Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Launch Kids Clothing Line With Kaavia James
At just 3 years old, little Kaavia James has already immersed herself in an entrepreneurial endeavor. Thanks to her famous parents, Kaavia is the owner of her own clothing line for kids.
In collaboration with Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade, and children’s fashion brand Janie and Jack, Kaavia released the first collection from the Kaavia James Union-Wade x Janie and Jack collection, Vanity Fairreports.
The new pieces are inspired by Kaavia’s love for style, imagination, family, and friendship.
It’s right up Kaavia’s alley, Union says of her young daughter who has been into fashion since “she could walk.”
“When we were designing this line, people were like, ‘How does a child participate in the fashion process?’ But when we whittled down our ideas between the Janie and Jack design team and me and my husband, we showed [Kaavia] the French Terry [styles], we showed her the triple-tier ruffles and the prints,” Union said.
“There were things that we loved that she was like, ‘No.’ And we didn’t force any of it on her. If she didn’t like it, that was it.”
The line follows the success of Kaavia’s self-inspired book Shady Baby and came together smoothly due to the pandemic.
Jane and Jack
“I guess because of the pandemic, being a pandemic baby, the bulk of her life has been spent [with] us doing press and fittings and everything in our house, so she’s been around it all and has been super, super into it,” Union said. “She’ll be feeling the materials and she’ll want to understand how everything is working.”
The collection launched on Feb. 2 and includes bright colors, full sets, and traditional African prints for kids from all backgrounds aged six months to 18 years old. With prices ranging from $10.50 to $74, there’s something for everyone.
“I’m thrilled how the clothes turned out. I’m thrilled how the campaign turned out and it’s her. It’s her,” Union said.
Whoopi Goldberg’s Co-Hosts Reportedly ‘Furious’ With Her Two-Week Suspension From ‘The View’
Amid Whoopi Goldberg’s two-week suspension from The View, her co-hosts Sunny Hostin, Joy Behar and Ana Navarro are reportedly ‘”furious” about the decision.
Inside sources at the daily talk show say Goldberg’s colleagues are upset by her suspension because they don’t think she had racist intentions when explaining why she doesn’t think the Holocaust was about race. There have been mixed reactions behind the scenes as to how ABC handled the situation.
“People are really upset and don’t understand why it took two days,” an ABC executive toldThe Daily Beast.
“I love Whoopi Goldberg. I love The View,” Navarro said on Tuesday. “This was an incredibly unfortunate incident. Whoopi is a lifelong ally to the Jewish community. She is not an antisemite. Period. I am sad. And I have nothing else to say.”
ABC News president Kimberly Godwin announced Whoopi’s suspension on Tuesday evening; Goldberg made the comments during the Monday morning taping.
“Effective immediately, I am suspending Whoopi Goldberg for two weeks for her wrong and hurtful comments,” Godwin said in a staff note. “While Whoopi has apologized, I’ve asked her to take time to reflect and learn about the impact of her comments.”
Goldberg has hosted The View since 2007 but faced backlash on Monday while discussing the non-fiction graphic novel Maus and explaining why she feels the Holocaust wasn’t “about race.” Whoopi doubled down on her claims even after several co-hosts pointed out Adolf Hitler’s “Final Solution” in the Holocaust being “white supremacy” over the Jewish community.
“It’s about man’s inhumanity to man,” Whoopi declared while noting the time period was a fight between “two white groups of people.”
Goldberg repeated the statement on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert that evening, The New York Postreport.
“But I thought it was a salient discussion because, as a Black person, I think of race as being something that I can see,” Whoopi told Colbert. “So I see you and I know what race you are, and the discussion was about how I felt about that. People were very angry, and they said, ‘No, no, we are a race,’ and I understand. I understand. I felt differently.”
On Tuesday, Whoopi started the show by apologizing for Monday’s statements.
“I stand corrected and I stand with the Jewish people,” Goldberg said.
TikToker Claims Her Voicemail Greeting Blocked Her Chances At Getting Hired
Awaiting the call from a potential employer is daunting enough, but for Zanaya Jones her voicemail greeting may have cut her chances at being hired.
Jones, an avid TikToker, has nearly 9,000 followers and a profile of comedic videos. According to the Daily Dot, she recently posted a TikTok claiming she was in fact not hired because of her voicemail greeting.
“The time I didn’t get hired because of my voicemail,” Jones captioned the video of the potential employer’s voicemail to her.
