by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 27, 2024

More Black Men Are Proudly Cooking Dishes This Thanksgiving, Study Shows 57% of Men Will Cook At Least One Dish

Research shows that more men are stepping up to handle Thanksgiving cooking duties.

Black male chefs are highlighting the growing trend of men taking on cooking duties this Thanksgiving. Recent studies show that over 50% of men are preparing at least one dish for the holiday.

A recent Instacart survey found that 64% of women plan to prepare at least one dish for Thanksgiving, while 57% of men are also stepping up to contribute. Additionally, 30% of men and women intend to cook the entire feast.

With more men stepping up to share Thanksgiving cooking responsibilities, Black chefs are celebrating this shift and applauding men for embracing the change in traditional roles.

“I think that cooking is not something that is based on one’s gender. I see it as a form of creative expression,” LA-based traveling chef Jeffrey Smith Jr. told Essence.

The owner of the Best Kept Secrets International catering company believes cooking is for everyone, not just one group or gender. The study also revealed that Gen Z (63%), millennials (66%), and Gen X (61%) are outpacing boomers (53%) in plans to cook or contribute dishes.

St. Louis-based chef Que Dunn, also known as “Chef Que,” shares this perspective, noting that younger generations are moving away from traditional gender norms, especially regarding who takes on the cooking.

“I do think it’s becoming more of an even split. I believe this generation doesn’t have the same mindset as the previous ones,” he says. “Women find men who can cook attractive. They find that to be an attractive trait.”

Charles Hunter III, a Nashville-based personal chef and owner of The Salted Table, is hosting Thanksgiving this year to give his mother a well-deserved break. He plans to prepare all the traditional dishes himself.

“We stick to the standard of turkey, ham, dressing, mac and cheese, candied sweet potatoes, collard greens. We shoot down the list and whoever is best at making a particular dish would stick to preparing those,” he says. “We create a plan of execution, and I try to put my spin on things. I just love being in the kitchen. It’s a dream job that I fell into that I didn’t even know I wanted.”

Commenting on the rise of men taking on Thanksgiving cooking duties, Hunter emphasizes that everyone should be comfortable in the kitchen, stating, “Cooking is a life skill.”

“It’s something everybody should know how to do. Even if it’s on a super basic foundational level, everyone should be able to bring ingredients into a pot and make it edible.”

HUD Awards More Than $1 Million To Fight Homelessness For Young Adults

by Mitti Hicks

November 27, 2024

HUD Awards More Than $1 Million To Fight Homelessness For Young Adults

HUD works to prevent homelessness among young adults and youth through its Foster Youth to Independence program.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is awarding over $1 million to nearly two dozen public housing agencies working to fight homelessness for young adults between 18 and 25 transitioning out of foster care.

HUD works to prevent homelessness among young adults and youth through its Foster Youth to Independence program. The funding will be distributed to public housing agencies across more than 15 states.

“Youth transitioning out of foster care need housing stability and access to affordable homes,” said HUD Agency head Adrianne Todman. “With the funding announced today, HUD and local agencies will keep our most vulnerable youth off the streets and in stable environments where they can thrive.”

Addressing Problems For Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care

Transitioning out of foster care can be a stressful time of uncertainty and instability for youth, ultimately increasing the likelihood of homelessness. HUD funding will help communities tackle the gaps in the availability of housing assistance for young Americans. The funding will also support the federal goal of preventing and ending youth homelessness and set young people on a path to self-sufficiency by providing education, counseling, and supportive services.

According to HUD, Housing Choice Voucher assistance will be available to public housing agencies in partnership with public child welfare agencies. This will broaden access to stable housing for youth and young adults who’ve previously lived in foster care.

“Our goal is to expand access to safe and healthy homes where foster youth can transition to independent living,” said Richard Monocchio, principal deputy assistant secretary for Public and Indian Housing. “HUD values its partnerships with Public Housing Agencies and Public Child Welfare Agencies where, through programs like FYI, foster youth can be given the support they need to create bright, stable futures.”

