According to a statement, Eventnoire is the winner of Mountain Dew’s Real Change Opportunity Fund Competition and will receive a portion of the $1 million prize pool, allowing it to continue work that strengthens Black business and uplifts Black communities. Eventnoire’s website describes it as a premiere event platform for event planners, organizations, and marketers that celebrate and embrace Black culture. Software solutions such as online event registration, venue selection, event management, mobile apps for events, and e-mail marketing are offered through the company.

“Before founding Eventnoire, (Jeff) Osuji and (Femi) Masha, both serial entrepreneurs with over 15 years of experience in the entertainment industry, recognized that mainstream event and ticketing platforms weren’t meeting the needs of the Black community,” Eventnoire said in a statement. “With this knowledge, Osuji and Masha went to work creating a niche event ticketing platform that keeps consumers “in the Black” by connecting them to Black events and experiences within their local communities.”

Additionally, Eventnoire said that as more revenue is gained, the company will be on a mission to recycle $1 million back into Black organizations annually and re-invest into the Black creative economy. If you are not familiar with The Mountain Dew Real Change Fund, the website explained that Mountain Dew’s parent company, PepsiCo, initiated a five-year, $400+ million plan. It is reportedly intended to uplift Black communities, strengthen Black business, and level the playing field for Black people in America. Five finalists from five HBCU’s were selected to advance to the final round of Mountain Dew’s Real Change Opportunity Fund Competition.

“In June, MTN DEW® is committed to fueling those who do and instigating real change,” information on the website explained. “As a first step, we have created the $1 Million Dollar, Real Change Opportunity Fund where we will help Black entrepreneurs who are current students or recent alumni from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), with existing PepsiCo relationships, turn seedlings of ideas into businesses or scale existing ventures.”

Entertainment journalist Gia Peppers hosted the third episode of Mountain Dew’s Real Change Opportunity Fund Competition. Eventnoire and other finalists competed to present their business ventures in a finale. Another statement explained that the Shark Tank-style contest was judged by DJ Envy of The Breakfast Club, Morgan DeBaun, and Lala Anthony. At the end of the YouTube video, Eventnoire was crowned the inaugural winner.

• Technology

by Black Enterprise Shop

May 5, 2021

Stay On Top of Your Side Hustle’s Accounting With This Invoicing Tool

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Small to medium businesses don’t always have the luxury of having dedicated departments in charge of processing invoices and balancing the books. The burden lies on the owner, who juggles multiple in-house tasks.

But things don’t always have to be this way. If you happen to run operations and are struggling to stay on top of crunching numbers, you can always turn to automation to lift the load off your shoulders. The Invoice Crowd platform is specifically designed to help make every aspect of invoicing easier. It operates under the idea of transferring data and maintaining a paperless environment.

Intuitive and simple to learn, it has all the functions you need to systematize your organization’s essential accounting functions. You can use it to create compelling and winning proposals, craft easy-to-understand optimized invoices, and accept payments via automated, secure, and fast payment methods. The dashboard shows you an advanced, consolidated, and intuitive overview of your firm’s estimations and accounts receivables. Also, you can use its many features to woo your clients with engaging proposals. Furthermore, you can regularly schedule invoices.

You can easily grant anyone access to the platform to make collaboration a breeze. You can also create multiple business profiles from your single account, and even accept payments via a variety of methods, including credit cards, PayPal payments, and ACH transfers. In the event that you hit a snag, 24/7 support is available to address any concern you may have.

This program is rated 5/5 on Product Hunt and Capterra. Now, you can find out why it’s highly rated with a lifetime subscription on sale for only $48.99.

Prices subject to change.

The founder of the Black Moms Connection is noticing how many of the group’s members have credited remote learning for shielding their children from issues of racism.

Tanya Hayles created the Black Moms Connection to serve as a safe space for Black parents. With over 16,000 members across North America and Asia, Hayles has started to notice discussions among group members who feel remote learning is helping their children avoid racist attacks at schools, the Associated Press reports.

“I knew from pregnancy on that this would be something we’d have to deal with,” said Ayaana Johnson, a Georgia mother with two young daughters in school. She has recalled her children being called racial slurs at school and seeing KKK flyers around the neighborhood. “This is the kind of area we live in, so you can imagine that you’re always going to feel protective of your children.”

Now with schools across the country reopening, mothers like Johnson are opting to keep their children at home and educated remotely to ensure their safety, Chicago Tribune reports.

“Now that they’re home, we feel safer,” Johnson confessed.

