• Women

by Black Enterprise

June 6, 2026

This Black Attorney Is Building A Lawyer Museum In Atlanta And Documenting The Journey In Real Time

Attorney Tiffany M. Simmons is widely known as “The Plug’s Lawyer"

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Originally published on BlackNews.com.

Attorney, entrepreneur, and cultural strategist Tiffany M. Simmons, Esq., widely known as “The Plug’s Lawyer,” is entering a new era of institution building following official recognition from the Atlanta City Council for her contributions to law, culture, philanthropy, and community impact.

The official proclamation, issued May 1, 2026, formally acknowledges Simmons’ vision to establish The Lawyer Museum, a permanent world-class institution in Atlanta, dedicated to preserving, documenting, and elevating the legacy of Black attorneys and their contributions to justice in America.

Simmons has spent more than 16 years building influence across law, media, publishing, philanthropy, and cultural programming without institutional backing or traditional gatekeepers. Through Simmons Law LLC and media platforms, including Hood Court, she has become known for merging legal authority with cultural conversation in ways that reach beyond the courtroom.

Now, that work is evolving into something larger: a public movement centered around preserving legal history, creating cultural experiences, and building permanent institutions designed to outlive her.

“This is bigger than a museum,” Simmons said. “This is about documenting history while we are still living it, preserving the brilliance of Black attorneys, and creating a permanent space where culture, justice, education, and legacy meet.”

The proclamation specifically recognizes Simmons’ leadership in advancing The Lawyer Museum initiative, while also acknowledging her impact through civic engagement, philanthropy, mentorship, and cultural leadership throughout the City of Atlanta.

Throughout spring and summer 2026, select public experiences hosted under The Plug’s Lawyer brand will support fundraising efforts toward the permanent home of The Lawyer Museum in Atlanta.

Those experiences included:

• Champions Coachella, the May 1, 2026, premiere fundraiser bringing together leaders across law, media, philanthropy, and the arts.

• Reiki for Youth, a Mother’s Day wellness initiative focused on healing, mindfulness, and emotional wellness for young people.

• Paddles & Pours, a June 21, 2026 cultural summer experience in Atlanta blending music, community, wellness, and philanthropy.

Simmons is also documenting the road to opening The Lawyer Museum in real time, a journey expected to serve as the foundation for a future documentary project centered on law, power, culture, resilience, and legacy-building in modern America.

The Lawyer Museum is projected to open its permanent Atlanta location by December 2026.

About
Tiffany M. Simmons is an Atlanta-based trial attorney, founder, media personality, entrepreneur, and cultural strategist. Known publicly as “The Plug’s Lawyer,” she is the founder of Simmons Law LLC, creator of Hood Court, and visionary behind The Lawyer Museum initiative. In May 2026, the Atlanta City Council officially recognized Simmons for her contributions to law, culture, philanthropy, and community impact. Learn more at ThePlugsLawyer.com.

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• Education

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 5, 2026

Student Loan Borrowers Face New Realities As SAVE Repayment Plans End

Reports suggest that over seven million borrowers will be impacted by the phaseout of the income-driven repayment option.

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Millions of federal student loan borrowers in the Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) repayment program could soon experience significant changes as the Biden-era plan nears termination due to legal challenges and shifts in federal policy, The Hill reports. The outlet suggests that over seven million borrowers will be impacted by the phaseout of the income-driven repayment option.

The SAVE plan, launched by former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2023, aimed to reduce monthly payments and speed up debt forgiveness for eligible borrowers. However, several Republican-led states filed lawsuits against the program, leading federal courts to block its implementation. Since then, the Department of Education has started transitioning borrowers into other repayment programs.

Borrowers currently enrolled in SAVE have mostly stayed in administrative forbearance since 2024. Interest on those loans resumed accumulating in August 2025. Officials have urged participants to choose alternative repayment plans while the legal issues are still ongoing.

In announcing a proposed settlement in the lawsuit, the U.S. Department of Education stated it would move all SAVE borrowers into legal repayment plans, stop accepting new enrollments in SAVE, and deny pending applications if the court approves the agreement.

This transition comes as federal policymakers prepare to introduce new student loan repayment options, including the Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP), which is expected to be available starting July 1, 2026. Under RAP, borrowers must make payments for 30 years before relief is allowed. The new framework aims to replace several current income-driven repayment programs and change how borrowers handle federal student debt.

Advocates have warned that ending SAVE could lead to higher monthly payments for many borrowers and create uncertainty for those seeking loan forgiveness programs. Meanwhile, federal officials advise borrowers to review available repayment options and get ready for further guidance as the transition progresses.

