Musician and education advocate Pharrell Williams and actress Vanessa Bell Calloway are featured presenters in the virtual awards show.
The 1954 Project has raised nearly one-third of its $100 million goal through contributions from its founders, Don and Liz Thompson; the Walton Family Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and many other donors.
“For this year’s Luminary grants, we received over 200 applications from Black leaders in education,” said Liz Thompson, The CAFE Group president.
“We are so impressed by the caliber of the applicants that—in addition to the $5 million we’re awarding—we’re funding an additional $250K to outstanding finalists to further support the vast ecosystem of Black-led education nonprofits.”
2022 1954 Project Luminaries
Diversity in education
– Adrinda Kelly, Black Education for New Orleans.
– Supports Black educators and select Black-led schools in the Crescent City.
11-Year Old Business Mogul, Published Author Takes Writing Talents to TV With New Sitcom ‘Nick’s House’
Checking off titles ranging from global nonprofit owner to best-selling published author at just age 11, Nicholas Buamah recently channeled his knack and superpowers for writing, but in a much different way. He’s adding “Nick’s House” TV show creator, writer, and executive producer to his broad array of booming talents.
Nicholas may be the mastermind behind his new show “Nick’s House,” but he’s certainly not alone in bringing the sitcom to life. Award-winning TV veterans, like LaMont Ferrell and Reshaun Jones, are also helping him turn his dreams into a reality.
Directed and co-written by award-winning Hollywood producer Ferrel, “Nick’s House” is centered around Nicholas and his two friends, Janae Madison, and Cavanaugh Bell as they run a successful consulting firm assisting other young moguls out of Nicholas’s parents’ home. In production and set to debut in 2022, the show features well-known comedian, Boogie B. Montrell, as Buamah’s immature uncle who moves into the family home to help care for Nicholas while his parents are away on business. Nicholas’ adventurous and entrepreneurial-minded friends, who live nearby, visit frequently, adding to the fun chaos.
Ferrel–who has been recognized for his production work for renowned shows such as “Girlfriend’s,” “Moesha,” “The Office” and “Tyler Perry’s House of Payne”–will work alongside Buamah and the show’s associate producer Toiya Tillman, co-writer Reshaun Jones, and producer Gia Compton.
Nicholas and his powerhouse team are in the process of pitching the show to mainstream TV networks.
He has garnered many accolades to be proud of, one being honored by EGOT alumni, Whoopi Goldberg for Black History Month. He has also obtained global media attention for his nonprofit business savvy and philanthropic work at such a young age.
From donating school supplies to children through his nonprofit Books Without Borders Inc. to rendering health insurance services to over 1,500 Ghanaian children through the NHIS, Buamah has ignited an international presence and footprint in Ghana. Nicholas was recently named as ambassador to the Opemsuo Kid Radio Show for the Manhyia Palace Media in Kumasi, Ghana.
In case you missed it, Nicholas broke news headlines amid his memorable appearance on “The Steve Harvey Show,” where the show’s host purchased 555 books–for Nicholas’ nonprofit–to send to Ghana. He is the author of three children’s books, “Kayla & Kyle: The Walking Dictionaries” series and the holiday-themed book, “Is Santa Really Real?”
All three books are published and cataloged in the Library of Congress. To purchase his book(s) or to learn more about what Nicholas has on the horizon in 2022, visit NicholasBuamah.com
To stay up to date and to learn which network will showcase the new hit show, “Nick’s House,” follow @NicksHouseTV on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Wells Fargo Expands Efforts to Advance Racial Equity in Homeownership
Systemic inequities in the United States have prevented too many minority families from achieving their homeownership and wealth-building goals for too long.
As the largest bank home mortgage originator, and largest bank originator of home loans to minorities over the last decade, Wells Fargo believes it has a responsibility to develop solutions that help close the gap. As a next step in meeting that responsibility, Wells Fargo announced a new initiative to help advance racial equity in homeownership across the country. The company will develop a Special Purpose Credit Program (SPCP) to help minority homeowners, whose mortgages are currently serviced by Wells Fargo, refinance those mortgages.
Initially, through the program, Wells Fargo will identify eligible Black homeowners who could benefit from a refinance product, according to a press release. Wells Fargo will commit $150 million to lower mortgage rates and reduce the refinancing costs to help these homeowners further benefit from refinancing. This program goes beyond the usual lending programs and puts the company’s own money to work refinancing minority families’ homes. The company will assess its progress and will publicly disclose it annually.
