Black Couple Purchases 53-Acre Ranch To Pass Down To Their Children
Real estate is one of many vehicles that allow people to leave an inheritance for their loved ones and create generational wealth. One couple made their dream come true by acquiring a massive 53-acre ranch to pass down to their children and grandchildren.
Rachel Rodgers, a successful business coach and entrepreneur, took to social media to make a special announcement about her and her husband’s recent purchase. For Rodgers, this was a process ten years in the making and they were thrilled to finally reap the benefits of their hard-earned work.
“We started our business on September 1, 2010. Many have witnessed our hustle -me in the front, my husband as an epic, ever-present support in the back,” Rodgers said in an interview with Because of Them We Can. “As the culmination and in celebration of the last decade of our hard work, we have purchased this 53-acre ranch.”
Virginia State Senator Charged With Injuring Confederate Monument
A Virginia state senator has been charged with damaging a Confederate monument in Portsmouth during a protest that led to a demonstrator being seriously injured.
Portsmouth Police Chief Angela Greene said at a news conference Tuesday that state senator Louise Lucas has been charged with conspiracy to commit a felony and injury to a monument in excess of $1,000 according to ABC7.
Lucas, a longtime Democratic legislator, has been a member of the state Senate since 1992. Lucas was charged the same week Virginia lawmakers are taking up dozens of criminal justice reforms during a special legislative session.
Democrats and social justice organizations were quick to condemn the charges.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia called for the charges against Lucas and several others to be dropped, saying the charges are a stark overreach by police since the charges were not approved by the local prosecutor’s office.
Claire G. Gastañaga, executive director of the Virginia ACLU, said the state is one of the few states where a felony warrant can be filed with the approval of a prosecutor.
“These charges are political, and I think they’re discriminatory,” Gastañaga said.
“The police department is making decisions about who should be charged in a circumstance in which the elected (prosecutor) is being bypassed,” Gastañaga added. “The police want a different result” and that is alarming.
The charges come during a summer when confederate statues are being taken down, whether by demonstrators opposed to racial injustice or by authorities seeking to dismantle them through official channels.
The monuments, which have been long viewed by Black Americans as symbols of White supremacy and racism, however, they’ve drawn refocused attention following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
The monument, which consists of a large obelisk and statues of four Confederate military personnel, had the heads of the statues torn down in June. One of the heads accidentally struck a protester during the demonstration.
Greene, the Portsmouth police chief, said “several individuals conspired and organized to destroy the monument as well as summon hundreds of people to join in felonious acts.”
However, Greene did not detail what Lucas or several other people are accused of doing to merit the charges that have been filed against them.
Stephanie Morales, the Portsmouth Commonwealth’s Attorney, told The Associated Press in an email that her office did not sign off on the police department’s charges.
The others that were charged include members of the local NAACP chapter, a local school board member and members of the public defenders office according to Greene.
Finding Opportunity in Crisis: Renewal and Reformation in the Era of COVID-19
This is the inaugural column of the Brown Hatchett & Williams LLP (BHW) bi-monthly column, “The BHW Memo: Legal Strategies and New Business Opportunities.” In partnership withBLACK ENTERPRISE, the goal of this column is to provide innovative and current legal strategies for Black businesses to thrive and achieve expansion and further success. Black business finds itself in a unique situation following the confluence of events in the first half of 2020.
On the one hand, COVID-19 has had a ruinous impact on many U.S. businesses. Add the murder of George Floyd and the rise of a nationwide social justice movements and ongoing protests, the first two quarters of 2020 presented difficult terrain to traverse. The confluence of these events can be viewed as devastating events for businesses across the U.S. as they clearly have been.
They can also be viewed as creating opportunities to pursue renewed and restructured business strategies. Certain legal strategies can be undertaken to allow Black businesses to execute renewed and restructured business strategies to be well-positioned to benefit from opportunities arising in these challenging times.
“It’s about building this country back better.”
— Kamala Harris, US Senator and Vice President Nominee
In the coming weeks, this column will present several of these legal structures for your consideration, detailing in straightforward language how they may be used to promote and grow Black business. These legal strategies include opportunity zone funding (OZF), new market tax credits, employee stock ownership plans, and financial and corporate restructuring. These sophisticated legal tools can be used to reduce the weight of company debt, raise equity capital, provide liquidity for business owners, or help transition ownership to family members or trusted staff so that your business may survive and even expand in these challenging times.
Today’s business landscape is creating opportunities to reimagine, retool, and restructure your business to meet the challenges of the future. There are numerous examples to follow, including NYC restauranteur Luca Di Petro, who renewed his high-end chain of Tony Manhattan restaurants into a food supply and distribution business for health care workers; Ford Motor Company retooled production lines in order to manufacture much-needed ventilators; and innovative companies, such as Graffiti Shield and American Seating, as well as enterprising entrepreneurs, have created new markets as manufacturers and distributors of personnel protective equipment (PPE).
