• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

March 29, 2022

Founder Of Anwuli Eyewear Brand Wins $5,000 Grant From Black Girl Ventures, Visa

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Nwamaka Ngoddy, the founder of Anwuli Eyewear, has won the grand prize of $5,000 at the Atlanta Pull Up & Pitch competition.

The competition, held earlier this month, was hosted by Black Girl Ventures in partnership with Visa and supports Black and Brown small businesses. BGV and VIsa visited several cities virtually through their partnership, including Washington, D.C., Detroit, Chicago, and Miami.

“Black Girl Ventures as a whole focuses on pitching as an avenue for their voice. Our entire focus is on enhancing the way women can articulate who they are and what they have, and how they can be funded through those matters. Because often, we find women who have extraordinary ventures. They’re putting numbers on the board. They’re generating revenue. They’re hiring staff. They’re creating community impact, but they’re still not getting the funding they deserve, “Shelly Omilâdé Bell told AfroTech.

Ngoddy started Anwuli Eyewear in 2019 after working as an optometrist for years. During that time, Ngoddy realized her Black clients cited issues, including frame size and fit, leading her to start her brand, bringing inclusivity to the eyewear industry.

Ngoddy’s eyewear brand is already being sold at four local eyeglass outlets in Georgia and has eight frame designs. Bell said she is confident Anwuli Eyewear will continue to grow.

“I noted more inclusivity in the clothing industry, with fashion lines expanding to include different body types. I then envisioned transferring this principle to eyewear; the driving concept is that people have unique facial landscapes and every consumer, no matter their race or facial features, deserves fashionable eyewear options that make a statement without speaking,” Ngoddy told AfroTech.

Last month, BGV announced a partnership with the NBA to launch the BGV NextGen Program. In the Program, 25 students will have an opportunity to bring their visions to life and advance their business plans.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

March 29, 2022

Reps. Ayanna Pressley, Jamaal Bowman Come To Jada And Will’s Defense In Now-Deleted Tweets

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Reps. Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y., posted now-deleted tweets in defense of actor Will Smith for slapping comedian Chris Rock after making jokes about his wife Jada Pinkett Smith during the Oscars on Sunday.

Since its removal, screenshots of the tweets have circulated across the internet. According to Pressley, who has been living with alopecia herself, Smith’s actions were honorable.

“#Alopecia nation stand up! Thank you #WillSmith,” tweeted the Massachusetts congresswoman. “Shout out to all the husbands who defend their wives living with alopecia in the face of daily ignorance & insults.”

Alongside the tweet was a photo of Pressley, effortlessly claiming her bald head, and posing next to her husband. She added: “Women with baldies are for real men only…boys need not apply.”

Just-deleted tweet from Rep. Ayanna Pressley #mapoli #Oscars pic.twitter.com/gGFlStTQ3D

— Grace Panetta (@grace_panetta) March 28, 2022

In January 2020, the lawmaker publicly revealed that she has alopecia areata, an autoimmune disorder that results in hair loss. In her journey to acceptance, she realized “it’s about self-agency” and  “power.”

Pinkett Smith also opened up about her alopecia diagnosis in 2018, BLACK ENTERPRISE previously reported. Although her journey wasn’t easy, she’s chosen to embrace her bald scalp and learn to live amicably with alopecia.

In a series of additional tweets on Monday, Pressley advocates for “Team Jada,” as a fellow “Alopecian,” but does not encourage violence.

“My life’s work has always been about trauma & healing,” Pressley wrote in one tweet. “I’m a survivor — I don’t endorse violence in any form.”

Our bodies are not public domain. They are not a line in a joke—especially when the transformation is not of our choosing.

I’m a survivor of violence. I’m a proud Alopecian. The psychological toll we carry daily is real. Team Jada always. That’s that on that.

— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) March 28, 2022

“Our bodies are not public domain. They are not a line in a joke—especially when the transformation is not of our choosing,” she added in another tweet. “I’m a survivor of violence. I’m a proud Alopecian. The psychological toll we carry daily is real. Team Jada always. That’s that on that.”

Rep. Jamaal Bowman also rallied in solidarity with the King Richard star in a now-deleted tweet, Insider reports.

“Teachable Moment: Don’t joke about a Black Woman’s hair,” Bowman wrote.

• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Derek Major

March 29, 2022

Al Joyner Buys Memorabilia Belonging To Late Wife Florence ‘Flo-Jo’ Griffith Joyner

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Former track and field Olympian Al Joyner was surprised this week by Storage Wars star Rene Nezhoda, who returned memorabilia belonging to his late wife and three-time gold medalist, Florence “Flo-Jo” Griffith Joyner.

According to Yahoo, Nezhoda recently purchased Flo-Jo’s memorabilia collection from a friend who acquired her storage locker for several thousand dollars eight years ago. The collection includes Flo-Jo’s legendary Olympic jacket and 1988 autographed track shoes, which she wore when she won gold in the 100m and 200m in the 1988 Seoul Olympics. Rare photos and autographed Flo-Jo Barbie dolls were also included.

After the story went viral, members of Flo-Jo’s family contacted Nezhoda with the hope of buying the collection back. Within days Joyner and Nezhoda struck a deal.

The emotional interaction was caught on YouTube, where Nezhoda said he was happy to return the collection back to Joyner’s family–for a price—instead of putting the items up for auction. Al Joyner met with the dealer in San Diego.

“I want to be very clear. This is not charity; I am making a profit. Al knows what I paid for it and he is the only person that knows what I paid for it,” Nezhoda says in the video “I told him the profit I want to make. It’s like a track runner, you want to win.”

The two men discuss the items in the collection including a weight belt she used for training that Joyner was excited was back in his possession.

“That was something that we did together,” Joyner says, noting how he helped design the belt’s bright colors.

Flo-Jo won a silver medal at the 1984 Olympic games along with three gold medals and a silver at the ’88 games. In addition to her wins, the track star was known for her shining personality off the track and her fashion on it which included her long, acrylic nails.

Joyner died in her sleep in 1998. Doctors later determined the cause of death was suffocation from a severe epileptic seizure. After her death her husband let her storage lockers go, not realizing how much stuff they contained.

Once the story of the collection went viral, Joyner said he was determined to get his late wife’s collection back. Comedian Tiffany Haddish is currently producing a biopic on Flo-Jo that she will star in as the Olympian.

Will Smith’s mom Carolyn Smith, has stepped into the fray to speak about the shocking slap heard around the world by her son’s hand.

Carolyn gathered with family at her home in Philadelphia Sunday night, proudly anticipating her son accepting his first Oscar. But the altercation between her son and comedian Chris Rock leading up to that historic moment left her stunned.

“I know how he works, how hard he works… I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting,” the actor’s mother told 6abc.

Just minutes before the acceptance, she was shocked to see her son walk up onstage and slap Chris Rock across the face. The incident occurred after the comedian joked about the Oscar nominee’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith, and her bald scalp.

Pinkett Smith revealed her alopecia diagnosis in 2018 and has since expressed her efforts to embrace living with the disorder. Her husband clearly had a problem with Rock cracking jokes about her struggles.

Carolyn said Will’s response was a rare one.

“He is a very even, people person. That’s the first time I’ve ever seen him go off. First time in his lifetime… I’ve never seen him do that,” Carolyn said.

While the West Philadelphia native’s actions sparked wide controversy, his family chooses not to judge his character based on that moment. They describe him as a loving person who keeps the family united.

Ellen Smith, Will Smith’s younger sister, says she’s watched her celebrity brother flourish despite the pressure he’s had to endure in Hollywood.

“I’ve had conversations with him, and it like really kind of broke my heart listening to the things he’s said he had to go through to get to where he is,” she told the news outlet.

“Everybody has been bullied or abused in some kind of way,” she also said, according to CNN. “I totally understand.”

Smith has a supportive tribe around him who only wants to see him win as he continues his journey as his full authentic self.

“When I heard the name, I was just, ‘Yes!’” she recalled. “I am proud of him being him.”

BLACK ENTERPRISE reported that Will Smith publicly apologized to Chris Rock on his Instagram.

In part, he said: “I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.”

• Money

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 29, 2022

Black Dad of 3 Who Left His Corporate Job Now Teaches How to Invest in Digital Currency, the Stock Market, etc.

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Jamar James, affectionately known as “The Digital Currency Guy,” is a strong advocate for financial freedom and independence.

With over 20 years as a technology consultant and prop trader for private financial firms in the U.S., James decided to quit his job to build a mastermind community called DCG Mastermind that has already helped hundreds of people in the last 12 months to also break away from corporate America.

As a part of his curriculum, he has created a six and seven-figure roadmap for trading cryptocurrencies and nurtures an environment where folks are now earning six and seven figures with virtual land, digital art, and gaming NFTs. James says people who do not invest in such areas are missing out on the future of human evolution.

