Black-owned and minority businesses have suffered greatly recently with many having to permanently close their doors as a result of the COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic. Due to economic impact, it’s been reported that nearly 40% of businesses will not be able to survive the public health crisis.

Now Sens. Cory Booker (D- NJ)  and Steve Daines (R-MT) are coming together for a new bipartisan proposal that would provide $50 billion in federal aid to Black businesses in cities and rural communities with the support of local mayors all over the country.

According to a recent survey by the Center for Responsible Lending, 95% of Black-owned businesses have not received a PPP loan through the current mainstream financial institutions. “This has nothing to do with politics or partisanship—that’s why Senator Daines and Senator Booker are working together to support and provide relief for America’s smallest businesses and workers,” Daines spokesperson Katie
Schoettler told Newsweek.

“This bipartisan legislation is about taking the decision-making powers out of the hands of Washington D.C. and putting it in the hands of our local communities who know their own needs best,” Daines said. “We need more targeted action that strengthens local response and empowers our local economic development leaders to provide relief for our most vulnerable small and rural businesses in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak.”

The bill would greatly aid cities like Los Angeles, where the new proposal would provide millions of dollars in much-needed aid to help keep small businesses from collapsing. The proposal would call for new grants that allow states and lenders more flexibility.

“It’s not as simple as just keeping the lights on for the PPP forever,” said Thomas Sullivan, vice president of small business policy at the Chamber of Commerce according to Politico. “There really does need to be an emphasis toward the underbanked.”

• Entrepreneurship

by Selena Hill

July 10, 2020

Ebony Magazine Removes CEO Amid Investigation Into His Transactions, Promises to Pay Staff

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The board of directors of EBONY magazine announced the removal of Willard Jackson Jr. as CEO amid an ongoing investigation relating to his transactions. The move comes weeks after the board commissioned an independent inquiry into a number of Jackson’s transactions.

According to a statement by the news and lifestyle publication, the board is investigating transactions made by Jackson that did not have approval from the board, per company protocol. As a result, the board will appoint an interim CEO and operating committee.

“The lack of transparency led to us wanting to drill down on, not only the transactions, but on a bunch of other things,” Jacob Walthour Jr., the newly-elected chairman of EBONY’s board of directors, told USA Today. “As we did that, we became increasingly uncomfortable and we decided as a board that it was time for Mr. Jackson to be removed as the CEO.”

Jackson is a partner in CVG Group, which purchased the magazine in 2016, states the press release. The acquisition was financed by Parkview Capital Credit Inc. (PCC) through a series of loans. The management of PCC was later taken over by Blueprint Capital Advisors, a Black-owned asset manager, in April 2019.

In a statement, Walthour Jr. said EBONY is committed to uploading the principles that the magazine was founded upon by business and publishing titan John H. Johnson in 1945.

“Founder John H. Johnson conducted himself and EBONY business with a level of class, integrity and honor that has come to define Black professionalism in America. While the Board expects that EBONY will always need to adapt its business model to stay relevant, it must never compromise the core values of Mr. Johnson,” said Walthour Jr., the co-founder of Blueprint Capital Advisors.

The publication, which will celebrate its 75th anniversary in November, added that it would prioritize the payment of delinquent compensation to employees years after unpaid writers first blasted EBONY in 2017 on social media using the hashtag #EbonyOwes.

“As we approach EBONY’s 75th anniversary, now more than any other time since the Civil Rights movement, Black people need a medium to express ‘their’ voice and record this historical moment,” said John C. Robinson, an EBONY director.  “We are committed to the preservation of this valuable asset to the Black community and being a part of the next 75 years.”

This week restaurant delivery service DoorDash unveiled its new initiatives to support Black-owned businesses. They include a new partnership with nonprofit financial platform Kiva to help Black-owned businesses looking for capital.

The company will match the loan amount for Black-owned business owners on the platform and has created a $150,000 revolving loan fund to fund the program. Kiva business loans offer consumers the option to borrow starting capital at 0% interest rate and no additional fees.

