Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam To Turn Juneteenth Into a Paid Holiday
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam announced Tuesday he’s making Juneteenth an official holiday in a state that was once the capital of the confederacy.
According to ABC News, Northam will make the day a paid holiday for all state employees, becoming the second state to do so. Texas recognized Juneteenth in 1980.
“It’s time we elevate this,” Northam said of the June 19 commemoration. “Not just a celebration by and for some Virginians but one acknowledged and celebrated by all of us.”
The holiday commemorates June 19, 1865, when news finally reached African Americans in Texas that President Abraham Lincoln issued the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation, freeing slaves living in Confederate states two years earlier.
Northam will give every executive branch employee this Friday off as a paid holiday and will work with the state legislature to pass a law making the day an official state holiday. The Democratic-controlled legislature should be able to pass the law with ease.
Many see the moves as part of a promise Northam made when a yearbook photo of him in blackface made headlines. At the time, many called for Northam to resign, including both Democratic and Republican lawmakers in the state, NAACP President Derrick Johnson, and the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus.
Northam refused to resign and promised to make the state proud with his decisions and hard work going forward.
“I recognize that it will take time and serious effort to heal the damage this conduct has caused. I am ready to do that important work,” Northam said in February 2019. “The first step is to offer my sincerest apology and to state my absolute commitment to living up to the expectations Virginians set for me when they elected me to be their governor.”
Entertainment mogul Tyler Perry has offered to pay for the funeral of Rayshard Brooks, who was shot in the back and killed by Atlanta police officers in a Wendy’s parking lot last week, according to CBS News. Attorney L. Chris Stewart, who is representing Brooks’ family, made the announcement at a Monday press conference.“We want to thank and acknowledge Tyler Perry, who we spoke with, who will be taking care of the funeral for the family,” Stewart said. “It’s support like that and it’s people who are actually in this community—that love the community, that want healing and families like this to never have to go through something like this—to step forward.”
Not only will Perry pay for the funeral expenses, People has confirmed that he has also offered to pay for the college education for Brooks’ four children. According to a source, Perry, “spoke to Rayshard’s family and wanted to do something to help. His heart goes out to the family during this tragic time.”
Brooks, who was 27, is survived by his wife, Tomika Miller, and four children, Dream, 1; Memory, 2; Blessing, 8; and Mekai, 13.
After fatally shooting Brooks in the back over the weekend, an Atlanta police officer was fired early Sunday, according to CBS News. The police killing has added to the current unrest and protests over police killings of black people.
The shooting occurred at a Wendy’s drive-thru after officials accused Brooks of resisting arrest and stealing an officer’s Taser. Officer Garrett Rolfe, who has been on the force since 2013, was fired, and his partner, Devin Bronsan, has been placed on administrative duty. Shortly after the reports of the police killing, Atlanta Police Chief Erika Shields resigned.
According to a release by the Fulton County, Georgia, Medical Examiner’s Office, Brooks was shot twice in the back and died from organ damage and blood loss. The autopsy, which was performed on Sunday, lists Brooks’ cause of death as gunshot wounds to the back. The death has been ruled as a homicide.
This Woman Creates Coloring Books To Help Teach Black Children New Languages
There is great value is learning another language. Numerous studies have shown the cognitive benefits of raising a child in a bilingual household including improvements in overall learning ability. One group found that bilingual kids were able to concentrate better and can boost their self-esteem around their cultural identity. As the world moves to a global market, learning new languages is essential in developing international business contacts and expansion. Traveling has also heavily influenced people’s desire to speak other languages as interest in other cultures continues to grow. One black woman entrepreneur is looking to help black children learn new languages early with a new series of coloring books.
Best-selling suspense/thriller author, B.M. Hardin, is venturing into new territory with a new coloring book series called Color Me Bilingual aimed toward African American children to learn new languages as they color. The first two books are in Spanish and French featuring images of black children solving puzzles and games to advance their language skills while having fun.
