First Black Woman Astronaut To Join International Space Station Crew Next Year
In 2009, Jeanette J. Epps became the second Black woman astronaut for NASA. Next year, she’ll make history again as the first Black woman to live and work on the International Space Station for an extended period of time.
NASA announced this week that Epps has been assigned to the Boeing Starliner-1 mission, her first official spaceflight since joining the agency. Prior to joining NASA, she worked as a technical intelligence officer for the CIA.
“Epps will join NASA astronauts Sunita Williams and Josh Cassada for a six-month expedition planned for a launch in 2021 to the orbiting space laboratory,” the organization wrote in an August 25 statement. “The flight will follow NASA certification after a successful uncrewed Orbital Flight Test-2 and Crew Flight Test with astronauts.
“NASA assigned Williams and Cassada to the Starliner-1 mission in August 2018. The spaceflight will be the first for Cassada and third for Williams, who spent long-duration stays aboard the space station on Expeditions 14/15 and 32/33.”
“I’m super excited to join Suni Williams and Josh Cassada on the first operational Boeing crewed mission to the International Space Station,” she said in a video shared on Twitter, where she has more than 40,000 followers. “I’ve flown in helicopters with Suni flying and I’ve flown in the backseat of a T-38 with Josh flying, and they are both wonderful people to work with, so I’m looking forward to the mission.”
Back in 1983, Sally Ride became the first woman to fly into space. That same year, U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Guion S. Bluford became the first African American to travel into space.
Gabrielle Union’s Flawless Haircare Line is More Affordable and Blacker Than Ever
Gabrielle Union revealed that she was keeping a major secret back in 2017 when she first launched her haircare brand, Flawless. While filming the hit BET series Being Mary Jane, the actress was suffering from hair loss following multiple rounds of IVF. With large bald patches around her crown and hairline, Union desperately tried to postpone the launch date of her signature hairline to no avail. As a result, she felt compelled to promote hair products while feeling far from flawless.
After learning a few hard lessons and ending her original deal, the 47-year-old actress relaunched Flawless by Gabrielle Union at the beginning of August with new and improved low-priced products. This time around, Union is sporting a full head of healthy curls and proudly reintroducing Flawless as a majority Black-owned company.
During an exclusive interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE, Union and her business partner, celebrity hairstylist Larry Sims, opened up about her hair journey, revamping Flawless on her own terms, and their commitment to empowering other Black entrepreneurs.
Flawless By Gabrielle Union (Courtesy of NdotN Public Relations + Events)
The Relaunch
Union jumped at the opportunity to be the face of Flawless three years ago. But with little equity in the company, she had little say in the company’s decisions and direction.
“As much as I raised my hand and said, ‘Hey, this is what I’d like to do,’ at the end of the day, if you are not majority black-owned or a black-owned company, [then] your voice is about as big as your equities,” she told BE.
Back then, Union admits that there “was a disconnect” between her brand and the women she wanted to serve. Flawless products ranged between $19 and $29 and were not sold in communities of color even though the hair care line was marketed for women with textured hair.
“If you are not majority black-owned or a black-owned company, your voice is about as big as your equities.”
~ Gabrielle Union
“The thing about the 2017 version is [that] it was only black-fronted. It was not Black-led and it was certainly not Black-owned,” said the mother and wife of retired NBA superstar Dwayne Wade. “We had great products, but the price was really, really, really high. As soon as that deal ended, I was committed to wrestling back control of the company, making sure that it was Black-owned, Black-led, Black-marketed, and really centered around the needs and voices of Black women,” she said.
Through lots of research and experimentation, Union eventually regrew her hair with the help of Sims. The two friends then partnered to relaunch the line with some of the natural ingredients that proved to be successful in her hair.
“We tried every single thing that you could think of. Anything that they said that worked on Instagram, we were like, ‘order five!’” Sims told BE. He added that they worked like “mad scientists,” but “it wasn’t until we actually started to play with natural ingredients that we saw results.”
He continued, “The biotin, the rice oil, the rice water, the creatine, the bacuri butters — a lot of the oils that we have in Flawless — they all, as a combination, just worked.”
The new 12-product collection includes a detangling shampoo, restoring conditioner, oil treatment, and curl cream. It also eliminates harmful ingredients like silicones, parabens, and sulfates.
Gabrielle Union, Larry Sims, and models (Courtesy of NdotN Public Relations + Events)
People Over Profits
In addition to improved formulas, Union offered Sims a stake in the company, giving them the majority ownership. They used their power to prioritize their customers, marking the down the prices and making the brand as accessible as possible through Amazon.
