• Politics

by Derek Major

August 11, 2020

A Homeless Crisis Looms Over America As More Than 30 Million Face Eviction

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The coronavirus pandemic has made the U.S. economy spiral out of control, now, the potential eviction of 30 million Americans may put the country into another pandemic.

Last weekend, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that required administration officials to “take all lawful measures to prevent residential evictions and foreclosures resulting from financial hardships caused by COVID-19.”

Trump also required cabinet officials to identify funds that could be used to aid distressed renters. According to NPR, none of Trump’s orders neither bans evictions outright nor provides rental assistance because both actions must be approved by Congress. Additionally, housing activists say it will do little to avoid the situation.

When the coronavirus pandemic began in March, many states paused evictions in order to protect the millions of suddenly unemployed workers from losing their homes. Those eviction bans are expiring at the same time the $600 federal unemployment benefit has expired. The benefit allowed many Americans without a job to put food on the table while paying bills, including rent.

“Now you’re in a moment where you still haven’t gone back to work, most government benefits have stopped, and the rent is still due,” says the Aspen Institute’s Zach Neumann, who founded the COVID-19 Eviction Defense Project.

Neumann estimates of the 110 million Americans who live in rental housing, at least 30 million are at risk of eviction by the end of September.

“There’s tremendous urgency,” adds Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition. “There are millions of renters who can’t sleep at night because they don’t know what they’re going to do if they become homeless.”

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed an executive order Wednesday to extend the state’s protections for tenants who have faced financial hardships related to COVID-19 until Sept. 4. The state’s new Tenant Safe Harbor Act also prevents a court from issuing an eviction warrant against those tenants.

However, even when bans are in place, tenants can have trouble understanding whether they’re protected or not. In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis extended an eviction ban for another month but the extension only allows renters who can prove they’ve been hurt by COVID-19 to appeal for more time to pay what they owe. The ban technically doesn’t stop evictions according to Jamos Mobley, an attorney in Orlando.

“A lot of folks hear that we’ve had an extension, and they’re going to assume they’re protected. And that’s just not the case. Evictions are moving forward. They’re being filed. They’re being served,” says Mobley, who also works for the Legal Aid Society in Central Florida. “I think our next pandemic, if nothing is done, is going to be a homeless pandemic,” he says.

The new conversations centered around racial injustice have caused a revolution in many industries, demanding corporations to diversify everything from their workforce to the products being sold to consumers. This week, Brown Girl Jane, a plant-based beauty and wellness company, announced its new initiative and partnership with SheaMoisture to amplify Black entrepreneurs within the beauty industry.

#BrownGirlSwap is an initiative designed to amplify and support Black-owned independent beauty and wellness brands in the industry. The initial idea started as a pledge to swap out your beauty products with Black-owned companies which developed into a more intensive program. “This year has been such a whirlwind [for us] with so many things happening. [We conceived the idea in] early June at the time as a lot of the social justice movements [with] a new focus [around and economic empowerment],” said Malaika Jones Kebede, CEO of Brown Girl Jane in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“My team and I really wanted to start something that was simple and doable but that would potentially have a ripple effect and so we came up with the idea of the Brown Girl Swap, which really is a simple idea asking consumers to pledge to just swap outside of their everyday beauty and wellness products for those made and by Black women founders and owners.”

The grant will help cover a new entrepreneurship program offering business-to-business mentorship with seasoned executives from SheaMoisture and beauty conglomerate, Unilever in addition to a virtual summit presented by both brands centering around Black beauty creators in September called The Black To Business Summit.

“It’s important for us to create and partner on opportunities and spaces that encourage the growth of women of color in business. Our Community Commerce purpose-driven business model enables us to invest in Black female entrepreneurs around the world. As a brand, we have always invested in the underserved, by providing access to opportunities and resources which help to create lasting value for entrepreneurs and their communities,” said Cara Sabin, CEO of SheaMoisture, in a statement to BLACK ENTERPRISE.

“We were so inspired by BROWN GIRL Jane’s three dynamic founders, and the ability of other Black beauty founders to build dynamic businesses. Our brands connected even further over the shared mission to support and uplift these businesses as we continue SheaMoisture’s long history of meeting Black women’s unique needs in personal care.”