Hardin felt it was important for the images to look like the children who would be using the book as the illustrations showcase natural black features on children learning everyday words. In a report by NPR, only 22% of children’s book characters were people of color which is why Hardin’s series fills a gap in this underserved sector of books. According to Black Business, Hardin says the idea was born when she herself recognized a need for it with her own child. She also says she plans on expanding the series to include eight languages in total.
In addition to writing novels, she offers writing services to aspiring and established writers who need help with development or editing.
Black Business Owners In Tulsa Are Committed to Preserving the Legacy of the Original Black Wall Street
The Tulsa massacre occurred in 1921 when an angry white mob burned down a thriving black neighborhood known as Black Wall Street and killed most of the residents there. While the once prominent African American neighborhood ended in tragedy, today there are still black business owners doing business in the famous North Tulsa neighborhood.
In an email interview with BLACKENTERPRISE, current residents shared stories about opening their shops in the historical neighborhood and staying true to its legacy.
“I am interested in the preservation of Black history and culture and wanted the gallery to be a place for education and celebration. We should be honoring all cultures, which is how we work towards unity,” said Ricco Wright, founder and curator of the Black Wall Street Gallery. Wright often collaborates with local artists to bring awareness to social justice causes. His space also includes a clothing and record store for visitors. “Continuing the legacy of Black Wall Street makes me proud because I know how much they sacrificed to build this fledgling business district.”
While some preserve the history of Black Wall Street through visual aides, some use the power of books like Onikah Asamoa-Caesar, owner of Fulton Street Books. “One of the greatest ways to pay homage to those who came before us is to respect their legacy enough to not just commemorate it but to keep it alive. Being a young Black business owner to me is to be one more person keeping the flame lit,” said Asamoa-Caesar.
“…When I see images of Black Wall Street, I see Black excellence. I want Fulton Street to agitate that deeply embedded bit of oppressor that suggests that there is something second class about Black-owned businesses. Because of the legacy of Black Wall Street, I feel the need to work twice as hard to ensure we disrupt some of the notions about Black-owned businesses. We have big shoes to fill, and I don’t take that lightly.”
The owners are used to seeing both locals and tourists come into their shops to see what the area looks like today. For these owners, that history greatly impacts their business. “It’s impacted us in a lot of ways. For one, we’re embracing that history in our model. We want to use what we do best (sell apparel, display art, host events) to help spread that history,” says Venita Cooper, owner of Silhouettes Sneakers and Art, a high-end curated retail store.
“I get excited when someone from Miami or LA visits our shop and buys a Greenwood Ave. tee that proudly displays the name “Black Wall Street.” So many people have been deprived of that history for so long, and it feels like an important role for us to share it. We also benefit in terms of traffic and interest. As a historic area with a story that’s gaining more and more national attention, people from all over visit us or shop online with us.”
ABC News Executive Under Investigation Over Robin Roberts Racial Prejudice Accusation
ABC News has placed one of its top executives on administrative leave amid accusations of racial prejudice.
Disney, ABC’s parent company, launched an investigation into executive ABC News’ senior vice president of talent and business affairs Barbara Fedida over allegations that she made racially insensitive comments. According to an exclusive Huffington Post report, in a 2018 meeting about renewing Good Morning America co-anchor Robin Roberts’s contract, Fedida “asked what more Roberts could want” and said it wasn’t as if the network was asking Roberts to “pick cotton.” She also reportedly referred to The View co-host Sunny Hostin as “low rent.”
“There are deeply disturbing allegations in this story that we need to investigate, and we have placed Barbara Fedida on administrative leave while we conduct a thorough and complete investigation,” ABC News management said in a statement. “These allegations do not represent the values and culture of ABC News, where we strive to make everyone feel respected in a thriving, diverse and inclusive workplace.”
In a statement from her attorney, Fedida said: “Throughout my career, I have been a champion for increased diversity in network news. Building a news division where everyone can thrive has been my life’s mission. I am proud of my decades of work of hiring, supporting and promoting talented journalists of color. And, unlike these heartbreaking and incredibly misleading claims about me, that track record is well-documented and undeniable.”
