• News

by Selena Hill

April 25, 2020

Black Leaders Urge Georgia Residents to Stay Home as the State Reopens Hair Salons, Gyms, and Bowling Alleys

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Civil rights leaders are speaking out against Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s order to reopen Georgia’s economy and urging people to stay home.

The governor announced Monday a new order to lift coronavirus restrictions that will allow hair salons, bowling alleys, gyms, and tattoo parlors in the Peach State to open for business starting April 24. By next week, restaurants can begin to resume some in-house dining services and movie theaters will be allowed to start showing films. Under the order, all open businesses will be required to have employees wear masks and gloves, test the temperature of workers, and practice social distancing.

In response, Stacey Abrams deemed the governor as “dangerously incompetent” in a tweet on Monday, pointing out that Georgia has nearly 19,000 confirmed cases and 733 related deaths. Since then, the novel coronavirus has killed nearly 900 residents and sickened more than 22,000 others in the state, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Now, a national group of black faith and civil rights leaders are encouraging communities to avoid shopping and recreational activities in Georgia and other states where stay-at-home orders are being lifted.

“The actions of these governors, which demonstrate reckless disregard for the health and life of black residents, compel us to speak out and take action to protect ourselves,” reads a letter sent to BLACK ENTERPRISE signed by Rev. Al Sharpton; NAACP, LDF president Sherrilyn Ifill; NUL President Marc Morial; NAACP president Derrick Johnson; and National Coalition on Black Civic Participation President Melanie Campbell among others. “We regard this pandemic as a grave threat to the health and life of our people, and as a threat to the integrity and vitality of the communities we are privileged to serve.”

The letter goes on to stress black businesses and black churches to remain closed, highlighting the alarming rate at which African Americans are being infected and dying from COVID-19. In Georgia, black people account for 54% of COVID-19 although they make up just 30% of the state’s population. Meanwhile, Albany, a predominantly black city of 75,000 in southwest Georgia, has experienced the fourth worst coronavirus outbreak in the country.

“This pandemic has ravaged black communities in both urban and rural areas.  The CDC reports that black people constitute 20% of all U.S. coronavirus deaths, although we are only 12% of the U.S. population. Across the country, we see the same disproportionate impact. Our families need us. Our communities need us. We must continue to telework wherever possible, and to tele-worship for however long it is necessary to do so,” reads the statement.

“Opening too soon also threatens our financial future. As church leaders and business owners, we must take responsibility for helping to protect the health of our parishioners and patrons – the very people with whom we must work in the coming months to rebuild the economic strength of our communities.”

by Derek Major

April 25, 2020

Quarantine Restrictions Are Leading to Lower Grooming Standards

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Quarantine restrictions have been implemented for over a month in most parts of the U.S. and personal grooming routines are starting to fall.

According to the Financial Times, Graeme Pitkethly, Unilever’s chief financial officer said hair washing, hair styling, and the use of skincare products are items typically used by people who go to work and to school every day. Since most Americans are working or getting an education at home, the demand for these products is falling.

According to Unilever, which makes Dove soap, deodorant, and Toni & Guy haircare products, quarantine restrictions are affecting the company’s haircare portfolio in China and India. Skincare sales and deodorant sales are also down after rising in the first three months of the year.

Pitkethly told the Financial Times he believes changes in consumer behavior will continue after quarantine restrictions and his company is quickly adapting.

“More time at home, more time cooking — which is good for us — and maybe less personal care occasions, this nesting idea,” Pitkethly told the Financial Times.

Unilever did report double-digit sales growth of cleaning products, such as cleaning wipes and bleach, indicating people are taking the virus and quarantine restrictions seriously.

Alan Jope, chief executive of Unilever, said that while people are shaving less due to being home, more people are shifting to cheaper, online brands such as Dollar Shave Club to meet their needs.

“We are almost certainly going into a period of low economic growth and we’ll adjust to that by prioritizing the value-for-money products in our portfolio — we’re going to be dealing with that for a couple of years,” Jope told the Times. “Secondly there is no doubt people’s concern about [household] hygiene has increased . . . and the shift to online digital consumption of media and online shopping is something that will be permanent. We will adjust our approach to reflect that.”

