Trump, Kamala, Debate — (Photos from left: Gage Skidmore/flickr; The White House/Flickr)

by Sharelle B. McNair

May 22, 2025

How Trump’s SBA Diverged From Harris’ Vision ForBlack Entrepreneurs

Industry experts wonder if the SBA changes are really about safer lending or just a massive attempt to scrub away anything that Joe Biden worked on.

Deals from the Small Business Administration (SBA) secured by Black-owned businesses are being terminated as new rules from the Trump administration are making it harder for them to maintain, Forbes reports.

To make SBA-backed loans safer for the government, some of the new rules, effective June 1, are stricter than they were during President Donald Trump’s first term. One new rule requires any business receiving an SBA loan to be 100% –up from 51% — owned by U.S. citizens, who must be permanent residents for at least six months.

The agency announced “SBA Eliminates Disastrous Biden-Era Underwriting Standards,” labeling an “era of irresponsible lending.” Business owners can expect tighter credit checks, tougher requirements on down payments, and less room to move around debt service coverage ratios.

Some rules affect SBA’s popular 7(a) and 504 loan programs, offering government-backed financing for small businesses. The 7(a) program permits loans of up to $5 million for general business needs such as working capital, equipment, or purchasing a company. The 504 program also goes up to $5 million and is geared toward fixed assets like real estate or large machinery. Standing on its plan, Trump’s SBA claims the 7(a) program resulted in a “negative cash flow of about $397 million” in 2024, its first loss in 13 years.

The move greatly differs from what was expected if former Vice President Kamala Harris secured the Oval Office. On the campaign trail, she promised to make things easier for Black business owners to thrive with the “Opportunity Agenda.” According to CNBC, Harris wanted to work with the SBA to give Black entrepreneurs one million fully forgivable loans of up to $20,000 to start a business.

Her campaign planned to finance them through partnerships with “mission-driven lenders,” the SBA, and community-based banks.

However, since Trump is here, industry experts like Eric Pacifici of SMB Law Group, which advises small businesses, wonder if the SBA changes are really about safer lending or just a massive attempt to scrub away anything that will remind business owners of an easier time, spearheaded by former President Joe Biden. It’s one-part signaling a return to tighter underwriting, but also reads as a somewhat political reset rather than a coherent policy shift,’’ the founder said.

Regardless, Pacifici feels the changes will be risky for the SBA, as stricter lending standards and rules could squash good deals. Instead of increasing the economic status of business owners who may support Trump, his administration is hurting them with unnecessary moves.

Renel Brooks-Moon — photo credit: Michael Marconi, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 21, 2025

San Francisco Giants Honor Renel Brooks-Moon With PA Booth Dedication

Renel Brooks-Moon received a quiet PA booth dedication after nearly 25 years with the San Francisco Giants.

After nearly 25 years with the team, Renel Brooks-Moon, the San Francisco Giants’ first public address announcer, was quietly honored with a booth dedication.

The newly named Renel Brooks-Moon PA booth now features a plaque honoring her 24 trailblazing years with the San Francisco Giants, The San Francisco Standard reports. The dedication came without a formal announcement or ceremony, and Brooks-Moon chose not to comment publicly on the tribute.

“It was the important thing and the right thing that we honored her,” said Shana Daum, the Giants’ senior vice president of communications and community relations. “Her legacy lives on in many ways, including naming the PA booth.”

The honor comes a year after the Giants parted ways with the beloved Brooks-Moon in March 2024, initially promising to rename the booth during the first half of the season. After delays, the dedication quietly took place in time for the Giants’ April 4 home opener, though it only came to light recently.

Brooks-Moon was given the title of PA announcer emeritus but was excluded from speaking roles at major events like the celebrations of life for Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. She’s also skipped other ceremonies due to feeling unwelcome. A friend announced how tough it was for Brooks-Moon to miss this year’s home opener, which honored the 25th anniversary of the San Francisco Giants’ 2000 team.

“I recorded every player, every coach,” Brooks-Moon said then. “It was just bananas. But it was so much fun. I didn’t realize how much I really needed this after I lost what I loved the most.”

The plaque in her dedicated booth celebrates Brooks-Moon as “one of the first Black female public address announcers in Major League Baseball. Thus began an iconic 24-year career that left an indelible mark on Giants history.”

There’s also a quote underscoring Brooks-Moon’s commitment to inspiring marginalized communities to keep pursuing their dreams.

