American Express Commits More than $200 Million Towards Their Shop Small Campaign
by Derek Major

June 30, 2020

American Express Commits More than $200 Million Towards Their Shop Small Campaign

American Express announced a $200 million commitment to help jumpstart spending at small businesses Monday.

According to an American Express press release, the credit card giant is also building a coalition with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

The coalition will bring together the U.S. Black Chambers, the National Black Chamber of Commerce, the National Business League, and Walker’s Legacy with a $10 million pledge over the next four years to fund a program providing grants to U.S. Black-owned small businesses to assist in their recovery and address the issues they face due to racial and social inequalities.

“American Express has backed small business owners through challenging times for decades, and we are standing for them today as many struggle to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Stephen J. Squeri, chairman and CEO of American Express said in the release. “Small businesses are the lifeblood of our communities, and now is the time to join together and help them rebound from this global crisis because their success is critical to job creation, strong economies, and thriving neighborhoods.”

The credit card giant also made history earlier this month when it appointed the first Black woman to its executive committee.

In addition, American Express is making it easier to find small businesses open for online or in-store purchases through its updated shop small map. The interactive map can search for and list small businesses in an area by name or by location. The map also allows small businesses to easily update their information such as store hours as well as contact details. American Express has also launched a similar effort in Canada.

Small businesses across the world have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, especially small Black businesses. According to the JPMorgan Chase Institute, small Black businesses are hurting more than businesses owned by people of other races during the pandemic.

 

 

With COVID-19 Lingering, Companies Are Promoting Health Insurance To Attract Top Job Candidates
by Jeffrey McKinney

June 30, 2020

With COVID-19 Lingering, Companies Are Promoting Health Insurance To Attract Top Job Candidates

Driven by COVID-19, health insurance is a top perk businesses are now promoting to attract talent.

A hearty 67% of businesses push health insurance as a tool to help hire employees. Recruiting and hiring qualified workers remains a major operating challenge for many companies.

Health insurance is followed by paid time off (50%), 401(K) matching (50%), and flexible work options (33%), a new survey from The Manifest shows. Those are among the leading benefits health professional are promoting today. And with many people still working from home as COVID-19 lingers, businesses should be focusing on advocating benefits suitable to remote work, observers say.

In this pandemic climate, job candidates are searching for full-time work stability and paying less attention to in-office perks like snacks, pet-friendliness, and gym memberships.

Clutch senior writer and marketer Kristen Heinhold told BLACK ENTERPRISE that healthcare is among the top benefits that businesses offer because employees value access to healthcare, especially during the pandemic. She says employees want to know they will be covered by insurance if they do become sick with COVID-19. “People realize how much money they’d lose if their company didn’t offer them a comprehensive health insurance package, Heinhold says. The Manifest is the sister site to Clutch, a ratings and review firm.

Heinhold says paid-time-off (PTO) is also an important benefit as people want to know they can take time off and still maintain job security if they do get sick. “Although many people are not traveling this year, they still value time off, even if it’s a staycation. It improves their mental health.”

Though 98% of businesses offer open positions online, it is essential they share accurate information about available jobs. The Manifest reports that is especially true during COVID-19 when many firms have a hiring freeze. When a job is closed, a business should remove it quickly from its website and job boards, so others do not squander time applying.

Simultaneously, another top survey finding is that 70% of people want to work for a company that shows a commitment to diversity and inclusion. That discovery surfaced after protests against systemic racism and George Floyd’s death, spurred discussions on workplace diversity.

While the law blocks businesses from discriminating against employees, job hunters prefer companies that take the extra step and demonstrate their dedication to a diverse workplace.

Still, businesses must show that their serious about the commitment by implementing it through such means as diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB).

“The biggest issue I’ve seen is the misuse of DEIB in the recruitment process and it not being an actuality in the workplace,” talent development expert Jes Osrow told The Manifest. “Take that step of humility and say ‘We’re not perfect, but here’s what we’re doing to achieve true diversity at our company.”

