Memphis Hairstylists Propose Reopening Salons Under New Guidelines To Save Their Businesses
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp caused controversy when he announced that the state would allow certain businesses including hairdressers and massage parlors to reopen on Friday, April 24. The move comes with many other governors throughout the South pushing ahead to begin easing restrictions to restart the economy. In Memphis, Tennessee, a group of hairstylists in the area are coming together to propose easing restrictions to allow their customers to return under the COVID-19 pandemic.
Charlette Logan owns the W Salon in the Midtown neighborhood. She is one of the many business owners that have faced serious economic repercussions under the non-essential business closure due to the viral outbreak. Logan now wants the city government to let her open her doors back up and consider putting money aside for businesses like hers, creating a petition for certain businesses to reopen. She is proposing that salons open if they can allow one client in at a time.
Hairstylists, life herself, found themselves shut out of relief programs from small business loans and she doesn’t qualify for unemployment. Logan is like many salon owners who told FOX13 Memphis they are trying to qualify for some type of relief in order to keep the doors open.
“I’ve gotten a lot of my clients and people, in general, send me things about loans and grants and things like that and most of them I don’t qualify for,” she said. “I just hope that something happens to where salons, people in the beauty industry because we are really not considered much during this entire pandemic we haven’t been considered much at all.”
A representative from the Shelby County Health Department responded to Logan’s petition stating that no decision will be made at this time as things continue to develop with the viral pandemic and that “municipalities, including the Shelby County Mayor’s Office, are looking at ways personal service businesses can operate while protecting the health of both the clients and the practitioners. No decisions have been made at this time, but there will be some guidance to come.”
Iconic Black-Owned Firm Luster Products Expanding Into Hand Sanitizer To Help Fight COVID-19
Luster Products is shifting its business operations to produce hand sanitizer to combat supply shortages due to the COVID-19 virus.
A provider of daily haircare and styling products, the brand is best known for Luster’s Pink and Luster SCurl. The Chicago-based black-owned company is one of the nation’s largest manufacturers of personal care products for black Americans. Its brands cater to black men, women, children, and the stylist industry.
Further, the firm is looking at expanding its personal care product production and researching that strategy.
The demand for hand sanitizer has grown immensely since the coronavirus outbreak as the product is known to be effective in erasing harmful germs and bacteria that may cause illness.
“We have the technology, the capability, as well as an incredible in-house team of chemists, so this was a natural next step for us to partially shift our operations to produce hand sanitizer at a time of great need in Chicago and around the country,” Jory Luster Sr., president of Luster Products, stated in a news release.
Luster Products reports its hand sanitizer is formulated with 70% ethyl alcohol to sterilize the hands and Vitamin E to replenish moisture. The first batch, produced within two weeks, was provided to all Luster Products’ employees working at its headquarters. The company has now started shipping out cases. Plans call for the development of a consumer sales program and to identify local organizations for hand sanitizer distribution.
The global hand sanitizer market was valued at $2.7 billion in 2019, according to Grand View Research. The firm states shifting consumer preference toward convenient hygiene products is expected to drive the market. And the demand for hand hygiene products has been exceeding the supply in both online and brick-and-mortar sites worldwide given the global outbreak of the virus in a short period.
For Luster Products, entry into the hand sanitizer space shows how the black family businesses that have been operating for 63 years is navigating its operations through today’s uncertain times.
The company was launched by the late Fred Luster Sr., a successful Chicago barber who developed haircare products specifically for the health and maintenance of the hair, according to the company’s website. He initially sold his products exclusively in his barbershop.
But as demand rose—and word spread about his products’ effectiveness— Luster sold his products to other hairstylists. His early success prompted him to start Luster Products Inc. in 1957. The company has grown from a modest storefront into a multimillion-dollar worldwide enterprise. It has appeared on the BE 100s, a listing of the nation’s largest black-owned businesses.
Currently, the company employs more than 250 people globally.
Dr. Anthony Fauci Speaks to Will Smith About the Effects of COVID-19 on the Black Community
Actor, entrepreneur, and rapper Will Smith has taken to Snapchat to bring some entertainment into our lives. But, this week, he decided to have a conversation with the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci and he came through with why black people have been greatly affected by COVID-19, according to The Root.