“It is my great hope that my time in the booth has inspired little girls, young women, and people of color to pursue their dreams even if those dreams seem impossible because impossible dreams can come true,” it reads.

Bali, Ohio, arrest, GoFundMe — (Photo: Bill Oxford/Getty Images)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 21, 2025

Urban Adventure Photographer Isaac Wright Arrested At NYC Solo Show Debut

Isaac Wright's solo gallery debut was cut short when the NYPD arrived to arrest him.

Urban explorer photographer Isaac Wright had his solo show debut cut short due to an arrest. One onlooker said, “makes people hate the police even more.”

Just two hours into Wright’s solo debut, “Coming Home,” at the Robert Mann Gallery in New York City’s Chelsea area on May 14, four NYPD officers came in to arrest him, Art News reported. The following day, a police spokesperson confirmed that Wright, the former paratrooper known as “Drift,” was released from custody and charged with third-degree criminal trespassing, a class B misdemeanor under New York State law.

“The opening night was a huge success, drawing tremendous interest and energy from the public,” Robert Mann, the founder of Robert Mann Gallery, said in a statement. “While it was marked by unexpected events, we remain committed to celebrating Isaac’s vision and invite everyone to experience the exhibition first-hand. As history has shown, the art that challenges and confronts is often the art that changes how we see the world.”

Eyewitnesses who attended the opening spotted a suspicious woman “lurking” in the gallery before Wright’s arrest. It was later revealed she was an undercover agent waiting to notify police of the photographer’s presence.

“People were talking about it later like it was a honeypot,” Edward Zipco, cofounder of Superchief Gallery NYC & LA, told NFT News. “Apparently, she was undercover. After about half an hour, she signaled to the police.”

Fellow urban explorer Vitaliy Raskalov attended the opening and said he had “never seen anything like it before.”

“The cops could’ve called him, or gone to his house,” he said. “To arrest the guy at his own exhibition, in front of cameras and everyone, it just makes people hate the police even more.”

Wright is famous for scaling fences and skyscrapers to capture high-altitude photos, including his famed shot from atop New York’s Queensboro Bridge. His recent arrest at the art show isn’t his first, as he was jailed for four months in December 2020 after illegally climbing three structures in Cincinnati.

Police searched across multiple states and even closed a highway to arrest him. Yet, in hindsight, Wright describes his time in jail as a surprisingly freeing experience. Following his 2021 prison release, his artwork began fetching thousands of dollars amid the NFT boom.

“Being locked up turned out to be a gift,” he recently told The New York Times. “It was motivating. I couldn’t understand the freedom I was trying to express until I lost it all and was forced to fight for it.”

Allen Iverson — Photo by Harry Hamburg/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 21, 2025

Larry Brown Claims Michael Jordan Blocked Allen Iverson From Signing With The Charlotte Bobcats

MJ felt that bringing 'The Answer' would 'prohibit our progress' as a team.

When Michael Jordan was a minority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats many years ago, coach Larry Brown (2008-2010) wanted to bring Allen Iverson to the team, but Jordan nixed the idea, citing it would “prohibit our progress” as a team.

According to The Basketball Network, in a video interview from 2017, Brown, who started as an NBA coach (Denver Nuggets) in 1974 and retired as an NBA coach after his stint with the Bobcats in 2010, told Graham Bensinger that, at one time, he tried to bring the explosive guard to the team. Jordan, while trying to build a championship squad, liked Iverson’s game and may have felt like he would impede the progress he was trying to make with his young players.

Brown, who previously coached and clashed with Iverson, knew firsthand of Iverson’s ability but figured Jordan was right.

“I wanted to bring him to Charlotte,” Brown told Bensinger. “And Michael admired Allen, and Allen loved Michael. But Michael said, ‘Larry, if we bring him back, you’re gonna play him ahead of some of these young kids, and that’s gonna prohibit our progress.’ And he was right.”

Now, years later, and an NBA Hall of Famer, Iverson is making moves as an executive at Reebok. His current title as Vice President of Reebok Basketball has led him to spearhead a golf-inspired version of his iconic basketball sneaker, the Question Low Golf.

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Starting June 4, you can catch him and Shaquille O’Neal, President of Reebok Basketball, in a Netflix series that documents the two of them working to bring Reebok to the top of the sneaker brands again. The project is titled Power Moves with Shaquille O’Neal, and will focus on the former Orlando Magic center making executive decisions to bring back the brand that sponsored him and Iverson during the heydays of their respective NBA careers.