Some grooming companies are joining the fight against the coronavirus. Black haircare company Luster has expanded its operations to begin making hand sanitizer. Olive Branch Wellness Boutique, which makes scrubs and mud masks, has also begun making hand sanitizer.

• Career

by Caroline Clarke

April 25, 2020

Unstoppable: Carla Harris’ Leadership Tools for Unprecedented Times

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It’s been said that crisis doesn’t build character, it reveals it. Carla Harris, Vice Chair, Wealth Management and a senior client adviser at Morgan Stanley, takes it a step further. In an exclusive interview with Black Enterprise, she notes that crisis creates openings for everyone to tap into the leader within.

The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented time when “everyone should step up to lead, no matter your title or seat,” she said.

Leadership is not about telling people what to do or being in charge. It’s not about being “The Boss.”

“It’s about getting things done and driving an effort,” Harris says. You can have “chief” as a title, but you can also lead when you haven’t been given the title. “Do it anyway,” Harris continues. Use this time to build those muscles and skills, aware that given how quickly things are changing in business right now, you may find yourself in an unexpected seat of power.

“Folks of color and women in particular often get their opportunities to lead during crisis,” she notes.

Leadership in this uncertain time, demands certain tenets more than ever. Harris, who is working on a third book of her pearls of wisdom while she shelters in place (her first two are “Strategize to Win” and “Expect to Win”), offers this advice on leading now, when it matters so much:

Be Visible. It sounds obvious. Leadership is typically synonymous with heightened visibility. But being visible is easy when everyone’s winning and cheering and fine. In times of crisis, there’s an initial natural tendency—even within seasoned leaders—to want to shrink, hang back, or even cut and run. But there is no more critical time for leaders to step up than when there’s great challenge and uncertainty. The more acute the difficulty, the more acute the need is for an ever present steadiness at the top. “Leaders must step forward to be seen and heard,” Harris says. “People are looking for a voice that will give them some type of assuredness, they have to see you in order to feel that.”

Be Transparent. “You don’t have to have all the answers,” Harris says. No one expects you to, but they do expect to understand your process for arriving at answers and a direction in which to go forward. So be forthright about what you know and what you don’t, what you need help with, and who you’re inviting to the table to offer it. Own your doubts, but overlay them with optimism. Invite questions and honest feedback. “We’ve not seen this [kind of crisis] before, but if you are in a position of leadership, you do have access to info that not a lot of people know.” Sharing what you can helps empower others.

Be Empathetic There are some whose lives have not been directly impacted by the virus itself, but having a heart for those who have is critical. “Now is not the time to say I’m superwoman and that’s not my kryptonite,” Harris says. “Now is the time to say, I know what you’re feeling and I feel it too.” It’s a time to offer all the comfort and support you can. Leadership is not just about what you say, you must also listen to others and be prepared to step up to be helpful in innovative ways.

Above all, it’s critical that leaders offer reassurance, no matter how unsettling the times. There’s a lot we don’t know, Harris acknowledges, but “I know this will pass,” she said. Recalling the numerous hits she’s seen the stock market take during her three decades on Wall Street, she recalled that every devastation to the market was followed by a rebound that led to new market highs.

“The market is resilient,” Harris says, and we must be too. Whether you’re a senior graduating from school, or a senior citizen, whether you’ve been furloughed or you’re working the frontlines of this pandemic, putting yourself at risk every day, “Hope and change are two very sure things that are on the other side of this,” Harris says, and the opening exists for every one to reimagine both an individual and collective future in which leadership is redefined and more broadly distributed and acknowledged.

“Whenever the rule books are being rewritten, there’s the time for you to put your personal imprimatur on it,” Harris says. “Set out the goals that you want to achieve and set out your own timelines that would exist if this framework wasn’t in place. Do not spend time on the thing that you cannot see and you cannot predict.”