“It actually makes you a jerk if you figure out a solution, but then you price everybody out of that solution,” said the Bring It On star. “So, we wanted to make sure that our products that are amazing were actually affordable. So we lowered the price points,” she said, explaining that they cut their profit margins in order to do so.
“Everything is between $4 and $10. And then Amazon is literally everywhere. We wanted to make sure especially during COVID, where most people are shopping online, that they were able to get their hands on these products.”
“It actually makes you a jerk if you figure out a solution, but then you price everybody out of that solution.”
~ Gabrielle union
She says Flawless will also be sold Sally’s Beauty stores starting October 1.
“We specifically chose Sally’s Beauty because they are in our communities, they have been in our communities, and they welcome our dollars without demonizing our customers.”
(Courtesy of NdotN Public Relations + Events)
Empowering Black Businesses
Union and Sims plan to use the Flawless platform to empower others through their “Life As We Climb” initiative, which focuses on highlighting and supporting Black business owners, especially during the pandemic. Some of the brands include Mented Cosmetics, Honey Pot, Vegan Smart, Tru- Colour Bandages, and the Black Women’s Health Imperative.
“What all the statistics and studies are showing is that by the end of this pandemic, we will have lost 50% of Black-owned businesses,” said the outspoken actress and activist. “Black-owned businesses provide minimum 1 million jobs to Black people a year and we wanted to do our part to try to reach as many Black-owned businesses and highlight them, amplify those businesses on our Flawless pages, on our personal pages, and share our space on Amazon with those companies,” she says.
“To Larry and I, it is pointless to rise if you’re rising by herself. I am uninterested in that. So it’s you know, it’s a lift as we climb. So, as we open one door, we are grabbing as many people as we can through the door.”
Watch Gabrielle Union and Larry Sim’s full interview on The New Norm with Selena Hill below.
The NBA Playoffs Will Resume as Player Reps and League to Discuss Next Steps
As previously reported, the NBA had canceled Wednesday’s playoff games after the Milwaukee Bucks decided not to play in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. After that display, the league then decided to cancel the other two playoff games scheduled for last night.
The NBA players had earlier today decided that they do want to continue playing the season after contemplating if they should cut the season short with all the racial strife currently taking place.
“NBA playoff games for today will not be played as scheduled. We are hopeful to resume games either Friday or Saturday. There is a video-conference call meeting scheduled later this afternoon between a group of NBA players and team governors representing the 13 teams in Orlando, along with representatives from the National Basketball Players Association and the league office and NBA Labor Relations Committee Chairman Michael Jordan, to discuss next steps.”
“As the WNBA players continue discussions and reflection on recent events, the WNBA announced that the three games scheduled for this evening (Chicago Sky vs. Indiana Fever; Dallas Wings vs. New York Liberty; Las Vegas Aces vs. Seattle Storm) have been postponed.
“Information regarding rescheduling of yesterday and today’s games will be provided when available.”
“Throughout the season restart, our players have been unwavering in their demands for systemic justice. This week we witnessed another horrific, shocking and all too familiar act of brutality in the shooting of 29 year-old Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The Players have, once again, made it clear—they will not be silent on this issue. We stand with the decision of the players of the Milwaukee Bucks to protest this injustice and support the collective decision to postpone all of today’s games.”
NHL Postpones Thursday Night’s Stanley Cup Playoff Games
The National Hockey League (NHL) has cancelled Thursday night’s Stanley Cup Playoff games after the Hockey Diversity Alliance formally requested the league suspend all playoff games.
The New York Islanders vs. Philadelphia Flyers game in the Toronto bubble, as well as the Vegas Golden Knights vs. Vancouver Canucks matchup in the Edmonton bubble, will not be played, according to ESPN.
The league played all games as scheduled Wednesday, while all or several games were canceled in the NBA, MLB, WNBA and MLS, due to the death of Jacob Blake, who was shot in the back seven times by a Kenosha, Wisconsin, police officer.
That led to some backlash for the league as some of its own players spoke out. San Jose Sharks forward Evander Kane, one of the league’s few Black players and a member of the league’s diversity alliance, said he was hurt by the league’s lack of attention on the issue.
“I’ll be honest, I haven’t really heard much in regards to Jacob Blake’s attempted murder. It’s unfortunate, we’re obviously talking about another Black man unarmed being shot in the back in front of his children,” Kane said on Sportsnet.
