Dollar General Opens Doors For Small Business Partnership Months After DEI Rollback
Success stories of the program include Black Paper Party, a Black-owned and women-founded stationary and decor company that heightens access to Black culture friendly products.
Despite a divestment from its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, Dollar General is accepting applicants for its Small Business Development (SBD) Program, it announced in a press release.
The announcement encourages small businesses to lean in to learn more about how to secure a spot as a vendor or service provider for the cost-effective company. Starting July 1, Dollar General is seeking applications from companies that have not sold products to the company for the past 18 months and have a goal of exploring partnership opportunities.
With more than 20,000 stores open across 48 states, Executive Vice President and Chief Merchandising Officer Emily Taylor says the company is “committed” to expanding its vendor network. “We are committed to partnering with a growing network of vendors and suppliers from all backgrounds across the United States and beyond who support our efforts to provide our customers with the products they need and want at prices they can afford,” Taylor said.
“We look forward to exploring ways in which we can collaborate to serve the millions of Americans who rely on Dollar General every day.”
Success stories of the program include Black Paper Party, a Black-owned and women-founded stationery and decor company that heightens access to Black culture-friendly products that uplift the holiday and celebration experience. Accepted applicants will gain the opportunity to learn and develop through Dollar General’s SBD Academy in addition to receiving resources that support product discovery.
The program provides access to funding, counseling, training, financial enablement programs, and events.
Selected companies will receive an acceptance e-mail by Aug. 1, 2025, as virtual meetings with SBD leaders and merchandising teams are expected to begin in late August 2025.
The retail company suffered a major blow from a boycott after eliminating its DEI policies. Rev. Jamal Bryant called for an electronic protest urging consumers to conduct “a mass technological campaign of telephone, e-mail, and social media.” “Like other corporations, Dollar General has bowed to pressure from the Trump administration and rolled back their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives,” Bryant said.
“Dollar General also needs to be held accountable for failing to invest in the very Black and low-income communities that make up the backbone of their customer base. This isn’t just a corporate retreat −- it’s a betrayal of the people they profit from.”
To regain trust — and to help struggling consumers — Dollar General is marking down over 1,000 items starting July 1 through Labor Day as part of its “7 Days of Savings” summer sale event, according to Retail Dive. Customers can get products such as food, health and wellness, household cleaning, and personal care with discounts of up to 50% off on one item each day.
Don’t Fret: Check Out Numerous Tips To Help Make Home Buying Less Stressful
Knowing where you stand financially and doing your homework in advance can help make home-buying less difficult.
Trying to maneuver forces like surging home prices and unpredictable mortgage rates have created an unpleasant landscape for home buyers.
Many homeowners would perhaps do things differently if they could do it all again. New data reveal that around 46% of purchasers, including a stunning nearly 60% of first-time buyers, report that buying a home in recent years was more stressful than they had anticipated.
While 44% of buyers say their happiness overall has improved since taking the plunge, 23% declare their financial situation has entirely regressed since buying. Some 20% proclaim their stress levels have risen. The report by Clever Real Estate quizzed nearly 990 American adults who bought a house in 2023, 2024, or 2025. About 11 percent of the respondents were Black.
It’s no secret that buying a home can truly be exhausting, resulting in buyers often making rash decisions they may regret later. Consider that 28% of them had second thoughts after their offer was approved, and the same percentage were contrite about the purchase.
Yet the bright spot is that there are many actions that can be used to help make home-buying feel less extreme and even more efficient. They can range from buyers taking steps to assist with buying an affordable home they want. And they can discover how a better understanding of their credit score could help them get a more favorable mortgage rate.
DETERMINE IF YOU ARE FINANCIALLY READY TO BUY A HOUSE
Jaime Dunaway-Seale, the report’s author, offered some tips via email to help people, including Black Americans, take the sweat out of buying a home. For instance, buyers can use the 28/36 rule as a guideline for determining affordability. It suggests that no more than 28% of gross monthly income should go toward housing costs, including principal, interest, insurance, and taxes.