“Yes, Miss Jones, I recommend if you apply for a job and you expect somebody to call you that you have a more appropriate response on your voicemail,” said the prospective employer, as per the TikTok. “So thank you for applying, and no need to give us a call back.”
It’s unclear if Jones was not offered the job because of her voicemail greeting or if she wasn’t getting the job beforehand. While the video garnered 15 million views, comments poured in requesting that Jones share her voicemail greeting.
In response, Jones posted an additional TikTok with her greeting enclosed.
“Wassup, wassup, wassup,” Jones sings in the voicemail.
“It’s your girl Zanaya… I’m sorry I couldn’t answer the phone. Please leave your name and number, and you know all that,” Jones conti.
In just a few days, the video accrued over 5 million views and counting. Some commenters described her greeting as childish, while others didn’t find anything derogatory that could affect her getting hired.
“Are you serious? He’s acting as if you’re using a bunch of foul words, it’s literally your personality,” one user said.
“That’s your PERSONAL phone. Not everybody has a cell and a work phone,” another added.
Numerous TikTokers chimed in with conclusions that Jones may have gotten lucky.
“It’s nothing wrong with your voice mail? Lmao it’s a good thing you didn’t get the job they sound picky,” one wrote.
“You dodged a bullet. That guy has 0 personality,” another user wrote.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Express Concern to Spotify Over Joe Rogan’s COVID Misinformation
Neil Young, Jonie Mitchell, and India Arie aren’t the only ones speaking out against Joe Rogan’s controversial Spotify podcast. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are also making their voices heard.
With Prince Harry and Meghan Markle launching a partnership with Spotify in 2020, the royal couple’s foundation revealed the “concerns” the Duke and Duchess reported to the streaming platform over Rogan’s misinformation around the coronavirus pandemic, Todayreports.
“Since the inception of Archewell, we have worked to address the real-time global misinformation crisis,” an Archewell spokesperson said. “Hundreds of millions of people are affected by the serious harms of rampant mis- and disinformation every day.”
Since April 2021, the foundation “began expressing concerns to our partners at Spotify about the all too real consequences of COVID-19 misinformation on its platform.”
While Prince Harry and Meghan have expressed their worries about the misinformation Spotify has on its platform, the couple plans to continue working with the streaming giant in hopes that the company works to rectify the issue.
“We look to Spotify to meet this moment and are committed to continuing our work together as it does,” the statement concluded.
After Spotify agreed to remove Neil Young’s music over the Joe Rogan controversy, the company released a statement saying company policies work to remove misleading content from its platform, Fox Businessreports. Spotify also said it had already pulled over 20,000 podcast episodes related to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic.
But Spotify failed to directly address all of the backlash over the “The Joe Rogan Experience.” In addition to several artists removing their music from the platform over Rogan’s controversial statements about the pandemic, singer India Arie announced she was removing her music from Spotify due to the racially insensitive remarks Rogan has made about Black people.
With some public figures making stances against Spotify’s $100 million loyalty to Joe Rogan, many wonder if the platform will take more action.
FAMU Alumna Offers Melanin Sentiments with You Go Girl Greeting Cards
Black female entrepreneur and accomplished author and owner of Opportune Independent Publishing Company, Shanley Simpson, is pleased to announce the global launch of You Go Girl greeting cards, a new specialty greeting card company catering to women of color around the world.
The greeting card company launched Feb. 2, according to a press release.
Simpson is taking the reins to fill a missing sector in the greeting card industry with her new inspiring line of beautiful and unique greeting cards. As a seasoned serial entrepreneur with a decade of experience working in publishing, she is the sole founder and CEO of this new venture and is excited about crossing into uncharted waters. Shanley defines her new endeavor this way; “You Go Girl is a greeting card company dedicated to ‘melanated’ women and girls who deserve a special note, just for them. This greeting card company has been curated to fill the space on many retail shelves that do not represent the person purchasing it and/or receiving it.”
The mission statement of You Go Girl is succinctly put into three little words: “To represent her.”
With nearly 22 million black women in the U.S., many have found it difficult to find cards that represent their culture or heritage — until now.
“It can be a daunting task to find the perfect card that represents the flavor of the African American experience. Most cards do not depict people of color in any way. Americans purchase approximately 6.5 billion greeting cards each year, but sadly, most cards don’t cater to the often overlooked, underrepresented people of a darker hue,” Simpson said.