“But again, we had these conversations earlier with the George Floyd killing of continuing the conversation, furthering the conversation, everybody wanting to be better and making sure that we’re more vocal and we do better moving forward. Here’s another example, unfortunately, but it’s also another example of the lack of with regards to our league and our players and our media that cover our game.”
Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba, who is also a member of the alliance, added to Kane’s comments.
“I hope guys find it in them to stand up. You can’t keep coming to the minority players every time there’s a situation like this, Dumba said. “The white players in our league need to have answers for what they’re seeing in society right now, and where they stand.”
ESPN’s Emily Caplan said the league didn’t expect to cancel games Thursday unless players across the league took a strong stance, which they did through a conversation with the Hockey Diversity Alliance.
The alliance’s executive committee includes Dumba, Kane, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Trevor Daley, Buffalo Sabres forward Wayne Simmonds, Philadelphia Flyers forward Chris Stewart, and retired forward Joel Ward.
The group’s goal is “to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey.”
When the league decided to play games as scheduled Wednesday, Dumba called it disappointing.
“The NHL is always late to the party, especially on these topics, so it’s sorta sad and disheartening for me and other members of the Hockey Diversity Alliance, and I’m sure other guys across the league.”
Nancy Pelosi: I Don’t Think There Should Be Any Debates Between Biden And Trump
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday President Donald Trump has sunk so low that Democratic nominee Joe Biden should not “legitimize” him by debating him.
Biden has already committed to three presidential debates, but Pelosi told reporters that there shouldn’t be any debates.
“I wouldn’t legitimize a conversation with him, nor a debate in terms of the presidency of the United States,” she said, though she acknowledged that the Biden campaign has a different view on the debates. Pelosi called Trump’s conduct during his 2016 debates with Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton “disgraceful.”
Pelosi went on to say she did not think “the president of the United States has comported himself in a way that anybody should, and has any association with truth, evidence, data, and facts” As a result, any debate with him would just be an “exercise in skullduggery.”
The 2016 debates had several strange moments, with Trump calling Clinton a “nasty woman” in the final debate and leering behind her in another debate in a moment Clinton said made her skin crawl.
Biden campaign spokesman Andrew Bates said the Democratic contender has committed to the debates and will take part. Bates added he would “certainly agree with Speaker Pelosi on her view of the president’s behavior, but just as she has confronted the president, Joe Biden looks forward to doing the same on the debate stage.”
When asked about Pelosi’s comment later Thursday, Biden told reporters “as long as the (Commission on Presidential Debates) continues down the straight and narrow as they have, I’m going to debate him.”
“I’m gonna be a fact-checker on the floor when I’m debating him,” Biden added.
The Trump campaign meanwhile, used the moment to say Biden would skip out on the debates. Trump campaign adviser Jason Miller said Pelosi’s comments were a “clear indication” Biden would “remain in hiding until Election Day.”
Joe Biden's not going to leave his basement for the debates. We've set this out as a possibility for some time now, but this is a pretty clear indication he will remain in hiding until Election Day. Americans deserve better than #HidenBiden. https://t.co/0uyRfgG8Oo
Republican Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel tweeted Biden had “no business being President” if he could not debate Trump.
The first debate is scheduled for September 29, to be hosted by Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. The Trump campaign requested a fourth debate be added or for the third debate be moved up to address an expected surge in early voting, but the request was denied by the Commission on Presidential Debates.
According to the commission, televised debates have been held before every presidential election since 1976.
“This is tough,” Smith said. “I mean right now my head is ready to explode. Like just in the thoughts of what’s going on. I don’t even know if I am even appropriate enough to say it, what the players are feeling and how they are feeling. I haven’t talked to any of the players. Coming in and even driving here, getting into the studio, hearing calls and people talking …
“And for me, I think the biggest thing now as a Black man, as a former player, I think it’s best for me to support the players and just not be here tonight.”
After Smith walked off set, the show continued with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O’Neal, talking about the league, discussing the players’ stand, and racial injustice.
“The past four months have shed a light on the ongoing racial injustices facing our African American communities. Citizens around the country have used their voices and platforms to speak out against these wrongdoings.
“Over the last few days in our home state of Wisconsin, we’ve seen the horrendous video of Jacob Blake being shot in the back seven times by a police officer in Kenosha, and the additional shooting of protesters. Despite the overwhelming plea for change, there has been no action, so our focus today cannot be on basketball.