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• Politics

by Selena Hill

June 5, 2026

Republican With No Campaign Cash Wins NJ Primary In Race For Cory Booker’s Senate Seat

The Republican nominee pulled off an unlikely primary victory despite reporting a negative campaign balance of -$24

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Justin Murphy, an attorney and former Senate candidate, has secured the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in New Jersey, setting up a November contest against popular incumbent Democratic Sen. Cory Booker.

Murphy won Tuesday’s Republican primary, defeating three opponents despite entering the race with a campaign account that reportedly held a negative balance of $24, according to federal campaign finance filings cited by The Hill. Murphy’s surprising victory now places him opposite Booker, the two-term Democratic senator who ran unopposed in his party’s primary and remains one of the most prominent political figures in the state.

Murphy, who previously sought the Republican Senate nomination in 2024, campaigned on a platform focused on reducing government spending, cutting taxes, strengthening border security, and expanding economic opportunities. He has also advocated for boosting private-sector growth and limiting federal intervention in the economy.

Despite clinching victory with just more than 33% of the vote, Murphy is seen as a significant underdog heading into the general election — New Jersey has not elected a Republican to the U.S. Senate since 1972. Plus, Booker has substantial name recognition, a robust fundraising operation, and a strong advantage among Democratic voters statewide. Records show that the incumbent also has more than $22 million in cash on hand, reports Politico.

Murphy faces a steep uphill battle during the midterm elections since about 38% of registered voters in the Garden State are Democrats, while only 25% are Republicans. Thirty-six percent remain unaffiliated.

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• Business

by Selena Hill

June 5, 2026

Anthony Edwards, Tracy McGrady, And Other Star Athletes Back Karma Automotive Through New Ownership and Investment Collective

New initiative gives elite athletes and business leaders access to luxury vehicles, exclusive experiences, and investment opportunities

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Karma Automotive is blending luxury, exclusivity, and ownership with the launch of Karma Nexus, a new invitation-only program designed to deepen relationships with high-profile clients while creating opportunities for them to become investors in the company.

Announced on June 3, the initiative gives members priority access to Karma Automotive’s vehicle lineup, exclusive events, direct engagement with the company’s design and engineering teams, and bespoke vehicle commissioning opportunities, including access to models such as the Karma Invictus and the forthcoming Karma Eximius. Selected members may also receive invitations to invest in the company, according to a press release.

Among the founding members are several prominent athletes and business leaders, including NBA players Anthony Edwards and his business manager, Justin Holland; Dylan Harper; Ron Harper Jr.; former NBA All-Star Tracy McGrady; former NBA player and private equity executive Josh Childress; and the NFL’s Bryce Young. According to the company, each has chosen to invest in Karma Automotive in addition to owning a Karma vehicle.

“Karma’s goal is for our products and experiences to reflect the successes of our Nexus members in ways that are as unique and distinctive as they are,” said Karma Automotive President Marques McCammon in a statement. He described Karma Nexus as “the next level of that investment dynamic” and noted that the participation of influential athletes and business leaders validates the company’s long-term vision.

The investment component of Karma Nexus was developed through a partnership between McCammon and Kai Cunningham, co-founder and CEO of Limited Ventures. Cunningham, whose firm advises athletes and entertainers on wealth-building strategies, called the initiative “a first-of-its-kind structure” that aligns athletes with both ownership and product access. He added that the model could serve as a blueprint for future partnerships across industries.

For Edwards and Holland, the decision to invest came down to shared values.

“We’ve never followed the wave. For us, it’s always about standing out and doing things differently, and that feels perfectly aligned with Karma’s vision,” the pair said in a statement. “We’re very selective about who we choose to partner with, and we couldn’t be more excited to be Karma investors.”

As more athletes seek equity stakes and ownership opportunities beyond endorsement deals, Karma Nexus reflects a growing shift toward partnerships that allow influential talent to participate directly in the companies and brands they help elevate.

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• Education

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 5, 2026

Lil Baby Clears $24K In Student Debt For Recent Spelman Graduate

Lesley reflected on her choice to contact the Grammy-winning rapper, despite the slim chances of success.

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Rapper Lil Baby received online praise after reportedly paying off more than $24,000 in student loan debt for a recent Spelman College graduate. This fulfilled a request she made years ago when she started her college journey, HBCU Gameday reports.

The recipient, Janay Lesley, is a first-generation college graduate, an aspiring rapper, and an advocate living with sickle cell disease. Lesley reached out to the Atlanta-based artist in April 2022, shortly after enrolling at Spelman College, asking for help with her educational costs.