Dr. Fauci made an appearance on the latest episode of Smith’s recently launched Snapchat show Will at Home. The two spoke about what’s going on with the coronavirus and black people.
“It’s really terrible, because it’s just one of the failings of our society, that African Americans have a disproportionate prevalence in incidents of the very comorbid conditions that put you at a high risk,” Dr. Fauci tells Smith of the staggering number of COVID-19 deaths among black Americans. The “comorbid conditions” include hypertension, diabetes, asthma, and obesity.
“If you get infected, you’re going to have a poor outcome,” Fauci said, adding that the coronavirus is “a bright shining light on what disparities of health mean.” He also described the four main types of coronaviruses humans can get, from the common cold to what is affecting us now.
“It has the characteristics of very efficiently transmitting from human to human,” he explains of this particular outbreak. But, he feels that all isn’t lost and the future will be better for the fight against the coronavirus.
“When we have a vaccine, and we have enough baseline immunity, this is something you are not going to worry about for the rest of your life,” Fauci stated. “It’s tough now, and it may be tough for another year, but this is something that will go away, I promise you.”
Dr. Fauci also talked to some children during the Will at Home episode. Seven-year-old Ava asked him, “Can the tooth fairy still come if I lose my tooth, because of the coronavirus? And can she catch the virus?”
To which he responds, “I’ve got to tell you, Ava, I don’t think you have to worry about the tooth fairy,” Fauci said. “So when your tooth falls out, you stick it under your pillow, and I guarantee you, that that tooth fairy is not going to get infected and is not going to get sick.”
What You Need to Know About Filing for Unemployment
Every day, the number of American’s who apply for unemployment increases. To date, nearly 22 million people have filed for unemployment due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With the massive number of layoffs, furloughs, and salary cuts, more American’s qualify for the unemployment benefits than before. Over the last month, the government has made exceptions about who can apply for assistance. And there’s a wealth of information that people need to know when filing for unemployment.
As millions of Americans apply, there have been countless reports about federal and state website crashes due to the number of people filing online. Wait times on the phone are longer than ever. And, people some people do not have all of the information on hand that they need to apply for benefits. All of that factors into when people can actually receive money.
In a recent CNBC article, Michele Evermore, a senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project, a nonprofit research firm, explained what people need to know when filing for unemployment and the common mistakes made.
And when asked the question as to who should apply during this pandemic, the response was, everyone who lost their job due to no fault of their own because of the coronavirus. That means if you have experienced a reduction of work hours you qualify for unemployment, too.
“In this particular period in history, getting an unemployment check isn’t good just for you, but it’s good for the local economy, and it’s an important public health measure,” Evermore told CNBC. “People need to take these benefits and not be making ends meet by going out to work.”
Due to the pandemic, part-time workers are now eligible to receive Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). Pandemic Unemployment Assistance provides payment to workers not traditionally eligible for unemployment benefits (self-employed, independent contractors, workers with limited work history and others) who are unable to work as a direct result of COVID-19.
If you qualify for PUA, your benefit rate will be based on your recent earnings. You can also receive an additional $600 per week until July 31, 2020.
To date, not every state has rolled out its PUA program, which has resulted in some people being denied unemployment benefits. If you have been denied, you might be eligible to apply for the PUA program once it is instated.
If you have applied for unemployment and have been denied, you can appeal the decision. But know it is important to be detailed when applying and appealing for benefits. Check your state’s requirements for proper documentation.
And if you’ve had to quit your job due to the pandemic but still wish to seek assistance, Edgar Ndjatou, executive director at Workplace Fairness, a nonprofit advocacy organization told CNBC, “If you quit because of COVID-19, not just because you’re afraid of the virus necessarily but if, for example, your child’s school was closed or you had to care for a family member who got sick, you have to be clear about that.”
Filing for unemployment is not as simple as it seems. When applying, check your local and state government’s websites for updated information. Click here to read about the common mistakes made when filing.
