Girls Scouts Of The USA Appoints Its First Black CEO In Its 108-Year History
The Girls Scouts of the USA made a historic announcement for the organization with the appointment of Judith Batty as the company’s interim CEO. This makes Batty the organization’s first Black CEO.
Batty has been a part of the famous leadership program for young women for nearly 30 years, also working as a member of the Nassau County Council in New York before moving onto the National Board. Prior to her new role, Batty worked as a senior legal counsel and senior executive for a prominent Fortune 500 company. She will be replacing Sylvia Acevedo who is stepping down from the role.
“It has been my honor and privilege to serve as CEO of this great organization,” said Sylvia Acevedo, former CEO of GSUSA in a press statement. “The real stars of this organization are—and will always be—the girls who motivate all of us who so proudly serve Girl Scouts. I want to also recognize and thank our hard-working volunteers, who truly embody the selfless spirit of Girl Scouts.”
“When I was young, the Girl Scouts instilled in me the courage, confidence and character that have guided me through my life and career. It is an incredible honor to bring those lessons back full circle to help the Girl Scouts navigate this transition,” said Batty in a press statement.
“As families across the country contend with so much uncertainty and upheaval, I am committed to ensuring that the Girl Scouts continues to offer a shelter in the storm—a place where all our girls feel welcome, can find community, solidarity, leadership opportunities and fun, despite the challenging moment we are all collectively living through.”
Lyft Forms Alliance With Black Organization To Close Transportation Gaps
The popular ridesharing app Lyft announced it is forming an alliance with several Black organizations to help those with a lack of transportation.
According to a Lyft blog post released Tuesday, it will team up with My Brother’s Keeper Alliance, an Obama Foundation initiative, and the National Urban League and others for the Lyftup Access Alliance. The alliance will work to eliminate transportation as a barrier in under-resourced Black communities.
The Alliance will provide access to more than 1.5 million cars, bikes, and scooter rides to help Black communities reach essential services and resources that will help meet and defeat the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic. As part of that effort, all LyftUp Community Grants for the rest of the year will go toward organizations directly supporting communities of color.
“The current health crisis has disproportionately impacted communities of color; it’s also given us a clear look at the systemic barriers that stand in the way of social and economic empowerment for Black communities specifically,” said Anthony Foxx, Lyft chief policy officer and former Obama transportation secretary. “While Lyft’s social impact work has always aimed to provide access in underserved communities, the need for a focus on Black communities cannot be overstated.
“The LyftUp Access Alliance is critical in supporting these communities by solving problems, not simply overcoming them for the moment. We are grateful for the shared commitment with our partners and excited for the continued work we’ll do as part of the Alliance.”
Although these organizations were providing services to Black Americans before the coronavirus pandemic hit the U.S., their services are needed more with millions of Black Americans and people of color unemployed. Essential workers also need help as they’re forced to take public transportation every day and putting themselves at risk.
In April, Lyft announced it would be offering complimentary rides to the grocery store, pharmacy, and medical centers for members of the NAACP, National Action Network, National Urban League, and Black Women’s Roundtable. Free ride credits will also be granted to members who commute to their jobs and workers on the frontline of the crisis.
Other organizations in the alliance include the Black Women’s Roundtable, Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, The National Action Network, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the United Negro College Fund, the National Bail Fund Network, the NAACP and the US Black Chamber of Commerce.
Civil Rights Attorney Leo Terrell States That Kamala Harris Is ‘Not Qualified’ to Be VP
Civil rights attorney Leo Terrell isn’t particularly happy with former Vice President Joe Biden’s choice for his vice-presidential running mate. He stated that Kamala Harris is “not qualified” and is an “affirmative action” choice while appearing on Fox News’ Hannity earlier this week, according to The Sun.
“Listen, for the next 84 days, I’m not sleeping,” Terrell said. “Before I endorsed President Trump, I said if Kamala Harris is selected, I’m voting Republican. And she got selected. I want to be very clear to the American public. Kamala Harris was selected for two reasons. Because she’s a woman and because of her race. That’s called affirmative action. She’s not qualified to be a vice president. She’s not qualified to be one heartbeat away from the highest office in the land.”
“This woman has gone so far left,” he continued. “If you like your health care, she wants to take it away. She believes in socialized medicine. She has no principles or no scruples. And also—what is important—the only thing she’s truthful about is one thing. She called Joe Biden a racist. That is what she’s correct about.”