Established by Congress in 2019, the FYI program was created through youth advocacy efforts to allow all PHAs to serve eligible young adults, particularly those who’ve lived in foster care. Over 300 PHAs nationwide administer more than 5,000 Foster Youth to Independence vouchers.

by Mitti Hicks

November 27, 2024

Caving In To Conservative Pressure, Walmart Ditches DEI Initiatives

Walmart's changes come nearly one week after Robby Starbuck, an anti-woke activist and filmmaker, warned the company that he was working on a story about wokeness at the company.

Walmart is the latest company to abandon its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives following mounting pressure from conservative activists.

Despite being the nation’s largest private employer, the retail giant said it would not renew the racial equity center it created following the murder of George Floyd in 2020. The company will also no longer participate in the annual benchmark index from LGBTQ+ advocacy group the Human Rights Campaign, USA Today reports.

Walmart’s plans to abandon its DEI initiatives come nearly one week after Robby Starbuck, an anti-woke activist and filmmaker, warned on X that the company that he was working on a story about wokeness at the company.

“Removing wokeness from Walmart has both downstream effects on suppliers, and it sets the tone for corporate America,” Starbuck told USA Today.

“Changing the normal operating policy at a nearly $1 trillion company is a gargantuan feat that many have tried to achieve but no one until now has actually been able to get done.”

MASSIVE news: Walmart is ending their woke policies. I can now exclusively tell you what’s changing and how it happened.

Last week I told execs at @Walmart that I was doing a story on wokeness there. Instead we had productive conversations to find solutions.

Below are the… pic.twitter.com/BD02xJQ0X2
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) November 25, 2024

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Starbuck added that the company has committed to monitoring third-party items in its marketplace for “inappropriate sexual and/or transgendered products marketed to children,” will review Pride funding, and will no longer use the term LatinX in official communications.

BLACK ENTERPRISE reached out to Walmart for more insight about what led to its decision to abandon DEI efforts, the company’s response to employees and customers who may feel rejected by its decision, and whether inclusion and equity are still priorities for the company.

A spokesperson said in an email, “Our purpose, to help people save money and live better, has been at our core since our founding 62 years ago and continues to guide us today. We can deliver on it because we are willing to change alongside our associates and customers who represent all of America. We’ve been on a journey and know we aren’t perfect, but every decision comes from a place of wanting to foster a sense of belonging, to open doors to opportunities for all our associates, customers and suppliers and to be a Walmart for everyone.”

Other brands, including Ford and Lowe’s, have also halted diversity initiatives following pressures from Starbuck and other conservative groups who claim DEI is an issue.

As the political climate shifts, President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to crack down on businesses pushing DEI initiatives that work with the federal government.

Daymond John, Andre Dickens, Black Entrepreneur’s Day

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 27, 2024

‘Shark Tank’ Mogul Daymond John Hosts 5th Annual Black Entrepreneurs Day In Atlanta

The event championing entrepreneurs awarded three $25k grants to Black-owned businesses.

Business mogul and Shark Tank star Daymond John hosted his fifth annual Black Entrepreneurs Day in Atlanta on Nov. 22. In honor of the event’s presence in Atlanta, Mayor Andre Dickens issued a proclamation to John, officially recognizing Black Entrepreneurs Day.

The event championing Black business owners brought out thousands of participants via in-person attendance and virtual streaming. Taking place in Atlanta’s historic Fox Theatre, Black Entrepreneurs Day featured special guests and speakers such as Kelly Rowland, Jordan Chiles, and Charlamagne Tha God. Rashad Bilal and Troy Millings, co-founders of the business-focused media platform “Earn Your Leisure,” also took part in the educational festivities.

The event also featured a conversation with Flava Flav, who deemed authenticity as a key to his success. In an exclusive conversation with BLACK ENTERPRISE Flav shared some encouraging and thoughtful business advice to entrepreneurs.

“Once you start a business, all you have to do is really believe in it,” the rapper and television personality told BE. “[As] long as you believe in it, it will become yours and grow beyond whatever you thought it would be.”

“…being able to be a [professional] athlete and a college athlete at the same time… I think it is a blessing in disguise because there [are] a lot of things you do have to learn, but also understand that your name is something that is your brand as well.

