HBCU Alumnus Donates Liver to Former Norfolk State University Roommate
Over 20 years later, two former college roommates are still showing up for one another in more ways than one.
Dr. Richard Koonce and Steven Robinson were students at HBCU Norfolk State University and working as bartenders when they met. As their relationship blossomed into a genuine brotherhood, Koonce introduced his former roommate to the woman who would become his wife, Natalie Robinson. The old pals hadn’t seen each other in over two decades, but Facebook, texts, and occasional phone calls kept them connected.
More recently, the two HBCU brothers became reacquainted under more trying circumstances.
Nearly two years ago, Koonce, an adored basketball coach in Sandusky, Ohio, was diagnosed with primary schlerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic and incurable liver disease that leads to scarring of the liver and the deterioration of the bile ducts. Koonce had been receiving treatment from the Cleveland Clinic when he opted to go the living donor route instead of a deceased donor’s liver.
It was during a family trip to Sandusky that Robinson decided to visit Koonce, who finally shared his health struggles. After realizing they had matching blood types, Robinson, a NewJersey native and president and creative director of Lucid DGTL Design Studio, tells BLACK ENTERPRISE he immediately looked into how he could get approved to help his brother “get on the road of a healthy recovery.”
With the enthusiastic support of his family, Robinson was also approved to be a donor. He has since traveled to Cleveland and undergone extensive testing, including cardio exams, liver biopsy, MRI, and more to ensure clearance for the transplant surgery.
The liver transplant surgery will take place on Valentine’s Day, February 14. He said that his unconscious decision of the date could be “another loving brother moment.”
“It’s about all of the people you don’t realize who have love for you until you’re facing hardship or a crisis, and those people step up to show you how much you mean,” Koonce says.
“The date of Feb. 14 is representative of all those blessings and more! Ultimately, it’s simply about the most important gift that we can ever give each other, and that is love,” adds Koonce, who credits Steve’s love and God for his most recent blessings.
A GoFundMe page has been organized by Koonce’s colleague and friend to help with the costs both families have mounted and will continue to face with procedures and follow-up appointments.
Meet the Social Entrepreneur at the Forefront of the Ghanaian Renaissance
Meet L. Nzingha Samuel, the social entrepreneur behind the “Ghanaian Renaissance” who has created her own neighborhood in Kumasi, Ghana.
In 2019, Ghana’s “Year of Return” campaign and the continued racial unrest in America prompted thousands of Black Americans to trace their roots and come home to Ghana. But Samuel had already committed herself to consciously bridging the gap between communities in Kumasi, Ghana, and Atlanta by creating programs and initiatives to support Ghana’s socio-economic development.
After investing in several properties in Ghana, Samuel has made it her mission to assist her friends, family, and colleagues in building homes there as well.
As part of her work in Ghana, Samuel helped develop a sister-city relationship between the Honorable Mayor Anthony S. Ford of Stockbridge, Georgia, and Honorable Mayor Christian Adu-Poku of Kumasi, Ghana, and provided over 100+ tools and supplies to local schools and hospitals around Ghana.
Speaking with BLACK ENTERPRISE, Samuel shared her inspiration to invest in Ghana.
“I have been traveling to Ghana for almost 20 years now, and mainly to Kumasi, where my godfather lives. I would live at his compound for 1- 2 months and fell in love with the rich culture and heritage, friendly people, and the beauty of Ghana. I also met my fiance during those trips—I’ve known him for 19 years now. He chose to settle in Kumasi, so we decided to build a home there together.”
“When racial unrest began causing major issues in the U.S. several years ago, I decided to create another pipeline for Blacks throughout the diaspora so we could have a sense of ownership and belonging. Ghana also sponsored the “Year of Return” in 2019, so it became a perfect storm inspiring me to settle in my “home” country and establish my family there.”