Reports from the Biden administration noted that far more white students have returned to in-person learning than their Black counterparts. In February, 52% of white fourth-graders were receiving full-time in-person learning while less than a third of Black and Hispanic fourth-graders were back at school full time, and just 15% of Asian American students, Politico reports.

Khadijah Ali-Coleman, co-director of Black Family Homeschool Educators and Scholars, has noted an increase in Black parents choosing to homeschool their children rather than sending them off to school.

“Racism in schools plays a huge, huge role in a family’s choice to do homeschooling,” Ali-Coleman said. “That racism can manifest in a lot of different ways, from a teacher who criminalizes every behavior to not recognizing how curriculums exclude the experiences of Black people to not presenting Black children with the same opportunities such as accelerated classes as white children.”

Hayles shared her preference for remote learning as she raises her son in Toronto, Canada. “When your child enters the school system, you are no longer just a parent,” she said. “You’re an advocate, a detective, a cheerleader, so many things. And in some ways, remote learning makes that work easier.”

• Black Lives Matter

by Derek Major

May 5, 2021

Teacher Suspended For Refusing To Remove A Black Lives Matter Flag, Now She’s Suing

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Florida teacher Amy Donofrio, who was suspended in March for refusing to remove a Black Lives Matter sign outside her classroom is now taking the district to court.

Donofrio, a teacher at the ironically-named Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, Florida, is being represented by the Southern Poverty Law Center in a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida.

The suit alleges the flag’s removal was a violation of her First Amendment rights. Donofrio initially put the sign outside her classroom in the fall of 2020 after Reginald Boston was killed in January 2020 by members of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Boston was a former member of the EVAC Movement, which focused on reframing the youth in Jacksonville from “at risk” to “at hope.”

The language arts teacher used her flags to demonstrate her opposition to the Civil War general who owned slaves. Donofrio also live streams her protests, some of which have gone viral on Twitter.

RELATED CONTENT: Confederate Namesake School Demoted Teacher For Not Removing Black Lives Matter Flag

In March, the Jacksonville Public School District told Donofrio to take her flag down as it violated a district policy concerning political speech by employees.

Donofrio told BLACK ENTERPRISE in an emailed interview she asked the district for an applicable policy but the district could not provide one.

“And here’s the thing: it was our flag. Me and my students. And I knew what it meant to them. They’re processing these racially tumultuous times, and to remove a symbol of their humanity and safety, for a non-policy-based reason, right after our school had a meeting to debate whether or not the leader of the Confederacy appropriately represented them…no. That’s wrong,” Donofrio said. “Why didn’t I remove it? Because we in education constantly lecture kids to do the right thing, even when it may cost them, and we have an obligation to walk that out ourselves.”

In addition to violating her rights, the English teacher said the school district constantly undermined the EVAC Movement, demoting it from a class to a club to an informal group. The district also turned down private funding for the program and blocked her from taking students on field trips during non-teaching days.

Donofrio said it hurt significantly to see the district fight the program while others were praising its efforts at the same time

“My students and I have presented at the White House, Capitol Hill, Harvard, on four occasions, and given a TED talk. Last year, we became published authors by Harvard. To see all that not be celebrated but fiercely targeted and labeled “problematic,” is deeply painful—like a slap in the face,” Donofrio told BE. “My students don’t deserve this treatment. As a white woman, glimpsing the depths of racism in these same systems that are supposed to protect and elevate them, it’s paradigm crushing.”

Donofrio is expected to face an uphill battle in court, but she’s more concerned about how her actions make her students feel, “Like they matter, because they do.”

The estate of Michael Jackson has emerged victorious, once again, in a court of law with a court’s recent ruling.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the estate of Michael Jackson went up against the Internal Revenue Service in the U.S. Tax Court in a dispute about the eccentric entertainer’s worth at the time of his untimely death. In dispute was the amount of Jackson’s worth, with the judge ultimately deciding that the family’s stated figure was much closer to what the government claimed it to be.

The Internal Revenue Service estimated Jackson’s likeness and image to be about $434 million, while his estate stated that he was only worth about $2,000 at the time he had passed away back in 2009.

Earlier this week, U.S. Tax Court Judge Mark Holmes stated his reasoning in a more than 250-page ruling.

“From the time he was a child Michael Jackson was famous; and there were times in his life, testified his executor, when he was the most famous person in the world. There were certainly years when he was the most well-known popular-music star, and even after his death there have been years when he was the world’s highest-earning entertainer. But there were also many years when he was more famous for his unusual behavior and not his unusual talent. And there were some years where his fame was turned infamous by serious accusations of the most noisome acts. We make no particular judgment about what Jackson did or is alleged to have done, but we must decide how what he did and is alleged to have done affected the value of what he left behind.”