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 29, 2020

Target’s Laysha Ward Can’t Rest Until Systemic Racism Is Dismantled

Featuring a broad cross-section of women who have distinguished themselves across a rich variety of careers, our Portraits of Power series is a celebration of the 50th Anniversary of Black Enterprise, and of black women. It’s a place for today’s businesswomen to share their own favorite images and their own stories, in their own words. Today’s portrait is Target EVP/Chief External Engagement Officer Laysha Ward.

Laysha Ward

Executive Vice President and Chief External Engagement Officer at Target

Growing up in rural Indiana, my first unpaid job was as a farm worker in our large garden and doing household chores. My first paying jobs, which I had simultaneously, were cleaning offices and a rural paper route, which helped me decide I didn’t want to do either of those things the rest of my life.

I’ve had a lot of big breaks throughout my life and career, but the big break that was most foundational was when my mom and dad made the decision to move from Richmond, Indiana, where the high school was considered a drop out factory, to a rural Indiana town of 700 people, where they knew we’d get a better education and open doors for future opportunities. I was the only Black kid in my class from first grade through graduating high school which was one of the most difficult experiences of my life and yet created one of my superpowers of being able to successfully navigate environments where I was the first, only, or different one. My parents continued to make endless sacrifices like this and worked multiple jobs and side hustles to disrupt systemic racism, structures, and policies that were barriers for Black people.

There’s so much in my life I never would’ve imagined happening. I never imagined working in a Fortune 50 company or being in the C-suite. I had never been on an airplane until after college, so I never imagined that I would visit every continent. But I did imagine being of service to Black people, women, and other underrepresented communities, and that’s the journey I’m still on.

I wish I’d learned sooner it’s not a sign of weakness to ask for help and that I didn’t have to have all the answers.  We all get better together.

Much to people’s surprise, I’ve been a night owl my entire life. My parents had multiple jobs, and those hustles included second shift, overnight third shifts, weekends, and holidays. And so, the rhythm and flow in our household was not a traditional 9 to 5, which kept me up at nights a lot. What keeps me up at night now is that not much has changed for the average Black family or other poor families in America today. Income/jobs, education, housing, health care inequality, and the need for criminal justice reform keeps me up at night. So, until systemic racism is dismantled, I can’t rest. None of us can rest.

When I’m struggling, I say to myself, “From the roots of remarkable ancestry we flow.”

I am unapologetically Black, unapologetically female, unapologetically me.

Portraits of Power is a yearlong series of candid insights from exceptional women leaders. It is brought to you by ADP.

 

 

 

American Airlines Pledges 1 Million Business Points To Minority-Owned Companies For Travel Assistance
by Dana Givens

June 29, 2020

American Airlines Pledges 1 Million Business Points To Minority-Owned Companies For Travel Assistance

The travel industry has been in complete disarray due to the spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, around the U.S. and the globe. Despite the restrictions in place, some entrepreneurs and professionals are still required to travel as a part of their job and now American Airlines is looking to help minority-owned businesses with travel assistance with a new pledge of up to one million business points for entrepreneurs.

The airline company is giving small businesses and nonprofit organizations up to one million Business Extra® points to be used for travel support for their operations through its Our Social Good program, an organization that seeks to improve stability, health, and care for marginalized groups in need around the world.

“Our conversations with customers and research throughout the coronavirus pandemic reveal a notable concern for the viability of small businesses,” said Alison Taylor, American’s chief customer officer in a press statement. “In light of the challenges facing so many, it’s only right that we leverage our platforms to help others. We’ve been developing the ability to gift Business Extra points for some time and are thankful to have one more way to serve as a conduit of care to those in need.”

The fund will be directed to the minority, women, veteran LGBT-owned businesses as well as donations for nonprofit organizations. The move would make American Airlines the first U.S carrier to gift entrepreneurs points from their respective company loyalty program accounts to support a charitable cause.

“Now, more than ever, we each have a responsibility to consider how we can do our part to care for the communities we serve,” said Ken Charles, American’s chief inclusion and diversity officer in a press statement. “We’re proud to leverage our position to support these organizations and the entrepreneurial leaders who drive them forward and hope our customers will join us.”