“For many of us, Ghana also provides a cultural compass, leading us home — regardless of where we may have come from originally. We know at some point we all graced the African shores.” – L. Nzingha Samuel
“I also realized my international travels and community development experience could really make a difference in the space. Once my close friends found out I was building there, they also purchased land and began to build. The community expanded rapidly by word of mouth. Now, there are over 15 families in our community, spanning over 20 plots of land (which is about 5 acres) throughout the area.”
“Additionally, I brokered a sister-city relationship between Stockbridge, Georgia, and the Afigya-Kwabre district where I reside in Kumasi, Ghana. This relationship added another layer to the pipeline I am creating between our people throughout the diaspora and Kumasi, Ghana.”
What are some of your hopes for bridging the gap between communities in Kumasi and Atlanta?
“It started with Atlanta and Kumasi, but it has branched out from there! We currently have a resident from Jamaica that is building a home, and we are receiving inquiries daily from other places around the United States. People from all over are looking to join the community!”
“I hope to create a second phase of the community later this year and expand the offerings within both. I would like to create a co-op space where community residents can invest in farmland and grow their own food. I am also looking to build a neighborhood co-working space in addition to small stores and shops so that residents can have access to native Ghanian foods and produce as well.”
“I am also working on an ecotourism project in Kumasi; an immersive art installation bringing stories and folktales from throughout the diaspora to life; a sports academy for athletes to be seen by international scouts, and an aviation project in the area. I have also been actively working with the local community and community members from the diaspora to build the entire area into a sustainable and multifunctional destination for the greater global community to experience.”
What was the process like when creating a neighborhood in Kumasi?
“It was a pretty easy process for me because my fiance is Ghanaian and was born and raised not far from the location. He speaks the language and understands the system, so the barriers to entry were very low. Plus, soon after I began building there, I fostered a relationship with local government officials, so I also have their support.”
“You have no idea who your neighbor is or where they are from in the community! Everyone builds their home in the same area, but we live amongst the people sprinkled throughout. We work with Ghanaians in the neighborhood to facilitate change and develop the area. We are truly becoming one family again. It is not a utopia, but it can be whatever we make it—collectively.”
What are some stigmas you hope Black Americans can break through your initiative?
“I hope Black Americans can work through a lot of our emotional traumas through this process. We have an opportunity to unplug, decompress, and contribute in ways we haven’t had space to do before.”
“We also have an opportunity to simply “matter” by virtue of our very existence as opposed to having to explain why we should “matter” to anyone else. We know everyone won’t move to Ghana, and we also know we have a lot of work to do within our own communities at home.”
“We are hoping to impact our collective consciousness by building relationships with our brothers and sisters abroad that can impact and influence our movements back here in the U.S. and around the world. We can create a base where we have the freedom to move about and establish ourselves in ways we have not been able to before.
“I also hope Black Americans shed the stigma that continental-born Africans “don’t like us” (and vice versa). There is a lot of miscommunication and ignorance on both sides of that conversation.”
“The more we visit and experience Ghana and other countries throughout the diaspora, the more we can have a mutual appreciation and respect for one another’s existence and contribution.”
Tell us about your sister-city relationship between Mayor Anthony S. Ford of Stockbridge, Georgia, and Honorable Mayor Christian Adu-Poku of Kumasi, Ghana.
“This relationship is the brainchild of myself and Dr. Alan Peterson II, Economic Development Director, City of Stockbridge. I was driving through the city and thought about how I wanted to do more to combat the racial unrest happening throughout the U.S. at the time, specifically within Stone Mountain, Georgia, at that moment. I then met with Dr. Peterson, and we remained in communication as I traveled back and forth to Ghana, establishing the community.”
“Dr. Peterson shared his vision of what this kind of relationship could be for the residents of Stockbridge, especially small to medium-size business owners and entrepreneurs. The District Chief Executive of the Afigya-Kwabre South district in Kumasi, Ghana, was very eager about this opportunity to fortify relationships in the U.S. From there, Dr. Peterson and I were able to broker the relationship between both parties and establish their sister-city relationship. The document was officially signed in December 2021, and I brought it back to the U.S. in January 2022. Now, we are currently working to establish programs and initiatives that will be mutually beneficial for Stockbridge and Kumasi.”