Over recent months, DoorDash has seen a huge surge in the demand for Black-owned restaurants. In response, it will be launching a feature to highlight independent Black entrepreneurs and restaurants across the country. It will also offer free delivery to its merchant partners as a part of the new initiative and provide additional resources.

“With the goal of creating a platform that reflects the communities we serve and to reduce barriers to entry for Black-owned businesses to partner with DoorDash, beginning today and continuing through the end of this year, independent Black-owned restaurants in the United States and Canada can sign up for free with DoorDash and Caviar and pay zero commissions for 30 days. This is not a deferral of fees, nor will merchants be asked to pay anything back,” the company wrote in a blog post.

“We consider this commitment to supporting Black communities an ongoing effort that demands action through our product, our voice, and our resources. In addition to donating $500,000 to the national chapter of Black Lives Matter last month, we also created a $500,000 fund to be directed by the Black@DoorDash Employee Resource Group (ERG)…We hope you continue supporting Black-owned restaurants and businesses in your communities. We will continue to use our platform, voice, and resources to make progress together.”

 

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As part of our commitment to highlight and support Black-owned businesses, we’re proud to share that we’ve begun rolling out tags for Black-owned businesses nationwide on both DoorDash and Caviar. Help us spotlight the Black-owned businesses you know and love by sharing their information through the link in our bio.

A post shared by DoorDash (@doordash) on Jun 4, 2020 at 3:27pm PDT

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Thursday the Trump administration wants to cap enhanced unemployment benefits in the next coronavirus package.

According to MSN Money, the move would ensure workers do not get benefits amounting to more than their former wages. Under the coronavirus relief package enacted in March, unemployed workers received as much as $600 per week in addition to their state unemployment benefits. Republicans and critics of the bill said it encouraged workers to stay at home instead of looking for work.

“You can assume it will be no more than 100%, so, yes, we want to incent people to go back to work,” Mnuchin told CNBC.

The extra funds will end this month. Supporters of the extra benefits say the money is paramount to keeping families out of poverty as the jobless rate shot up, noting it typically only goes beyond offsetting a previously earned wage when an employer is paying minimum wage or just above.

Some companies have said the extra benefits have led to difficulties in hiring new employees or rehiring employees despite the unemployment rate of 11%.

The House passed legislation in May extending the $600 in extra weekly payments until December. However, that bill is considered dead on arrival as the Senate said it will not consider the package.

“Enhanced unemployment is intended for people who don’t have jobs, particularly in industries that are harder to rebound, so we will not be doing it in the same way,” Mnuchin said.

Mnuchin added he and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell met Wednesday and said their goal was to pass a second relief package by July 20.

Mnuchin added the administration wants to see another round of direct payment checks in the next package.

“We do support another round of economic impact payments,” Mnuchin said.

Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, told MarketWatch a $1.5 trillion package was the minimum size needed for the next round of fiscal stimulus, but later said he would make the measure significantly larger if he were “king for the day.”

Raj Chetty, an economics professor at Harvard University, said he broadly agreed with Zandi’s assessment.

• Criminal Justice Reform

by Derek Major

July 10, 2020

Audio Reveals Conflicting Accounts Regarding Breonna Taylor Killing

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Previously unheard audio of interviews in the investigation of the shooting death of Breonna Taylor have revealed new details about the incident.

According to NBC News, the investigator interviewing Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly, who led the raid in March, insisted that he, and six officers, knocked on the front door of the apartment Taylor and her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, lived in and announced themselves as police.

Walker told a different story.

In his interview with police, Walker said there was banging on the door but the couple never heard anyone say “police.” Walker added after he and Taylor asked who it was and got no response he reached for his licensed firearm.

The timing of the interviews has also raised questions about the approach the police took to interviewing crucial eyewitnesses. Mattingly was interviewed by the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Public Integrity Unit two weeks after the incident, with his lawyer present. Walker, who waived his right to an attorney, was interviewed the night of the shooting and said he shot once at what he thought were intruders before the cops opened fire.

