Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Takes Lead in George Floyd Case
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 3, 2020

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison Takes Lead in George Floyd Case

Earlier this week, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz stated that state Attorney General Keith Ellison will take the lead in the George Floyd case with assistance from the Hennepin County District Attorney’s Office, according to CNN.

Ellison, who was elected in 2018 after representing Minnesota’s 5th Congressional district for 12 years in Congress, is the first African American to be elected to statewide office in Minnesota.

“This decision is one that I feel takes us in that direction and the step to start getting the justice for George Floyd,” Walz told The Star Tribune on Sunday. “When I spoke to the Floyd family they were very clear: They wanted the system to work for them. They wanted to believe that there was trust and they wanted to feel like the facts would be heard and justice would be served.”

Ellison has said he intends to “bring to bear all the resources necessary” to prosecute the case. “I just want to let the public know we are pursuing justice, we are pursuing truth, we are doing it vigorously,” Ellison said.

Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman said that he sought Ellison’s help and that the state attorney general agreed to be a full partner in the proceedings.

“There have been recent developments in the facts of the case where the help and expertise of the Attorney General would be valuable,” Freeman said in a statement.

George Floyd, a black man in Minneapolis, died while telling a white police officer that he couldn’t breathe as the officer, Derek Chauvin, kept his knee on his neck for over 8 minutes.

Ellison told CNN on Monday night that he will “hold everyone accountable.”

“I can assure you we are taking a fresh look,” Ellison told Chris Cuomo. “We plan to hold everyone accountable who is legally culpable,” he said.
“We are looking very carefully at holding everybody accountable who failed to do their duty and fell below the legal requirements of their position, or did something affirmatively that would be in violation of the law,” Ellison said.
“When we are ready, and that won’t be long from now, we plan on taking the proper and deliberate action,” he said.
“I need to protect this prosecution,” he told CNN. “I am not going to create a situation where people can say this was a rush to judgment.”
Minnesota Raises Charge Against Fired Officer in George Floyd Case, Charges Three Others
by Justin Barton

June 3, 2020

Minnesota Raises Charge Against Fired Officer in George Floyd Case, Charges Three Others

By Brendan O’Brien

MINNEAPOLIS (Reuters) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison will increase the charge against a fired Minneapolis police officer to second-degree murder in the death of an unarmed black man and level charges against the three other fired officers in a case that has led to more than a week of sometimes violent protests across the United States, the Star Tribune newspaper said on Wednesday.

George Floyd, 46, died after Derek Chauvin, a white policeman, knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes on May 25, reigniting the explosive issue of police brutality against African Americans five months before the Nov. 3 presidential election.

Chauvin, 44, was fired and charged last week with third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Second-degree murder – the new charge – can carry a sentence of up to 40 years, 15 years longer than the maximum sentence for third-degree murder.

The three others who were involved in the incident – Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Tou Thao – will be charged with aiding and abetting murder, the Minnesota-based newspaper said, citing sources.

No one at Ellison’s office could be reached for comment. Attorneys for the other three officers who may be charged did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Protesters have demanded over the past week that they also be charged in the case as they have vented their anger in demonstrations that have at times led to widespread vandalism and looting in major cities.

(Reporting by Brendan O’Brien, Nathan Layne, Maria Caspani, Rich McKay, Jonathan Allen, Sharon Bernstein, Dan Whitcomb, Lisa Lambert, Susan Heavey, Phil Stewart and Idrees Ali; Writing by Patricia Zengerle and Paul Simao; Editing by Nick Macfie, Howard Goller)

SheaMoisture Launches $100,000 Fund and New Coalition to Support Social Justice Activists
by Lydia Blanco

June 3, 2020

SheaMoisture Launches $100,000 Fund and New Coalition to Support Social Justice Activists

Amid national unrest, companies and brands are releasing statements and making newly found commitments to support black causes. Billions of dollars are being poured into the community after the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and countless others. And as people organize for justice, SheaMoisture has created the Social Justice Coalition to provide five activists with $20,000 to support their efforts.

Around the world, people are taking to the streets in peaceful protests despite those who are co-opting the movement with looting and vandalism. And leaders and corporations alike are paying attention to the genuine efforts of those organizing for change. One of those leaders is SheaMoisture CEO Cara Sabin who launched the Social Justice Coalition initiative.

In a statement released by the company, Sabin said, “Reinvesting in our own communities has always been our driving force. Now more than ever, it’s imperative for us to commit resources toward driving progress and address the traumas and injustices we face.”