“We hope to create a pipeline for business owners to travel and look to Ghana to source and manufacture goods. We also are establishing ways Stockbridge residents can establish industries within this district in Ghana, helping to build the workforce there and to support their businesses back home in the U.S. We are going to sponsor festivals, cultural exchanges with West Africans and other community members from the diaspora, to share resources, information, and create ideas for future development.”
“We also want to speak to community members on both sides to see how we can ensure young girls and women can support one another between the two cities. Above all else, we hope to break down barriers on both sides and have both communities grow from the opportunity.”
Biden Administration to Implement ‘Harm Reduction Program’ to Promote ‘Racial Equity’ and Prevent Drug Overdoses
On Monday, applications closed for the Biden administration’s new $30 million grant program to provide pathways to safe measures for drug users to in an effort to help prevent drug overdoses.
Starting this May, “The Harm Reduction Program” will provide taxpayer funds to nonprofits and local governments that work to make drug use safer for addicts, Free Beaconreports.
Overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services, the grants will be allocated toward “smoking kits/supplies” that will provide pipes for users to smoke crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine, and “any illicit substance.”
According to the website, the program is being implemented due to “The U.S. is experiencing the most significant substance use and overdose epidemic it has ever faced, exacerbated by a worldwide pandemic, and driven by the proliferation of highly potent synthetic opioids containing primarily fentanyl and other analogues.”
The program hopes the kits will reduce the risk of infection when doing drugs with glass pipes. It prioritizes the organizations that target “underserved communities,” including African Americans and “LGBTQ+ persons,” to comply with President Biden’s executive order on “advancing racial equity.”
“The purpose of the program is to support community-based overdose prevention programs, syringe services programs, and other harm reduction services,” the grant said.
“Funding will be used to enhance overdose and other types of prevention activities to help control the spread of infectious diseases and the consequences of such diseases for individuals with, or at risk of developing substance use disorders (SUD)…”
There have been mixed responses to the program, with some states opting out of the program while cities like San Francisco and Seattle have started distributing the kits.
“We really are seeing something we’ve never seen before,” said Jon Zibbell, a senior public health scientist at the think tank RTI International, who studies street drug use, The Washington Postreports.
Meanwhile, Republicans are blasting the program for using taxpayer dollars to aid in drug abuse, Times Newsreports.
“Last week, Biden talked about being tough on crime,” Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark) said. “This week, the Biden Admin announced funds for crack pipe distribution to ‘advance racial equity.’”
President Biden’s son Hunter Biden has openly admitted to using crack, Timereports. Some critics argue the new program reflects the president’s sympathy toward drug abuse because of his son.
Funding for the grant program is provided through the American Rescue Plan and will last three years, and includes 25 awards of up to $400,000.
A Smithsonian Black History Exhibit Aims To Connect The Reconstruction Era To Modern-Day
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture presents a new exhibition, “Make Good the Promises: Reconstruction and Its Legacies,” exploring the turbulent Reconstruction era through an African American lens.
The 4,300-square-foot exhibition, which runs through Aug. 21, features more than 175 objects, 300 images, and 14 media programs. It takes place within the museum’s Bank of America Special Exhibitions Gallery and aims to shed light on the “deep divisions and clashing visions about how to rebuild the nation after slavery. It connects that era to today’s efforts to make good on the promises of the Constitution.”
Visitors can take a glimpse into the lives of Black men and women after the end of slavery and during the periods of American history permeated with unlawful incarceration, voter intimidation, lynching, and mass shootings. The exhibit features artifacts from an apron owned byHarriet Tubmanto the sweatshirt Trayvon Martin wore the day he was killed, which aims to represent the relevance of the Reconstruction era in modern-day politics and policing, as per USA Today.