She added that no more than 36% of their gross monthly income should be spent on their debts. If expenses fall within this range, it may be safe to proceed, but buyers should also try to account for hidden costs and make sure they have an emergency fund of three to six months.
If they’re not confident in crunching the numbers themselves, Dunaway-Seale said, online calculators can help them determine monthly payments and affordability. “A real estate agent can also help match them with homes that are only in their budget,” she added.
And, of course, mortgage rates should be examined. Per housing finance giant Freddie Mac, the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 6.77% on June 26, 2025, down from 6.81% the prior week and less than 6.86% the same time last year.
Sam Khater, Freddie Mac’s chief economist, said, “Borrowers should find comfort in the stability of mortgage rates, which have only fluctuated within a narrow 15-basis point range since mid-April. Although recent data show that home sales remain low, the resulting available inventory provides homebuyers with a wider range of options to consider when entering the market.”
Dunaway-Seale shared with BLACK ENTERPRISE that the rate today is still quite high versus the low rates in the years following the pandemic. She noted housing experts expect rates to hover around this range for the foreseeable future and possibly decline later this year.
CONSIDER TOTAL HOMEOWNERSHIP COSTS AND GET PRE-APPROVED FOR MORTGAGE
For those who are ready to buy, she says it’s important to lock in a rate when it’s trending down because it could tick back up. “However, buyers shouldn’t be lured in by a lower rate and purchase more house than they can afford. They should continue to think about the total cost.”
Along those lines, experts advise getting approved for a mortgage first. Do that by gathering the proper documents like W-2Es, IDs, and bank statements for your pre-approval application beforehand to help streamline the process. Dunaway-Seale advises contacting multiple lenders or a mortgage broker. “It’s important to compare offers so you can get the lowest rate.”
Buyers should also review where they are with saving for a down payment and covering closing costs. Seale-Dunaway recommends they research down payment assistance programs and first-time buyer grants that accept no or very low down payments, that require less upfront costs, and make home buying more accessible.
Also, she proposes opening a high-yield savings account so your money will earn interest while you save for your down payment. Plus, boost your income by selling old belongings, working overtime, or taking on a side hustle. Simultaneously, cut needless expenses.
USE REFERRALS AND OTHER TOOLS TO HELP SELECT A COMPETENT AGENT
With a home being the single largest investment for most folks, experts suggest using a real estate agent. Among the reasons: An agent often has local market expertise to help buyers make better informed large decisions, and make the overall transaction process less burdensome.
Don’t be afraid to do some online research to review the pros and cons of choosing an agent.
Dunaway-Seale explained a lot of times that an agent’s commission is paid by the seller, so buyers often receive this service for free. To find the best agent, she suggests asking friends or family for recommendations. “Interview several agents about their experience and recent sales. Look for someone who is responsive, knowledgeable, and understands your goals.”
The bottom line: The aforementioned tips can help buyers feel more self-assured and ready before buying a home. “When buyers move forward with knowledge about budgeting and mortgage options, they can make smarter decisions and save money by not overpaying,” Dunaway-Seale says. “They know they’ll be making a sound long-term investment.”
Kem Exits Motown After Doing Some ‘Soul-Searching’, Returns To Independent Status
Kem is leaving Motown to return to being an independent artist.
After 23 years, R&B singer Kem is exiting his hometown’s legendary record label, Motown, to return to being an independent artist.
Grammy-nominated singer and Michigan native Kem is reviving his independent label, Kemistry Records, the same imprint behind his self-funded debut album that made him a local sensation in Detroit in the early 2000s, and eventually led to his signing with Motown in 2002. Kem’s departure marks a historic shift in Motown history as it’s the first time the label has no Detroit artist on its roster.
“Over the last three to five years, I’ve done a lot of internal soul-searching about the seasons of my life — being married, having young children, thinking about my career and about the sea change in the music industry and content creation,” he told the Detroit Free Press. “With the traditional model of doing business, everything has shifted.”