She went on to add, “We are having the hard conversations, while also ensuring that our community knows we are creating a safe space and a platform to drive change. SheaMoisture will continue to amplify the voices of our community at a time when they want to be heard, seen and more importantly, valued.”

In efforts to have candid conversations, last week, SheaMoisture held an Instagram Live event entitled “Let’s Talk,” hosted by journalist Jeff Johnson immediately following the death of George Floyd. The conversation included political advocate Angela Rye, attorney Tanya Miller, community activist Tiffany Loften, and Dr. Thema Bryant-Davis.

SheaMoisture
(Image: SheaMoisture)

In the statement, SheaMoisture outlined, Through its “This Has to Stop” campaign, the brand will let its community’s voice be heard and give people the opportunity to recommend which social justice areas they would like the investments allocated. Among the potential categories are mental health, legal services, voting initiatives, and training and education for mobilizing political action groups. Once the areas have been finalized with the community’s input, SheaMoisture will then select the individual activists and announce them within the next 30 days.”

To learn more about the initiative, click here.

Ella Jones Makes History as The First Black Mayor In Ferguson
by Derek Major

June 3, 2020

Ella Jones Makes History as The First Black Mayor In Ferguson

Ella Jones made history last night, becoming the first African-American and first woman elected mayor in Ferguson, Mo., on Tuesday.

Jones was elected nearly six years after the death of Michael Brown Jr., who was shot by a white police officer. The situation propelled Ferguson into the national spotlight and many see it as the opening salvo of the recent Black Lives Matter movement.

According to the New York Times, Jones, who received 54 % of the vote, vowed to continue changes enacted after Brown’s death, including a federal consent decree, a legally binding agreement requiring reforms to a police department

Jones previously served as a member of the Ferguson City Council and will relieve James Knowles III, who  could not run for re-election because of term limits. Knowles beat Jones in the 2016 mayoral race. During the race, Jones told the Times that she campaigned by going door-to-door to speak with residents.

However, many of the city’s African American residents told her they did not think she could help change their fortunes. Others questioned whether she had accomplished anything in her two years on the city council.

The mayor-elect said she supports the protests going on across the country denouncing police brutality and racism and plans to continue to make Ferguson a place African Americans can be proud of.

“I’ve got work to do — because when you’re an African-American woman, they require more of you than they require of my counterpart,” Jones said after her victory, in a video posted online Tuesday night. “I know the people in Ferguson are ready to stabilize their community, and we’re going to work together to get it done.”

This is not the first time Jones made history in Ferguson. In 2015, Jones, a Ferguson resident for more than four decades,  became the first African American woman to be voted to the city council.

 

 

U.S. Air Force Leader Denounces Police Killings on Twitter
by Dana Givens

June 3, 2020

U.S. Air Force Leader Denounces Police Killings on Twitter

The government response to the recent protests against police brutality, spurred after the viral video of a police officer kneeling on the neck of an unarmed black man, George Floyd, has included local officers in riot gear, shooting rubber bullets, and the use of tear gas and curfews in numerous cities across the country. Some governors have even had the National Guard move into many cities.

But the highest-ranking enlisted leader in the U.S Air Force has used social media to stand in solidarity with the protesters.

Kaleth O. Wright became a viral sensation after writing a heartfelt series of messages denouncing the recent string of police killings, stating the names of George Floyd and others who have died at the hands of racial violence committed by the police.

“I am George Floyd…I am Philando Castile, I am Michael Brown, I am Alton Sterling, I am Tamir Rice,” Wright wrote in a recent Twitter thread of over thirty messages. He went on to express his outrage of seeing black people die on video in front of him stating that his fear that his family may have to one day see a headline reading “that one of our Black Airmen has died at the hands of a white police officer.”

Wright went on to talk about the importance of diversity within the Air Force and talked about his own struggles working his way up the ranks and dealing with discrimination.

“You might think you know what it’s like to grow up, exist, survive & even thrive in this country as a Black person, but let me tell you, regardless of how many Black friends you have, how Black your neighborhood was, or if your spouse or in-laws are Black… You don’t know,” he wrote.

“You don’t know the anxiety, the despair, the heartache, the fear, the rage and the disappointment that comes with living in this country, OUR country every single day.”

A White Nationalist Group Was Posing As a Fake Antifa Twitter Account
by Derek Major

June 3, 2020

A White Nationalist Group Was Posing As a Fake Antifa Twitter Account

A Twitter account with the handle ANTIFA_US has been outed as a white nationalist organization attempting to spread disinformation and chaos.

According to Mic, Twitter has removed the account from its platform, but would not say how many followers the account had. The social media giant did note that a tweet from the profile received a fair amount of engagement and was relatively widespread.