 

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#BROWNGIRLSWAP just got turbocharged!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Tribe! We are beyond excited to share EPIC news announcing our partnership with @SheaMoisture as we take the #BrownGirlSwap to soaring new heights! And given that it’s #BlackBusinessMonth, there is no better time to announce this major collaboration.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Today, we are launching an unprecedented initiative between a Fortune 500 and Indie brand supporting #BlackWomenFounders in beauty and wellness. This program will provide a dynamic platform to help amplify Black women-owned businesses, offer them entrepreneurial training and mentorship from industry titans, and, through the support of @SheaMoisture and @Vaseline, receive business grants totaling $250,000!!! The grant contest opens tomorrow! ⁠⠀ Designed to support Black #FemaleEntrepreneurs and the next generation of leaders, we could not be more proud and grateful to help bring this partnership to life.⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ When we created the #BrownGirlSwap pledge, a campaign that challenges you to swap 5 of your common beauty and wellness products for brands owned by a Black women, we wanted to help support Black brands in an easy, yet impactful way. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ We are SO thrilled that this collaboration with SheaMoisture will expand the campaign and provide women the vital tools needed to not only grow their business, but also enable their business to thrive! As a company founded and led by 3 Black women, we are so honored to support our sisters and larger community. ⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ A huge thank you to @SheaMoisture, @Vaseline, and everyone who has already taken the swap pledge and accompanied us on our journey thus far – our work is just beginning!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ Join the movement at browngirljane.com/swap over the next five weeks as we will be posting updates about this exciting campaign!⁠⠀ ⁠⠀ #BeautyBoss #BrownGirlJane #Sheamoisture #BrownGirlSwap #BetterTogether

A post shared by BROWN GIRL jane (@itsbrowngirljane) on Aug 10, 2020 at 3:16pm PDT

With rumors swirling around about the possibility of former National Security Advisor Susan Rice being named Joe Biden‘s vice presidential nominee, Rice has unloaded her stock options in streaming giant Netflix, according to TheGrio.

Last week, Rice, who was appointed to be on the board of directors of the video streaming service back in 2018, sold about $300,000 in stock holdings, according to paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A spokeswoman for Rice has stated that the sale was not related to politics and was made under a stock trading plan she had filed more than three months ago under Securities and Exchange Commission rules.

“Ambassador Rice’s sale of a fraction of her Netflix stock has nothing to do with VP speculation,” Erin Pelton said.

Netflix director (and possible VP pick?) Susan Rice exercised her stock options in the streamer this week, and subsequently sold all the shares, netting her a gain of about $300,000 https://t.co/I0wyWWDIwM

— Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) August 6, 2020

I should add that this was pursuant to a trading plan filed with the SEC.

— Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) August 6, 2020

Not to read too much into the tea leaves here, but this appears to be the first time she has exercised her options since joining the Netflix board a couple years ago. Again, this was pursuant to a trading plan, so set before today.

— Alex Weprin (@alexweprin) August 6, 2020

Last week, Fox News’ Tucker Carlson stated that Rice is in the lead to get the VP nod from Biden.

“As of right now, Susan Rice appears to be in the lead for the VP slot. That’s an interesting development.

“Say what you will about Susan Rice and we’re about to, but she is not a buffoon.

“Susan Rice is smart. She is hard-eyed. She is experienced.

“Susan Rice knows exactly what she wants and she understands the system well enough to get it.

“She is a threat.”

• News

by Dana Givens

August 10, 2020

Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani Calls Black Lives Matter A “Domestic Terrorist Group”

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Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani received backlash following controversial comments he made regarding the Black Lives Matter organization.

On a segment with Fox News’s Fox & Friends, Giuliani described the group as a “domestic terrorist group” who turned the United States into a socialist country. In the past, he has called the group a “Marxist” organization. 

“Just go read two or three backup documents for Black Lives Matter … Black people get salaries for the rest of their lives, nobody else,” Giuliani said in his interview with Fox News referring to a document he allegedly uncovered about the organization. “They haven’t said a single word about the violence taking place by antifa or Black Lives Matter, both of whom [are] domestic terrorist groups without any doubt. You know who knows that best? African Americans. I’ve actually had them tell me, why aren’t they classified as a terrorist group? Just because they’re Black and nobody can say it?”

He also went on to say that the country was “headed for pure socialism,” adding that “we’re headed for the end of private education, we’re headed for a drastic reduction in churches, the ability to go to church. They are dead opposed to the military. They want to do away with the police. This is no longer America.”

“Whoever wins, this country is going in two dramatically different directions,” he continued. “We’re either going to remain a free enterprise country or we’re going to become some kind of socialist country that Black Lives Matter wants, antifa, [Sen. Bernie Sanders]. Biden has agreed with it and he’s too weak to oppose it.”