Hulu Removes Episode of ‘The Golden Girls’ That Included ‘Blackface’ Scene of Actor Wearing Mud Facial Masks
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 29, 2020

Hulu Removes Episode of ‘The Golden Girls’ That Included ‘Blackface’ Scene of Actor Wearing Mud Facial Masks

The protesting of racial injustice and police brutality against Blacks has set off an awakening that includes Hollywood. According to Deadline, streaming service Hulu has removed a Golden Girls episode titled “Mixed Blessings” because the characters, Rose, played by Betty White, and Blanche, played by Rue McClanahan, are seen with a mud face treatment.

In that particular scene, Rose comes out and makes an excuse for their appearance by saying, “This is mud on our faces, we’re not really Black.”

Although it’s not blackface in the sense of what blackface has been displayed in many older films and TV shows, it was reported that series’ distributor, Disney-ABC Domestic Television, had made the request for the removal. This follows many other television shows removing content that had characters depicted in actual blackface.

Variety reported late last week that a scene from The Office, in which a character appears in blackface, has been edited out of that episode as well as 30 Rock creator Tina Fey asking “for multiple episodes of the NBC series to be removed for the same reason, Hulu pulled three episodes of Scrubs, and Netflix removed the entire British sketch series Little Britain.

Comedian Jimmy Fallon, in a Tweet last month, apologized for participating in a Saturday Night Live sketch in blackface back in 2000.

The Hollywood Reporter stated that “HBO Max has added a disclaimer to Gone With the Wind about its depiction of slavery after briefly removing the film from its library.”

Mississippi State Passes Bill To Remove Confederate Symbol From State Flag In Historic Vote
by Dana Givens

June 29, 2020

Mississippi State Passes Bill To Remove Confederate Symbol From State Flag In Historic Vote

There have been ongoing debates over the Confederate flag as critics argue that the flag is a symbol of hate and a reminder of the South’s ties to slavery. This week, the Mississippi state legislature passed a historic vote to remove the Confederate symbol from its state flag. The state is the only one to still feature the image on its flag.

The bill was passed with a 91-23 vote from the state House and a 37-14 vote from state Senate. It will now go on to Mississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves, who, according to CNN, has already confirmed he would sign it into law. The flag, first adopted in 1894, has red, white, and blue stripes with the Confederate battle emblem in the corner. These changes come in light of the conversations around race relations within the United States and the recent murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and others due to police brutality.
The bill also creates a new commission for a new flag design without the Confederate emblem including the phrase “In God, We Trust” where Mississippi residents would then be able to vote on the new design this coming November.
Many have called the vote a huge victory toward removing symbols of the Confederacy from around the country, expressing their support for the bill on social media.

Despite many who are celebrating the victory of the historic vote, others are against the decision. Bertram Hayes-Davis, the great-great-grandson of Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States from 1861 to 1865 voiced his frustration on a recent news segment in support of the change.

“It is historic and heritage-related, there are a lot of people who look at it that way, and God bless them for that heritage,” Davis told CNN’s Ana Cabrera on Newsroom” Saturday. “So put it in a museum and honor it there or put it in your house, but the flag of Mississippi should represent the entire population, and I am thrilled that we’re finally going to make that change.”

 

Black Mother and Son Denied Service At Baltimore Restaurant Hires Civil Rights Attorney
by Derek Major

June 29, 2020

Black Mother and Son Denied Service At Baltimore Restaurant Hires Civil Rights Attorney

A Baltimore woman has retained a civil rights attorney after she and her son were denied service at a  restaurant due to her son’s “athletic” clothing.

According to BET, Marcia Grant has retained civil rights attorney Dallas Mills after she and her son Dallas, 9, were denied service at The Choptank Fish & Crab House on June 22. The manager told Grant her son’s clothes were too athletic when they asked for a table.