The tweet read, “Tonight’s the night, Comrades. Tonight we say ‘Fuck The City’ and we move into the residential areas… the white hoods…. and we take what’s ours.”

According to a screenshot, the tweet received more than 500 retweets and 200 likes.

“This account violated our platform manipulation and spam policy, specifically the creation of fake accounts,” a spokesperson for Twitter told Mic. “We took action after the account sent a Tweet inciting violence and broke the Twitter Rules.”

The group behind the fake profile, Identity Evropa, is a white nationalist group founded in 2016, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. The group is known to be quite tech savvy. According to Twitter officials, this is not the first time the group has made a fake account posing as a supporter of other movements and engaged in hateful content on issues of race, religion, and sexual orientation.

Although the account has been deleted, many believe it served its purpose. A host of right-wing politicians and pundits have been targeting Antifa as the driving force behind the violence and destruction that have followed largely peaceful protests over the past week.

President Trump announced on Twitter that he will declare Antifa as a terrorist organization, but political analysts have called the plan unconstitutional.

The funny part of the situation is Antifa isn’t an actual organization, but an amorphous collection of like-minded activists who believe in political ideologies ranging from socialism to anarchism. However, the unifying principle of the ideology is opposing fascism.

People who consider themselves part of the movement are involved in other forms of political activism, campaigning against actions they believe to be authoritarian, homophobic, racist, or xenophobic.

Identity Evropa is not the only group trying to disrupt the protest movements happening today. However, many unions and organizations have showed they’re in solidarity with the protesters.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 3, 2020

How to Keep Your Faith and Strive For Financial Freedom During Challenging Times

Reverend Dr. DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., the Senior Pastor of First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens (FBCLG) in Somerset, New Jersey, and the former New Jersey Secretary of State, launched the Billion Dollar Challenge to create black wealth and to motivate the black communities to strive for financial freedom during unprecedented times.

Black Enterprise spoke with the leading activist to learn more about his efforts and to hear his tips for staying positive and encouraged to practice faith during trying times.

 

Black Enterprise: What kind of tips/advice have you shared with your parishioners for maintaining their faith and staying positive during quarantine?

Dr. Soaries: We have transitioned to a completely virtual church. Generally, here is the guidance we have offered:
Take this COVID-19 seriously. Don’t allow faith to be a substitute for good sense and common sense. Stay safe – wash hands, practice social distancing, wear masks and shelter in place.
Participate in virtual church activities – worship, prayer, Bible study, webinars, etc.
Be grateful for what we have and express our gratitude as often as we can.
Do something for others. For instance, we had 200 people volunteer to adopt a senior by calling them twice a week and making sure they had what they need.

Black Enterprise: How often are you holding virtual mass or prayer sessions?

Dr. Soaries:  We have one main weekly Sunday morning worship celebration with live streaming; five telephonic prayer meetings; 10 Bible study classes; nightly small group sessions; daily tele-counseling; weekly outreach providing prepared meals for the food deprived in partnership with local food bank.

Black Enterprise: How do you envision the church reopening process?

Dr. Soaries:  We have a special committee planning for the re-opening of our building. However, we are in no hurry to re-open and have not set a date for doing so. We will likely not re-open until there are minimum restrictions required. The church is open so we are not that concerned that the building is closed.

Black Enterprise: What are some of your main concerns about reopening the church?

Dr. Soaries:  Our main concern is the health and safety of our members. I want to see much more testing for COVID-19 before we make plans to re-open. We are also concerned about having the ability to function inside the building in a manner that is reasonable. For instance, social distancing is unreasonable for much of what we do. Virtual ministry may be more effective than prohibitive functioning inside the building.

Black Enterprise: Can you tell us what the Billion Dollar Challenge is? What is the ultimate goal with the challenge?

Dr. Soaries:  The Billion Dollar Challenge (BDC) is a dfree® campaign to create black wealth. The goal is to motivate and mobilize 100,000 black people to pay off $10,000 each and shift the former debt payments to savings, insurance and investments. Paying off one billion dollars of black debt can create 50 billion dollars of black wealth when debt payments become insurance and investment payments.

BDC at its core basic level is an online tool that is used to help people manage their debts, make plans to pay them off using online calculators and planning tools as well as build our savings to establish a more positive financial position. The website www.billiondollarpaydown.com is the “base of operation” where people set their debt reduction and savings goals, track their progress and form groups to make progress together.

Black Enterprise: Can you explain some of the tools being offered to help motivate and educate people that are striving for financial freedom?