Wells Fargo will also:
– Expand its partnerships with the National Urban League and UnidosUS to broaden community outreach efforts for this and other programs, provide homebuying readiness and counseling, and work to eliminate systemic obstacles that prevent many Black and Hispanic customers from achieving their homeownership goals.
– Commit, through the Wells Fargo Foundation, $60 million in “Wealth Opportunities Restored through Homeownership” (WORTH) grants projected to support 40,000 homeowners of color in eight markets that have significant homeownership gaps between white and minority families. WORTH grants will run through 2025 and will fund public-private partnerships that develop and implement plans to address the root causes of those homeownership gaps.
“Wells Fargo has long been a leader in lending to minority families. These efforts are an important next step and will help close the homeownership gap between white and minority families created by decades of systemic inequities,” said Kristy Fercho, CEO of Wells Fargo Home Lending.
“We are taking meaningful action by reimagining the homeownership journey to support minority families in realizing the dream of homeownership.”
In 2020, Wells Fargo was the largest bank lender for home mortgages to Black families. This is consistent with the company’s performance over the last decade (2011–2020) in which it helped as many Black families purchase homes as the next three largest bank lenders combined.
Additionally:
– Wells Fargo helped more Black homeowners refinance their mortgages in 2020 than any other bank.
– The 83% increase in the company’s refinance loans to Black homeowners in 2020 compared to 2019 also was by far the biggest gain among the largest banks.
– In 2021, Wells Fargo increased that total by 106% compared to 2020.
The company is a long-time leader in the housing finance industry:
– Between 2017 and 2021, Wells Fargo has helped more than 425,000 Black and Hispanic families achieve their homeownership goals with $110 billion in financing.
– Since 2019, Wells Fargo has allocated nearly $400 million to help address the housing affordability crisis in the country including homelessness, available and affordable rentals, transitional housing and homeownership.
– Since 2021, Wells Fargo Home Lending CEO, Kristy Fercho, has served as chair of the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA) and has led the Affordable Homeownership Workstream within the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency’s (OCC) Project REACh, a project to promote financial inclusion through greater access to credit and capital.
Carol’s Daughter and Mama Glow Foundation’s ‘Love Delivered’ Initiative Expands Doula Access for Black Birthing People
Love Delivered, the Black Maternal Health Initiative by Carol’s Daughter and its founder, Lisa Price, in partnership with the Mama Glow Foundation and its founder, the world-renowned Doula, Latham Thomas, jointly announced that year two of the program will continue to focus on providing access to doula care for Black birthing people.
Coinciding with Black Maternal Health Week (Apr. 11-17), the announcement reinforces the Love Delivered commitment to advocate alongside Black birthing people and babies when they are most vulnerable—before, during and after birth, according to a press release. Pregnant or recently postpartum birthing people located in the following cities: NYC (Metro-Area), Miami, Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Washington, D.C. can apply to receive complimentary Doula services here.
“Too many times Black birthing people are not heard during such a crucial moment in their lives. If something isn’t right, having an advocate or a doula can be lifesaving,” explained Lisa Price.
“My hope is that Black birthing people are heard and supported and that most of all, our lives are saved.”
“As we celebrate Black Maternal Health Week, we center joy in the Black birthing experience,” said Mama Glow founder and CEO, Latham Thomas.
“We celebrate the triumphs, our collective solutions, and our self-determination. Birth is meant to be transcendent, and we all deserve to experience empowerment through birth. The doula grants made possible through the three-year $225,000 commitment from Carol’s Daughter, further the mission to support safe, healthy and joyful birth outcomes for Black families in need.”
According to the CDC, Black birthing people unfortunately die of pregnancy-related causes at a rate three times higher than those of white women with 60% of those deaths being preventable. Sadly, Black newborn babies are three times more likely than White babies to die when looked after by White doctors. These disparities were in part why Love Delivered was established; to empower, support and show love to Black birthing people and babies when they need it most.
Additional programming includes:
– Access to online resources and maternity experts for expectant and new families.
– Community building events and forums for expectant and new families and their allies for sharing joyful, inspiring, birthing experiences.
– Love Delivered self-care deliveries.
Join Carol’s Daughter in the fight for Black Maternal Health.
These Women Leaders In Tech Are Creating Opportunities For Underrepresented Groups
Women of color, particularly within the tech space, are often champions for advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.
With tech jobs growing rapidly in every sector of the economy, these women at Interpublic Group’s Kinesso and Matterkind are not only flourishing in their careers, they are working toward providing these opportunities for underrepresented groups.
