Minnesota Opens First Black-Owned Bank in Minneapolis
Minnesota marked a milestone on Tuesday when the state opened its first Black-owned bank in the city of Minneapolis.
On Tuesday, Minnesota’s financial community came together to open its first Black-owned bank in a huge step toward addressing the state’s income and wealth disparities, MPR News reports. The new bank is owned by Detroit-based First Independence Bank and is its first expansion outside the state of Michigan in its more than 50 years in business.
The bank now sits where a former Wells Fargo Bank branch once operated near Highway 280 and University Avenue. The expansion was met with support from other banking institutions, including Wells Fargo, Bremer Bank, Huntington, Bank of America, and U.S. Bank, Fox 9 reports.
The head of the branch shared his pride in leading the new bank as the state makes strides toward inclusion.
“I grew up on the south side; I am a product of that,” said Damon Jenkins, senior vice president and Twin Cities regional market president of First Independence Bank.
“Selfishly I wanted to be in a seat of influence to help people who look like me,” Jenkins added.
Bank CEO Kenneth Kelly noted the state’s high racial wealth gap rate and history of discriminatory loan practices that negatively impact the Black community.
“Those things are true, and that’s one reason that it was important to us, to look at seeing how we can help solve those issues,” Kelly said.
Jenkins is hopeful about the bank’s future and the community development it will bring about.
“We’re Black-owned, but we’re not Black-only. And so we’re hopeful that we can have relationships to not just consist of BIPOC communities or Black communities, but all communities even beyond the Twin Cities. I’m hopeful that we can establish relationships across Minnesota,” Jenkins said.
A second branch of the Black-owned bank is slated to open later this summer on Lake Street and Hiawatha Avenue in South Minneapolis.
Black Cannabis Entrepreneurs Getting Smoked Out, Account For Less Than 2% Of The Industry
Black people have long been the targets of the war on drugs, but as the cannabis market is becoming in more states, Black cannabis entrepreneurs are being left behind.
According to Leafly’s Jobs Report 2021, the legal cannabis industry supports more than 321,000 full-time jobs; Black cannabis entrepreneurs make up less than 2% of the nation’s cannabis.
The report adds the prevalence of Black cannabis business owners varies from state to state, but Black cannabis entrepreneurs are few and far between. In Michigan, 3.8 percent of cannabis entrepreneurs are Black. In Nevada, that rate is 5.1 percent and in Colorado just 2.7 percent.
Even in states that have equity and inclusion programs as part of their cannabis framework and programs specifically designed to assist entrepreneurs from marginalized communities, Black cannabis entrepreneurs are still struggling to establish a footprint in the industry.
Massachusetts was the first state to establish diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts in its cannabis framework. However, in 2020 just 11 cannabis licenses went to the 143 participants of the state’s social equity program. According to the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission, in 2021, 73 percent of active executives, owners, employees, and volunteers of cannabis establishments were white and 64 percent were male.
New Jersey, which also has a DEI framework, began the sale of legal cannabis at 13 locations in the state on April 21. However, according to Ami Kachalia of the New Jersey ACLU, none of those locations that sold cannabis on the first day were Black-owned but instead are largely multi-state operators.
“There were a few existing medical marijuana alternative treatment centers (dispensaries) here in New Jersey that were approved to start selling cannabis those cannabis businesses are several multi-state operators and at the moment none of them are black-owned businesses,” Ami Kachalia of the New Jersey ACLU said in a statement to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “What I will say is most of those businesses predate when New Jersey legalized cannabis and now there’s a new cannabis Regulatory Commission that’s responsible for governing the industry, the licenses and all of the regulations and they have recently added several conditional licenses for cannabis businesses that have a much more diverse pool that includes minorities, women, disabled veterans and people with prior records for marijuana-related charges.”
Lack Of Funding Is Still A Large Issue For Black Cannabis Entrepreneurs
In addition to the issues surrounding getting a license, one of the main reasons Black cannabis entrepreneurs are struggling to start their businesses is the same reason Black entrepreneurs in any industry struggle.
“One of the reasons I think we see Black ownership decreasing over time has to do with regulatory requirements and access to capital,” Perry Salzhauer, founding partner of the Green Light Law Group, told Fortune.