Kem’s decision comes after years of executive turnover and restructuring at Motown Records, including the 2022 resignation of CEO Ethiopia Habtemariam after just a year in the role. The label also returned to subsidiary status under Capitol Music Group, which led to a wave of layoffs.
Throughout the shakeups, Kem remained patient as the West Coast-based label underwent major changes.
“We’ll wait ‘til the dust settles,” Kem said. “But what if the dust never settles?”
Motown signed Kem after the grassroots success of his self-funded debut album, Kemistry—an effort he financed using his American Express card while performing Top 40 covers in a wedding band and waiting tables. During his time with the label, Kem released five albums, including a re-release of Kemistry (certified Gold), Album II (certified Platinum), and Intimacy: Album III (certified Gold).
However, after over 20 years with the iconic label, Kem says the shifts within Motown pushed him to leave and return to his independent roots.
“I had a wonderful relationship with Motown,” he said. “But the Motown I signed to, and the Motown that exists now, are not the same. That’s not a negative thing. But the industry has changed, and maybe I should change too.”
Though no stranger to independence, Kem acknowledges that evolving industry trends and tech shifts demand a fresh approach. In response, he’s assembled a dedicated in-house team covering marketing, media relations, legal, and concert bookings. He’ll maintain full ownership of his future master recordings and release music on his own schedule—starting with his upcoming single “Give My Love,” which he describes as having an Afrobeat groove with a “Sade-esque vibe.”
“It’s a return to the love of how I like to make music and engage with my fans,” Kem said. “This is an opportunity for me to put out music, to control my content, to move more freely, and have more equity in myself. Let me bring all of this home.”
Fans can catch the newly independent Kem live during his two-night homecoming performance at Detroit’s Aretha Franklin Amphitheatre on July 25 and 26. Tickets are on sale now. Fans can find more information on Kem’s new music on his revamped website MusicByKem.com.
Autographed 1986-1987 Fleer Michael Jordan Rookie Card Sells For Record $2.5M
The item was bought on the Pharrell Willims-owned auction site, Joopiter
After reports that Joopiter, the auction house owned by Pharrell Williams, was auctioning a 1986-87 Fleer autographed rookie card by Michael Jordan when he played for the Chicago Bulls, the item sold for $2.5 million.
According to ESPN, the autographed card that sold for several million dollars became the most expensive Jordan rookie card ever sold. That amount surpassed another autographed Jordan rookie card that sold for $205,000 in March 2024. It also sold for more than a non-signed Fleer Jordan rookie card that was bought for $840,000 in 2021.
However, last year, an auction of another Jordan autographed card, a 1-of-1 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Michael Jordan Logoman card, sold for a record $2.928 million. The most recent auction places this Jordan rookie card as the third-highest public sale for a Michael Jordan card.
New record: Signed 1986 Fleer Michael Jordan rookie card sells for $2.5 million at JOOPITER, setting a record for the card in any grade.
Joopiter, which was started three years ago by the fashionista and music producer, presented its first sports item for the site with this Jordan rookie card.
“We are excited to debut in the world of sports collectibles, largely in response to enthusiasm from our global community of collectors,” Caitlin Donovan, global head of sales at Joopiter, told the media outlet. “With a focus on rare and iconic sports memorabilia, infused with the rich history that make[s] these pieces truly special, we look forward to bringing this community unique and significant pieces of sports history.”
The market for Michael Jordan memorabilia is at an all-time high, as many of these items are setting records.
Earlier this year, NBA.com reported that a road Chicago Bulls jersey worn by the NBA Hall of Famer in a 1984 preseason game sold for $4.215 million at an auction that ended on March 26 at Sotheby’s. It was the fifth-most-expensive NBA jersey bought at an auction.
Home Depot Proud of Company Culture, ‘Welcomes Everyone’ After Call For 31-Day Boycott
The Home Depot was one of many companies who erased company-led DEI policies after President Trump signed an executive order eliminating such tactics at the federal level.
