Colin Kaepernick Partners with Medium to Create Race-Related Content
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 30, 2020

Colin Kaepernick Partners with Medium to Create Race-Related Content

Former NFL quarterback and social justice activist Colin Kaepernick has recently joined the board of directors of content platform Medium.

In an earlier announcement, Medium welcomed Kaepernick to a seat on their board of directors and also stated that they will partner with Kaepernick and his content publishing company he launched earlier this year, Kaepernick Publishing. The partnership will create and feature stories focused on “race and civil rights in America, and to elevate emerging voices from communities of color.”

In a written statement, CEO of Medium, Ev Williams, who is also a partner at Obvious Ventures, and co-founder of Twitter said, “I met Colin a couple of years ago and have been wanting to work with him ever since. When he launched Kaepernick Publishing in February, we started a conversation and quickly realized how closely our ideals and sensibilities align. I know he will bring valuable insights and leadership to Medium, especially in this moment when the world is finally catching up to his vision on racial justice.

“Kaepernick Publishing’s mission is to uplift and elevate voices for Black and Brown communities, something that has been desperately needed in the publishing space. Through this partnership, Colin will be publishing across Medium’s platform, including a collaboration with Medium’s editorial team—leading Level and Momentum. He will be sharing his thoughts on anti-Black racism in our society, and Medium and Kaepernick Publishing will co-publish thought-provoking feature stories from diverse writers of color.

“I couldn’t be more happy to welcome Colin to Medium. He’s an incisive, independent thinker, whose integrity has inspired so many. The world needs more of that.”

In a recent Forbes poll, it shows that a majority of Americans believe NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell owes former quarterback Colin Kaepernick an apology. This came after Goodell admitted publicly that he and the NFL “were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encourage all to speak out and peacefully protest. We, the NFL, believe Black Lives Matter.”

American Express Pledges $10 Million To Fund Grants for Black Businesses Affected by COVID
by Dana Givens

June 30, 2020

American Express Pledges $10 Million To Fund Grants for Black Businesses Affected by COVID

The protests around the country over the deaths of numerous Black people in the last few months at hands of police officers has sparked a new conversation around race relations in the United States. It has also held many large corporations and public figures accountable for doing more against racial injustice and systemic racism. Finance giant American Express is now the latest to come forward with its own commitment to cultivating Black businesses.

This week American Express announced its new coalition with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the US Black Chambers, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Business League in addition to the Walker’s Legacy organization with a $10 million pledge to fund a new program that will create for organizations focused on supporting Black-owned small businesses over the course of four years. The initiative is part of the finance giant’s global Shop Small campaign.

“We intend for this offer to help jumpstart spending at small businesses during initial reopening by encouraging our global Card Member base of $110 million to Shop Small. In fact, we launched Small Business Saturday with a statement credit offer, which was critical in helping it become a movement and a staple on the retail calendar every year,” said Walter Frye, VP of Global Brand Engagement and Design, American Express, in an email statement sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE. 

“For many ‘regulars,’ small businesses are like a second home. Think about your local coffee shop—the barista knows your name, they know your order and they know when you’re having a good or bad day. Let’s be honest, that relationship is an important part of your life. Our survey showed that owners believe that the return of these individuals will have the most impact on their businesses and that’s one of the reasons we’ve designed our spend offer to allow up to 10 redemptions. We want to encourage our Card Members to visit their everyday favorites to spark the much-needed foot traffic small businesses need during this time.”

Mary J. Blige Launches Her Own Brand Of Wine
by Dana Givens

June 30, 2020

Mary J. Blige Launches Her Own Brand Of Wine

Mary J. Blige’s stellar career in Hollywood includes a plethora of R&B classics and starring in the Academy Award-winning film Mudbound. Now, the Grammy-winning singer is expanding to the wine and spirits industry with a collection of wines just in time for summer.

Sun Goddess Wines is an exclusive collection of limited-edition wines created by the 49-year-old entertainer in collaboration with the Fantinel Winery featuring a Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio based on two of Blige’s favorite summer drinks. The singer made the official announcement on her Instagram, sharing the happy news with her followers.


“[Creating a wine] wasn’t something that was originally at the top of my head,” Blige said in an interview with ESSENCE. “One of [Maxwell’s] friends happened to be Marco Fantinel, from the Fantinel Winery. I was drinking white wine with them all night long, [the Fantinels] asked, ‘do you want to do a wine?’ I didn’t even hesitate.”