Walker was arrested for returning fire, although the charges have since been dropped. Three cops who shot into the apartment have not been charged and a fourth officer was fired but remains free as well.

NBC News contacted the Louisville mayor’s office, the police department, the city’s police union, and attorneys for the officers who fired their guns, including Mattingly. All either declined to comment or did not respond.

There’s also the issue of the no-knock warrant. A judge signed the warrant in part because the police said a postal official confirmed the actual target received packages at Taylor’s home. However, a U.S. postal inspector later told WDRB there were “no packages of interest” sent there.

Critics of the incident have said executing a warrant at 1 a.m. with a battering ram is wildly inappropriate for a low-threat location.

“It’s unbelievable to me given that this is a ‘soft target,’” L. Song Richardson, the dean of the U.C. Irvine Law School and an expert in constitutional policing told NBC. “Did they think she had a gun or was this all because they thought she might flush the drugs down the toilet? If so, that seems to be inconsistent with knocking and announcing.”

Christopher Slobogin, director of Vanderbilt Law School’s Criminal Justice Program said the case rests on the warrant that brought police to the door.

“It’s conceivable both sides are telling the truth,” Slobogin told NBC.

Slobogin also questioned the “boilerplate” language police used to obtain the “no-knock” warrant, which he said did not meet constitutional standards.

by Derek Major

July 10, 2020

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms Signs Executive Order Requiring Face Masks

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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed an executive order Wednesday requiring face masks in Georgia’s largest city.

According to ABC News, the order may be the beginning of a fight between Mayor Lance Bottoms and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp, who has strongly encouraged but has not required face coverings. The mayor’s order went into effect immediately.

“We will continue to take active measures to help slow the spread of COVID-19 infections in Atlanta,” Bottoms said in a statement. “Public health experts overwhelmingly agree that wearing a face covering helps slow the spread of this sometimes deadly virus.”

The order also prohibits gatherings of more than 10 people on city property. On Monday Lance Bottoms told CNN’s Chris Cuomo both her and her husband tested positive for the virus.

Lance Bottoms has tried to get Kemp to require masks in the past, using the coronavirus’ impact on African Americans as evidence, but her pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

“Other cities have taken the approach that they are going to defy the governor’s executive order. Savannah has done it, some other cities have done it, and Atlanta is going to do it today,” Lance Bottoms told MSNBC in a Wednesday interview. “Because the fact of the matter is that COVID-19 is wreaking havoc on our cities, specifically Black and Brown communities with higher death rates.”

A day before Lance Bottoms signed the order, Kemp asked mayors and county commissioners in the state to help him in a statewide push to get people to wear masks voluntarily.

“We don’t need a mandate to have Georgians do the right thing, but we do need to build strong, public support,” Kemp told mayors, according to prepared remarks released by his office.

Georgia currently has more than 104,000 confirmed cases in the state and more than 2,800 deaths. More than 2,200 COVID-19 patients spent Wednesday night in hospitals in the state, putting a significant strain on doctors, nurses, and EMTs.

Other areas in the state have defied Kemp and required that masks be worn. Savannah and the Atlanta suburb of East Point were joined Tuesday by Athens-Clarke County in requiring masks. At least three other Atlanta suburbs—Fairburn, South Fulton, and Doraville—are considering making masks a requirement.

The COVID-19 pandemic and resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement have become defining movements of 2020. Both occurrences have drastically shifted American culture, politics, and the way many industries do business. Even sports has not been exempt from the new norm. After a four-month hiatus, the 2019-20 NBA season is scheduled to resume on July 30 with several major adjustments. In addition to playing in an empty arena at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, players will have the option to display a social justice message on the back of their jerseys.

Basketball and Black Lives Matter

In light of national calls to end police brutality and systemic racism following the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) announced that players have the option to choose from a list of short messages that will be displayed above their player jersey numbers. According to Sports Illustrated, the list of phrases includes, “Black Lives Matter,” “Say Their Names,” “Vote,” “I Can’t Breathe,” and “How Many More.”