Last August, Kinesso, IPG’s marketing intelligence company, named Dr. Femi Olu-Lafe its vice president of culture and inclusion. This announcement continues its efforts to ensure diversity, equity, and inclusion are accounted for in everything from business practices to product offerings to talent acquisition and career development.
“My focus will be to ensure employees have meaningful ways to engage so they continue to co-create the diverse and inclusive culture that is core to the companies’ values,” OLU-lafe said in a statement.
According to Renu Hooda, Kinesso’s global chief talent officer, the company offers a variety of career advancement programs and learning opportunities to support employees professionally and personally, AfroTech reported. Hooda said women employees suffer from imposter syndrome, “where they doubt their accomplishments and feel that they’re going to be exposed as frauds.”
So she is an integral part of ensuring that current employees are recognized and celebrated with internal awards.
For Joanne St. Gerard-Joshua, a senior counsel at the tech company, Kinesso’s career advancement pilot program “helped participants identify their career aspirations, strengths, and opportunities within the organizations while developing individual growth action plans.” She was paired with career coaches to help her push beyond her comfort zone.
“One of the goals of the program is to provide access and representation to the underrepresented talent throughout the organization,” she said, adding that she feels valued on the team as a Black employee.
Yerddy Lanfranco, Kinesso’s vice president of audience practice, created an award for the marketing sciences team to recognize and foster innovation. “[The award] also served as a team collaboration tool that led teams across the world to work together and showcase borderless values.”
As a 20-year veteran in digital advertising and marketing, Wendi Dunlap, senior vice president of outcome-based marketing at Kinesso, takes pride in “designing the future of communications planning through technology.” She uses big data, IPG research, and external academic studies on Black consumers to design more accurate and representative Black audiences.
Dunlap advises Black professionals in tech to “pull up their own seat at the table” and establish a support network.
“This is not a solo venture. We cannot be successful without one another. Forging community with other Black professionals in tech is key. It really does take a village,” Dunlap said.
Couple Opens Black-Owned Grocery Store in Memphis in a Food Desert
Jerrell Spencer and Ursula Martin, a couple from South Memphis, Tenn. have opened a Black-owned grocery store called BL Grocery which aims to provide fresh produce and hot meals to a community that has become a food desert.
“We wanted to provide access to food in a food desert,” Martin told Commercial Appeal.
“We’re not at all saying that we won’t provide traditionally what you will see in a corner store. We will, but you will also be able to come in and buy an apple, buy a bell pepper, an onion, one pound of ground beef. That kind of old-school grocery store feel is what our vision is.”
BL Grocery, which stands for Black Lives Grocery, was inspired by the Black Lives Matter movement, the couple said. Through the grocery, the couple wanted to serve the community by making fresh and healthy food more accessible to them while at the same time drawing attention to justice.
Spencer, who is a gourmet chef, and Martin, who is a registered nurse, said they have always wanted to own some form of real estate. And when they found a store in South Memphis, which has been out of business, they thought it was a great opportunity to open one by themselves. They eventually found that the building was bank-owned and they acquired it through bidding.
Knowing that Kroger closed two of its locations there, the couple hopes the grocery in the food desert makes a lasting impact in the neighborhood. At BL Grocery, they will sell fresh fruits, meats, as well as cooked foods while also supporting local farmers and vendors as much as they can.
“Our hope is that every person in that community from birth to end of life will be had to be impacted by the access to food in the middle of a food desert,” Martin said.
Black Enterprise Remembers Jackie Robinson On The 75th Anniversary Of Breaking The Major League Baseball Color Barrier
April 15 marks the 75th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking Major League Baseball’s color barrier, becoming its first Black player, and changing the game forever.
Although Robinson will forever be known for his contributions to the game, he was so much more than a baseball player. The Georgia native was a four-sport star at UCLA, a World War II US Army veteran, and Negro League player. He was also the first African American named a vice president at a Fortune 500 company, a political adviser, a banker, a real estate developer.
Today, BLACK ENTERPRISE celebrates the life and accomplishments and legacy of Jackie Roosevelt Robinson.
UNSPECIFIED – UNDATED: Brooklyn Dodgers infielders Spider Jorgensen, Pee Wee Reese, Eddie Starkey and Jackie Robinson. (Photo by William Greene/Sports Studio Photos/Getty Images)
Robinson’s Baseball Career
After Robinson returned home from the war in 1944, he began playing for the Kansas City Monarchs of the Negro Leagues. A year later, Brooklyn Dodgers owner Branch Rickey tapped Robinson as the player who would integrate Major League Baseball.