Watch Carla Harris share her leadership tips on “On The Clock With Caroline Clarke” below.

• News

by Derek Major

April 25, 2020

Democrats Plan To Censure Black Detroit Representative For Crediting Trump With Saving Her Life

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Democrats in Detroit are planning to censure Rep. Karen Whitsett (D-MI) for crediting President Donald Trump with saving her life after she experienced a severe case of the coronavirus.

Whitsett said she was diagnosed with the coronavirus and used hydroxychloroquine to treat her illness. The drug is typically used for malaria patients. However, the drug’s effectiveness has not been proven to treat patients with the coronavirus and the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning after several people who’ve used the medication have died.

The drug has also been touted by President Donald Trump as an effective treatment for the coronavirus. Whitsett later visited the White House and has repeatedly offered praise for the president since overcoming the virus.

“It has a lot to do with the president … bringing it up,” Whitsett said earlier this month. “He is the only person who has the power to make it a priority.”

Now, the 13th Congressional District Democratic Party Organization is seeking to censure the lawmaker, saying her comments are dangerous and potentially life-threatening. Greg Bowens, a member of the executive board for the 14th Congressional District, said Trump will use her words to hurt others.

“She is in her own way trying to champion the inequities in our system,” Bowens said. “But everybody knows Trump’s a user. If you give him any praise, he’s going to use it in his campaign to win the state.”

As part of the censure resolution, Whitsett will be barred from receiving the group’s endorsement in the next election, and will also be prohibited from taking part in activities with the group for two years.

Former Georgia State Rep. Vernon Jones resigned last week after breaking with the party to endorse Trump’s re-election and offered some harsh words for his party on his way out the door.

“The way the Democrat Party has treated me this past week has made one thing clear: they are the bigots they claim to hate and I won’t be silent about it,” Jones said.

Many of the buildings on historically black colleges and universities are historical landmarks with a rich history built into the brick and mortar. As a result, there are rules and regulations that colleges and universities have to abide by when performing renovations. In efforts to help HBCUs properly renovate campus buildings, the National Park Service announced that they are awarding $7.7 million in grants to 17 schools through the Historic Preservation Fund.

In a statement released by the organization, Director David Vela, National Park Service Deputy said, “These grants help us to honor the legacy of HBCUs in serving our nation’s higher education needs. Funding awarded this year will help preserve 18 historic properties on HBCU campuses in 12 states, many of which are listed in the National Register.”

Since the 1990s, the National Park Service has awarded more than $60 million in grants to over 80 of the remaining active HBCUs.

This year’s grant recipients include:

1. 1. Miles College
   2. Morehouse College
   3. Southern University and A&M College
   4. Grambling State University
   5. Morgan State University
   6. Jackson State University
   7. North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University
   8. Livingston State University
   9. Bennett College
   10. Central State University
   11. Langston University
   12. Benedict College
   13. Bluefield State College – Applied Research Foundation of West Virginia
   14. South Carolina State University
   15. Claflin University
   16. Texas College
   17. Virginia University of Lynchburg

Projects funded by these grants provided by the organization will support the physical preservation of HBCU campuses to include historic districts, buildings, sites, structures, and objects. Eligible costs include pre-preservation studies, architectural plans and specifications, historic structure reports, and the repair and rehabilitation of historic properties according to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Archeology and Historic Preservation.

For many of the schools, the grants will help them restore buildings and preserve their culture. Some of the notable buildings include Samuel T. Graves Hall at Morehouse College; the University Memorial Chapel at Morgan State University; and the Historic Carnegie Library at Livingstone College.

• News

by Selena Hill

April 24, 2020

BET COVID-19 Relief Fund Raises Over $16 Million To Support Black Communities Impacted by Coronavirus

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An array of black artists performed their hits, repped their cities, and provided the world with much-needed entertainment Wednesday night during the “Saving Our Selves: A BET COVID-19 Relief Effort.” In addition to delivering virtual performances and short skits, the two-hour special surpassed BET Network’s initial fundraising goal of $10 million, raising over $16 million towards African American communities impacted by the coronavirus.