Simpson has developed an array of greeting cards that will remedy this problem.
“You Go Girl greeting cards, in print and digital formats, are made for mature, ‘melanated’ women. We will also offer several greeting cards that highlight young, little girls of color as well. Helping people show love for women of color is my ultimate goal,” said Simpson, who is a Florida A&M University Alumna.
Authentic representation in the greeting card industry is needed.
“Melanin greeting cards should be in the hands of everyone that wants them,” Simpson relayed.
A Tribe Called Quest, Lionel Richie and Dionne Warwick Among 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Nominees
This year’s nominees for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame have been announced!
The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Foundation revealed the recording artists nominated to be inducted for 2022. Popular hip-hop group, A Tribe Called Quest (Ali Shaheed Muhammad, Phife Dawg, Q-Tip, and Jarobi White) join Motown legendary artist and former Commodores lead singer, Lionel Richie, R&B songstress Dionne Warwick, and Nigerian Afrobeats pioneer Fela Kuti in a field of 17 nominees.
“This year’s ballot recognizes a diverse group of incredible artists, each who has had a profound impact on the sound of youth culture,” said John Sykes, chairman of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Foundation, in a written statement. “Their music not only moved generations but also influenced the sound of countless artists that followed.”
All recording artists are eligible for nomination after they have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years (1997) before the year of nomination.
Fans can vote for the artists they’d like to see in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame here.
The ballots for this year’s nominees are sent to an international voting body of more than 1,000 artists, historians, and music industry members. The nominees are selected based on “an artist’s musical influence on other artists, length and depth of career, and the body of work, innovation, and superiority in style and technique are taken into consideration.”
The full list of nominees:
Beck
Pat Benatar
Kate Bush
DEVO
Duran Duran
Eminem
Eurythmics
Judas Priest
Fela Kuti
MC5
New York Dolls
Dolly Parton
Rage Against The Machine
Lionel Richie
Carly Simon
A Tribe Called Quest
Dionne Warwick
Seven out of this year’s 17 nominees appear on the ballot for the first time: Beck, Eminem, Duran Duran, Dolly Parton, Lionel Richie, Carly Simon, and A Tribe Called Quest.
Last year, two hip-hop heavyweights were inducted. The artist with the most Grammys in hip-hop history, Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter, and James Todd Smith, also known as LL Cool J.
One of rock’s best-known performers, Tina Turner, along with poet and jazz musician, Gil Scott-Heron and soul entertainer and songwriter, Billy Preston were also inducted.
And one of Black music’s most successful executives who is known as the “Black Godfather,” Clarence Avant made the list as well.
Lisa Cook Is the First Black Woman Nominated For The Federal Reserve Board; But Will Face GOP Ire Due To Past Research
Lisa Cook is the first Black woman to be nominated to the Federal Reserve Board in its 108-year history, but she’s facing questions concerning her research and experience.
Cook sports a Ph.D. in economics and a wealth of experience in the field.
According to Bloomberg News, Cook worked at the U.S. Treasury and for the White House’s Council of Economic Advisers and advised the Central Bank of Rwanda after the nation’s civil war in 1994.
Additionally, Cook holds two bachelor’s degrees from Spelman University and Oxford University and is also a professor of economics and international relations at Michigan State University.
However, Cook hasn’t weighed in publicly on the Fed’s current inflation challenge, which Fed Chair Jerome Powell is struggling to deal with. The COVID-19 pandemic, followed by billions in relief for Americans, has led to the biggest jump in consumer prices in four decades.
Some of Cook’s previous work, including her research on how violence against Black Americans coincided with a decline in patent filings by Black Americans, has received critical acclaim. It’s also received criticism from Republican lawmakers who say her work is too focused on “racial policies.”
Cook is set to appear Thursday before the Senate Banking Committee along with Sarah Bloom Raskin and Philip Jefferson, two other nominees for open seats on the seven-person board.
If confirmed, she will be a paramount figure in the debate over the pace for the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates to stem inflation in an environment in which many Black and minority workers have yet to recover financially from the pandemic.
Like many economists, Cook attributes supply chain disruptions to the pandemic and believes prices could ease once those issues are solved. Cook has direct knowledge and experience when it comes to matters of high inflation from her time in Africa and Russia during the collapse of communism when she was researching her dissertation.
Many believe Cook can be a wonderful resource who can add new ideas and viewpoints to a group that’s typically loaded with monetary economists.