At BHW, we make it our business to understand these complex legal strategies to support our clients’ objectives. In the coming weeks, we look forward to sharing our knowledge.
Brown Hatchett & Williams LLP is a corporate boutique law firm located in New York City. Find us at www.bhwllp.com.
Philly Artist Louie V Gutta Sends Powerful Message in New Visual, “Black Man in Amerikkka”
North Philadelphia artist, writer, and producer Vincent Robinson, better known as Louie V Gutta, has experienced and witnessed police brutality and discrimination; he knows all too well the effects racism and discrimination have on the Black men in his community.
Robinson, who has received writing and feature credits with rappers Meek Mill and French Montana, channeled those experiences for his most recent visual, “Black Man in Amerikkka.” Profoundly different from his other work, “Black Man in Amerikkka” is a call to action that unapologetically speaks to the perils faced every day in our communities across America.
“As a Black man in America I truly feel like we are at a disadvantage when it comes to employment opportunities and access to basic equalities,” Robinson tells BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We are playing catch-up with the majority group who’s had a 20-mile head start. We are working ourselves out of a hole just to survive. We matter, our issues matter, and change is long overdue.”
While his words voice the frustration felt in our communities, the visual blends familiar scenes of protests from the 1960s with the protest of today. Behind his lyrics, clips from bystanders and voices from news reports circulate as a message of perseverance echoes.
“I wanted to make a song that means something,” he says. “Watching the frustrations spilling out into the streets took its toll on me mentally as a Black Man. This music is coming from my heart. This moment it’s critical that we use our platforms and talents as a vessel to push for the change we need to see in our communities. I must speak about what’s important while inspiring people to keep the same energy for change.”
Previously featured #1 on Billboard’s Emerging Artists, Gutta continuously connects with his fans through his lyricism. With close to 1 million streams in 2020 on Spotify alone, he is showing why HipHopDX said, “Louie V Gutta is a legend in the making.”
“I believe as artists we should use our platform to speak on injustice,” Robinson says. “I also say this with the complete understanding that I by no means have the right to say what someone else should do. I can only speak for myself. As an artist, you never want to force something because it’s popular. If it is not genuine there may be another way to message your audience.”
With a newly launched label and an EP in the works, the rapper is keeping his foot on the gas while being aware of the injustices Black people are facing.
“I’m an artist first,” he declares. “My new label will make me responsible for the artist so I have to work on my craft to grow my business. This doesn’t overshadow how passionate I am about using my platform to bring awareness to the injustices taking place in my community. The community has supported me and I will continue to support them.”
Watch “Black Man in Amerikkka” below and check out Louie V Gutta’s other hits on all major platforms now.
Educator Develops Free Online Course About Black History and Culture
Education, like many other sectors, has been greatly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools across the country closed down earlier this year to protect students and faculty, opting for remote learning until further notice. In light of the recent Black Lives Matter protests, one teacher decided to create a free online course for kids to learn about Black history and politics.
Dr. Sheva Quinn started the Black Classical University program in June focused on the Black Lives Matter movement and the impact it is making on the nation in real-time. Quinn says many parents are grateful for the curriculum in order to educate their children about the importance of the modern-day civil rights movement and other Black history facts during the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Right now, I am inundated with parents who want to enroll their children in my program because they are apprehensive about sending them back to school with COVID,” said Quinn in an interview with Patchback in July. “They wanted an environment where children can see teachers who look like them, teach history related to them, and with the Black Lives Matter protests and social injustices going on, they are being forced to have these discussions and some parents don’t know how to do that. We can’t shelter them when it is their reality.”
“We will talk about the circumstances surrounding Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor and others,” Quinn added. “We also have guest speakers who have been at the forefront of protests, in law, in history and more. The thing is this is nothing new. It’s just that the cameras are here now. This course is designed to make them more aware, see what activism looks like and understand what they may be up against.”
Long Island White Woman Arrested For Hit-And-Run After Striking Young Black Boys
After hitting two young Black boys in a hit-and-run incident, a 31-year-old white woman from Long Island, NY, was arrested after leaving the two boys hospitalized with serious injuries, according to Newsday.
Suffolk County police stated that Major Case Unit detectives arrested the driver, Shannon Palmer, at 5:45 a.m. outside her home on Roosevelt Boulevard. The accident took place two weeks ago on August 3 and Palmer was arrested and booked the following day.