The special, which aired on BET and BET Her and was streamed on Facebook, Tidal, and BET.com, comes as the global coronavirus pandemic wreaks havoc across the nation, especially in black and brown communities. It was co-hosted by Anthony Anderson, Kelly Rowland, Terrence J, and Regina Hall, who each emceed from the comfort of their homes.

Highlights of the evening included Alicia Keys, who dedicated “New York State of Mind” to New York City, featuring appearances from Whoopi Goldberg, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Queen Latifah, Fat Joe, and Remy Ma. Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri performed “Welcome to Atlanta,” while John Legend performed his new single “Bigger Love” in an afro wig accompanied by dancers in a “Soul Train” style theme. Anthony Hamilton performed “Lean on Me” and Kirk Franklin encouraged viewers with a rendition of this song “I Smile,” featuring Fantasia, Tyrese Gibson, Kelly Price, and others. Usher, Ella Mai, Chloe X Halle, and rapper Swae Lee also delivered virtual performances. Outside of the musical performances, Tiffany Haddish and the very pregnant Ciara delivered a hilarious dance battle while Kevin Hart and a number of other celebrities made appearances throughout the night.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the way our audience, leaders in our community and our business partners have stepped up to address the devastating impact of COVID-19 on African Americans,” said Scott Mills, president of BET, in a statement. “I am forever grateful to the talent and production team who pulled off that extraordinary show from home! We will continue this work, and we will continue to raise funds to assist those that need it most.”

Funds will support over 50 organizations across the nation providing emergency resources directly to the African Americans hardest hit by COVID-19.  Presented in partnership with United Way Worldwide, the BET Covid-19 Relief Fund received generous grants from Blue Meridian Partners, the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and The Ford Foundation. Corporate donations included Facebook, Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Toyota, Salesforce, McDonald’s, AmEx, AARP, and JP Morgan Chase’s Advancing Black Pathways initiative.

“We are proud to have partnered with BET on such a successful program event, and we are encouraged by the tremendous outpouring of support we have seen from individuals and major corporations to the BET COVID-19 Relief Fund,” said Stan Little, Chief Experience Officer for United Way Worldwide. “We look forward to working with BET to not only provide immediate relief, but to build stronger and more resilient communities.”

Watch “Saving Our Selves: BET COVID-19 Relief Effort” below.

Megan Thee Stallion accelerated into hip-hop stardom early last year with her explosive single “Big Ole Freak.” Born Megan Jovon Ruth Pete, the Houston-native further solidified her status as the newest “it” girl in hip-hop after leading the “hot girl summer” movement in 2019 and collaborating with veteran rap stars like Gucci Mane and Nicki Minaj. However, outside of her lyrical talents, the Houston hot girl is hitting the books in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree at Texas Southern University (TSU).

Megan, who recently released her latest project Suga, opened up about her motivation to stay in school despite her supersonic rise to fame in an exclusive interview with People. The 26-year-old student initially enrolled at Prairie View A&M University in 2013 before taking time off. Now she’s taking online courses part-time at TSU to honor her late mom’s legacy. She aims to earn a bachelor’s degree in health administration by next year.

“I want to get my degree because I really want my mom to be proud,” says the entertainer about her mom, Holly Thomas, who died in March 2019 after battling brain cancer. “She saw me going to school before she passed.”

The rapper, whose father died when she was 15 years old, also lost her grandmother shortly after her mother died.

“I want my big mama to be proud. She saw me going to school before she passed,” says Megan. “My grandmother that’s still alive used to be a teacher, so she’s on my butt about finishing school. I’m doing it for me, but I’m also doing it for the women in my family who made me who I am today.”

She went on to say that her mother and grandmother’s work ethic and persistence have inspired her to pursue all of her dreams. “I literally watched my mom and my grandmother get up and go to work every single day. My big mama owned three houses in South Park [Houston]. She was going hard, working to provide for our family, so I’ve always seen her drive,” said the “Savage” rapper.

