prom dress, prom dresses, hood prom, tiktok — photo credit: pexels

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 26, 2026

White TikToker Checked For Claiming ‘Hood Prom’ Happens Because Black Girls Won’t Get Married

The Tiktoker was slammed by other creators for her racist, and unfounded, claims.

A white TikToker was checked by the Black community over her racist thinking behind “hood prom.”

The TikToker, who goes by the name of Sasha, claimed that Black girls partake in over-the-top “hood prom” looks due to their lesser chances of having a wedding. The woman, who identifies as a conservative, shared her unfounded statements to the video-streaming app. Some of her take was re-shared by a Black woman who called out the discrimination.

@_whitney_87
Let’s just say is more baby mommas in your culture underaged at that 🤷🏾‍♀️
♬ original sound – Whitney_T_😘

“Its prom season which means one thing and one thing only…hood prom,” asserted the content creator. “And I think what a lot of people fail to realize [about] hood prom and baby mama culture [is]…you can’t have one without the other.”

The TikToker then dived deeper into her racist hypothesis, breaking down her assumed connections between “hood prom” and “baby mama culture.”

She continued, “You can’t have hood prom or the baby shower stuff or anything like that without baby mama culture.”

While she tried to make her case, the Black community made a quick rebuttal to her claims.

“You know what I love about this app is when y’all get on here and make a fool of yourselves…what is a hood prom,” questioned a naysayer. “Over the years, y’all continue to come for a group of people who pay y’all no mind.”

After letting the TikToker know that she is too deep in Black people’s business, the critic then went on to call out what demographic helped promote the “Teen Mom” television series and surrounding culture.

“Y’all made baby mama culture at the forefront with the “Teen Mom” series. Hands down,” she continued.

As the TikToker denounced the notion of a “hood prom,” others also chimed in on the alleged glorification of teenage motherhood.

“That was my first thought,” another added. “Like didn’t they have a show of pregnant white teens????”

Other naysayers called out Sasha, demanding an apology for her racist assertion. However, the conservative content creator refused to retract her words. Instead, she doubled down on her claims that “hood prom” exists and coincides with her self-proclaimed “baby mama culture,” particularly due to her belief that the Black community does not prioritize having fathers in the home.

However, Black women refused to back down, furthering undermine the racist thoughts with pictures of their weddings and successful marriages. While the TikToker continues to speak on other communities, the Black community let her know that her racist assertions would not go unchecked.

trump,dei, federal contacts, report — Photo by Markus Winkler: https://www.pexels.com/photo/diversity-equity-inclusion-concept-with-letter-tiles-30901634/

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

April 26, 2026

Black Businesses Could Lose Access To Federal Contracts Due To DEI Order, Report

A special edition of The Blackout Report suggests Black businesses could lose access to federal contracts over anti-DEI policies.

A new report says President Trump’s latest DEI order could significantly derail Black businesses’ ability to gain federal contracts.

The Blackout Report, published April 23 by Onyx Impact, suggests that Black businesses are at risk of being left out of federal contracting opportunities due to this anti-DEI legislation. The Blackout Report details the “concrete harms” to Black communities prompted by the Trump administration and its policies.

This year’s special edition report argues that this federal contracting shift has already begun, with the latest order further threatening this revenue-boosting pathway. Trump’s executive order, issued March 26, directly targets equity policies in federal contracting, limiting these opportunities for Black business owners.

While federal contracting is already a lucrative industry, with the report noting a $774 billion market, Black businesses hold only a tiny share of these profits. In fact, only 1.2% of federal dollars actually go toward these entities. The vast majority of federal contract funding goes to white-owned companies, accounting for 93.6% of all dollars received.

“Federal contracting is one of the clearest pathways to wealth generation in this country, and Black-owned businesses receive only 1.2% of the payments,” said Onyx Impact Founder and CEO Esosa Osa, according to Revolt. “When you target a group already confined to 1.2%, you are actively enforcing a broken system.”

Now, these numbers could shrink even more if Black businesses are phased out of this “wealth pipeline,” with $9.3 billion at risk of flowing out of Black wealth generation. Federal contracts have sustained and elevated many Black businesses, supporting jobs, supplying capital, and adding credibility to these companies.

However, under this new compliance framework, contracts could come to a halt as contractors seek to avoid risk. Its impact could leave these businesses, already handed just a margin of opportunity, with even less to sustain themselves for the future.