Many of the social equity programs drafted by states do not assist Black and minority entrepreneurs with the financial side of the business or the associated costs with starting a legal cannabis operation. Blaze reports that it can cost $250,000 upfront to start a legal cannabis business as just the rent for a cannabis warehouse can cost six figures per year and often carry multi-year leases.
“When it comes to building equity in a cannabis industry both here in New Jersey and across the country it has to be built into the industry from the very start and there has to be a comprehensive and robust plan to achieve equity,” Kachalia added. “That’s not only talking about prioritizing the inclusion of people with prior records minorities and disabled veterans but also providing the kind of financial resources and access to Capital which we know is a huge barrier to entry as well as technical assistance so that people can start and grow their business and be successful.”
Some states have considered financial assistance when setting up their cannabis framework. In Ohio, it is a legal requirement that 15 percent of the state’s medical cannabis licenses must be awarded to a person identifying as Hispanic, Asian, Native American, or African American.
Oakland’s Equity Permit Program states half of the city’s cannabis licenses must go to those who have been convicted of cannabis-related charges. Meanwhile, New York is giving its first 100 cannabis licenses to Black people with cannabis-related felonies and the state has set up a $200 million social equity fund to help those entrepreneurs set up their businesses.
Mother-Daughter Duo Sets Stage Ablaze On Reality Series ‘Come Dance With Me’
She’s a multi-hyphenate in the entertainment industry. And she’s only 11 years old.
An artist, actor, and socialite, Kamryn Smithhas made a name for herself as a professional dancer and her momma, Adriana Smith, has been with her every step of the way. Even onstage.
The mother-daughter duo from Phoenix, Arizona, is stunning TV audiences with their effort against other dancing families on the competitive dance reality series, Come Dance With Me, presented by Philip Lawrence. To Cardi B’s hit “Up,'” Adriana and Kamryn initially impressed the judges with an electrifying performance. The team, especially Adriana, set the stage ablaze with pops and locks, slides, chest pumps, and a lot of attitude.
In preparation for the show, the dream team practiced daily to deliver a quality performance.
“I whipped her [mom] into shape, but then she got better each week, and it really showed throughout all the dances,” Kamryn said jokingly, Blavity reported. “My favorite part of dancing with my mom is I know that she has my back, and if we look stupid, we look stupid together.”
Kamryn, a Soul Shock Dancer, is no stranger to the dance competition life. Before her Come Dance With Me debut, she appeared on season 8 of Abby Miller‘s hit TV show, Dance Moms, three years ago. But her experience on the show featured racial discrimination by Miller. The Philadelphia dance instructor later apologized to the Smiths.
Since leaving the show, Kamryn told Blavity Come Dance With Me is fun and “fosters a “positive environment and encouragement.”
Adriana, on the other hand, is a digital creator with an Instagram page called “Kamryn and Adriana,” where she shares photos and dancing videos of herself and her daughter.
For her performance, Twitter lit up with compliments and encouragement.
Rares, Social Sneaker Investment Platform, Launches ‘Hype Drop L Club’ NFT Membership Program for SNKRS App Lottery Losers
Rares, the only platform focused solely on collectible sneakers as alternative assets, today announces the launch of its first NFT project, the Hype Drop L Club membership program.
The company is taking a unique approach to mobilize and incentivize the global community of sneaker fans who have taken L’s on Nike’s SNKRS App, giving them a chance to turn a usually unpleasant experience into something meaningful and valuable that they own.
Participants are able to turn weekly losses into virtual wins with real-world value on Rares. The NFTs are built on Flow Blockchain, a next-generation blockchain designed for consumer-friendly applications, and will be equipped with utilities including free and discounted sneakers, investment credits on the Rares platform, retail discount codes and more.
“Sneaker enthusiasts are often frustrated by the Hype Drop sneaker lottery system currently in place for buying shoes and left disappointed by losses week after week, we wanted to make this experience more lighthearted and fun, building a community of like-minded people around it with a collective voice,” said Gerome Sapp, chief executive officer, and founder at Rares.
“The Hype Drop L Club makes it pay to be a loser! The program encourages participants to poke fun at the expense of everyone who has taken a loss on the SNKRS App, including themselves! We’re excited to tap into a broader demographic of individuals that would engage with NFTs if it was easy and served a beneficial purpose for them. The Hype Drop L Club will act as an AAA for sneakerheads, offering partner rewards with enticing utilities for members.”