James, who is married and has three children, has earned over eight figures in stocks and real estate and now teaches others to earn a full-time income from crypto or trading within months. He has also built a mastermind community that has members in over 20 countries and is called in to help Fortune 500 companies when he is not giving back to the community by teaching IT to children.

“The metaverse is an opportunity to participate in the future of human evolution,” said James.

“We are currently in a cashless society where currency is being devalued. The next step in technology, communication is in the digital world, where you have two options—exclusion or inclusion.”

From his observations, James said that cryptocurrency is evolving at a fast rate which gives everyone an opportunity to benefit and this is why he feels it is the right time to get involved.

“Virtual real estate is about ownership of centralized worlds,” explains James.

“The same way we own real estate in the real world, you can generate wealth through virtual real estate for eternity. With DCG, we created a global mastermind for those who want a lifestyle and wealth without being confined to a particular location. We leverage trading and entrepreneurship to create wealth for our masterminds via crypto, NFTS, metaverse, and trading traditional markets.”

His annual Mastermind Retreat will take place May 12-15, 2002 at Paradise Point Resort and Spa in San Diego, Calif.

This article first appeared on Blacknews.com. 

• Education

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

March 29, 2022

101-Year-Old Man From West Virginia Finally Earns High School Diploma

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Merrill Pittman Cooper, an African American man from Jefferson County, W. Va., has earned his high school diploma at 101-years old, finally making his lifelong dream come true.

From 1934 to 1938, Cooper was a student at Storer College in Harpers Ferry, W. Va., a school that admits newly freed slaves during the Civil War. He studied Latin, biology, history, English, and mathematics.

However, he was forced to drop out during his senior year when his family had to move to Philadelphia due to financial reasons.

Over the years, he accomplished a career in the transportation industry. But he still has some regret over not getting his diploma. He told his family about it when he visited the school, which is now part of the Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, in 2018.

His family supported his dream and reached out to the school to make it happen. Finally, he was honored with a special ceremony and diploma on Mar. 19.

“Jefferson County Schools is committed to helping every student, young or old, fulfill their dreams,” JCS superintendent Bondy Shay Gibson-Learn said, according to WBALTV.

“For Mr. Cooper, that meant receiving a high school diploma. We are honored to help make that dream a reality.”

This article first appeared on Blacknews.com. 

After what was expected to be a regular Academy Awards showcase, the commentary after the show focused on the aftermath of the actions of actor Will Smith who struck comedian Chris Rock in the face during the televised event.

Instead of everyone hailing him for taking home the Academy Award for Best Actor for portraying Richard Williams, father of Venus and Serena, people have been talking about the slap to the face of Rock. Now, Williams has made a statement regarding the unfortunate incident.

According to NBC News, the man responsible for training and guiding the Willaims sister to their success in tennis has commented on Smith’s actions.

“We don’t know all the details of what happened,” Williams stated through his son Chavoita LeSane. “But we don’t condone anyone hitting anyone else unless it’s in self-defense.”

LeSane also said that his father was just as stunned as everyone else who witnessed the scene Sunday evening at the Academy Awards presentation. LeSane, acting as William’s spokesman since the 80-year-old father had a stroke, refused to go further than the issued statement when asked about Smith’s Oscar acceptance speech.

Smith, who publicly apologized to Rock a day after the incident, initially apologized to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and his fellow nominees while accepting the Oscar for best actor for his role in King Richard.

In Smith’s acceptance speech, he remarked, “I look like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams. But love will make you do crazy things.”

According to NBC News, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement that condemned Smith for slapping Rock during Sunday’s Oscars broadcast. They state that they are reviewing the matter.

“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” the Academy wrote in a statement on Monday.

“We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.”

• Women

by Jeffrey McKinney

March 29, 2022

How Three Black Women Continue the Legacy of Black Wall Street

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Providing Black Owners Coaching and Technical Support 

Now, three Black women business owners use their acumen and pool resources, such as money, to revive that bustle largely in the Richmond area with the Jackson Ward Collective (JWC). They own the collective and call it a hub for Black business owners. Their efforts come amid Women’s History Month.

Plans call for several others to open by this spring or later this year. They include high-end diner Jubilee, Hour Cycle Studio, the salon Bloom, and event space provider The Len.