The Home Depot is the next company scheduled to experience a multi-day boycott due to dialing back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, The Home Depot is the next company scheduled to experience a multi-day boycott due to dialing back on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies,Newsweek reports.
The 31-day boycott for the month of July is being facilitated by People’s Union USA, an organization labeled as a “free community…where we organize, share, support one another, and build the resistance together, one conversation at a time,” according to the website.
In a viral video shared on TikTok, founder John Schwartz called for consumers to boycott the home improvement company to hold the “entire corrupt system accountable” for its DEI pushback.
“Because this is how we escalate. We don’t do it with anger, not with chaos, but with unity, with discipline, and with focus. We stop giving our energy and money to the companies that keep showing us they don’t care about the people,” he said, naming The Home Depot specifically. “And we’re not just doing this because of their political view, we are doing it for the people.”
He shined a light on the company being “ashamed” after erasing its DEI page, calling it “a choice” instead of “standing for fairness or for equality or for representation.”
The Home Depot is one of many companies, including Meta, Walmart, and Tractor Supply Co., that has erased company-led DEI policies after President Donald Trump signed an executive order eliminating such tactics at the federal level.
“For over 45 years, our business success has been driven by our eight core values, including respect for all people and taking care of our people,” a Home Depot spokesperson said in a statement. “We’re proud to have a culture that welcomes everyone, and we believe it helps us achieve our business goals by supporting associates, building relationships, and fostering innovation.”
It’s no shock that the company behind the bright orange brand heard of plans for a boycott. Atlanta’s Rev. Jamal Bryant spearheaded a successful 40-day boycott of Target in March 2025. “Black people spend $12 million a day at Target,” Bryant said during a live-streamed sermon. “We are calling for a complete separation until they recognize the value of our dollars and our dignity.”
In addition to The Home Depot, Schwartz wants consumers and American voters to boycott the 4th of July as the controversial “Big, Beautiful Bill” was recently passed by the Senate with a 51-50 vote. Vice President JD Vance cast the tie-breaking vote.
“Because while the people are drawing and suffering, while families are being crushed by inflation, medical debt, housing costs…this treasonous administration is out here trying to pass a budget bill that will rip this country apart from the inside,” the nonprofit founder said.
Fulton County Wants to Increase Property Taxes More Than 12%, Impacting Atlanta Homeowners
Before the tax increase is approved, the Fulton County Board of Commissioners must hold three public meetings to hear the community's concerns.
The Fulton County Board of Commissioners has new plans that will impact property owners in the Atlanta metro area.
The board announced its plans to increase property taxes by over 12% of the rollback millage rate. According to Investopedia, a millage rate is the amount of tax payable per dollar of a property’s assessed value. The goal: to increase funds to the 2025 General Fund, which supports county services and general upkeep.
The board will impose the new taxes at 12.49%, as reported by WSB-TV.
“Each year, the Board of Tax Assessors is required to review the assessed value for property tax purposes of taxable property in the county,” county officials said in a statement. “When the trend of prices on properties that have recently sold in the county indicates there has been an increase in the fair market value of any specific property, the board of tax assessors is required by law to re-determine the value of such property and adjust the assessment.”
According to Hoodline, the new millage rate would sit at 9.87 mills, a 1.096 increase from its current placement. If approved, this would impact property owners in Fulton County by bringing an annual tax increase of approximately $213.72, if their homes are valued at a fair market price of $562,500. For non-homestead properties valued at $875,000, this would result in a tax increase to $383.60.
However, before the board can officially approve this increase, it must hold three public meetings to address residents’ concerns. They will be at Fulton’s Government Center Assembly Hall. Two will take place July 9, with another on Aug. 6. Both will also have virtual participation options.
Following the meetings, the board will approve a final millage rate for the year.
Trump’s Agenda Advances In Republican-Led States With These New Laws
Trump made numerous significant promises during his White House in 2024 and has carried out some of them during his first 100 days in office through executive orders.