Weekly L NFTs will be released alongside SNKRS’ weekly lotteries and will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. The quicker an individual submits their SNKRS App L, the more access they have to that week’s NFTs. The Hype Drop L Club will launch with two initial NFT levels, Diamond and Club. The Diamond Level L NFTs, the most scarce and valuable, are limited each week to the first 100 individuals who submit screenshots of their SNKRS App L. The Club Level L NFT, though still valuable, isn’t as scarce. They are reserved for the 101-1000 people to submit their SNKRS App L each week. The Club Level NFTs cost $5.00, while the Diamond Level NFTs are $60.00.
“Rares is a perfect example of why the coolest brands in the space continue to flock to Flow to support their consumer-facing experiences,“ said Stephanie A. Smellie, vice president of Content Partnerships at Dapper Labs.
“Just like sneaker enthusiasts have experienced frustration with the current lottery system in place for buying shoes, consumers have found the same friction points as they attempt to onboard to Blockchain. But with Flow we’ve solved this issue, making it as easy for consumers to engage and purchase NFTs as anything else. We’re thrilled to be working with Rares to help introduce their game changing offering to sneaker fans around the globe.”
All it takes to join the Hype Drop L Club is to text or email a screenshot of the loss from the SNKRS App for that week’s lottery within 24 hours. After submission, users are automatically added to the club with a $20 credit on the Rares platform and a link to join an exclusive discord for members. The Hype Drop L Club is a community and offers additional utilities based on individual participation levels. Utilities are unlocked based on continued participation through a point system, allowing club members who accumulate frequent L’s each week access to higher-level rewards. Rewards designed to benefit sneaker and investment enthusiasts will be added regularly. Rares expects its NFT offerings will quickly evolve to include special one-offs with additional utility down the road and will announce new NFTs as they become available.
Rares is a U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (S.E.C.) regulated mobile platform enabling users to safely and securely invest in sneaker culture by buying and trading shares. The platform IPOs some of the rarest sneakers in the world, allowing for fractional ownership. Each shoe listed with Rares holds historical and cultural significance, including the 2008 Grammy-Worn Yeezy 1 Prototype, 1990s $Apple Sneaker, 1985 Air Jordan 1 “Chicago Bulls After and many more. Rares sees a future where sneakers are viewed not only as a viable investment asset but as unique and collectible art pieces, in both physical and NFT forms.
The Hype Drop L Club is not associated with either Nike or the Nike SNKRS App.
Harvard University Commits $100 Million To Study Its Ties To Slavery
Harvard University will spend $100 million to study its historic ties to slavery, becoming the latest university to acknowledge its seedy past.
The university released a report on its ties to slavery Tuesday along with a list of recommendations to atone for its past, including an “Endowed Legacy of Slavery Fund” to fund new programs. The report also requested Harvard “identify, engage, and support” direct descendants of enslaved workers, which included Black and Native Americans.
“The report makes plain that slavery in America was by no means confined to the South,” Harvard President Lawrence S. Bacow said in a message to the university community. “It was embedded in the fabric and the institutions of the North, and it remained legal in Massachusetts until the Supreme Judicial Court ruled it unconstitutional in 1783.”
The report also recommends Harvard establish and maintain a closer relationship with HBCUs in part through the creation of the Du Bois Scholars Program, which will subsidize semester, summer, or yearlong visits for HBCU students to study at Harvard.
In an appendix to the report, Harvard acknowledged 70 people who were documented as being owned by Harvard staff or donors. The report recommends creating a permanent physical memorial on campus to recognize the work and effort of the university’s enslaved people.
Harvard joins the Princeton Theological Seminary, Brown University, and the Jesuit Catholic order in studying, acknowledging, and atoning for the way slavery played a part in their histories. Many of Harvard’s previous presidents, faculty members, and significant donors who owned slaves have their names etched on buildings, plaques, and significant landmarks on campus today.
Other schools of higher learning that have acknowledged they owned slaves include Columbia University, Dartmouth College, Barnard College, Johns Hopkins, Rutgers University, and the University of Virginia.