She has been charged with two counts of leaving the scene of an accident with serious physical injury for hitting the two boys. The two young boys were among three boys who were riding their bicycles on the shoulder of Express Drive North in Ronkonkoma, near the intersection of Old Nichols Road. Palmer allegedly struck 9-year-old Troy Russell and 12-year-old Toriano Jamison with a Ford Explorer she was navigating at approximately 7:35 p.m. 6-year-old Max Jamison escaped harm.
8/3/20 Troy Russell (9y) had a scheduled playdate with Toriano Jamison (12y) and his younger brother Max (6y). They were standing besides their bikes when they were mauled down by SHANNON PALMER of Hauppauge in her Ford Exhibition pic.twitter.com/qmNVYJlpLY
Troy was hit first, then Toriano. Both boys were thrusted 10ft into the woods from impact. Max was scared but knew he had to move fast to get help. He ran half a mile up the block to a neighbor’s house. #JusticeForTorianoandTroypic.twitter.com/QX8GCR0FoJ
The injuries Toriano and Troy sustained are immense. Troy was airlifted by helicopter and Toriano by ambulance to Stony Brook Hospital. Each needed emergency surgery. #JusticeForTorianoandTroypic.twitter.com/LdXsToj1XF
Toriano was treated at the Hospital for gaping abdominal gashes, a concussion and multiple fractures within both hip bones. His surgery took well over 4 hours. He has kidney, lung and colon damage. He faces the possibility of never walking again. #JusticeForTorianoandTroypic.twitter.com/cvkXOP5Kii
Troy has had 3 surgeries and is expected to have more. He has 3 broken ribs, a right broken elbow, and broken left thumb. His left achilles heel broke straight through and right leg snapped in half from impact. He faces possible right leg amputation.#JusticeforTorianoandTroypic.twitter.com/xnRxjEIvQZ
Toriano and Troy’s lives will never be the same again. Their journey of recovery will be long and trying. After the countless hours spent at the hospital, they will need rehabilitation. They will have to learn how to walk again..if even possible. #JusticeForTorianoandTroypic.twitter.com/IrknxtMgSS
According to police, Russell, who is from North Amityville, was airlifted to Stony Brook University Hospital in serious condition. Jamison, who is from Ronkonkoma, was transported to Stony Brook via ambulance. Police said he also suffered serious injuries.
Burundi Joins Congo Demanding Nearly $43 Billion in Reparations from Belgium For Its Colonial Past
The recent Black Lives Matter protests have sparked conversations around Black people not only in America but other countries that also have yet to reckon with their issues with colonialism from countries like Great Britain, France, and Spain. Recently, Burundi, a country in the Great Rift Valley where the African Great Lakes region and East Africa converge, has spoken up against past crimes committed by Belgium and Germany. The country joined forces with the Democratic Republic of Congo to demand $42.6 billion in U.S dollars in reparations from the long-term effects of the colonization of their respective countries.
Earlier this year, the Congolese minister, Andre Lite of Human, went public about a call to provide compensation for the crimes committed against the Congolese people under Europe’s reign. The announcement came after Belgian King Philippe offered his regret over the nation’s history in a speech in June during the height of the protests sparked over the death of George Floyd.
“The regrets of certain Belgian officials will never be enough in the face of their obligation to grant reparations to the victims of colonization and their relatives,” the minister told Anadolu Agency. “It is contradictory or illogical to claim to be part of the respectful state and pretend not to know anything about serious crimes that have been committed in the past.”
“Although the horizon seems to be getting darker, after so many years of both denial of truth and the reparations to which our country is entitled from Belgium, our determination to achieve it remains intact,”
According to Bloomberg News, the East African nation recently stepped forward in support of the Congo demanding Germany and Belgium provide compensation for their colonial history. The country is also requesting the European nations to give back archival material and objects expropriated between 1899 and 1962. Germany colonized Burundi in 1890 and then takeover by Belgium after their defeat in World War II until its independence in 1962.
Viral Security Guard Sensation Jacquelyn Brittany Endorses Joe Biden at the DNC
A security guard at The New York Times who went viral last year for her interaction with former Vice President Joe Biden became the first person to nominate him at the Democratic National Convention.
Jacquelyn Brittany, who was filmed last year talking with the former vice president as she escorted him through the Times building and blurting out “I love you” as he left the elevator, gave the first endorsement of Biden on Tuesday night.
“I take powerful people up on my elevator all the time. When they get off, they go to their important meetings. Me? I just head back to the lobby. But in the short time I spent with Joe Biden, I could tell he really saw me, that he actually cared, that my life meant something to him,” Brittany said according to USA Today.
“And I knew, that even when he went into his important meeting, he’d take my story in there with him,” Brittany continued. “We’ve been through a lot, and we have tough days ahead, but nominating someone like that to be in the White House is a good place to start. “That’s why I nominate my friend as the next president of the United States,” Brittany concluded.
