-backed companies is not much higher.
At HI Mark Capital, a Black and veteran-managed fund based in Charleston, South Carolina, we know firsthand the challenges that minority- and women-owned businesses face when it comes to raising capital. Based on hundreds of pitches and conversations from eager, energized entrepreneurs, there are three key ingredients that help increase chances in securing funding.
You should understand what an exit looks like for your company
While many dream of building generational wealth, it’s important to think long-term when considering what an exit might look like for your company. Begin with the end in mind and define clear measures of success for your company. Rather than thinking about generating wealth for your children, shift your mindset to creating a base of wealth for your grandchild’s grandchildren.
Business owners should have a knowledge-sponge mentality and learn how other companies have found success. For example, in South Carolina, we have SizeUpSC, a tool offered by the SC Department of Commerce that helps companies understand how they fit into the competitive landscape in the state and in the U.S. and allows them to compare their business performance to industry competitors. The Lowcountry Minority Business Accelerator is also a great resource for minority entrepreneurs. Lean on existing data when possible to understand what a realistic and successful exit looks like.
Be passionate about your business, but dispassionate in presenting it
Keep your rejection EQ high and practice your pitch with just five words. It’s also important to remain cool, unbiased, and dispassionate about your business when presenting it to others. Over-explaining a concept or revenue model will work against you, but focusing on the facts will put you at an advantage.
Do your homework about your audience and consider whether you really fit into their particular investment theme. One of the best pitches I’ve heard came from Selena Martin, chief executive officer of the Denture Care Shop in Charleston, a company that 3-D prints dentures. She sets the bar high when it comes to keeping her cool in these conversations. To be more like Selena, consider writing 25 questions you anticipate during a pitch, then practice your answers in five words. Consider QA’s two-day Present with Impact course to fine-tune your presentation delivery or Dale Carnegie’s interactive live Present with Impact webinar.
Keep your financials simple, but be prepared to go deep
Business owners tend to make the mistake of preparing their financials based on the product or service they are going to sell. Instead, shift your paradigm to creating a cost budget. The key is asking for a fixed dollar amount and knowing exactly how you plan on using those resources. A good asset test, if you believe you have a scalable company on your hands, is accruing $300,000 in topline revenue over 24 to 36 months. It’s crucial to set a concrete and achievable benchmark for your company.
In order to secure capital, it’s extremely important to have a concrete plan, use data to make informed decisions, and focus on the facts when presenting your business. These techniques will help you go beyond just building wealth for the next generation, but also create a company whose success will resonate decades into the future.
We hope that in the process of supporting minority entrepreneurs with their business goals, we can help business owners achieve the goal of building generational wealth not just for the benefit of their families, but to help close the wealth gap for minority groups overall and grow the number of minority business owners whose companies see massive success.
About HerbertDrayton
Herbert L. Drayton III, is the managing partner of HI Mark Capital. Mr. Drayton built HI Mark Capital with the mission to partner with minority and women-owned and led companies through capital funding and advisory roles. He is a founding member of the Charleston Deal Alliance, which connects deal professionals across the three-county region.
After Hearing a Female Rapper Made Over $50 Million, Shaquille O’Neal Wants to Open an OnlyFans Account
After hearing Bad Bhabieallegedly made over $53 million using the OnlyFans platform, former basketball player, Shaquille O’Neal jokingly stated that he, too, would join the platform.
Amid reports last week, Bhad Bhabie, the young woman who first appeared on the Dr. Phil Show several years ago as a troubled teenager, produced receipts showing she made $53 million from OnlyFans. The young girl’s appearance on the show quickly went viral after she told audience members “Catch me outside.”
The phrase instantly made her famous because it sounded more like “cash me ousside.” From then on, Bhad Bhabie became known as the “Cass me ousside” girl. She became an internet star turned rapper and now OnlyFans “model.”
According to Essentially Sports, on a recent episode of “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” the former rapper, along with Anthony ‘Spice’Adams and Nischelle Turner, discussed the viral sensation. After hearing the news of how much she allegedly profited on the platform, Shaquille O’Neal had an epiphany.