“It’s not a story that’s constrained to any one racial group or ethnic group, contained to any one period of time,” Paul Gardullo, one of the museum’s curators, told the news outlet. “It’s a period, it’s a process, and it’s a promise. It’s a promise to make America a more just and more perfect union as we continue to struggle and move forward as a nation.”
From 1865 to 1877, the Reconstruction era was motivated by one of its major initiatives—to lay the foundation for equality and freedom for Black people after the Civil War. However, despite the efforts to reintegrate 4 million newly-freed people into the United States, “racially motivated violence was prevalent, and unfair labor practices created the system of sharecropping.”
The exhibit is presented with an accompanying book, Make Good the Promises: Reclaiming Reconstruction and Its Legacies—“a comprehensive story of Black Americans’ struggle for human rights and dignity and the failure of the nation to fulfill its promises of freedom, citizenship, and justice.” The book’s inclusion in the exhibit strives to change the narrative that has often characterized Black people in a negative light.
Kinshasha Holman Conwill, the museum’s deputy director and co-editor of the book, told USA Today, “When you say something long enough, and in the absence of a counternarrative, it becomes truth to people.”
Green Enterprise and Digital Venture Partners Announce HBCU College to Career Initiative to Help Black Grads Enter the Cannabis Industry
Green Enterprise and DVP will partner with nearly a dozen Black colleges to create pathways to the emerging cannabis industry, beginning with a two-day event at Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA.
Green Enterprise, a virtual video interview series produced and operated by Digital Venture Partners and BLACK ENTERPRISE, has announced the Green Enterprise College to Career Initiative. The series of on-campus events will bring together entrepreneurs, state officials, and thought leaders to discuss solutions to create a point of entry in the emerging cannabis industry, as well as meaningful pathways to success.
“The Southern University Agricultural Research and Extension and our partner Ilera Holistic Healthcare are pleased to be a part of the Green Enterprise College to Career Initiative,” said Dr. Janana Snowden, Executive Director of the Southern Institute for Medicinal Plants at the Southern University Ag Center, in a statement. “As one of Louisiana’s two licenses holders to grow medical marijuana, we are proud to take part in this opportunity to share resources and educate the community about opportunities in the hemp and cannabis industries.”
Produced by Digital Venture Partners and Black Cannabis Week, the events, content, and programming will take place throughout the remainder of 2022, and feature a combination of conversations and lectures covering a wide range of topics, from entrepreneurship to cannabis marketing to building an inclusive industry, beginning at Southern University in Baton Rouge, LA. The inaugural event takes place on February 18th and 19th, at the Southern University Law Center, in partnership with the Southern University Agriculture Center and Law Center, respectively. More schools and events will be announced over the coming months.
The presenting sponsor, Curaleaf, will facilitate special conversations, initiatives, and leave-behinds to begin in-earnest partnerships between cannabis operators and HBCUs, fostering an effective talent pipeline into the industry.
The initiative’s Official Education Partner, Cresco Labs through its SEED™ initiative will present cannabis programming tailored to communities disproportionally impacted by the War on Drugs. These efforts are designed to help individuals develop the skills needed to strategically and successfully enter the cannabis industry. SEED™ builds collaborative relationships with colleges and universities to prepare students for careers in the growing cannabis industry.
The cannabis industry is an emerging field with a vast array of opportunities. SULC is equipping its students to engage in a variety of areas pertaining to compliance, policy, governmental relations, and other aspects of the cannabis industry. – Dr. Marla Dickerson – Associate Vice Chancellor of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships and Initiatives at Southern University Law Center.
Key topics such as social impact, economics, and entrepreneurship will be covered. The full schedule is available at GreenEnterpriseHBCU.live.
Minority Business Leaders Advocate for Elevated Access to Federal Infrastructure Contracts
Minority- and women-owned businesses—including Black-owned firms—are in jeopardy of not gaining federal contracts tied to the $1.2 trillion infrastructure law if intentional actions are not taken to help them secure equal access to succeed in the bidding process.