The Black student population at Harvard today is less than six percent, according to Data USA.
Biden Appoints Dr. Ala Stanford to Regional Director of Health and Human Services
On Tuesday, President Biden appointed Dr. Ala Stanford as the new regional director for the Department of Health and Human Services.
The appointment comes six months after Stanford withdrew her name from consideration to be Philadelphia’s next health commissioner, WHYY reports. Stanford is credited with founding the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium during the earliest days of the pandemic.
Stanford will lead the department’s Region 3 office, covering all of Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.
The White House says Stanford’s new position, along with three other appointments, are “consistent with the President’s commitment to building an administration that looks like America, these regional appointees represent the diversity of America and the communities they serve.”
“These regional appointees will be critical to the President’s efforts to rebuild communities most impacted by the pandemic, the economic recovery, and climate change,” the White House said.
“They bring deep expertise in their issue areas as well as critical relationships with federal, state, tribal, and local leaders. And, consistent with the President’s commitment to building an administration that looks like America, these regional appointees represent the diversity of America and the communities they serve,” the statement said.
Stanford holds accreditations from the American Board of Surgery in pediatric and adult general surgery. She is the former director of the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities of Temple University School of Medicine. She sits on the CDC Philadelphia Department of Public Health COVID19 Vaccine Advisory Committee.
Since founding the Consortium, Stanford has received numerous accolades, including being named a 2021 Top 10 CNN Hero and 2021 George H.W. Bush Points of Light Award recipient, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
A 10,000-square-foot clinic that opened last fall in the Swampoodle section of Philadelphia was also named in her honor.
Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey applauded Stanford’s appointment on Twitter.
“As founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, she has saved lives & improved health outcomes across Philadelphia,” Casey wrote. “I know she will lead with distinction as the nation continues to recover.”
I applaud @POTUS for appointing Dr. @alastanford to serve as Director of @hhsregion3. As founder of the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium, she has saved lives & improved health outcomes across Philadelphia. I know she will lead with distinction as the Nation continues to recover.
Aht Aht! C-Span Caller Interrupted After Referring to Black and Asian Guests As ‘Colored People’
One C-SPAN caller had their time cut (mercifully) short after they referred to the Black and Asian guest panelists as “colored people.”
Ebony McMorris, a White House correspondent for American Urban Radio Networks, and Nicholas Wu, a Politico congressional reporter, appeared on Washington Journal Monday to discuss the week’s news headlines. But host Pedro Echevarria had to interrupt one caller from Tennessee who used a derogatory racial term against his guests, NextSharkreported
“I want to know if we can cut out some of these liberal things that are going on in America, just like on the TV now, we have two minorities. And I’m not against you minorities…” the caller said before Echevarria interjected.
“Caller, that shouldn’t be a factor. The guests we invite to our program we did invite, so what’s your question or comment for them, please?” Echevarria responded.
“When I was a little boy, listen, I’m 83 years old. I was a little boy, the colored people …” the caller continued before being stopped by Echevarria.
“OK, we’re going to stop it there,” Echevarria said. “Apologies for that.”
The moment gained more attention after Benjamin Pu of NBC News shared the clip on Twitter to applaud the host and panelists’ “restraint.”
“”when I was younger, I could be as racist & awful as I wanted to be & no one said sh*t to me. Why can we go back to that?” is a hell of a life philosophy,” one user wrote in response.
“Anyone who is a “product of their time” should also be a product of all the times they’ve lived through,” added someone else.
Wu responded to the clip and gave a special shoutout to Echevarria saying, “Props to Pedro too for being the most patient host I’ve ever seen on TV.”
Props to Pedro too for being the most patient host I’ve ever seen on tv
McNorris did the same while offering what was going through her head during the awkward exchange.
“I was trying to hold it in, but I promise you I felt all my ancestors rush through my body,” she tweeted. “[Wu] was right Pedro was a master at intercepting that. Next time the response may be different.”
@BenPu_nbc@juwanthewriter I was trying to hold it in, but I promise you I felt all my ancestors rush through my body. @nicholaswu12 was right Pedro was a master at intercepting that. Next time the response may be different.