CNN’s Van Jones: Reopening Businesses During Coronavirus ‘A Death Sentence for Communities of Color’
With all the talk of lessening some of the restrictions placed around the United States with the spread of the novel coronavirus still going on, CNN’s political commentator Van Jones doesn’t agree with states opening so quickly. He feels this is virtually “a death sentence for communities of color.”
While some states are still suffering from high numbers of coronavirus cases and related deaths, particularly in black communities, some governors are easing imposed restrictions that were put in place to stop, or at the very least, slow down the spread of the deadly virus.
After Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s announced he will allow some businesses in the state to reopen as early as Friday, Jones spoke of the need to stay the course, specifically because black people are the most affected by the coronavirus.
“I think it’s incredibly reckless. And, you know, signing these orders is signing a death certificate for many, many, many people who do not need to die and who will,” Jones said on CNN’s Daily DC podcast. “I mean, it’s just the bottom line. You’re talking about states where they haven’t even flattened the curve.”
“It’s a death sentence for communities of color that are on the front lines of this thing already and have the least ability to deal with it.”
Black Americans are more likely to suffer from chronic underlying health conditions. With this particular virus, it can detrimentally impact how their bodies handle an additional illness. Add in the factor of having less access to health care in these communities and it makes the issue even worse.
As more states plan to start reopening their economies based on new guidance from President Donald Trump, Jones said “we need to be rushing masks, rushing tests, rushing respirators and ventilators to communities of color, because that’s where the pain is.”
“This is playing the data card,” he continued. “The data shows that you know, these are the front line communities in this fight. From the grocery stores to the hospitals, people who live in communities of color need help.”
Daymond John Denies Accusations He Attempted to Sell Florida Face Masks at An Inflated Price
Daymond John, FUBU co-founder, the founder of the Shark Group, and an investor on Shark Tank, has denied a story in the Miami Heraldthat claims he tried to make a deal that would have sold 1 million N95 face masks to Florida to help protect healthcare workers from coronavirus for $7 each.
“Today’s Miami Herald story and subsequent reports are false, inaccurate and shows a complete reckless disregard for the truth.
“Let me be clear.
“Proper reporting would have shown I did not set any prices and that my team worked with the state of Florida to:
1. Save lives
2. Help vet the overwhelming amount of incoming PPE offerings based on my manufacturing expertise and guide them how to best do this
3. Play a pivotal role to stop price gouging, and successfully identify potential fraud and theft of PPE product to protect taxpayer funds”
“States were not set up to vet and operate global supply chains and sourcing,” John’s statement said. “Many states were forced to blindly wire money to nefarious parties around the world and ultimately never received correct or safe product.
“My company was serving as an intermediary to vet the numerous 3M distributors and to protect Florida taxpayers, while establishing escrow protections that allowed the State to conduct proper due diligence before finalizing its purchase of masks,” he continued.
“Our system did exactly what it was intended to do. No money was spent and every penny of taxpayers money remained safe. We will continue to work with the proper government agencies in this capacity.
“The Miami Herald‘s characterization of my work completely disregards this. Instead, it opts for a gross distortion of the truth in a blind effort to create splashy headlines to mislead readers.”
The Miami Herald initially reported that based on the terms of the purchase agreement, the price of the N95 protective masks would have been $7 each for 1 million masks and that Jared Moskowitz, director of the Florida Department of Emergency Management, decided the state would “pay any price.”
“This was not somebody off the street, this was Daymond John,’’ Moskowitz is quoted by the Miami Herald. “He came to me and said, ‘I’ve been in the clothing business. I have connections with factories in China.’”
But Moskowitz came out and defended John after the FUBU owner sent out the statement on his Twitter account.
Thank you @TheSharkDaymond for trying to help me save lives. I support the statement below. We will continue to do everything we can to help our doctors and nurses, the hero’s on the front line. https://t.co/GEMjFAqzF9
Kanye West and Chick-fil-A Helped Provide Over 300,000 Meals for L.A. Families
Rapper Kanye West has used his generous funds to partner with Chick-fil-A to help provide more than 300,000 meals to feed families from Los Angeles according to Fox News.
Through the Los Angeles Dream Center, more than 300,000 meals have been served since the middle of March, something that the founder calls a “miracle of biblical proportions.” The center has gotten early support from the likes of Kanye West and from companies like Chick-fil-A and other various local businesses.