Furthermore, Black women, who own 48% of all Black businesses, could also take a significant hit. The report found that Black women CEOs with The BOW Collective reported revenue declines, with over half reporting losses exceeding $100,000.

Despite the pushback against partnering with Black businesses, minority-owned companies have greatly contributed to revenue generation and employment opportunities in the United States. However, accessibility barriers have stunted these companies from scaling operations, with this latest policy jeopardizing this growth even more.

Virginia, African Landing Memorial, First Enslaved Africans — photo credit: pexels

by Shanique Yates

April 26, 2026

Virginia Dedicates $9M African Landing Memorial To Honor First Enslaved Africans

Community members in Hampton, Virginia, were joined by state leaders to dedicate the African Landing Memorial Plaza, which marks where the first documented enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia over 400 years ago.

The African Landing Memorial is a new Virginia memorial that pays homage to the first enslaved Africans who were forced into the state.

Community members in Hampton, Virginia, were joined by state leaders to dedicate the African Landing Memorial Plaza. The site now marks where the first documented enslaved Africans were brought to Virginia over 400 years ago, 13 News Now reports.

Africans who were taken from Luanda, Angola, first arrived at what has been identified as the original site of Point Comfort in 1619. According to reports, the ship São João Bautista was used to carry hundreds across the Atlantic. It is a painful reminder of the violence used to shape the nation’s history, but one that must be recognized to deepen the understanding of the effect that slavery had and still has on this country today.

“It’s often said that you need story more than food to survive,” said Fort Monroe Authority CEO Scott Martin during the dedication event on April 24. “The descendants are with us today, the story is with us today… and when you sit out here at sunrise or sunset, you watch the land speak to you.”

The plaza is inspired by the Sankofa symbol, which represents the philosophy of learning from the past to build a successful future, and it took $9 million to build. It is a pedestrian-only plaza that features Angolan granite and design elements.

Wanda Tucker has traced her lineage to Isabella and Antony, two of the first enslaved Africans documented in Virginia, and to their child, William Tucker.

“Very rarely am I speechless, but this one feels so deep,” said Tucker. “There’s a history here as to how Angolans first arrived and all the 400-plus years of history, construction of American history, that we have brought since the beginning. I don’t want that to be missed in any way.”

Tucker and her family partnered with the Fort Monroe Authority and the Fort Monroe National Monument to offer insight on the development of the memorial.

As a state leader, Gov. Abigail Spanberger vowed to provide the necessary support to raise awareness of the memorial’s history.

“The Commonwealth of Virginia will protect and steward this memorial, and we will make sure it is here for the generations who will stand on this ground and learn its stories,” she said. “It is up to us, all of us, to tell these stories with the honesty and grace they deserve.”

The dedication is just a stepping stone to a host of plans for the memorial, including the installation of statues expected to be completed later this summer, along with additional features.

“It’s almost like a book of essays with this memorial, much like the African experience in America over 400 years,” said Fort Monroe Authority Executive Director Scott Martin.

Suspect, White House Correspondents Dinner, Shooting, trump — (Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images)

by Shanique Yates

April 26, 2026

Suspect Identified In 2026 White House Correspondents Dinner Shooting

The alleged shooter has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen, a teacher from Torrance, California.

Details surrounding the shooting during the 2026 White House Correspondents’ Dinner continue to roll in.

According to the New York Post, the alleged shooter has been identified as 31-year-old Cole Allen of Torrance, California. It is believed that he is a teacher at C2 Education, a tutoring and test-prep company, based on a LinkedIn profile that matches his name and photo.

He is currently in custody and was reportedly armed with a shotgun, handgun, and multiple knives during the incident, which took place at approximately 8:35 p.m. at the Washington Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C. Shots were not fired at the gunman at the time of the shooting, however, he was charged and tackled to the ground before being taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

Armed Suspect Identified in Shooting at White House Correspondents' Dinner https://t.co/AAPh7zr9Kn pic.twitter.com/6GQFG23WjH
— TMZ (@TMZ) April 26, 2026

In a video shared to Truth Social by Trump, Allen is seen opening fire and rushing toward the ballroom. He is currently being charged with the use of a firearm during a crime of violence and the assault of a federal officer.

The law enforcement officer who was shot on the scene was wearing a bulletproof vest and walked away with no real injuries. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon confirmed a “facial bruise” as a result of the chaos that erupted when people heard the gunshots. Another elderly man in attendance appeared injured and was seen limping out of the ballroom with assistance.