This Florida Teen Will Be The First Black Male Salutatorian At His High School
Florida teen Jeremiah Daniels, IV set a goal for his senior year of high school and smashed it.
The upcoming graduate made monumental strides to be named salutatorian at Boca Ciega High School in Gulfport, Florida. He will be the first Black male to hold the second-highest ranking in his graduating class in the school’s 69-year history, News Onyx reports. He will be graduating with a 4.6 GPA.
“I’m just glad for the opportunity to be able to create Black history and be a part of something bigger,” Daniels told Fox 13 Tampa Bay.
His mother, Brittney Daniels, said her son’s achievement was a milestone he had wanted to achieve since the start of his high school career. She also noted how well he excelled in his academics from an early age.
“He told his father and I four years ago that he wanted to be the salutatorian, and we knew that he could achieve it in the end. For him to work at it, year after year, straight As, since third grade,” Daniels said, per the news outlet.
She added: “He’s very academically inclined. As a kindergartner, he taught himself how to get on a laptop, get on a computer and go onto programs by himself.”
The young scholar credits his growing capacities to his teachers for motivating him to learn and accomplish his goals.
“I would say the teachers, for sure, that definitely challenged me, on the challenges itself, like learning something new and being able to say, ‘I can understand it,’ and actually being able to use it and apply it to different situations,” Jeremiah said.
After graduation, Jeremiah is heading to Florida State University this fall. He will be majoring in computer engineering.
In creating Black history, Jeremiah advises, “don’t let obstacles stop being a way and just continue to grow and push through.” He did just that.
Morris Brown College Regains Full Accreditation In Unanimous Vote After 20-Year Hiatus
After a 20-year hiatus, Morris Brown College is now celebrating its full accreditation.
BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported that the Atlanta HBCU received accreditation candidacy from the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS) late last year. At the time President Dr. Kevin James, called it a “new day for Morris Brown College.”
On Tuesday, TRACS granted the 141-year-old college full accreditation in an unanimous vote, CBS 46 reported.
An elated James said that Morris Brown is the only college in the country to regain full accreditation and funding after a 20-year journey without it.
“Morris Brown College just made history,” Dr. James told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “We’re excited about it. A lot of people had written us off. But due to a lot of hard work and dedication, we were able to regain our accreditation.”
Following a rigorous review, the re-accreditation is a step toward enrolling more students at Morris Brown College and obtaining more opportunities for students to apply for federal loans, work study, and Pell grants, the Journal-Constitutionreported. In addition, students can now graduate with accredited degrees.
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools renounced Morris Brown’s accreditation in 2002 due to the school’s enormous debt—more than $30 million dollars.bTo date, there are 107 HBCUs in the U.S. recognized by the Department of Education. Of those 107, three are currently closed and two are at risk of losing their accreditation, according to records.
James has made other ambitious efforts toward the college’s improvement. From new programs and partnerships, Morris Brown is also looking forward to the development of a new hotel and hospitality management program on the campus, a first for any HBCU.
Founded in 1881, Morris Brown College was the first institution of higher education in Georgia created by Black people for Black students. It currently offers a number of bachelor of arts and science degrees in hospitality management, music, and psychology. It also offers certificates in business entrepreneurship, eSports, and nonprofit management.
The American Black Film Festival Announces 2022 Feature, Documentary and Web Series Lineup
The 2022 American Black Film Festival (ABFF) today announced its lineup of narrative and documentary features and web series. This year’s festival format returns as a hybrid with live events June 15-19 in Miami, Fla., followed by virtual panels and screenings June 20-30 on the festival’s custom-built online platform ABFF PLAY.
The Features program includes Narrative competitions (U.S. and international), World Premieres and first-time directors representing a diverse group of independent filmmakers from around the globe. The lineup offers a mixture of thought-provoking, entertaining and authentic stories that uplift and highlight Black culture.
The festival opens with the documentary “CIVIL,” an intimate vérité look at the life of maverick civil rights attorney Ben Crump. Considered a trailblazer of his field, “CIVIL” gives viewers an inside look at Crump’s mission to raise the value of Black life. As the civil lawyer for the families of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Black farmers and banking while Black victims, Crump challenges America to come to terms with what it owes his clients. The film is directed and produced by award-winning filmmaker Nadia Hallgren (Becoming, After Maria, The Show). Produced by Kenya Barris, Roger Ross Williams and Lauren Cioffi. The Netflix release of “CIVIL” will premiere on Juneteenth (June 19) this year.