Giuliani followed up his comments on his online show, Common Sense, on the Black Lives Matter organization.

 

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Rudy Giuliani dissects the Black Live Matter movement with the help of 3 prominent Blacks. In this series he will reveal their intent to destroy the American way of life.

A post shared by Rudy W. Giuliani (@therudygiuliani) on Aug 7, 2020 at 7:12pm PDT

On Saturday, President Trump signed several executive actions, pitching them as a jolt to a suffering economy. However, almost none of the orders are likely to happen.

According to The New York Times, the measures include an eviction moratorium, a $400 monthly benefit to supplement unemployment assistance for workers, and a temporary delay in payroll tax liability for low- and middle-income workers. The measures could give renters a break and ease payments for some student loan borrowers, but are unlikely to put much-needed cash into the hands of Americans.

Trump’s own advisers say the orders will not provide any aid to small businesses, state and local governments, or low- and middle-income workers. Additionally, conservative groups have cautioned that suspending payroll tax collections is unlikely to translate into more money for workers and the moves are almost guaranteed to be challenged in court.

Even the $400 monthly benefit Trump touted is coated in controversy. For starters, states are required to pay 25% of the benefit for their citizens. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo called the plan “laughable” as it would cost the state, which projected a $13 billion shortfall in April for the 2021 fiscal year, $4 billion.

“The concept of saying to states, you pay 25% of the insurance, is just laughable,” Cuomo told reporters. “It’s just an impossibility. So none of this is real on the federal side. This is going to have to be resolved.”

The Paycheck Protection Program also expired last weekend. Executives, trade groups, and business lobbyists have pushed hard for a second round of lending for businesses and industries hit hardest in the crisis, also acknowledged Trump’s executive actions will do little to help them.

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, acknowledged the limitations around Trump’s executive order in an interview on Full Court Press With Greta Van Susteren.

SohoMuse, the leading networking platform for creative professionals, will host a virtual entertainment event series in celebration of the Black Lives Matter movement, from August 10^th– August 14^th, on SohoMuse.com. The event will be MC’d by renowned music producer Zeke Thomas, and bring together artists and academics who will hold powerful conversations and performances around the history and path forward following the Black Lives Matter movement, and the entertainment industry.

Guest performers and speakers include Vin Rock from legendary, award-winning hip-hop trio Naughty by Nature, artist and entrepreneur Ja Rule, artist Doug E. Fresh, basketball icon Isiah Thomas, TV and Radio personality Downtown Julie Brown, TV personality Natasha Parker, musician Tarralyn Ramsey, artist Niko Brim, musical artist Nate James, and more.

“Over the past few months, the entertainment industry has come together vigorously to keep our community moving forward even through hardships and economic downfall,” said Consuelo Vanderbilt-Costin, founder of SohoMuse. “At this incredibly moving time in our country, I am thrilled to be able to work alongside some of the top talent and activists across the entertainment industry, and provide them with a platform to have real conversations in front of their fans and the SohoMuse community, around the Black Lives Matter movement and the entertainment industry.”

The schedule for the SohoMuse Black Lives Matter event series is as follows: 

• Monday, August 10, 2020 at 7PM ET
  • Topic: BLM & The Entertainment Industry
  • Featuring Isiah Thomas, and SohoMuse Co-Founder Consuelo Vanderbilt Costin

• Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 7PM ET
  • Topic: Police Accountability and Brutality in the Modern Era
  • Featuring Naughty by Nature, Ja Rule, Jimmy Dennis, Tarralyn Ramsey

• Wednesday, August 12, 2020 at 7PM ET
  • Topic: Activism and How to Take a Stance in the Internet Age
  • FeaturingNiko Brim, Lori Rose Benson, Natasha Parker, Charise Frazier, Ms. Opal Lee, Cole Brown, Konowani Fidel, Stephanie Humphrey

• Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 7PM ET
  • Topic: Racism in the Entertainment Industry and How to Rise Above It
  • Featuring Downtown Julie Brown, Doug E. Fresh, Kevin Smith Kirkwood, Shino Prater, Nate James, Jimmy Maynes, Mali Music, Dr. Olajide Williams

Throughout the four-day event, there will be a focus on current and historical events, providing the audience with a contextual understanding of the social justice issues our country is facing.