“Lisa is being held to a different standard. She doesn’t look like a central banker, she doesn’t talk like one,” says Claudia Sahm, director of macroeconomic research at the Jain Family Institute and a former Fed Board economist told Bloomberg.
“Maximum employment is now about getting the last person across the finish line that you can in a sustainable way. And in the U.S. economy, the last person, though not always, is usually going to be Black or Brown. The new Fed needs new people.”
Adidas Partners to Inspire Students from Marginalized Communities
Today’s students are imagining a world and career path far beyond what traditional systems are set up to provide. Design and creative hobbies have become more than just that – they are an opportunity for youth to explore a future that can become a career. Today, adidas is proud to support the Iovine and Young Academy and PENSOLE founder Dr. D’Wayne Edwards in an expanded partnership to create opportunities for students to embrace creativity and see expanded possibilities for their future.
“This partnership marks an ongoing chapter to offer the next generation of creative thinkers and dreamers the skills to shape the future of design. Despite someone’s background or economic standing, kids bold enough to dream big should be provided with equitable access to education,” said Edwards, PENSOLE founder. PENSOLE was established in 2010 by Edwards to give talented young design students — regardless of socioeconomic background — an opportunity to learn from the industry’s best, according to a press release.
(Image: PR Newswire)
This past fall, in partnership with the USC Iovine and Young Academy, students participated in a series of “Wood U” workshops, working with adidas and Inglewood native, D Smoke to design an apparel and footwear line driven by longevity, ambition, power and love, that will launch in select LA stores on Feb. 7.
The Iovine and Young Academy was founded by Jimmy Iovine and Andre “Dr. Dre” Young in 2013 to give young, creative disruptors the tools and inspiration to develop as leaders, innovators and entrepreneurs. In partnership with Jimmy Iovine and Dr. Dre, Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) will launch a new high school, currently known as Regional High School #1, whose curriculum will build on the Academy’s unique approach that combines design, business, and technology with hands-on, real-world learning. Together with adidas and PENSOLE, the partnership will give young students of color who are passionate about design unparalleled access to future careers and opportunities.
“adidas has long been involved in the Los Angeles area and its community. As part of our commitment to continue to support communities and our youth, we’re proud to be part of these new partnerships to advance opportunities for students from communities who are historically underserved,” said Ayesha Martin, adidas senior director, Communities & Social Impact.
“We’re bringing together the absolute best in sport, business and design – first working with students in the Los Angeles area and then with others around the country through adidas Community.”
(Image: PR Newswire)
More details on the partnership, including a launch video narrated by Inglewood native and two-time GRAMMY-nominated artist, philanthropist and entrepreneur D Smoke, are available.
Join the adidas Community platform to explore the Wood U curriculum and other workshops. The goal of the platform is to increase diversity within our industry and society by providing access to mentors, curricula and events for under-represented youth – invaluable tools and resources to enable them to become change-makers. adidas Community is a platform and a mindset, a new classroom and window into the world, a space for collaboration and connection, a chance to create the future, starting now. When we have the ability to see possibilities for our youth, we shape a better future together.
She Did That! 17-Year-Old Imunique Triplett Earns Nursing Degree Before High School Diploma
Upon entering her final semester of high school, 17-year-old Imunique Triplett decided that would take her another step closer into the professional world—she earned a nursing degree before graduating high school!
The program is an innovative dual-enrollment initiative of Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), Milwaukee Area Technical College (MATC), and the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UWM) that “allows eligible students to complete their high school graduation requirements while earning college credits from both MATC and UWM at no expense to the student.”
The nursing track Triplett completed only reserved 36 spots out of generally 150 applicants. Students receive MCAT training and can earn their state certification as a nursing assistant (CNA) and possibly their license as a practical nurse (LPN).
Recent reports show that 82% of Milwaukee’s public school system students are considered economically disadvantaged. Out of a 77,700 student population, 54% are Black, 27% are Hispanic, 11% are white, and 7% are Asian.
Triplett told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that she found a way to balance nursing school and high school during the height of the pandemic. She even worked at an understaffed home once a week, answering call lights, assisting patients with daily activities, and showing patients compassion while they were away from their loved ones.
Before joining the program, Triplett was unsure about the medical field.
“I was actually kind of anti-healthcare because I was so scared of body fluids and blood and things like that, so I kind of made my own assumptions about the healthcare field based on what I saw on TV and everything,” she explained to the Atlanta Black Star.