“The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is appalled at the allegations of discriminatory hiring practices and treatment of Black employees by a powerful ABC News executive,” said the organization. “NABJ calls on ABC News to waive its confidentiality agreements with any Black employees and other employees of color, and permit prior and current employees to speak on the record absent of reprisals if they choose to do so.
“This external investigation by ABC News should be transparent, and all findings must be published and broadcast. This is appropriate because Fedida was no second-tier executive. This top ABC News executive wielded arguably the most power at the network in determining the fates of Black employees in terms of hiring and contracts. The careers of many at ABC News, as well as their future advancement, was literally in her hands.”
The organization went on to call for a meeting with the top leadership at ABC News and Disney.
“We strongly advise media companies to engage with NABJ regarding its formalized Media Diversity Blueprint built for organizations struggling with or in denial about diversity issues among its employment ranks.”
Minority Bank Trade Association Hopes To Gain $10 Billion In New PPP Funding To Lend To Small Businesses
Pumping fresh capital into areas where they operate, some 22 member banks that make up the National Bankers Association (NBA) have provided roughly $1.1 billion in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding to Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other businesses.
Kenneth Kelly, the NBA’s board chair, says the funding was supplied during the first and second rounds of PPP, a federal loan program that was initiated in April from the CARES Act. Kelly says the average loan amount the banks distributed was $100,000.
The PPP is run by the Small Business Administration with backing from the U.S. Treasury to help small businesses. BLACK ENTERPRISE reported in early June the SBA approved over $510.5 billion in funding. Then there was still over $100 billion in PPP funds to be lent by lenders to small businesses, including Black-owned businesses.
And now the NBA is taking fresh steps to help ensure minority banks and minority small businesses gain a large piece of capital if Congress issues a third round of PPP funding. Though that funding has not been determined yet, Kelly says the NBA’s proactive strategies will include heightening the awareness for minority businesses to apply for the program.
He says NBA plans to seek a similar amount to the recent $10 billion that the SBA and the Treasury carved out in PPP funding for Community Development Financial Institutions. Kelly says that funding would be enough for the NBA to provide adequate loans to Black small businesses in their communities.
He added the NBA wants to get minorities more engaged in the political and policy processes to help gain more favorable outcomes that affect them. The PPP has been blasted for issuing funds to big public companies and more established businesses, and not providing a larger share of money to small businesses that gravely need the loans to survive the coronavirus pandemic.
Kelly became the NBA’s chair in October 2018 after being elected by peer CEOs of the trade group. In that role, he is an advocate for the nation’s minority banks and takes on many tasks. For instance, he was among those who testified last October at a hearing on “The Decline of Minority Depository Institutions and the Impact on Underserved Communities.” In April 2020, he helped the NBA form a partnership with the influential American Bankers Association to enhance the health and well-being of minority banks. He often talks with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, the SBA, as well as banking regulators such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., Federal Reserve, and Office of the Comptroller of Currency.
A trade group calling itself the voice of minority banking, many of the NBA banks are ranked on the 2019 BE Banks list. The NBA bank list also includes Hispanic American, Asian American, and Native American banks in addition to Black banks, to expand its reach.
Plus, Kelly is chairman and CEO of Detroit-based First Independence Bank, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in May. He became the bank’s leader in 2017 after the death of his cousin Donald Davis, who bought the bank in 1980 and ran it for 34 years. An engineer by training, Kelly took over the bank’s reins after a 27-year career in the utility industry.
“It was an opportunity for me to really have an impact on the communities I care about,” Kelly says. First Independence ranked eighth with assets of $257.2 million on the 2019 BE Banks list of the nation’s largest black-owned banks. Kelly says the bank today has assets of around $300 million.
He says the bank is now adjusting its future growth strategy to become more of a digital bank. Kelly says the bank intends to partner with technology companies that could give it the infrastructure to synthetically offer more services to its growing and existing customer base. For instance, the aim is for First Independence to offer services remotely via smartphones or online. “The coronavirus is escalating the need to do more remote banking faster,” Kelly says.