(Image: Instagram/ABFF)
“We are thrilled to open the festival with “CIVIL,” a timely documentary bringing light to issues of social justice and equity in America,” said Nicole Friday, festival producer and president of ABFF Ventures LLC.
“We’ve curated an entertaining and thought-provoking lineup of features, documentaries and web series and I am so excited to share our content with a live audience again.”
Universally considered the premiere festival for Black storytellers and storytelling, ABFF presents a wide range of independent films, studio and network previews, a series of talk events, master classes, live entertainment and more. The festival continues to spotlight talent both in front of and behind the camera and provide a platform for emerging artists to tell their stories.
The full feature, documentary and web series lineup is listed below and here.
Finalists for the HBO Short Film Award presented by Warner Bros. Discovery and HBO will be announced at a later date. For more updates on the complete list of programming of the 2022 American Black Film Festival, in the coming week, follow us. #ABFF2022 @ABFF on Twitter, @AmericanBlackFilmFestival on Instagram, Facebook and ABFF’s website.
Narrative features (U.S. and international)
A competitive section for U.S. and international feature-length films directed by or written and produced by persons of African descent. Films in this category are eligible to be nominated to compete for the following Jury Awards — Best Director (presented by Cadillac, $5,000 cash prize), Best Narrative Feature (presented by Sony, $2,500 cash prize), and Best Screenplay (presented by TV One, $2,500 cash prize). In addition, if a person of African descent has directed a film in this section and it is their first feature, they will be eligible to compete for the John Singleton Award for Best First Feature (presented by Netflix, $5,000 cash prize).
The following films represent the 2022 official selections in the Narrative Features category:
Between Sins *world premiere
Faced with the responsibilities of an ill mother and estranged daughter, Coy searches for redemption for past sins while trying to avoid the pitfalls that could lead to repeating them.
USA | 83 min
Director: Carlos Miller
Writer: Carlos Miller
Producers: Tyler Cheatham, Carlos Gonzalez, Carlos Miller
2020 comes with enough challenges of its own, but as four best friends each attempt to overcome their own trying situations, they are left unsure if the group can survive.
CANADA | 98 min
Director: Ron Dias
Writers: Joanne Jansen, Ron Dias
Producers: Joanne Jansen, Ron Dias
Cast: Jayne Kamara, Ryan Rosery, Orville Cummings, Nathan Taylor
Escaping Paradise *world premiere
A young couples’ anniversary trip turns deadly in a foreign land.
PHILIPPINES | 91 min
Director: Paul Tanter
Writer: Deji LaRay
Producers: Thomas Q. Jones, Deji LaRay, DeNorvious Pickett
Cast: Deji LaRay, Simon Phillips, Shayla Hale
Feel Like Ghosts *world premiere
Two recent exes with an undeniable connection confront what could have been if their cultural differences hadn’t pushed them to new lives on opposite coasts.
USA | 100 min
Director: Kali Baker-Johnson
Writer: Kali Baker-Johnson
Producer: Lola Ridgell
Cast: Nican Robinson, Misha Molani
God of Dreams *U.S. festival premiere
Welcome to the future, where dreaming is Illegal.
USA | 104 min
Director: Jurian Isabelle
Writer: Jurian Isabelle
Producers: Jurian Isabelle, Joe Langford
Cast: Ann Nesby, Julia Reilly, Jessie Reeder, Keshawn Pettigrew, Omar Cook
Our Father, the Devil
An African immigrant’s quiet life in a small French town is upended by the arrival of a charismatic Catholic priest, whom she recognizes as the warlord who slaughtered her family.
USA | FRANCE | 108 min
Director: Ellie Foumbi
Writer: Ellie Foumbi
Producers: Ellie Foumbi, Joseph Mastantuono
Cast: Babetida Sadjo, Souleymane Sy Savané, Jennifer Tchiakpe
Scheme Queens *world premiere
Four friends who are down on their luck decide to rob a ruthless Rastafarian jewel thief by conning his second in command.