Supporting The Community And Encouraging Next Generation

When asked why JWC is such a big deal, Creighton said the collective supports Black entrepreneurs at every stage of business, from ideation to businesses looking to scale. Calling it industry agnostic, she expressed JWC connects Black businesses with financial institutions committed to ensuring their capital investments.

• News

by Atiya Jordan

March 29, 2022

Black British Man Dies After British Airways Denied ‘Damaged Passport’ To Return Home For A Blood Transfusion

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Chaz Carl Powell, a Black British man, died at a hospital in Jamaica after being denied boarding on a return flight to the UK for a blood transfusion because of a “badly damaged” passport.

The 41-year-old, who had sickle cell anemia, was in Jamaica visiting his girlfriend but was scheduled on March 9 to return to the UK to undergo his six-week treatment for the disorder — that of a blood transfusion at King’s College Hospital, Metro UK reported.

However, when he tried to leave on his flight from the Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, St James, Powell was denied access by British Airways, reportedly because his passport was in poor shape for validation for international travel.

According to the news outlet, Powell applied for emergency travel documents at the British Consulate, but he developed severe jaundice while waiting – which is a visible sign of his sickle cell anemia. His eyes turned yellow in the process, which can be seen in the photo he took for his application.

While awaiting his travel documentation, the Camberwell native’s girlfriend, Monique Allen, took him to the hospital after he had complained of increasing symptoms such as stomach aches and difficulties eating.

Powell died on March 12 “despite doctors trying to resuscitate him,” the Metro News UK report said, adding that his death was then classified as “sudden.” His death was reportedly a result of organ failure, but police are still waiting for the post-mortem.

Powell’s mother, Sandra Powell, 60, said her son was helpful and caring. She strongly believes that her son died from the stress brought on by his passport being rejected.

“I can’t talk about it, I do not even want to think about it, she said as per My London News. To know that he actually went on holiday and it’s something he would do on a regular basis. That should never have happened, they had no right to take control of my son’s life.”

British Airways issued its condolences to Powell’s family in an official statement: “We’re saddened to hear that one of our customers has passed away and our thoughts are with his friends and family at this difficult time. Airlines are required by law to ensure that all documents presented for travel are valid. … the photo page of his passport was so badly damaged it could no longer be regarded as a valid travel document.”

After becoming the main topic of discussion after slapping comedian Chris Rock in the face on live television, Will Smith publicly apologized to Rock for his actions against him on Sunday night.

Smith took to his Instagram account and acknowledged his action while issuing an apology to the man he hit at the Academy Awards show.

“Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive. My behavior at last night’s Academy Awards was unacceptable and inexcusable. Jokes at my expense are a part of the job, but a joke about Jada’s medical condition was too much for me to bear and I reacted emotionally.

“I would like to publicly apologize to you, Chris. I was out of line and I was wrong. I am embarrassed and my actions were not indicative of the man I want to be. There is no place for violence in a world of love and kindness.

“I would also like to apologize to the Academy, the producers of the show, all the attendees and everyone watching around the world. I would like to apologize to the Williams Family and my King Richard Family. I deeply regret that my behavior has stained what has been an otherwise gorgeous journey for all of us.

“I am a work in progress.“

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Will Smith (@willsmith)

According to NBC News, The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a statement that condemned Smith for slapping Rock during Sunday’s Oscars broadcast. They state that they are reviewing the matter.

“The Academy condemns the actions of Mr. Smith at last night’s show,” the Academy wrote in a statement that was released on Monday.

“We have officially started a formal review around the incident and will explore further action and consequences in accordance with our bylaws, standards of conduct and California law.”

Comedian Chris Rock, while on stage at the Oscar presentation, had jokingly referred to Jada Pinkett-Smith, who was sporting a bald head as G.I. Jane (Demi Moore starred in the movie and wore her head bald for the role). Late last year, the actress took to Instagram to speak about having alopecia and how she is not going to let the balding condition stop her.

As Rock looked directly at Jada sitting at a table with her husband, Will Smith, the comedian blurts out, “Jada, I love ya. G.I. Jane 2, can’t wait to see it. Alright?”

Apparently, that hit a sore spot as there were some gasps in the audience and the camera shows Jada not at all happy that Rock made that statement. Reacting to the crowd, Rock then states, “That was a nice one!” and quickly tried to get back to the presentation.

Initially, it looked as if Will was ok with the joke, but, obviously, it affected him so much that he got up from his seat and approached Rock on stage. As Will gets closer, he smacks Rock in the face, stunning the comedian as well as the world.