• News

by Atiya Jordan

February 24, 2022

Judge Issues Arrest Order for Black Travel Movement Founder For Failed Black Yacht Week

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In 2018, nearly 250 Black travelers made their way down to the British Virgin Islands to embark on a weeklong luxury excursion dubbed “Black Yacht Week.” According to court documents, the organizer of the trip now faces arrest and a lawsuit for violating legal processes and other violations.

An arrest order was filed for Reginald Cummings, the founder of the Black Travel Movement, who was found in civil contempt, as first reported by WUSA 9. Wake County Superior Court Judge Mark. A. Sternlicht in North Carolina issued the order.

“I am always open to having a conversation and presenting my side; however, in light of this, I need to contact an attorney,” Cummings told the news outlet after learning about his arrest order from the media.

At the time of the trip, the Annapolis, Maryland-based company, Dream Yacht Charter, was hired to provide 26 boats, food, alcohol, and staff. However, the travelers experienced electric outages, mechanical problems, air pump problems, food shortages, and more, WUSA 9 previously reported.

Cummings claimed that the charter company failed to deliver suitable boats and supplies for the weeklong vacation. While denying the allegations, Dream Yacht Charter argued that Cummings had a remaining balance of $519,934, which he failed to pay. He paid a $60,000 deposit for the 2018 trip, claiming the rest of the funds were in an escrow account.

According to recent reports by the news outlet, the travel entrepreneur and his company are being sued for “unjust enrichment, breach of contract and fraud.”

In 2020, the two companies went head to head in court. U.S. District Judge Terrance Boyle ordered Cummings to pay $1,655,651 to Dream Yacht Charter, including the original balance owed, penalties, and other fees.

Hundreds of the travelers looked to Cummings for a refund after the trip, especially after his promises via email of reimbursement. With no luck, many successfully filed credit card disputes.

“It’s a year later and people have still not received restitution that was promised in follow-up emails but was never carried out,” said LaShonda Wilson, one of the attendees of the trip.

Cummings can face civil charges as the Consumer Protection Division of the North Carolina Attorney General’s Office continues to investigate Cummings for “unfair and deceptive commercial practices,” as per WUSA 9.

• News

by Kia Morgan Smith

February 24, 2022

Chernobyl Power Plant Captured by Russian Forces

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KYIV, Feb 24 (Reuters) – The Chernobyl nuclear power plant has been captured by Russian forces, an adviser to the Ukrainian presidential office, Mykhailo Podolyak, said on Thursday.

“It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians,” he said.

“This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today,” Podolyak said.

Russian troops took over the power plant while Ukrainian forces battled them on three sides on Thursday after Moscow mounted an assault by land, sea and air in the biggest attack on a European state since World War Two.

Some Russian military massed in the Chernobyl “exclusion zone” before crossing into Ukraine early on Thursday, a Russian security source said.

Russia wants to control the Chernobyl nuclear reactor to signal NATO not to interfere militarily, the same source said.

The Chernobyl disaster in then-Soviet Ukraine sent clouds of nuclear material across much of Europe in 1986 after a botched safety test in the fourth reactor of the atomic plant.

Decades later, it became a tourist attraction. About a week before the Russian invasion the Chernobyl zone was shut down for tourists.

“Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy tweeted shortly before the power plant was captured.

“This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 24, 2022

Teenager Fatally Shot While On His Way to His Grandmother’s House

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A North Carolina teen lost his life after being shot multiple times in his back while going to his grandmother’s house.

Ja’eid Watson, 19, was shot and killed in Halifax County while walking down the 900 block of Sycamore Street in Weldon on Thursday around 10:20 a.m., WRAL reports. Watson’s mother, Shawanda Watson, was by his side during his final moments, begging him to push through until the end.

The mother says her son had just left her house that morning to visit his grandmother when she got a call from first responders telling her the tragic news.

“They told me my son was shot multiple times in the back. He was trying to leave,” she said.

She found her son lying on the ground bleeding from gunshot wounds when she arrived.

“I just got there beside him, and I know he heard my voice, and I told him to breathe. I said, ‘Breathe, son, breathe.’ He heard me, tried to breathe. He tried,” she said.

When police and deputies arrived at the scene, they found a man who was dead from “multiple gunshot wounds,” CBS 17 reports.

Authorities are investigating the shooting, but they believe Ja’eid knew the gunman, and so does his mother. Shawanda says her son’s life had been threatened in the community before the fatal shooting.

“They took my child’s life,” Shawanda said. “It could be your family next. How many people do they have to kill before they’re taken off the streets?”

Shawanda says she will remember her son for what he liked to d: play sports and ride his dirt bike. The recent high school graduate from Roanoke Rapids High School also dreamed of starting his own business.