USA | 94 min
Director: Cas Sigers Beedles
Writer: Cas Sigers Beedles
Producers: Cas Sigers Beedles, Ernestine Johnson
Cast: B. Simone, Ernestine Johnson, Brii Reneé, Jacky Oh
Survival
A car-jacked mother and entrepreneur is forced to bond with her violent assailant in order to escape.
USA | 90 min
Director: Damon Jamal
Writers: Damon Jamal, Dave Eisenstark
Producers: Leah Daniels Butler, Henry Black Butler, Damone Smith, Damon Jamal
Cast: Elise Neal, Demetrius Grosse, Dylan McNamara, Miguel A. Nuñez Jr.
Cast: Juhahn Jones, Apryl Jones, LisaRaye, Audra Kinkead, Michael Colyar
Documentary features
A competitive section for nonfiction feature films directed by persons of African descent or centered on the culture and experiences of persons of African descent. Films in this category are eligible to be nominated to compete for the Jury Award for Best Documentary (presented by Amazon, $2,500 cash prize). The following films represent the 2022 official selections in the Documentary Features category:
A Woman on the Outside
Kristal is a young, ambitious Philadelphian driven to keep families connected to their incarcerated loved ones. But when her father and brother return from prison, she confronts the ultimate question: can she reunite her own family?
USA | 85 min
Directors: Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
Writer: Kiara C. Jones
Producers: Kiara C. Jones, Zara Katz, Lisa Riordan Seville
Cast: Kristal Bush, Nyvae Scott, Kristal Speaks
American Immigrants *world premiere
Being homeless is an experience not a person.
USA | 60 min
Director: Ken Miles
Writer: Ken Miles Producer: Ken Miles
Cast: Jorge Colina, Nathan White
Black As U R: a Micheal Rice film
Micheal Rice’s kaleidoscopic journey through the fault lines of race, gender and sexuality in America.
USA | 87 min
Director: Micheal Rice
Writer: Micheal Rice
Producer: Edward Radford
Executive Producers: Micheal Rice, Gerald Oxford
Cast: Micheal Rice, Dr. Charlene Sinclair, Michael Roberson
Blind Eye Artist *world premiere
The origin story of painter Justin Wadlington, blind in his left eye.
USA | 76 min
Director: Ashwin Chaudhary
Producers: Ashwin Chaudhary, Jonathan Korn, Justin Wadlington
Cast: Justin Wadlington, Glenn Fuhrman
Drowning in Silence
A mother goes on a healing journey to investigate the silent epidemic of childhood drowning after losing her son.
USA | 81 min
Director: Chezik Tsunoda
Writers: Chezik Tsunoda, Claire Ave’Lallemant
Producers: Hill Harper, Joe Beshenkovsky, Chezik Tsunod
Let The Church Say *world premiere
In a time of racial upheaval and a multitude of woes affecting marginalized communities, a young African American filmmaker journeys to the heart of the Black experience to find the answer to a daunting question: Is the Black church dead?
USA | 70 min
Director: Rafiq J Nabali
Writer: Rafiq J Nabali
Producers: Joe Howell, Nancy Howard, Danielle Nebeliuk
Cast: Jekalyn Carr, Dr. Teresa Fry Brown, Dr. Walter Fluker, Darlene McCoy
Lovely Jackson *world premiere
America’s longest wrongfully held exonerated prisoner, Rickey Jackson, returns to the prison where his 39-year journey of survival began and guides his younger self from death row to freedom.
USA | 104 min
Director: Matt Waldeck
Writers: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck
Producers: Rickey Jackson, Matt Waldeck, Jillian Wolstein, Ben Hecht, Travis Killian
Cast: Rickey Jackson, Edward Vernon, Pr. Anthony Singleton, Mario Beverly, Devito Parker Jr.
The Young Vote *world premiere
Filmmaker Diane Robinson follows a diverse group of students and activists during the 2020 election to understand young peoples’ perceptions of voting and civic engagement.
USA | 67 min
Director: Diane Robinson
Writer: Diane Robinson
Producer: Diane Robinson
Cast: Ariana Tulay, Dariel Cruz Rodriguez, Elena Ashburn, Liz Magallanes, Sophia DeLoretto-Chudy, John King, Bradley Tusk, Jeremy Gruber
Web series
A competitive section for short-form episodic television directed by or produced and written by persons of African descent. Each series in this section will compete for the Jury Award for Best Web Series (presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, $2,500 cash prize).