She continued, “Navigating that, whether it’s a Nike contract, a leotard contract, [or] whatever it is, it definitely was hard. But I do have the right people around me, being able to help me be[come] financially stable in that process…”

As for Chiles, she engaged in a wealth management discussion presented by JP Morgan Chase. The Olympian talked about her own “Balancing Act” of making smart financial decisions as her career takes new heights.

The occasion awarded three $25k grants to Black businesses. The grants were bestowed in partnership with the NAACP and event sponsors, such as Hilton and T-Mobile for Business. A Salt Lake City-based dessert shop named Parfé Diem took home one grant, with Black mother and daughter-owned fashion accessory line Gabby Bows awarded another. Vontelle, a Brooklyn-based eyewear company, earned the final grant of the day.

John founded Black Entrepreneurs Day in 2020 in response to the height of the Black Lives Matter protests. Wanting to uplift his community from within, the event took off to inspire Black entrepreneurs with resources and financial opportunities.

Ahead of its 2024 rendition, John spoke to Atlanta Daily World of his evolving intentions with the program.

“This is our fifth year, and it’s going to be special. We’re going to surpass $1 million in grants this year,” John said to the local news outlet. “That’s free money to Black businesses. We’ve already given money to 40 Black businesses. And you’ll meet great entrepreneurs and other people you may want to work with. We’re going to have a good time.”

He added, “The whole reason why it was created was that in 2020, when we saw people who were burning businesses instead of building them, I said, the reason they’re doing this [is] that they have no hope. But if you can see me there, and you can see the things I’ve learned the way that I failed, and the way that I’m bringing the resources, you can do exactly what I did… Black Entrepreneurs Day is about seeing people that look like you who are succeeding.”

The evening was filled with activations and game-changing conversations, from AI to reducing the wealth gap. As Black Entrepreneurs Day continues, John hopes to further his impact as he propels these businesses forward.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 27, 2024

Leading Human Hair Supplier For Black Women Announces Black Friday Sale 2024

Nadula Hair, one of the leading human hair wigs and bundle suppliers in the world, is pleased to announce the launch of its Black Friday promotion for its loyal customers and fans, offering wig sales, hair weave, and bundle deals at deep discounts.

Nadula Hair, one of the leading human hair wigs and bundle suppliers in the world, is pleased to announce the launch of its Black Friday promotion for its loyal customers and fans. The promotion offers deep discounts on wig sales, hair weaves, and bundle deals.

Starting Nov. 20th, shoppers can take advantage of a wealth of discounts. The sale offers hair products at the lowest prices of the year, including glueless wigs, HD lace wigs, v/u part wigs, bob wigs, pre-everything wigs, wear-and-go wigs, headband wigs, new magic lace wigs, double wear wigs, and pull-and-go wigs. They all are the best quality human hair wigs and enhance one’s unique beauty and natural look.

In addition, shoppers will receive special offers like free gifts (e.g., a robe or a hair dryer), the chance to win a free wig, the chance to buy a second weave for $1, and many other surprises.

The Wig Sale Strategy

The specific discount rate and time arrangement of Nadula Black Friday 2024 are as follows: Black Friday Pre-Sale (11/25 to 11/28) and Black Friday Big Sale (11/29 only). During this time, you can get the biggest discount of the year, free wigs, and free gifts. For more details, visit Nadula.com/activity/promotion-sale.html.

Nadula Black Friday Free Draw-How it Works:

11/11 – 11/28: Customers can participate in the event by leaving their email and phone information on the page from Nov. 11th to 28th.

11/29: On Nov. 29th, the system randomly draws from participating customers and displays the winning information on the page. A round of draws will automatically be conducted every four hours. One person will be drawn from the first, second, and third prizes. Customers who have already won will not participate in the next draw. A total of six people will be drawn for each of the first, second, and third prizes.

For more information, visit Nadula.com/activity/lucky-lottery-activity.