July officially marks the start of the fiscal year for most states and marks the implementation of new laws. In majority-red states, these laws are carrying out President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Trump made numerous significant promises during his 2024 bid for the White House and has carried out some of them during his first 100 days in office through executive orders. These executive orders target gender identity and ban people from playing sports outside of their biological gender. Other executive orders prohibit diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and initiatives and require states to collaborate with federal authorities to enforce immigration laws.
Here are some new laws set to be enforced nationwide starting July 1 that advance Trump’s agenda.
Laws That Target Gender Identity
Indiana and Georgia have banned transgender women’s participation in women’s sports. Georgia’s bill is named after Riley Gaines, a former swimmer and current conservative political activist who has spoken out against trans women competing in women’s sports.
In the Midwest, Iowa is removing gender identity from its civil rights code. Lawmakers approved a measure that no longer lists it as a protected class. Iowa is the first state to do this.
Ohio parents can remove their children from lessons on “sexual concepts or gender ideology.” Teachers will also be required to inform parents if their children ask to be identified by a different gender than their biological sex.
The Gulf of Mexico Is No More
Florida has enacted two laws that officially recognize the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. State agencies are required to implement this change, and schools must incorporate it into educational materials for K-12 students. Florida is the first state to recognize the body of water as the “Gulf of America.”
Cracking Down on Immigration and Working With ICE
Indiana is enacting a law that now requires county jails to report individuals they have probable cause to believe are undocumented immigrants. The law requires jail staff to report the person to federal authorities and agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Georgia and Utah have similar laws.
DEI Rollbacks
Two states are rolling back their diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Indiana is banning DEI from colleges and state agencies. Indiana’s law prohibits employers and colleges from offering jobs and student aid because of identity-based characteristics such as race, sex, and religion. The law also prohibits using state funds for campus activities that promote or engage in social activism.”
Mississippi is banning DEI in schools. The new state law prohibits teaching in the classroom and in school offices that describe engaging in divisive concepts.
Detroit Granted WNBA Franchise, Making Grant Hill and Chris Webber Minority Team Owners
The team will start league play in 2029.
The Detroit collectivefeaturing Chris Webber and Grant Hill looking to land a WNBA franchise has done just that, making the the two NBA Hall of Famers minority owners.
The WNBA announced Monday, June 30, that it will add three new franchises: Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia.
Hill, who starred for the Detroit Pistons in the 1990s, and Webber, who was part of the fabled “Fab Five” at the University of Michigan, will share ownership duties with the principal owner and chair of the Detroit Lions, Sheila Ford Hamp and her husband, Steve, chairman of the Michigan Education Excellence Foundation and New Economy Initiative; CEO and chair of the General Motors Company, Mary Barra and her husband, Tony; Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff and his wife, Christen; Arn and Nancy Tellem, and Tom Gores, the owner of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons.
🚨HISTORIC MOMENT ALERT🚨
The W is leveling UP — three new teams, three new cities, one unstoppable future. ⭐
Detroit was home to the WNBA’s Detroit Shock from 1998 to 2009. The team won three championships before relocating to Tulsa. It now plays in Arlington, Texas, as the Dallas Wings.
“This is a huge win for Detroit and the WNBA,” Gores said in a written statement. “Today marks the long-hoped-for return of the WNBA to a city with deep basketball roots and a championship tradition. Detroit played a key role in the league’s early growth, and we’re proud to reignite that legacy as the WNBA ascends to new heights. Our plans will bring new energy, investment, and infrastructure to our city and the WNBA, and additional resources to our community.”
Gores will be the controlling owner of the not-yet-named team. The team is slated to start league play in 2029.
The BIG3 league announced earlier this year that Detroit had been awarded a franchise. The Amplifiers, coached by NBA Hall of Famer George “Iceman” Gervin, made their debut June 14 at Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Illinois, against the Chicago Triplets. The team’s home opener is Sunday, July 20, at Little Caesars Arena.