Dr. Soaries:
1. Individual User Debt Profile (understand who you owe and what you owe)
2. Calculator tools to help strategically manage, plan and pay down/pay off debts
3. Group and community functions that allow our people to join together, encourage and celebrate success, together, confidentially and without sharing any of their personal information or plans.
4. Online events that provide financial tips and educational information
5. Free online education, curriculum, and media and tools to continue learning and motivating to financial success.
6. Staff support for groups and organizations in strategies, plans, tools and support as they lead others.

Black Enterprise: How many people have you helped so far through the Billion Dollar Challenge?

Dr. Soaries:  We have signed up 10,000 participants

Black Enterprise: How can the African American & black communities utilize the stimulus checks in a way that benefits them for the future, beyond COVID-19?

Dr. Soaries:  Stimulus checks should be used in a manner that is consistent with the financial goals of the recipient. The receipt of these checks should motivate us to meet with financial professionals to create a plan that can inform us best as to how to use the stimulus money. We shouldn’t spend the money until we have our plan.

Black Enterprise: Can you share any advice for the urban communities on striving for financial freedom and how to manage their finances after receiving the stimulus check?

Dr. Soaries:  dfree® means freedom from debt, delinquency and deficits and freedom to deposits, deeds and dividends. When we pay as we go, pay our bills on time and live below our means we can save money, invest money and own assets.

by Jeffrey McKinney

June 3, 2020

New Jersey is Distributing $45 Million in Grants to Small Businesses Impacted by COVID

The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) is supplying $45 million in new grants to underserved small businesses—including black-owned firms—bashed by the coronavirus pandemic.

The funding means fresh capital for businesses owned by sole proprietors and home-based entrepreneurs with a priority on minorities and women. They can apply through the authority’s Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program Phase 2 beginning June 9, 2020. Applicants can get grants up to $10,000 to cover such matters as operating expenses. Unlike loans, the grants do not have to be repaid by business owners. A sample application that business owners can use to prepare is now available in English, Spanish, and 10 additional languages can be found here.

The Trenton, New Jersey-based authority expects a huge demand for the grants. For the last round, over 36,000 applications were received in a week. Officials project this round will be immensely oversubscribed as well.

The NJEDA also partnered with Tara Dowdell Group, 360 Marketing & PR, and Medina = Citi. The minority- and women-owned marketing and public relations firms in New Jersey are assisting the authority to help enhance outreach to minority, women, and LGBTQ-owned businesses.   

Dissimilar from the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program loan effort, the NJEDA program prioritizes small and micro-businesses. For instance, firms with 25 or fewer employees are not competing with companies with 400 to 500 employees for funding. The NJEDA received $50 million from the federal CARES Act to support small businesses.

“The coronavirus pandemic is forcing all of us to grapple with unprecedented challenges, but small business owners and their employees are undoubtedly among the most severely impacted members of our communities,” NJEDA Chief Executive Officer Tim Sullivan stated in a news release.

“From the start of the pandemic, the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program has played a central role in supporting New Jersey’s small business community. The expanded program will allow us to serve thousands more businesses in need and our focus on equity will ensure it benefits the communities COVID-19 has hit the hardest,” he continued.

To ensure funding goes to businesses and communities needing it most, authority officials promise that $15 million of Phase 2 funding will be set aside to support qualified businesses located in one of the 715 census tracts eligible as a New Jersey Opportunity Zone. Opportunity Zones, are typically aimed to spur new investment and development in low-income urban and rural communities.

Tai Cooper, NJDEA’s senior vice president for policy and communications stated, “What often gets lost when we discuss minority and women-owned businesses is how vital they are to our economy and how they benefit all of us. Despite their significance, these small businesses are almost always locked out of opportunities for accessing capital. This is why the $15 million set aside for Opportunity Zones is so important. It is focused on businesses in communities that have historically suffered from disinvestment, where many Black, Latinx, and other underserved businesses operate. Any investment that we make in these businesses is an investment in our state’s recovery and a step closer to Governor Phil Murphy’s goal of a stronger and fairer economy.”

Plus, the authority will kick an extra $5 million in to fund businesses placed on a waiting list during Phase 1.

The COVID-19 outbreak created a major public health crisis in New Jersey. To slow the spread of the virus, Gov. Murphy implemented various containment measures, including restrictions on public gatherings and mandated closure of non-essential businesses. To weaken the economic impacts of these public health policies, the NJEDA created the Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program. During Phase 1 launched in early April, the NJEDA  provided more than $8 million in grants to date to nearly 2,500 businesses across all 21 counties.