Making matter worse, the video showed two white children wearing similar clothing in the restaurant. The manager could not explain why those children were allowed in but Grant and her son were not. Grant captured the moment on video and shared it on social media and the video went viral quickly receiving more than 800 likes and retweets on Twitter. The restaurant apologized four days later.

“We are sickened by this incident. We sincerely apologize to Marcia Grant, her son and everyone impacted by this painful incident,” Atlas Restaurant Group said in a statement.

Atlas added “While dress codes across Atlas properties are the result of ongoing input from customers, in no way are they intended to be discriminatory.”

The restaurant has been under fire since September 2019 for its dress code, which banned “excessively baggy clothing, sunglasses after dark and bandanas.”

Atlas said children under 12 accompanied by a parent will no longer be subject to a dress code. The company also said two managers have been placed on “indefinite leave.”

Grant and Mills have yet to file a lawsuit but said it’s still an option they’re exploring.

Many brands have been pushed to make statements denouncing discrimination and racism or risk losing customer support. Even the social media giant Facebook has been pressured to change its policies due to Starbucks Pepsi and Coca-Cola pulling advertisements from its sites. The advertising ban has cost Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg $7 billion in personal wealth so far.

12 Year-Old Vegan Chef Omari McQueen to Release First Cookbook
by Dana Givens

June 29, 2020

12 Year-Old Vegan Chef Omari McQueen to Release First Cookbook

Vegan food has become tremendously popular across the United States with sales continuing to surge in the market. The new culinary food trend is also influencing the next generation of young chefs looking to make a name for themselves in the industry like Omari McQueen, a 12-year-old chef who will publish his first cookbook early next year.

McQueen started his cooking journey at the age of 8 when he created a vegan brand named Dipalicious and a YouTube food channel after becoming vegan one year prior. Through his video channel, McQueen would show viewers how to make vegan pizza using his own dipping sauce from his brand. According to Shoppe Black, he hosted a pop-up eatery last year in Croydon, United Kingdom, serving a variety of Caribbean inspired vegan dishes.

His book, Omari McQueen’s Best Bites Cookbook, is set to release in January 2021 and will include 30 plant-based recipes by the ambitious chef who wants to inspire others to go vegan.

“I don’t want animals to die or be eaten so I teach people my age to be vegan,” said McQueen to Shoppe Black. “Mummy and daddy, you’re the best a boy like me could have. Thank you to my siblings and family for being you—perfect 100 percent.”

The cookbook will be released through Scholastic UK. “His passion for food and cooking is irresistible,” Scholastic UK Publishing Manager Leah James said to Shoppe Black. “Children everywhere have been busy learning to cook during lockdown; we can’t wait for Omari to share his recipes, tips, and enthusiasm with a generation of children and their families. Omari is leading a new generation of ethical minded foodies into a more sustainable future.”

by Jeffrey McKinney

June 29, 2020

Small Businesses Have Until June 30 to Apply for the $128 Billion Left in PPP Loans

If you are a small business owner who has not applied for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding you can still do so. But you need to act now.

That is because the deadline for PPP applications is Tuesday, June 30. There was a whopping, more than $128 billion of funding not claimed based on loan approvals through June 20, data from the U.S. Small Business Administration shows. The federal agency runs the program working with the U.S. Treasury.

At the same time, it has not been determined if the PPP deadline for applications will be extended if money is left on the table.

Since being launched in early April in two rounds, the SBA has approved more than $514 billion in funding covering over 4.6 million loans. The latest average overall loan size was $114,000.

The PPP keeps small business employees on payroll by offering critical capital. The lending program for firms with up to 500 workers became law in late March as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus package. All told, the PPP  was intended to provide more than $660 billion in PPP loans to help small businesses deal with the crushing blow of COVID-19.

“Eligible borrowers still have time to take advantage of these forgivable loans that aim to sustain business and keep employees on payroll,” SBA spokesperson Carol Wilkerson told Black Enterprise.

On June 19, the SBA  launched an online tool for small businesses and nonprofits to be matched with Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs), Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs), Certified Development Companies (CDCs), Farm Credit System lenders, Microlenders, as well as traditional smaller asset size lenders in the PPP.