Trump ‘Very Excited’ To Visit Florida’s New Immigrant Detention Center Known As ‘Alligator Alcatraz’
The decision has shifted the focus of Trump’s cabinet, who had to rush approval for the facility’s use.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says President Donald Trump is “very excited” to visit the new controversial and popular immigrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz,” NBC News reports.
The facility was created by state Attorney General James Uthmeier and secured national attention — and controversy — as DeSantis labeled it a continued effort to align Trump’s anti-immigrant crackdown with state protocol ahead of the president’s July 1 appearance. “When the president comes tomorrow, he’s going to be able to see the facility,” DeSantis said during a news conference.
While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is scheduled to take the trip with Trump, the decision has shifted the focus of Trump’s cabinet, which had to rush approval for the facility’s use. Noem said the task has the team working at lightning speed. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are working at turbo speed on cost-effective and innovative ways to deliver on the American people’s mandate for mass deportations of criminal illegal aliens,” she wrote on X.
“We will expand facilities and bed spaces in just days, thanks to our partnership with Florida.”
A video circulating on the Elon Musk-owned social media app shows just how fast the Trump administration has worked to make sure the facility is open and running to host violent immigrants. However, reports claim the administration has locked up more immigrants without violent records or illegal status, according to data from Syracuse University’s Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse project.
The video shows how, in just seven days, the Sunshine State was able to build the federal prison facility with 3,000 beds. The approval is now in the hands of Trump’s Department of Justice.
I don’t think anyone realizes how impressive Alligator Alcatraz is. The State of Florida built this 3,000 bed federal prison in eight days. The director tells me it could have been done in 72 hours were it not for some regulatory hold-ups. Now all the state needs is DOJ approval… pic.twitter.com/gOFuQkyn2Z
The price tag for the facility to run for one year is $450 million,in addition to the massive pushback from Democrats, immigration and environmental advocates, and Native American groups that marked the territory as a sacred ancestral homeland, according to NPR. Alligator Alcatraz is located directly across from the Tamiami Trail — the home of 19 traditional Miccosukee and Seminole villages. In a statement, Miccosukee Chairman Talbert Cypress said, “The landscape has protected the Miccosukee and Seminole people for generations.”
As the groups have labeled the project as “inhumane,” environmental groups, including Big Cypress National Preserve and Friends of the Everglades, filed a federal lawsuit on June 27, stating that it “threatens the Everglades ecosystem.” “This site is more than 96% wetlands, surrounded by the Big Cypress National Preserve, and is habitat for the endangered Florida panther and other iconic species,” Friends Executive Director Eve Samples said in a statement.
“This scheme is not only cruel, it threatens the Everglades ecosystem that state and federal taxpayers have spent billions to protect.”
However, it doesn’t seem to faze Republican leaders, who look at Alligator Alcatraz as a win. The national attention has spurred a boost in campaign contributions in addition to the Republican Party selling “Alligator Alcatraz” merchandise.
Mia X Says She’s Sitting Out Master P’s Final Performance
Master P, though, is leaving the door open.
The upcoming Essence Festival of Culture will feature New Orleans legend Master P in his last performance, but one of his No Limit Soldiers, Mia X, will not be in attendance. At least for now.
The pioneering rapper took to her social media account to break down her absence.
“It’s still unbelievable that I’m actually saying this. I will NOT be performing at Essence Fest as a featured artist in Master P set,” she disclosed in the Instagram post. She also stated that, although she has been advertised as a guest performer, she and his management team had only recently talked.
“We started talking about my involvement last week. “At first, his management didn’t want to entertain my performance fee, so it was agreed that I wouldn’t be part of the show.”
Master P then took to his Instagram to respond to Mia X’s Instagram post.
“I’ve been coaching, but wherever the miscommunication went at, y’all know that I give Mia X whatever she wants,” he said in a short video clip on his Instagram account.
He explained that he spoke with her and told Mia X that whatever she wants, he’ll get it to her, despite issues with what management told her. He still wants her to perform, but said he will leave that up to her. He explicitly mentioned that it’s not a No Limit reunion, but his farewell show; a reunion show has already taken place.