“New Jersey’s diversity is our strength. When we take extra steps to ensure equitable access to programs, we not only support a broader range of businesses and communities, but we also create more jobs and economic growth that benefits everyone,” stated NJEDA Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer Michelle Bodden. “Setting aside a portion of Small Business Emergency Assistance Grant Program funding for businesses in at-risk communities and providing translation services for applicants who do not speak English are crucial steps that will increase the program’s impact and ensure relief goes where it is needed most.”

On the eligibility front, Phase 2 increases the employee cap for businesses from 10 full-time employees to 25 full-time workers. Businesses that got PPP loans are eligible for the NJEDA grants. Applicants must provide information on other COVID-19 assistance received, and will be asked to complete a Duplication of Benefits affidavit. If they have a need related to the outbreak that was not addressed by other sources, they may be eligible for a grant.

To apply and get more details, visit  www.cv.business.nj.gov

 
 
 
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 3, 2020

Ex-NFL Executive Says Signing Colin Kaepernick Was ‘Bad for Business’

Many believed that former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick was not being signed to an NFL team due to his vocal stance on racial inequality and police brutality. This theory has been verified by a former NFL executive in an Op-Ed published by CNN.

Joe Lockhart, currently a political analyst for CNN, was the former executive vice president in charge of communications and government affairs for the NFL. He admitted that Kaepernick‘s activism showcased through his kneeling on the football field before the games became a distraction that the NFL didn’t want.

Lockhart wrote:

“When I was an executive in the National Football League a few years ago, our organization was consumed by the case of Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback whose silent kneeling protest against police brutality arguably led him to lose his NFL career and not be re-signed by any club. No teams wanted to sign a player — even one as talented as Kaepernick — whom they saw as controversial, and, therefore, bad for business. 

“The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, and other league executives tried to persuade the teams to change their minds. The league sent owners and players around the country to try to lead a dialogue on race relations and to move, as the sociologist and human rights activist Harry Edwards said, “from protest to progress.” Though Kaepernick didn’t get his job back, I thought we had all done a righteous job, considering.

“I was wrong. I think the teams were wrong for not signing him. Watching what’s going on in Minnesota, I understand how badly wrong we were.”

Kaepernick hasn’t commented on the revelation as of yet.

But, in an ironic twist, the NFL has released a statement related to the protests that are currently taking place across the country.

“The NFL family is greatly saddened by the tragic events across our country. The protesters’ reactions to these incidents reflect the pain, anger, and frustration that so many of us feel.

“Our deepest condolences go out to the family of Mr. George Floyd and to those who have lost loved ones, including the families of Ms. Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and Mr. Ahmaud Arbery, the cousin of Tracy Walker of the Detroit Lions.

“As current events dramatically underscore, there remains much more to do as a country and as a league. These tragedies inform the NFL’s commitment and our ongoing efforts. There remains an urgent need for action. We recognize the power of our platform in communities and as part of the fabric of American society. We embrace that responsibility and are committed to continuing the important work to address these systemic issues together with our players, clubs, and partners.”

Bank of America Makes $1 Billion Commitment to Address Racial Inequality
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

June 3, 2020

Bank of America Makes $1 Billion Commitment to Address Racial Inequality

Bank of America has announced that it is introducing a $1 billion four-year commitment of additional support to help local communities address economic and racial inequality that has been caused by the coronavirus global pandemic. The programs will be focused on assisting people and communities of color that have been gravely affected by the health crisis.

“Underlying economic and social disparities that exist have accelerated and intensified during the global pandemic,” said CEO Brian Moynihan said in a written statement. “The events of the past week have created a sense of true urgency that has arisen across our nation, particularly in view of the racial injustices we have seen in the communities where we work and live. We all need to do more.”

According to the press release, the areas of focus will be health, jobs and training, support to small businesses, and housing.

“The programs will be executed through the company’s 90 local U.S. market presidents and non-U.S. country executives to help develop the opportunities to execute on these commitments in areas that include:

  • Virus testing, telemedicine, flu vaccination clinics, and other health services, with a special focus on communities of color.
  • Partnerships with historically black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions in the United States for hiring, research programs, and other areas of mutual opportunity.
  • Support to minority-owned small businesses, including clients and vendors.
  • Career reskilling/upskilling through partnerships with high schools and community colleges.
  • Operating support and investment for affordable housing/neighborhood revitalization, leveraging our nearly $5 billion in Community Development Banking.
  • Further recruitment and retention of teammates in low-to-moderate-income and disadvantaged communities to build on work the company has already done to serve clients locally.”

The work from Bank of America builds on steps the company has already taken, which includes an additional $100 million to support its nonprofit partners across its communities. Reports state that $250 million will assist with lending to the small and minority-owned businesses through its support of community development financial and minority depository institutions.

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