Wigs Deals For Black Women

As usual, during the Nadula Black Friday sale, considering the financial pressure on customers, the company has partnered with various installment platforms, allowing customers to view the new wig and then buy the cool wig in four installments free of interest. In addition, customers can enjoy fast, free shipping, 7/24 online customer service, and a 30-day return policy.

This story was first reported on Blacknews.com.

by BLACK ENTERPRISE Editors

November 27, 2024

Aaron Jordan Jr. Partners With Vision Films To Distribute ‘Dating My Past’ Movie Globally

This collaboration marks a major milestone for Jordan and his business partner on the film, paving the way for the global distribution of Dating My Past.

American TV personality and relationship expert Aaron Jordan Jr. announced his signing of a distribution deal with Vision Films Inc. to help bring his long-anticipated movie, Dating My Past, to global audiences.

This collaboration marks a major milestone for Jordan and his business partner on the film, paving the way for the global distribution of Dating My Past, a contemporary Black love story that sheds light on the complexities and personal battles of dating in today’s world, emphasizing self-reflection, love, and the journey of self-discovery.

“I am deeply grateful for this wonderful opportunity to partner with Vision Films Inc. to bring my new movie, Dating My Past, to a wider audience,” Jordan said. “This opportunity creates a pathway for audiences worldwide to be immersed in a film that speaks to real human experiences. Our stories of love, self-reflection, and the lessons we learn along the way are stories worth telling.”

Lise Romanoff, CEO and managing director of Vision Films, adds, “We’re thrilled to be distributing Dating My Past, a movie about the lessons learned from loves and losses that will take audiences on an emotional ride along with its characters.”

Vision Films Inc., an established independent film distributor, is expected to distribute the new movie on Feb. 11, 2025, across Transactional Video on Demand [TVOD] platforms, making its heartfelt narrative accessible to millions across North America and, thus, expanding Jordan and his Know Your Worth LLC’s reach and influence within the realm of independent filmmaking.

Dating My Past is a deeply personal narrative that examines the complexities of relationships and personal growth. Its exploration of the past as a path to understanding oneself is expected to connect strongly with its viewers, especially female viewers in the 25-34, 35-44, 45-54, and 55+ age demographics.

As the film delves into the protagonist’s emotional journey through former relationships and her quest for clarity and healing, it brings to life the book’s powerful message on love, loss, and the universal experience of self-discovery.

For more information about Dating My Past, please contact Aaron Jordan Jr., Know Your Worth LLC, at knowyourworthradioshow@gmail.com or Anissa King at the information below.

This article was first reported on Blacknews.com.

Burr Oak Cemetery, Emmett Till, National Register Of Historic Places

by Nahlah Abdur-Rahman

November 27, 2024

Action Fund Continues Quest To Preserve Historical Black Cemeteries

The action fund has bestowed grants to two historical Black cemeteries.

The African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund continues its fight to restore and preserve historically Black cemeteries nationwide.

Many Black cemeteries were the sole places Black people could be buried with honor and dignity. However, systemic injustice and racism have left many of these burial grounds in deteriorating shape or abandoned. While many communities have come together to maintain these resting places, national organizations are joining the mission.

According to Capital B News, the action fund granted $50,000 to the Woodlawns cemetery in July. The Bronx-based, 400-acre grounds hold over 300,000 burial sites, including figures integral to the Harlem Renaissance. The cultural site remains the final resting place of Black legends such as Miles Davis, Duke Ellington, and Cicely Tyson.

Accompanying the grant is an initiative to discover and promote the lives of those buried at Woodlawns. The “Where Harlem Rests” series honors these Black pioneers and icons. It will shed light on their stories from beyond the grave through tours and events starting in 2025.

“We’ve got this really substantial African American and Afro-Caribbean population here at Woodlawn, and that’s why we decided to go for this grant money. It’s time to really get the community to think beyond the Gilded Age at Woodlawn and beyond the jazz greats [to] the folks that made it happen in Harlem during the Renaissance,” said Susan Olsen, the cemetery’s director of historical services.

Launched by the National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2017, the fund has allocated over $3 million to historical and cultural Black sites this year. The grants, ranging from $50,000 to $155,000, aim to sustain these establishments for future generations.