“When we take the court and represent Milwaukee and Wisconsin, we are expected to play at a high level, give maximum effort and hold each other accountable. We hold ourselves to that standard, and in this moment, we are demanding the same from our lawmakers and law enforcement.
“We are calling for justice for Jacob Blake and demand the officers be held accountable. For this to occur, it is imperative for the Wisconsin State Legislature to reconvene after months of inaction and take up meaningful measures to address issues of police accountability, brutality, and criminal justice reform. We encourage all citizens to educate themselves, take peaceful and responsible action, and remember to vote on Nov. 3.”
NBA legend Bill Russell was moved by the action of the team and the players and acknowledged Smith as well.
I’m moved by all the @NBA players for standing up for what is right. To my man @TheJetOnTNT I would like to say Thank you for what you did to show your support for the players. I am so proud of you. Keep getting in good trouble. @NBAonTNT@ESPNNBA@espn#NBAPlayoffs ✊🏿
Nonprofit CEO Regina Jackson Worries About How to Keep Kids Safe in These Turbulent Times
Featuring a broad cross-section of women who have distinguished themselves across a rich variety of careers, our Portraits of Power series is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Black Enterprise, and of Black women. It’s a place for today’s businesswomen to share their own favorite images and their own stories, in their own words. Today’s portrait is the head of the East Oakland Youth Development Center, Regina Jackson.
Kenosha Police Chief Places Blame On The Protesters Who Were Killed Because ‘They Were Out After Curfew’
The police chief of Kenosha, Wisconsin, has suggested that the two protesters who were shot and killed by a white 17-year-old teenage gunman were to blame because they “were out after the curfew” according to Slate.
Police Chief Daniel Miskinis, at a press conference on Wednesday, stated “Persons who were out after the curfew became engaged in some type of disturbance, and persons were shot. Everybody involved was out after the curfew. I’m not going to make a great deal of that, but the point is the curfew is in place to protect. Had persons not been out involved in violation of that, perhaps the situation that unfolded would not have happened.”
Kenosha Police Chief Miskinis responds to the murder of two protestors by saying it wouldn’t have happened if people weren’t out after curfew: “I’m not gonna make a great deal of it, BUT …” pic.twitter.com/GBRo8I5Zka
Earlier this week, Kyle Rittenhouse was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of two men who have not yet been identified. Miskinis would only say that the victims are “a 26-year-old Silver Lake resident and a 36-year-old Kenosha resident.” Rittenhouse, who is from Antioch, Illinois, used a semi-automatic rifle in the attack.
There have been various reports about vigilante groups appearing in Kenosha to counteract the protesters in Wisconsin and when questioned about that, Miskinis defended them. He stated that they are civilians out to protect property and “exercise their constitutional right.”
“Across this nation, there have been armed civilians who have come out to exercise their constitutional right and to potentially protect property,” he said. “Am I aware that groups exist? Yes, but they weren’t invited to come.”
Former DNC Chair Donna Brazile Clashes With Fox Contributor Tammy Bruce
Former DNC Chairwoman Donna Brazile and Fox Contributor Tammy Bruce got into a heated argument Tuesday morning over what Brazile perceived as an “erasure of her existence.”
The segment, which was on Fox and Friends, started off fine but became contentious when Bruce attempted to refute Brazile’s assessment of night one of the Republican National Convention. While Bruce said she was happy to see what issues the GOP was rallying around, Brazile said she did not think the event did anything to sway voters who aren’t already supporters of Trump.
Bruce added “no Democrat has spoken out against the violence,” that has occurred at protests and marches, suggesting the Democrats’ decision not to condemn the rioting went against “American sensibility.”
“Americans have a choice,” Bruce said. “And Republicans are showing an expanse of what the American sensibility is and what the American future is.”
Brazile, who obviously had heard enough, told Bruce that she was a part of the choir that “sounds like a note coming from a scratch record.”
“It sounds like I will never be an American in your world,” Brazile countered. “Because after 400 years, my family cannot walk out of this house without fearing violence.”
Brazile added Republicans like Bruce have chosen to “ignore the pains of people who are hurting … who just want to breathe.”
Republicans such as Ann Coulter and Tucker Carlson have followed in Trump’s footsteps, condemning the Black Lives Matter movement while at the same time defending the actions of white police officers and white supremacists.
Host Brian Kilmeade tried to cut Brazile off to move on, but she would not be denied.