That is a stand some Congressional members and minority leaders took on at a hearing of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion last week. According to Afrii-News, Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), the subcommittee’s chairwoman, expressed that “challenges associated with minority and women-owned businesses will not be solved overnight.” For years, minority and women-owned firms have widely been omitted from obtaining federal contracts.
Based on a White House report last December, “President Biden has directed agencies to increase the share of federal contracting from small disadvantaged businesses, including Black-owned businesses, by over 50% by 2025. The report added federal agencies “are now working to ensure that projects proposed for federal funding are reviewed for disparate impacts before they are awarded, and that federal funding does not go to grant applicants with a record of racial discrimination.”
The subcommittee is reportedly considering several bills that would require the federal government to offer educational resources on how to raise capital for historically underrepresented small businesses, analyze lending to minority and women-owned firms, and provide equity investments for “low-wealth” business owners.
Witnesses told the committee larger contracting firms should mentor smaller, minority, and women-owned firms. Those businesses reportedly often are not acquainted with the federal bidding process.
“Historically underutilized businesses risk falling into a cycle of underutilization,” stated Farad Ali, president and CEO at Asociar, a Plano, Texas-based Black-owned communications firm, per Afrii-News.
“If you have a chance as a buyer to choose between a vendor that has more performance or less performance, you’re going to choose the one with more performance. So I think it’s critically important that we work on utilizing mentor-protégé partnerships.”
Committee member Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) concurred with Ali. Lynch pointed out that many large contracting deals come about through a “secret handshake” or a “preferred bid list.”
“Because of the size of the dollar numbers on some of these big contracts coming out on infrastructure, you really have to try at the subcontractor level and bring people into the process,” Lynch stated via Afrii-News. “Unless we make affirmative steps to educate people and help them become part of the process, they’re going to stay on the outside.”
Philip Gaskin, vice president of entrepreneurship for the Kauffman Foundation, reflected at the hearing on why such support is needed.
“Today, Black-owned businesses are twice as likely to be rejected for loans, start with three times less in overall capital, and four in 10 entrepreneurs of color are too discouraged to even try for a loan for fear that they won’t get it,” Afrii-News reported. He further added, “We have no better opportunity to bring these entrepreneurs out of hiding than ensuring equal participation in rebuilding our infrastructure.”
Black Women Help Reignite Growth of Black-Owned Businesses Hit by Pandemic
The number of Black-owned businesses saw a drastic decline after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. But leave it up to Black women to lead the pack in the number of new businesses.
Recent studies show Black women have been at the forefront of creating new businesses, Business Insider reported. After the number of Black-owned businesses took a hit by 40% in April 2020, women of color were among the largest group starting new businesses during the height of the pandemic.
Prior to the pandemic, Black women were already surpassing Black men and women in general in the number of new businesses being launched. A 2019 Wells Fargo report found that 35% of Black-owned businesses were owned by women, over 10% more than the number of female-owned businesses in the U.S. economy.
Black businesses took an even bigger hit due to disparities within the government aid program meant to help small businesses during the financial crisis. But only 29% of Black-owned business applicants received relief from the Payment Protection Program compared with 60% of white business owners.
Despite the grim realities, Black women have continued to take the lead when it comes to revitalizing the nation’s economy. Whether out of financial need or frustration over being underpaid and undervalued at work, Black women have been the country’s fastest-growing group of female entrepreneurs, according to Biz Women.
“At a time when folks are rethinking their lives and choices, it is not surprising that more Black women are electing to become CEOs of their own companies rather than waiting for their intelligence and skills to be recognized at their current firms,” Melissa Bradley, founder of 1863 Ventures, an agency for Black and brown entrepreneurs, said.
The influx of Black women launching businesses is reflective of the ongoing Great Resignation that saw millions of women leave jobs due to policy issues over lack of childcare, fair pay, remote work options for work-life balance, and avoidance to expose themselves to the coronavirus.