This event will be donated by all artists, academics, and companies, and all proceeds for the event will be donated to various charities and organizations including the Mary’s Court Foundation, the Breonna Taylor Fund, the Hip Hop Health Fund, and the National Queer Theatre.

To attend the SohoMuse Virtual Event in Support of Black Lives Matter Series, please visit here: https://viewstub.com/SohoMuseBLM.

In a deal expected to help it pick up new clients and expand, Black-owned software provider Citiri has received a growth investment from RCP Equity.

The investment will help Atlanta-based Citiri scale up to serve more airport and public transportation customers and expand into other industries like healthcare or utilities that require large-scale construction projects that serve multiple users. Citiri makes software to help manage major airport and public transportation construction projects.

Though financial terms were not disclosed, Pensacola, Florida-based RCP Equity reportedly made a “7-figure investment” into Citiri. That contribution, known as a Series A investment, typically is made by an investor into a privately-held, startup firm that has moved forward in building a viable business model, shows strong growth potential, and the ability to generate fresh revenue.

Serving airport and public transportation owners, operators, program directors, and construction managers around the globe, Citiri reports its customers have capital improvement projects and programs ranging from $200 million to $20 billion in construction value. The firm’s clients include the San Francisco International Airport, Los Angeles World Airports, and the Port of Seattle.

Citiri Co-Founder and CEO Ortez Gude developed the firm’s software specifically around major airport construction projects. The reason: they have multiple stakeholders—including airlines, airport vendors Transport Security Administration, and airport staff—with exacting needs when a new facility is built and is ready to begin operations. The software helps account for all those needs during construction and provides cohesiveness during the designing, building, and opening process.

Citiri announced the funding will help it accelerate the expansion of its go-to-market team to scale up for what is expected to be an increasing number of new airport and transportation improvement projects, driven partly by the COVID-19 emergency. It expects to benefit from the need for greater stakeholder involvement in the commissioning and pre-commissioning process, and increasing pressure to help curb costs as construction budgets are expected to tighten.

Ortez stated his firm is well-positioned for immediate and rapid growth with RCP’s investment.

“Demand for our software among airport and transit executives, operators, consultants, and program managers was growing rapidly, even before the COVID crisis,” Gude said. “The investment from RCP gives us the ability to serve more airport and transit hubs and expand into other major complex construction environments as such people-dense facilities evolve and adapt to the post-COVID reality.”

Along with highlighting the need for remote work capabilities, Gude told Black Enterprise COVID has made critical operational readiness and resilience work a top issue for construction owner executives. He says the work is far too complex to be left to chance by using outdated inefficient and error-prone methods. “For this reason, Citiri’s software is quickly becoming the industry standard for construction owners.”

Gude added Citiri develops software that helps owners of large complex construction projects manage them effectively, save money, and prevent avoidable costs while enhancing their operational capabilities.

RCP partner Cleve Bellar, who will join Citiri’s board of directors as part of the deal, stated, “Citiri is a great match for RCP because of the quality of its product and its potential for explosive near-term growth across many transportation and construction projects. Citiri also brings to the table a committed founder-led team with the vision and expertise to create a better way to incorporate stakeholder and end-user needs into the planning and construction processes. We believe the pieces are in place and the timing is right for Citiri to revolutionize these critical, complex functions.”

RCP Equity calls itself a self-funded, venture equity firm focused on amplifying growing companies with people, processes, and resources to help them see around the corners and navigate what’s ahead.

• News

by Derek Major

August 10, 2020

Almost 80% Of Employees Say Veteran Affairs Has A Racism Problem

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Almost 80% of employees at Veterans Affairs believe racism is a serious and wide-ranging issue at the agency.

According to The Root, a nationwide survey of 1,500 workers at Veterans Affairs was conducted by the American Federation of Government Employees last month. Workers at Veterans Affairs reported hearing their white colleagues’ widespread use of the N-word on the job. Including one employee who said it on a conference call while thinking he was on mute.

Other Veterans Affairs employees across the country have reported experiencing barriers to advancement at work because of their race. Nuwanna Franklin, an Army veteran and union representative for the Carl Vinson Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Georgia, told The Washington Post Black workers fear retaliation for complaining about discrimination and racism because they aren’t represented in positions of power.

“The higher it goes, the whiter it goes,” Franklin told the Post.

Around 12.3% of White employees at the VA are represented in leadership roles, while only 3.8 % of the agency’s Black workers are in leadership positions.

An example of the racism that is rampant at a Veterans Affairs center in Kansas City, Missouri, was reported by The Washington Post in June.