Jacquelyn Brittany nominates "my friend" Joe Biden for president of the United States.
She is a security guard who last year told Biden "I love you" as she escorted him in an elevator. pic.twitter.com/lW1Ji4In9o
Biden’s deputy campaign manager Kate Bedingfield tweeted Wednesday that Brittany’s endorsement was “the most powerful endorsement of the 2020 cycle.”
Biden formally secured enough Democratic delegates Tuesday to challenge President Donald Trump in the 2020 Presidential Election beating out Sens. Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar, Pete Buttigieg, and Michael Bennett as well as Tom Steyer, Andrew Yang, Michael Bloomberg, Marianne Williamson, and others.
Biden, who started out slowly during the primary elections, rode the coattails of Black voters, especially in the South. Biden’s selection of Kamala Harris as vice president and his promise to appoint a Black woman to the Supreme Court is sure to give him a boost when it comes to Black voters in the election.
Byron Allen Purchases Honolulu ABC Network Affiliate TV Station for $30 Million
Byron Allen is continuing to build his media empire with the acquisition of a new television station.
Allen Media Group announced that it has signed a purchase agreement for its acquisition of broadcast television station KITV, in Honolulu, from SJL Broadcasting for $30 million. KITV-ABC 4 also operates multiple satellite stations and translators to rebroadcast the station’s programming outside of metropolitan Honolulu. Those stations include KHVO-ABC 13 in Hilo, HI, and KMAU-ABC 12 in Wailuku, HI, which covers all of the Hawaiian islands.
“Over the past year we’ve invested over $500 million to acquire best-in-class, top-tier, broadcast network affiliates,” said Allen, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Allen Media Group, in a written statement. “We plan to invest approximately ten billion dollars to acquire more ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX television stations over the next two years with the goal of being the largest broadcast television group in America.”
Allen’s purchase of the Honolulu ABC Network Affiliate, KITV, increases the number of Big-Four network affiliate broadcast television stations owned and/or operated by his Allen Media Broadcasting to 16 stations that stretch across 12 U.S. broadcast television markets. MeTV, Hawaii TV, Start TV, and Heroes & Icons, as well as a Washington, DC-based news bureau and correspondent, is also included in the KITV portfolio of platforms is a carriage of 4 digital cable networks.
SJL Broadcasting is a privately owned American broadcasting company owned and operated by the Lilly Brothers’ Brian Lilly and Kevin Lilly.
“SJL is proud of the commitment of our KITV family to serve the Hawaiian community,” said SJL Broadcasting CEO, Brian Lilly. “Allen Media Group recognizes the investment in news and will build on our success.”
Allen owns Entertainment Studios, which produces more than 60 syndicated shows, along with The Weather Channel and seven more 24-hour cable TV networks. Allen is coming off of a $20 billion settlement with Comcast Cable that went all the way to the Supreme Court, where Allen lost by a unanimous 9-0 ruling.
Tyler Perry To Receive 2020 Governor’s Award At The Emmy’s
Once again, the great efforts and accomplishments of Tyler Perry are being recognized.
The Television Academy announced that the entertainment industry icon and The Perry Foundation will receive the 2020 Governors Award in recognition of his contributions to helping to shape the television medium.
“Tyler Perry has changed the face of television and inspired a new generation of content creators. He pioneered a new brand of storytelling that engages people of color both in front of and behind the camera, and his shows have resonated with a global audience,” said Governors Award selection committee Chair Eva Basler in a written statement.
Perry was chosen by the Television Academy’s Board of Governors for the many various achievements in his television work and also his commitment to assisting others from marginalized communities through his personal acts of kindness. His organization, The Perry Foundation, is also being recognized for the programs of inclusion, engagement, employment and other philanthropic initiatives. Perry will receive his Emmy statuette during the Emmy Awards telecast scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20.
The award honors an individual or organization in the television arts and sciences whose achievement is so exceptional and universal in nature that it goes beyond the scope of annual Emmy Awards recognition.
“Tyler’s influence has extended far beyond the screen. His commitment to a broad range of philanthropic causes has had a profound impact on underserved communities around the world,” said committee Vice Chair Debra Curtis.
“I’m grateful for and humbled by this recognition from the Television Academy,” said Perry. “I’ve always prided myself on the work we do at the studio, our diverse representation of people from all walks of life, and the community we’ve built. My hope is that through moments like this we can remind others of the power of ownership and show that when the world doesn’t offer you a seat at the table, you can build your own.”
The 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards will be airing its virtual ceremony, on Sunday, Sept. 20 on ABC. The show will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel.