The bank’s growth strategy will include taking extra steps to get more black residents who are unbanked or underbanked to become customers. A whopping 1 out of 5 or roughly 20% of African Americas in Detroit are unbanked. “From a consumer cost perspective, it’s much less expensive to be in the banking system than using alternative financial services that include money order and check cashing services,” Kelly says.
National Bankers Association Chair Kenneth Kelly (left) and Operation Hope CEO John Hope Bryant (right)
BE talked to Kelly about the NBA’s plans to help Black banks and lBack small businesses.
BE: What strategy does the NBA plan to apply if Congress approves another round of PPP funding to ensure member banks from your association get some of that funding?
Kelly: The NBA will continue to provide input to Treasury and the SBA to ensure the funding programs are applicable to the communities we serve. We also will provide input to Congressional and regulatory agencies on how these programs impact minority communities and the status of minority banks. We plan to engage larger banks for assistance with infrastructure to make these funds available to minority communities.
Why did so many Black-owned businesses decide to opt-out of applying for PPP financing? Has the NBA developed special outreach efforts to increase Black enrollment in the program?
Our polling suggests that there are various reasons why businesses have not applied for this program. The NBA is working with Robert F. Smith, the billionaire chairman and CEO of Vista Equity Partners, to heighten the awareness of the PPP funding for minority businesses to apply. There also will be a host of celebrities supporting minority businesses applying for these programs.
What is the NBA doing to ensure that there is not a reduction of Black banks post-COVID as evidenced after other crises such as The Great Recession and 9/11? A few years ago, the #BankBlack movement brought more Black customers into banking institutions. Will the NBA develop a new campaign to attract customers?
The NBA is working with the leaders of the regulatory agencies today talking through issues that we are concerned about as we face this crisis. We are engaging with some of the larger banks about equity investment in our institutions to be sure that we are positioned to weather the storm. We are advocating to Congress the need for support of minority banks through the legislation that is in the House to ensure our banks are viable going forward.
Is there anything you would like to share about First Independence, how Black banks are dealing with COVID-19, or the NAB in terms of new developments?
We are in the midst of developing a national campaign to attract new customers that demonstrate how vital minority banks are to the communities they serve as proven during this crisis.
Black Enterprise SVP and Editor-in-Chief Derek T. Dingle contributed to this piece.
Sheriff Apologizes After Police Arrest Black Pastor Who Was Attacked by a White Family
A black pastor who was arrested after he called the police earlier this month to report an alleged attack by a white family received an apology from the sheriff, according to NBC News.
Pastor Leon McCray who lives in Woodstock, Virginia, was at his home on June 1 when he noticed two people trying to dump a refrigerator on his property. When McCray told them to stop, one of them started to verbally attack him while the other person went to get three other people.
McCray then said that all five of them proceeded to attack him verbally and physically. He said they were “threatening to kill me… telling me that my Black life didn’t matter,” he said. He then pulled out his concealed firearm to protect his life, he said. The group of people backed off and left and that’s when McCray proceeded to call 9-1-1 for help.
When the police officers arrived, although he placed the call, they didn’t ask McCray what happened. They spoke to the white family of five who had just attacked him, he said.
“I was not given an opportunity to speak,” said McCray, stating that the officers told him they had to arrest him for brandishing a gun. “And I said, what about the trespassing and the assault?”
Pastor McCray detailed the incident in this video he posted to his Facebook page.
Sheriff Timothy C. Carter announced via Facebook that the charges against McCray had been dropped and the white family, whose ages range from 26 to 57 years old, had been charged with various crimes, including assault, battery, and abduction. The family members were all arrested after Carter met with McCray on June 3.
“It was apparent to me that the charge of brandishing was certainly not appropriate. Actually, as I told Mr. McCray, if I were faced with similar circumstances, I would have probably done the same thing,” Carter said in a statement, referring to McCray pulling out his concealed weapon in self-defense.
“I have apologized to Mr. McCray, and I appreciate his patience as I have worked through these matters,” said Carter, adding that he placed two of his staff supervisors on unpaid administrative leave, “while I complete an administrative review of the initial incident.”