An investigation is underway into how Allen managed to gain access to the hotel so close to the leaders, with roughly 2,500 guests in attendance. It is believed that he checked into the hotel, which Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent made sure to disclose was the same place where an assassination attempt on former President Ronald Reagan occurred in 1981, as a guest.

It has also been confirmed that Trump was at the center as a target in the attack. This is the first year Trump has attended the annual dinner as a sitting president.

“There were a lot of high-value targets in the room,” said Bessent. “The president and vice president were both up on the stage.”

Trump said he doesn’t believe that the attack is linked to the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, and vowed to continue his approach to politics. He also promised to reschedule the dinner within 30 days and to change the language of his remarks, noting that he initially planned to “rip into reporters.”

“It’s not going to deter me from winning the war in Iran,” said Trump. “I don’t know if that had anything to do with it. I really don’t think so, based on what we know.”

He added, “A lot of other people, you know, you read stories when they become basket cases, to be honest with you. I’m not a basket case. I want to live because I want to make this country great. That’s why I want to live. When you’re impactful, they go after you.”

This is the third time Trump has allegedly been targeted in an assassination attempt. The first was in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, when he was shot in his upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman who was shot dead by security personnel at the time.

Two months after that incident, Secret Service agents discovered a man hiding in the bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, as Trump played rounds on the course. It was deemed an assassination attempt because the suspect was seen wielding a gun. He was sentenced to life in prison in February 2026.

protest, Portland, racial slur, Catholic school — (Photo: Tero Vesalainen/Getty Images)

by Shanique Yates

April 25, 2026

Hundreds Walk Out In Black Student Union Protest After Racial Slur At Portland Catholic High School

Students walked out at Central Catholic High, citing mishandling of a racist incident involving the baseball team.

Hundreds of students exercised their right to free speech during a protest at Central Catholic High School in Portland on April 24.

The protest is a response to what students have deemed a mishandling of both the school and the Portland Archdiocese’s handling of a racist incident that occurred among the Central High baseball team, Oregon Live reports.

Organized by the Black Student Union, senior Kaela Woodard put plans in motion for the walkout, which drew hundreds of students at the 800-student high school. At the time of the protest, the school was presented with a list of demands, including a call for suspension of the entire baseball coaching staff until specific training has been undergone, as well as changes to the school’s anti-racist policies and the request for some varsity baseball players not to be allowed to continue their season.

The move comes after an incident involving a racial slur that occurred during a pregame cheer. Per the students at the school, varsity players on the team hazed a freshman into using the derogatory term.

“Last week, we learned that racial hate speech was used by a member of our baseball team during a pre-game cheer,” the Central Catholic administration said in a statement when the incident first came to light. “This language is offensive, harmful, and in direct conflict with who we are as a school community.”

Although the school forfeited two baseball games and canceled in-person classes on Monday and Tuesday to determine how to support students, and the baseball team issued an official apology at an all-school assembly, many Central Catholic students said the response was not enough.

“They hold these safe spaces for us where we can talk and freely share our opinions, but they create no real change, and want to change pretty much nothing,” said senior Jalen Jackson.

He added, “Our Black students are obviously mortified by this happening, but I see too many people in this school walking up to them and talking like nothing has ever happened. It’s really disgusting, to be honest, and we need to be better as a community.”

In an updated statement released by the school, officials called the walkout a “powerful expression of hurt and urgency” carried out by Black students and community members.

”We support our students’ right to express themselves. Students have raised serious concerns about potential hazing, team culture, coaching oversight, and our response as a school. We are addressing each of these concerns directly and in alignment with our current policies,” read the statement. “We have taken action consistent with our current policies and are continuing to hold students accountable in ways that reflect the seriousness of this situation. We are strengthening expectations for coaching through required training and support to ensure team culture, supervision, and leadership consistent with Central Catholic’s values.”

Mike Phillips, the parent of a sophomore at Central Catholic who participated in the walkout, notes that he’s encountered this same sort of response by the school for his younger son, who attends the Madeleine School. He calls for the school’s administration to hold those involved accountable.

“It’s kind of like the same playbook,” he said. “When you get hit with the ball of racism, when we throw the ball back at you, at accountability in these institutions, you can’t hide behind the cross or the church. You have to be accountable for what it is.”