In a video about the experience, Lesley reflected on her choice to contact the Grammy-winning rapper, despite the slim chances of success. “They say you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take,” she said, recalling the long journey that began with a direct message sent during her freshman year.

“I was a freshman, barely,” she reflected. “And I said, ‘Hey Lil Baby, can you pay my tuition?’”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Janay ☆ (@nay_speaks)

The breakthrough happened after Lesley completed her degree. She said her mother called her with unexpected news about her student loans.

“My mom calls me today and says, ‘Nay, I got an email about your loans,'” Lesley said. “‘It says that they were paid off in full.'”

Lesley explained that her remaining student loan balance was $24,074.97 before it was cleared. “The loans are paid,” she said in the video, celebrating the moment with her followers.

This story has resonated with many current students and recent graduates facing the financial challenges of higher education. Lesley described the experience as a lesson in perseverance and belief, noting that four years passed between her initial request and the payoff.

“I just want to emphasize that prayer, manifestation, delusion, all of these things hold power. It is 2026. I have got my degree. And here comes Lil Baby to pay off my loans,” she concluded.

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• Entrepreneurship

by Alisa Gumbs

June 5, 2026

Djenaba Johnson-Jones Spills The ‘Best-Kept Secret’ To Get That Coin For Your Company

Hudson Kitchen Founder Djenaba Johnson-Jones got the help—and resources—she needed from her local government

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When Djenaba Johnson-Jones was trying to get Hudson Kitchen, a food business incubator and shared commercial kitchen based in Kearney, New Jersey, off the ground, she never expected that one of her biggest sources of support would be her local government.

“I had actually worked a corporate job for 15 years and was laid off at the end of 2014, and I was like, I can’t go back.”

At first, Johnson-Jones decided to launch a personal training business that included a healthy meal delivery service, but she couldn’t find a commercial kitchen to make the food.

“At the time, there were six commercial kitchens in the state of New Jersey, so most people were using church kitchens or restaurants after hours,” she says. “And I was like, we’re going to build this thing. I’m going to build something that I can use for my business, and then I can bring it to others.”

Ten years later, Hudson Kitchen is a thriving membership-based commercial kitchen and successful incubator, having taught its Food Business Bootcamp course to more than 300 entrepreneurs, created almost 60 jobs, and generated $9 million in revenue.

But to get here, Johnson-Jones needed help. And she found it in a place that many small business owners overlook.

Johnson-Jones spoke at the recent How I Got Here Small Business Summit and shared how she used public resources, from both her state and local government, to fund and grow her business.

Here are her lessons for other entrepreneurs.

Talk up your business; you never know who’s listening

“I started a survey for my business to find out who’s interested in a shared commercial kitchen, how they would use it, and what they would pay. And when I posted it online, the deputy mayor of Jersey City invited me into the office and said, ‘We’re interested in this business.’ That’s how that got started. She reached out, and I got to go to their office and present my idea of what I wanted to do. From there, they connected me with Rising Tide Capital [a nonprofit that transforms communities through entrepreneurship], and then I just started attending every entrepreneur event that I could possibly attend, wherever it was.”

Make use of your local government connections

“I worked with Hudson County Economic Development and Union County Economic Development to obtain an SBA loan for the business. They really took my business plan, reviewed it, made some updates, and then they made introductions to banks on my behalf.”

Apply for grants like it’s your job

“There’s money, a lot of grant money, available. There’s one specific grant, the Small Business Improvement Grant, that, when I bought desks, chairs, and tables, I was able to get reimbursed for all of that stuff. Navigating the grant process is challenging, but all of these organizations throughout the state do webinars, and they post the application in advance. So I would print the application out, watch the webinar, fill out the application, and then when applications opened, it was on my calendar, and I was sitting at my computer refreshing, and that’s the way I was able to get it.”

Don’t forget about local universities

“I didn’t know anything about opening a shared kitchen. But Rutgers University is here, and I was able to work with them and with Nolan Lewin [executive director of their Food Innovation Center]. He gave me some advice, and they were very helpful.”

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• Men

by Kenneth Meeks

June 5, 2026

Starting A Business In Today’s World Has Become Painfully Stressful

Chazz Scott Offers the Mental Tools You Need to Become a Successful Entrepreneur

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The American Institute of Stress released research from Bayes Business School on the daily stress levels of self-employed entrepreneurs compared to those employed at a company. Among the findings, business owners reported 24% higher stress than those gainfully employed. It’s a recurring issue as old as time. At the 2023 XCEL Summit for Men (then known as the Black Men XCEL Summit), Chazz Scott, author and mindset coach for Supra Mentem, sat down with BLACK ENTERPRISE Deputy Chief Content Officer Alisa Gumbs to spotlight the importance of inner well-being and peaceful mental health. And the strategy he suggested to become a successful leader back then still resonates today.