“History is crucial to our nation’s understanding of where we’ve come from, who we are today, and how we envision our future,” expressed Brent Leggs, executive director of the fund, on its website. “These grants will support critical preservation efforts to revitalize and sustain tangible links to our shared past that we hope will inspire future generations.”

Two cemeteries, including Woodlawns, received the crucial funding. The other, Pierce Chapel African Cemetery in Midland, Georgia, has faced even more deterioration. Although it started around 1827 as a burial ground for enslaved people, tiny flags remain to signal where a grave lies.

by Sharelle B. McNair

November 26, 2024

Employees Of Brooklyn Nonprofit Indicted In Alleged $500K Kickback Scheme

This should never happen....

Three men, including two ex-employees of an unidentified nonprofit organization serving New York City’s homeless population, have been indicted in a scheme that allegedly misappropriated over $500,000 in public funds, Brooklyn Paper reports.

Jonathan Velazquez, Luis A. Camarena, and Gary DSilva, also known as “Pankaj DSilva,” were listed as defendants in an unsealed indictment on Nov. 21. U.S. Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon arraigned all three men on conspiracy to commit wire fraud, bribery, and money laundering charges. Prosecutor Breon Peace says money schemes only hurt the people of New York. “These defendants misappropriated public funds through a brazen kickback scheme. When corrupt employees siphon public funds to line their own pockets, the neediest New Yorkers bear the brunt,” the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said.

“My office will relentlessly pursue those who try to compromise the integrity of our community organizations.”

Prosecutors allege the scheme started when DSilva and Velazquez started working for the management information systems department of a nonprofit based in Brooklyn that operated several homeless shelters. Between 2017 and 2021, both men allegedly conspired with Camarena, who held the title of principal of a vendor contracted to install security cameras at the shelters. The vendor allegedly received $1.6 million in payments from the nonprofit for the installation projects, totaling more than $500,000 of those funds being sent back to DSilva and Velazquez.

The payments were reportedly made to credit cards in the names of both men and their spouses and to shell companies registered with DSilva’s spouse.

According to the Brooklyn Eagle, an investigation revealed hidden emails between defendants scheming on how to allegedly divide the profits. Prosecutors highlighted the emails as “clear evidence” of DSilva, Velazquez, and Camarena’s intentions to use their positions within the nonprofit to benefit themselves at the expense of public funds. “These employees of a City-funded nonprofit participated in an illegal kickback scheme, enriching themselves by stealing from their employer, an entity providing critical services to New Yorkers in need, as alleged in the indictment,” Commissioner of the New York City Department of Investigation, Jocelyn E. Strauber said.

FBI Assistant Director in Charge James E. Dennehy shared similar thoughts: “The FBI will never tolerate corrupt individuals who selfishly steal public funds intended to support our city’s vulnerable populations.” “This alleged quid pro quo agreement only enriched the involved parties and deprived the city of vital infrastructural improvements,” Dennehy said.

All three defendants entered not-guilty pleas.

by Daniel Johnson

November 26, 2024

Could Artificial Intelligence Help People Work Less, Live Longer

Marc Morial, president of The National Urban League, warned in a 2019 op-ed that automation presents a clear threat to the prospects of Black Americans in the workforce.

JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon is bullish on the prospect of artificial intelligence improving the life-work balance of American employees in the future, according to comments he made during an appearance on Bloomberg TV.

As reported by Fortune, Dimon seems to have embraced the inevitability of AI replacing the jobs of some Americans and made an ambitious claim that, due to advances, people may soon live beyond 100 years of age.

“People have to take a deep breath. Technology has always replaced jobs. Your children are going to live to 100 and not have cancer because of technology, and literally, they’ll probably be working three and a half days a week,” Dimon said.

Dimon’s prediction is ambitious, as American work, on average, approximately 37 hours a week, which is essentially still the standard 40-hour five-day workweek pioneered in America during the 1920s by Henry Ford’s Ford Motor Co.