Photo by Jay Brand, Pexels

by Shanique Yates

April 25, 2026

Two Black Women Are Behind Affordable Housing Renaissance In Cleveland

Shelia Wright and Angela Thi Bennett created Frontline Development Group with a mission to create affordable housing opportunities.

Shelia Wright and Angela Thi Bennett are the driving forces behind a development group on a mission to create affordable housing opportunities for the Cleveland, Ohio, community.

Since creating Frontline Development Group, the goal has always been to advance real estate development that enhances wealth generation.

According to Signal Cleveland, the co-owners and limited partners’ first major project was Gordon Crossing, a mixed-income apartment building located on the city’s East 101st Street. Tenants first began moving into the establishment in 2026, a long time coming for the women invested in fostering better opportunities for the people in their community, starting with the basic need for housing.

“We realized it wasn’t just about us,” said Wright, Frontline president.

Bennett serves as vice president and general counsel. Both women had similar experiences growing up on Cleveland’s East Side and in East Cleveland and went on to earn MBAs and law degrees.

Launched in 2018, Frontline is among the only 0.40% of Black real estate developers in the United States. As an emerging developer in Cleveland, the company is an anomaly, especially given that Black East Side neighborhoods, including Central, Hough, and Fairfax, have suffered disinvestment for years.

Black developers are a rarity, which is why Wright and Bennett take their mission very seriously. In addition to creating affordable housing for residents throughout Cleveland’s historic Black neighborhoods, they’re committed to redevelopment. Frontline also includes minority contractors and workers on all of its projects.

“We’re in real estate development, but it’s also about people development,” said Bennett. “These are our people. We’re going to make sure that they’re able to economically participate in this development.”

The recent Gordon Crossing project isn’t their first rodeo. In 2020, Frontline broke ground on its first housing development, Allen Estates, with Phase 1 comprising six homes designed by architect W. Dan Bickerstaff.

“Everything I’m trying to do is purposeful and speaks to the larger community,” Wright told The Land at the time. “We want people who look like us working on this project.”

Demand for the first project was high, with over 1,300 people applying to live in the 54-unit Gordon Crossing. Their next development includes a plan to close on Gateway 66, an 80-unit mixed-income apartment complex that sits next to the historic League Park in Hough, in July. Construction is set to begin in August.

Wright and Bennett pride themselves on using Gordon Crossing and Gateway 66 to create affordable housing during a time when many city and county officials argue that the “demand for affordable housing outstrips the demand.”

Gateway 66 will include units targeting both working-class and middle-class renters, including two-person families with incomes between $39,800 and $63,800.

Tarana Burke, me.too, civil rights — Photo credit: Jon Tadiello, Wikimedia Commons Tarana Burke September 12, 1973 The Bronx, New York Tarana Burke became a pioneering figure by founding the meToo. movement, raising awareness of sexual harassment and assault and empowering survivors globally. https://metoomvmt.org/get-to-know-us/tarana-burke-founder/

by Ahsan Washington

April 25, 2026

The Foot Soldiers On The Frontline Of Sexual Assault Advocacy

These Black women lead the charge

In 2026, as BLACK ENTERPRISE reflects on the 25th anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the statistics remain sobering. According to the National Organization for Women (NOW), Black women are still 2.5 times more likely to experience sexual violence than their peers. Despite this disparity, they continue to experience significant barriers to safety, ranging from cultural stigma to institutional disbelief. However, phenomenal Black women stand in the gap, doing the work to ensure that all Black survivors of sexual assault and violence receive resources and support to thrive.

Tarana Burke

Long before it became a viral hashtag, Tarana Burke established the me too. movement in 2006, as a response to her work with Black girls who had experienced sexual violence but lacked resources and support systems. Burke developed the initiative through grassroots organizing and survivor-centered programming in the United States. Burke wanted to establish a language of solidarity and healing for survivors who came from marginalized communities. The movement achieved worldwide recognition in 2017, but its foundation remains focused on underserved populations who have experienced sexual trauma and on making sure survivors receive support.

The Movement: She emphasizes that while the media often focuses on individual bad actors, the movement is truly about dismantling the building blocks of sexual violence: power and privilege.
Vision: Burke advocates a cultural shift in which bodily autonomy is recognized as a basic human right, and survivors are not forced to “perform their pain” for public awareness.

Aishah Shahidah Simmons

Through storytelling, filmmaker and activist Aishah Shahidah Simmons has effectively addressed sexual violence in Black communities. The 2006 film, NO! The Rape Documentary became one of the first films to present Black survivor voices directly and boldly. Simmons operates out of Philadelphia, where she leads dialogues and workshops and conducts screenings to break the silence and stigma around sexual assault.