“The potential return of the freedom of time, lack of unnecessary controls and financial success far outweighs the risk of failure for these Black female entrepreneurs when leaving their full-time jobs,” Bradley said.
Here are 12 podcasts creating safe spaces for Black Women
It’s February! So, In honor of this year’s Black history month, I decided to put together a list of 12 amazing podcasts created for Black Women by Black Women. That means as of this month, it is important to prioritize self in a new way with a community of women learning how to do the same. Whether it is dating & friendship advice, self-care tips, Business coaching, or acknowledging the contemporary struggles of Black Women. These Podcasts are empowering women to celebrate themselves in every season of their journey.
1. To My Sisters The Podcast
To my sister’s podcast
Hosted by Cambridge University alumna and CEO of CDB London, Courtney Daniella Boateng and a two-time graduate of Harvard University and Oxford Alumna, and digital creator, Renee Kapuku. The “To My Sisters Podcast” is created for women seeking genuine support and sisterhood. These online sisters are giving women the tools to have fulfilling friendships, disciplined lifestyles, fruitful relationships, and healed transformative lives.
2. Slay Girl Slay
Slay Girl Slay
Hosted by Northern Illinois University Alumna, former recruiting coordinator, and driven entrepreneur, Ashley Leggs. The “Slay Girl Slay Podcast” is truly a conversation from one homegirl to another. This podcast is created to celebrate individuality and encourage the dream chaser, and together create the joyful life you want to live.
3. The Love Letter Project
The love letter podcast
Hosted by creative coach, artist, and digital creator Alecia Renece. “The Love Letter Project” is a dedicated heartfelt tribute to Black Women. She advocates for the reassurance, peace, and self-awareness of Black people through soulful conversation.
4. Women Evolve
Women Evolve
Hosted by bestselling author, businesswoman, pastor, and media personality Sarah Jakes Roberts. The “Woman Evolve Podcast” is a safe space for healing, guidance, and wisdom. Through her personal experiences and special guest appearances, this podcast is made for women going through transitional periods of life.
5. NWAffirmations
NWAffirmations
NWAffirmations audio is reprograming the way Black women and men internalize trauma and self-identity through positive messaging. Whether you are starting your day or ending it, NWAffirmations is teaching Black people how to affirm and love themselves.
6. CockTales: Dirty Discussions
CockTales: Dirty Discussions
Hosted by reality tv star and digital creator Medinah Monroe and serial entrepreneur and media personality Kiara “KiKi” Alexandra. The “CockTales Podcast” is delivering unfiltered conversations on hot topics like dating and sex with humor.
7. Relationsh*t With Kamie Crawford
Relationsh*t W/ Kamie Crawford
Hosted by tv personality and co-host on MTV’s popular tv show Catfish, Kamie Crawford. The “Relationsh*t Podcast” is based on her personal experiences mixed with expert advice from time to time. Her mission is to guide women on how to navigate the ups and downs of relationships, dating tips, and a path to self-awareness through meaningful lighthearted conversations.
8. Pepp Talk Podcast
Pepp Talk Podcast
Hosted by speaker, transformation coach, and digital creator Breeny Lee. “The Pepp Talk Podcast” is helping women live happy and whole lives. Her honesty and insightful advice are teaching women the importance of prioritizing their mental health, setting healthy boundaries, and how to navigate the dating scene.
9. Mahogany Pink
Mahogany Pink
Mahogany Pink is a collective of video essays on YouTube exploring topics like colorism, featurism, the complexity of dating culture, and the subconscious exceptions forced on Black women. This channel provides a complete cultural reset focused on the empowerment and self-care of all Black women.
10. Chrissie
Chrissie
Hosted by digital creator and intellectual Chrissie. This platform is dedicated to the advancement and promotion of dark-skinned Black women. Whether it is colorism, dating, corrective promotion, or femininity advice. Chrissie provides introspective commentary on the contemporary struggles Black women face in every social medium.