“He was a good kid. He loved to smile and joke and play around,” Shawanda said.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

February 24, 2022

Older Sister of Student Charged In Fatal Stabbing of Lincoln University Student Inside Dorm

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The older sister of a Lincoln University student has been charged with fatally stabbing a 21-year-old male who was fighting her brother inside their dorm room.

Nydira Smith, 39, of Philadelphia, is charged with killing 21-year-old Jawine Evans, CBS Philadelphia reports. Evans was one of two students stabbed during a dorm room brawl last week.

Smith was charged with murder of the 1st degree, murder of the 3rd degree, possessing an instrument of crime, aggravated assault, and other related charges. Shocking cellphone footage showed Smith “plunging a knife into Evans’ neck, after which Evans staggers backward with a traumatic arterial bleed from his neck,” authorities said.

The incident was reported at 9:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 16, on the college campus, 6 ABC reports. Surveillance footage showed Smith’s car arriving at the campus shortly before the incident. The same vehicle was seen at Smith’s residence on Ardleigh Street.

After officers obtained a search warrant on Feb. 17, they found bloody clothing, a set of knives with one missing, and proof Smith sought treatment for a hand laceration.

Authorities also noted six other students were in danger of being stabbed. Smith is currently being held at Chester County Prison without bail due to the nature of the charges.

The mother, Erica of another student, Eric Dickerson, was also stabbed, spoke exclusively with BLACK ENTERPRISE saying her son was traumatized by the killing of his best friend, Jawine.

A GOFUNDME has been set up to help the Dickerson family with mounting bills and costs.

Erica said her son, Eric, and Jawine were best friends who were inseparable, having traveled to Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Miami together, sightseeing the world.

Lincoln University has released a statement in the wake of the tragic incident.

“We are deeply saddened by the incident that occurred on campus last night. Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. We take the safety of our students seriously and are working with local authorities as there is an ongoing investigation. We have no further comment at this time.”

On Thursday, Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan said she believes the attack was a premeditated murder considering how Smith drove an hour and a half with a knife to join the fight.

Smith’s preliminary hearing is set for Mar. 8.

Jawine’s funeral is set for this Friday. Our prayers go out to all families involved.

• Women

by Derek Major

February 24, 2022

SBA Offers Increased Financial Assistance To Black Female Business Owners

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Women-owned businesses, especially those owned by Black women, are increasing significantly in the U.S. today and have gained a foothold in the economy.

However, they’re still facing challenges, one of which is securing small business loans. However, the Biden administration is working to give female entrepreneurs the help they need.

Last week, Small Business Administration (SBA) leader Isabella Casillas Guzman announced the availability of $1.5 million for 10 new grant opportunities for established Minority Serving Institutions aspiring to host a Women’s Business Center (WBC) to provide local outcome-oriented business services to female entrepreneurs.

Eligible applicants for the grants include HBCUs, Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs), Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCUs), Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions (NHSIs), and Alaska Native Serving Institutions (ANSIs) and nonprofit organizations.

“Our office looks forward to supporting initiatives to ensure that multicultural women and the academic institutions that support them across the nation, have access to resources and support to advance entrepreneurial opportunities and preparation,” Natalie Madeira Cofield, assistant administrator of the SBA told Forbes.

Women-owned businesses also face issues when it comes to seed funding to start a business, but have a better track record of success, long-term, than startups led by men. The Boston Consulting Group reports women-owned businesses who pitched ideas seeking early-stage capital received at least $1 million less than male business owners. However, the report added women-owned companies brought in more revenue in the long run, gaining 10% more in revenue over a five-year period.

According to Forbes, in 2019, 50% of businesses were operated by women of color, however, between 2014 and 2019 the average revenue for businesses led by women of color decreased by about $2,000. The average revenue for businesses led by non-minority women during that same time rose by more than $20,000.

The WBCs provide a range of business resources including one-on-one counseling, training, networking, workshops, and mentoring to women.

Since last March, two dozen WBCs have opened, including three affiliated with HBCUs and two in Puerto Rico. Currently, the Office of Women’s Business Ownership (OWBO) funds and supports the largest network of WBCs in the U.S. with 140 centers in 49 states.

The application acceptance period will run through March 14, 2022.

• Business

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

February 24, 2022

Black-Owned Grocery Store in Chicago Receives $2.5M in Funding

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Elizabeth Abunaw, founder and CEO of Forty Acres Fresh Market, a Black-owned startup grocer that offers fresh and healthy food options on Chicago’s West Side, has been awarded $2.5 million in grant funding from the city. She plans to use the funds to transition her pop-up store to a brick-and-mortar store.

Elizabeth founded the grocer in 2018 with the aim to improve food access in the community which had been a food desert. She has since been running pop-ups, farmer markets, a storefront that operates on weekends and a grocery delivery service. But she has always dreamed of opening a brick-and-mortar store.