Earlier this week, Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, announced Harris as his running mate, marking the first time in history that a Black woman has been chosen on either the Democratic or Republican Party’s presidential ticket.
Last month, the freshman senator detailed what a Biden presidency would mean for Black Americans, touting Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan for economic recovery and racial equality. Under the plan, $150 billion would be invested in minority businesses, the minimum wage would be raised to $15 an hour, cash bail would be eliminated, and formerly incarcerated people would be provided temporary housing upon release from prison.
“This plan that Joe Biden is offering around dealing with racial disparity in the economy is a very important step because he is acknowledging that racial equities have to be a part of the priority,” said Harris during an exclusive interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
Only 2 Percent of Black Voters Support Kanye West in His Presidential Bid
With all the talk about Kanye West playing the role of spoiler for Joe Biden‘s presidential chances, it looks like it won’t boil down to support from Black people, according to Politico.
Based on a new POLITICO/Morning Consult poll, West was able to garner only 2% support overall among registered voters, seven points behind the “no opinion” option. And his support among Black voters is just as paltry at the same 2%, which amounts to West having no significant impact. Biden’s nine-point national lead over Trump is unmoved with or without West on the ballot.
“I think a lot of people of color view Kanye’s bid for the presidency as a quixotic one, and they don’t see him as being legitimate for the office. It’s more of yet another Kanye publicity stunt,” said Ron Christie, a Black Republican strategist and former aide to Dick Cheney.
“Democrats traditionally get 90-plus percent of the Black vote. I think a lot of people are going to look at Kanye and just say, ‘I don’t think so.’”
Apparently, the thinking on the Republican side is that West will do well with the Black vote and that, in turn, would help Trump as those votes anticipated for West would be taken from Biden. This is probably why a handful of influential Republican operatives are working to get West’s name on the ballot in several states.
West is most popular among Gen Zers, many of them eligible to vote for the first time in November. His favorable rating with the demographic is at 31%. However, only 6% said they would vote for him.
“It is clear that Republicans and Trump think they will benefit from having Kanye West on the ballot. To counter his propped-up candidacy, we have to engage young Black voters early and consistently on the issues that matter to them most and through the voices of people who understand their struggles and concerns,” said Justin Myers, CEO of For Our Future, a union-funded super PAC focused on organizing.
CaSandra Diggs Appointed President of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)
Diversity within the fashion industry has been an ongoing fight for many Black professionals across the field. This week, the industry saw major progress when the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) announced that CaSandra Diggs would be appointed as the company’s new CEO.
According to the CDFA website, Diggs will be responsible for “developing strategy and making decisions that further the CFDA’s purpose to champion, educate, and support its membership and the fashion industry-at-large.”
“CaSandra is an innovative thinker with a strong understanding of organizational and business operations,” CEO Steven Kolb said in a statement. “Expanding her role will provide the CFDA with more opportunity to meet the needs of the membership in a broad and diverse way. It is a critical time for our industry, and she is the right person with the right ideas to help lead CFDA into the future.”
“CFDA remains a vital pillar of the fashion community,” Diggs said in a statement. “I am delighted to join Tom Ford and Steven Kolb as we continue to advance and evolve the CFDA into a modern, forward thinking organization that is reflective of our times.”
Black Commercial Real Estate Firm Lands Mega-Deal to Help Microsoft Secure Lease Transaction in Atlanta
In its largest deal ever, Black-owned commercial real estate firm T. Dallas Smith & Co. (TDS&Co) recently helped Microsoft Corp. lease space to expand for a new location in Atlanta.
The software and tech giant will occupy 523,000 square feet at Atlantic Yards in Midtown Atlanta. Microsoft will reportedly make a $75 million investment, create 1,500 jobs, and move into the new site by next summer. As of July, the Microsoft deal was the largest corporate lease square footage wise in Georgia and the Southeast region, reports T. Dallas Smith, president and CEO of TDS&Co.
He claims the record-setting pact his firm closed in June was also among the biggest of its type in America since COVID-19 started in March. The news on both fronts is based on findings from CoStar, a global firm that researches commercial real estate market data, Smith says.