“You need to listen as well as talk,” Brazile said before warning Bruce that she will not stop her from telling her story, “the story of people who are struggling to live, to breathe.”
“She ignored the reality of what is happening … because they don’t see it,” Brazile said.
Brazile doubled down saying Bruce and the GOP failed to recognize the existence of many Black Americans. “I will not allow you to erase my history.”
Kilmeade cut away from the conversation at that point, but Brazile did not stop finishing her comments on Twitter later in the day.
Seriously? Trump has Black friends. So what? What about #JacobBlake? What about his friends, his kids who were in the car?
Do they matter? You didn’t hear me. We have a story and it must be told. https://t.co/TFvobJTSHI
Black Banks Merge To Create Nation’s First Black-Led Bank With Over $1 Billion In Assets
Two Black banks have merged to become the first Black-led bank in America with over $1 billion in assets, giving them greater scale to finance housing and entrepreneurship in urban areas.
Los Angeles-based Broadway Federal Bank will combine with Washington, D.C.-based City First Bank, establishing the country’s largest Black-controlled bank. The combined entity will have about $850 million in deposits.
Brian E. Argrett, chief executive of City First, will be CEO of the combined company. Wayne-Kent A. Bradshaw, Broadway’s CEO, will be chairman of the new entity’s nine-member board. City First board chair Marie C. Johns, former deputy administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration under former President Barack Obama, was appointed lead independent director.
“The combination will allow our collective institution to focus its lending capacity in three key areas: multifamily housing, small-business finance, and nonprofit finance,” which can help low- and moderate-income areas, Argrett told Bloomberg. “If you are providing financing for a small business, you are enabling wealth creation, job creation, and economic empowerment through that financing. There’s a multiplier.”
The merged entity plans to keep its Community Development Financial Institution status, requiring it to deploy at least 60% of its lending into low- to moderate-income communities. CDFIs help close funding gaps, create jobs, expand social services, and spur equitable economic development in vulnerable communities. Since 2015, City First Bank and Broadway Federal Bank collectively deployed more than $1.1 billion combined in loans and investments in their communities as of June 30, the institutions reported.
The deal comes as many Black-owned banks in America are facing tough operating conditions and need major support to survive. The most recent Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. data shows there are just 20 Black banks in America as of the second quarter of 2020. There was a whopping 48 in 2001.
The desire to grow and create an organization with a larger capital base inspired the merger, Argrett told The New York Times. The newspaper reported the combined entity will use City First as its banking brand but keep the publicly traded Broadway Financial Corp. as its bank holding company.
Community banks have stood out recently in dealing with the economic shocks of COVID-19 and amid national protests that were largely spurred by the police killing of George Floyd.
“Given the compounding factors of a global pandemic, unprecedented unemployment and social unrest resulting from centuries of inequities, the work of CDFIs has never been more urgent and necessary,” Argrett, stated. “As part of this historic merger, we are demonstrating that thriving urban neighborhoods are viable markets that require a dedicated focus, long-term commitment, and critical access to capital.”
The new institution reported it will keep bi-coastal headquarters, keep a major presence in Southern California and Washington, and will continue to serve and expand in the banks’ current geographic areas, with a desire to scale to other high-potential urban markets. It also hopes to become an attractive platform for impact investors looking to join this space.
Some observers anticipate there will be more consolidation among Black banks in upcoming years. One reason is that Black banks are considered small community banks, and community banks have declined from more than 8,000 institutions in 2004 to barely over 5,000 banks in 2018, according to CSBS.org.
Commenting on the merger, William Michael Cunningham, a Washington, D.C.-based economist and banking expert, says the fact that the new institution will have a presence on both coasts is positive. He says it means the resulting bank will be able to present itself as having an impact in multiple geographies. And he added that could allow the combined bank to get assistance from majority-owned banks on both coasts.
On the bank consolidation front, Cunningham says, “While we expect other Black bank mergers to take place, what would be of more interest are cross-ethnic group (Black and Asian, Black and Hispanic) mergers and cooperative agreements.”
Financial details of the transaction were disclosed in a press release. The merger is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021. Some big players linked to Wall Street are involved in the deal. Raymond James & Associates Inc. is acting as a financial adviser and has rendered a fairness opinion to the board of directors of City First. Covington & Burling L.L.P. is serving as legal counsel to City First. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, is acting as a financial adviser and has rendered a fairness opinion to the board of directors of Broadway. Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer L.L.P. is serving as legal counsel to Broadway.