Notorious BIG, Touré, Notorious B.I.G., Netflix, Sean Combs: The Reckoning — (Photo: Ron Galella, Ltd./Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images)

by Ahsan Washington

May 21, 2025

5 Notorious B.I.G. Quotes That Show His Hustle For Wealth And Success

Christopher Wallace was a lyrical boss.

No one captured the contrast between street life and corporate ambition quite like Christopher Wallace, aka The Notorious B.I.G. He was a lyrical genius who seamlessly connected the hustle of Brooklyn corners with the mindset of Wall Street boardrooms. His words aren’t just catchy rhymes delivered with an excellent flow, they were business manifestos wrapped in gritty storytelling.

BLACK ENTERPRISE dug through BIG’s catalog and came out with five standout quotes that showcase his brilliant perspective on getting money, building wealth, and embodying a boss mentality. What’s crazy is how relevant his financial insights still are today, even though he’s been gone for almost three decades.

Stay far from timid/Only make moves when your heart’s in it/And live the phrase “sky’s the limit.”

From the 1997 song “Sky’s the Limit.” This quote inspires the hustlers and dreamers, telling us to take calculated risks and believe in yourself while on that journey to making it. It’s a rallying call for anyone with huge ambitions to chase them.

Now I’m in the limelight ‘cause I rhyme tight/Time to get paid, blow up …

This quote comes from the 1994 song “Juicy.” From the streets to the spotlight, Biggie looks back on his journey, how he climbed from nothing to becoming a hip-hop icon. He also speaks wisdom about grabbing life’s chances when they come your way and making the most of every win. It’s that classic rags-to-riches tale, but with Biggie’s raw perspective on turning your moment in the sun into something lasting.

Never get high on your own supply

In “Crack Commandments,” BIG borrows this line from the movie Scarface. Though it’s wrapped in street lingo, this lyric actually hits on something every business owner knows deep down: guard what you’re selling, stay disciplined about your operations, and don’t mix using your own stuff with trying to sell it. It’s pretty much Business 101, just with a grittier backdrop.

The key to staying on top of things is to treat everything like it’s your first project

In this interview clip, Biggie drops some real wisdom. The notorious one encourages people to keep grinding hard and tackling every new project with that same fire and excitement. Such a timeless piece of advice from the legend himself.

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTjuxbQR1

Negativity just brings failure

Notorious BIG highlights how keeping the right attitude and energy breeds positive outcomes. He stated emphatically that negativity stunts growth and success.

Truck Driver, Arrest, Crime, Decapitating Woman — (Photo: Lê Minh/Pexels)

by Mitti Hicks

May 21, 2025

Trump Administration Is Allegedly Removing Truck Drivers Who Don’t Speak Proficient English

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed a directive allowing the U.S. Department of Transportation to remove truck drivers who are not fluent in English. Duffy's move directly responds to President Donald Trump’s executive order on April 28.

Truck drivers will have to pass a CDL exam and a test proving they can speak English. According to NBC News, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed a directive allowing the U.S. Department of Transportation to remove truck drivers who are not fluent in English. Duffy’s move directly responds to President Donald Trump’s executive order on April 28.

Under the order, Trump directed the revision of the English Language Proficiency Testing and Enforcement Policy. In 2016, under former President Barack Obama, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed the penalty of placing drivers out of service for violating federal English Language Proficiency. The Obama Administration relaxed the penalties for a citation.

However, Trump’s executive order changes it back to forcing drivers off the road.

“It is the policy of my Administration to support America’s truckers and safeguard our roadways by enforcing the commonsense English-language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers and removing needless regulatory burdens that undermine the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” Trump states in his executive order, adding that it “will help ensure a safe, secure, and efficient motor carrier industry.”

Concerns For Truck Drivers Who Speak English As A Second Language

The American Truck Association has praised Trump for the new penalties under the executive order in a statement.

“We thank the Trump Administration for responding to our concerns on the uneven application of this existing regulation, and we look forward to working with FMCSA and the law enforcement community on an objective, consistent, and effective enforcement standard.”

However, others are concerned that the new guidance will lead to discrimination on the road as law enforcement agencies decide who to pull over to take the English proficiency test.

According to data from the Department of Transportation, nearly 4% of CDL holders are limited in English proficiency. An estimated 16% identify as immigrants.