Impact: The film was ahead of its time, premiering 11 years before the global recognition of the #MeToo movement.

Current Work: Based in Philadelphia, she continues to lead “Generations of Struggle” dialogues and virtual screenings to foster transformative resistance and healing.

Farah Tanis

Farah Tanis serves as the executive director and co-founder of Black Women’s Blueprint and leads front-line efforts to address sexual violence in Black communities through culturally specific advocacy and healing programs. Tanis directs national campaigns to address sexual assault’s enduring effects from her Brooklyn, New York-based organization, which gave a groundbreaking 2016 United Nations testimony on Black women’s sexual violence legacy in the United States. Through policy work, international human rights collaboration, and grassroots programs, Tanis advances her fight against systemic inequities while elevating Black survivor voices.

Global Advocacy: In 2014, her organization issued the first-ever report to the UN regarding gendered racism and sexual assault against Black women in the U.S.

Key Focus: She highlights the “sexual abuse-to-prison pipeline” and demands state accountability for the historical and systemic exploitation of Black women’s bodies.

Monique W. Morris

Monique W. Morris, a researcher and advocate, has focused national attention on the intersection of sexual violence with Black girls’ treatment in schools and the juvenile justice system. Morris uses her book Pushout and her work with the National Black Women’s Justice Institute to show how Black girls who face abuse receive criminalization instead of support. Her advocacy work demands systems that focus on trauma-informed approaches to protect and heal individuals.

Initiatives: She co-leads the “Holding a Sister” initiative, which mobilizes resources specifically for trans girls and gender-expansive youth of color.

Philosophy: Her advocacy moves beyond addressing structural oppression to investing in the joy and liberated futures of marginalized youth.

Yale, AI, platform, seed money — Photo by Thirdman, Pexels

by Shanique Yates

April 25, 2026

Two Black Yale Students Raise $5.1M To Build AI Networking Platform Series

Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow created the platform, Series, a next-generation social networking platform.

Two Black Yale students are on their way to building the next social network powered by artificial intelligence (AI).

When Nathaneo Johnson and Sean Hargrow first met during their freshman year at the Yale Entrepreneurial Society, they were interviewing founders and CEOs to better understand how to build a successful business. It was then that they “realized the power of warm connections,” according to an interview with TechCrunch.

That realization led them to introduce the concept of warm introductions through their platform, Series, a next-generation social networking platform.

With just a little over a year under its belt, Series has officially raised a $5.1 million pre-seed round, which includes Venmo co-founder Iqram Magdon-Ismail, Pear VC, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman, and GPTZero Founder Edwar Tian as its initial investors.

Deemed as the first social networking platform to work entirely through iMessage versus an AI app, Series users can text a phone number (Series AI) to explain who they are and who they aim to connect with.

Series AI then messages the user back via what are described as “shares,” a carousel of 10 images of others’ posts they can easily swipe through to find someone with an ask similar to their own. Each card includes the person’s photo and request, and users can tap the carousel photo to start a private conversation with another person without sharing their personal number, since the Series AI chat serves as the conversation’s home.

Johnson is currently studying computer science and economics at Yale, while Hargrow is studying neuroscience. As someone with firsthand experience in the evolution of technology, Johnson notes that the industry is shifting away from user interfaces toward conversational interfaces such as Google Search and ChatGPT.

After landing on the concept in March 2025, the duo began fundraising and built a team of eight to bring Series to what it is today.

Its first major marketing push was unconventional: a reality television show titled “The Series,” which streamed live via Twitch in August 2025.

“We’re rewriting the startup playbook,” Johnson told Forbes at the time. “If we’re going to capture attention, we have to build community in the most public way possible.”

Another unorthodox approach by the founders is that Hargrow and Johnson have decided to continue with school as they build Series from the ground up.

For Johnson, a smooth day can be thwarted by a lot of schoolwork, all while maintaining a team to run the company; however, it is a challenge he’s willing to accept.

“Your extra time outside of your supposed obligation can be used to catapult what you’re truly meant to do,” said Johnson. “People are often so scared to make use of their extra time.”

The Series will use its recent capital to hire more engineers, plans to expand product capabilities, and aims to stay on the East Coast, following a trend of young founders who are opting for what Johnson calls “Silicon Alley” rather than taking their talents out west to Silicon Valley.