11. For Harriet
For Harriet
Hosted by Harvard alumna, writer, and recognized cultural critic Kimberly N. Foster. “For Harriet” is a multi-platform digital community created for Black women. This podcast analyzes and explores the complexity of Black womanhood in media, Black feminism, toxic masculinity in the Black community, and much more.
12. Side Hustle Pro
Side Hustle Pro
Hosted By two-time graduate from the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business and seasoned entrepreneur, Nicaila Matthews Okome. The “Side Hustle Pro” podcast is helping Black women reevaluate the way they understand business. From the corporate office to full-time podcaster, Nicaila is using her own professional experience to spotlight and coach Black women on how to become successful women in business.
CIAA Commissioner Jacqie McWilliams is an Example of Black Leadership
Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Jacqie McWilliams has a résumé that most people can only dream about.
McWilliams was a two-sport athlete in basketball and volleyball at Hampton University. In 1988, her first year at Hampton, she helped guide the Pirates to a Division II National Championship. She was also named Conference Freshman of the Year in women’s basketball. In 1990 she was named Conference Player of the Year in volleyball.
She also shined academically, getting a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in sports management and administration from Temple University. She was the first female coach for the Virginia Union University men’s basketball team, serving as an assistant, and has worked at Norfolk State University and Morgan State University before working for the NCAA itself.
McWilliams has done so much in her life and career, and she believes it was all part of the plan.
“I think God planned me to do all this. I just have some great favor and great support over my life,” McWilliams told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “As a little girl, my mom had me involved in all kinds of sports, skating, badminton, you name it, but really figuring out where my talents lie helped me and having the chance to use sports to get me through college really helped me stay focused.”
McWilliams is currently in her ninth year as CIAA Commissioner and the first Black woman to serve in the role for the conference. As a Black woman in a leadership role, McWilliams knows she’s held to a higher standard and has less room for error but has a team she can rely on.
“It has not been an easy road; you deal with the ism’s obviously as a Black woman in a leadership role,” She told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “You deal with it in your own culture, and you deal with it outside of your culture, but being part of the women leaders in college sports and being the president of that organization, those things give you confidence and really feels great to have people around you to make sure that you’re successful, and the person I can give the most gratitude to is God.
“I spend a lot of time making sure that the people around me are supported and can support me. You don’t win a national championship without the right players that are disciplined, focused, controlled, and compliment each other well, and that takes a lot of work to get there.”
In her role, McWilliams has managed both the men’s and women’s NCAA Division I basketball tournaments, which continues to be among the most celebrated and highly attended events in intercollegiate athletics. She also mentors student-athletes that play in the conference.
The motivational speaker also served on several NCAA boards, including the Women Leaders in College Sports, where she served as president last year, and the NCAA Gender Equity Task Force, which she currently serves on.
McWilliams knows she wouldn’t be where she is without the help of many, including her husband Shaun Parker, daughter Samone, and her mentor Judy Fleet, but as a woman of faith, McWilliams also wanted to thank God.
“I have my ups and downs; there are times where it’s really hard and where it goes past you, and you’re just like OK, we got through it,” McWilliams said. “This was my dream job. I’ve worked in the CIAA before; I’m a product of the conference. Working at the NCAA and some Division 1 institutions really helped mold and shape my preparation to be in a leadership role.
“I’m a woman of faith, so I don’t think anything that’s happened in my life was by mistake. I think every role that I’ve had he has put me in a position to do good work.”
Meet the Founders of the Six-Figure Digital Detox Program, I Am Surviving Vegan
Orisha Oshun and Grizzy Tha God say they made their first million in 2020 amid the pandemic by transforming the health of over 100,000 Black families globally through their family-run company I Am Surviving Vegan.
During the outbreak of the COVID crisis, the co-founders saw an immediate need to build immunity to COVID-19 within the Black community.
BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with Orisha and Grizzy Tha God about the importance of I Am Surviving Vegan in the Black community.
Why is I Am Surviving Vegan important for the community?