The singer got the name from her sister who calls her “Sun Goddess” as a nickname as Blige openly loves to sunbathe whenever she gets the chance. “When I hang out with my sister and we’ll [vacation] to an island or something like that, I hang out in the sun a little longer than everybody else,” Blige explained to ESSENCE. “So other people are getting burned and I’m not. My sister will say, ‘I’m not messing with Sun Goddess today. I’m out of here!’ She gave me the name and I ran with it.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 30, 2020

NASCAR Driver Kyle Weatherman Debuts #BackTheBlue Car After Bubba Wallace Displays #BlackLivesMatter Vehicle

After NASCAR driver Bubba Wallace debuted a “Black Lives Matter” design on his racecar several weeks ago, a fellow driver decided to counter that vehicle by revealing a car that represented a “Blue Lives Matter” design of his own, according to Yahoo Sports.

NASCAR driver Kyle Weatherman brought out the latest design on the car he drives at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Mike Harmon Racing proudly announced the new “ThinBlueLine” design, complete with a “Blue Lives Matter” flag across the hood via social media.


Although the “#BackTheBlue” car doesn’t explicitly say Blue Lives Matter on it, it has rubbed critics the wrong way as it seems to send the opposite message Wallace displayed on his vehicle.

Weatherman took to Twitter to state that the inspiration for the design came from his uncle, who was a firefighter.

In response to a Twitter user, David Ragan, who wrote, “Can’t we choose the good on both sides?? I support the Black men and women of this country and also support all first responders.”
Weatherman responded to also assure everyone that he “absolutely” supports “the Black men and women of this country.”

Netflix Is Investing $100 Million in Black Banks and Communities
by Dana Givens

June 30, 2020

Netflix Is Investing $100 Million in Black Banks and Communities

Netflix made headlines last week when its CEO made the largest private donation ever to historically black colleges and universities in addition to the company’s donation of $100 million dollars for COVID-19 relief. This week, the streaming entertainment giant announced that it will invest $100 million to Black-owned banks. 

Netflix will allocate 2% of its cash holdings, up to $100 million, into Black-owned financial institutions and organizations that support Black communities around the country. The idea was conceived when Aaron Mitchell, director, Talent Acquisition for the company, wanted to help his community amid the current protests occurring around the country and new dialogues centered on race relations in the United States.

“We’ve been working on this idea [since] April,” said Mitchell in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We’ve been doing work on trying to help our leaders network with more diverse backgrounds…once the effects of COVID [became] clear they were having a disproportionate effect on Black and Latino communities, one of these conversations [involved] these structural issues and the racial wealth gap was one of those issues.”

After a conversation with Netflix executives, Mitchell did some research and came across The Color of Money: Black Banks and the Racial Wealth Gap, written by Mehrsa Baradaran, where the idea for the investment initiative was born. After the death of George Floyd, things only began to accelerate the movement. “We had a proposal all ready to go,” Mitchell continued. “That week I decided to forward the proposal to our CEO…who within two hours got back and said looks great, let’s work it out.”

The first two acts of the new initiative will be a $25 million investment to the newly established Black Economic Development Initiative to be managed by the Local Initiatives Support Corp., a nonprofit focused on developing underinvested communities; and $10 million to the Hope Credit Union in the form of a transformational deposit to offer opportunities to marginalized communities across the Deep South.

“Netflix is an entertainment company and our greatest impact is [through] our storytelling and our ability to reach mass audiences with thought-provoking content,” said Shannon Alwyn, director, Treasury to BLACK ENTERPRISE. “We [also] want to help find a way to bring equity to black communities by working with these Black-owned and Black-led financial institutions and allocating a small portion of our cash holdings is a relatively easy way for us to hopefully make a meaningful difference.”

by Alisa Gumbs

June 30, 2020

Black Beauty Brands, This Is Your Last Week to Apply for a Glossier Grant

Last month, beauty company Glossier committed $500,000 in grants to Black beauty brands. Entrepreneurs have just a few more days to get their applications in, before the deadline on July 3rd.

“At Glossier, we want to change how the world sees beauty—and changing how the world sees beauty starts with changing the beauty industry itself,” Founder and CEO Emily Weiss wrote on the company’s blog.

Weiss went on to note that when the company launched six years ago, it was one of the few founded by women to successfully raise venture capital and that she is “keenly aware that a Black woman with the very same vision likely would not have received the same support.”

To “address this inequity and support the next generation of game-changing companies,” the company is providing half a million dollars in grants to black beauty brands in various stages of growth.