At an event to mark Juneteenth, Black employees became “living display” pieces, performing as Martin Luther King Jr., Harriet Tubman, and others, according to two medical center staffers and internal emails obtained by the Post.

A staffer told the Post workers were urged by senior staff members at the medical center to dress as their characters in period clothing and the same day, a supervisor suggested in a conference call the hospital serve fried chicken and watermelon. The staffer did say the supervisor apologized later in the day.

Also, more than half of survey respondents said they have also witnessed racist discrimination against Black veterans seeking services from the VA.

AFGE National President Everett Kelley said on a press call the agency must do better.

“It’s shocking that in 2020, not only are we still having to contend with racism at an agency of the federal government, but that it’s getting worse” AFGE National President Everett Kelley said. “These survey results are shocking and unacceptable and must be addressed. Fighting systemic racism at the VA or any other federal agency is nothing new for AFGE. In fact, it’s been a central part of what we’ve always done, always had to do, because, of course, there is absolutely nothing new about racism.” He adds, “We’re fighting these battles on the national, district, and local levels. We fight them every single day.”

• Entertainment

by Dana Givens

August 10, 2020

Issa Rae To Produce Documentary Paying Homage To Black Television Pioneers

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Last week, entertainment conglomerate HBO unveiled its plans for a new and upcoming documentary highlighting Black pioneers in Hollywood, which will be produced by Insecure star Issa Rae, Ark Media, and directed by Phil Bertelsen, who directed the popular Netflix’s six-part doc series Who Killed Malcolm X? The announcement was apart of the network summer press tour to promote upcoming projects for the fall and winter season.

The project, titled Seen & Heard, is currently in production and tells the history and evolution of Black television while including original interviews as well showrunners to talk about the importance of diversity across the field within entertainment. Participants in the new documentary will also share their own experiences growing up with African American representation on television and connecting that to what is seen today while exploring the importance of Black storytelling on screen.

This is only one in a slew of new projects to come out featuring Rae including a new quarantine miniseries called Coastal Elites focused on politics surrounding the coronavirus pandemic. Other celebrities set to make an appearance in the series include  Bette Midler, Dan Levy, and Sarah Paulson as characters offering testimonials on how they have adapted to quarantine.

“Black people have such a rich, but often unacknowledged history in Hollywood,” said Rae, the creator and star of HBO’s Insecure to the Hollywood Reporter. “We have defined American culture and influenced generations time and time again across the globe. I’m honored to pair with Ark Media to center and celebrate the achievements of those who paved a way for so many of us to tell our stories on television.”

.@hbodocs in production on a two-part documentary Seen & Heard, exploring and celebrating black television and voices in entertainment. @IssaRae executive produces: https://t.co/5xwMWOP1uF pic.twitter.com/8FLxmmU2y5

— HBO PR (@HBOPR) August 5, 2020

West African cuisine has gained new popularity over the last few years due to the rise of prominent high-profile restaurants turning up in major cities across the country. A couple based in Chicago went ahead and took a step further by creating a new line of frozen West African meals available at Whole Foods.

Perteet and Fred Spencer are the owners of AYO Foods, a small food brand company specializing in traditional West African cuisine. The couple wanted to create a brand that represented the important connection between excellent homemade recipes and family bonding.

“Our home has always been a gathering point for friends and family because we love the joy that is born out of those special moments together,” said Perteet and Fred Spencer in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. 

“None of these moments happen without a great meal. As we thought about building a business together, nothing inspired us more than using our strong industry experiences to create these moments for others by sharing some of our family’s favorite recipes that were under-represented in mainstream grocery stores.”

The frozen meals are available in select Whole Foods locations in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Oklahoma in addition to the Chicago-based grocery store, Green Grocer. The couple hopes that the meals will open more Americans up to trying food from West African countries seeing the great reception their brand has received.

“We’ve watched the explosive growth of frozen as more and more premium items transform freezer doors across America,” they added. “In many instances, the source of that growth is ethnic food as people look to explore the world one bite at a time. Frozen was a natural fit as an easy way for people to experience the flavors of West Africa.”

 

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On the go, all the time – that’s the motto in most households. When those weekdays come along when you just can’t find the time to cook, AYO will be waiting for you right here. With the convenience of a frozen dish without losing any nutritional value (or flavor!), there’s nothing stopping you from making it a meal with AYO.

A post shared by AYO – Joymaking Through Flavor (@ayofoods) on Aug 7, 2020 at 2:00pm PDT