Rickey saw more than Robinson’s talent on the field but also his demeanor, knowing the abuse he would receive from white fans on the field and off. Robinson’s Major League journey began with the Montreal Royals, the Dodgers’ top Minor League team. Robinson led the International League in batting with a .349 average and 40 steals. That earned him a call up to the Dodgers the next year and Robinson made his Major League debut on April 15, 1947, playing first base.
“It was the most eagerly anticipated debut in the annals of the National Pastime,” authors Robert Lipsyte and Pete Levine wrote, according to The Baseball Hall of Fame. “It represented both the dream and the fear of equal opportunity, and it would change forever the complexion of the game and the attitudes of Americans.”
Robinson became an immediate star, winning the inaugural Baseball Writers’ Association of America’s Rookie of the Year Award. Two years later, he was named the National League’s Most Valuable Player batting .342 with 16 home runs, 124 runs batted in and 37 stolen bases. Robinson made seven All-Star games in his career and in 1955, made one of the greatest plays ever—stealing home plate in game one of the 1955 World Series. The Dodgers won the series in seven games and won six National League titles during his nine seasons with the team.
The next season Robinson helped the Dodgers get back to the World Series, but they lost in seven games as he struck out to make the last out of the series. During the off-season, Robinson was traded to the New York Giants, but the shortstop already made up his mind to retire as the effects of diabetes begin to take a larger toll on him.
Robinson ended his career with a .311 batting average, 137 home runs, 734 runs batted in, and 197 stolen bases. In 1962 Robinson became the first African American to be elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Post-Playing Career
The UCLA alum spent his post-playing days as an entrepreneur, owning a construction company, a car dealership, and an activist, using his fame to fight for civil rights.
The former shortstop also set records, becoming the first African American to be named a vice president of a major American company when he was named vice president for Personnel at Chock Full O’Nuts. One of the main things he did was improve the working conditions for those at the company.
An active member of the NAACP, Robinson spoke at many civil rights protests and rallies including the famed March on Washington in 1963. He also shared his opinions on social issues, sports, family and life for the New York Post and the New York Amsterdam News. He was often a featured speaker at civil rights rallies including the famed March on Washington in 1963 and frequently participated in picket lines and protests. As a nationally syndicated columnist for the Post and Amsterdam News, Robinson wrote passionately on social issues, sports, and family life.
Just 10 years after he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, Robinson died of a heart attack at his home in Stamford, Connecticut, on Oct. 24, 1972. Complications of heart disease and diabetes weakened the former shortstop in his final days and made him almost blind by middle age.
Legacy And Tributes
Robinson’s legacy has been featueed in numerous television shows ansd movies, including 42, starring Chadwick Boseman.
Robinson’s baseball life shines every season. Robinson’s jersey number, 42, is retired across the league except every April 15 when every single MLB player dons it to celebrate his life and the breaking of the MLB’s color barrier.
Additionally, the MLB and its television partner ESPN will run a series of events on April 15, including interviews of athletes and other well-known figures discussing Robinson’s legacy. Robinson’s wife, Rachel Robinson, who has continued her husband’s legacy through the Jackie Robinson Foundation, will also be featured.
ESPN also plans to broadcast a college baseball game between Stanford and Robinson’s alma mater UCLA on April 15 at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. The effort will culminate on July 26 with the opening of The Jackie Robinson Museum in New York City. ESPN will broadcast its show First Take with live reports from the museum throughout the day.
(Original Caption) Catcher Toby Atwell scrambles for Dodger second baseman Jackie Robinson, who crosses home plate to score the winning run in the last half of the tenth inning at Ebbets Field on June 18th. the tight contest was climaxed by Gil Hodges’ left field fly, which drove home the big run. Waving Robinson in is Andy Pafko, as Umpire Art Gore calls the play. the final score was Brooklyn 6, Chicago Cubs 5.
With Mother’s Day quickly approaching, thus begins the mad dash to find that perfect gift. No shortage of people find themselves stressing as they pour over gift ideas for that special person in their lives. In situations such as these, it’s best not to overthink. Rather, go with a tried-and-true method that has stood the test of time: Flowers. Who doesn’t love roses?
Give your mother the gift she deserves with this Mother’s Day Special 24 Mixed Color Roses deal. For a limited time, it’s available for just $39.99. That’s a savings of 53% from its MSRP ($85).
Where else can you buy two dozen roses for under $40? In some instances, shipping alone for Mother’s Day flowers can cost upward of $30.
Your mom will love these farm-fresh roses, and you won’t have to worry about not getting her a gift she will appreciate.