“I’ve always seen everybody in my life be independent,” she recalls. “My daddy passed away when I was 15, so my mama was still going hard taking care of us. If we were going through money problems, my mother and my two [maternal] grandmothers always made sure I didn’t know. We could’ve been struggling, but they made it work. I’ve always seen strong women making it work, so I’ve always wanted to have that same drive the women in my family have. I know I get a lot of my strength from my mother and both of my grandmothers,” she said.

“I really wanted to be an administrator over a hospital, but I knew I still wanted to be Megan Thee Stallion. I was like, ‘What can I do?’” says the star. “I was like, ‘You know what, I’m gonna open an assisted-living facility and use the money that I make from rapping to open it. Then I’m gonna let my classmates run it.”

• Lifestyle

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 24, 2020

Jermaine Dupri Urges Black People in Atlanta to Continue the Stay-At-Home Directive

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While the rest of the country continues to “stay-at-home” to slow down the spread of the coronavirus, Georgia is preparing to reopen certain businesses against the advice of health officials and even President Donald Trump. One of the voices of Atlanta, Jermaine Dupri, is urging people, specifically black residents, to ignore the urge to venture out to these businesses so soon according to Revolt.

The So So Def founder took to Instagram to encourage people to not fall for the ‘okie doke’ because Gov. Brian Kemp is allowing certain businesses to reopen despite the coronavirus killing more blacks than any other race.

“Y’all know the love I have for this city and what I pour into the city and how much I care about Atlanta,” he said in the almost 8-minute Instagram clip.

“So this message is really for us in this city,” he continued. “The image that we have in this city, I don’t like. I don’t like the way people think our minds move and the way people are like basically shortchanging us to make us look like we just a bunch of dumb ass n####s out here running around happy to spend money [on] drugs, strip clubs and you know, just blow shit.”

“People think black people in Atlanta can’t wait to get outside so them n####s can run around and show their cars off,” he said. “If that is our image, let that be our image when it ain’t no corona but not during this time period. When people think about Georgia, they think about Atlanta. When people think about Atlanta, they think about black people. This virus has its highest kill rate with black people. On top of that, Georgia ranks last in testing.”

“If places are open, let them be open,” he continued. “And let them feel that black dollar too. Another thing that we ignore in this city is the fact that the city moves by the black dollar. Y’all ain’t gotta spend y’all money, man.”

“I know everybody tired of being cooped in the house, but on some real sh*t man don’t die cause you’re bored,” he said. “All I’m saying is people don’t fall for the okie doke.”

Dupri isn’t the only person from Atlanta giving a warning to the black community about ignoring the hazards of the coronavirus. Killer Mike, of the hip-hop group Run the Jewels, has stated he will not reopen his barbershops when the restrictions are lifted.

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 24, 2020

NBA G League Considering Using Kobe Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy For New ‘Select Team’

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While the sports world waits for the current coronavirus crisis to slow down, NBA’s G League is considering the possibility of utilizing the late Kobe Bryant‘s Mamba Sports Academy to house its newly formed “Select Team,” according to Yahoo Sports.

The G League has recently announced several high school prospects who have chosen to bypass college to play in the G League. With the announcement of the league paying top players in the six-figure salary range, this route may be a better alternative to the NCAA. According to CBS Sports, the players will also be given full scholarships if they still want to pursue an education, all while training and preparing themselves for the NBA draft in a place that has the backing and infrastructure of the NBA.

There has been mention of the G League forming a “Select Team” for the upcoming season. The league is looking at using Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy as its home base. There are other venues that are also being considered, but Mamba Sports Academy is high on the list to be the home for the Select Team for the 2020-21 season.

The G League’s newly formed “Select Team” will feature newly acquired prep stars Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd. There is speculation that former NBA head coaches Sam Mitchell and David Fizdale are being considered as the Select Team’s head coach, sources said.

Green explains why he is forgoing the NCAA and heading straight to the G League: “I wanted to get better overall and prepare myself for the NBA because that’s my ultimate goal,” Green told Yahoo Sports last week. 