John Branca and John McClain, co-executors of The Estate of Michael Jackson, issued a statement:

“This thoughtful ruling by the U.S. Tax Court is a huge, unambiguous victory for Michael Jackson’s children. For nearly 12 years Michael’s Estate has maintained that the government’s valuation of Michael’s assets on the day he passed away was outrageous and unfair, one that would have saddled his heirs with an oppressive tax liability of more than $700 million. While we disagree with some portions of the decision, we believe it clearly exposes how unreasonable the IRS valuation was and provides a path forward to finally resolve this case in a fair and just manner.”

This adds on to recent court victories Jackson’s estate has won.

Late last month, a judge dismissed a molestation lawsuit against Michael Jackson. His estate also won its appeal in the HBO Leaving Neverland lawsuit. And at this time last year, judges had declared that Jackson’s estate did not have to pay legendary Quincy Jones $6.9 million in royalties.

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 5, 2021

Elderly Black Woman Files Lawsuit After Being Snatched By Her Hair During Traffic Stop

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An elderly Black librarian who was violently arrested during a routine traffic stop is suing the city of Salisbury, North Carolina, and the officers involved with her detainment.

Last month, 68-year-old Stephanie Bottom filed a lawsuit against the city, the two police officers who arrested her, and the Rowan County sheriff’s deputy who were all involved in the May 30, 2019, incident, Atlanta Black Star reports.

In the lawsuit filed on April 21, Bottom accuses the officers of physically assaulting her and unlawfully searching her SUV after they chased her down with claims she was driving faster than the 70mph speed limit. Bottom was driving from Atlanta to Raleigh, North Carolina, to attend her aunt’s funeral. She claimed she had her music turned up and couldn’t hear the police sirens behind her. She also believed the cops were going after someone else and continued to drive for 10 miles before stopping. But she was forced to pull over after the officers laid down a spike trap to flatten her SUV’s tires.

The arresting officers involved were identified as Salisbury police officers Adam Bouk and Devin Barkalow, Rowan County sheriff’s deputy Mark Benfield, and a Highway Patrol trooper only identified in the suit as Officer Smith.

Bodycam footage showed the officers approaching Bottom with their guns drawn before she was dragged out of her car by her hair, The Charlotte Observer reports.

“I was just driving,” Bottom can be seen telling the officers. “You’re going to jail now,” the policeman responded. “Why? What have I done wrong?” Bottom said through tears. “What have I done wrong? Please, why are you doing this to me?”

“Ma’am, there was about four police cars behind you at one point in time,” Benfield told Bottom. “I don’t understand how they do it in Georgia, but that’s not how it’s done here.” Bottom cried while sitting handcuffed on the ground. She was later taken to the hospital where it was determined that her shoulder had been torn, the Associated Press reports.

She’s asking for damages and an injunction against the police practices that were used during her arrest. Bottom’s attorneys called out the officers and accused them of forcibly detaining her without giving the elderly woman enough time to exit her vehicle.

“There was no indication that local law enforcement agencies were going to take any action against these officers,” attorney Ian Mance said. “I think we all kind of saw this case the same way, which is this was an egregious example of excessive force. And the departments did not seem inclined to take action to hold these officers accountable. If they’re not going to hold these officers accountable in a situation like this, when will they hold officers accountable?”

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 5, 2021

Greyhound Restores Bus for 60th Anniversary of The Freedom Rides

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To commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Rides, Greyhound is restoring a vintage bus that was in service during the civil rights movement.

It was May 4, 1961, when a group of young civil rights activists set out on buses to protest against racial discrimination and segregation on public transportation. Now 60 years later, Greyhound unveiled a restored version of the vintage bus that was used at the same time the Freedom Rides took place, NBC News reports.

The restored bus was unveiled at the Alabama Historical Commission’s Freedom Rides Museum in Montgomery on Tuesday. The date coincided with the day the first Freedom Riders left Washington, D.C. to travel to New Orleans by bus and protest against segregation.

“As we celebrate the arrival of the restored Greyhound Bus and its symbolic representation of the courage of the Freedom Riders, we also commemorate the 60th anniversary of the rides and their impact on equal rights for all Americans,” Alabama Historical Commission Chairman Eddie Griffith said.

The young activists were attacked by angry white mobs during their travels. But 13 participants from the Congress of Racial Equality, including John Lewis who went on to become a Georgia congressman, continued on to spread their message. The group’s mission was to get the U.S. government to enforce the 1960 Boynton v. Virginia Supreme Court ruling where it was deemed unconstitutional to segregate interstate transportation facilities, including bus terminals.