“I’ll tell you what. Nischelle, start me an OnlyFans and me, you and Spice will split it three-ways,” he said.
“No, for real, have your sister start an OnlyFans for my toes, and we’ll split the money three-ways. Nischelle, I’m serious. Have your girl set an OnlyFans for my toes. You know what we gonna call it? Toes before bros! No, no, no put OnlyFans /there’s toes in the house, there’s toes in this house.”
Whether the TNT announcer will actually open an account is unknown. But it looks like he’s not going anywhere near the poor house anytime soon. Just last month, the successful business owner expanded his fast-casual chicken restaurant franchise, Big Chicken, after inking a 50-unit deal in Texas.
According to QSR magazine, Big Chicken will open shop in four of the largest Texas markets: Houston, Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin.
Infatuation? In New Video with Rapper Future, Kanye West ‘Keeps It Burnin’ for Kim Kardashian
Apparently, Kanye West‘s fire still burns with love for his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.
Rapper Future released his latest album, Never Liked You, which features a collaboration with the still infatuated Ye. The song, “Keep It Burnin,” and the accompanying video were released Friday.. As Ye has done with his most recent songs, he talks about the love he has for Kardashian without mentioning her name.
Ye speaks on life events while referencing his children’s mother in the song. He subtly mentions buying a house next to Kardashian and insinuates his next presidential run, and his “spouse” being with him in 2024.
“Imma buy a home next to your home if I miss you,” he sings.
“Rubbin’ on your ass, but your mouth is the issue. When you run for ’24, I bet your spouse gon’ be with you. Who put this together? Me, that’s who. ‘We did it, Joe,’ but what they really do?”
At least in this latest reference, he is not attacking Kardashian’s current boyfriend, Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson.
In a previous collaboration with the rapper The Game, “Eazy,” Ye spoke violently of harming Davidson in not one video but two videos. The first of the two videos showed the controversial artist revealing disturbing images in claymation figures. The video clip shows a claymation version of Ye kidnapping and burying alive the SNL comedian.
In the second video for “Eazy,” there emerged caricature of Davidson being attacked. There is a skinned monkey on the cover of the single, and it is prominent in the video.
Ye says in the song, “God saved me from that crash/Just so I can beat Pete Davidson’s ass,” and that’s when an animated figure wearing a red sweatsuit with a hoodie appears on the screen. Across the chest, the nickname Ye gave Davidson, “Skete,” is written, and the face is blurred.
The skinned monkey kicks and then jumps on the “man” and continuously punches him in the face as the song goes on.
Gabrielle Union and Zaya Wade Want to Remove ‘Toxic’ Beauty Advice From Social Media
Gabrielle Union and stepdaughter Zaya Wade have come together to inspire their social media followers to remove “toxic beauty advice” from their timelines.
In partnership with Dove, Union and Zaya posted a short video clip explaining their part in promoting self-love to the masses.
“Don’t follow anyone into thinking you’re not beautiful,” Union captioned the video post.
“Join us & the @Dove Self-Esteem project to #DetoxYourFeed. #DovePartner.”
Union and Zaya stood side-by-side in solidarity to shoot the short motivational clip that encourages social media users to “mute” or simply “unfollow” anyone or anything that makes them question their appearance.
“We’ve all seen toxic beauty advice on social media and we think it’s time we ended it,” the duo said.
“If a post tells you, you’re not pretty enough, unfollow. If someone says natural hair is ugly, mute. If you see anything that makes you feel like you’re not beautiful, simply remove it from your feed.”
“I won’t follow anyone into thinking I’m not beautiful,” Zaya noted. “We don’t want you to either.”
The message was part of the Wade’s involvement in the Dove Self-Esteem Project that encourages parents to talk to their teenagers about recognizing and avoiding toxic beauty advice on social media, Blavity reported.
“The Dove Self-Esteem Project, along with influential voices like Gabrielle Union and Zaya Wade, have joined forces to launch #DetoxYourFeed–a NEW campaign aiming to expose toxic beauty advice on social media, while empowering teens to define their own beauty standards, choose their own influences, and encourage them to unfollow anything that doesn’t make them feel good about themselves,” Dove said in a statement.