Operating in a roughly $9.6 trillion real estate industry, Smith says the Microsoft deal is significant to his business not just as a small independent commercial real estate firm, but a deal this size is significant to anybody in tenant representation. The deal, perhaps, is more stunning given the industry’s anemic diversity status. In fact, Smith says his figures show his industry is made up of only 2% of African Americans in the brokerage sector. However, Smith said his firm is trying to change that percentage by hiring more minorities. His firm now has 16 brokers who are minorities and women.
“This deal further positions us not just as a firm of color but a firm of capability,” Smith says. He noted Microsoft is one of many nationally recognized partnerships his firm is involved with, including FedEx, AT&T, JPMorgan Chase, Coca-Cola Co., and ALSAC-St. Jude among them.
Smith says the firm’s future growth will come from generating more revenue from existing clients and signing fresh leases with new clients. He said the firm also is exploring expanding into facilities management services, something that the firm’s clients have requested in recent years. In the next five years, the firm hopes to have 40 brokers and boosts its client representation by 25%.
Started in 2007, Atlanta-based T. Dallas Smith & Co. has affiliate offices in Dallas, Los Angeles, and Trenton, New Jersey. Smith says the firm has strategic partnerships in almost every state, allowing it to serve clients anywhere in the country. It mainly leases office and industrial space along with land.
Rendering of the two buildings soon to be occupied by Microsoft in Atlanta Yards
BLACK ENTERPRISE touched base with Smith via email and phone to get his take on commercial real estate, his firm, and experience in the business.
Your firm calls itself the nation’s largest African American-owned commercial real estate brokerage firm focused exclusively on tenant and buyer representation. What is that proclamation based on?
This number is based on two factors: headcount and client representation. I have been in the industry for 38 years and I keep track of the numbers. For instance, in Atlanta, known as the Black Mecca, the four largest four firms, including CBRE and Cushman & Wakefield, have a total of just 10 Black brokers. Now, if the Black Mecca represents these dismal numbers, I can rest assured that the other cities are very similar. We are actively looking for companies that look like us as a way to continue our growth, but it continues to be organic growth.
What does your firm expect to do in revenue or transactions this year versus 2019? What do you attribute the growth or decline in business to?
As a privately held company, we do not release specific details regarding our transactions or revenues. We can comfortably share that our partners have collective experience in working on assignments exceeding $15 billion in aggregate value in over 35 states throughout our time in the commercial real estate industry.
How has COVID-19 forced your firm to change how it operates this year? What steps is the firm taking now to help ensure it grows strategically post-pandemic?
The pandemic has challenged all industries to look at business through new lenses. Ours is no exception. We are blessed to have a multigenerational team that has employed a little of the old and new to make sure we put our best effort forward. This means the best technology that allows us to properly research and report through online resources. It also means picking up the phone and talking to our clients more often. Checking in. Listening and hearing the need. Strong relationships are key when being face to face is not an option. Technology and talking!
During your career, you worked with H.J. Russell & Co., the Atlanta-based firm that is among the nation’s largest construction companies. How did the company’s founder, the iconic late Herman J. Russell, influence and prompt you to start your own firm?
I pioneered the brokerage division for Herman J. Russell, affectionately called H.J. I tell people all the time that I earned my Ph.D. from the Russell University.
I started in this business with Atlanta Air Center Realty working for Thomas W. Tift and in 1989 I was the first Black broker at Cushman & Wakefield of Georgia. The first cold call I made at that time was to Herman J. Russell. I had already set my mind to the fact that this could take a while, a man that wealthy and that busy, surely would take a while to get back to me. But to my surprise, Mr. Russell called me back within 15 minutes of my very first call. Years later while I was blogging for the Atlanta Business Chronicle, I asked him why he called me back in such a short time frame. He answered, “Dallas, I had no idea why you were calling me. You might have had a job for me, some money for me, hell I wouldn’t know until I called you back!” That has helped to sharpen my open-door policy. I talk to everybody because of the example H.J. set for me. H.J. also inspired me because even though he’s a man who grew up in Jim Crow Georgia with a speech impediment, he didn’t let that stop him. I have no excuses.
Reportedly only 2% of the brokers in the commercial real estate industry are African Americans? Why are there so few Black brokers in the space? As such, what ongoing challenges has that low representation created for your firm and how has it overcome them?