Retired NBA champ Rasheed Wallace, however, argues that the new jerseys won’t be enough to create systemic change. Instead, the former power forward says the NBA should expand its philanthropic efforts by investing in young people and working with local community leaders on a larger scale in addition to continuing to support the causes of individual players.

“I think collectively we have to do something city to city,” Wallace told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “It starts with our youth.” He added, “talk with some community leaders, talk with the mayors or the lieutenant governors or whoever’s in the right position for the work to get done.”

Safety on the Court

NBA officials say the league will take extra safety precautions to help prevent players from contracting and spreading the coronavirus. Those measures include daily testing, some self-isolation, and social distancing protocols, reports USA Today. Still, Wallace says if he was still in the game he would sit this season out.

“I do understand what some of the guys are saying…like, look, this is my family, I can’t bring a sickness home. I might have my grandmother living with me or sick uncle…who’s having respiratory problems, so I can’t afford to go down there to this place and then come back home to them,” said Wallace, who played 16 seasons in the NBA and helped the Detroit Pistons win a championship in 2004.

He says the risk of bringing the novel coronavirus back to his family members is one he would not be willing to take.

“Yes, it is a nice job that pays for you to live a nice lifestyle and things of that nature. But one day, that ball going to stop bouncing. And guess who’s still going to be there? Your family, your aunties, your uncles, your grandmothers, your cousins. They’re still going to be there. And for me, personally, I can’t put no price on family.”

After playing for five NBA teams and in multiple All-Star games, Wallace is now coaching high school students in North Carolina. The 6’11 champ is noted for his passion and intensity on the court as well as his infamous trash-talking, frequent confrontations, and technical fouls. In the 2000–01 season, he received 41 technical fouls over a span of 80 games and he holds league records for most technical fouls in a season along with most single-season record ejections.

Watch Rasheed Wallace’s full interview on The New Norm With Selena Hill below.

It’s official! MSNBC has formally announced that news anchor Joy Reid has been named host of The ReidOut, a new weeknight evening program that will premiere Monday, July 20 according to a press release.

The news show, which will be based in Washington, D.C., will feature one-on-one conversations with politicians and newsmakers while addressing provocative political issues both inside and outside of the beltway. Reid, who is also a best-selling author and public speaker, joined MSNBC in 2011 as a contributor. Reid will kick off MSNBC’s primetime lineup by delving into American politics as it unfolds. Tina Urbanski will serve as the executive producer.

“I’m honored and thankful for this opportunity,” said Reid. “I’ll always be proud of the work we did on AM Joy by pushing the envelope and tackling pragmatic conversations. I’m eager to carry that same energy into the 7 p.m. hour where we can continue to build on bringing in diverse, smart, and accomplished voices to the table on topics that are important to our viewers.”

“I’m thrilled to have Joy on five nights a week,” said MSNBC President Phil Griffin. “She’s thoughtful and brings so much depth to her reporting. She’s made for this moment.”

Before The ReidOut, Reid hosted MSNBC’s AM Joy since May 2016, which delivered MSNBC’s highest-rated quarter in history for the 2^nd quarter of 2020. Reid has also served as a regular fill-in host for All In with Chris Hayes, The Rachel Maddow Show, and The Last Word with Lawrence O’Donnell and also hosted the weekday show The Reid Report.

Prior to joining MSNBC, Reid was the managing editor for TheGrio.com, a columnist for the Miami Herald, and producer and host for Radio One. She served as the Florida deputy communications director for the 527 “America Coming Together” initiative as well as a press aide in the final stretch of President Barack Obama’s Florida campaign in 2008.

Reid recently wrote the New York Times best-seller The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story.

Last month, the country group Lady Antebellum announced it was changing its name to Lady A because of the former name’s association with slavery.

Earlier this week, the band filed a lawsuit against the Black blues singer Anita White, who goes by the stage name Lady A according to Billboard.