Her dream came true as the city of Chicago backs the development of Forty Acres Fresh Market with a $2.5 million grant, funded under the Chicago Recovery Plan. The grant is set to fund part of the grocery store’s construction costs including plumbing, mechanical and electrical work for equipment such as refrigerators and freezers.

The store is expected to bring fresh and healthy food choices closer to the people in the neighborhood. Abunaw added that it will also benefit other nearby businesses and build cohesion in a community as part of its social infrastructure. The increased foot traffic and local dollars being circulated within the Austin community can “slowly start to shift the perception that there’s nothing on Chicago Avenue,” she said.

“We want people to start associating good shopping experiences with Austin,” Elizabeth said.

“It’s not just buying food. It’s the people, it’s the customer service. It’s the frozen food aisle and discovering new things you didn’t even know you needed.”

This article first appeared on Blackbusiness.com. 

• Lifestyle

by Atiya Jordan

February 24, 2022

Real Love: Rapper Da Brat Marries Kaleidoscope Hair Mogul Jesseca ‘Judy’ Dupart

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Legendary rapper Da Brat married her “Twin Flame” and multimillionaire CEO fiancée Jesseca “Judy” Dupart on the once of a lifetime “Twosday” February 22, 2022.

On Tuesday evening, the newlyweds tied the knot in an enchanting ceremony at the Horse Mansion in Fairburn, Georgia, according to People, which published photos of the purple and pink flower-adorned reception.

They were witnessed by 100 guests, including RHOA’s Porsha Williams and Kandi Burruss as well as Rickey Smiley and Jermaine Dupri. Da Brat’s sister, Lisa Ray McCoy, was a bridesmaid.

“Everything about her made me want her to be mine forever,” said the 47-year-old rapper Da Brat, born Shawntae Harris. “And I felt like I knew it not much longer than from the day we met.”

Luther Vandross’ “Here and Now” serenaded the Brat Loves Judy costars as they walked down the aisle together. Dupri, a groomsman, escorted his longtime friend while Dupart was accompanied by her brother, Damon Dupart Sr.

 

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A post shared by Jesseca Dupart💁🏽‍♀️ (@darealbbjudy)

It’s no secret that the pair’s choice of the wedding date was intentional. In fact, Tuesday marked the significance of their relationship before marriage and beyond.

“We’ve been calling each other twin flames for a while. So this date, 2/22/22, is a significant event. We just didn’t want to miss it because it comes once in a lifetime,” Dupart said. “It’s relevant. It’s just real significant to our relationship. It signifies angel numbers, and it also is reminiscent of twin flames.”

The rapper, known for keeping her personal life private, came out in March 2020, crediting her new wife for encouraging her to embrace her truth.

“She’s the person who completes me. She gives me courage. She inspires me, and she makes me fearless. She makes me not afraid,” Brat said.

The wedding union comes after the announcement that Brat and Dupart are expecting their first child. Dupart has three older children. The couple is excited to grow their extended family.

 

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A post shared by Jesseca Dupart💁🏽‍♀️ (@darealbbjudy)

“It makes me nervous, but it makes me excited, too. It’s all this excited nervousness. Oh, my goodness,” says Brat. “We talk a lot about it. We pray about it. We want to raise the most beautiful, respectful, loving child and we want our child to carry out our legacy. This child is going to be loved unlike ever before and spoiled unlike ever before, but in a good way.”

This June, fans can revel at some of the best moments of the wedding on the second season of Brat Loves Judy series on WE tv.

• Money

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

February 24, 2022

HBCU Grad Whose Program Teaches Black and Brown Youth How to Invest Receives $250K in Funding

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Ruby “Sunshine” Taylor, a graduate of Howard University and the founder of Financial Joy School based in Baltimore, Maryland is proud to introduce Project 10,000, an initiative geared towards providing essential financial education to black and brown youth and families through the financial literacy card game, LEGACY! Card Game. The initiative is supported by a $250,000 cash grant via a partnership with Wells Fargo Small Business Growth Philanthropy and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center.

Growing up in the Bronx, New York, Ruby, a Howard University and VUU alumna, was not privy to the world of investing or what it meant to make your money work for you, no matter how hard her family worked. Because of financial trauma and systemic racism, the racial wealth gap continues to adversely impact black and brown families.

With her life and professional experience in understanding the impact of financial challenges, Ruby founded Project 10,000 as a way to create a fun and welcoming introduction to investing and generational wealth building for black and brown youth and families.

Ruby believes, “We can create a world in which financial equity is a reality for us all. First, step reducing barriers to investing education, financial literacy and investment cash. Project 10,000 will do that and so much more.”

Financial Joy School and Project 10,000 is on a mission to support black and brown youth and families to build generational wealth through long-term investing with joyful and practical wealth-building tools. We cannot reverse the history and current oppression of black and brown people, but we can help create a better future — one card game and financial education tool at a time. Recognizing the disproportionate generational wealth-building within this demographic, Financial Joy School decided to take up the mantle of arming Black youth and families with investment and financial literacy.