With your purchase, your mom will receive 24 long-stem farmer’s choice roses. There’s an element of surprise with the color, as each delivery is different. Shipping in the United States extends to the 48 continental states, PO boxes not included.
The roses are grown and cultivated by Rose Farmers™, which guarantees that its customers receive the freshest roses directly from its farms. Rose Farmers’ flowers come with unparalleled beauty and elegance.
While $39.99 gives you two dozen long-stem roses, customers have the option of upgrading their order with a vase or bouquet add-ins for additional costs. Customers are encouraged to “select 1-2 days before your desired event/date in the event of a potential carrier delay.” Orders are fulfilled through UPS, and there are Sunday deliveries.
Viola Davis Shares How She Came to Forgive Her Abusive Father, ‘I Wanted to Love Him’
Actress Viola Davis is sharing it all in her transparent new memoir,Finding Me, set to release on April 26.
In promotion of the new book, the Academy Award-winner appeared on the cover of People to open up about healing from the trauma endured while growing up in deep poverty in Central Falls, R.I.
“How you react is based on survival,” the Tony, Oscar, and Emmy winner said.
“The key is to survive. I did what was at my hand to do at 8 years old. I fought. And that fighting served me because I’m still on my feet.”
Recalling times when she and her five siblings dug through dumpsters for food or dealt with racist bullies who threw rocks at her for being Black, the Fences star was also tormented by her father, who was physically abusive toward his wife and children.
“My dad changed. My mom said he apologized to her every single day,” Davis explained. “Every single day, he rubbed her feet.”
Davis’ father, Dan, was a horse groomer who dropped out of school after the second grade. Davis’ mother, Mae Alice, endured his regular beatings throughout the 48 years they were together.
Mae made peace with her husband and remained by his side until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2006.
“Forgiveness is not pretty,” David said. “Sometimes people don’t understand that life is not a Thursday-night lineup on ABC. It is messy. He did hurt me then, but love and forgiveness can operate on the same plane as anger.”
Davis also healed from the trauma her father caused and forgave him before his passing.
“I wanted to love my dad,” she said. “And here’s the thing: My dad loved me. I saw it. I felt it. I received it, and I took it.”
“For me, that’s a much better gift and less of a burden than going through my entire life carrying that big, heavy weight of who he used to be and what he used to do. That’s my choice. That’s my legacy: forgiving my dad.”
Author And Money Coach Patrina Dixon Talks Adjusting Your Spending To Save For Retirement
Author and Money Coach Patrina Dixon joined BLACK ENTERPRISE Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Alfred Edmond Jr. on the Your Money, Your Life podcast presented by Prudential Insurance.
Like many of us, Dixon said in her younger days she was irresponsible with money, making a lot of it, but also spending a lot and sometimes spending it before she even got it. Eventually, she buckled down and it change her life.
“I became a student of finance and started learning from others in the space and when I got that thing right and I learned to spend differently, how to budget and have delayed gratification and truly appreciate that I wanted to teach everyone how to do that, “Dixon said,
Dixon added that one of the most impactful reasons she teaches about money is because she wants to help young people learn about money before they make the same mistakes she did. One of Dixon’s first tips, especially for those who are just beginning their professional careers, is to start saving immediately.
“Start early and put away what your budget can allow for,” Dixon said.
“Because oftentimes people think of budgeting as ‘I don’t like to do it’ or ‘I don’t make enough to do that’ so I often tell them to drop the word budgeting from it. Call it your spending plan, call it whatever you want, but ensure that you’re doing it and then find extra money to put aside. The idea is to save as much as you’re able to save.”
The money coach also discussed working with and coaching clients, especially those who come to her and say they don’t make or have enough to save or want to kick the can down the road and start saving later in life. According to Dixon when people sit down and write out how much they make and where it goes, they find they had more than they thought.
“When they spend time with their money and become intimate with it, that notion starts to go away,” Dixon told Black Enterprise. “So when they get over that and are empowered to actually do it themselves and see it happen, then it’s a game-changer, actually it’s a life-changer.”
Dixon learned money-saving and spending tips during her journey to becoming a top manager of money and she was more than happy to share them with Black Enterprise and its readers. The first tip the author gave was simply, to know exactly how much you have coming in and going out.
“It will truly transform your financial future if you do this on a regular basis,” Dixon said adding not to do it once a month but “As often as you get income, so if you work for an employer or for yourself, whenever you get money in, you need to touch that money or spending plan.”
The full interview including more on how to save and budget money can be seen here.