Gabrielle and Zaya’s video message comes a few weeks after the family faced criticism for allowing Zaya to post a photo kissing her boyfriend at the family’s Easter celebration. Many have voiced their strong opinions about Dwyane Wade allowing Zaya to transition at a young age.
Simms, the CEO of Lobos 1707, has teamed up with Erin Harris and Dan Sanborn to create Pronghorn, which will add diversity, equity, and inclusion to the alcohol industry while also generating wealth and driving acquisitions. Pronghorn will act as a business accelerator, making capital investments and providing assistance, industry-leading expertise, and resources to those interested.
Simms told Forbes the company is named after the second fastest land animal as a sign of its dedication and long-term goals
“A band is a term used to describe a group of pronghorn. Our business serves as a constant reminder that by working together, we can accomplish more. Our program is designed to have a positive impact on the ecosystem as a whole,” Simms said.
Simms, Harris, and Sanborn have previous experience in the liquor industry, working to grow Sean “Puffy” Combs Ciroc vodka brand. The Pronghorn team has a wealth of experience in branding, operations, content development, finance culture, and economics and plans to generate more than $2 billion in revenue for the Black community.
Between 2005 and 2021 the U.S. spirits industry generated more than $35 billion. In recent years, Black owned-companies have popped up across the country, including Uncle Nearest Whiskey and Du Nord Social Spirits, the first Black-owned distillery in the U.S.
Pronghorn is working to bring down barriers to access in the liquor industry, including access to capital by enabling entrepreneurship. They plan to achieve their goal within a decade by addressing the employment gap, building a successful talent pool, and partnering with HBCUs, Black business bureaus, and Black professional organizations to recruit and develop those interested in the field.
“We’re starting with the Black community and the spirits industry with the goal of systemizing and effectively diversifying an industry,” Simms said. “The parts of the discussion about economic engineering and entrepreneurship are the quietest when, in fact, I think they are the most critical. I believe they are the key to unlocking true equity. These are the necessary components for pro rider representation in 10 years, so that our community is represented equally on all sides of the spectrum, both as a consumer and with consumption, as well as in leadership at all levels, from intern to C-suite.”
Houston Mayor Proclaims May 2 ‘Megan Thee Stallion Day,’ Gives Her Key to City
Megan Thee Stallion‘s hard work and dedication to the city of Houston has paid off in the form of her own day and a key to the city.
On Sunday, Mayor Sylvester Turner held a ceremony awarding Megan a key to the city and declared Monday, May 2, 2022, as ‘Megan Thee Stallion Day’ in the city of Houston, Click 2 Houston reports. The date commemorates the birthday of Megan’s late mother, Holly Thomas.
The “Savage” hitmaker shared a heartfelt Instagram post announcing the big news.
“Came home real quick to get THEE KEY TO THEE CITY 🤘🏾 and in honor of my mother and grandmother’s birthday MAY 2ND is officially MEGAN THEE STALLION DAY IN HOUSTON TX,” she captioned her post.
She went on to thank the mayor for the major accolade and vowed to “continue to give back to the city that made me who I am today.”
Born Megan Pete in San Antonio, Texas, on February 15, 1995, the Texas native has always attributed many of her accomplishments to the city of Houston. It was her late mother who served as her initial inspiration as a female lyricist.
She graduated from Texas Southern University while climbing up the music charts. Mayor Turner selected the Grammy award-winning rapper because of her philanthropic contributions through her non-profit Pete and Thomas Foundation.
Named after her parents, Megan uses the foundation to strengthen education, housing, health, and wellness in the community.
“Megan Thee Stallion has an extraordinary entertainment career, but we wanted to honor her for what she does offstage to lift people’s lives in underserved communities,” Turner said.
“She assisted people after the 2021 winter storm, during the pandemic, and helped those struggling with homelessness. I look forward to watching her grow as an artist and humanitarian.”
As part of her key to the city ceremony, Megan awarded three people $5,000 each to go toward their personal endeavors.