The initiative takes complex financial concepts and breaks them into bite-sized nuggets of information. It is presented in an exciting and engaging five rounds of fun in a pick-and-play card game. While having fun, black children and families will have the opportunity to win investment cash.

The Financial Joy School prides itself on championing the vital cause of being the catalyst of Black generational wealth. In a bid to guarantee that the LEGACY! Card Game decks are disseminated wide and far, the company has secured twelve distribution partners around the United States.

The following schools and organizations will receive free LEGACY! Card Games because of the support of Wells Fargo Small Business Growth Philanthropy and the Nasdaq Entrepreneurial Center:

Detroit Public Schools, Detroit, Mich.; Lancaster Teenage Girls Summit, Lancaster, Pa.; Black Girls Smile, Washington, D.C.; Portfolios with Purpose NYC, NY; Mount Washington Middle School Baltimore, MD; The Artest Foundation Queensbridge, N.Y.; The Mix (Community Center) Lancaster, Pa.; Dent Education Baltimore, Md.; Harlem Academy New York City, N.Y.; Black Fathers Foundation, Atlanta, Ga.; Open Hands, Pittsburgh, Pa.; and the African Diaspora Alliance, Baltimore, Md.

Each location will all receive its decks beginning February 2022 in honor of Black History Month.

When asked what prompted her organization to join the initiative, Lauren Carson, executive director of Black Girls Smile, Inc., proclaimed, “Black Girls Smile is proud to be a Distribution Partner for the LEGACY! Financial empowerment card decks because we know that Black youth and their families often experience a disproportionately negative impact related to a long history of financial stress and trauma. This type of stress and trauma impacts mental health and wellbeing. We believe that interventions like the LEGACY! cards help to increase the financial literacy and agency of Black communities, and we are very excited to distribute them to our community of Black girls and their caregivers.”

In addition to Project 10,000, the Financial Joy School will be hosting the Financial Family Reunion Summit on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2022. The conference is breaking ground as the first financial conference geared towards fostering Black wealth and legacy by enabling Black and Brown youth and families to learn, grow and empower themselves to create generational wealth and, most importantly, joy.

At the Financial Family Reunion Summit, one family will win $10,000 investing cash and twenty other families will win $150 to $1,000 investment cash. Registration for the event is free, and the event’s coordinators are encouraging individuals to sign up early so that they can have a greater chance of winning a prize.

This article first appeared on Blacknews.com. 

• Entrepreneurship

by Atiya Jordan

February 24, 2022

Sabrina and Idris Elba Launch Wellness Brand, S’Able Labs; Skincare Line On The Way

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Sabrina and Idris Elba have teamed up to exemplify the power of partnerships with their Audible podcast Coupledom and now with the launch of a capsule collection of genderless skincare.

During the wake of COVID-19 lockdowns, conversations about wellness and self-care became important for the celebrity couple.

“It began during a conversation Idris and I had at a time in which we felt disconnected from our community,” Sabrina told Vogue. “It opened up the idea of wellbeing and self-care that we hadn’t really thought of before—looking at wellness from the outside in, in terms of your community and who’s around you. That’s when it clicked.”

S’Able Labs, Elbas’ spelled backward, is a multifaceted wellbeing brand catering to people of all ethnicities, genders, and backgrounds. The skincare products, set to launch this summer, will be formulated with sustainable ingredients from Africa to address concerns from hyperpigmentation to inflammation.

 

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A post shared by S’able Labs (@sable.labs)

“When you are happier, doing good just comes naturally,” Sabrina said. “That’s why self-care is such an important thing in partnerships and relationships—when you’re feeling really good about yourself, you’re able to share that with other people and it’s infectious. I feel like we’ve forgotten about that because we’ve been so isolated. We want to remind people to share that good energy.”

The husband and wife quickly realized the need for community care without the heavily gender-focused products. With this new venture, they aim to provide the resources necessary to bring the community together in the wellness space. The wellbeing brand will also take on events and partnerships.

“We think that self-care can only be fully realized through community care,” Sabrina said in a statement, according to Stylecaster. “They are interdependent concepts. We’re trying to educate and help but we also want to learn from the conversation we’re having with our growing community.”

“I want there to be a dialogue around looking after each other. How we look and feel actually feeds into how we maintain our partnerships,” Idris added. “We’re all part of this world, so if we can help each other, that’s going to save a lot of lives and livelihoods.”

The Elbas are actively spreading the word about the power of partnerships while continuing their own personal and business journey.

“As our business relationship grows, our personal one grows alongside it,” Sabrina told Vogue. “And Idris is really new to the skin-care journey, so it’s great to be able to share amazing skincare with him—he finally gets it!”