“Every morning I wake up and stand in the parking lot with our dedicated staff, I am blown away that day after day, week after week, there is enough food to provide to folks that need it,” Matthew Barnett, Dream Center co-founder, said to Fox News.
The Dream Center has been providing about 11,000 meals a day in the second-largest school district in America.
“The Los Angles Dream Center has transformed into the Grand Central Station of food distribution and other basic essentials,” Barnett told Fox News. “I’m so grateful that our team has stayed healthy and that we’ve found a safe way to meet the urgent needs within our community.
“I can’t say thank you enough to the various donors who’ve made this a reality,” Barnett continued. “This is what a neighborhood, a community, and a church should always look like.”
The Christian nonprofit organization started its donation drive as soon as the Los Angeles Unified School District closed on March 13. It is open seven days a week, from the hours of 7:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., to provide people in need with food and other essential items. They offer grab-and-go options as local residents can drive by and pick up meals while they are open.
The Los Angeles Dream Center also delivers food supplies to as many as 20 different outreach sites, while also offering care packages of food and other necessities to the elderly in Los Angeles’ Echo Park neighborhood.
Chick-fil-A has been donating sandwiches every day for the Dream Center’s efforts, and Anthem Blue Cross has provided hundreds of bottles of hand sanitizer.
‘This Is Us’ Actor Niles Fitch to Become Disney’s First Black Live-Action Prince
This is us! Disney has cast a black prince. Niles Fitch will play a character named Prince Tuma in a new Disney Plus movie, Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, according to The Grio. Fitch is Disney’s first live-action black prince.
The actor shared the news via his Facebook account. “Welcome Disney’s first live-action Black prince! Coming to your home screens as Prince Tuma, streaming on Disney+ in Summer 2020!!”
Secret Society of Second-Born Royals follows a princess unlike those usually seen in Disney movies. Second-born Sam lives in the shadows of her older sister, Princess Eleanor, who is next in line to take the throne. But being younger means Sam gets superpowers and she gets drafted into a top-secret group of other gifted young recruits responsible for the world’s safety.
The cast includes Peyton Elizabeth Lee as Sam, Skylar Astin as Professor James Morrow, Élodie Yung as Catherine, Ashley Liao as Eleanor, and Noah Lomax as Mike.
Lee told Entertainment Weekly, “Sam is going to be a unique addition to the Disney princess family because she doesn’t want to be a princess, she doesn’t want to be royalty. Because of that, it takes her on this journey of figuring out how to make it work for herself that’s going to break that delicate princess mold. When she finds this secret society that feels the same way, they figure out how to create their own legacy and have an impact on their country and the world.”
Fitch is best known for portraying the teenage version of Sterling K. Brown’s Randall Pearson on the NBC television show This Is Us. He made his television debut with a guest appearance in Tyler Perry’s House of Payne, followed by a recurring role in Season 7 of Army Wives. He has appeared in the movies St. Vincent and Roman J. Israel, Esq.
Second in line for the throne. First in line to save the world. Secret Society of Second-Born Royals, an Original Movie, coming Summer 2020 to #DisneyPlus. #SSSBRpic.twitter.com/a2FY5mNhYr
Proud grandmother Tina Knowles-Lawson, mother to Beyoncé’, posted a clip of her granddaughter showing off a little scientific technique to prove the importance of using soap and frequently washing your hands. “My brilliant granddaughter Blue did this experiment to show how washing your hands fights the virus,” says the caption of the social media post.
The young Carter starts the clip by saying, “This is why it’s important to wash your hands.” Then proceeds to show us how it’s effective.
Coincidentally, Blue Ivy’s mother made a statement of her own about the coronavirus pandemic when she appeared on the One World: Together at Home special over the weekend. She discussed how black Americans are dying at a higher rate from COVID-19 than other people inflicted with the virus.
“Black Americans disproportionately belong to these essential parts of the workforce that do not have the luxury of working from home,” the singer said in the video. “And African American communities at large have been severely affected in this crisis. Those with pre-existing conditions are at an even higher risk. This virus is killing black people at an alarmingly high rate here in America.”