Orisha: I Am Surviving Vegan is important for the community because we challenge individuals to see the connection between the way they eat and their unhealed emotional traumas. Our vision is to make people who are transitioning to healthier living feel elite, luxurious, and triumphant as they discover new depths to their true selves. Surviving veganism is not about Black people eating vegan burgers every day – although that’s a common transition—it’s about surviving the highs and lows of your holistic healing journey. It’s a mind, body, and soul transformation! That’s what the community needs to know…surviving and breaking generational health disparities takes time. We want our community to know that we are a resource for their journeys. Whether through our “edutainment” content, detoxes, Surviving Vegan Academy, or our vegan cookbooks.
What insight would you give to people wanting to go vegan but are skeptical of going all-in?
Orisha: I became a carb-o-holic. I dropped all the meat and left everything else on my plate. From our personal vegan transition, we built the “T.N.T. formula,” which stands for taste and texture. People can be skeptical about transitioning to veganism because most are worried that what they cook won’t taste better or have the right texture for their enjoyment. That’s why all of our recipes include both! More importantly, people need to understand that the transition to veganism is not just about the food we eat; it’s about our spiritual and mental wellbeing.
Be ready to conduct your own research, read the ingredients on the back of everything, hold yourself accountable, manifest more clearly, and don’t allow others to be stewards over your health. Be open to the entire wellness journey because we have learned it is not a destination. You may get discouraged and want to give up, but don’t. Trust us, the journey is beautiful, transformative, and so worth it! There are endless benefits to transitioning to veganism for the mind, body, and spirit alignment. You will experience body harmony, healing, peace, transformation, and weight loss. It will decrease the chances of health problems and increase manifestation and focus. Just know, even if something along the way doesn’t happen the way you intend for it to, there is always room for improvement, so don’t be so hard on yourself.
How do you balance business with family?
Orisha: We actually have five kids now. Our children are growing up with the company. The same principles we teach our community, we teach them. We’ve turned our daily vegan parenting routines into educational content—like family meal preps, homeschooling, raising Black vegan kids, having a vegan pregnancy, teaching kids to take herbal remedies, getting kids to drink more water, better communication styles, etc.
That’s how we balance it. So when we say we are a family-run business, we truly are! You’ll see our kids, family, and friends in our content, on Zoom meetings, in skits, etc. This is how we show the community that what they see is actually genuine.
What advice would you give to entrepreneurs facing challenges due to COVID-19?
Grizzy Tha God: Our advice…serve in the digital space! Entrepreneurs need to understand how to serve with heavier value and lower overhead. Social media has saved the cost of most business or product expenses. That’s why all of our products are completely digital. I’d advise that business owners take advantage of the shift.
Another piece of advice: learn to solve the biggest problem at the time. During the pandemic, most of the Black community wanted more holistic remedies to build better immunity. That was the need that we solved. We focused all of our content and products on providing tips and tricks for a healthier body.
“Once people recognized that our information was valuable and consistent, they became our tribe,” added Orisha.
How would you like to see the business expand in the future?
Orisha: We’ve helped over 100,000 people detox or transition their lives holistically. We’d like to help millions more! We’d also like to see how we can create virtual holistic worlds inside the metaverse.
We are also in the transition of making I Am Surviving Vegan a people’s brand. This is our fifth year of business, and we’ve already trained over 2,00 people to be I Am Surviving Vegan wellness coaches. Our coaches will help us reach a million more lives!
The Black, family-owned business in Miami helped over 20,000 women and men lose up to 20 pounds of waste with their first plant-based detox, #SurvivingVeganDetoxChallenge. Ancient skincare and colon detoxes are also offered. With 1,100 community members, the four-week Surviving Vegan Academy teaches holistic counselors to the next generation. I Am Surviving Vegan provides 100% digital products to over 90,000 members through its online platform. The Surviving Vegan Soulfood Cooking guide shares recipes for the holidays and transitioning vegans.
I Am Surviving Vegan provides resources for building wealth and health in the Black community.