Triplett’s mother, Bonnie Campbell, is proud of her daughter. “She wasn’t into the meds and stuff like that, so I was like, are you sure, because we’ve got to be the ones running you back and forth, so make sure this is what you want to do, and she really surprised me,” Campbell told the news outlet.
Triplett had a change of heart despite her apprehensions as she learned more about the field.
“I would have had so many regrets, so I’m glad I just went and did it and took that leap of faith into the unknown basically,” Triplett said of her achievement.
Black Hotel Owner, Jessica Myers, Says She’s ‘The Dealmaker’ Who Can Help You Realize Your Financial Dreams
Jessica Myers wears a lot of hats. Entrepreneur. House flipper. Real estate investor. Even history-making hotel owner is an accurate distinction. But the 34-year-old, says she prefers to be known simply as “the dealmaker” (a.k.a. #TheDealMkr).
And looking at her professional track record the moniker is fitting. Since 2015, she has renovated more than $20 million dollars in real estate assets and manages a seven-plus figure portfolio. Just more than a year ago she made history when she partnered with a college buddy, also a 33-year-old African American woman, to acquire the Home2 Suites by Hilton El Reno, Oklahoma, located about 30 miles from Oklahoma City.
Their investment into the $8.3 million deal with fellow members of the Nassau Investments group is believed to have earned them the notable distinction of being the youngest African American woman to ever co-own a major hotel chain property. In December 2021 she worked with Nassau Investments and Jack Thomas of Jetway Financial, to acquire two more hotel properties; a Staybridge Suites in Fishers, Indiana, and a Hampton Inn & Suites in Scottsburg, Indiana.
Even before the groundbreaking deal, the former corporate communications and radio advertising professional managed to turn a hankering for HGTV into a lucrative residential house-flipping business, one home at a time. That led to investing in a diverse mix of residential and commercial properties, including renovations and luxury-modern build developments, and eventually a residential redevelopment project last year in Brunswick, Georgia. The latter project in her husband’s hometown, she says, was her way of helping revitalize and rejuvenate the coastal community that in recent years has been overwhelmed with media attention and division following a controversial racial killing that snagged national and international attention.
“Jessica knows real estate in and out; she knows her stuff, period,” gushes collaborator Thomas.
“She’s a developer who knows what makes a property valuable, how to read the market, and how to reduce risk. She combines that with a strong work ethic and a humble desire to help other investors become more successful. She’s motivated, determined to win, and wants to empower others to do the same. I’m excited to work with her and to be a part of her amazing real estate journey!”
Myers believes the diversity of her properties portfolio, is her strength and biggest asset. She says it’s evidence that she’s got the chops to do anything she puts her mind to, including helping others, especially those from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds in the real estate industry, looking to invest and grow their money. She says she can help anyone committed to the process win in the real estate game – even if it’s just to help build up capital for another big goal.
“You could be a hairdresser or a barber it doesn’t matter to me, it’s not about volume or having trillions of dollars to put into a project for me,” says Myers, a Georgia State University graduate who grew up in a working-class family in Atlanta.
“I’m looking to reach people beyond those already in the real estate industry, because I realize there’s a magic in turning non-real estate people into real estate investors – if not for the long-haul, just long enough for them to build up their money for another big dream.”
In light of that, Myers is kicking off 2022 with more ways to help others gain access to the knowledge that she’s acquired over the past seven years to become fellow “dealmakers” too. Along with her Lawn Chair Learning Circle series and her All Things Entrepreneur Podcast, she’s got a full schedule of real estate training courses available and open to the public, as well as appointment slots for personal consulting services and her debut book is slated for release in March. She insists that it is an easy-to-understand read that can help walk even the most modest and conservative of investors through the process of making money and enjoying real estate success.
In 2022 plans, she’s also pressing on in her major professional and personal goal of helping others own and acquire “over ‘1,000 doors’ in the commercial and residential real estate space.” She says it’s an effective and gratifying way to build generational wealth and feel empowered both personally and professionally.
“My overall vision is to help people gain more economic independence and to do so through real estate ownership,” she says.
“I want to empower others, especially women, people of color, and those who, like me, didn’t come from money, but who want to leave a legacy for their family and loved ones. It’s time we take back our communities and reclaim what is rightfully ours. I took the same simple steps to become a deal maker in the real estate space and I believe you can too!”