Applicants for Glossier’s Grant Initiative for Black-Owned Beauty Businesses must be at least 18, identify as Black or African American, and run a business incorporated in the U.S. that sells a physical product (cosmetics, products, or tools for face, body, or hair). The eligible business types and size of the grants are:

  • $10,000 for pre-launch businesses—those with a finalized business plan that are planning to launch within the next 12 months
  • $30,000 for early stage businesses—those that launched in the past 12 months and are working to grow a customer base
  • $50,000 for growth-stage businesses—those that launched more than 12 months ago and are working to scale operations

In addition to the cash, those businesses that are selected will get access to “connect with relevant team members at Glossier for 1:1 advisory support and monthly calls with domain experts (think supply chain, packaging, content strategy, etc).” Glossier will also use its platform to “introduce these founders, their stories, and their businesses to our community.”

The company expects that about 15 businesses will be awarded grants and that notifications will be made in August. Applications will be judged by an internal team at Glossier, lead by Community Manager Kim Johnson, based on the following criteria:

  1. Brand (The What): How your business shows up in the beauty space and what sets it apart from others
  2. Message (The Why): How your business aspires to broaden the conversation about beauty and lead with purpose
  3. Plan (The How): Your business’s plan for growth and how this grant will help it get there

Interested Black beauty brands can apply here.

Amazon Acquires Self-Driving Startup Zoox Led By Black Female CEO for $1.2 Billion
by Derek Major

June 30, 2020

Amazon Acquires Self-Driving Startup Zoox Led By Black Female CEO for $1.2 Billion

Amazon has purchased Zoox, a developer of autonomous vehicles, for $1.2 billion.

According to Forbes, the retail and technology giant has invested in several self-driving start-up companies, including Aurora Innovation and Rivian Automotive. However, the acquisition of Zoox on June 26 is its first acquisition in the space. Zoox has been developing purpose-built, zero-emissions vehicles designed for autonomous ride-hailing, along with an end-to-end autonomy software stack.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans
Zoox CEO Aicha Evans (Photo Credit: Aicha Evans via Global News Wire)

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans, an African American woman who has been at the company for almost two years, will stay on in her current position. Evans believes the company is now in a position to realize its full potential.


“This acquisition solidifies Zoox’s impact on the autonomous driving industry,” Evans said in a Zoox release. “We have made great strides with our purpose-built approach to safe, autonomous mobility, and our exceptionally talented team working every day to realize that vision. We now have an even greater opportunity to realize a fully autonomous future.”

Zoox has been testing autonomous vehicles in Las Vegas and San Francisco since 2014, and many have referred to it as a “robotaxi” service. However, it seems Amazon has other plans for autonomous vehicle company.

Amazon purchased the company with last-mile delivery in mind. This could be a significant cost-cutting venture for Amazon, which ships more than 2.5 billion packages per year.

If the tech giant can cut labor costs by automating ground delivery, it could save them millions, while at the same time putting them in better shape than Federal Express and the United States Parcel Service.

“We now have an even greater opportunity to realize a fully autonomous future,” Chief Safety Innovation Officer Mark Rosekind said. “We’re going to start seeing three to five years where people start actually deploying in cities, but it’s going to be 20 to 30 years before you start seeing this all over the place.”

Amazon was recently blasted after founder Jeff Bezos released a statement supporting Black Lives Matter. Many have pointed to the fact that the tech giant’s facial recognition software is used by law enforcement agencies across the country. In response to the backlash, Amazon announced a one-year ban on the software for law enforcement, but many have said it should’ve never been available for agencies to use.

Prosecutor Launches Investigation Into White Couple Who Aimed Firearms at Black Lives Matter Protesters
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 30, 2020

Prosecutor Launches Investigation Into White Couple Who Aimed Firearms at Black Lives Matter Protesters

A white St. Louis husband and wife were seen pointing firearms at protesters Sunday night outside of their Central West End home, according to ABC News.

The incident took place during a protest against St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, who publicly revealed the names and addresses of protesters who wrote letters to her in support of defunding the police department. In an act that some have labeled as intimidation, Krewson read off the names of the individuals during a broadcast by the mayor’s office on Facebook Live.


“It is shocking and misguided for Mayor Lyda Krewson of St. Louis, to broadcast the addresses of those who dare to express a different viewpoint on an issue of public concern,” the ACLU of Missouri said in a statement. “It serves no apparent purpose beyond intimidation. We are stronger when we foster open dialogue. The chilling of debate should bother everyone, no matter whether they agree or disagree with the mayor on this particular issue.”

Lawson released an apology via Twitter.

As protestors, who are demanding the resignation of Lawson, headed to her residence, a man armed with what appeared to be a semiautomatic rifle and a woman showcasing a silver-plated pistol with her finger on the trigger, came out of their five-story limestone home. They drew their weapons at the protesters while yelling at them that they were on a private street.

The couple, who identified themselves as lawyers, are Mark McCloskey, 63, and Patricia McCloskey, 61. They claim to support the Black Lives Matter movement and that the “actions of a few individuals who chose to exploit the otherwise peaceful protest” put them “in fear of imminent harm,” they wrote in a written statement.