The following are the 2022 official selections in the Web Series category:
Bourn Kind: The Tiny Kindness Project
A Black/Jewish artist creates a project of kindness to celebrate connection in his community.
USA | 12 min
Director: Rachel Myers
Writer: Rachel Myers
Producer: Tamika Lamison, Connie Jo Sechrist, Rachel Myers
Cast: Bourn Rich
Dreamers
The zany misadventures of two sisters navigating the ups and downs of life, as artists, in the wild and unpredictable streets of La La Land.
USA | 7:30 min
Director: Kimberly Dooley
Writer: Kimberly Dooley
Producer: Kimberly Dooley
Cast: Kimberly Dooley, Dayna Dooley
I am Mara *world premiere
Striving to break free from a life of espionage, murder and destructive family ties, Mara sets out to fabricate a new life for herself, but soon realizes the truth will always reveal itself and all sins must be atoned for.
Cast: Candace Kirstin West, Keith Elgin Douglas, Alek President, Jose Navarro, Virginia Elliot, David Chin
Jonathan’s World*U.S. festival premiere
Boy genius sips magical potion causing him to obtain enhanced capabilities.
USA | 14 min
Director: Tyler D. Lambert
Writer: Tyler D. Lambert
Producer: Tyler D. Lambert
Cast: Tyler D. Lambert
Last Name Unknown*world premiere
Beyond Hope Youth Shelter’s homeless youth beat the odds, and find their place in society.
USA | 15 min
Director: Dui Jarrod
Writer: Dui Jarrod
Producers: Kevin “Coach K” Lee, Pierre “Pee” Thomas, Dui Jarrod, Chris Hicks,
David Blackman
Cast: Chakeefe Gordon, Erika Norrell, Braxton Jordan, Lindsey G. Smith
Layered, “Stalker” *world premiere
A series following three black women from Philadelphia, two of them Muslim, trying to break into the media industry while being met with challenges in mental health, faith and loss due to gun violence.
A six-year-old girl with aspirations of being an attorney puts her little brother on trial after she discovers her toy is inoperative.
USA | 12 min
Director: Sam Buckner III
Writer: Sam Buckner III
Producers: Sam Buckner, Samantha O. Buckner
Cast: Sophia Dejesus, London Sinead, Wyatt Hinz, Ayani Tamar, Brandon. L Ward,
Alex Jackson
Mine
When the sudden disappearance of water — their main life source — threatens to upend a vibrant utopia, an intrepid teen named Blaze must save their community before it’s too late.
Producers: Randall Dottin, Angela Tucker, Paige Wood, Luisa Dantas, Rise-Home Stories Project, Anna Lee, Russell Hornsby
Cast: Russell Hornsby, Denny Dillon, Imani Russell, Kaya Fraites, Sunni Patterson
The Green Couch (Ep. 2) *world premiere
Psychologist Dr. Rhemington Lee engages patients in an unwitting experiment of truth as each convene on The Green Couch.
USA | 14:08 min
Director: Mirlande Amazan
Writer: Mirlande Amazan
Producer: Mirlande Amazan
Cast: Mirlande Amazan, Antuone Torbert; narrated by Gordon Greene
The Whippersnappers *world premiere
OG, Big Mama and Foegy, aka “The Oldheads,” growing tired of the same routine, decide to use technology to become younger.
USA | 4:56 min
Director: Ryan Cole
Writer: Ryan Cole
Producer: Ryan Cole
Cast: Ryan Cole
ABFF 2022 sponsors and partners to date include Warner Bros. Discovery & HBO® (Founding); Cadillac, City of Miami Beach, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Prime Video (Presenting); American Airlines, Comcast NBCUniversal, Meta, IMDb (Premier); ALLBLK, Prudential Financial, Variety, TV One, Netflix, Starz, Disney+ (Official); Accenture, Motion Pictures Association (MPA), A&E Indie Films, Springhill Company, The Boston Globe, Color of Change, Confluential Films (Supporting).
For festival information and to obtain an ABFF pass, visit www.abff.com. Pre-registration closes May 13.