Pastor McCray announced that the charges haven’t been dropped as of yet according to a post on his Facebook page.
BET Co-Founder Bob Johnson Goes Full Reparations: Cut Black America A $14 Trillion Check Or Expect More Rebellions
Robert L. Johnson, the co-founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET) and the RLJ Companies has just issued a statement on Black American reparations and a proposal.
Some may be surprised by the move. Johnson has been criticized in the past for not taking a more aggressive stance on issues that affect Black America.
When questioned in the past why BET wasn’t used for more activist and educational purposes, Johnson usually replied that it was an entertainment channel. In 2015, long after the network had been sold, Johnson told The Wrap, “BET was created to distribute entertainment content and the record companies made entertainment-related music videos. What people were seeing was the expression of talented artists from A to Z, that wanted to speak to their audience.”
When Johnson sold BET to Viacom in 2000 for $3 billion, it made him the country’s first Black billionaire. Many complained that BET should have stayed in “Black hands.”
So this new push for reparations is sure to change the perception of Johnson, who has unveiled this proposal while the U.S. is dealing with nationwide protests over the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In his proposal, Johnson calls for the U.S. to pay $14 trillion to the Black descendants of the slave trade. This is not just for past sins, but to cause this country “to live up to what was once called American exceptionalism,” Johnson said a press release.
“My request to the CEOs: Now is the time to go big,” says @RLJOfficial. “We need to focus on wealth creation, and wealth generation and to do that we must bring the descendants of slaves into equality with this nation.” pic.twitter.com/vP1unB1t6N
In his statement, Johnson says, “Is $14 trillion too much to ask for the atonement of 200-plus years of brutal slavery, de facto and de jure government-sponsored social and economic discrimination and the permanent emotional trauma inflicted upon Black Americans by being forced to believe in a hypocritical and unfulfilled pledge that ‘all men are created equal’?”
Johnson goes on to discuss the George Floyd slaying.
“The questions being asked today, in light of the alleged inexplicable murder of George Floyd, are how do we bring unity to this nation and how do we provide justice on behalf of Mr. Floyd and his family. The answer to the question of how we deliver justice for Mr. Floyd is straight forward. Demand that those being charged in this case be presented to a court of law and that the court render the appropriate verdict and punishment,” he said.
He continued, “That has been my answer to every tragic situation like this; and, regrettably it will be the answer when this happens again, as it most certainly will.
“Now, to the question of how to bring unity to the country. The sad fact of the matter is on the issue of racial unity, this country has never been united. In my opinion, the only way to unify this nation and achieve racial equality and harmony is for this country to implement full and total economic reparations in the form of direct cash payments, over the next 10 to 20 years, to every descendent of African-American slaves.”
When asked on CNBC’s Squawk Box about the protest, Johnson referred to the KernerCommission — a presidential commission established by President Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the causes of the 1967 race riots in Detroit and other parts of the U.S. and to provide recommendations for the future.
“The Kerner Commission Report concluded…We are moving toward two societies, Black and white. Separate and unequal,” Johnson said in the CNBC interview. “I think that is before us today because of the killing of George Floyd.
“But more than that it is part of pent up anger, frustration, bitterness that is being expressed by many African Americans who are out in the street protesting.
“I have decided it is time for this country to live and face up to the critical question that has plagued this nation since its founding. That is the need for full and complete reparations to African-American descendants of slaves who are still today living in a chasm of wealth and income inequality…that is driving this nation back to two societies — separate and unequal.”
He said that despite the conclusions of the Kerner Commissions, protests and riots around inequality have continued and will continue until reparations are issued.
CEOs of companies have an opportunity to help make reparations a reality, Johnson said.
He continued, “My request to the CEOs…now is the time to go big. Short answers to long, horrific questions about the stain of slavery are not going to solve the inequality problem. We need to focus on wealth creation and wealth generation and to do that we must bring the descendants of slaves into equality in this nation and that is what I propose.”
According to Johnson, it is not only America’s responsibility to address and help close the growing wealth gap between whites and Blacks, but also the responsibility of big business as well.