“The peaceful protesters were not the subject of scorn or disdain by the McCloskeys,” the statement reads. “To the contrary, they were expecting and supportive of the message of the protesters. The actions of violence, destruction of property, and acts of threatening aggression by a few individuals commingling with the peaceful protesters, gave rise to trepidation and fear of imminent and grave harm.

“Both Mr. and Mrs. McCloskey acted lawfully on their property which sits on a private gated lane in the City of St. Louis,” the statement reads. “Their actions were borne solely of fear and apprehension, the genesis of which was not race related. In fact, the agitators responsible for the trepidation were white.”

The couple said they’ve held a “long-standing commitment to protecting the civil rights of clients victimized at the hands of law enforcement.”

Albert S. Watkins, a lawyer for the couple, added, “The McCloskeys want to make sure no one thinks less of BLM, its message and the means it is employing to get its message out because of the actions of a few white individuals who tarnished a peaceful protest.”

Colorado Riot Cops Used Pepper Spray to Break Up a Peaceful Violin Vigil for Elijah McClain
by Derek Major

June 30, 2020

Colorado Riot Cops Used Pepper Spray to Break Up a Peaceful Violin Vigil for Elijah McClain

A peaceful violin vigil for Elijah McClain, who was killed last year, was broken up by riot police who shot pepper spray at the crowd.

According to BET, McClain, a violinist, was being remembered by a group of fellow violinists at Aurora’s Municipal Center. As the vigil continued, officers from the Aurora Police Department showed up and began telling attendees to disperse. That’s when things changed.

The vigil “was a peaceful protest, with people carrying violins and cellos, playing in honor of Elijah McClain,” Joy Adams, a cellist who came from Boulder to participate, told Violinist.com. “There were children in the crowd, musicians playing, people holding candles and roses and sitting on the ground…We were playing Pachelbel’s Canon, and the police went nuts—beating people with batons and spraying tear gas in their faces.”

Arts Journalist John Moore also described the scene saying the actions of the police led to the issue.

“Thankfully, the police never went after the musicians themselves, but they incited unnecessary aggression and heightened tension (but no violence) from a crowd that wasn’t there to make noise,” Moore wrote. “They were there to listen to music. But once provoked, the music became the soundtrack to an ugly conflict between art and authority,” Moore wrote on his Facebook page.

The Aurora Police Department said on Twitter its aggressive actions were in response to protesters attempting to “cross the fence at the PD entrance,” where a separate group had been demonstrating throughout the afternoon.

McClain, 23, was killed on Aug. 24, 2019, when officers responded to a call of a “suspicious man” with a ski mask. Officers confronted McClain, who was eventually placed in a chokehold and body camera footage shows him being wrestled to the ground vomiting and screaming “I can’t breathe,” as police detained him.

Three days later, McClain was declared brain dead and an autopsy as to the cause of his death was found inconclusive.

Since the Black Lives Matter protests began, many in the state have called for Gov. Jared Polis to reopen the investigation. Polis appointed the state’s Attorney General Phil Weiser to reopen the investigation.

TikTok Star Tabitha Brown Lands Web Series On Ellen DeGeneres’ Digital Network
by Dana Givens

June 30, 2020

TikTok Star Tabitha Brown Lands Web Series On Ellen DeGeneres’ Digital Network

Social media influencer Tabitha Brown has garnered quite a following with her lovable personality and vegan recipes.

In 2017, she decided to go vegan after watching the documentary What The Health and as a way to fight her chronic pain ailment. One year later, she became a social media sensation after posting herself eating a vegan BLT she bought from a Whole Foods Market deli counter and is now sharing her life with followers on TikTok.

After achieving newfound fame, 41-year old Brown made news again when she signed with the prestigious Creative Arts Agency, who also works with celebrities like Beyoncé, Will Smith, and Trevor Noah. Now the social media personality and food influencer will be the star of her own show focused on parenting, self-care, and vegan cooking.

Brown’s new web series, All Love, will be a part of the new Ellen Digital Network (EDN), a digital media platform and collaboration between TV host and personality Ellen DeGeneres and Warner Brothers Digital Networks. According to Veg News, the show is slated to be released later in the year. In addition to Brown’s new show, the Ellen Digital Network will also be releasing several other projects, including a new series featuring Ayesha Curry focused on sharing her journey from chef to entrepreneur.

In addition to her new show, Brown is also set to appear and co-host on Nickelodeon’s Kids, Race & Unity: A Nick News Special, a revival of the popular ‘90s series, with singer Alicia Keys to discuss the recent new events around police brutality and racial injustice.

 

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