First Black-Built, AI, Execution Platform — Photo by RDNE Stock project: https://www.pexels.com/photo/hands-on-laptop-keyboard-10376220/

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

April 25, 2026

Richie Branson Presents Latest Creation, Tax Evaders Video Game

The retro-inspired game can be played in your web browser

Game developer Richie Branson partnered with All For America to release a new video game titled Tax Evaders.

The latest creation by Branson is a retro-inspired game that can be played in your web browser, combining humor and satire to tap into frustration over affordability in the United States.

“Video games just come a long way, not just from a way to unwind, but also to think about the real world,” said Branson in a written statement. “Sometimes, the real world gets put into video games, and it helps you understand it more, so I hope to see more of video games being used to express what’s going on in the world in the future.”

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A roaming digital billboard drew attention to the video game when it hit the streets of Washington, D.C., appearing at key locations, including the White House, U.S. Capitol, and the Department of Justice, on April 15 (Tax Day). When the billboard appeared on the streets, it traveled around the city, near high-traffic areas, to be seen by the public and by D.C. policymakers.

Tax Evaders was created to give players control of the current government — including President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and other politicians — to navigate it by dismantling pillars of everyday American life, including healthcare, housing, education, and food access. It also offers commentary on the systems that many feel are failing them.

“The issues we’re facing as Americans are serious and can’t be ignored. But the way many of us talk about them can feel divisive, insular, or even nonexistent, which ends up alienating people from conversations that affect them too,” says Lauren Bierman, president of All For America. “Tax Evaders was created as a fun, creative way to elevate these issues and bring more people into the conversation at a time when many feel overwhelmed or disconnected. Partnering with Richie Branson to help create it just made sense.”

Interested people can play Tax Evaders at playtaxevaders.com.

deed theft, foreclosure, Mamdani — Photo by Atlantic Ambience, Pexels

by Ann Brown

April 25, 2026

NYC Mayor Mamdani Opens Deed Theft Office After Protest Highlights Black Homeowners Losing Family Homes

Deed theft can wipe out generations of family wealth.

On April 14, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a new Office of Deed Theft Prevention after the April 22 arrest of City Councilmember Chi Ossé brought renewed attention to the ongoing threat of deed theft to Black and other New York City homeowners.

The office will be led by attorney Peter White, a longtime housing advocate who has handled deed theft litigation, foreclosures, bankruptcy, and landlord-tenant disputes, The City reports.

“The establishment of this office and the work going forward is an act of empathy for people,” White said during the announcement in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. “I see it as a direct correlation and an extension of the work that I’ve previously done. I’m excited to get this going.”

Deed theft often occurs through forged documents, foreclosure-rescue scams, and misleading sales that strip longtime homeowners of their properties. This can wipe out generations of family wealth in the process.

“The theft of a home is the theft of a family’s future,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Deed theft preys on the New Yorkers who can least afford it. Today, we are bringing the full force of city government to bear to stop it -– to protect homeowners, defend generational wealth and make clear that this city will not tolerate the exploitation of our communities.”

The issue exploded into public view after Ossé was arrested while protesting the eviction of Carmella Charrington from her family’s Bedford-Stuyvesant brownstone. Her supporters argue she is a victim of deed theft, though the New York Attorney General’s office said the matter was determined to be a property dispute rather than deed theft, News 12 reports.

Still, Ossé says the broader issue remains urgent, especially in historically Black neighborhoods like Bed-Stuy and Crown Heights, where rising property values have made longtime residents targets for predatory developers.

“Black displacement is happening right now in Bed-Stuy and Carmella is one of many Black homeowners battling deed theft in Brooklyn,” Ossé’s office said in a statement. “Not another Black homeowner should have their home stolen.”

For Black New Yorkers, deed theft has become more than a legal issue; it is tied directly to gentrification and generational wealth loss. Families who have owned brownstones for decades are often pushed out through complicated legal battles, foreclosures, or deceptive transfers, PIX 11 reports.

“It’s patently unfair,” White said of the racial and economic targeting. “I want to help stop it.”

White says the new office will focus on early detection, homeowner education, and helping families recover stolen homes. Even residents who are unsure whether they are facing deed theft will be able to seek help.

“Having a dedicated office that is creating awareness and educating people will help them figure out if they’re dealing with deed theft or not, or point them in the right direction to seek help even if they’re not dealing with deed theft,” Ossé told The City.