“Is it someone who has an accent or maybe someone who wears a turban?” Mannirmal Kaur, senior federal policy manager for the Sikh Coalition, told NBC News. “Being ordered out of service could potentially be unemployment for the truck driver … with potentially limited recourse.”

Lil Wayne, Travis Hunter, sports agent, football. NFL — (Photo: Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 21, 2025

No ‘Special Treatment’ Here: Judge Denies Travis Hunter Jr’s Dad’s Request To Modify Sentence

Judge Howard Coates ruled that he doesn't want to give the older Hunter 'special treatment' since Travis Jr. was recently drafted by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

A judge overseeing Travis Hunter’s father’s criminal case has denied Travis Sr. a request to modify his sentence because he doesn’t want to appear like he is giving him “special treatment.”

The younger Hunter, who won the Heisman Trophy last year, was recently drafted second overall by the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars.

According to USA Today, Judge Howard Coates ruled that there will be no changes after Travis Sr. asked the court to convert his remaining sentence of community control supervision to a less restrictive form of probation. He requested that action so he can “assist his son with furthering his very promising career with the National Football League.”

After hearing Travis Sr.’s attorney, Bradford Cohen, plead for the alteration, the judge didn’t buy the reasoning behind the request.

“I hear these circumstances have changed, you know, my hat’s off to his son,” Coates said. “I don’t know that changes the father’s situation for me. In fact, it’s given me some concern that you’re almost arguing for special treatment.”

“That’s not special treatment; I’m not looking at that,” Cohen said after telling him that Travis Jr. can give his father “stable housing and a stable environment.”

“So say you, but probably 99 percent of the public out there that doesn’t have an athlete son who’s incredibly successful, might look at this and say, ‘This sounds like special treatment for the athlete’s father,’” the judge responded.

With that, the judge denied the request.

However, in April, Coates gave the older Hunter permission to travel to Green Bay for the NFL Draft to be with his son. He also granted Travis Sr. the opportunity to go to Tennessee to see Travis Jr. get married this weekend.

Travis Sr. is currently serving three years of probation in Palm Beach County, Florida, after he was convicted of gun and drug charges last year.

Marcus Jordan, video, arrest, , lawsuit, credit card lawsuit — (Photo: Alexander Tamargo/Bravo via Getty Images)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 21, 2025

Marcus Jordan Announces 40 Days Of Sobriety Months After Drug-Related Arrest

He was charged with cocaine possession, resisting arrest, and DUI property damage or personal injury after a traffic stop in February

After being arrested in February on multiple charges related to his reported drug use, Marcus Jordan recently posted on social media that he has surpassed 40 days of sobriety.

According to TMZ, the son of NBA great Michael Jordan posted to his Instagram Story on May 18 that he was celebrating 40 days of not using any drugs, months after being caught on the road by Florida police officers.

In February, according to WESH, Marcus was arrested by the Maitland Police Department and charged with cocaine possession, resisting arrest, and DUI property damage or personal injury. He was booked into the Orange County Jail in Orlando. The former basketball player was arrested after he took off after a traffic stop by the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Police officers noticed headlights from Jordan’s Lamborghini on the train tracks. The vehicle wasn’t moving, and a train was heading his way on the tracks about 10 minutes away. When officers reached out to him, he asked them to help get the SUV off the tracks after making “a wrong turn.”

TMZ reported that he entered a plea of not guilty in his initial court appearance.

People reported in March that Marcus’s attorney requested that his client be allowed to enter a substance abuse program after he admitted to having a problem.

“Mr. Jordan is dedicated to becoming a responsible, drug-free, and productive member of the community,” according to legal documents. “His participation in the Pre-Trial Substance Abuse Education and Treatment Intervention Program will not only benefit him personally but also serve the community by reducing the likelihood of future offenses.”

According to CBS Sports, Marcus tried to follow in the footsteps of her legendary father when he played at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. He attended the school from 2009-2012, where he averaged 12.3 points per game. He owns Trophy Room, an upscale sneaker and apparel boutique which is based in Orlando.

Taraji P. Henson, BET Awards — (Photo: Arturo Holmes/The Hollywood Reporter via Getty Images)

by Jeroslyn JoVonn

May 21, 2025

Taraji P. Henson Says Hollywood ‘Lied to Me’ About Black Stars Translating Overseas

Taraji P. Henson reflects on the moment she recognized her true worth in Hollywood, despite years of being led to believe otherwise.