“Today we are sad to share that our sincere hope to join together with Anita White in unity and common purpose has ended,” the group formerly known as Lady Antebellum said in a statement. “She and her team have demanded a $10 million payment, so reluctantly we have come to the conclusion that we need to ask a court to affirm our right to continue to use the name Lady A, a trademark we have held for many years.”

White, who has been using the moniker “Lady A” for more than 20 years, told Rolling Stone last month that she was blindsided when she heard the news.

“This is my life. Lady A is my brand, I’ve used it for over 20 years, and I’m proud of what I’ve done…,” she said.  “They’re using the name because of a Black Lives Matter incident that, for them, is just a moment in time… It shouldn’t have taken George Floyd to die for them to realize that their name had a slave reference to it.”

According to the lawsuit, “Prior to 2020, White did not challenge, in any way, Plaintiffs’ open, obvious, and widespread nationwide and international use of the LADY A mark as a source indicator for Plaintiffs’ recorded, downloadabe, and streaming music and videos, Plaintiffs’ live musical performances, or Plaintiffs’ sale of souvenir merchandise.”

Cooley L.L.P., attorneys for White, told Billboard in a written statement: “Cooley L.L.P. is proud to represent Ms. Anita White pro bono in the dispute with Lady Antebellum. It is disappointing that Lady Antebellum decided to forego settlement negotiations in favor of suing Ms. White, the rightful owner of the LADY A trademark. We will zealously defend Ms. White’s prior rights in the LADY A mark, a name she has used for over 30 years. We defer all other questions to Ms. White. It is her story to tell.”

A Major League Soccer game between Philadelphia Union and New York City FC featured Union players displaying the name of Black police brutality victims on the backs of their jerseys, according to ESPN.

The soccer players showcased “Black Lives Matter” T-shirts, and proceeded to take off the shirts for the team photo. As they turned around, the shirts revealed the surnames of the police brutality victims on the back of their shirts. Among the victims of police violence were George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, John Crawford, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling, and Tamir Rice.

The game, part of the MLS is Back tournament, took place in Kissimmee, FL.

Our players stand together. One name too many. pic.twitter.com/tPoR8DWveN

— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) July 9, 2020

Union manager Jim Curtin said he supported his players’ gesture.

“At the start, certainly things going on in our country far bigger than soccer,” he said after the match. “I have to say I’m very proud of my players throughout the past four months for the leadership they’ve shown, the leadership role they’ve taken in the BLM movement, educating the other players on our team.

“The idea today was action over permission; I hope the league understands that. It was done to show respect, to learn, to grow, to make our country better. I’m really proud of my players for everything they’ve done.”

The team’s players have gone further to show their support in the BLM movement by posting a custom made armband as well as shin guards that will be worn during the tournament.

Our players joined together to create a custom armband for #MLSisBack that our Captain @AleBedoya17 will be wearing for the tournament.#SayTheirNames pic.twitter.com/ZZe4Ev2RCJ

— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) July 9, 2020

Together as One 👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏🏻

Our entire squad will be wearing these specialty #EndRacism shin guards during #MLSisBack tournament & beyond.#DOOP pic.twitter.com/mGZ4gT9MZv

— PhilaUnion (@PhilaUnion) June 26, 2020

Union defender Ray Gaddis said the idea came from talking to all of the team’s players.

“It was to continue the conversation that needs to be had. We first and foremost asked our team if they were OK with it because solidarity is key and we want to make sure everybody feels comfortable,” Gaddis said after the match. “Actions are louder than words. Again, it’s to further the conversation and to continue to use our platform to be a voice for the voiceless. It was a collective group effort.”

Gaddis said it was important to see the entire team be on board with social change.

“For me, being a player in the Philadelphia Union organization for a while now, it means a lot,” he said. “For me, within our club, it shows how much solidarity we have—on the field first and foremost, but off the field. We have a great coach who has taken a stance with us, as well as this organization, and it’s only going to make us better in the future, not just as soccer players but as human beings as well.”