As the protestors continued to face attacks without any police involvement, the Freedom Riders received nationwide attention. More young activists joined the group to protest against the blatant injustice. The movement led to President John F. Kennedy’s Interstate Commerce Commission which officially banned segregation in interstate transportation terminals.

The restored bus will remain as a permanent exhibit at the Alabama museum located at the Greyhound station the Freedom Riders arrived at 60 years ago.

“History happened here,” said Lisa D. Jones, executive director of the historical commission and the state historic preservation officer. “Preserving this place helps bring to life a critical part of the civil rights story, and the role Montgomery and the state of Alabama played in it.”

• News

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 5, 2021

Marine Veteran Hailed As Hero for Chasing Down Alleged Rapist Outside Kroger Store

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Damian Austin is being hailed as a hero by residents in Savannah, Georgia, after the armed Marine veteran detained a man accused of raping a woman inside of a Kroger’s bathroom.

Surveillance footage showed the moment Austin took down 25-year-old Gregory Hathorne after he heard a woman scream inside of the Kroger store’s bathroom, KFOR reports. “It made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck because it wasn’t a normal yell,” Austin recalled.

The scream caused commotion among the customers where one woman told Austin what occurred.

“A lady behind me just said ‘he raped that girl in the bathroom,’ and once she said that there was nothing else for me to do besides go out the door after him,” Austin said.

The Marine was armed at the time and chased Hathorne through the parking lot. He got to him in the back of a nearby Ace Hardware store. “I told him to put his hands in the air. He complied and put them up,” Austin said of the detainment. “I told him to get on the ground, and he tried to say something, and I said: ‘Don’t say a word.’”

The detainment turned into a community effort with another woman coming to assist Austin in keeping the suspect in sight until the authorities arrived. “She went inside the store. A minute later she came out with a pack of large zip ties, and so she pulled out a couple and walked over there,” said Austin. “I kept drawing on him and making sure he didn’t move,” he added.

Officers eventually came and took Hathorne into custody, EUR Web reports. The Kroger store manager gave Austin a gift card for the good deed. But he wasn’t looking for any accolades. He was just happy to help keep his community safe.

“There are 100 bucks on that, and we appreciate what you did,” the manager told Austin while handing him a gift card. “It was just an awesome thing that you did and we just appreciate it,” the manager added.

Austin shared his connection to the store and what prompted him to intervene. ‘My wife shops here, I have friends whose wives shop here, my son works here. So it was just about not letting this person get away after he did what he did,” he said.

He sent his prayers to the victim and spoke of the support she should be receiving following the attack. “I just hope this doesn’t dictate her life from this point on,” said Austin. “There are people who still care, and they’ll act in time of need.”

• Education

by Andrea Blackstone

May 5, 2021

D.C. Scholar, 16, Who Was Dually Enrolled in College and High School Decides to Attend FAMU in the fall

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Curtis Lawrence III’s journey of excellence proves that early scholastic preparation can turn out to be extremely rewarding. FOX 5 reported that the 16-year-old who graduated high school early decided to attend Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University. Lawrence will be double majoring in biology and computer science at the HBCU. Also, FOX 5 also reported that Curtis was accepted to 14 colleges and has received $1.6 million in scholarships.

Before National College Decision Day, FOX 5 interviewed Lawrence, along with his father and brother. During the segment, it was shared that Curtis had been dually enrolled at School Without Walls in D.C. and George Washington University. However, Lawrence is elated that the long-term college application process is complete.

“I am very excited. It has been a very wild trip, I guess I can say, applying to all of these colleges, and then waiting very anxiously for decisions. So now that it’s all over and I’ve been accepted,  I’m very, very happy,” Lawrence said during the interview.

His father told FOX 5 that a lot of work, time, and energy has been put into raising two African American boys.

“I am giddy inside knowing that all of these colleges and universities are after him  (Curtis Lawrence III) and want him to be a part of their college experience,” Curtis Lawrence Jr. said.

Curtis Lawrence III is no stranger to a college campus. At just 14-years-old, he began his freshman year of college at George Washington University. WTOP previously reported that Lawrence III was enrolled in a special program between his high school and George Washington University. WTOP also said that the young scholar took the SATs when he was 10 years old, and even studied abroad in China and improved his Mandarin. And in 2019, The GW Hatchet reported that the 14-year-old college freshman made history as one of the youngest full-time students who attended George Washington University.