Taraji P. Henson is opening up about how her month-long retreat in Bali helped reshape her perspective on Hollywood and the value she adds to it.

The Golden Globe winner sat down with Stacy L. Smith, founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, at the Cannes Film Festival for a Kering Women in Motion Talk, where she recalled the moment she realized she was worth far more than the entertainment industry had been leading her to believe. It took an overseas press run with Lee Daniels for the hit series Empire that helped Henson open her eyes to her global reach as an actress.

“When I did the international press for ‘Empire,’ up until then I was told Black doesn’t translate overseas,” Henson told the crowd, as captured by Variety. “Really? We went to Paris. Lee Daniels kept me a secret to the audience at a Q&A. The fans started asking the Cookie questions, and he said, ‘Why don’t you ask her.’ Before he could finish saying my name, the entire room erupted in applause and was screaming. For me? I got up on the stage and I ugly-faced cried.”

“The myth was busting. You lied to me my entire career. I leave the stage, and there are fans outside who know my name. That changed the game,” she added.

Frustrated by the lack of leading roles, pay gaps, and limited awards recognition for women of color, Henson took a month-long retreat to Bali after feeling “discouraged” about her career.

“I was just frustrated, and it was making me bitter, and I’m not a bitter person,” Henson said. “I made a promise to myself if I ever got there, then it’s time to walk away. I’m not serving myself or the audience or the characters I play. Thank god I did that. I came back refreshed and with a new perspective.

Henson realized that she needed to “stop chasing things I never came into the industry for,” like awards, and take time to “refocus.” Her time away allowed her to reflect on how graceful she’s been with “accepting less pay.” But declared, “Not anymore though!”

After her month-long break in Bali, The Color Purple star shifted her energy toward business ventures like her beauty brand TPH, to ensure paychecks outside of Hollywood. The shift follows Henson’s decision in 2023 to take an extended stay in Bali after feeling burnt out by the industry. Now, she’s urging others, especially women of color, to stand up for themselves and never settle for less than they deserve.

“I urge you all to speak up for yourself,” Henson told the room of women. “I have worked my butt off to garner the following I have. My following rides for me. That’s an audience I procured through my hard work and the characters I play. I know a studio, when they call on me, they are calling on me because they know all these people are going to come and show up. That’s my power. You need me because you need my following. Thank you, social media. Once I figured that out, I just started speaking up for myself.”

Gilbert Arenas, Washington. Wizards,, NBA, salary — (Photo: Keith Allison/Creative Commons via Wikimedia Commons)

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

May 21, 2025

Gilbert Arenas Faults Son’s Cybertruck Malfunctioning For Life-Threatening Accident

Alijah, a USC basketball recruit, was placed in a medically induced coma, but he has recovered

In a recent podcast interview, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas discussed his son Alijah’s car accident that almost took his life.

According to CBS Sports, Arenas talked about the accident that his son was in when the vehicle crashed into a tree and a fire hydrant. After being placed in a medically induced coma, Alijah, after being intubated, is on the road to recovery, and Gilbert explained what happened to his son when the accident took place.

While appearing on All The Smoke, Arenas told former NBA player Matt Barnes that the Tesla Cybertruck that Alijah was driving malfunctioned, causing his son to be stuck in the vehicle for at least ten minutes. The vehicle caught on fire, and Alijah was unable to free himself because the windows were bulletproof and he couldn’t break the glass to remove himself from it.

After the Cybertruck malfunctioned, it left the steering wheel limp, which caused him to run into a tree.

“The car malfunctioned on him,” Arenas said. “The steering wheel went limp and ran him right into a tree.”

Arenas said his son tried to call 911 and was on the phone with the operator for ten minutes as he tried to kick out the windows and couldn’t.

“He couldn’t break the window. I seen that people were like, ‘Oh, he fell asleep.’ I’m looking at, he’s on the phone with 9-1-1 — I’m trying to get that call — he’s on the phone with them for 10 minutes, so I know he was at least in the car for ten minutes.”

He also had some advice for any parents who may purchase a Cybertruck for their children.

“If you are a parent and your teen has this car, you might want to put a hammer in that joint, something that can break the window. Because physically, he said he was trying to kick the window in and couldn’t.”

Alijah currently plays basketball at Chatsworth High School in Los Angeles and is the No. 13-ranked recruit in the class of 2025. He has already committed to play for the University of Southern California Trojans.