The SBA’s Lender Match is an extra resource for pandemic-affected small businesses who have not applied for or received an approved PPP loan to connect with lenders.

“The SBA is focused on assisting eligible borrowers in underserved and disadvantaged communities and connecting them with forgivable PPP loans, especially before the June 30, 2020, application deadline,” SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza said in a statement.

“As communities begin to carefully reopen across the country, there are still many more opportunities to provide this assistance to businesses who have yet to access these forgivable loans. SBA is utilizing these partnerships with CDFIs, MDIs, CDCs, Farm Credit System lenders, Microlenders and many other participating small asset lenders to ensure that access to this emergency funding reaches the most small businesses and their employees in need – a key priority for President Trump.”

 

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 29, 2020

Greedi Kitchen Owner Latisha Daring Left the Fashion Industry to Pursue Her Passion for Vegan Comfort Food

Being a successful entrepreneur is no easy feat. It takes determination, extraordinary effort, and the passion to see it through. Latisha Daring understands this all too well as she has made it happen for herself in the fashion industry.

After working in fashion for 25 years, Daring decided to use the creative energy she possesses to embark on a new venture into the culinary field with no experience. Daring decided to not only go forward with doing so but threw an extra twist into it by opening a vegan restaurant. Two years later, she owns two restaurants in Brooklyn, New York, named Greedi Kitchen.

BLACK ENTERPRISE caught up with the business owner to discuss her pivot into the food industry, Black ownership, and how Black businesses can thrive in this current environment.

BE: You’ve opened a vegan restaurant named Greedi Kitchen. Why did you name it Greedi Kitchen and what can people expect when they go to the restaurant? 

Daring: Greedi Kitchen is a space that feels like home. We want our customers to feel as if they are at their favorite aunt’s or grandma’s house where food is the centerpiece of that experience.

I chose the name Greedi because I wanted a name that described Vegan culinary experience as I saw it, which actually goes against most stereotypical ideas around veganism. Vegans love food and love to eat, the only difference is the choices are healthier. Our specific niche is vegan comfort food. We focus on texture and flavor to ensure that taste is not sacrificed and that healthy food that is good for you can also be delicious.

You transitioned from the fashion industry to take your entrepreneurial spirit to the culinary space. What was the mindset when you did so?

I left the fashion industry after 25 years because I wanted a new creative outlet that would prove to be somewhat recession-proof. Cooking is my new joy. I love cooking for my community. I am self-taught and learning about what inspires me in this new industry. Challenges are inevitable throughout my learning process. I have never worked in food, so my first year in business was the toughest. Now we are two years old with our first location in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, and one year old in our newest location in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.

With the current climate as it is today, how important is it for Black businesses to thrive? How should local elected officials and consumers move forward in order for Black businesses to survive and encourage more to open?

Within the current climate, it is essential that the Black community understand the power of the Black dollar and our overall consumption in this country. I think it is key to have community support to keep the dollars within our community as long as we can, this should be a part of our daily intention. Black businesses can thrive with the support of the community. Elected officials can simply reeducate themselves on what defines small business here in America and understand that we are the backbone of the economy and our community. There should be more support available to small business especially Black-owned businesses in this country. The goal in my mind is to have Black Wall Street in every city in the nation, this should be a reality simply based on not only history but what we know is possible.

Do you plan to open additional Greedi Kitchen restaurants and/or do you have other projects you intend to bring to fruition?

We are currently working on adding retail to our spaces. We are focused on gourmet vegan products from Black women-owned companies. The end goal is proof of concept and eventually a Black-owned supermarket chain similar to Whole Foods but Black-owned with products created and owned by us.

Having been an entrepreneur for many years now, what would you say to those who have similar dreams/plans to venture out on their own?

Faith over fear always, dreams and ideas will have limited potential without action. Action takes faith and perseverance, you have to see the dream as a reality in order to find the energy and endurance to bring it to fruition. I have gone into every business I’ve ever owned this way and it has always worked out.

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