She shared a grim yet insightful report about how it is affecting us. “A recent report from my home city of Houston, Texas, shows that of COVID-19 deaths within Houston city limits, 57% of fatal cases are African Americans,” she pointed out. “Please protect yourselves. We are one family, and we need you. We need your voices, your abilities, and your strength all over this world. I know it’s very hard. Please be patient, stay encouraged, keep the faith, stay positive, and continue to pray for our heroes.”
Toya Johnson and Reginae Carter on Their Unbreakable Mother-Daughter Bond and Family Hustle
Antonia ‘Toya’ Johnson and Reginae Carter are a dynamic mother-daughter duo who are intentional about supporting one another as they do business and pursue their dreams. Many know Johnson as a best-selling author, entrepreneur, and reality TV star. And Carter for being a social media influencer, actress, and the daughter a hip-hop icon, Lil Wayne. Together, they want to be known for their family hustle and promoting generational wealth.
As cast members of the third season ofT.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle, which is the message they hope to communicate.
Johnson’s entrepreneurial journey began nearly a decade ago. Now, she owns multiple businesses, including Before Bed Headz, G.A.R.B. Boutique, and a hair extension company.
And after entering a bad book deal, Johnson decided to launch a self-publishing company of her own, Toya Wright Publishing.
Toya Johnson (Courtesy: Toya Johnson)
“I had a terrible experience publishing with others. So, I decided to not let that ruin things for me and become my own boss,” said Johnson.
From that deal, Johnson learned to be wise about her business exchanges. “The No. 1 lesson I learned is to really pay attention to contracts that come your way. Look through them with a fine-tooth comb. You have to just be patient because the right opportunities will come your way.”
Johnson has now published six books and recently released a children’s book, Learning Colors with Reignbeaux.
Being able to bounce back from that deal and her boss-like tendencies inspire Carter.
An Unbreakable Bond
“My mom has always told and shown me that if you want to do something, do it on your own. You don’t have to call anybody, just figure it out — or look it up. She’s always told me to be educated. There’s nothing more attractive than an educated black woman,” said Carter.
Reginae Carter(Courtesy: Reginae Carter)
Carter enrolled and attended Clark Atlanta University. And in 2017, she decided to end her studies to pursue her acting career. In November 2018, Carter announced that she landed her first major role in a Lifetime movie titled “Pride And Prejudice: Atlanta.” She has also starred in Ray-J’s TV One film, Dear Santa, I Need a Date, which premiered last October.
“I had Reginae at a very young age—and I’m always trying to school her on things that I had to learn. Some things I learned the hard way. Some things I learned from older people that shared knowledge with me. And, I always pass it down to my daughter because I want her to win. I think she has so much potential and I’m always here to support her in each and every business move that she makes.”
In addition to Carter’s acting career, she has caught the attention of many using TikTok during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Social media can make or break you. Since this quarantine, I’ve been getting so many reviews/compliments about my work. And, it just warms my heart because I’ve been being myself.”
In doing so, Carter hopes to be sought out by movie industry executives for future opportunities. In the meantime, she is working on a clothing line, Tom Girl, with her aunt.
The Family Hustle
Last year, Johnson and Carter co-wrote the book, You Just Don’t Get It, which gives readers a peek into their relationship. In the book, Johnson invites people to read how she dealt with obstacles when raising a daughter while trying to figure out how to break a cycle of teen pregnancy and missed opportunities.
(Image: Toya Wright Publishing)
“In the book, you get to see the views from our different perspectives of how we grew up. Reginae gave the book her all, and we’ve been able to help other young mothers and daughters,” said Johnson.
Their bond continues to inspire others and Johnson says that the support of her daughter and friends keeps her and her businesses going.
“That support goes a long way. When it’s time to pack books and come up with ideas for Before Bed Headz, it’s us in here hustling,” said Johnson.
And Carter said that that hustle is what has taught her how to support others as she goes for what she wants in life. “I’ve always seen how supportive my mother is. My mother has never been a hater. She’s always helped other people. So, I became who my mother is.”
As the duo continues to take their businesses and brands to the next level, their advice to others is to do what you love.
Be sure to tune in to T.I. & Tiny: Friends & Family Hustle on VH1.