Based on my own numbers, we are at 2%. It depends on who you ask but I believe that there are two main reasons for that number. As it was told to me by someone who ran a major firm, the two reasons were, “We can’t find any qualified candidates.” and two “We don’t want any.” So, for us the issue of “can’t find any” is an issue of exposure. Therefore, we have taken the stance that we will expose the industry to people who look like us knowing “cream will always rise to the top.” Very few young people of color are regularly exposed to commercial real estate as an option. People wonder why I have an open-door policy, and therefore, I will talk to any young person with a serious interest in commercial real estate. I set aside time once a week for these conversations. It is how TDS&CO was started.
Overcoming the challenges happens when you do just that. Expose young people to the industry. Give them the tools and then allow them unlimited access to those tools. Guide and at the same time, get out of the way.
What steps are you or your firm taking to get more Black brokers into commercial real estate? How would the African American community benefit from more Blacks working in the industry?
We are exposing more young people through our community outreach. Although it’s not mandated, every broker in our firm puts in hours volunteering, serving on boards, speaking and participating in efforts to expose young people to the industry and to show young people of color that this is an option; Black men and women are here and together, we are doing well because we are putting in the work. How will it benefit the African American community? It has been said that commercial real estate has created more millionaires than the NFL, NBA, and MLB combined. With financial freedom, it creates an avenue to help reduce the wealth gap. Additionally, the benefit is in having representation by people who look like you, came from you, and understand you. There is nothing more encouraging for breaking down walls than seeing someone who looks like you on the other side.
You have achieved great accomplishments in your business for nearly four decades. What advice would you give to Black investors who are now considering investing in commercial real estate or young Black professionals considering a career in the field?
First thing I tell them is, you can do this business and do not let anyone tell you that you cannot. To potential investors in commercial real estate, make sure you hire a broker that can represent your interest that is an expert in whatever product type that you are interested in.
Donald Trump Donated Money To Kamala Harris’ Campaign Twice
After Joe Biden announced Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, President Donald Trump wasted no time attacking the California senator, saying, “I thought she was the meanest, the most horrible, most disrespectful of anybody in the U.S. Senate.”
However, according to the Daily Beast, Trump donated to a Harris campaign twice while he was a private citizen. Trump gave Harris $5,000 in 2011 and $1,000 in 2013 when she ran for California Attorney General. Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and adviser, also donated $2,000 to Harris in 2014.
When asked about his contribution to Harris’ previous campaign at his press conference on Tuesday, Trump did not respond to reporters.
Trump also reverted back to his typical attacks on women in politics, calling the potential vice president “mean and nasty” — the same way he’s described Nancy Pelosi, late first lady Barbra Bush, and Hillary Clinton in the past.
A spokesperson for the senator told the Sacramento Bee that the money Trump donated to Harris was again donated by her to a charity advocating for Central Americans.
The former California Attorney General received praise from politicians, celebrities, and athletes on her nomination to be the first potential Black female vice president. The Washington Post reported that Harris’ nomination is also being seen as a historic achievement in Jamaica and India, where her parents are from.
On the flip side, Republicans are struggling with their attacks on Harris calling her everything from an extreme leftist and soft on crime for marching with Black Lives Matter protesters to saying she’s everything Black Americans are fighting against today.
In a call with reporters Monday, Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) claimed Harris is “not going to be tough on hardened criminals.” However, in the same call, Trump campaign spokesperson Katrina Pierson attacked her “abysmal” record as a district and state attorney general.
“She fought to keep inmates locked up in overcrowded prisons… she championed laws that put parents in jail for truancy and prosecuted the mentally ill,” Pierson said.
Harris joined Biden Wednesday afternoon for their first joint appearance in Delaware speaking at a high school near Biden’s home. The pair used the event to outline their plans for defeating President Trump.
This Family Just Opened a Black-Owned Drive-Thru Movie Theater in New Jersey
Siree and Ayanna Morris, a couple from Newark, New Jersey, have opened a drive-thru movie theater called Newark Moonlight Cinema to bring entertainment to people while considering health precautions in the midst of the pandemic.
The duo of filmmaker and real estate developer thought of the idea from the screening of Ayanna’s documentary Why Is We Americans? that was held at an outdoor film festival earlier this year. It is the first drive-thru movie theater that operated in the state since the mid-1960s.