“Everything was planned outright and set up for me to succeed. I think this was a good decision at the end of the day. I’m still going to be able to go back to college and finish school. So, it’s not really that I’m missing out on college because I can go back and finish whenever I need to. School is a big thing in my family.”

The Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks, California, is a 100,000-square-foot multi-sports training center that features five basketball courts and a technologically advanced recovery department.

Financing from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is getting a cool reception from black business owners.

A new national survey of 50 small businesses conducted Thursday by Washington, D.C.-based Creative Investment Research on the Paycheck Protection Program and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Emergency Advance (EIDL) Program was intended to get a true pulse of how effective the lending programs have been.

The survey came out the same day the House ratified a bill by the Senate to pump roughly $310 billion more in loans to the Paycheck Protection Program, The Wall Street Journal reports.

The PPP exhausted its initial $350 billion funding last week after being rolled out on April 3. The program for firms with up to 500 workers became law in late March as part of the $2 trillion coronavirus economic stimulus package. It was geared to help small companies cover payroll and other key operating costs. Loans can be forgiven if businesses retain the size of their workforce.

Some $60 billion of the new funding will go to small and medium-sized community lenders, addressing concerns of some black small businesses and churches about landing funding. About $60 billion will be directed to the EIDL Program, which also has drained its initial funding.

William Michael Cunningham, an economist and banking expert who runs Creative Investment Research, said the survey was conducted after reports of large businesses receiving funding intended for small businesses that have been closed or otherwise affected by the coronavirus pandemic. He says the analysis is the first of its type with 91% of survey respondents being black Americans.

The report revealed that out of the 60% of survey respondents who applied for the PPP program, 33% got some level of funding. Yet, Cunningham noted one respondent commented that he “received 1/12th of the amount I asked for.”

When it comes to the EIDL Program, of the 72% of the survey respondents who applied, 28% got some level of funding. His firm is continuing to conduct the survey, so the results may change as new survey responses arrive.

All told, Cunningham says the performance of both programs is better than popular opinion would lead us to expect. He added part of the reason for the higher than expected participation in the two programs may be due to a self-selection bias; most of the people who responded did so after his firm posted the survey link during a webinar on the PPP and EIDL Programs sponsored by the NAACP.

“What was surprising was the number of firms that applied and got some funding, even though it was not as much as they needed or wanted,” Cunningham says.

Most of the survey respondents were located in Baltimore, Maryland; Nashville, Tennessee; Virginia Beach, Virginia; and Washington, D.C. Other cities included ranged from Philadelphia to Indianapolis to Denver to San Jose, California to Tampa, Florida. Some 83% of respondents had one to six employees. In terms of representative industries, most respondents were in healthcare (12.5%), followed by construction and consulting, both 8.3%. Churches represented 4.2% of respondents.

Cunningham shared comments from the survey that included:

• “It was a challenging process; our accountant spent a lot of time with the system crashing, the bank not being ready to receive applications, waiting and waiting until we realized we needed to follow up with our bank’s relationship manager, who is African American—that’s when we saw movement and response. Prior to that we were flying blind. At the very last minute we had to submit board minutes [for] approval the loan, which was not part of the SBA application or the bank application process. Even when you have your documentation, it can take a long time to submit the application.”
• “We contacted our bank several times to find out what information we needed to provide in the application process and have never got a response back.”
• “As a small business I did not want to borrow. I have a friend who works at SBA and only recently did he tell me to apply because most of the loan may be forgivable. That’s important to note.”
• “I have been waiting to hear from SBA to find out the status of my EIDL application. I applied on 4/2/2020, and still do not know if my loan was approved as of 4/23/2020.”
• “No longer in business…. help those that are! It’s hard out there to survive! I work for UPS now.”

Looking ahead, Cunningham contends information in this survey is significant with respect to the new round of PPP funding because, used correctly, it can help make the PPP better. He added it can help make sure that PPP resources reach black-owned businesses. He suggested that civil rights organizations conduct their own surveys.