“The economic chasm of wealth and income inequality between Black and white America was, without question, derived from slavery and its aftermath. It is a visible stain on this nation’s economic and social mobility,” Johnson said in his proposal. “Reparations, in the form of monetary recompense for damages, is not new in this country or the world. It should be completely understood in a nation built on a foundation of capitalism that, no one should be deprived of the benefits of their labor without due process of law. Therefore, the purpose of reparations, as presented here, is to acknowledge to 40 million Black Americans, the descendants of slaves, that you are owed damages for the evil that was visited on your ancestors.”
Prediction. The Reparations movement is going to explode as America’s economy falls into another financial crisis. The American authorities will send Barack Obama & Michelle to quiet the people down & dilute the demands but the masses won’t be hearing it by then. pic.twitter.com/hPqupcmFBX
The Atlanta Cop Who Killed Rayshard Brooks Had 12 Misconduct Complaints On His Record
The Atlanta Police Department released the disciplinary histories for both officers involved in the death of Rayshard Brooks Monday, revealing one has a dozen misconduct complaints.
According to the Atlanta-Journal Constitution, Garrett Rolfe, the officer who shot Brooks twice in the back and killed him, received a written reprimand in 2017 for his use of force involving a firearm. The documents provided by police do not go into specifics about that event.
However, he also has five vehicle accidents, four citizen complaints, and a firearm discharge in August 2015 on his record. Rolfe also has an allegation of excessive use of force with a gun in 2017. Rolfe received just a reprimand for that incident and was exonerated in nine of the 12 charges made against him.
Officer Devin Brosnan, who was the first to approach Brooks at the Wendy’s, has no disciplinary history since he joined the department in 2018.
The officers were called to a Wendy’s Friday night after employees discovered Brooks sleeping in his car at the drive-thru forcing other cars to maneuver around him. After the employees tried and failed to wake him up, they called the cops.
“I tried to wake him up, but he’s parked dead in the middle of the drive-thru, so I don’t know what’s wrong with him,” the caller said.
The police showed up to the scene and according to previously released camera footage, Brooks was initially cooperative with the police, until he failed a field sobriety test. When the officers tried to arrest Brooks, it led to a struggle. Eventually, Brooks got hold of one of the officer’s tasers and ran a few steps away from the cops before Rolfe opened fire.
“It does appear in the video that he is fleeing from the Atlanta police officers, that as he’s fleeing he turns back over his shoulder with what appears to the naked eye to be his Taser that the eyewitnesses told us they saw the individual have that belonged to one of the officers,” Georgia Bureau of Investigation Vic Reynolds told reporters. “And as he turned it over, you’ll be able to see on the video the Atlanta officer, literally reach down to get his service weapon and as he gets his weapon, Mr. Brooks begins turning his body away from him, I presume to flee.”
The Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has yet to decide if either officer will be charged in Brooks’ death, which comes less than a month after the death of George Floyd.
Father of Congresswoman Rep. Ilhan Omar Dies From COVID-19 Complications
The spread of COVID-19, or the novel coronavirus, pandemic has devastated many families across the country. With millions being forced to go on unemployment and uncertain about their economic future, many are also still processing the lost of loved ones due to the public health crisis. As of now, the U.S. has reported over 100,000 deaths from the coronavirus with over a million cases since the start of the pandemic. Now, it was announced this week that activist and congresswoman Rep. Ilhan Omar‘s father, Nur Omar Mohamed, passed away due to health complications related to the virus.
The Minnesota politician shared the news on Twitter and other social media pages paying tribute to her late father with a photo of them together. “No words can describe what he meant to me and all who knew him,” Omar said in her statement according to the Associated Press. “My family and I ask for your respect and privacy during this time.”
“Surely we belong to God and to him shall we return. It is with tremendous sadness and pain to say goodbye to my father, Nur Omar Mohamed. No words can describe what he meant to me and all who knew and loved him,” she wrote on Twitter under a photo of the two together,. Omar now joins California Rep. Maxine Waters and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren who have also shared they have lost close family members due to COVID-19.