Although JPMorgan Chase did create a five-year, $350 million reskilling initiative in 2019 to help prepare its employees for a work economy that is more reliant on artificial intelligence and technology, the company’s workforce, per Statista, is 44% white, 21% Latinx, 19% Asian, and 14% Black.

According to a 2022 analysis by the CDC, it is not easy to forecast how sweeping changes to the workforce created by technological advances will be because there are too many variables to say with complete certainty which jobs and sectors will be impacted and in which ways.

In April, MIT economist David Autor was the lead author of research that indicated that since at least 1980, technological advancements have not created more jobs than they have eliminated, but with the caveat that some forms of work were merely transformed and not completely eliminated.

As Autor told MIT News, “AI is really different. It may substitute some high-skill expertise but may complement decision-making tasks. I think we’re in an era where we have this new tool, and we don’t know what’s good for. New technologies have strengths and weaknesses, and it takes a while to figure them out. GPS was invented for military purposes, and it took decades for it to be in smartphones.”

Autor continued, “The missing link was documenting and quantifying how much technology augments people’s jobs. All the prior measures just showed automation and its effects on displacing workers. We were amazed we could identify, classify, and quantify augmentation. So that itself, to me, is pretty foundational.”

According to Autor, augmentation is a fundamental restructuring of how a job is performed, while automation essentially replaces a worker.

“You can think of automation as a machine that takes a job’s inputs and does it for the worker,” Autor explained. “We think of augmentation as a technology that increases the variety of things that people can do, the quality of things people can do, or their productivity.”

Marc Morial, president of The National Urban League, warned in a 2019 op-ed that automation presents a clear threat to the prospects of Black Americans in the workforce.

Morial referenced a report from McKinsey and Company, titled “The Future of Work in Black America,” which painted a grim picture for Black men in particular. “African-American men are overrepresented in the jobs most likely to be lost, such as food services, retail, office support, and factory work,” Morial wrote.

Morial continued, “African-American men also are underrepresented in the jobs least likely to be lost to artificial intelligence. These include educators, health professionals, legal professionals, and agricultural workers.”

According to the McKinsey report, in addition to improving the prospects of areas where Black people work and live, “The public and private sectors will need to implement targeted programs to increase the awareness of automation risk among African American workers. Additionally, both sectors will need to provide African Americans with opportunities for higher education and the ability to transition into higher-paying roles and occupations.”

by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 26, 2024

Zion Williamson Splits From CAA, Reveals Desire To Play With The New York Knicks

The New Orleans Pelicans center recently split from the Creative Artists Agency after reportedly not being able to play for the team of his choice.

NBA player Zion Williamson was supposed to be the next superstar of the NBA, with an expected career that was supposed to rival that of a young LeBron James, when the New Orleans Pelicans drafted him. Yet, another injury has sidelined his promising career once again. Outside of his latest injury, word has come out that the center has also split with the sports agency he has been with since debuting in the NBA, and it’s being speculated that part of it is because of Williamson’s desire to play with the New York Knicks before being drafted by the Pelicans.

According to Clutch Sports, sources have revealed that the recent split from the Creative Artists Agency was partly because they were unable to get him on the team he allegedly wanted to play on, the Knicks. He reportedly made this known to the agency before the Pelicans selected him, and he anticipated it could happen. Although that didn’t take place, he felt that the agency could make a trade to the New York team, and several years later, as he is still playing for the Pelicans, his wish to play his home games at Madison Square Garden has not happened.

That is one of the two reasons Williamson has decided to leave CAA.

Zion Williamson reportedly wanted to end up in New York, per @krispursiainen

“Even before the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery sealed Williamson’s fate as the Pelicans’ No. 1 overall pick, he had long made it clear to the agency that he wanted to play in New York. After beginning his… pic.twitter.com/eLOuAv6kis

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 23, 2024

Williamson also had an issue with the structure of his contract with the team. There are weight-related clauses incorporated in the agreement that the center has more recently gotten a better understanding of, which became part of his contention with CAA. Williamson signed a five-year, $197 million extension with the team in January 2022. The contract calls for certain weight benchmarks that he has to be under, so his contract will be guaranteed for the year. That pushed the center to want to be represented by another party.