Newark Moonlight Cinema, which is located at the former Newark Bears baseball stadium, can hold up to 350 cars per screening. Moviegoers can enjoy the movies from the comfort of their cars via a 55-foot screen and audio that’s available on each car’s radio. There are also food and snack options available via the Fanfood app.
Since launching, the new outdoor theater has shown movies such as Just Mercy, Girls Trip, Set It Off, and Creed 2 that highlight Black filmmakers, talents, and arts as well as those that emerged from Newark. It is scheduled to show one movie per night every Friday to Sunday until October 4.
For more information about Newark Moonlight Cinema or to buy tickets, visit www.newarkmoonlight.com
HBCU’s Prepare to Reopen With the Help of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund, United Negro College Fund, and Testing For America
The importance of education is at the forefront of conversations these days with schools preparing to reopen this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic. To help HBCU campuses to ensure that students feel safe, The Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) have announced partnerships with Testing for America to support historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in their COVID-19 testing plans for students, faculty, and staff.
Since March, UNCF and TMCF have been working with their member schools on crisis management, stabilization, and now reopening campuses.
“All institutions must be able to test when they reopen for in-person instruction — whether this fall or 2021,” said UNCF President and CEO Dr. Michael L. Lomax. “TFA’s ability to link us to high-quality providers, coupled with other safety guidance and financial support, will help bring necessary, continuous and reliable testing to entire campus communities. We are happy to partner with TFA on this critical work to help our campuses and students successfully navigate this pandemic.”
“The Thurgood Marshall College Fund is confident our new partnership with Testing for America will bring abundant and accurate COVID-19 testing to our member-schools, helping them to safely reopen and protect our communities,” said TMCF President and CEO Harry Williams.
The program has been initiated at Delaware State University, and several more have become partners, with others waiting to join.
“The HBCU brand of excellence, education and care is specifically targeted to talented students who simply need an open door and a welcoming environment. We are home. And safety must be our priority,” said Delaware State University President Tony Allen. “Our relationship with Testing for America is the No. 1 driver of our ability to reopen our campus safely.”
Currently, TFA is having discussions with K-12 schools, other higher education institutions, and businesses that have plans on reopening. They are also seeking additional philanthropic supporters and major donors to sponsor testing initiatives.
“We don’t need to wait for new innovations. We have the technology now to dramatically increase access to meaningful, affordable, repeat testing to help us safely and permanently reopen schools, businesses and ultimately the US economy,” said TFA Founder Jason Yeung.
Current TFA partners include Cerner, a global healthcare technology company, and Illumina, the world leader in genomic sequencing, as well as other philanthropic donors.
“This is solvable, and this is scalable,” said Francis deSouza, chief executive officer of Illumina. “What Testing for America has launched is demonstrating this can be done successfully, and we are proud to be part of the solution that can enable testing at scale. We encourage others to reach out and join in.”
Hotels and Resorts Are Now Offering Remote Work Packages To Attract Travelers
Since the spread of COVID-19, the travel industry has been forced to completely change normal procedures in order to accommodate new social distancing provisions. Due to new travel restrictions, many within the industry are looking for new ways to attract customers and genearte revenue until regular leisure travel resumes. One way many hotels are doing this is by providing a space for remote workers so they can work on the go.
The viral outbreak has caused many corporations to change over to a work-from-home system, leaving many tirelessly cramped in their homes for long periods times. Countries like Bermuda and Barbados have begun to launch new digital nomad residency to allow travelers the option of living and working remotely on the island for up to a year.
Other travelers are opting to travel and bring their work with them on their short vacation due to the change and many hotels and resorts are creating new packages to attract this new crop of digital workers. In countries like Mexico, where Americans can still freely travel amid the global public health crisis, resorts such as the JW Marriott Cancun are offering beach “work stations,” modifying typical beach cabanas to accommodate remote workers.
Stateside, hotels like the Hyatt Centric Las Olas in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the Hamilton Hotel in Washington, D.C., are now offering local residents day-passes and packages for private workspace and special amenities from after-work cocktails to private lunches to accommodate remote workers looking for work outside of the homes for a change of scenery.
Luxury establishments like The London West Hollywood are even offering monthly packages to convert hotel rooms into remote working spaces where guests can even enjoy a customized menu from the head chef specially for those working from home.