As we gear up for the 10^th anniversary of the XCEL Summit for Men, BE reminds young Black men that those tools will improve your quality of life. Scott says in this short clip from a previous Spotlight series that success has changed. It’s not having the big house anymore; it’s having inner peace and well-being because without it, you can’t reach success — let alone sustain it.  

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• Entrepreneurship

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

June 5, 2026

Black Startups Are Gaining More Funding In 2026, But Equity Concerns Remain

Black-founded startups raised $643 million marking the highest quarterly total since the second quarter of 2022.

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Black entrepreneurs in the United States secured their strongest quarter for venture capital funding in nearly four years. Despite the increase, experts say the surge masks ongoing structural challenges that continue to limit access to capital for many Black founders and startups, according to TechCrunch.

Crunchbase data show that Black-founded startups raised $643 million during the opening months of 2026, marking the highest quarterly total since the second quarter of 2022, when founders secured $653 million. The amount already represents nearly 70% of the $942 million that Black founders raised in all of 2025.

However, the gains were largely driven by a small number of sizable investments rather than broad-based growth across the startup ecosystem. Major rounds included AI company SambaNova Systems’ $350 million funding raise, which significantly boosted overall figures.

While the funding totals are encouraging, Black founders continue to receive only a small fraction of overall venture capital dollars. Last year, Black entrepreneurs accounted for just 0.32% of the roughly $290 billion invested across the venture market.

Gené Teare, Crunchbase’s head of research, told TechCrunch that persistent barriers continue to affect fundraising outcomes. Those obstacles include “access to networks, relationships, and early introductions,” factors that often influence venture capital decisions before formal pitches occur.

“We are eight to nine quarters into a venture funding downturn, but Crunchbase data has shown a persistent decline in funding to Black-founded companies that outpaces the overall decline in startup funding. One has to wonder if the abundance of caution that’s now prevalent in the industry has prevented investors from taking chances on first-time founders who are more likely to be diverse,” she said.

The latest numbers suggest that investor interest in Black-founded companies may be improving compared with recent years. Still, analysts caution that the ecosystem remains vulnerable if funding growth depends on a handful of large transactions rather than expansion of investment opportunities.

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• Diversity, Equality, Inclusion

by Sidnee Michelle

June 4, 2026

Defense Secretary Hegseth’s Scrutinized For Blocking Navy Promotions, Sparks Major Diversity Concerns

According to the outlet, Hegseth blocked the promotions of several diverse Navy captains recommended for elevation to rear admiral.

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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is facing renewed criticism after reports that he personally removed several officers from a Navy promotion list. This decision disproportionately impacted women and Black service members, raising concerns about political influence in military advancement, The New York Times reports.

According to the outlet, Hegseth blocked the promotions of several Navy captains recommended for elevation to rear admiral. The updated list reportedly included no women and only two nonwhite officers among 22 nominees.

Current and former defense officials described Hegseth’s intervention as unusual. They noted that promotion recommendations typically go through military channels before reaching ‘civilian leaders’ for approval. Hegseth’s opponents argue that this change raises questions about whether race or gender influenced the decision-making process.

The Pentagon has rejected these claims.

In a statement posted on X, the Defense Department said, “The era of promoting based on race and gender is over at the war department.” The statement added that promotions would be based on “merit, qualifications and performance, not identity.”

The era of promoting based on race and gender is over at the War Department.

We promote based on merit, qualifications, and performance—not identity.

It’s simple: the most qualified people get the job and earn the promotion. https://t.co/LhEI3obCm0

— DOW Rapid Response (@DOWResponse) June 2, 2026

This controversy arises amid a broader restructuring effort under Hegseth, who has repeatedly pledged to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives in the military. Since taking office, he has overseen the removal or reassignment of numerous senior military leaders, including several women and minority officers.

The latest move mirrors a recent controversy involving Hegseth, who previously halted the advancement of four Army colonels selected for promotion to one-star general, MS Now reports. The group included two women and two Black men.

Democratic lawmakers and some military personnel warn that such actions could undermine trust in the armed forces’ promotion system and affect retention among qualified officers. Sen. Jack Reed has previously expressed concern that repeated interference in personnel decisions could discourage future military leaders.

“You are hollowing out the military’s bench of experience and highest-performing senior officers, while making young officers wonder if they should continue to serve,” he said at a recent hearing.

The Pentagon insists that the promotion decisions were based solely on qualifications and performance. However, these latest changes have intensified the debate over the administration’s approach to diversity policies and leadership selection within the U.S. military.

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